Breath of Life

by theVoidWatches

Summary:

Quirks are inherited from your parents, but they aren't always the same. Izuku Midoriya's inherited a variation of his father's fire breathing that expels not fire, but his own lifeforce - and the versatility of his quirk catches Momo Yaoyorozu's eye. But green-haired boys aren't the only thing rapidly becoming important to her...

Izuku Midoriya/Momo Yaoyorozu/Kyoka Jiro - Polyamory, quirk!Izuku, lots of fluff.

Notes:

• Inspired by Paternum by J. C. Weston / theVoidWatches / theVoidWrites

This is basically inspired by the realization that if you squint hard enough and twist what "fire breath" means enough, Izuku could have a quirk that's basically the same power that Anima, a character from my original setting, Paternum, has - to manipulate the vital energy of life, both his own and others.
As I loosely outlined it, the story turned into a poly relationship between Izuku, Momo, and Jirou (which I don't see enough), so... that'll also be a thing.
I have a Discord if you'd like to discuss this story!

Chapter 1: Quirks

“You think this will be fun, huh? Perhaps I should raise the stakes. Whoever comes in last across all 8 tests will be judged to have zero potential as a hero - and expelled.”

There was a great deal of shock at Aizawa-sensei’s declaration, but Momo wasn’t worried. After all the fuss he had made about rationality, there was no way that he would actually expel a student on the first day of class on the results of a quirk assessment of all things. Not everyone’s quirks lent themselves to physical tests - sensei himself had a quirk with no physical relevance - and so, she thought to herself, it was more likely a way of motivating them to do their absolute best.

“We’ll continue with the ball throw, since the bin of balls is already out,” Aizawa said, his voice easily cutting through the worry and chatter and silencing the class once more. “Izuku Midoriya, you scored second-best in the entrance exam. You’re next.”

The cute green-haired boy Momo had seen casually chatting with Bakugo-san before sensei began the test blinked, as though surprised that he was up next, before shrugging and stepping forward. “Yes, Aizawa-sensei.”

Midoriya-san was one of the members of the class whose quirk gave him a rather distinct appearance, much like Shoji-san or Ashido-san. Along with remarkably fluffy green hair, his eyes were a luminous white that made Momo wonder if he had pupils or irises at all, and every time he breathed out he produced a white mist which glowed the same brilliant white, as though it was wintertime.

He took a ball from the bin beside Aizawa-sensei and stepped into the ring. “Ah... Sensei, my ball might take a while to land...” Midoriya said, a little hesitantly.

“Just throw the damn thing, Deku!” Bakugo shouted at his friend. “The sooner it goes up, the sooner it goes down!”

Midoriya flipped Bakugo off, still looking at Aizawa-sensei, and Bakugo laughed. The teacher ignored this byplay, instead saying, “We don’t have all day, Midoriya.”

The green-haired boy nodded, and brought the ball up to his lips. He breathed out, slow and deliberate, and a thick cloud of that mist surrounded the ball and began to sink into it.

Momo watched with interest as the ball began sparking and glowing with a strange aura - an odd energy that flowed out of the ball like some cross between smoke, fire, and electricity, still that same brilliant white that seemed to be the trademark of Midoriya’s quirk, whatever it was.

A moment later, the ball split down its seams, reshaping itself under the influence of that aura into something more like a bird, which was now perching on his hand instead of held in his grip.

Momo couldn’t stop herself from gasping a little, as did a few of the other girls - the bird Midoriya had created was quite cute. Even Jiro-san beside her let out a soft, “Cool.”

Midoriya glanced at Aizawa-sensei again, apparently still unsure if this use of his quirk was allowed, before he tossed the bird-formerly-known-as-ball into the air. It flapped its wings and began flying away and up into the sky.

Sensei glanced at the measurement instrument, then up at the bird as it flew, quickly leaving the range of Momo’s vision despite the vibrant aura. “How long will that thing fly?” he asked Midoriya-san.

“I put about five minutes of my energy into it,” the student answered, “which on a golem of that size should last at least half an hour. As it runs down it’ll lock its wings and glide until it hits the ground, and it’s heading up as much as it is out, so... a while.” He blushed. “I did say it would take a while.”

Aizawa sighed. “Fine. We’ll come back to the ball-throw after Midoriya’s results are in. For now, let’s start on the other tests.”

Momo made a note to keep an eye on Midoriya-san as he went through the tests, even as she banished the template for a ball-launching machine that she had been preparing for her own turn from her mind. That was an interesting quirk, she told herself, and she wanted to see more of it.

---

Momo’s interest in Midoriya-san only grew as the tests continued and he showed just how versatile his quirk was. He brought the full length of the 50-meter-dash lane to life as a moving walkway to carry him along, animated a stone arm from the concrete below for the grip test... while he hadn’t scored the highest in any test - Momo was a little embarrassed to realize that she was the one taking most of those crowns - he was often right behind her.

The other interesting thing, along with his impressive imagination and skill with his animation quirk, was that Bakugo - who even Momo, who knew she had been rather sheltered by her parents, could see was a rather abrasive person - was obviously a good friend of Midoriya’s, the two addressing each other by the nicknames of ‘Deku’ and ‘Kacchan’ and playfully teasing each other about their respective scores. It was an interesting dynamic, especially given that with everyone but Bakugo-san, Midoriya-san seemed shy and almost overly-polite.

Which, admittedly, wasn’t something that the equally shy Momo, who couldn’t pretend to herself that she wasn’t using formality and politeness to keep people a little at a distance, could really criticize.

Still, it wasn’t just the easy, semi-antagonistic friendship that Midoriya and Bakugo had that surprised her - she was also surprised to see Bakugo showing what was clearly genuine concern for Midoriya, who, she couldn’t help but notice, was clearly flagging, almost exhausted by a mere half-hour of using his quirk. Bakugo had chewed Midoriya out after the 50-meter-dash in particular, seeming very concerned - in an angry way - about Midoriya-san using too much of his energy. The green-haired boy had used smaller animations since then, even restricting himself to simply jogging in the distance run - the only test that he had finished in the lower half of the class.

Perhaps that was why the boy seemed to have fascinated her, Momo thought to herself, watching as he began the seated toe-touch. His quirk appeared to function off of his vitality, much like how her own quirk used her fat stores as fuel. Both of them could easily go too far and hurt themselves, potentially permanently, if they overused their quirks...

Jiro-san, beside Momo, nudged the taller girl with a wicked gleam in her eye. “Already got your eyes on someone, huh?”

“Sorry?” Momo said, startled out of her thoughts.

The purple-haired girl nodded her head towards Midoriya. “You’ve been staring at Green’s butt for a good thirty seconds. I can’t blame you, honestly - I’m not generally interested in guys, but he’s pretty cute.”

Momo blushed heavily as she realized what Jiro was implying. “No-no, nothing like that!” she denied, hiding her face in her hands and looking away from Midoriya-san. “I was just - he - no! Just, our quirks are rather similar, don’t you think, Jiro-san?”

Jiro rolled her eyes - she had quite expressive eyes despite her permanently half-lidded look - and said, “Sure, that’s all it is. And don’t bother with the formalities, just call me Jiro.”

Momo uncovered her face enough to smile at the shorter girl. “I - but -”

“I don’t go in for formalities, Yaoyorozu-san. Don’t worry about it,” Jiro assured her.

“I - alright, Jiro, if you insist,” Momo said after a moment. “But you must do the same.”

“Sure thing, Yaoyorozu.” Jiro tilted her head to the side. “‘Yaoyorozu’ is kind of a long name, though. How about ‘Yaomomo’?”

Momo found herself blushing again. “I... I think I might not be ready for such informality yet.”

“‘Yet’, huh? Alright then,” Jiro said, taking the denial easily. “You just let me know when you’re ready for a nickname. And yeah, you’re right, your quirk is kind of similar to Green’s. You both have a ton of options in any situation - I’m a little jealous, to be honest.”

“Oh, but your quirk is so useful as well!” Momo gushed. “The enhanced hearing alone will be incredible in any sort of hero work, from patrolling to search-and-rescue! And if you can produce soundwaves from your jacks as well as pick them, you’ll always have a powerful ranged and area-of-effect option, not to mention your jacks utility in close-quarters combat-”

Jirou chuckled. “You really ought to talk to Green,” she told Momo. “You wouldn’t believe the ideas he’s been getting, watching other people use their quirks.”

Momo raised an eyebrow. “He is interested in quirk analysis as well?”

“Like you wouldn’t believe,” Jiro confirmed. “He’s been muttering up a storm every time he has the chance to watch people use their quirks. I bet you’d get along great, if you know what I mean.” She waggled her eyebrows.

Momo tried to forestall another blush, and failed. “Oh look at the time, I’ve got to go do the repeated side-steps!”

“Didn’t you already-”

“Gotta go!”

---

As the other seven quirk tests drew to a close, Aizawa-sensei called the class back to the ball throw where they had started. “Midoriya’s throw finally landed,” he declared without preamble, and displayed the result, which read 24,071.8 meters - more than 30 times Bakugo-san’s result!

“Holy shit, dude!” gasped the redheaded boy with the hardening quirk - Kirishima-san, if Momo remembered correctly. “That’s incredible!”

“How dare you beat me!” Bakugo yelled, leaping at Midoriya with his hands sparking. Momo gasped involuntarily and even Aizawa-sensei stepped forward, his hair beginning to rise as he took his scarf in one hand, but he relented when it became clear that both Bakugo and Midoriya were laughing.

Instead of stepping in physically, sensei just said, “Playfight on your own time, kids,” and the two separated from each other, returning to the class with muttered apologies - although only from Midoriya - for the disruption.

That friendship confused her.

As with most of the other tests, Aizawa had them go in order of their results in the entrance exam, with her and Todoroki-san - the other student in the class who can come in through recommendations - going last. Next up was Kirishima-san.

The redhead threw just over 71 meters, quite respectable given that his quirk didn’t seem to enhance his strength much, but still seemed disappointed not to match up to Midoriya or Bakugo’s massive scores. He returned to the class with his head hanging low, but was quickly cheered up by Midoriya- san shyly asking about his quirk.

After Kirishima-san came Uraraka-san, who’s antigravity quirk blew even Midoriya’s record out of the water with an infinity. Then came Iida-san, then Tokoyami-san...

By the time that Yaoyorozu finished off the tests by generating an air cannon, scoring third place behind Uraraka-san and Midoriya-san with a solid 1123 meters, she had quite forgotten about the threat of expulsion. Aizawa-sensei, however, had clearly not.

“Minoru Mineta,” he said, the purple-haired boy trembling in fear. “...you’re in luck. You have very little potential, but not zero.”

“I’m... not expelled?” Mineta-san asked, voice wavering.

“Not yet. But you’ll have to improve quickly if you want to earn your place in this course, because your performance leaves you on thin ice.”

“I’m saved!” Mineta cried, relieved. “Who wants to reward me for my heroic efforts! Ashido, with your firm thighs and booty? Ururaka, with your lush curves? Yaoyorozu, with you-”

“Never mind,” Aizawa growled, wrapping Mineta in his scarf as Momo’s jaw dropped. “Let’s go see Principal Nezu. The rest of you,” he said to the remainder of the class, “get changed and go back to homeroom. You have your first classes soon.”

“But what about-” began Kaminari-san.

“Don’t worry about Mineta,” sensei said. “He’s not your concern.”

---

The girls began filtering back into their changing room, talking about what had just happened. “I hate to say it,” Jiro remarked, “but I’m glad that he’s about to get expelled. Probably expelled. If he was willing to make those kinds of remarks right in front of the teacher, what else would he have done?”

“I know,” Ururaka-san agreed as she opened the jacket of her gym uniform, revealing the black tanktop she had worn underneath. “And I’m glad to see that Aizawa-sensei, at least, seems to have a zero-tolerance policy for harassment like that. You wouldn’t believe how much I had to put up with at my middle school. Well, you might,” she said, playfully tossing the jacket at Momo before beginning to pull the tanktop over her had.

Momo blushed, turning away from the other girls. While she wasn’t exactly body-shy for herself, something about the other girls had flustered her when they had changed into their gym uniforms, and she was feeling equally flustered now - too much to even notice the way Jiro tilted a curious head at her embarrassment. “I... was actually home-schooled for my entire life,” Momo confessed. “I’ve never had to deal with anything like that, so I’m very glad that he’s gone.”

“You were home-schooled? That’s pretty cool,” Ashido commented. “But, no offense, I’m glad that I wasn’t - I’m too social to survive.”

“Yeah, I noticed you making friends with Kirishima already,” Hagakure-san said cheerfully. “A real extrovert, aren’t you!”

“Yup! Altough Eijikun and I knew each other already, actually - we went to the same middle school.”

“Eijikun?” asked Tsuyu-san. “That’s a pretty cute nickname, ribbit. Is there something between you two?”

“No, sadly,” Ashido answered with a sigh, “because he’s pretty hunky. And I think he might only be into guys, anyway. Did you see that Bakugo, though? Whew!” She fanned herself. “What a man, am I right?”

“Too aggressive for my tastes, ribbit. I thought Todoroki was quite handsome though.”

“Definitely,” Ashido agreed, “but not enough passion there. I need a guy with a bit of spark, you know? Or a girl, I’m not picky.” She winked and pointed at the rest of the room. “That means you’re all in danger!”

Jiro laughed. “I get that. I’m mostly into girls, myself, and it takes a real special guy to catch my eye.”

“That sounds like someone might have caught your eye already,” Ashido remarked. “Who’re you looking at?”

She shook her head. “None of the guys really interest me, although there’s one or two who might be able to change that. Momo, though, has the beginning of a crush already.”

“Please, no,” Momo begged, pressing her forehead against the cool metal of a locker.

“Ooh, who is it?” Hagakure-san eagerly asked.

“Is this your first crush?” Ashido asked with a happy gasp. “If you’ve been home-schooled until now...”

“The guy with the animation quirk, Midoriya,” Jiro told her, and Momo felt her blush intensifying. “I can’t blame her, he’s got a nice butt.”

“He did have a nice butt,” Uraraka agreed. “I tend to go for forearms more than asses, but... his was pretty nice.”

“He had nice hair, too!” Ashido chimed in. “Very fluffy. What did you like best about him, Yaoyorozu?”

“Please,” Momo whispered, her cheeks burning.

“Alright, lets stop teasing her,” Jiro said. “I think we might genuinely be making her uncomfortable. Sorry, Yaoyorozu.”

“Yeah, sorry,” Ashido said apologetically. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

“Sorry,” Hagakure chimed in.

“It’s... it’s alright,” Momo finally answered. “I know you didn’t mean to.”

“Anyway... what about you, Uraraka? If you like forearms, does that mean you liked Shoji?” Ashido teased, and Uraraka laughed.

Momo just sighed, glad to no longer be the center of attention.

Chapter 2: Battles, Part 1

“So Deku,” Kacchan said, leaning forward to talk to Izuku, “what do you think this ‘Hero 101’ shit is gonna be?”

“I’m not sure,” he responded, turning in his seat to talk to his best friend. “It could be just about anything - basic quirk law, the history of heroes in our society, the beginnings of what our responsibility as heroes will be-”

“Personally,” Kacchan interrupted with a vicious grin, “I’m hoping we’ll get to fight. After all, that’s what it’s all about, isn’t it?”

“I don’t think so,” Izuku disagreed. “Heroes do more than just fight villains, they rescue civilians and bring hope and even just improve the world! Like how Present Mic is always promoting positivity and good causes on his radio show, or that UA student that cleaned up Dagobah Beach last year-”

“Deku?”

“Yes, Kacchan?”

“Shut up.”

“...” Izuku stuck his tongue out at the blond.

Kacchan’s hand shot forward and he grabbed Izuku’s tongue before he could pull it back. “If you must have your damn mouth open,” he smirked, “talk about something interesting, don’t just sit there with your tongue hanging out.”

“Mmph.” The explosive blond released Izuku’s tongue, and he retracted it. “Alright, fine. If we do fight, I hope I don’t get pit up against you.”

“What, tired of losing to me?”

“It’s not that I dislike sparring with you, Kacchan,” Izuku assured his friend, “it’s just that we’ve been training together for years! I think it would be interested to fight with some of the other students here.”

“Oh? Who’s going to challenge you like I do?” Kacchan demanded.

“Well...” Izuku cupped his chin in his hand, thinking. “Yaoyorozu-san has an incredibly versatile quirk, just like I do, and her limits with it seem to be higher than mine - she was able to use it on way more of yesterday’s quirk assessment tests than I was. Ururaka-san could take me out of the picture with a single touch, since I can’t use my quirk to animate things at range, and I have a pretty short range on even... well. Koda-san could attack from just as many prongs as me, if he was able to find enough animals to command. But…” he had long since descended into muttering at this point, barely noticing Kacchan leaning back with a faint smile at his favorite background noise. “Todoroki-san would probably be the biggest threat.”

“Half-and-half? Don’t make me laugh,” Kacchan cut in. “That two-toned bastard isn’t putting in enough energy to be dangerous.”

“You don’t think so?” Izuku asked, glancing towards the legacy student. To Izuku’s eyes, Todoroki blazed brightly, the vital power residing within him easy to spot even from across the room. Like many people’s, its appearance was influenced by his quirk - in Todoroki’s case, it moved like a frozen flame, the light of his soul moving through a bonfire dance at glacial pace. “He’s got a lot of power in him - a strong quirk, and he should be able to fuel it for a long, long time.”

“He’s only using half his quirk,” Kacchan pointed out.

“I did wonder why he never used his fire, yesterday.”

“Probably some stupid sentimental reason. Or maybe he burned himself and is afraid of doing it again. Dumbass,” Kacchan scoffed. “You said he seemed a little frostbitten at the end of the quirk test, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, he was shivering when we changed back into our uniforms,” Izuku confirmed.

“If he used his fire, that limit wouldn’t apply,” Kacchan said.

“And the overheating he likely faces from overusing his flame would be compensated for by his ice,” Izuku noted. “You’re right, it’s silly for him to only use half of his quirk.”

“No matter how strong he is, if he’s only going halfway, you and I will leave him in the dust.”

Izuku nodded, although he felt a little sick - Kacchan still didn’t know about the half of Izuku’s own quirk that he hid.

After all, his father breathed fire, and that had transformed into the ability to breath his own soul and vitality into anything he chose. But his mother...

Izuku’s mother could pull.

Izuku was shocked out of his guilty musing when All Might himself burst into the room. “I am here!” the greatest hero of all time shouted. “Entering the room like a normal person!"

---

“Hey, nice costume,” said a purple-haired girl as Izuku exited the changing room. Her vitality pulsed gently in a rhythm like a heartbeat, but as she spoke, its rhythm accelerated and vibrated along with her words. It was quite pretty, he thought, as was she. “I was afraid that I would be the only one in anything like casual clothing.”

Izuku ran a hand through his hair, a little embarrassed at being noticed. “Ah, yeah, I couldn’t really think of any really heroic costume that didn’t feel like copying an existing hero.”

“That’s because you have no imagination, nerd,” Kacchan said, bumping shoulders with him as he walked past.

“You’re one to talk, Mr. Grenades-for-gauntlets!” Izuku shouted after him, earning a middle finger in response. He turned back to the purple-haired girl. “Sorry about that, Kacchan always has to get a word in. You’re... Jiro-san, right?”

“Just Jiro, I hate honorifics,” she confirmed. “And you’re Midoriya-san?”

“That’s me. You can just call me Midoriya if you dislike honorifics.”

“How about Green?”

Izuku shrugged. “Sure, I don't mind.”

“Cool. So, what’s up with your costume? Any particular reason for the look?”

“Not really,” he admitted. “Like I said, I felt like all the heroic-style costumes that would fit me as a healer have been taken already. There have been a lot of healing heroes already, so... I went more casual and doctor-inspired, with the insignia as a heroic touch.” He fingered the luminous, heart-shaped logo that had been added to his costume at his request.

“Wait, you’re a healer?” Jiro asked. “I thought your quirk let you animate objects.”

“That’s part of it,” Izuku confirmed, “but it’s not the whole of it, or even the most important in my opinion.”

“So what is your quirk? The animation alone seemed crazy useful and versatile, and now you’re saying that’s not all?” Jiro sounded impressed, and Izuku blushed a little bit at her interest.

“Basically, I can breath my own vitality and lifeforce into whatever, or whoever, I want,” Izuku explained. “For inanimate objects, I can bring them to life and direct them as I choose - although I can’t control them from distance, I can only command them or update their directives with another infusion of energy. For living creatures, it heals them - or if they’re already in good shape, it generally enhances them. Makes them stronger, tougher, even boosts their quirk a little. But since its fueled by my own energy, it’s pretty draining on me.”

“Whoa. That’s cool as hell, Green. I pity whoever goes up against you in this fight thing. You’ll go easy on me, right?” she teased.

“I’d never insult you, or any of my classmates, by going easy on you,” Izuku said seriously. “We’re all here to do our best - I would never pretend it would take less than my best to win.”

“Hardcore.”

“Besides,” he admitted, “I’m not great at combat - Kacchan always beat me whenever we sparred before we got into UA, although I can drag it out quite a bit nowadays. That’s part of why I want to be a support hero.”

“I can respect that - search and rescue, healing, that stuff is super important. But...” she trailed off, turning to look at Kacchan. “Sparky there is who you called Kacchan, right?”

“Yeah. Childhood nickname, just like he calls me Deku.”

“He strikes me as pretty focused on combat,” Jiro noted, and Izuku couldn’t disagree. “Your perspective of how good you are at fighting might be a little skewed, if all your practice has been with him.”

Izuku tilted his head. “You seem pretty perceptive, Jiro.”

“I try.” She smiled. “That said, I’m gonna go say hi to some of the other girls - All Might will probably be starting soon, and I have more costumea to compliment.”

“Alright. Good luck on the test,” Izuku said politely.

“Same to you, Green.” Jiro waggled her fingers at Izuku and walked towards the beautiful girl who had just exited the girls’ changing room - Yaoyorozu-san, he thought her name had been, the girl he had noticed in the quirk tests topping almost all the charts, even scoring right behind him in the ball throw.

He blushed, seeing her costume, and turned away to pay attention to All Might as the hero cleared his throat and began to explain how the test would work. Hero vs villains, huh? He wondered who he would be paired with.

---

As it turned out, he was paired with Momo Yaoyorozu, who was indeed the black-haired girl. They were even up first - acting as the heroes, against Kacchan and Ojiro - who had a powerful tail and was dressed as a martial artist - as the villains.

Izuku tried to banish his embarrassment at Yaoyorozu’s costume, but was still blushing a little as he extended a hand and said, “Hi Yaoyorozu-san, it’s nice to meet you. I remember your quirk from the apprehension tests yesterday - it’s incredible!”

“Thank you, Midoriya-san,” she said, shaking his hand with, weirdly enough, a bit of a blush as well. What did she have to be embarrassed about? Was she not entirely comfortable in her costume either? “I remember yours as well, quite impressive. I imagine that we’ll be able to handle this test quite well, between the two of us.”

“I hope so.” He glanced at the building they would be fighting in. “Kacchan - Bakugo - is an incredible fighter, and I’m sure he’ll be coming to hunt for us rather than guarding the bomb.”

Yaoyorozu-san tilted her head. “Hm. Between the two of us, which do you think he’ll be more likely to chase? Would he chase me first, because you two are friends?”

Izukue laughed. “The opposite, in fact. Kacchan has always thought of me as his chief rival - no way he goes for you if I’m an option.”

She nodded. “Then it strikes me that if you distract him, I would be able to get to the bomb - which, presumably, Ojiro-san will be guarding.”

“Good plan,” Izuku agreed. “And I’m sure it’ll be no trouble for you to make something to get past him.”

“A net gun, most likely. Ojiro-san seems like a skilled martial artist, but I believe I was faster than him in yesterday’s dash-”

“You were,” he confirmed.

“-so even a few seconds caught in a net will likely allow me to get to the bomb.”

“Right.” Izuku cupped his chin. “My worry, is how will you find the bomb fast enough? I can see people through walls, but only if they’re close enough...”

“You can see through walls?” Yaoyorozu-san said, shocked.

“Sort of? My quirk is complicated,” he quickly explained, blushing as he realized the implications of what he had just said. “Living things have a sort of glow to them, the brightness of which reflects how much vitality they have and is influenced a bit by quirks, as well. I can see that through anything, as long as it’s within about 10 meters of me - outside of that range, nothing. I can’t actually see people.” Yaoyorozu’s soul was one of the most beautiful he had seen, too - the vibrant glow that represented her energy and quirk was a fracta, constantly-changing pattern of shapes, one which he had seen, the previous day, shape itself into the very same items that she created as she built them from herself.

She nodded thoughtfully, and then opened her mouth. Izuku tensed, waiting for her to ask the question that everyone he had shared this with had asked - “What does All Might look like?”

Izuku blinked. “All Might?”

She blushed a little. “Yes, well... he’s my favorite hero, so...”

Izuku chuckled. “He’s mine too, it’s just... usually people ask what they look like, not about other people.

Yaoyorozu shrugged. “I admit to some curiosity about that myself, but I’m more curious about what you see in other people, and if it tells you anything about their quirks.”

“Well... All Might is incredibly bright,” Izuku told her. “Like, overwhelmingly bright. There are some people I can’t look directly at for any length of time, because they have so much energy, but All Might... I can barely look in his direction.” He glanced back at the building that the class was waiting in. “He’s like the sun.”

“Wow...”

“He’s not the only one - one or two of the upperclassmen, I think, are just as bright, really shocked me yesterday when they passed by on the second floor while All Might was on the first. But...” he shrugged. “Yeah, All Might is just. Really bright.”

“And me?”

Izuku glanced at the building. “Shouldn’t we get ready? I think we’re starting in a moment.”

“Oh! Yes, of course.” There was that blush again. Yaoyorozu-san put a hand to her hip where her costume exposed it, and her soul began taking a shape something like a megaphone. “I’ll produce a powerful directional microphone to help us find where they’ve hidden the bomb, first thing. No offense to your friend Bakugo-san, but I suspect he’ll be easy to find.”

“Start!” came the booming voice of All Might over their earpieces, and they began to move.

Chapter 3: Battles, Part 2

Izuku watched in fascination as Yaoyorozu-san drew the directional microphone forth from her own soul, a sparkling light being produced where her vital energy left her skin and transformed into the microphone. She pointed it at the building and quickly began scanning it across each floor in turn, a faint crackling coming from it, until...

A faint but distinct explosion sound, and Kacchan’s voice saying “Deku! I’m coming for you!” It was followed, a moment afterwards, by another voice protesting.

“That’s the place,” Yaoyorozu said, pointing up to the fifth floor. “Good luck, Midoriya-san.” She discarded the microphone and made to go.

“Wait!” Izuku cried, grabbing a hold of her hand.

“What is it?”

“Let me just...” He brought her hand up to his lips and let out a soft breath, the gleaming light of his own soul exiting his body and entering into Yaoyorozu’s. He carefully spent just five minutes, enough to last until the end of the exercise, but not enough to drain him too much. His internal reservoir was hard to measure, but it was only a little after noon - five minutes was nothing.

Yaoyorozu-san looked even more beautiful with a faintly crackling aura of white around her and a look of wonder in her eyes as she gazed down at him and the hand which, he realized with a bit of a flush, he was still holding. He dropped it, glancing away. “That should double your physical ability for the next five minutes,” he muttered. “Or roughly double it, anyway, it’s basically adding my own capabilities to yours for as long as it lasts.”

“I feel... oh my.” Izuku risked a glance back up to her and saw that she too was blushing. “I didn’t realize you could use your quirk on people, Midoriya-san.”

“It doesn’t control you at all, like it does with objects,” he assured her.

“The thought never crossed my mind. Although...” She produced the net gun, pulling it from her midriff, then handed it to him and closed her jacket. “If you animate the net in this, will it be more effective.”

He nodded, and did so, spending only a minute this time. “It’s tough to estimate how long animation will last on an object, but until it wears off, it’ll be a lot harder to escape,” he promised.

“Excellent.” Yaoyorozue glanced at the building again. “You had best go draw off Bakugo-san - our time is running out.”

---

Izuku dashed into the building, keeping to the left side so that Yaoyorozu could be on the right. He paused only for a moment, to bring his lab coat to life - he had a plan. Then he kept running.

He didn’t try to be quiet - stealth was Yaoyorozu’s job. In fact, he allowed his feet to fall heavily, and kept a steady flow of energy into the coat, to keep its aura bright. As he did, he kept an eye all around him, watching for the telltale eternal explosion that was how Kacchan appeared in his quirk’s eye. He didn’t expect to see him much beforehand though - Kacchan knew his range, and was easily able to cover 30 meters in an instant.

“DEKU!” Sure enough, there was a sudden BOOM and he whirled to see Kacchan flying through the air towards him, propelled by an explosion and with a wide grin on his face.

Izuku leaned backwards, the tail of his lab coat stiffening and propping against the floor at his direction to help him keep his balance. Kacchan’s fist sailed over his head, and so did the rest of him.

A moment later, another BOOM halted his friend’s momentum in midair and one leg was hurtling towards Izuku’s face. He twisted to the side, sending another instant of energy into the coat, and its fabric split around him and remove itself as the animated lab coat leapt for Kacchan.

“Hey, what the fuck?” Kacchan swore as the coat wrapped around him, pulling his arms tight into his sides. “Deku, you-”

“There wasn’t much around for me to use my quirk on, most of the times we practiced - just rubble that you created,” Izuku told him, snatching up a broken bit of the wall. “But this time, I got to bring something in, and come prepared!” He animated the shattered wall as Kacchan began tearing through the coat, his hands burning with small flames, and dropped it to the ground as it morphed into a concrete dog.

Kacchan could shatter any golem he created in an instant of course, but that just meant that Izuku had to keep one creation ahead of him - and the coat trick had let him start that way.

Izuku backpedaled repeatedly, animating bits of wall and floor and broken furniture to attack Kacchan, who laughed maniacally as he tore through each in turn. Izuku couldn’t help but smile too, although he was starting to feel a little tired - it was, in fact, fun.

“Deku!” Kacchan shouted a minute or two later, interrupting him as he began animating a bookshelf - Izuku turned to see that his explosive friend was pointing one arm at him, the other on the ‘pin’ of his enormous grenade-gauntlet. He grinned. “Better dodge, nerd.”

“Oh no... was the Support department able to make those cannons you were talking about?”

“Yup.”

Izuku dove as Kacchan pulled the trigger - dove forward, not to the side. Heat pressed against his back as the cannon’s blast passed over him, but he had the advantage, he knew it. All he had to do was-

“Young Bakugo,” All Might spoke through their earpieces. “Do not fire that other gauntlet! You could kill young Midoriya with that!"

“He’ll be fine, Deku is good at dodging!” Kacchan shot back, and Izuku looked up to see that the blonde was pointing the second one at his face.

“Hey Kacchan?” Izuku asked.

“What?”

Instead of answering, Izuku let out a puff of vitality-infused breath, and Kacchan swore as his second gauntlet unbuckled itself, sprouted a set of spidery limbs, and skittered away.

The blond glared at Izuku. “If you leave it like that,” he promised, “I will feed it to you.”

---

Momo was amazed - not just at how versatile Midoriya-san’s quirk was, able to spot people from a distance, able to animate objects into a wide variety of shapes, able even to enhance living people - but at how good it felt to be be under that enhancement.

She had always been fit - her parents had had her training for heroism from a young age, and considered physical fitness quite important for that - but with Midoriya’s quirk enveloping her like warm, enfolding aura, she was beyond fit. She felt like she could run a marathon, leap a canyon, cover a hundred meters in an instant.

She couldn’t of course - he had said that it would roughly double her capabilities, Momo reminded herself, which meant that while a marathon was easily within her abilities, a canyon was still far beyond it, and she doubted she could do a hundred meter dash in less than 15 seconds.

Still, the feeling was incredible. There was even a distinct warmth deep in her core which she was trying to ignore. Now wasn’t the time. It was never the time, but now definitely wasn’t.

Instead, she experimentally produced a heavy cloak as she moved for the bomb’s location, trying to remain as silent as possible. While Midoriya-san’s enhancement was very welcome, it wasn’t great for stealth - the crackling aura cast a unique light, and wasn’t exactly silent, either. The opaque, sound-muffling fabric she mentally wove the cloak from should help cover it.

Indeed, it did - and it came out faster, more easily, and with a lower expenditure of fat stores than it normally would.

He did say that it enhanced quirks, too, Momo reminded herself, - which only made sense, since they were physical, bodily processes. And, she noted, the glow around her hands had dimmed slightly when she made the cloak - the power to build it had come, in part, from Midoriya’s gift. She wasn’t sure how much time she had left, but it would no longer get her to the end of the exercise, as he had promised.

Well, that was fine - she would just have to end it quickly. Momo wrapped herself in the dark cloak and hurried, taking care to keep her footsteps light. It wasn’t long before she reached the correct room, and heard Ojiro-san’s breathing from within.

She took a moment to take stock of the time - if her mental clock was right, there were two minutes left - and spent 30 seconds waiting to see what Ojiro was doing. Or hear, rather - her ears seemed to have been enhanced with the rest of her, and she was easily able to determine that the martial artist was pacing in a circle around what must presumably have been the bomb.

If he was pacing, that meant multiple exits he had to keep an eye on, which surprised Momo. By her understanding of the exercise, the villains were allowed to set the bomb anywhere they wished - surely, Bakugo-san and Ojiro-san would have placed it somewhere more defensible?

Unless this was a trick. She chanced a quick look around the corner when she could hear Ojiro on the other side of the ‘bomb’ and, as she had guessed, didn’t see the bomb at all. There was a wall of boxes large enough to conceal a bomb - or the lack of one - from view - but the bomb itself was probably not there.

That could be an issue. There was barely a minute left in the exercise, and that wasn’t long enough to search the entire building, even with Midoriya-san’s enhancement. Instead, she whispered into her earpiece, “Midoriya-san, I don’t think the bomb is where we thought it was. We don’t have time to search, so I’m going to try and capture Ojiro-san - can you get Bakugo-san?”

“No problem,” came the immediate reply. She smiled - Midoriya clearly had it handled, and leapt out at Ojiro, net gun in hand.

---

Izuku had a problem.

He had a big problem.

He had a big, blond, explosive problem.

Izuku had promised Yaoyorozu-san he could capture Kacchan, which was pretty optimistic of him. Sure, the standard for ‘capture’ - just to wrap any part of the body in the capture tape - was a lot easier than the usual standard for beating Kacchan. But that didn’t make it easy.

“Oh, now you want to fight back?” Kacchan roared, coming in with a heaving right hook. Izuku ducked underneath it, trying to sweep his friend’s leg out from under him, but all he did was used a quick blast from his other hand to keep him up until he got his legs under him again a moment later.

“I had a plan that didn’t require fighting a losing battle,” Izuku defended himself, “but plans change!” He tried to bring his capture tape up to his mouth to animate it - if he could do that, this would become a lot easier - but a snap kick from Kacchan required him to parry instead.

“You’re too afraid to fight, Deku!” the blond shot at him, grabbing his hand as he parried and starting to wrap it with his own tape. Izuku managed to twist away and roundhouse kick him to put some space in between him and his friend. “That’s your problem!”

“I just don’t want to hurt anyone!”

“As though you could ever hurt me!”

“Mashirao Ojiro has been captured!" All Might boomed, and Kacchan redoubled his attack.

“How are you gonna be the number two hero if you won’t fight, Deku?” he demanded, sweeping Izuku to the ground. “Huh?”

“I can-”

“How am I gonna be the best number one there’s ever been within you nipping at my heels, Deku?” He dove down at Izuku’s throat, capture tape ready.

“Kacchan, I can’t-” Izuku tried to say, rolling to the side.

“You can do it! So fight me, Deku!”

Izuku elbowed Kacchan in the head, hard, and instinctively pulled at his vitality. He stopped immediately, feeling sick - not physically, as the sensation of draining another person’s life felt all-too-good - but emotionally. He had never wanted to use that half of his power, but the first time he was in a serious fight, something more important than a simple sparring match, what did you do?

“FUCK!” Kacchan swore, jerking into a sitting posture and clutching his head.

“Kacchan, I’m so sorry-” he began.

“That’s more like it!” the blond roared with a wide grin, turning to bring an explosion in towards Izuku’s face.

Izuku had to roll away again, but this time Kacchan was slower - the drain on his lifeforce brief, but already showing - and he was able to get far enough away to bring his capture tape to life.

Now it was Kacchan on the defensive, slowed and wary of Izuku with a living piece of tape, one which would wrap itself around him if he got too close. All he had to do, Izuku was all-too-aware, was stay back - the villains won if the heroes couldn’t either capture them both or find the bomb, and there couldn’t be more than fifteen seconds left.

Izuku could see the wheels turning in his best friend’s head, but the outcome was predetermined - Kacchan could never run from a fight. He came rushing forward, as did Izuku, and a moment later it was all over.

“Katsuki Bakugo has been captured! The hero team wins!"

---

“Nice going, Green. Shame about your lab coat.” Jiro said to Midoriya-san as he and Momo returned to the rest of the class. She offered him a fist, which he bumped with his own, before wrapping his arm around Bakugo-san’s shoulders and walking off with him, speaking furiously under his breath to the blond. “You too, Yaoyorozu,” she said to Momo.

“Thank you, Jiro,” she responded. “What... was that?”

“What, didn’t realize I was friends with Midoriya?” the purple-haired girl asked. “I said hi while you were still changing, and we chatted a bit. Green seems like a pretty cool dude.”

“Yes, he does,” Momo agreed with a faint smile. “But I meant the fist thing.”

Jiro gaped. “You don’t know what a fist-bump is?”

“Home-schooled, remember? I grew up rather sheltered, I’m afraid.”

“That’s some serious home-schooling,” Jirou said, then collected herself. “Well, a fist-bump is basically a high five, but... more low-key. I’m not as energetic as, well...” She inclined her head towards Kirishima-san, who was going through an elaborate high-five routine with Midoriya which Momo suspected was being made up on the spot.

The redhead then offered the same to Bakugo, who ignored it for a moment before holding up his hand for a single high-five, which Kirishima gave with just as much enthusiasm. Ashido-san wandered over, and Kirishima eagerly began to teach her the routine.

“I see,” Momo said. “Well...” she formed a fist and offered it to Jiro. “Thank you for teaching me.”

The purple-haired girl looked at it in surprise, then blushed a little. She fist-bumped Momo, fiddling with one of her earjacks with the other hand. “I’ll try not to get used to it - I doubt there’s much I can teach you.”

“Right!” All might boomed, “Who thinks they know who the VIP of this match was?"

There was silence for a moment before Iida-san spoke up. “All Might-sensei, the VIP was Midoriya-san! His enhancement of Yaoyorozu-san’s abilities and equipment was critical to her capture of Ojiro-san, and he captured Bakugo-san all by himself!”

“Hold on, no!” Midoriya protested. “Yaoyorozu-san used her quirk to find Ojiro-san in the first place, and she recognized that we had to switch our strategy to capture! If not for her, we would have captured zero people and lost the weapon!”

“But your distraction of Bakugo-san was the only reason I was able to make it to Ojiro-san,” Momo pointed out. “If not for you-”

“That plan was your idea though-”

“Oh my god, stop flirting,” Bakugo cut in, rolling his eyes. “You fucking dorks.”

Momo did, a fierce blush overtaking her cheeks. Flirting? Her? She hadn’t been flirting, had she? Midoriya, meanwhile, smacked Bakugo, but he was blushing too.

Notes:

Listen, I never claimed to be good at romance, and these kids are no better.

Chapter 4: Democracy

“It’s time to pick class representatives,” Aizawa said, and the class went wild, everyone shouting out arguments for why it should be them. “Settle down,” he snapped a moment later, and they did. “I don’t care how you do it, as long as you do it quietly, and are done by tomorrow morning.” The hubbub began again, although, as requested, a little quieter. Everyone from Kacchan to Kirishima-kun to Iida-san was shouting in hushed tones as Aizawa sank into his sleeping bag.

Izuku, meanwhile, just sat back in his chair with a sigh. While he knew that becoming class rep would speak well of him and potentially be a boost to his eventual career, it wasn’t a position he actually had any interest in. Especially since he was planning on being a healing and rescue hero, not the leader of a heroic agency. That was Kacchan’s plan.

“I am too a good leader, frogface,” Kacchan was hissing at Asui-san - Tsu, Izuku reminded himself, she had asked the entire class to call her Tsu. “Just ask Deku!”

Tsu tilted her head to the side. “If you’re a good leader, then why don’t you remember our names? You always use nicknames - even for Midoriya-kun.”

“Kacchan uses nicknames for people he likes and respects,” Izuku told her, leaning forward. “If he called you Tsuyu - or even Tsu - that would mean he didn’t care. The same applies to his more, ah, ‘creative’ insults - the more over-the-top they are, the less he means them.”

“I told you that in confidence, you winter-breathed fuck, I’ll rip your head off and stuff the hole full of pencils!”

“See?” he told her, and the frog-like girl nodded in understanding.

Izuku leaned back again as she began talking with Kacchan with a little more understanding in her eyes. He wondered when someone would -

“Please, everyone!” Iida-san hissed. “There’s an obvious solution here! A simple vote!”

“Everyone will vote for themselves, gearhead,” Kacchan snapped. “That won’t solve anything!”

“Most people will, yes, but doesn’t that mean the people who do garner multiple votes have proven themselves worthy of trust?” Iida argued.

“...fine,” Kacchan said.

“Hey, good idea, Iida!” Kirishima-kun said, offering a high five, which the blue-haired speedster tentatively returned.

Yaoyorozu-san glanced at Izuku briefly over the empty chair between them that had once held Mineta, and he found himself saying, “We should have a second round of votes after that.”

“What was that, Midoriya-san?” she asked, raising her voice a little to draw the rest of the class’s attention.

“Ah...” Izuku stood out of his seat to join the discussion. “A second round of voting. If everyone can vote, as Iida-san suggested, then the people will multiple votes will probably have only two or three votes. If we do a second round of voting with only those who received multiple votes being allowable choices, we’ll have a good consensus from the entire class.”

“An excellent idea, Midoriya!” Iida said with a smile. “And to ensure fairness, someone eliminated in the first round can collect the votes for the second!”

“What about the first round?” Ashido-san asked. “We’re all in the running, right?”

“The first round can be double-counted,” Yaoyorozu-san offered. “If two people - Iida-san and myself, say - circle around the room and both of us collect a vote from everyone, then you’ll know you can trust our counts when they match.”

Everyone agreed that this sounded fair, and the count began.

---

A few minutes later, Izuku was shocked as Yaoyorozu began writing the results of the first round of voting on the board:

Mina Ashido - 2

Katsuki Bakugo - 2

Izuku Midoriya - 3

Momo Yaoyorozu - 2

He was in the lead? “What three idiots voted for me?” Izuku couldn’t help but ask.

“Hey, we don’t have to be -” Jiro began. “- wait, you didn’t vote for yourself?”

“I don’t particularly want to be class president,” Izuku informed her. He had voted for Iida-san, himself, thinking that he deserved it for being the first to suggest voting. “So no. Did you vote for me?”

“No, I voted for Yaoyorozu.”

“Good choice.”

Iida, although his face was burning - presumably from losing in the first round - began circling around again, collecting the second round of votes.

Alright, Izuku told himself. Iida’s out - Yaoyorozu would also be an excellent rep. Hopefully no one voted for him again now that the field was narrowed...

---

Mina Ashido - 4

Katsuki Bakugo - 4

Izuku Midoriya - 6

Momo Yaoyorozu - 5

Izuku let his head sink onto his desk.

“The results seem clear!” Iida-san declared. “Midoriya, you are to be our class representative! Yaoyorozu, you are our vice representative!”

Izuku grumbled under his breath as he rose and trudged to the front of the class to stand beside Yaoyorozu. “You guys know I didn’t want this, right?” he said to the class as a whole. “I voted for Yaoyorozu-san!”

“Attaining the plurality of votes while giving your own vote to a rival merely proves your worthiness further, Midoriya!” Iida insisted, giving him a thumbs up.

“I almost switched my vote to you because you didn’t want it,” Jiro said in a teasing tone. “Those who desire power are least to be trusted with it, you know.”

Izuku facepalmed. “While I appreciate your political savvy, Jiro, I think that applies more to positions with, you know, actual power.”

“In any case,” Yaoyorozu-san said, “we will do our best as your representatives. Won’t we, Midoriya-san?”

He sighed, but nodded. “Yeah, I’ll do my best, everyone. I understand the responsibility you’ve given me today, and I’ll try to live up to it.” Then he added, in a mutter, “I just wish I didn’t have it.”

“If that’s done,” Aizawa-sensei said, emerging from his cocoon, “it’s almost time for Math. Get back to your seats.”

Izuku hurried back to his spot, but then turned back and leaned over Mineta’s chair as Ectoplasm entered and began arranging his papers for Math, having a thought. “Yaoyorozu-san,” he hissed.

“Yes?” she asked, leaning forward.

“If we’re going to be the class reps together, we should probably get to know each other,” he pointed out. “Why don’t we sit together at lunch today?” It was a little forward of him, perhaps - while they had worked together well in All Might’s training exercise earlier that week, it was probably too early to call them friends - especially as they had barely spoken since. Jiro had taken the time to speak with him more than Yaoyorozu-san had, and Kirishima-kun was happily slotting himself into Izuku’s friendship with Kacchan as well, but Yaoyorozu had seemed quiet and disinterested, so Izuku hadn’t pressed - but he felt that it would be important to know her better anyway.

She nodded, blushing slightly. “That sounds like a good idea, Midoriya-san. And... perhaps we should dispense with the formalities, as well?”

“Are... are you sure, Yaoyorozu-san?”

“I’m sure. I’m trying to be a little less formal anyway,” she confirmed. “Please, call me Yaoyorozu.”

“Then call me Midoriya,” Izuku offered in return, matching her slowly lowering level of formality with an internal grin. He smiled at her - a more normal-looking smile than the unreasonable level of happiness he felt on the inside, he hoped, before turning to face forward again.

---

Momo wasn’t quite sure, as she walked to the cafeteria with Jiro, who was becoming a fast friend, why she was so excited to be working with Midoriya.

“It’s because you have a crush,” Jiro said.

“I do not have a crush,” Momo insisted. “I have... I don’t know - an interest?”

“So a crush.”

“No!” Momo sighed. “We work together well, that’s all!”

“Then why haven’t you asked to pair with him in the exercises since All Might’s battle testing?” Jiro asked.

“I’m just - I’m nervous!” Momo said defensively. “What if he doesn’t like me - as a friend!” she added, seeing Jiro’s sly grin.

“Well, he asked to have lunch with you, which is a good sign,” her friend pointed out. “And on top of that, he’s letting you drop the honorific, just like you’re doing with him.”

“That means nothing, he lets you call him just ‘Green.’”

“Yeah, because I’m his friend. Just like you are.” Jiro gave her a lazy grin. “If it is just friendship.”

“It is.”

“Then go have lunch with your friend,” Jiro said, “and have fun!” She suddenly veered away, leaving Momo alone.

Momo sighed. Midoriya was, she privately admitted, rather cute, but that didn’t matter. She didn’t have a crush. She knew the difference between academic interest and romantic intent, and she had no interest in Midoriya beyond the synergy of their quirks and their ability to work together - and Midoriya, she was certain, felt the same. Probably.

Then why, pointed out a traitorous part of her brain, did she keep blushing around him? And why was she so against the idea, anyway?

It didn’t matter, Momo told her treacherous heart. Besides, she blushed around Jiro too, every time the purple-haired girl teased her or taught her something that she had been too sheltered to learn.

Quieting her feelings, Momo glanced around the cafeteria and found Midoriya, her height making it relatively easy to spot the glowing boy. She swiftly made her way through the press of students to meet him.

“Yaoyorozu, over here!” Midoriya called as she approached, clearly spotting her as well, and she waved to him to let him know she had spotted him.

“How can you stand to be around so many people?” she asked as she sat.

“What do you mean?”

“The part of your quirk that lets you see people’s - vitality, you said? Isn’t it overwhelmingly bright in here?”

“Oh, I see. No,” he said, shaking his head, “the brightness doesn’t really add like that. Two people of the same brightness don’t get twice as bright when they overlap - only a little brighter.”

“Ah. So it’s just certain people you have trouble around, not large numbers.”

“Yeah - it needs to be a ton of people before I have trouble from that - although crowds can still be overwhelming in a more normal way. Hey, don’t you need to get food?” Midoriya asked. “We have more hero training this afternoon, after all, and with your quirk-”

“Thank you for the concern, Midoriya, but I have it covered,” Momo said, reaching into her bag and producing a small packed lunch. “My family’s maid packs lunches for me.”

“Oh! You, ah... have a maid?”

“Yes.” She blinked, then realized that that was probably unusual. “Oh - I suppose that sounds very arrogant, doesn’t it? I’m sorry, I try not to flaunt my family’s wealth -”

“No no, that’s - you don’t, really,” Midoriya assured her. “That’s why I was surprised, actually. You don’t act at all like I would have imagined a rich person would - not arrogant at all. In fact, I didn’t even connect you to the famous Yaoyorozu corporation until just now.”

She blushed a little, internally cursing herself for it. “Thank you.”

“Although, it does make me wonder...” Midoriya tilted his head to the side curiously. “With your family being so rich, what’s your motivation for becoming a hero?”

Momo furrowed her brow. “Is money the default?”

“No, of course not, but... well, the last two people I asked, Uraraka-san and Jiro-san, both had money as at least part of their motivations,” Midoriya explained.

“What were they?” Momo asked, finding herself curious. “That’s not a question I think to ask, most of the time.”

“Well, Uraraka wants to make money so she can support her parents, whose business is struggling. Jiro wants to be able to sponsor a program to teach music to young kids who wouldn’t otherwise get the chance.”

Momo nodded. “Worthy goals.”

“I thought so too. What’s yours?”

She tilted her head, thinking. “...I’m a little ashamed to say it, but I’m not sure,” she admitted. “It was always just... expected of me, I suppose, from a young age. My uncle is a hero, as you probably know-”

“The everything hero, Maker?”

“Yes. I inherited his quirk, so my entire family assumed I would follow in his footsteps.”

“I... see. Do you... actually want to be a hero, then?” Midoriya asked, sounding a little concerned.

“Yes, I do,” she immediately assured him. “I definitely want to be a hero. I’m just...” She sighed, glancing down at the salad she had been packed. “I just realized I don’t actually know why.”

“Hey.” Momo glanced up to see Midoriya looking at her kindly. He put a hand on one of hers, and said, “I think it’s okay if you’re not sure why you want to be a hero just yet - the important thing is that you do want to be one, and you’re working towards it. And,” he added, “you’re going to do great.”

She favored him with a smile. “Thank you, Midoriya,” she said. “What about you?”

“Me?”

“Why do you want to be a hero?”

“Ah. Well,” he began, “it’s what I guess you would call a moral imperative for me, right? My quirk lets me heal-”

“How many things can your quirk do, exactly?” Momo asked, raising an eyebrow.

“How many can yours?” he shot back.

“Touche.”

“So I can heal, right? And it would be incredibly selfish - in a way that I just don’t have it in my to be - not to use that to help people,” Midoriya explained. “I could become a doctor, and I’ll probably get a medical degree as well, just like Recovery Girl, but... well, with how many other applications my quirk has, I think neglecting the good I could do as a hero would be just as irresponsible.”

“You would be incredible in search-and-rescue,” she noted.

“That’s the plan,” he said with a grin.

Momo realized a moment later that Midoriya was still holding her hand, and she blushed intensely. A moment later, he blushed to, and released her. She immediately began stuffing her face with her salad, hoping that if she just ignored it, they could get past it with a minimum of awkwardness.

---

They did, in fact, get through it - once they had both gotten a little food in them, they began talking about each other’s quirks, and that had led to analyzing the quirks of other members of the class, which had led to analyzing the quirks of heroes, which had led to talking about heroes they had met, which had led into talking about their lives in general...

By the time they had left the cafeteria to head back to homeroom, the conversation still flowing freely and easily - even after Jiro had met them on the way and joined in - Momo was confident that she could count Midoriya a friend.

It was while Jiro was telling them about a concert she had gone to - one which, apparently, Midoriya had nearly gone to as well, except that he and Bakugo had gotten into mischief and been grounded by their respective mothers - that the alarms went off.

There was near-instant panic, the already-crowded halls flooding with students who were screaming and shouting at the top of their lungs. Jiro screamed in pain, covering her ears and burying her face into Momo’s chest, and Midoriya too seemed a little panicked, frantically glancing around and then pulling them to the windows.

Momo reached down to her thighs, grateful that she had chosen socks instead of tights today, and produced a pair of thick, sound-muffling headphones, which she slipped over Jiro’s head, the purple haired girl sighing in relief but not moving. “What’s going on?” she asked Midoriya, shouting a little to be heard over the alarms.

“It looks like... it’s just the press,” he called back after a moment, sounding relieved. “Remember, they were trying to get in at the beginning of the day? It looks like someone broke down the front gate and they got in.”

“Thank god it’s nothing worse,” she sighed, then glanced out over the teaming mass of panicked students. “One moment.” Momo focused - electronic devices were a lot more complicated that a simple pair of earmuffs - before she produced a megaphone. She glanced down at Jiro briefly, to make sure she had her earmuffs on properly, before speaking into the megaphone, “CALM DOWN! IT’S JUST THE PRESS! SOME REPORTERS BROKE INTO THE SCHOOL-”

“And are already being kicked out by Aizawa,” Midoriya muttered.

“AND ARE ALREADY BEING ESCORTED OUT. THERE’S NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT.”

The panicked crowd calmed, somewhat, and began to disperse. Jiro sighed in relief as the noise level dropped, slipping the earmuffs down to around her neck and finally extracting herself from Momo’s chest. “Thank you, Yaoyorozu,” she said, blushing. “Sorry about that.”

“Nothing to apologize for!” Momo told her. “Any time you need, I’ll be happy to do the same.” Only then did she realize that it wasn’t the inconvenience of making the earmuffs that Jiro had probably been apologizing for, but for having hidden from the sound in Momo’s breasts, and her damnable blush returned.

From the sound of muffled laughter coming from Midoriya, he had realized the same.

---

“I have an announcement to make,” Izuku said from the front of the classroom after the entire class had returned from lunch, but before Aizawa had called them to order. “I’m stepping down as class representative.”

“What? Why?” asked Jiro.

“But Midoriya-” Yaoyorozu began.

“You won fair and square!” Ashido protested.

“This had better not be your fucking ‘I don’t want to be class rep’ shit again, Deku,” Kacchan snarled.

“It’s not,” Izuku promised his friend. “It’s not,” he said again, to the rest of the class. “I know you guys voted for me, but... in the panic after lunch, when the alarms went off, it wasn’t me who solved it.” He glanced at Yaoyorozu, feeling a smile overtake his face. “It was Yaoyorozu. She was the one who kept her head and calmed everyone else as well - not to mention helped Jiro when the sound was too much for her,” he added with a nod to the purple-haired girl, who ducked her head with a faint blush. “For that reason, I believe Yaoyorozu should be class president.”

“Then who’ll be vice?” Ashido asked. “Bakugo and I tied for third...”

“Midoriya will remain as my vice representative,” Yaoyorozu said firmly. “He’s stepping down as president, but that doesn’t mean he has to exit the class government entirely, and there’s no one I would rather have as my vice - assuming you don’t object to that, Midoriya?”

“I... no, I don’t,” Izuku said, blushing a little at her faith in him - a faith which he didn’t think he had earned, but would do his best to live up to. “I’ll be your vice rep - assuming this is okay, sensei,” he said to Aizawa as the teacher rose to his feet.

“I don’t care,” the man said curtly. “Everyone change into your gym uniforms and get down to the fields - we’re doing more sparring today.”

Notes:

If you're wondering how I'm writing so fast, I'm also wondering.

That's not true, actually, I know exactly how I'm doing it. For most of the last year I've been writing an original superhero serial (Paternum, linked in the inspired-by section of this fic). Unfortunately, it's pretty tough for original fiction to get off the ground, which means I've gotten used to having almost no feedback from readers. The many positive comments I've been receiving from you guys, therefore, are very motivational - and by using this fic as a reward for myself as I write Paternum, I'm able to use that motivation for both stories.

And that's how I've written close to 20k words this week alone. It's crazy what you can do when properly motivated.

Anyway, point is that I'm staggered and very, very pleased by all the positive responses I've been getting to this fic. Keep them coming, and the chapters will continue as well. Sincerely, thank you all.

Chapter 5: Rescue, Part 1

It had been a long first week, Izuku reflected as he trudged into school beside Kacchan, yawning. Aizawa-sensei’s quirk apprehension test on the first day of school, then All Might’s battle test the next. Then the swarm of reporters, and then flood of students when the alarms went off... not to mention sensei drilling the basics of fighting into them every afternoon, and that after a full day of regular school crammed into the morning.

It was, for the most part, stuff that Izuku already knew. He and Kacchan had always been more advanced than most of their class, using each other as motivation to excel in school as well as fighting, and he had estimated - back when they had graduated middle school - that they were a full year ahead of a normal school schedule.

As a result, both were still ranking in the top of the class, vying for second place right behind Yaoyorozu - Todoroki-san and Iida-san, meanwhile, jockeyed for fourth. The competition was fierce, though - Tsu, Jiro, and Ojiro-san weren’t far behind, and if they stopped studying, Izuku and his best friend could already tell that they would quickly lose their high ranking - although Kacchan would never admit it out loud.

All this was to say that they had continued their habit of spending their evenings studying, trying to keep ahead of UA’s demanding schedule and maintain their position in the class. Which, in turn, meant that they didn’t get as much sleep as they probably should - especially Izuku, whose quirk was fueled by his energy.

So when he yawned, Kacchan eyed him with concern - concern which, to the eyes of anyone who didn’t know him as well as Izuku did, might appear to be suspicion. “Why the hell are you yawning, Deku,” the blonde demanded.

“Because,” Izuku admitted, trying to fight back another, “I’m tired.”

Kacchan’s eyes narrowed. “You need your fucking sleep. You’re not allowed to keel over.”

“I haven’t knocked myself out with my quirk in years,” Izuku protested. “I’m not five anymore, Kacchan.”

“The only reason you haven’t is that I haven’t let you,” he insisted. “You need to sleep more. Or sleep better. Or something.”

“I sleep pretty deeply already,” Izuku said.

“Then you need to sleep more.”

“When? We’re up late studying every night, and it’s not like there’s any time to spare in the mornings.”

Kacchan grumbled under his breath. “Then maybe we should-”

“Bros!” came the cheerful voice of Kirishima, appearing as if from nowhere and wrapping an arm around each of their shoulders. Kirishima-kun, Izuku reflected, was one of those dreaded morning people. “Did I hear you mention that you study every night?”

“Most nights,” Kacchan confirmed, still eyeing Izuku. “Might not be every night anymore.”

“Well, can I join you when you do?” the redhead asked. “I’m not dumb, I swear, but I can already tell I’ll be struggling more than I used to - UA cramming things into half the time is gonna kill me.”

“Tch. Fine,” Kacchan muttered, and Izuku got an idea.

He slipped out of Kirishima-kun’s arm and stepped a little away from them. “How about this,” he suggested, “since Kacchan thinks I need to sleep more, how about you two study together every night?”

“What the fuck are you-”

“I can join you, like, two or three times a week,” Izuku said, “and other days I can catch up on sleep! Or maybe,” he added, noticing a pulsing energy approaching behind him and jerking his thumb in her direction, “I can study with Jiro!”

The purple-haired girl blinked as she fell into step with the others. “Who’s studying with me?”

“I am!” Izuku told her, starting to feel awake now that he was messing with his best friend. “Maybe we can get Yaoyorozu to join us too, and do it a little earlier than I usually did with Kacchan. That will keep him happy.” Then he whispered, “Work with me here,” trusting to Jiro’s keen senses to hear him even as he spoke as quietly as he could. “I think Kirishima likes Kacchan, and I want to get them alone together.”

Jiro blinked, then nodded. “Yeah, that should work,” she agreed. “Yaoyorozu and I talked about studying together over the weekend anyway.”

“See! Problem solved!” Izuku tapped Jiro’s lower back and began leading her away from his guy friends. “You guys work it out!” he called back to them before they could respond.

Jiro began laughing as they walked together, passing through the gates of UA a little ahead of the other two. “I like your style, Green. You don’t hesitate, do you? I thought you were kind of shy, but...”

“I am, a little,” he confessed to her. “Anxiety plagues me constantly. But I’m a lot braver on behalf of others than I am for myself.”

“So, Sparky and Sharktooth, huh?” Jiro asked. “Ashido will be disappointed.”

“Well, I hope so, anyway. Why will Ashido be disappointed?”

“Don’t tell anyone I shared this,” she warned him, “but they were the two guys in the class Ashido seemed the most interested in. She likes passionate, manly men, I guess.” Jiro shrugged. “She was kind of resigned to Kirishima being gay, but I think she was hoping with Bakugo.”

“Kacchan is bi, not gay,” Izuku informed her. “Kirishima is too.”

“Hm. Maybe she still has a chance, then.”

“No offense to Ashido-san,” he said as they entered homeroom, “but I’m rooting for Kacchan and Kirishima-kun.”

---

It had, Momo reflected as the class began trudging towards the busses that were waiting at the front of the building to transport them to a rescue exercise, been a long first week - but a good one. She had made fast friends with Jiro - her first best friend, she thought with a small smile - and had befriended Midoriya as well, since they had become class reps together.

They had continued to eat lunch together for the rest of the week, although not alone. Jiro had joined them the second day of the new tradition, Kirishima and Bakugo the third. Today, all of them had sat together, and even Ashido and Asui-san - Tsu, Momo reminded herself - had joined them at the rapidly expanding table, and she had made plans to meet Midoriya and Jiro at her home to study together!

Momo had never had so many friends before.

She stood back to let the rest of the class board the bus first, performing a quick head-count to make sure everyone was there. 16, 17, 18... and she made 19, and she stepped on herself, taking a seat next to Jiro.

“Midoriya,” Tsu said without preamble as the vehicle began to move, “I couldn’t help notice, but your quirk is extremely versatile, ribbit. Is it a fusion of two quirks, like Todoroki’s?”

“Ah, sort of?” the green-haired boy said, rubbing the back of his head. “My father could breath fire. That’s where my quirk comes from, mostly - I just breath out a more metaphysical take on fire, maybe thanks to my mom's psychic-type quirk.”

“He breaths out his own lifeforce,” Kirishima put in, “which is so fucking manly! It’s cool as hell, not even getting into everything he can do with it! You’re going to be a top hero for sure, bro!”

“Thanks, Kirishima-kun.”

“Too bad my own quirk is so boring,” the redhead lamented, demonstrating his hardening quirk. “I mean sure, it’s useful, but it’s not exactly flashy, is it? Not like yours, Bakubro’s, or Todoroki’s.”

“I disagree,” Midoriya argued. “One of the most important things for a hero is to make people feel safe, and that there’s nothing to worry about - including the hero. Your quirk makes you almost impossible to hurt, and you’ll only get more unbreakable as you develop it. Being a hero that no one can scratch will be great - just look at All Might! Half the reason he’s been the number one hero for so long is that no one can even imagine him being hurt!” he pointed out.

“Well, the other half is that he’s so friendly and personable,” Tsu noted. “Which is another thing you have going for you, Kirishima. Bakugo and Todoroki will probably have a little more trouble with that-”

“HEY, WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN, FROGFACE!”

“I must admit that you’re correct,” Todoroki-san said with a faint frown. “Just look at my father. By the numbers, he has more closed cases and more lives saved than All Might over the last five years, but he’s still firmly number two - probably because he refuses to play to the media and the public.”

“I think it goes back to what Midoriya said about making people feel safe,” Momo put in, “and that there’s a difference between scaring villains and comforting civilians. You can be an effective hero by scaring villains, but you won’t be a popular one - at least not widely enough to rule the rankings. Heroes like Gang Orca and Endeavor have followings, but smaller than those of heroes like All Might and Hawks.”

“So what, those of us who aren’t as good with people should change ourselves to appeal to the public more?” Jiro asked, sounding a little hurt.

“Not at all!” Momo assured her. “We’re not speaking of the quality of a hero, simply of how they’re viewed by the public! If you wish to rank at number one, perhaps - but if you simply want to help people regardless of your ranking, there’s no reason to worry about your public image.” She hoped she hadn’t hurt Jiro’s feelings - she certainly hadn’t meant to! Momo hadn’t even imagined that Jiro might not consider herself to be good with people - the purple haired girl had, to Momo’s eyes, been perfectly comfortable with everyone in the class, only briefly having trouble when overwhelmed by a crowd.

“Even then, being exceptionally effective can take you a long way,” Todoroki added. “Again, look at my father - whatever else you want to say about him, he’s immensely effective, and that’s garnered him a lot of acclaim regardless of his... personal issues.”

Momo wondered what he meant by ‘personal issues’, but figured it wasn’t her business, especially as the bus rolled to a halt.

---

“This is where we’ll be conducting today’s rescue exercises,” Aizawa-sensei said once everyone had stepped off the bus. “They’ll be led by UA’s resident rescue expert, Thirteen.” He stepped back to allow the astronaut hero to speak.

“Welcome,” they said, their voice as androgynous as their costume, “to the Unforeseen Simulation Joint - or USJ, for short! I designed this facility to allow for training to take place in simulations of any environment, from wildfires to mountainsides to broken-down cities!” The space hero opened the doors of the large, dome-like structure and led the class inside.

“Whoa, cool,” Jiro commented, glancing around. From where they entered, they could see a central plaza which opened up into six disastrous areas - wildfires and mountains and the ruins of a small city, as promised, along with a a flooded lake, an eternal rainstorm, and what looked to Momo like a the wreckage left behind a landslide.

“So manly!” was Kirishima’s contribution.

“Ooh, this looks fun!” Ashido said cheerfully.

“It looks like an incredible place to learn!” Iida boomed.

“Settle down,” Thirteen requested. “We’re not quite ready to begin training yet. First, I have a few rules of the USJ to warn you about, as well as a talk about your quirks. Do you know what mine is?”

“Black Hole!” Urururaka eagerly answered. “Anything exposed to your quirk instantly dissolves into dust! You’ve used it to save hundreds of lives!”

“That’s right!” they said approvingly. “But my quirk could just as easily - more easily, even - be used to kill!”

The class shifted uneasily, realizing that it was true. Momo hadn’t even considered it - Thirteen was so linked with rescuing in her mind that she had never imagined they could fight, let alone kill.

“Many of you,” the space hero said, seriously, “have quirks that are like mine - dangerous, even deadly.” Momo glanced at the class and saw that Ashido, Todoroki, and Bakugo were all shifting uncomfortably - even Midoriya seemed a little affected, although she wasn’t sure why. “You may have heard, or thought yourselves, that your quirks are only good for fighting - that there was no way for you to be a hero except to crush villains beneath your feet, that there was no way you could reassure the public with your presence.

“I am here to tell you,” they continued, “that that is wrong. Your quirks are not for fighting and not for killing - they are for helping people!” A faint smile returned to Midoriya’s face, bringing one to Momo’s as well, and a much brighter one came to Ashido’s. Even Todoroki and Bakugo wore tiny, subtle smiles. “I was told the same things as you were, and look at me now! So I promise you, you can be heroes who make people feel safe. And today,” they gestured to the USJ, “is where you can begin to learn how!”

The class broke out into spontaneous applause, a few people cheering and whooping. Thirteen sketched a small bow, and Aizawa sighed.

When the applause died down, however, a slow clap remained, coming from the central plaza.

Momo glanced down and saw an unsettling sight. A huge, dark cloud which seemed to absorb all light, except for a pair of wide, faintly yellow-tinged eyes, had appeared along with a tall, skeletally-thin and unhealthily-pale man with severed hands grasping his face and arms, who was clapping, slowly.

“A lovely speech,” rasped the hand-covered man, “but not from the hero we were hoping to see. We were told that All Might would be here. Where is he? Where is the Symbol of Peace? We’d love to meet him, you see.

“And kill him.”

“What’s going on? Is this some kind of test?” Kaminari-san asked.

“Who are these guys, sensei?” Sero said to Aizawa.

“Villains,” their teacher hissed, moving foward as more people began to emerge from the black mist. “Thirteen, evacuate the students!”

“Everyone get to the doors,” Momo ordered, grabbing Jiro’s arm and pulling her friend - who seemed almost paralyzed in fear and shock - in that direction.

“But sensei, there’s too many of them!” Midoriya said desperately, grabbing hold Aizawa’s arm. “You specialize in one-on-one, you can’t-”

“You can’t become a pro with only one trick, Midoriya,” sensei said, shaking him off. “Get out of here.” Then he leapt into the central plaza.

Midoriya turned to catch Momo’s eyes. “Yaoyorozu, we can’t just let him-”

“We’d just slow him down,” she told him. “We don’t have the experience to help if we went down there - we would just distract him by giving him more people to worry about. Aizawa-sensei knows what he’s doing. That means you too, Bakugo-san,” she added, seeing the explosive blond was halfway to going down anyway. He grumbled, but turned to follow her and Thirteen to leave the USJ.

They were stopped, however, by the dark mist appearing in front of them. “I’m afraid,” a deep, reverberating voice from within the mist said, “that I can’t allow you to leave. That, you see, is my assigned role in this endeavor - to prevent anyone other than my compatriots from arriving or escaping.”

“Stand back, students!” Thirteen commanded, beginning to upcap their fingers and unleash their quirk.

“Thirteen, no-!” Midoriya began, but mist was already swirling around the back of their suit, and the power of their quirk was transferred through the mist’s warp gate.

Momo’s thoughts whirled, struggling to keep up with the fast pace of the attack. It only took her a moment to realize what needed to be done, even as Thirteen collapsed. “Midoriya,” she said, grabbing onto her vice’s arm, “who’s the fastest member of the class?”

“Iida-san,” the green-haired boy said immediately, “but why-” his eyes narrowed, and Momo knew he had figured out what she meant. “We’ll need a distraction, to get him past the warper,” he said a moment later.

“I’ll leave that planning to you,” she told him. “And keep an eye on Jiro.” She kept the panicking girl with her as she moved to Iida. “Iida-san,” Momo began, “we need your speed. As soon as Midoriya’s plan distracts that warp villain, you have to fetch help.”

“But Yaoyorozu-san,” he protested, “I can’t just leave you to-”

“You can help us best by getting the other teachers,” she insisted. “Iida-san, you’re the only one who can make it in time. As your class president, I am not asking, but ordering you to go.”

His eyes widened a little, then narrowed in determination. “Yes, Yaoyorozu-san,” he promised, “I’ll fetch help!”

That accomplished, Momo headed back towards Midoriya, who was muttering under his breath at high speed, presumably planning as she had asked him to. A moment later, he grabbed Bakugo, Sero, and Kirishima. She decided not to interrupt him, and instead turned to Jiro.

“Jiro,” Momo said to her best friend, “breath. Breath in... breath out... in... out...” She kept up a slow, steady count, helping the purple-haired girl to breath until she got through the panic attack, then said, “are you alright?”

“I... a little better,” Jiro told her. “How did you know how to-”

“I used to get panic attacks when I was younger,” she confessed. “It’s remember what it was like - hard to breath, hard to recall how fast or slow to do so even if you could. There’s nothing to be-”

Before she could continue, the world went dark and they were falling.

Chapter 6: Rescue, Part 2

Izuku fell into darkness. His plan had worked - Kirishima-kun had distracted Kurogiri, as the dark mist had introduced himself as, long enough that Sero-san could grab his real body with his tape, allowing Kacchan to hit him with a powerful explosion and send him flying. Iida had then taken that opening to dash out of the USJ, and even now should be on his way to fetch the teachers...

But the opening had only lasted an instant before Kurogiri had returned, and angry. His mist had expanded, and he - and every other student, from what he had seen before he lost all vision in the black mist - had been caught.

And now he was falling.

Izuku breathed out, hard, hoping that perhaps he might be able to see something, anything, by the light of his quirk. This, he realized a moment later, was a mistake - he struck the ground, hard, with no air in his lungs, and wheezed, struggling to his feet as quickly as he could. There were villains around, real villains, and he couldn’t afford to be caught.

Fortunately, he realized a moment later, there weren’t any villains within the 30-meter range of his quirk’s sight. What he did see was the tough, diamond-like glint of Kirishima-kun and molten glow of Ashido, as well as the rough terrain of the landslide zone.

He quickly made his way towards them, fighting Kirishima crouched over Ashido and looked concerned. “Are you two alright?” Izuku asked.

“Midoriya! Thank god you’re here, bro,” the redhead cried, relieved. “Ashido is hurt!”

“I’m fine, Kirichan,” Ashido insisted. “It’s just a sprained ankle.”

“That’ll still keep you from fighting effectively if we run into villains,” Izuku said. “Here, let me heal you.” He took Ashido’s hand and breathed life into her.

An aura briefly sparked into existence all around her before sinking back under her skin as she gasped in shock. “Yeowch! That stings a little, Midori-kun,” she complained, twisting her ankle a little. “Thank you though - it feels much better now that it’s done.”

“Actually,” he said, thoughtfully, “it’s probably a good idea for me to boost the two of you in general.”

“How much energy have you got, bro?” Kirishima asked suspiciously. “I remember you yawning this morning.”

“Um... not as much as I’d like,” Izuku admitted. “But I should be able to spare a half-hour’s wakefulness for both of you.”

“...okay, but you have to be careful.”

Izuku rolled his eyes as he took Kirishima-kun’s hand. “You’re as bad as Kacchan, I swear.” A moment later, the redhead was surrounded by a bright white aura, and it only took a few seconds to give a boost to Ashido as well.

“We should probably get back to the central plaza,” she said. “Sensei will probably be worrying - and I’m a little worried about him, too.”

“Not to mention that it’s a central location to meet up with everyone else,” Izuku added. “I was thinking the same thing.”

“What are we waiting for, then? Let’s go!”

“Hold on,” he said, glancing around. “...okay, still no villains around, at least not that I can see. And no one else from the class either.”

“How do you - oh, right, you’ve got that thing that lets you see where people are,” Ashido remembered. “Wait, does that mean that you can see Hagakure?”

Izuku nodded as they began to pick their way through the unstable rocks. “Sort of, at least. Most people’s energy is brightest at their core, in their torso, and dimmer in their extremities, so I still can’t quite make out her features. But yes, I can see where she is even when she’s in costume.” He paused. “She does... wear a costume, right?” he asked, suddenly concerned.

“Oh yeah! It’s made using her DNA,” Ashido explained. “It goes invisible as she puts it on. Since it’s invisible it’s pretty plain - basically just pants and a shirt, with some padding for protection, but she’s got clothes on, don’t you worry!”

“Oh, good,” Kirishima said. “Like, it’s manly as hell to have no shame, don’t get me wrong, but it gets cold in the winter!”

“Yeah, it’s a good thing that -”

Ashido was interrupted by Izuku shouting “Dodge!” and diving away. He had been trying to keep an eye out for villains, but the conversation had distracted him, and a handful had snuck up on them - one of them close enough to launch a projectile, a heavy-looking whitish spine of some sort.

Ashido sidestepped away from the spine, while Kirishima simply hardened himself and swiped at it with one hand, knocking it aside. “Hah!” he shouted. “Nice try!”

“Oh no,” came a menacing voice, “I guess I’ll just have to try again!”

Izuku saw three villains standing there - the one who had launched the huge spike had skin as black as coal, with white spikes emerging from his body up and down the spine of his back, as well as on his knees and elbows. His teeth seemed to be too large for his mouth, and he had a set of large horns curving from out of his forehead. To the eyes of Izuku’s quirk, he was filled with a spiky, unsettling light.

The second villain’s quirk didn’t seem to affect her appearance - she looked relatively normal, apart from the electric blue of her hair and eyes. Her vitality reminded Izuku of Momo’s - a constantly-changing fractal pattern.

Then there was the third villain, his hair bright red and shifting like flame. Between that and the fiery light of his soul, Izuku could make a good guess about his quirk.

“Guys,” he whispered. “I think we’re in trouble.”

---

Momo fell into darkness.

She panicked, in that moment - just for an instant, she knew that as the class president she had a responsibility to project reassurance and safety to her classmates and that she couldn’t do that if she panicked. But in the darkness of the black mist, she was alone, and she found herself panicking.

But then someone reached out and grabbed her hand, holding on tightly, and she came back to herself.

Momo slipping her other arm out of her jacket, exposing her back enough to begin producing a parachute. It caught the air as light returned to the world, and she pulled the other person - Jiro, she saw - close to her, holding tightly. They drifted safely to the ground, unharmed, landing easily before the parachute drifted down over their heads.

She tore the chute off of them and glanced around, slipping the jacket on properly again. It looked like they had landed near Kaminari-san in the mountainous region - he seemed to have rolled to a safe landing, and was rising to his feet again.

“Oh god,” Jiro whispered. “I can’t... I’m so useless.”

“Hey, hey,” Momo said, crouching in front of her, hoping she could cut off her panic before it started again. “You’re not useless!”

“No, I am,” she insisted. “My quirk is good for scouting, maybe, but I can’t fight! I...” The jacks of her ears extended and clicked into the speakers on her boots. “I have these... but I’m realizing, they’re big and clunky and they’re attached to my feet, why did I ask for them to be part of my boots? I can’t aim these effectively...”

“We’ll just work out something else, then,” Momo said. “We’ll be fine, I promise. Right Kaminari?”

He stepped closer, and Momo realized that he was looking worried as well. “I dunno, Pres. None of us are really fighters. My quirk fries me if I use it at range, and...” he glanced out at where a group of villains was beginning to circle them. “...I don’t want to get close, either. I’m not great at conducting it yet...”

Momo sighed. “We can fight, and we will,” she informed them. From one hip, she produced a sword - from her back, a shield. She took a moment to change the pattern in her mind to replace the rubberized coating she normally used for the grips with more steel, then passed the weapons to Kaminari. “Use these to direct your electricity,” she ordered.

“...can I get a pair as well?” Jiro asked.

“Of course.” Momo gave her a sword and shield too, then, as the villains were getting even closer, made a simple bow staff for herself. “Let’s make them regret attacking UA,” she began, and Jiro and Kaminari joined in with her as they rushed towards the villains:

“PLUS ULTRA!”

---

They were, indeed, in trouble. The three villains had a powerful combination - the dark one with bone spines fought at a distance, launching spines towards the three students. When Ashido tried to fire back, sending acid flying towards him, her attacks were stymied by the one with blue hair - she seemed to have a similar quirk to Yaoyorozu’s, able to temporarily conjure up items of the same glowing, electric blue as her hair and eyes, including a shield that she used to block the acid. And when Kirishima had charge forward in the hopes of breaking her defense, he had been forced back by a wave of fire from the third.

“They’ve got everything covered,” Izuku muttered, “attacks both at range and close in, plus a powerful defense.”

“We’ve got those two,” Ashido pointed out as Kirishima blocked another spike that had been launched at them. “Between me and Kirishima, and you enhancing us, we can stalemate them pretty well.”

“But it’s just a stalemate, and there are probably more villains around than just those three,” Izuku continued. “Something needs to change... and if we just wait, it’s likely that more villains will show up before the pros arrive. 18 students left in the USJ, with Iida-san gone, 6 areas that we’re probably scattered across - that most likely means 3 students in each zone, so we probably won’t get any reinforcement from other students...”

“Do you have the energy to help beyond the enhancement?” Kirishima asked, a white aura trailing behind him briefly as he stepped forward to shove the fire-quirked villain back.

“I can’t enhance you any farther,” he admitted. “But...” Izuku’s eyes danced around, spotting the many loose rocks and rubble around the landslide zone. “I might be able to help in another way.”

“Then-” Ashido said, lobbing a ball of acid at the bone-quirk villain, forcing him to dodge and interrupting his own attack, “-do it!”

---

Momo and Jiro were both of limited effectiveness against the villains, as it turned out. While they were able to defend themselves - and Jiro seemed much more confident with a sword and shield, especially as she proved remarkably skilled with them, despite apparently having no formal training - they struggled to score decisive hits against their foes.

Kaminari, fortunately, had no such trouble.

While initially nervous, Kaminari quickly discovered just how effective his quirk was when combined with a lightningrod to focus it - even a light touch with his sword was able to completely knock out the villains. His shield, too, was useful, although he seemed to have trouble conducting as much electricity into it as the sword. He wasn’t able to knock of foes with a block, merely to send them staggering backwards - but then, this simply left them open for a follow-up with the sword.

With Kaminari dancing around the villains and scattering them easily while Momo and Jiro defended themselves, it wasn’t long before the villains broke and fled.

“That,” the electric boy began, “was totally wicked!”

“I gotta admit, Pikachu’s right,” Jiro said, nodding towards him. “It was pretty cool.”

“I’m glad you both seem to be feeling better,” Momo said, smiling at them.

Kaminari grinned. “I didn’t know how well I’d be able to fight, but these were really useful! I might see if I can get the support department to incorporate them into my costume.”

“I definitely will,” Jiro agreed. “Maybe see if there’s some way to get the tech from my boots involved in them? The shield would be way easier to aim than my boots.”

“I wonder if you could channel a high-frequency vibration into your sword to magnify its slicing power in critical moments,” Momo mused.

“That would be pretty rad. And yeah,” the purple-haired girl added, “I’m feeling much better now that I’ve actually done something. Being able to act and not being useless... it definitely helped.”

Kaminari nodded in agreement. “Yeah. Thanks for the encouragement, Yaoyorozu.”

“We had better get moving,” Momo decided. “The best place to rendevous with the rest of the class is back in the central plaza - Eraserhead will be there too.”

“And Thirteen,” Jiro noted. “They were injured by that warp villain, right? Someone needs to get to them and give any first aid we can.”

“I can do that,” said Momo. “I have a basic certification, and I can make whatever supplies are needed.”

“Alright,” Kaminari said, putting a determined look on his face. “Mission: get the class president to Thirteen. Ready?”

Jiro clinked her shield against his. “Ready.”

Momo smiled at her friends. “Then let’s go!”

---

At first, Izuku’s new plan had been easy - snatching up rocks and stones and animating them to go harry the villains. The more fronts they were fighting on, the better chances he and the other two students had - the flame villain would probably have difficulty warding off mindless rocks, despite how slow they moved on the stone limbs they sprouted at Izuku’s command, and that would force the creation villain to block them, which should let Ashido’s attacks get through...

It had been working right up until the blue-haired villain noticed his strategy. She had directed the bone-launcher to focus, not on Ashido as he had been, but on Izuku. He was now having to scramble to dodge the spines, not able to muster a moment to animate more rubble even with Kirishima blocking. And he was running low on energy - stone took a lot of energy to bring to life, and he hadn’t been all that well-rested to begin with...

Izuku swore as he dove to the side, evading another spine but only barely. The worst part, he thought, was that he could see that the villains were being run down. Ashido and Kirishima were still going strong, their quirks and energy bouyed by the infusion Izuku had given them, while the villains’ quirks all seemed to be fueled to some extent by their own energy - they were running out a lot faster than his classmates, and before long would have to stop. But that did him no good, as he would be out a lot sooner!

A moment later, however, he heard a yelp of pain, then a lot of swearing, coming from the villains. Ashido, in the moments she had been overlooked, had skated towards them on a wave of acid, skidding to a halt to send it splashing over them. A moment later, another, much more viscous wave immobilized them.

“Great job, Ashido!” Kirishima said, giving her a thumbs up.

“Thanks, Kirichan!” she said, sliding over to him to give a high-five. “You did great too, deflecting all those spines!”

“Thanks! You know, normally I would be pretty roughed up by that,” the redhead said, glancing down at his arms, “even with my Hardening. But Midoriya, your enhancement was awesome! I feel like it’s really helping me push my limits!”

“Thanks, Kirishima-kun,” Izuku responded, fighting back a yawn. “But really, it was all you and Ashido. I didn’t do much other than serve as a distraction.”

She slung an arm over his shoulders. “And a wonderful distraction you were, too.”

“Thank you - I think.” Now he really did yawn.

Kirishima frowned. “We gotta get you back to the entrance, bro. I can see that you’re running low on energy, and from what I gathered from Bakubro...”

“I’m okay for a little longer,” he insisted. “I’ve probably got... an hour before I collapse? Maybe two?”

The redhead gave him a flat look. “And how long if you keep spending energy like you had to against those villains?”

“...five, ten minutes.” Izuku admitted. “Maybe fifteen, at best.”

“Yeah, we gotta get moving. And you’re going to the nurse’s office after this is all over.”

“That’s fair.”

---

“Wow,” Kyoka whispered, awed, staring at Eraserhead as he fought with the villains. There had to have been 30 or so scattered around the field, most of them already knocked out - he was down to the last four or five. “Aizawa-sensei is awesome.”

“Jiro, come on,” Pikachu hissed, grabbing her arm to pull her onwards. “We gotta get to Thirteen!”

“Right, sorry.” She hurried to follow him and their fearless leader.

The tall girl really was amazing, Kyoka thought. It wasn’t a fluke that she had taken charge when the press had broken into the school and the alarms and the press of people had sent Kyoka into a migraine - one which, even after she had stemmed it with headphones, had persisted as a dull, low-grade ache for the rest of the day - Yaomomo was just as decisive with actual villains attacking. She had effortlessly taken command even as Kyoka had been sent into another tailspin and began to have a panic attack, teaming up with Green to get Speedy out, had then pulled Kyoka out of her panicked state, and had even rescued her from a fall that could have seriously injured her. Not to mention her moves with the staff she had made.

It was a shame, Kyoka thought as they skirted around the battlefield and began climbing the stairs back to the entrance area, where Thirteen lay unmoving, only a faint rasping sound - too quiet for anyone but Kyoka and possibly Arms to hear - assuring her that they was alive. Yaomomo was gorgeous, intelligent, and commanding, while also being nervous and happy to follow Kyoka’s lead socially — everything a bisexual mess like Kyoka could possibly want. If only she wasn’t so clearly hung up on Green, and probably straight to boot.

Kyoka was startled out of her gay musings when she overheard something terrifying from the central courtyard. Aizawa had finished taking out all the villains but for the one with the warp quirk, the skeletally-thin fucker covered in hands, and the massive bird-looking one with an exposed brain - and then, in response to an order from the skeleton, had been instantly crushed into the dirt by the dark figure.

Hand-dude - Shigaraki, the mist had called him - was here to kill All Might. And in response to the dark mist suggesting that it would be best to leave, as the pros were almost here and the fodder was gone, he had said...

“If we can’t kill All Might, maybe we should do the nest best thing. Let’s crush his pride. Nomu... I think we should start with the girl tending to Thirteen.”

Kyoka couldn’t let that happen. She didn’t know what she could do against a monster with the speed and strength that ‘Nomu’ had shown against Eraserhead a moment before, but she couldn’t do nothing. Not when she had only just discovered the power to act within herself, not when she had sworn never to be helpless again.

So she stepped between Yaomomo and the monster, even as it rushed at them at breakneck speed, and raised her sword. Knowing that she could do nothing but dead-set on trying anyway, she hunkered behind her shield...

And suddenly Green was there, interposing himself between her and the monster just as she had put herself in front of Yaomomo, and its hand was around his neck.

Chapter 7: Rescue, Part 3

“What is it, Nomu?” Izuku heard the skeletally thin villain, the one who seemed to be in charge, say. “Did someone get in your way? Someone thinks they’re ready to play at being a hero? Bring him here,” he ordered. “That sounds like exactly the person to start with.”

The hulking black beast that had its massive hand around Izuku’s throat - Nomu - trudged back over to the hand-covered man before stopping.

“So, little hero,” he hissed. “You think you’re ready? You think you can stand up to villains?”

Izuku tried to answer, but all that came out was a gurgle. Nomu’s hand around his neck, he couldn’t speak, could barely get enough breath in his lungs to stay awake, especially with how little energy he had had to begin with...

There was only one thing he could do, Izuku knew. He had tried to keep this half of his power secret, had done his best to avoid scaring people with it - the part of his quirk inherited from his mother.

He had never wanted to use it again, not after what it had done to his father. Not after years of keeping it secret from Kacchan. Not when he had planned to become a hero, to save lives, using only that part of Breath of Life which was fueled on his own soul.

But if he died here and now, Izuku thought as the thin man began reaching for his face, he would never be able to save anyone.

A hand landed on his cheek, and the skeletal man frowned. “Hm? Why aren’t you - oh.” He turned to look at Aizawa, who despite his precarious state - Izuku could see how faint the light of his soul was, could see it flickering - had managed to rise from the ground enough to stare at the villain and erase his quirk. “You’re pretty cool, Eraserhead.”

Izuku, still struggling to breath, took advantage of the momentary distraction to do what he hadn’t intentionally done in almost a decade. He focused on the stitched-together bonfire of energy within Nomu, nearly as bright as that of All Might, and used his quirk...

While breathing in.

---

Kyoka watched, her heart in her throat, as Shigaraki touched a hand to Green’s face - she only managed to take a breath when it ha no effect, Eraserhead having removed the villain’s quirk just in time.

Never again, she remembered promising herself. If I can do something - if I can even try to do something - I have to.

She raised her sword and charged.

A moment later, she skidded to a halt, covering her eyes as a brilliant light shone from around Midoriya.

“Kurogiri, what is he -”

She blinked away sunspots in her eyes and squinted until she realized what was happening. It was the usual light of Green’s quirk, but backwards, somehow. Instead of that glowing mist flowing from his mouth into something, it was coming from Nomu into the green-haired boy - and a lot of it, too. It was more than a wash of power, it was a flood, enough blazing light that it must have filled Midoriya to the brim in an instant - and it showed no signs of stopping.

Nomu didn’t react at all, which didn’t shock her too much considering how little life there was in its blank, staring eyes, but Shigaraki - and Kurogiri, too - seemed to be in shock for a moment. But just for a moment.

“I don’t know what the hell you’re doing,” the villain swore after only a few seconds of lightshow, “but I want you to stop. Nomu! Drop him!”

Green rolled to the ground easily, coming up to a standing position still with some mist flowing around him. The energy made his jacket - repaired from the battle test earlier in the week - flutter behind him as it swirled around his body, sinking into his skin.

He gave a fierce grin to Shigaraki, his eyes shining brightly and light emanating from his mouth. “I realize I was feeling pretty tired when Nomu grabbed me,” he quipped, “but I’m all better now. In fact, I’m feeling better than I ever have!”

“Tomura Shigaraki,” Kurogiri intoned, “we should leave.”

“Not yet. We still have time, and I want to know who this little hero is.” Shigaraki narrowed his eyes - at least, the one eye Kyoka could see behind the hand that covered his face. “You... what did you do to my Nomu?”

“Oh, nothing much,” Green said flippantly. “Honestly, it had lifeforce to spare - I don’t think I got more than half of it. And you know... it seems kind of greedy for me to keep all of that to myself. Maybe I should share.”

Midoriya took a deep breath, then blew, and the mist spread farther than Kyoka had ever seen to go. It seemed to know exactly where it was going, too, splitting around the villains and heading directly for her, and the other students who were appearing at the edges of the plaza.

Some of it landed in Kyoka, who instantly straightened as all her fatigue disappeared, her aching muscles soothed, and she felt like she could lift a truck. She leveled her sword at Shigaraki threateningly, a blazing aura surrounding her.

Some of it - a lot of it, actually - sank into Aizawa-sensei, his wounds beginning to close as his eyes shot open. He flipped onto his feet, looking fully awake for the first time with an aura of his own.

More of it sank into Thirteen, who groaned and remained no the ground, and even more into Yaomomo and Pikachu as they began advancing with their own weapons.

Sharktooth and Ashido, who looked to have arrived from the same direction as Midoriya, had auras already, but were staring open-mouthed at the display. No one could be more surprised that Sparky, though - Bakugo, in Kyoka’s admittedly limited experience, had no expressions other than indifference, rage, and murderous joy - now, however, he was obviously amazed, even as a bright aura began to burn around him.

“See,” Midoriya began, casually putting his hands in his pockets, “I’m afraid I’m not much of a fighter, myself. My quirk just doesn’t lend itself to it. But my friends here, well...” He grinned. “Having second thoughts, Shigaraki?”

“Tomura Shigaraki, we must leave!” Kurogiri urged, but the fucker seemed unconvinced.

“This is all just illusion and bluff checks,” the hand-covered asshole hissed. “It’s a nice intimidating effect, but we’ve beaten you all once already. Nomu can do it again! And this time, we’ll go for the healer first!”

“We’re forewarned about your capabilities now,” Sensei said, stepping forward and putting a hand on Green’s shoulder. He subtly pulled the boy behind him, placing himself closer to the villains than anyone else. “You can’t win.”

“Especially not with this guy around,” Midoriya said, jerking a thumb at the entrance.

“Everything is okay now...

“Because I am here.”

---

Once All Might had arrived, it had been all over.

He had evacuated everyone from the central plaza in a blinding burst of speed and then taken on Nomu - Shigaraki, once more over Kurogiri’s advice, had sent Nomu against All Might, insisting that it had been built to destroy him. But - perhaps weakened by Izuku’s draining of it, or perhaps simply not as strong as hoped - the man had dealt with it in moments, and rushed off again after the lead villain fled into Kurogiri’s warp.

Being the number one hero left you busy, Izuku supposed.

Other teachers from UA had come too, but there wasn’t really much point. Izuku’s classmates had soundly defeated the weak villains that Shigaraki had brought as fodder, although some of them had only done so after being boosted by the lifeforce he had stolen from Nomu. Even Recovery girl didn’t seem to have much to do, although she had sworn that she would check over everyone anyway.

Izuku himself felt... well, he wasn’t sure what he felt, really.

Physically he felt fine. More than fine - he was overflowing with energy in a way that he had never been, had probably 50 or 60 times as much as his normal max. And, as he had told Shigaraki, that had been less than half of what Nomu had.

Emotionally, on the other hand... well, he tried not to think about what had become of his father, and this was certainly bringing up those memories. Not to mention Kacchan - he had seen the blonde staring at him in shock after he drained the creature, and he had then narrowed his eyes, turned, and walked away.

At least everyone was alright.

“Hey,” came a deep voice, and he looked up from the stair where he sat to see Aizawa-sensei standing above him. His eyes were fully open and he seemed awake, still, which was still weird. “Walk with me, Midoriya,” sensai said, turning away.

Izuku hopped up to his feet and followed. “What is it, sensei?” he asked.

Aizawa said nothing until they had gotten a little ways away from the other teachers, entering an artificial copse of trees at the edge of the lake zone. He leaned against one of the trees, staring at Izuku for a moment, before he finally spoke.

“Your quirk registration papers didn’t mention that you could drain other people’s lifeforce,” sensei said.

“...no, they didn’t,” Izuku admitted, looking away.

“Why not?”

He bit his lip. “It’s... hard to explain.”

“Try me.”

Izuku sighed. “My quirk manifested when I was four,” he explained. “And I didn’t exactly have a great handle on it yet - either how to control it or why. At first, it wasn’t much of a problem - if I spend too much of my energy, which I did a lot back then, it knocked me out before I could really harm myself. I mean, I took a few bonks on the head on the way down sometimes,” he chuckled, but fell silent when Aizawa didn’t react to the weak joke. “...Kacchan would keep an eye on me and catch me if I fell,” Izuku noted. “But yeah, it wasn’t all that bad - the only person at risk was me. But when I realized that I could pull on other people’s lifeforce too...”

“You hurt someone.”

Izuku stared as his feet. “My father,” he agreed. “I pulled on his life force, and... he nearly died, sensei. His hair went white, he practically aged ten years... and mom and I haven’t seen him since he checked out of the hospital.”

“...that sucks, kid,” Aizawa said after a moment.

“...yeah.”

“So you swore never to use that part of your power again,” the hero guessed, “and kept that vow until today.”

“Basically. It wasn’t on my quirk registration because I didn’t find out about it until I was five, and then...” he shrugged.

Aizawa sighed. “I understand how you feel. But you need to realize that you can’t become a pro hero without giving your all - you can’t restrict yourself to half your quirk and expect to be able to save everybody. You have a powerful and versatile quirk,” he lectured, “but your biggest weakness was always going to be your endurance. Being able to drain your enemies’ energy will shore that up, as well as being a powerful weapon against them.”

Izuku rubbed his shoulder anxiously, still not looking at his teacher. “But... it’s dangerous,” he whispered. “I could kill someone if I go too far, and... it would be so easy to do it, too...”

“Midoriya,” sensei snapped, “have you already forgotten what Thirteen told you? Even with a dangerous quirk, you can save lives. Your friend Bakugo could kill. Kaminari could kill. Ashido could kill. They’re still using their quirks to the fullest.”

Izuku’s eyes narrowed as he turned to face Aizawa. “Have you had this talk with Todoroki?”

“Yes,” he answered immediately. “Todoroki also needs to use his quirk to the fullest. He also has reasons not to, but he’ll need to move past those reasons to be a hero.”

“I...” Izuku sighed. “I just, I can’t,” he whispered. “Not yet.”

“I can’t force you to use your quirk, Midoriya,” Aizawa said. “But I can promise you, if you continue restricting yourself, you won’t become the best hero you can be - and it’s not you who’ll pay the price.”

Notes:

Bringing life to the inanimate, healing and enhancing the living, and draining the energy of life - we've now seen all the aspects of Izuku's quirk. All else from here is in the application.

Chapter 8: Recovery, Part 1

“Ouch!” Izuku yelped, covering his head as Recovery Girl whacked him with her cane. “Hey, what did I do?!” She had brought him from the USJ to UA’s infirmary, apparently not satisfied by his responses to her quick test there. Now, after getting more detail results from a blood test and a high-tech scan, she was hitting him.

“Have you ever fully investigated your healing?” she demanded, switching from his head to her back.

“I guess - ow! Not?” he admitted.

“It’s not healing,” the heroine hissed. “You boost the body’s ability to handle pain and survive it, and the speed of healing increases slightly, but it’s not really fixing anything more than temporarily, and if people keep using the injured area under the belief they’re healed, you can make things worse! Ashido was walking on a sprained ankle, which could have permanently damaged her ligaments! Shota was moving with a broken arm!”

Izuku blanched. “Oh god - are they going to be-”

“They’ll be fine,” she said, brushing his concerns away. “I healed them, really healed them, and they’ll all be okay. Even Shota - the thing your aura did do was give them lots of energy for my quirk to work with.”

He sighed in relief. “That’s something, at least... wait, who’s Shota?”

“Aizawa, to you.”

“Ah.” Izuku cupped his chin in his hand, thinking. “I guess it makes sense that boosting people with an aura doesn’t really heal them - I always assumed the healing was a function of my ability to control the shapes of objects I imparted my vitality to, but I have no such control over people. What the aura does do is to add my physical abilities to theirs, for as long as it lasts, which would increase pain tolerance and the speed of healing, but only to a very limited degree on the scale of such things. And it wouldn’t set wounds properly, or anything of the sort. I guess it’s lucky that I never used my quirk to heal any really serious wounds, just cuts, scrapes, and bruises, and mostly small ones that would have gone away in a moment anyway...”

“Don’t mumble, dear,” Recovery Girl requested, looking at his chart again and, thankfully, with her cane leaning up against the bed she had made him sit on.

“Sorry, sensei.” He hesitated before asking, “do you think I could develop my quirk into real healing, one day?”

“Hm?” She glanced up at him, then tilted her head to the side. “...maybe. If you can focus that enhancement so that the person you’re giving it to receives it all at once instead of over a period of time - give them five times your strength for a fifth of the time, say - then yes, you’ll be able to speed their healing to a point that it’s actually useful. Just make sure to fill that doctor’s coat of yours with actual medical supplies for splints and sterilization, or they could heal badly.”

Izuku nodded. “That’s good to hear. I don’t think I’ve ever done that, but I’m not sure I’ve ever tried to, either - I’ve mostly focused on the animation part of my quirk.”

“I suggest looking more into the enhancement half of it,” she advised. “Being able to make other heroes stronger will make you very sought after as a sidekick or partner in a hero agency, even if you never develop it into proper healing.”

“I will, thank you. So...” Izuku started to get up. “Can I go?”

“Not quite, honey. Sit down.” He did. “Shota tells me you’ve never used the draining part of your quirk before.”

“Not... really, no,” he admitted. “Are you going to scold me for that too?”

“Not if you’ve never used it before - you had no way of knowing about this,” she said. “Young man, your body can’t take the strain of how much energy you’re holding right now.”

“...what do you mean? I feel fine.”

“You feel fine,” she explained, “because the energy is passively enhancing you as it leaks from your bloodstream - which is where your quirk seems to be storing its energy.”

“I know that - it’s why it comes out in my breath. Blood comes in contact with air in the lungs, and it leaks a little there,” Izuku told her. “But... what does it mean that it’s leaking from the rest of my bloodstream?”

She sighed. “Well, as it’s leaking, it’s making you strongest and faster - not much, since the leakage isn’t great, but enough that you aren’t noticing the damage it’s doing. But that leakage is happening because your blood cells can’t hold all the energy, and it’s damaging them as it comes out. If it lasts for long enough...”

“...I would suffocated,” he finished. “Without blood cells to carry oxygen, I would die.”

“I’m afraid so. As I said, the enhancement you’re getting from the leakage will prevent you from noticing it - especially because you’re getting increased red blood cell production as well, which is slowing but not stopping the progression - but eventually you simply fall unconscious, and not wake up again.” The heroine gave another heavy sigh. “I don’t like telling you this - I don’t like any time when children get hurt, but especially when it’s their own quirk doing it.”

Izuku stared at his hands, wondering if he could make out a faint tracing of light as the Nomu’s stolen soul leaked out of his bloodstream. “What... can I do about it?”

“Right now,” Recovery Girl told him, “you have to get rid of the energy you have. You’re overflowing, and you have to pour it out in controlled fashion so it doesn’t break you as it does.”

“How much time do I have?”

“...maybe a month, if you don’t get rid of it. Your time will increase as you reduce the excess.”

He nodded. “I’ll have to work quickly. I just...” Izuku sighed. “I’ve always thought that conserving my energy would be the hard part,” he explained to the nurse. “For years, ever since Kacchan and I got really serious about becoming heroes, I’ve worked on doing more with less energy, as well as increasing my personal stamina. And still, it’s been a struggle to make it last through the day...”

“Well, that is the other thing you can do,” she said. “And you’ll have to, if you intend to use your ability to drain people. If you can increase your ability to handle energy beyond your current max, you’ll be able to hold more without harming yourself.”

“Right. I guess...” He glanced at Recovery Girl. “Can I give you a boost, then? Enhancing people is one of the best ways I know to eat up my energy.”

She nodded, holding out a hand to him. “Certainly.”

Izuku took her hand and, having a sudden thought, focused as he breathed out. As always, white light curled around his nostrils, but this time he didn’t directly breath on her. Instead, with the recent reminder that his power was in his blood more than his breath, he tried to pass on the energy that was leaking from his bloodstream.

His hand faintly glowed in a veiny pattern, but nothing seemed to pass to the heroine. After a moment, he gave up and simply gave a long puff, the energy quickly wrapping around the tiny woman and making her stand a little straighter as the aura manifested.

“Thank you, dearie,” she said. “How long will this last me?”

“I... am actually not sure,” he confessed. “Judging how much energy I have isn’t an exact art. I can usually make a decent guess based on how much I’ve used up, but... I’ve got so much right now that I honestly can’t tell.”

She hummed in thought. “I wonder if the support department could help you with that.” Izuku shrugged, and she continued, “I’d like to have you stay here overnight, to make sure that this condition doesn’t progress faster than I think it will.”

“Okay.”

“Until then...” she walked over to the door of the infirmary. “I believe you have some visitors.”

---

“Midoriya!” Momo cried, bursting through the door with Kirishima beside her, Bakugo and Jiro following at a more sedate pace. “You’re okay!”

“We were so worried, bro,” Kirishima said, hugging him tightly - Momo felt a momentary pang of jealousy that she wasn’t as comfortable being so affectionate, then buried it.

“Yeah, I’m glad you’re alright,” Jiro agreed. “I was pretty scared of that monster when it was coming at me, and it didn’t exactly get less scary when you stepped in front of it.”

“I knew you’d be fine,” Bakugo said.

He gave them all a faint smile. “Thanks guys.”

“Why are you here in the infirmary, still?” Kirishima asked, releasing the green-haired boy. “I mean, you healed us all up, right? And then Recovery Girl healed us all again, just in case. Wait, can you not heal yourself?”

“Well...” Midoriya rubbed the back of his head. “I can heal myself, but, uh, it turns out that my healing isn’t as good as Recovery Girl’s, basically.”

“He doesn’t heal, he just speeds up regeneration and increases your pain resistance,” the heroine put in from where she was sitting at her desk, doing some paperwork.

“That makes sense,” Momo realized. “Since your enhancement adds your own physical abilities to our own...”

He nodded. “Yeah, that’s what I realized. So, yeah... Recovery Girl wants to keep me for observation after, um, I drained from Nomu.”

“I had no idea you can do that,” Jiro commented. “How many tricks do you have up your sleeve, Green?” She pulled at the sleeve of his jacket, trying to get a look at his arm.

Midoriya laughed. “That’s it, I swear - enhancement, animation, and draining. Taking energy from the living, and giving it to either the living or the inanimate.”

“Can you take energy from nonliving things?” Kirishima asked.

The green-haired boy stared at him. “...what energy?” he asked, and Momo stifled a chuckle.

“...I don’t know. Heat? What’s the energy you take from living things, anyway?”

Midoriya shrugged. “It’s super hard to define, really. Nonliving things don’t have any of it, though - I would be able to see it in them if they did.”

“Is your ability to see people’s quirks part of the draining ability?” Momo asked.

“Sort of. Can we not talk about my quirk, though?” he begged.

“I”m sorry, Midoriya,” she apologized, belatedly realizing that he had been looking a little away from them since Kirishima had begun asking about his drain ability. Between that and how he had looked during Thirteen’s speech about deadly quirks, she should have realized that he wasn’t comfortable with that part of his quirk. She cast for a different subject, then said, “I must thank you for your assistance during the attack. I asked you to find a way to distract Kurogiri, and you did so admirably.”

“Yeah, it was super rad!” Kirishima boasted. “Did you see it, Jiro?” The purple-haired girl shook her head. “He had me rush forward and grab the dude’s attention, then Sero hit him with tape! It immobilized him so that Bakubro could hit him with a nice big blast and send him sky high!”

“He came back a moment later,” Bakugo grumbled.

“Yeah, but Iida got out! We worked together, bro!” Kirishima held up his hand to Bakugo, who sighed but gave him a high five. “And it’s all thanks to my bro here!”

Midoriya was blushing at the praise. “It was nothing, really. Yaoyorozu asked me to help, and, well, she’s our class president, and I’m her vice. I had to.” He offered a fist to Momo, who blinked at it. “We’re a team, right?”

A smile spread across her face, and she bumped it. “Yes. Yes we are. And,” she added, “since we’re a team, I think we should make a plan.”

“For what?”

“Well... I think a lot of us are feeling a little freaked out by the attack,” she explained. “It would be nice to do something as a class to take our minds off of it, don’t you think?”

“Another field trip?” Jiro skeptically asked.

“One that would go better,” Momo insisted. “Perhaps to the mall?”

“Ooh, how about that beach that’s not far from here?” Kirishima asked.

“Dagobah? That place is a trash heap,” Bakugo said dismissively.

“Someone cleaned it up last year, remember?” Midoriya pointed out.

“I know, nerd, but it’s still a shitty beach.”

“Well, it’s the closest to the school, so...”

“A beach trip sounds good,” Momo decided. “I’ll propose it in the class group chat.”

“Fine,” Bakugo grumbled. “Now get out.”

She blinked at him. “Sorry?”

The blonde jerked his head towards the door. “You heard me. I want to talk with Deku alone.”

---

Izuku watched as Kirishima-kin, Jiro, and Yaoyorozu filed out of the room, casting curious looks behind them. When they were all gone, Kacchan turned his gaze on Recovery Girl.

She glanced up at him. “This is my infirmary, young man,” the heroine snapped. “I’m not leaving.”

“This is a private conversation, Wrinkles,” he shot back.

“Then use the privacy screen, boy,” she told him, smacking him with her cane. “And don’t call me Wrinkles!”

“It means he likes you,” Izuku tried to explain, but she ignored him.

Kacchan grumbled, but grabbed the privacy screen and pulled it around Izuku’s bed. Once it was closed, he made to lean against the wall, then growled when he realized that he would just fall through the screen if he tried. Instead, he just stood there, hands in his pockets and an almost unreadable look on his face.

Almost unreadable. Izuku had known Kacchan his entire life, they were basically brothers. He was sure that the blonde wasn’t actually angry.

Pretty sure.

After a few moments of glowering, Kacchan sighed. “How long has it been since you drained energy from someone?” he asked.

“...About ten years.”

“I thought so.” Izuku blinked, and Kacchan narrowed his eyes. “What?” the blonde demanded. “I know I’m bad at feelings, Deku, but I’m not an idiot. I’ve overheard Mama Inko talking to the hag about her dirtbag of an ex leaving her because of your quirk. I can connect the dots.”

“I’m sorry,” Izuku said. “I haven’t been-”

“Fuck that,” Kacchan snapped. “You’ve got nothing to be sorry for. You had good fucking reason not to use it.”

“But... we were talking a few days ago about Todoroki not using his full quirk, and...”

“And it’s still stupid of him.”

“But what if he has a similar reason?”

“Then he has a fucking reason. Still stupid.” Kacchan cuffed Izuku around the ear, and added, “It’s stupid of you, too, but that doesn’t mean you have anything to be sorry for.” The blonde sighed and sat next to Izuku. “Look. I don’t... get emotional shit. You know that. My mom’s just as shit at it as I am, dad and I don’t click, and Mama Inko could only do so much... so I don’t get it. But I understand it enough to know that you’re going to be beating yourself up over this - using it, not telling me, whatever your damage here is - and you shouldn’t be.”

“...both of those things, I guess,” Izuku admitted. “I don’t think you’re as bad at emotions as you think you are, Kacchan.”

“Whatever. Point is, you’re an idiot, and I’m telling you not to get in your head about this shit. And if you need to talk to someone about anything...”

“...talk to you?”

“Fuck no,” Kacchan said, wrinkling his nose in disgust. “Talk to Sharktooth.” Izuku laughed. “Or one of your girlfriends,” he added.

“What? I don’t have any girlfriends.”

“Ponytail and Plugs,” the blonde said.

“I’m not dating either of them, let alone both.”

“Well, you flirt with Ponytail enough.”

“I don’t - what - I don’t flirt with her,” Izuku spluttered in protest.

“Then you’re an idiot,” Kacchan declared.

“I thought we had established that already?”

Notes:

My illustration for this chapter is kind of garbage, whoops

For those asking about Mirio... next chapter, I promise!

Chapter 9: Recovery, Part 2

The next morning, Izuku found himself staring, wide-eyed, at the ceiling when Recovery Girl entered the infirmary. “How did you sleep, dear?” she asked, her cane tapping against the floor as she walked over to his bed.

He pushed himself into a sitting posture and said, “I didn’t.”

“You didn’t?”

“Not one wink,” he told her. “I wasn’t tired at all.”

“Hm...” The heroine rubbed her chin. “I suppose that shouldn’t be surprising - I couldn’t get to sleep until your enhancement wore off of me, either.”

He shrugged. “I got some studying done, so it wasn’t exactly wasted time.”

“I’m glad you’re looking at the bright side,” she said, taking a quick blood sample. “At the moment, however, you have more visitors.”

He blinked in surprise. “My friends again? I thought the school was closed today, right?”

“It is, but I asked two upperclassman to come back and talk to you,” she said, walking back to her desk. “They both have experience with quirks that can be harmful to the body, and may be able to give you some helpful advice on managing yours.”

“That would be nice, thank you.” Izuku glanced at the door - or more precisely, glanced through the door, focusing on the sense of life that his quirk gave him. He couldn’t see anyone...

Nope, there they were, he thought, wincing away and squinting. He would have held up a hand to block the light if he could, but he knew from experience that it wouldn’t help - his own body was as transparent to his quirk’s sight as everything else was. “It looks like they’re almost here,” he said.

A moment later his prediction was proved correct, as the two energies he had seen - one nearly as bright as All Might, blazing like the sun but slightly transparent, and the other not much weaker and spiraling like DNA, stepped through the infirmary’s door.

“Hey there!” came a cheerful voice from the sun. “I’m-”

He was interrupted by the spiralling energy, which rushed up to Izuku and made him flinch away. “Hey, I hear your quirk is like mine!” a female voice said, sounding incredibly excited as he winced, trying not to look directly at her. “Recovery Girl said that you also fuel your power with your vitality - what do you do with it? Mine just comes out as concussive force, but I can use it to fly and shoot lasers!”

Izuku wondered if that was what he sounded like when he muttered, but found himself unable to reply. He was still blinking sunspots out of his eyes.

“Nejire, pull back,” a tired voice said. “You’re overwhelming him.”

“Oh! Sorry.”

The brilliant spiral stepped back, closer to the sun. “Sorry,” Izuku repeated, staring down at the floor. “I... don’t think I can look at you two. My quirk, uh, it lets me see how much energy people have, and you two are blindingly bright.”

“Am I better?” asked the tired voice, and Izuku looked up to see a student with a much duller light - one he could actually look at. “I know I don’t shine like they do in most ways...”

“Yes, that’s better,” Izuku assured him. “I can actually look at you.”

“We’ll stand behind you, if that’s okay?” asked the sun.

“That’s fine.”

“I’m Tamaki Amajiki,” the one Izuku could actually look at told him. “My friends behind you are the ones Recovery Girl asked to meet you - Mirio Togata and Nejire Hado. I’m just here to keep them company.”

“Hello, Amajiki-senpai,” Izuku said, bobbing his head a little. “And hello Togata-senpai and Hado-senpai, as well. My name is Izuku Midoriya. Again, sorry I can’t look at you.”

“That’s okay!” Togata assured him. “All our quirks have some downsides.”

“So... I can see that both of you have lots of energy,” Izuku said. “Recovery Girl said you’re hear to help me manage it?”

“Yes, but she didn’t say exactly what the problem you’re having is. How does your quirk work?” Hado asked.

“I can pass my lifeforce on to anything or anyone I choose to,” he explained. “If I give it to something that’s alive, they get stronger, faster, and generally enhanced, until what I gave runs out. If I give it to something that’s not alive, it comes alive, animating until it runs out. I can... also steal lifeforce from living things. Which...” He sighed. “Is the problem. I did that, at the USJ attack, and now I have more lifeforce than my body can contain. It will slowly damage me until I get get it down to a level that I can actually manage.”

“I see,” Togata said thoughtfully. “Well, I think we can help with that.”

“Really?”

“Yup!” Hado chirped. “See, it seems to me that half your problem is that your capacity isn’t high enough, right?”

“Right.”

“Well, you’ll have to increase it! I can’t steal vitality like you can, but I was still able to build up my capacity to store it. The first thing is to make sure you’re in the best shape you can be, physically,” she informed him, “but the second is to let yourself overflow just a little bit. See, I was able to go a little above my maximum capacity by preparing to release my energy, but holding it in - when I do that, my body builds up to match it. I bet yours is doing that too, but you just have too much for it to make a difference, yet!”

“So... my quirk’s ability to store lifeforce will slowly increase, as long as I have just a little more than my max?” Izuku asked. “That makes sense... but I’ll need to maintain my level carefully, since if it gets too too high, it will leak out and hurt me. But just a little bit...”

“And you should be able to learn to handle that just a little bit! And then you just keep doing that,” Hado encouraged.

“Thank you, Hado-senpai.”

“Of course! No problem, Midoriya-kun - I’ve always wanted to a kohai of my own!”

“I don’t know how much I have to add to that, really,” Togata admitted.

“Well... what’s your quirk?” Izuku asked. “It looks pretty similar to All Might’s to me, if a little transparent.”

“Huh?”

“Oh, people’s quirks show up in their vitality to me, a little bit,” he said. “Hado-senpai, your energy is constantly spiraling around itself, kind of like DNA.”

“Hey, that’s what it does when I let it out, too! Cool!”

“Amajiki-senpai,” he said to the quietist of the upperclassman, “yours is kind of... multi-headed. It reminds me of a chimera, a little bit.”

“Huh.”

“And Togata-senpai, you’re just... incredibly, ridiculously bright,” Izuku finished. “You’re... like the sun.”

“He really is,” Amajiki murmured.

“All Might’s is the same way, his light just feels a little more solid. I’m not sure how to explain it other than that.”

“Well,” Togata told him, “you’re not entirely wrong. I actually have two quirks, and one of them is pretty similar to All Might’s.”

“Two quirks, really? There’s someone in our class who has two quirks, too,” Izuku said, thinking of Todoroki.

“Yes, although I didn’t realize I had a second one until about a year ago. See, the second quirk is called Overflowing Power, and it’s all about exactly that - power so strong that it can have a lot of backlash, if I’m not careful.” Togata-senpair seemed to be picking his words carefully as he explained, “It didn’t manifest until my body was capable of containing it, and even now I can’t use all of it at once. I’m up to about 40%, at best.”

“It’s still a ridiculous amount of strength, though,” Amajiki observed.

“Well... yeah, kinda!” Togata sounded embarrassed.

“So you have too much power, and needed to figure out how much you could safely use at once?” Izuku asked.

“Pretty much.”

“That’s kind of the problem I’ve got now,” he told the upperclassman. “Most of my life I’ve tried to limit how much energy I used at once - it’s only now that I have too much that I’ll have to use more. But too much of it at once will hurt me - how did you figure it out?”

“Hmm... I’m sorry to say that it was mostly trial and error,” Togata told him apologetically. “Ask Recovery Girl how often I was in and out of here with broken limbs, last year!”

“Far too often,” the heroine called from her desk.

“What I figured out, though, was that if I spread the power over my body, I could use a small amount, spread enough to not hurt me,” he explained. “And then I just built up on that, like Nejire said. You get better at handling it over time.”

“Spreading it out over my body...”

“I don’t know if that will help you at all, but...”

“I’m not sure I can do that, exactly, since my quirk doesn’t target myself,” Izuku mused, “but it does give me an idea about how to eat up energy faster. If I try and spread it through my hands instead of my breath, it might be diluted and weakened by passing through my skin. That could let me spend more energy to achieve the same effect, which will help me deal with this build-up. If I can master that, it will also be useful as a hero - it’s tough to get a moment to breath on something to animate it, in battle, but it’s a lot easier to just touch something... thank you, Togata-senpai!”

“Uh, glad I could help?”

---

When Momo arrived at the infirmary, she saw that the door was hanging a little open. “Hello?” she called, pushing it open farther.

“Oh, hello!” Occupying the entrance, she saw a tall blonde man - a few inches taller than her own statuesque height - who was nearly as muscular as All Might, standing next to a blue-haired woman who might have been even bustier than Momo herself. She couldn’t help but feel a little overshadowed by the pair. “Are you one of Midoriya’s classmates?”

“Um, hello? Yes, I was coming to visit him...”

“Is that Yaoyorozu?” Midoriya’s voice drifted from beyond the two, and they stepped apart to reveal the green-haired boy sitting on a bed, facing away from the door. On the other side of the bed was a tired-looking upperclassman who reminded Momo a little of Aizawa-sensei. “Hi Yaoyorozu! Nice to see you.”

“I hadn’t realized you knew any upperclassman,” she commented. “Will you introduce us?”

“Senpais, this is Momo Yaoyorozu, 1A’s class president. Yaoyorozu, this is Amajiki-senpai -” he gestured to the one in front of him. “-and behind me are Togata-senpai and Hado-senpai.” Momo nodded respectfully to them.

“We’ve passed on our advice,” Togata said, “so we’ll get out of your hair now! I’m sure you don’t want us intruding on your time with your friend.” He gave Momo a wink, and she, confused, winked back. “Come on, Nejire, Tamaki!” He pulled the woman out, Amajiki following. “Don’t forget the privacy screen!” his voice echoed back down the hallway.

Midoriya turned to face Momo as she approached. “What was that about?” she curiously asked.

“Togata-senpai and Hado-senpai have quirks that are kind of similar to mine, so Recovery Girl asked them to come give me some advice,” he explained.

She nodded. “I see.”

“Can I ask... why did you come by?”

“Do... I... need a reason to visit a friend in the hospital?” she worried.

“No, of course not,” Midoriya assured her. “I just, well... I wasn’t sure you considered me a friend.”

“Of course I do, Midoriya,” she said, moving to sit on the bed beside him before hesitating. He patted the bed, so she continued, glancing a little down to meet his eyes. “I... may not be the best with friendship,” she admitted, “as my homeschooling has given me little experience. But I definitely consider you a friend - my best friend, even, after Jiro.”

Midoriya gave her a shy smile. “I’m not great at friendship either, sometimes.”

“What?” she asked, shocked. “But you and Bakugo are so close! And Kirishima, too!”

He shrugged. “I have pretty bad anxiety. I was diagnosed when I was younger... and while I have a decent handle on it, I still worry constantly that people don’t actually like me all that much. And that makes it... tough, sometimes, to be friends with people. Other than Kacchan, I mean, because he’s basically my brother. Kirishima... he’s constantly throwing out positive affirmation, which helps, but he’s also more Kacchan’s friend than mine.”

“Are you sure that’s not just your anxiety talking?”

“Maybe,” he admitted. “But still. It’s hard to tell when people actually like me.”

“Well, I like you,” Momo promised. “And I know that Jiro does too. And if we need to remind you of that, then we will.”

He gave her a much wider, more genuine smile. “Thank you, Yaoyorozu.”

Momo hesitated. “If... if it helps. I...” She was starting to get nervous, and she wasn’t sure why. “I’m trying to become less formal,” she told him, “and Jiro has proposed... a nickname for me. If... if you would like to call me ‘Yaomomo’...”

Midoriya’s eyes widened. “Are you sure, Yaoyorozu?”

“I...” she found her damnable blush returning, and glanced away from the green-haired boy. “If... it would help reassure you that I am your friend... then yes.”

“...you’re a good person, Yaomomo,” Midoriya said after a moment, and she found herself smiling involuntarily at the sound of the nickname. Why could she not control herself around this boy? “But I hope you realize, this means you need a nickname for me, as well.”

Now it was her eyes that were widening. “You don’t have to-”

“Oh no, you can’t escape this.” She turned to see him grinning. “My rule for names is that I match formality - if I’m calling you a nickname, you must be calling me one, too!”

“You don’t have a nickname for Jiro, do you? She calls you ‘Green’,” Momo pointed out.

He shrugged. “Still trying to come up with one for her. ‘Purple’ would be fair, but it doesn’t roll off the tongue as well.”

“Hmm... how about Violet, then? Shortened to Vi, perhaps?”

“That’s not bad,” he agreed, “but we were talking about a nickname for me.”

Momo sighed. “I can’t get anything past you, can I?” Momo observed.

“Nope.”

“Then... your nickname is ‘Deku’, right?”

Midoriya hummed in thought. “...no, I don’t think so,” he decided after a moment. “It would feel pretty weird for anyone other than Kacchan to call me that, I think.”

“Maybe... ‘Izukun’?” she ventured, her cheeks reddening yet again.

A blush spread across his face, matching the one on Momo’s own. “That... yeah, that works,” he squeaked.

“Izukun,” she said, trying it out and finding that she liked it despite the heat it brought to her cheeks, “I’m meeting Jiro for lunch. Would you like to join us?”

Izukun slipped his phone out from his pocket, checking a notification, then sighed. “I’d like to, but I can’t,” he told her. “My mom wants me to come home as soon as Recovery Girl lets me - she’s worried, and Mama Mitsuki wants to yell at me for getting into danger.

Momo nodded, thinking that perhaps it was for the best after all. She might need a little time away from him for her heart to stop racing from the nickname conversation. “Will we see you tomorrow, then, to study together?”

“Isn’t tomorrow when we settled on for the beach trip?”

“Oh yes, you’re right,” she realized - the class group chat had quickly agreed to the trip when she had proposed it the previous night, but then gone into a number of tangents long into the night. “I’ll see you there, then.”

“See you,” he said, waving. “Oh, and let Violet know that I have a nickname for her! And that she can call me Izukun too, if she wants!”

“I will!”

---

Kyoka was waiting at the restaurant she and Momo had agreed to meet at, idly scrolling through 1A’s group chat on her phone. She had stayed up late chatting with the other night owls - Green, Tokoyami, Kaminari, and Hagakure had all been up late, with varying levels of participation in the chat - but had eventually gone to sleep not long after Hagakure had, and she was curious what had happened afterward.

Green, as it turned out, might literally be nocturnal. Kaminari had stopped replying about a half hour after she herself had, leaving just Tokoyami and Midoriya, which had resulted in the conversation slowing. They had continued to share the occasional meme with the chat until nearly 2am, but even Tokoyami had stopped around then. Green, however, had continued posting through the entire night.

It was kind of weird, she thought, especially considering how tired he usually ended up at the end of a day. And hadn’t Bakugo wanted him to sleep more, or something? Maybe he knew that Green sometimes stayed up all night...

She was distracted from her thoughts by the sound of a distinctive heartbeat approaching - one that her ears seemed to have attuned themselves to over the last week - and looked up at Yaomomo. She slipped her phone into her pocket, unplugging the earphone that had connected to it, and smiled up at her friend. “Hey Yaoyorozu!”

“Hello, Jiro,” the amazonian girl replied with an answering smile.

“Is Green coming?”

She shook her head. “Izukun said that his mother wanted him home right after Recovery Girl released him.”

Kyoka’s eyebrows rose. “Hold on - Izukun?” She said it in as teasing a tone as she could manage, but inside her heart was falling. She had known that Yaomomo liked Green, even if she hadn’t realized it herself yet - the way her heartbeat sped slightly whenever she looked at the boy was a dead giveaway - but Kyoka hadn’t expected things to be moving so fast. She had hoped she would have a little more time to get used to the idea. “Is Green ‘Izukun’ now?”

And yes, there was that adorable blush that Yaomomo always had when talking about Green, too. “He... he said that he’s been diagnosed with anxiety, and he sometimes finds it hard to believe that people really like him. So...” she glance away from Kyoka. “I suggested that we exchange nicknames, so he wouldn’t forget that he’s one of my best friends.”

“Exchange nicknames, huh?” Kyoka asked, still feeling a little sick. “What does he call you now?”

“...Yaomomo,” she whispered, another sword to Kyoka’s heart. “And...” She heard the brunette’s heartrate jump a little as she glanced back at Kyoka, her blush strengthening. “I, um, would like you to call me Yaomomo as well.”

Now Kyoka was blushing. “You, um, are you sure?” she stammered, cursing herself.

“Yes,” Yaomomo insisted. “You’re my other best friend, and I don’t want you to forget it either.”

Kyoka looked away, trying to get a hold of her racing heart and burning cheeks. “I, um, I’d like that. Yaomomo.”

“Izukun also said that you can call him Izukun as well, if you’d like to,” she offered. “But that he had a nickname for you as well, if you were to keep ‘Green’ as his.”

“Oh?”

“I believe he plans to call you Violet.”

Kyoka felt a smile tugging at her lips, and turned back to Yaomomo. “How original. I call him after his hair, he calls me after mine. But,” she chuckled, “I kind of like it.”

Notes:

Mirio (and friends), as promised! The sports festival is coming soon, but first: a beach episode!

Also, I'm making it official now - I've decided that the poly WILL be a full triad. Izuku and Jiro will be dating each other eventually, not just friends and metamours. It will take a while to get to that point (it will just be Momo dating both of them at first, with IzuJiro coming after), but it'll happen.

Chapter 10: Relaxation

“Is everyone here?” Izuku called out.

“...3, 4, 5...” Yaomomo counted.

“If you’re not here, say something!” he ordered.

“I’m not here!” laughed Kaminari.

“Alright, everyone important is here,” he decided. “Come on, lets check out the beach!”

The class followed him and Yaomomo as they stepped onto the sands of Dagobah beach, glancing around at what, only a year ago, had been a total trash-heap.

“This is a nice beach,” Ashido noted. “That water looks so inviting!” She pulled the long t-shirt she was wearing over her head, and Izuku looked away. “Hey, don’t look away from me, boys! I’m wearing a bikini and I’ve got nothing to be ashamed of!”

Izuku noticed that Yaomomo, too, was looking away from her, and exchanged an embarrassed smile with his friend. “It’s not that she should be embarrassed,” he said defensively, “but that doesn’t mean I’m not.” She nodded in agreement.

“Midori-kun, come on!” Ashido said, pulling at Izuku’s arm. “Kirichan and Bakkun are going to help me build a sandcastle, you should join too!”

His smile turned apologetic as Violet, standing  beside Yaomomo, raised an eyebrow at him. “Sorry, I think I’m being commandeered,” he said.

“Have fun, Izukun,” Yaomomo said.

“Don’t do anything we wouldn’t, Green,” Vi smirked.

Izuku let Ashido pull him over to Kirikun and Kacchan, who raised an eyebrow at him. “‘Izukun’, huh?” Kacchan observed.

“Shut up. Sandcastle, right?”

---

Izuku always enjoyed spending time with Kacchan. They had been best friends since they were born - their mothers having been best friends for even longer - and they understood each other in a way that was rare for either of them to connect with anyone. Izuku knew that some people didn’t quite get their friendship, which verged of violent rivalry at teams, but it was undeniable that Kacchan was his best friend, his brother in all but blood - and, he hoped, he always would be.

Kirikun, too, was quickly growing into a good friend. They had met in the entrance exam - and Kirikun had sworn Izuku to secrecy about the fact that he died his hair, as he presumably had with Ashido - and quickly bonded, especially after reuniting in class 1A. He and Izuku had similar ideas about how heroism, and similar hidden anxieties. Kirikun had slotted easily into Izuku and Kacchan’s friendship, and he hoped that the redhead would also remain a friend for years to come.

Ashido, however...

It wasn’t that Izuku disliked the pink girl, he told himself. He didn’t. She was perfectly nice, he knew. She was just...

Overwhelming, that was the word.

Kacchan operated at the same energy level as Izuku, most of the time - on occasion he would burst into passionate rages or blow up at people, but Izuku knew the difference between Kacchan being angry and him acting angry because he had trouble expressing himself in any other way. Izuku also knew that he himself occasionally kicked into high speed, muttering about heroes or quirks, so how could he blame Kacchan for having his own moments?

Kirikun was constantly cheerful and friendly - excepting those rare moments that he settled into a almost morose silence, or simply sat back and allowed the world to pass him by. And this, too, was close enough to Izuku’s own rhythm that it fit in with his understanding of the world.

Ashido was simply too much. She had one speed and only one, and that speed was far too much for Izuku.

So as she bounced around, chattering with Kirikun and at Kacchan - both of whom seemed to be able to keep up perfectly with her, although in different ways, with Kirikun matching her high energy and Kacchan simply absorbing it and occasionally responding with snarky comments - Izuku felt himself withdrawing, falling silent and feeling excluded.

He shouldn’t feel this way. Ashido wasn’t trying to push him out, she was just trying to befriend Kirikun’s new friends - they had known each other before UA, after all, and no doubt she wanted to approve his friends. Or perhaps she was fighting for Bakugo’s attention - Violet had said that Ashido was interested in him, after all. Whatever the case, Ashido had specifically pulled him into building the castle, he knew that she wasn’t trying to push him out of his friendship.

But knowing in his head wasn’t the same as knowing in his heart, Izuku reflected as they put the finishing touches on the castle. He felt like the fourth wheel on a tricycle, and it was because he didn’t click with Ashido.

“Hey, I’m gonna go try out the water,” he told the other three, kicking off the sandals he had worn. “Maybe mess around with my quirk on the sand.” All the others had used their quirks to help build the castle - Kirikun’s Hardening helping him to dig trenches, Ashido’s Acid soaking the sand and helping it stick together, and even Kacchan’s Explosions being useful, small, hot blasts packing the same together tightly until the massive castle could support the weight of all three of them together. Izuku, however, had been unable to help.

Kacchan grunted in acknowledgement, Kirikun and Ashido waved, and Izuku went off on his own.

---

He crouched in the sand, taking a handful of it and considering. His quirk was weird, in some ways. He had used it to animate sand before - rice, too, and pebbles, all things which were essentially useless individually, but which his quirk could move together as though they were larger, amorphous items. They changed shape more easily than solid objects - it required part of his vitality to reshape a stone above and beyond what just moved it, but a mass of sand could change its shape just by moving.

On the other hand, it took considerably more of his lifeforce to animate the sand in the first place. He had spent his whole life learning the rules of his quirk, and his estimates still tended to be rough at best, but the energy it took to animate something, and to keep it moving, seemed to vary based on several factors.

Keeping an object animated took energy in close-to-direct proportion to its mass. One minute of his energy could animate an object of his own mass for one minute. Two minutes of his energy could animate an object of twice his mass for one minute. The material varied this slightly, but only slightly.

Waking an object in the first place, however, took an extra infusion of energy which seemed to vary almost entirely depending on what the material, with the mass having only a limited effect - plant or animal products, things that had once been alive, could be reanimated quite easily. Stone or metals, on the other hand, were expensive. And that infusion was required for every grain of sand - which mean that while it was efficient to keep the sand awake, bringing it to life in the first place tended to be prohibitively expensive.

Of course, he mused, right now he had way too much energy to worry about the expenditure. And since maintaining sand was so easy...

He breathed into the handful of sand in his hand, watching as the thick white mist sank into its particles, then checked his internal reservoir. It had gone down - not much, admittedly, but it had gone down! That was a start! If he had to, he could just come to the beach and start animating lots of sand.

Next on his list... trying to expel energy through his hands, rather than his breath. This, Izuku admitted to himself, dusting the sand off his hands and taking a new handful, might be tricky. Ever since his quirk had manifested - more than a decade - he had only ever used it through his breath, even after figuring out that the energy was actually stored in his hands. Even if it was possible for him to do and just a mental block, it wouldn’t be easy to get over that block.

But if he didn’t start trying, he never would.

---

“Are you feeling okay?” Momo asked Jiro for what had to be the fifth time that day. She seemed very uncomfortable, barely able to meet Momo’s eyes despite how well their lunch the previous day had gone - so well that Jiro had even invited Momo to call her Kyokun, although she didn’t quite feel ready to actually do so. She was very red, too, but had turned down Momo’s offer of helping her with her sunscreen.

“I’m fine,” Jiro responded for the fifth time, digging her toes into the sand - they were sitting at the edge of the waves, where Jiro could play with the wet sand and Momo could read - although she had made little progress in the novel that she had brought. “Just...” she shrugged.

“Just?” Momo prompted.

Jiro shook her head. “It’s nothing. It’s not your fault, this is a me thing.”

Momo frowned, still worried. “But there is a thing? That doesn’t sound like nothing. You know you can tell me anything, right?”

The purple-haired girl gave a pained chuckle, sounding almost like she was choking on it. “Almost anything. Not this.”

“Then perhaps Izukun?”

This time Jiro gave a full laugh. “If you knew what it was, Momo, you would never suggest that.”

She frowned. “Izukun hasn’t done anything, has he?”

“What, like - no, of course not! Green wouldn’t do that,” Jiro assured her. “He’s too much of a gentleman. No, this is just... a mix of insecurities and stuff that...” She frowned. “No, you know what? Fuck my fears. I’m gonna tell you - Izukun too, he’s been a good friend - and share part of this. It’s... just not something I share often.” She stood. “Let’s see... I hear his heartbeat...” Momo’s friend turned and pointed to Izukun, who seemed to be poking at a glowing cloud. “There. Hey, Green! Get over here!”

Izukun turned, his glowing eyes clearly visible even from a distance, and waved.

“Don’t just wave, come on over!” Jiro hollered.

He approached, the cloud following. “What’s up?”

“Hold on,” Momo said, holding up a hand. “Before you tell us, Jiro - what is that, Izukun?”

He glanced at it. “Quirk experiment,” he said, then stuck his hand into the cloud and breathed in. The white light that pervaded the cloud was sucked up, and a shower of sand fell to the ground. “It sort of worked, but not very usefully.”

“Ah.”

“So...” Jiro seemed to be feeling uncomfortable again, averting her eyes from Izukun - and, perhaps, his bare and muscular chest, which Momo herself was feeling a little flustered by. “I wanted to share... one of my secrets... with you guys. Because... well, Momo noticed that I was feeling pretty uncomfortable, and I don’t want her - or you, Green - thinking that it’s your fault.”

“Okay.” Izukun crouched, and Jiro sat down again. “What is it?”

“I...” Jiro winced preemptively, then said, “I’m trans.”

Momo blinked in surprise - she hadn’t guessed that. Izukun, on the other hand, seemed to take it in stride.

“Alright. Can I double check your pronouns?”

“Um, she/her. I’ve transitioned already, mostly, I just... wanted to tell you.”

Izukun smiled at her. “Thank you for telling me. I hope you know it doesn’t change how I see you at all,” he promised.

“It’s a little surprising,” Momo admitted, “but it doesn’t change anything for me either.”

Jiro’s eyes were watering a little bit, and she swiped her tears away. “Thank... thank you, guys. I... I think I needed to share that, maybe.”

The green-haired boy opened his arms invitingly. “Do you want a hug?”

“...yeah, actually.” Jiro leaned forward to hug him, her t-shirt - she was one of the few girls who was still wearing hers, which, Momo realized, might because she was trans. Perhaps she didn’t feel as comfortable showing her chest as Momo or Ashido did.

“So... how did the castle go?” Momo asked Izukun, thinking that moving on from the topic might be best - behaving normally, and showing Jiro that they weren’t going to treat her differently, not just saying it.

He released Jiro, but looked a little downcast as he said, “It went okay, I guess?”

“You guess?” Jiro asked. “What’s wrong, Green?”

He sighed and began absently drawing something in the sand. “Nothing’s wrong.”

“I just went through this with Jiro,” Momo told him. “Come on, just tell us. You’ll feel better when you do.” She nudged him and tried out a teasing smile like the ones Jiro often gave her and Izukun. “You might even get a hug out of it.”

He returned her smile. “I guess you’re right... I just, I feel like a real dick even thinking it, to be honest.”

“Ooh, is Green about to get catty?” Jiro asked. “If the resident sunshine boy is about to be a dick, I’ve got to see this.”

“Hey, Kirikun is the sunshine boy,” Izukun protested.

“You shine pretty brightly yourself, dude.”

He blushed a little, looking away and rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. “Ah, thanks. I just...” He sighed again. “Ashido just rubs me the wrong way, for some reason. She’s not trying to exclude me, I know that, but... I don’t know, I can’t keep up with her like Kacchan and Kirikun can, and I felt a little left behind.

“Oh, Izukun,” Momo said sympathetically. She wrapped her arms around him from behind, ignoring the burning in her cheeks at being so close to his muscular form. “I’m sorry you feel that way.”

“You can always hang with us, you know that, right?” Jiro said, putting an arm around his shoulders.

Izukun smiled. “Yeah, I know. Thank you, girls.”

They remained in that position for a moment, finding it surprisingly comfortable - Izukun’s head fit neatly under Momo’s chin, and Jiro was able to rest her head on his shoulder - before Jiro spoke again.

“Wait, Green - did you just draw that?”

“Hm?” Momo looked at the sand, where he had produced an almost picture-perfect All Might. “Yeah, why?” he asked.

“Izukun, that’s...” Jiro gaped. “That’s incredible. You’re a really good artist.”

He shrugged. “I do a lot of drawing in my quirk notebooks - where I analyze heroes and their quirks, remember?”

“You told me when we ate together after the election,” Momo recalled, “but I don’t know if you’ve mentioned them to Jiro before.”

“Ah. Well, I always draw the hero in question along with them, and well. When you get enough practice at something...” Izukun glanced over his shoulder and gave them a grin. “Hey, wanna see something cool?”

He leaned forward, Momo releasing him, and let out a long breath of thick white fog. The glowing mist sank into the sand that had been carved into All Might’s face, which began glowing. A moment later, the sand shifted, the image moving with it, and the sketched-out All Might gave a few punches before giving a big thumbs up.

“Incredible,” Momo breathed, amazed. “Izukun, that’s...”

“Hey - I am an animator,” he laughed.

“Rad as hell,” Jiro agreed. “Do you think you could help me redesign my costume? I realized some parts of it don’t quite make sense, back at USJ, and I’d like to redo it before those internships that are coming up next month. But, well, it took me a long time to come up with what I had, and...”

“Are you sure?” Izukun asked. “I’m sure there are better artists...”

“I’m sure,” she insisted. “I told you how much I liked your design, right? I have a vague concept for the new one, but...”

“If you really want me to, then...” He glanced at the sand. “This might not be the best place to do it. Maybe after school tomorrow?”

“Don’t be silly, Izukun,” Momo chided him gently. She produce a pad of paper and a pencil from her midriff and handed them to him. “If you need any other colors, or a pen to finalize it with, just asked.

He flashed her a grateful smile, then bent over began sketching out Jiro’s shape on the page, the purple-haired girl leaning over to watch. Momo just leaned back and enjoyed spending time with her best friends.

Notes:

If there's never a beach arc where it comes out that Izuku was the one who cleared up Dagobah Beach, I swear to god. Unfortunately I gave Mirio One For All and had him clean it up in this AU, so I didn't get to do anything with that myself. Still, beach episode!

I cannot, and also will not, stop writing fluff for these three.

As for Jiro being trans... I'm trans myself, and I identify with her hard even if it's not canon that she's trans. Therefore, Jiro is trans. Will it be a major part of the story? No - this story is about Izuku/Momo/Jiro, not Jiro's struggles as a trans girl (maybe I'll write that fic later). But I'm still doing it, because no one can stop me. *evil trans laugh*
(Besides, it's been in the tags since this story went up. I couldn't just leave it as subtext forever.)

Chapter 11: Festival, Part 1

“Four seconds. Good,” Aizawa said as the class quickly fell silent at his entrance on the first day back at school. “I see that we didn’t lose anyone after the USJ attack. Good. All of you have potential I don’t want to see wasted by having you be frightened away from heroism. That said... it’s still just potential. You’ll have to work hard over the next two weeks if you want to show it off properly at the sports festival.”

“...that’s still happening?” Kyoka wondered under her breath - but perhaps not as quietly as she had thought, because the man’s eyes snapped to her.

“Yes, it’s still happening,” he confirmed. “Principal Nezu believes that, in light of the lack of any lasting injuries as a result of the attack, continuing with the festival will be a show of strength on UA’s part - proof that we are not cowed by the so-called League of Villains.” From the tone of his voice, Kyoka thought that he disagreed with Nezu’s decision - of course, he had such a deadpan voice that it was hard to tell.

Kyoka hoped that one day, she could match up to the level of sarcasm that Aizawa was capable of.

“Your hero classes this week will finish teaching the basics of martial arts to those of you who aren’t already proficient in them,” the hero continued, “while next week’s heroic classes will be more freeform. You’ll be permitted to design your own exercises for that week - subject to my approval - which you will submit to me by the end of the this week. That gives you time to decide what you need to focus on before the festival, as well as recruit any assistance from teachers or other students that you’ll need to do so. If you don’t have a plan that I can approve...” Aizawa gave a heavy sigh. “I’ll have to design your course for the week myself. Please don’t make me do that.”

---

At the end of the morning classes, Izuku breathed a puff of his soul into his pencils and notebooks, bringing them to life and causing them to pack themselves up. It was a trivial use of his quirk, but he was all too aware that he was still heavily overloaded. He still hadn’t been able to get a wink of sleep since the USJ, simply not feeling tired in the slightest.

As he rose, he heard a calm voice say his name, and turned to look.

“Midoriya,” said Todoroki, approaching. “Bakugo.”

“Eh? What do you want, Icyhot?” Kacchan asked as the class began to turn towards them.

“Objectively, I think I’m stronger than either of you,” the multi-colored boy said.

“The fuck you are, Half-and-half!”

“Nevertheless,” Todoroki continued, ignoring Kacchan’s outburst as most of the class was quickly learning to do, “the two of you are undeniably my biggest competition in the sports festival. You took first and second place in the entrance exam, and you have quirks nearly as powerful as my own.”

“NEARLY?”

“Don’t you think you’re forgetting someone?” Izuku asked, gesturing to Yaomomo. “The person who came first overall in the quirk apprehension test, and the clear number one in our academic classes?”

Todoroki turned to look at the tall girl, then nodded. “Yes, you’re right. Yaoyorozu is also strong competition. However...” he turned back to Izuku and Kacchan. “I’m going to win.”

Kacchan leaned forward, grinning. “Is this some kind of declaration of war, Icyhot? Wanna be our rival?”

“You could think of it like that.”

“Well too bad!” The blonde wrapped an arm around Izuku’s shoulders. “Deku is my rival, and no one else’s! I’m taking top spot, and you... you can fight with Ponytail for third.”

“With Midoriya in second, I assume?”

“Exactly.”

Todoroki tilted his head to the side. “...unacceptable. I’m going to take first.”

Izuku sighed. “Guys, we can all be rivals,” he said. “There are enough spaces on the podium for everyone to aim for first - and I hope that all of us, everyone in the whole class, is trying for it. I mean,” he poked Kacchan in the ribs, “I know you don’t want to fight someone who’s not trying their best, right?” He growled, but nodded.

He headed for the door, brushing past Violet, and paused before it, seeing a dense cluster of vital energy on the other side of it. “There are a lot of people out there,” he said, turning back to the class and pointing to the door.

“Vultures, here to spectate on those attacked,” commented Tokoyami.

“...yeah, sounds about right,” Izuku agreed. “But I’ll be honest, I don’t want to deal with that. I’m going through the window.”

“...you what.”

Izuku walked over and began sliding the large window open. “What? We’re on the first floor, it’s not like it’s dangerous at all. Besides, Aizawa doesn’t care.” He nodded to where the teacher was still peacefully pretending to slumber.

“I suppose that’s true,” Yaomomo allowed. She glanced to the door. “And there’s really a large group of people out there?”

“Yeah, I can see their energy, remember? It’s packed as far as I can see.” Izuku swung his legs over the sill.

“I can hear them too,” Violet agree, following him. “Anyone else coming?”

“I bet they’d be really confused if we all went through the window,” Kaminari commented, picking up his own bag and rolling through it. “I mean, they’re waiting for us to leave, right? How long do you think they’ll wait?”

Yaomomo looked at the door again, seeming a little worried. “But... shouldn’t they be going to lunch?”

“If they want to fruitlessly wait for us, they’re welcome to,” Todoroki decided, stepping through the window as well.

“No pun intended?” Izuku asked.

“Sorry?”

“Nevermind.”

In the end, the entire class left through the window, with varying levels of amusement - even Yaomomo, although she was the last through.

Jiro grabbed her and Izuku’s arms before they could leave for lunch - which prompted Kirikun, Kacchan, and Ashido to stay as well - and stuck an earplug into the wall. The other went into her phone, which began playing through its speakers the sound of Aizawa opening the door and leaving, as well as the utter confusion of the gathered students.

It was worth staying for.

---

The two weeks until the sports festival flew by.

Izuku spent his week of personalized training alone, for the most part, focusing on breathing life into the ground and fighting beside it - and, especially, on releasing his soul through his hands and feet rather than just his breath. That part was going slowly, he knew - he could only release a tiny trickle of power even by the time he was finished, even with the massive flood that, even after a two weeks of using his quirk as much as he could, still comprised 30 times his safe capacity. Hopefully, the sports festival would push him to use more of it.

He really, really hoped the festival would push him. He hadn’t slept in two weeks, and the solitude in the evenings was getting to him. Thankfully, he hadn’t been hallucinating as he knew sleep deprivation normally caused.

Towards the latter half of his week of solitary training, however, as he danced, barefooted, through a forest of glowing concrete arms that sought to grab him, he heard a polite cough from the entrance to the training area he had reserved.

Izuku pushed a trickle of power through the soles of his feet, updating his directives to the animated ring - while he still couldn’t control a golem from a distance, he could always update their commands with a tiny expenditure of power, one that even what little he could extend through his skin could accomplish - so that the arms sank back into the ground. He saw that his unexpected audience was Ishiyama-sensei - his literature teacher and the hero Cementoss.

He bowed to the hero respectfully. “Ishiyami-sensei,” he said, “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you were there.” He tried to be more aware of his surroundings than that, but the piece of his soul that filled the ring and sparked off it as it shifted and changed at his command had blocked off his quirk’s sight.

“No need to apologize, Midoriya-kun. I only just arrived.” Ishiyama assured him.

“Is there something you need?” Izuku asked politely.

The teacher looked at the ring. “I am afraid, Midoriya-kun, that I had not realized quite how similar to my own quirk yours was. It was an oversight on my part - I thought that your ability to heal and enhance others was more important.”

Izuku rubbed the back of his head. “Well... I think that’s the more important aspect of my quirk as well, if I’m being honest. Since my quirk runs on my own energy and vitality, I’ll never be able to control things on the same scale as you.”

“You do, however, already have excellent fine control, it seems.”

Izuku shrugged. “It’s not terrible, but... controlling things on the fly is still tricky. For most of my life I could only release energy through my breath, and even now that I can do it through my bare skin, I’m just learning to update my commands more often.”

Ishiyama tilted his head curiously. “What do you mean? Can you not control things mentally?”

“No,” Izuku said, shaking his head, then explained. “When I first animate something, I can give it commands - as complex or as simple as I can keep in my head, which... depends on the situation, I suppose. It’ll follow those commands to the best of its ability, which in turn depends on what shape I’m giving it, but if it’s something open-ended, like, ‘defend me’, it might do so in any number of ways. It only takes a moment to add, remove, or change any number of orders, but I do need to actively do so, either through my breath, or my skin.”

“Hm.” The teacher frowned. “Do they ever disobey your commands? Or do something you didn’t command them to?”

“Again, no - but they’ve done things that I didn’t expect, but which in retrospect were within the commands. I try to be pretty explicit these days. There, uh,” he winced, “have been incidents in the past.”

“I see.” Ishiyama smiled at him. “Midoriya-kun, I realize that you have only two days - plus the weekend - before the sports festival begins. However, I would like to assist you in your training.”

“You - yes! Please, yes, thank you!” Izuku babbled. “I don’t really have anyone who can help with my quirk in a lot of ways, it’s so weird in a lot of ways, but this is - thank you!”

The hero held up his hands. “I cannot promise I will be able to help train you on a regular basis, or even more often than now - I am one of the busier teachers here at UA, as my quirk is called on so often to rebuild or repair parts of our facilities, and as a heroics teacher I mostly focus on the second year students - however, I am happy to teach you for the moment. So.” He stepped onto the ring. “I think we should start by getting you comfortable with controlling your golems on a more constant basis - constantly micromanaging their actions to keep your control fine...”

---

Kyoka knew she didn’t have much of a chance in the sports festival. While she might make it to the second or even the third round, depending on what the first two events were, she had no chance of success in the inevitable third-round combat tournament. It simply wasn’t where her talents lay.

Well, her talents without her costume, at any rate. After Izukun’s redesign of it - and meeting the hyper-excited support student who would be building the new toys they had come up with together, as well as the ones for Pikachu, who had seen Izukun redesigning her costume and wanted the same treatment - she knew that she would have access to weapons and equipment to multiple her effectiveness. But without them, well... her relatively average fitness and admittedly surprisingly-formidable earjacks didn’t stand up to the quirks of people like Peppermint or Sparky.

So she was using her self-directed week to prepare for the future - and to help Yaomomo, who could have the weapons she needed to be an effective fighter in the festival, and anything else she thought she needed. She had asked Yaoyorozu to spar with her throughout the week, honing the unexpected talent that Kyoka had discovered during the USJ attack, and preparing for her new costume.

Yaomomo had been concerned, at first - worried, Kyoka suspected, that she was giving up before she started. And... she wasn’t, Kyoka had promised her friend, just... being realistic.

Besides, she told Yaomomo, she wanted to help her best friends, too. Green, she had pointed out, had his own plan, but Yaomomo hadn’t been sure what to focus on. If Kyoka could help her do better in the festival by getting her to use her quirk faster and more decisively, then she would - there was no one else she would rather win the festival, after all.

When she had said that. Yaomomo had looked at her with an expression that Kyoka hadn’t quite known how to decipher, her heartbeat skipping a little, and then hugged her very, very tightly.

Yaomomo, Kyoka remembered, hadn’t had many friends before coming to UA. Well... neither had she, at least not after coming out, and neither had Izukun, at least not outside of Bakugo. Birds of a feather, she supposed. Birds of an awkward, but adorable, feather.

Notes:

I'm not very happy with this chapter, and I can't quite put my finger on why. Maybe it's that there's not a ton of interaction between our main three? Maybe that it's mostly just transitioning into the Sports Festival? Dunno.
This isn't a Mentor!Cementoss fic, sorry. I myself only realized how helpful he could be to Izuku's while writing his training scene, and making it into Mentor!Cementoss would be a pretty major rework of my outline - that's why he somewhat abruptly backs off when Izuku gets excited about working with him.

Chapter 12: Festival, Part 2

“Please give a warm welcome to classes 1A and 1B of the Heroic Department!” Kayama-senei - Midnight right now, Izuku supposed - announced, and he followed Yaomomo, who as class president was leading their class, out of the tunnel that they and class 1B had been waiting in. “But our hero students aren’t the only ones hoping to impress you - don’t forget classes 1C, 1D, and 1E of the General Department! And along with them...”

Izuku mostly tuned her introductions out as Jiro leaned in to him. “Bakugo is player representative, right?” she asked. “How’s that going to go?”

“What do you mean?” he asked. Izuku was, honestly, mostly just trying to keep his own cool - the press of students and the audience beyond them was thick enough that his quirk’s sight was a little overwhelming, and while it wasn’t as bad as All Might, Togata-senpai, or Hado-senpai, he was surrounded, here, and wasn’t able to simply look away.

“Well, I don’t dislike the guy, but... well, he may be your best friend, but even you have to admit that he’s not terribly personable.”

He nodded. “That’s true, but that’s also why I helped him write his speech.” Izuku gave her a grin, hiding his nervousness - after all, he wasn’t nervous about Kacchan’s speech, which he had approved the previous night. “It’ll still have his usual flair, but I think it’ll go fine.”

“If you say so.”

“...our player representative for the first-years is, of course, the top scoring student overall in the entrance examination!” Midnight was now saying. “Please give a round of applause for Katsuki Bakugo!”

Kacchan approached the mic and waited for the applause to begin to die down before he leaned close to it and said, flatly, “I’m gonna win.”

There was a moment of stunned shock, then most of the students - and a decent portion of the audience too, Izuku thought - started yelling, not happy with what they perceived as Kacchan’s arrogance. Concerned for a moment, he turned to Jiro. “Violet, how are you handling the noise? Are you okay?”

Yaomomo seemed to have had the same thought, turning and putting a hand under the hem of her jacket as she asked, “Do you need earmuffs?”

She tapped something in her ears, turning her head to show him. “I got some fancy earplugs from the support department for just that purpose, don’t worry. They only go so far, but they can handle something like this as long as I’m not right in the middle of it.”

“Ah, good idea.”

Up on stage, Kacchan let his audience riot for a moment, seeming to revel in their anger with a faint smile, before he held up a hand, quieting them. “I’m gonna win,” he said again, “but. Just because the top spot is reserved doesn’t mean the rest of you can slack off. All of us are here to show the world what we can do, and you’d better be giving it your all.” He pointed into the crowd of gathered students - pointing, although few would realize he had a specific target, directly at Izuku. “I’ll see you on the winner’s podium.”

As he turned to leave, it once again took a moment for the audience to respond, but when they did it was with cheers and renewed applause. Yaomomo nodded at Izuku. “You were right, Izukun - that went quite well.”

“He may not be very personable, but he’s certainly got charisma,” Jiro admitted.

Izuku just grinned, feeling enough pride in his best friend to completely defeat his nervousness.

---

“And... begin!”

There was a distinct crackling sound, one which everyone in 1A immediately recognized as the sound of Todoroki’s ice growing, and growing quickly. Izuku leapt into the air, coming back down into a crouch on the thick layer of ice that had sprouted up to freeze people’s feet to the ground and prevent them from even making it out of the gate.

“A DEVASTATING FIRST MOVE FROM SHOTO TODOROKI!” The voice of Yamada-san - fully in-character as Present Mic - echoed from speakers all through the stadium. “HIS QUIRK: HALF-HOT, HALF-COLD! HE CAN CREATE FIRE FROM HIS LEFT SIDE, WHILE HIS RIGHT ALLOWS HIM TO CREATE ICE - AS HE’S JUST DONE!”

“Todoroki was a recommended student, and he’s proving why he earned that recommendation here,” came the ever-flat tones of Aizawa, who was apparently the other commentator. “He simultaneously slowed his competitors and began forging a path forward for himself - a side-effect of his quirk also lets him move on ice without fearing sliding or loss of balance. By blazing a trail of ice, he can guarantee flat, level ground for himself.”

Izuku let out a bright puff of lifeforce. His soul sank into the ice, some of which wrapped around his feet and shoes, creating a pair of ice-forged ice-skates. A momentary wobble while he stood, and then Izuku was off, following Todoroki’s trail - the skates should let him move faster and more safely on the ice than anyone else could.

“But,” Aizawa continued, “Todoroki’s ice can also be an an opportunity - as anything can, on a battlefield.”

“THAT’S RIGHT! IZUKU MIDORIYA, ALSO FROM CLASS 1A, IS HOT ON TODOROKI’S TRAIL, SKATING ALONG AS THOUGH HE WAS BORN ON THE ICE!”

That was an exaggeration - while Izuku was a decent skater, he was having to pay too much attention to his feet and his balance to defend himself. This was a mistake, he realized as he came up on Todoroki, because the thermokinetic didn’t seem to have the same problem. Todoroki spun to face Izuku as he approached, pausing his run just long enough to send a wave of ice towards him. A moment later, Izuku was thoroughly immobilized.

“FREEZING MIDORIYA OVER, TODOROKI MAINTAINS HIS LEAD! BUT WHO’S COMING UP RIGHT BEHIND MIDORIYA? ARE THESE MORE 1A STUDENTS?”

A sigh. “You know they are,” Aizawa complained as Bakugo flew over Izuku’s head, propelled by a trail of explosions. Iida wasn’t following the ice trail, but was moving just as fast despite the rough ground - Izuku wondered if they had been caught briefly by the ice, to have not caught up until now.

Izuku breathed more of his soul into the ice as other students began to pass him as well, ordering it to break apart around him - a moment later, he was running again, fighting a shiver. Maybe, he thought, he wouldn’t follow quite so close to Todoroki this time.

---

Momo wasn’t terribly worried about the race, at least not yet - while she wasn’t the fastest runner, she had excellent endurance, and she fully expected the obstacles to give her a chance to shine and make up for any time she lost by not being the fastest student out there.

On the other hand, she hadn’t expected the first obstacle to be quite this daunting. A quartet of absolutely massive robots, towering over even the nearby stadium. Where on earth had they been hiding, she wondered, slowing almost to a stop as they became clear.

“MOST OF OUR HEROICS DEPARTMENT STUDENTS HAVE ALREADY SEEN THESE ROBOTS - THEY APPEARED IN THE PHYSICAL EXAM! RECOMMENDED STUDENTS, HOWEVER, FACED A DIFFERENT TEST! HOW WILL TODOROKI HANDLE THESE MONSTERS!”

“Probably-” All three of the robots were suddenly engulfed in ice, freezing them in their tracks. “...like that.”

“IT MAKES ME WONDER, IS TODOROKI SIMPLY NOT WORRIED ABOUT OTHER STUDENTS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THIS OPENING? SURELY, THEY’LL BE ABLE TO PASS BY THESE ZERO-POINTERS WITHOUT TROUBLE NOW!”

“Not at all,” was Aizawa-sensei’s response, as the ice began to crack, the robots quickly freeing themselves. “He used the minimum of ice, freezing them only for the few seconds necessary for him to pass. Those behind him will still face this challenge.”

“AND HOW WILL THEY DEAL WITH IT? LET’S SEE!”

Momo tore open her jacket, already with a schematic in mind. The massive cannon began emerging from her midriff, and-

“Hey, Yaomomo!” Izukun cried, passing her. “Wanna see how I got second place in the entrance exam?”

The green haired boy launched himself for the zero-pointer and was instantly caught in its massive hand. Yaomomo gasped, almost losing track of the minigun, but Izuku was still grinning.

He blew thick, glowing white smoke into the massive robot, which, after a few seconds, began glowing with the aura that showed he was animating it into a golem.

“IZUKU MIDORIYA, YET ANOTHER POWERFUL 1A STUDENT! HIS QUIRK: BREATH OF LIFE! HE CAN PASS ON HIS OWN LIFEFORCE INTO ANYTHING HE CHOSES, WITH THE EFFECT CHANGING DEPENDING ON WHETHER THAT TARGET IS ALIVE OR DEAD! WITH ROBOTS LIKE THESE, HE FLAT-OUT HIJACKS THEM!”

The zero-pointer, now under Izukun’s control, deposited him on its massive shoulder. He waved at Yaomomo, then patted the robot, which swung its arms to punch out the other two. That accomplished, it began marching towards the finish line - not moving terribly quickly, but with a distinct inevitability.

“That,” Aizawa declared, “is a student not worried about leaving openings.”

“AND WHY WOULD HE? KEEP AN EYE ON MIDORIYA, FOLKS - HE’S A CONTENDER!”

“Perhaps. While his new transport will certainly let him ignore the remaining obstacles, those big robots aren’t designed to move quickly. The question is, will he make up enough time in the obstacles to catch up? And will another student decide to take him on to slow him down further?”

Momo pulled herself together, refusing to gape at Izukun’s display of power any longer. She finished the cannon - already halfway through the barrel - but swapped out the lethal ammunition she had planned to use against the robots for rubber bullets. She kicked off her shoes and replaced them with quirk-made roller-skates - Izukun wasn’t the only one who could provide his own transportation, she swore, spinning the minigun to face behind her and starting to fire.

“ANOTHER DISPLAY OF INGENUITY, MOMO YAOYOROZU IS NOW FIRING A MINIGUN INTO THE GROUND TO PROPEL HERSELF WITH THE FORCE OF ITS KICKBACK!”

“Another recommended student showing her potential. She began making it to deal with the robots - however, when Midoriya did it first, she didn’t waste the energy and effort, instead repurposing it.”

“WHAT ARE YOU FEEDING THESE KIDS?”

---

“...AND COMING IN AT 7TH PLACE, MOMO YAOYOROZU, SAILING THROUGH THE MINEFIELD WITH EASE THANKS TO A METAL DETECTOR!”

Kyoka sighed as she approached the minefield, feeling distinctly mediocre in comparison to her friends - while Todoroki had scored the first-place trophy and Sparky had taken second place, Izukun had gotten 3rd, and now Yaomomo was in the top ten as well. She, on the other hand, might barely squeeze into the top forty, she estimated, judging from how many people - many of them from class 1B, if she wasn’t mistaken - were slowly picking their way through the field.

Or maybe not even that. The minefield had doubtlessly started out pretty crowded with mines, but half of them had already blown. The more mines went off, the easier people in the rear could make it through - it was a pretty smart idea for a final obstacle, Kyoka had to admit, as it bunched people up and allowed for last-minute upsets - like when Iida had zoomed his way right through it without pausing, somehow being lucky enough to not step on any mines, and taken 4th place despite having seriously struggled with the giant pits.

Thank god for those pits, Kyoka thought. And for her interest in parkour. If not for that obstacle, she wouldn’t even be as far ahead as she was...

She approached the minefield cautiously - even knowing that many of them were gone already and that they weren’t terribly dangerous anyway, the prospect of voluntarily stepping into a minefield was a daunting one.

A few moments later, though, she was relaxing. The mines, as it turned out, emitted a high-pitched electrical hum, which her sensitive ears could pick up easily, even through the high-tech earplugs that she still wore. There was no way she could miss that. “Who needs a metal detector, Yaomomo?” Kyoka whispered to herself with a grin, practically waltzing through the minefield. She had this covered.

“A SURPRISE 10TH PLACE UPSET FROM KYOKA JIRO, WHO SEEMS TO HAVE MASTERED THE MINEFIELD WITH EASE!”

Top ten. Take that, anxiety!

---

“A calvary battle, huh?” Izukun muttered. “Hmm... I have a lot of points on me already, but not as many as Todoroki... a defensive strategy would probably still carry me into the second round, especially if I team up with other people who finished well... actually, with people as competitive as Bakugo and Todoroki around, even just holding onto the headband we start with would likely get us to the next round. But it won’t be easy, unless we get exactly the right team...”

Momo put a hand on his shoulder, bringing him out of his thoughts. “I don’t suppose I might have a place in that team, Izukun?”

He blinked up at her. “Are you sure?”

“Of course - why wouldn’t I be? You’re an excellent planner - much better than me, I think. My talents as a leader seem to lie more in the commanding itself.”

He nodded. “Alright - with the two of us, I know exactly who to grab.”

“Any ideas how I can fit in?” Jiro asked, approaching them.

Izukun tilted his head to the side. “Hmm... I think so. You’re good at sword and shield fighting, right?”

“Sure, Yaomomo has been helping me practice with that.”

“Then if I can get the fourth member I want, we’ll have a great setup.”

“Who is that, Izukun?” Momo asked. She glanced across the field, seeing many of the other students already forming groups. Todoroki seemed to be recruiting Iida, Uraraka, and a pink-haired girl that, judging from the equipment she was outfitting them with, seemed to be from the Support Department. Bakugo had Kirishima, Ashido, and seemed to be trying to recruit Sero...

“Kaminari,” the green-haired boy said. “He-”

“No need to explain, I’ll get him,” Momo assured Izukun, trusting that he had his reasons. Perhaps, she thought as she forged through the spread-out crowd of students towards the electric boy, it was because he had worked with Momo and Jiro in the USJ attack, and Izukun wanted to make sure that they had a group that would work together well?

“I don’t know,” Kaminari was saying to a student from 1B, someone with long gray hair and strange markings around his eyes. “I see what you’re saying about our quirks having synergy, but-”

“Kaminari-kun,” Momo interrupted, “Will you join my team? We need you for our plan.”

He turned to be able to see them both. “Maybe. I’m trying to figure out where my best - wait, did you call me Kaminari-kun?”

She blinked in surprise. “I... suppose I did. I’m sorry, Kaminari-san, I didn’t mean to be so familiar without permission -”

“No no, it’s fine!” He assured her. “I’m glad you think of me as a friend. I’ll be on your team!” She gave an apologetic smile to the gray-haired student before they began walking back to Izukun and Jiro. “So, what’s your plan?”

“Well, it’s Izukun’s plan,” she confessed, “and I went to grab you before he could explain it - I didn’t want someone else to snatch you up. But he said we needed you, and I trust him.”

Kaminari nodded. “Sure. He’d never lie, certainly not to you.”

“Ah good, you got him!” Izukun said brightly as they approached.

“Yup!” The blonde gave him a double thumbs up. “What’s the plan?”

“I’d betting that our quirks have some powerful synergy,” Izukun told Kaminari. “You get some powerful backlash if you use too much electricity, right?”

“Yeah, it kind of leaves me useful for a half hour or so. I would only be able to do that once.”

“Not when I’m enhancing you, I bet! You’d be able to pull off big shocks whenever you wanted.”

“Oh, great! ...but that would hit the rest of you too, right?”

“That’s where Yaomomo comes in,” Izukun explained. “She can make insulation to keep us safe from your electricity.”

“And,” Jiro added, “weapons, too. If we plug them into you with cables, we’ll all be able to able to shock anyone who gets too close, even if you’re not built up to another shock just yet.”

"And our points added together should carry us into the third round, as long as we keep our headband."

“An excellent plan, as I expected,” Momo said approvingly, and Izuku blushed. “But who should be the rider?”

“You should,” Izuku told her. “Violet, Kaminari, and I are all within an inch of the same height, so you’ll have a nice stable platform, and will also have freedom of movement to make any other equipment we need. Besides...” He grinned. “That’s the leader’s position, right?”

Momo’s eyes crinkled as she smiled at him. “Sounds perfect.”

---

It was.

Notes:

Izuku didn't take control of the zero-pointer in his entrance exam - that would have been far, far beyond the energy he had at the time (and it ate up most of what he had from Nomu, too). He did, however, take control of lesser robots and send them out to destroy their kin. If not for other examinees destroying his stolen minions, he might even have beaten Bakugo - as was, though, he scored a respectable mix of villain and rescue points, much like Kirishima.

Yeah, I'm skipping the calvalry battle. It's not the interesting part of the Sports Festival anyway - we all know what we're looking forward to. Suffice to say that Izuku's plan worked just as he had hoped - they got into the third round with one headband, Yaoyorozu's, which leaves them in 4th place (all other headbands being claimed by team Shinsou in 3rd, team Bakugo in 2nd, or team Todoroki in 1st).

Also, my outline has reached its end - a point at which I feel the story will be at a natural conclusion. 45 chapters, which should take us to the Culture Festival and, based on my chapter lengths so far, about 120k words. That's subject to change, of course, but I'm usually pretty good at following my outlines.

Chapter 13: Festival, Part 3

“It’s time for the third event,” declared Midnight, “and it is, as always, a tournament! We happen to have sixteen survivors from the previous round, so there are no complications and no free-passes! Our first round is displayed on the screen!”

   Izuku Midoriya vs. Denki Kaminari
   Ibara Shiozaki vs. Hitoshi Shinso
   Shoto Todoroki vs. Mashirao Ojiro
   Mei Hatsume vs. Tenya Iida
   Mina Ashido vs. Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu
   Eijiro Kirishima vs. Momo Yaoyorozu
   Ochako Uraraka vs. Hanta Sero
   Kyoka Jiro vs. Katsuki Bakugo

Izuku frowned up at the board. “All my friends are going up against each other in the first round!” he complained. “I’m up against you, Kaminari-kun,” he said to his cavalry teammate, “Kirishima against Yaomomo, Violet against Kacchan...”

“Don’t worry, Midoriya-kun, I’ll go easy on you,” Kaminari said with a wink. “Jiro, on the other hand, maybe you should worry about.”

“We’re first up, too,” he complained. “I’ll have no time at all to think!”

“I’d swap with you if I could,” Jiro said. “Waiting to go last is just going to make me so anxious.”

“Will the first contestants please make your way to the ring?” Midnight ordered. “And all others, please exit the field!”

Izuku climbed up to the concrete ring, Kaminari making his way to the other side, as the other fourteen who made it through round two left - Yaomomo and Jiro waving goodbye, Kirishima giving a brief cheer, and Kacchan just bumping into his shoulder with a warning not to lose. “So...”

“Like I said, I’ll go easy on you,” Kaminari promised.

“Don’t worry about going easy on me,” Izuku responded. “You’ll have more important things to deal with.”

“Start!”

“WE BEGIN WITH A PAIR OF TEAMMATES FROM THE PREVIOUS ROUND!” Present Mic boomed. “IZUKU MIDORIYA AND DENKI KAMINARI - HIS QUIRK: ELECTRIFICATION! WE’VE ALREADY SEEN THEIR QUIRKS WORK TOGETHER - WHAT WILL HAPPEN WHEN THEY GO HEAD-TO-HEAD!”

Kaminari walked forward slowly, electricity dancing across his skin as he began charging up. Izuku had seen enough of his quirk in the previous round to know what that meant - he was preparing for a one million volt shockwave, clearly intending to take Izuku out and then recover in time for the second round.

Izuku, however, had no intention of letting him win so easily. He took a deep breath, then blew a thick layer of mist out over the field, allowing it to slowly sink into the concrete and bring it to life. As the mist covered his feet, rising almost to his and Kaminari’s knees before beginning to subside into a glowing aura, he kicked off his shoes, letting his bare feet touch the surface of the arena. After the robot in the first round, this represented a significant expenditure of energy - but he was still a ways from running out.

“Sorry, Kaminari-kun...” he began, sending a bit of his soul into the concrete, putting the skills that Cementoss had drilled into him to the test.

“Hey, what gives?” the blonde asked, unable to take another step. The mist of Izuku’s lifeforce finally sank into the concrete enough to reveal a pair of hands that had reached out of the arena to grab him around his ankles. “You-!”

“...but I have to meet Kacchan in the finals.” The hands extended further into a pair of long arms, held up by a spindly, concrete body - Kaminari was lifted right off his feet and held upside down by his ankles by the golem as it emerged from the arena. Kaminari struggled in its stony grip, but it was only a few seconds later that it had strode to the edge of the ring and dropped Kaminari off the edge of it.

“Kaminari is out of bounds - the winner is IZUKU MIDORIYA!” Midnight declared.

“No hard feelings, right?” Izuku called.

“...no hard feelings!” Kaminari assured him a moment later. “...ow."

---

Izuku returned to class 1A’s box a few minutes later, and after spotting an open seat next to Jiro and Yaomomo, he started heading over there. Before he could arrive, however, Ojiro-san tapped him on the shoulder. “Can we talk for a moment, Midoriya?” the martial artist asked.

“Sure, what’s up?”

“I have to get to the waiting rooms, but... keep an eye on this next match,” Ojiro told him. “You might be going up against Shinso, and, well... I wouldn’t want you to be blindsided.”

He tilted his head, confused. “Shinso... you were on his team in the last event, right?”

“So they tell me.” Ojiro said with a sigh. “He has some kind of mental quirk - the last thing I remember in the second event was him asking me if I wanted to team up. I said, ‘maybe,’ and the next thing I knew the round was over.”

“And it definitely wasn’t just adrenaline, right?” Izuku asked. “It’s not that I don’ believe you, just want to confirm - I mean, that whole event is a bit of a blur for me too, if I’m being honest.”

“Definitely not just adrenaline,” he confirmed. “Like I said, I don’t know exactly what the trigger is, but I don’t want you to be unprepared. I just wish I had been able to get a hold of Shiozaki, too - but she was also caught last round, so I suppose she’s forewarned already.”

Izuku clapped him on the shoulder. “You did what you could,” he said. “Now you had better get to the waiting rooms.”

“Right. Good luck, Midoriya.”

“To you as well.”

Izuku continued, taking the seat next to his friends, and Jiro leaned in as Shinso and Shiozaki stepped onto the field. “So who do you think is going to win?” she asked.

“ANOTHER MATCH OF FORMER TEAMMATES! ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN THIS ROUND!”

“I don’t know,” Izuku confessed. “Shiozaki’s quirk seems very powerful, but Ojiro seems to think that Shinso has a mental quirk of some kind, and those are always tricky.”

“IT’S THE PLANT-BASED ASSASSIN VS THE GENERAL STUDIES KID WHO’S BEATING THE ODDS!”

“It could go either way,” Yaomomo agreed. “Neither of them are part of our class, so we don’t really know what their capabilities are.”

“We’ll see in a moment,” Izuku said, leaning forward.

“Begin!” Midnight called.

Izuku desperately wished there were microphones set up in the ring so that the audience could here what was being said as Shinso began speaking. He spread his arms, clearly making some kind of theatrical point, and Shiozaki tilted her head as though thinking. A moment later, though, the vines that sprouted from her head were rushing towards her opponent.

He dove to the side, trying to avoid them and clearly still yelling something, but all Izuku could make out was the tone of his anger. It was only a moment later that he was caught.

Midnight leaned forward and said something, probably asking if he yielded. Shinso shook his head and said something else to Shiozaki, who finally responded - and instantly went slack where she stood.

Shinso grinned, and spoke again. Shiozaki set him down, then turned and walked out of the arena before seeming to come back to herself.

“...Shiozaki is out of bounds - the winner is Hitoshi Shinso!” Midnight announce after a moment of surprise.

“Shino’s quirk must be some kind of mind control,” Yaomomo said. “Ojiro-san was right.”

Izuku nodded in agreement. “Definitely. It looked like it relied on a response to something he said - Shiozaki refused to answer him until she thought she had caught him, but he got her after that.” He glanced at Jiro. “Did you hear what he was saying, Violet? I didn’t catch much of it myself.”

She shook her head. “Sorry, Green - I heard it, but it was kind of... personal. I don’t think I should repeat it. But you’ll probably hear it yourself next round.”

“Oh...” Yaomomo sighed as Iida left the rind, going to wait for his own battle. “It’s Ojiro against Todoroki next.”

“Is it weird to say that I feel bad for Ojiro?” Izuku asked as their classmates walked onto the field.

“ANOTHER 1A VS 1A BATTLE - MORE THAN HALF OF YOUR CLASS MADE IT HERE! WHAT ARE YOU TEACHING THEM, AIZAWA!”

“They’re not making it here just off of what I taught them,” Aizawa-sensei commented as Midnight began the match, “but off of what they learned from the USJ attack. They’ve seen real combat, and that gives them advantage in competitions of this nature. They know the importance of being...”

An enormous glacier of ice engulfed Ojiro despite his attempts to dodge, and he immediately conceded.

“...decisive.”

---

“That,” Jiro declared, “was a disaster.”

“I feel rather bad for him,” Momo admitted as she watched Iida-san, still stunned by the events of his match with Hatsuma, leave the field. “Being humiliated like that can’t have been fun, even he’ll be going on to the next round.”

“And to face off with Todoroki there,” Izukun pointed out. “Although he’s got a better change than most of us would - his speed might let him push Todoroki out before he could be caught by his ice.”

“Hey, Yaomomo, you should probably get going,” Jiro told her. “You’re up after Ashido - get to the waiting room.”

“Good luck against Kirishima!” Izukun said cheerfully.

“I may need it,” she admitted. “But I’ll do my best!”

And she would have to, Momo thought to herself as she made her way down. She wasn’t bad in a fight, but it wasn’t her specialty - and she tended to fight with a weapon of some sort, which took time to create. If Kirishima got to her too quickly, she would be no match for him in hand-to-hand - not to mention that he was considerably stronger than her, physically speaking.

She watched Ashido struggle against Tetsutetsu-san as she tried to come up with a plan to deal with Kirishima - his steel form seemed to be able to withstand the strongest acids the pink-haired girl was willing or able to produce, meaning that her only advantage lay in mobility - but she couldn’t think of much.

Momo had relied on Izukun to come up with plans so far, focusing on carrying them out and working in the moment - it had worked for them so far, but, she was beginning to realize, might ultimately be a weakness. They wouldn’t be together forever, after all - and she tried to ignore the twinge of sadness at that thought, because whatever Jiro said, she didn’t have a crush, it was just that he was her best friend - and if she always let Izukun make the plans, it would leave her weaker later. She had to be able to do some things on her own. Think through what you and your opponent can do, think through the consequences...

What would she have done without a plan? Perhaps tried to produce a shield, something to hold off her foe long enough to make something more powerful. But... a shield wasn’t terribly fast to produce - and, she realized, would also leave her on the defensive. It would be easy for Kirishima to simply continue attacking and drive her back without giving her a moment to retaliate, even if he couldn’t break the shield.

Something else, then. A shield was too defensive... perhaps a weapon? But Kirishima’s defense was his strongest attribute. She would need time to make something powerful in order to drive him back, time that she was unlikely to get.

So... she needed to slow him down. Momo nodded. Yes, she could do this. A net, coated in glue - that was something she could make in an instant, and it would slow Kirishima down long enough that she could make an air cannon to blow Kirishima right off the ring.

Hopefully.

 

It didn’t work out the way she had hoped.

Oh, the net had come out fine, and then she began building the air cannon, but Kirishima wasn’t as trapped as she had hoped. He had managed to hold the glue-covered trap in the air, preventing it from fusing with the ground and immobilizing him even for the few moments she had hoped for, and then had simply rushed her. He had pushed her right out of the ring before she could even react.

It had been... disheartening, to realize that her plan had been such a failure, that she had lost in the first round of the tournament. Well, more than disheartening, really - Momo had started to cry when she realized she had lost, even as Kirishima apologized for ‘whatever I did, I don’t know what’s wrong but I’m sorry’.

She hadn’t returned to the class’s box, not wanting to face her best friends right now. She was such a failure, even after successfully leading them through the second event, and on top of being a failure she was a mess, her makeup totally ruined by her tears and the glue that had stuck her hair and-

“Yaomomo, are you in here?” she heard Izukun call into the room locker room that she was hiding in.

Momo sniffed and didn’t respond, hoping that he would move on. But no luck - she heard Jiro tell him, “I can hear her heartbeat, she’s definitely in here. Yaomomo? Yaomomo, we came to cheer you up - if you want us to go, say so, but otherwise we’re coming in.”

She said nothing. They came in.

Her best friends sat on the bench on either side of her, each one leaning against a shoulder, and wrapped her in a group hug. They didn’t say anything, just let her feel their presence and their support, and Momo cried.

After a minute or two, she managed to whisper, “Thank you.”

“Hey, you’d do the same thing for us,” Jiro muttered, lifting her head from Momo’s shoulder. “What’s going through that pretty little head of yours?”

Momo blushed a little and began, stammering, to explain the useless plan that she had come up with, and how terrible she felt about it failing, and -

Once again, Izukun’s voice cut through her anxious thoughts. “That was a good plan, Yaomomo,” he assured her, lifting his own head.

She blinked. “Really? You think so?”

He nodded. “It’s basically what I would have come up with as well - my only addition would have been to create a staff before going for the air cannon, so that if the net failed you could keep him away from you.”

“That... would have been better,” she admitted. “But-”

“But nothing. Yaomomo, you haven’t made a ton of battle plans yet - haven’t you heard it said that the first part of being good at something is sucking at it?”

She chuckled, then sniffed, wiping a tear away. “I’ve been told that, yes,” she agreed. “But... I don’t know if I’ve ever really faced up to it before. Up until now, I... I just...”

“Too perfect at everything?” Jiro teased. “Never faced failure before?”

“I... I suppose not.”

“Everyone fails sometimes,” Izukun told her. “It doesn’t make you a bad person. It doesn’t make you a failure to fail at something.”

Momo nodded, slowly. “I... thank you.” She created a handkerchief and began cleaning her face, wiping away her tears and ruined makeup. Then, with a moment’s concentration, she recreated her makeup, leaving no sign that she had ever been crying.

“Wow, wish it was that easy for me,” Jiro commented.

Momo blinked at her, then panicked. “Kyokun! Your fight is up next, you have to-”

She laughed. “It’s okay, Yaomomo, it’s Uraraka against Sero right now. It’ll take a while. And did you just call me Kyokun?”

“I... I guess I did, didn’t I?” Momo said, trying to calm down. She didn’t want Kyokun to miss her match for her.”

“You’re really making progress on being less formal,” Izukun said, giving her a proud smile.

“It’s been really nice to watch,” Kyokun told her, giving her another hug. “But, ah, I probably should go get ready. Foregone conclusion or not, I don’t want to miss the match.”

“You... might win?” Izukun tried to offer.

“...no.” She said.

“No,” Momo agreed.

“No,” Izuku agreed.

---

Kyoka stepped onto the ring across from Bakugo, who stood there with his hands casually in his pockets.

“OUR LAST MATCH OF THE FIRST ROUND - KATSUKI BAKUGO VS KYOKA JIRO! GIVE IT UP, EVERYONE!”

Kyoka tried to tune out the cheers, especially as Bakugo, who seemed to be ignoring the crowds entirely, started to speak - surprising, as he ignored even Midnight telling them to begin.

“I think we both know there’s no way you’re going to beat me,” he said.

“Yeah,” she agreed, “but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to try.”

“You shouldn’t.” He turned his head to show her his ears, tapping them. “Dunno if Deku’s told you, but I’m basically deaf because of my quirk. I rely on lip-reading and hearing aids. And with your quirk...”

Kyoka’s heart sank as she realized what he was getting at. “...oh.”

“Yeah. This is all just a fucking school competition. If you actually had a chance, I wouldn’t mind so much, but... I don’t want to risk permanently damaging your hearing when we already know how this is going to turn out.”

She sighed, half-disappointed in herself. She had known she wasn’t going to win the tournament, had known that even getting to the third event was a longshot... but she hadn’t wanted to just give up in the first round. And yet... “You’re right,” she admitted. “Midnight-sensei, I forfeit.”

---

She returned to 1A’s box, not wanting to make Yaomomo and Izukun come searching for her, as she knew they would if she didn’t. “You never told me Bakugo was deaf, Green,” she said, punching him.

“I wouldn’t spread it around without his permission,” Izukun told her, rubbing his arm where she had punched him. “But yeah, he is... and I should have realized before you went down there...”

“It’s okay, he warned me. You know, he’s not as bad as he seems.”

The green-haired boy gave her a look somehow, despite his lack of any pupils or iris. “Gee, however could I guess that my brother-from-another-mother isn’t as bad as he seems?”

Notes:

There are a bunch of cool fics where Bakugo is deaf, because explosions going off so close to you for most of your life is bad for your ears. Like many things, it's not the focus of this fic enough for me to explore it beyond mentioning that it's true, but I wanted to at least do that.
Bakugo is fluent in JSL - Izuku also knows sign, but isn't as fluent as Bakugo is, because Bakugo mostly uses hearing aids and lip reading. Present Mic is also deaf because of his quirk, which might come up during the internships and might not? I don't know yet, I haven't written those chapters yet. Soon though.
If you'd like to read those cool deaf!Bakugo fics, I'll recommend Better Than You by Maulstrom_Prince - it's super good.

Chapter 14: Festival, Part 4

Before long, Izuku found himself standing across from the lavender-haired student from general studies - the brainwasher. Shinso reminded him rather strongly of Aizawa-sensei - they both had the same mix of intensity and lack of care, the same hooded lids that made him wonder if they had slept any more than he had, these last few weeks. They both had devastatingly effective quirks, too - Aizawa’s ability to suppress quirks could instantly shut down a wide variety of villains, while Shinso’s could beat anyone if they fell for it.

“Shinso-san,” Izuku said to him as they stepped into the ring - Shiozaki hadn’t seemed to be taken over by his quirk until she responded to him, not just spoke to him, and Ojiro’s story bore out the same, so it should be safe. Besides, the match hadn’t started yet. “You have an incredible quirk - why aren’t you in the heroics department?”

The taller boy blinked in surprise. “...I took the exam, but my quirk doesn’t work on robots,” he responded after a moment. “Not all of us can be as lucky as you. That’s why I intend to win this tournament, and move into the heroics course that way.”

“WE MOVE INTO ROUND TWO WITH IZUKU MIDORIYA VS HITOSHI SHINSO! AFTER AN EXCITING FIRST ROUND, FILLED WITH MATCHES BETWEEN CLASSMATES AND TEAMMATES, WE’RE FINALLY IN A MATCH BETWEEN TWO PEOPLE WHO HAVEN’T GONE UP AGAINST EACH OTHER!” Present Mic boomed from the announcer’s box. “THAT’S RIGHT, ALL THEY’VE SEEN OF EACH OTHER IS THIS VERY TOURNAMENT!”

“This match is one that will be won, or lost, by information,” Aizawa commented. “Shinso’s quirk works best when the opponent isn’t aware of it. Midoriya’s, meanwhile, has a number of subtle aspects that are easy to miss, but can be very important. Depending on what they’ve learned about each other watching the other matches, this match could be over very quickly.”

“Begin!” Midnight ordered them.

“Honestly,” Shinso said, crouching slightly and clearly ready to dodge if Izuku brought the stagee to life again, “I’m a little jealous of your quirk. It’s bright, flashy, and perfect for heroics - I saw you enhanced your teammates in the cavalry battle, which would already make you an incredible hero. Being able to bring things to life on top of that is just unfair.”

Izuku didn’t say anything, instead simply releasing a break of mist, allowing it to sink into his clothes rather than the ring - after the giant robot in the first round, he was finally approaching the end of what he had stolen from Nomu, and wanted to reserve some strength for fighting Todoroki and Bakugo. So instead of bringing the ring to life, he animated his gym uniform - keeping a steady flow of his soul into it to make sure it didn’t begin acting unless he was caught by Shinso’s quirk, but leaving it available as a backup plan. In the meantime, he brought up his fists into a combat-ready stance, beginning to advance on the other boy.

Shinso tilted his head curiously. “Not going to just overwhelm me with your quirk, like you did to your buddy?” he asked. “Now why would you do that? You must have some weakness of limitation, don’t you? Eraserhead did just say that information was important here...” He began circling the edge of the ring, staying away from Izuku’s careful approach. “Controlling something of that size or mass must be pretty draining, I bet - maybe you were hoping to have more time to rest before the second round, but there some pretty quick matches, huh?” He gave a lazy grin as Izuku tried not to react to his all-too-close guess. “Yeah, I think I’m working this out. Then again, you’re no dummy either - you’ve obviously figured out my quirk as well. And in only one match too! Shiozaki couldn’t keep this quiet, and she had already been under my brainwashing.”

Izuku bit his lip to keep himself from defending the vine-haired girl - she had obviously only responded to whatever he had said because she had thought the match over. Instead, he charged forward, hoping to bullrush Shinso out of the ring as Kirishima-kun had done to Yaomomo.

Shino dodge fluidly, even attempting a kick at Izuku’s rear to try and send him over the edge of the ring, but he parried it. They returned to their slow circling.

“I really am jealous, you know,” Shinso told him. “Your quirk is just so perfect for heroics - better even than those combat monsters you’ve got in your class, the ice king and the lord of explosions. Mine, on the other hand...” He gave a theatrical sighed. “I’ve always wanted to be a hero, but when you can brainwash people with a word, you get pegged a villain pretty young. Can you even imagine what that’s like, Midoriya? To think of yourself as a monster at the age of five?”

Izuku couldn’t stop himself. “I know what that’s like-”

---

“-out of bounds! Izuku Midoriya is the winner!” Midnight called.

Izuku blinked, confused. He had lost track of time - no, he had been brainwashed, had been unable to keep from expressing his sympathies for Shinso, and been caught. The last thing he had known he was circling, looking for an opening, and now...

Now Shino was lying outside the ring, and Izuku was standing just inside it.

Midnight had called the match, so he hopped off the arena to offer Shinso a hand up. The tired-looking boy seemed shocked. “What the hell was that?” he asked. “I got you, and then... you just rushed at me! I dodge and parried and fought back, but you - you barely moved like you were human!” Throwing your body around like a madman!” Despite his discomfort, however, he took Izuku’s hand and let himself be pulled to his feet.

“WHAT SPORTSMANSHIP!” Present Mic shouted.

Izuku rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed. “I brought my uniform to life near the beginning of the match, with orders to keep me in the ring and get you out of it - and I continually countermanded that up until you caught me with your quirk. My golems don’t need me to actively control them, so...” He shrugged.

Shinso sighed. “He was right - lack of information was my downfall. I’d have been better off trying to just fight you.”

“Maybe.”

“What did you mean, that you knew what it was like?” he asked, and Izuku flinched a little.

“That... was exactly what I felt like at five too,” he confessed. “Like I was a monster who had brought nothing but trouble to my family. The reason was different, no one called me a villain for my quirk, but... I thought so, which is almost as bad.”

“...worse, even,” Shinso said after a moment. “Why did you think you were a villain?”

“I’ll tell you what,” Izuku told him after a moment. “When I see you in the Heroics department, I’ll tell you.”

“You think I’ll be able to get in? I didn’t win the tournament...”

“You still did really well - getting through the first two events is pretty impressive, and you’re the only non-heroics student to make it into the second round,” Izuku pointed out. “And there’s an open spot in 1A. So yeah, I think they’d be mad not to give you the chance.

A slow smile spread across Shinso’s face - and not the lazy, sardonic one he had worn in their match, but a shy, sincere smile. “Thanks, Midoriya. I’ll see you there.”

---

“You seemed to have a nice chat with Shinso down there,” Momo commented as Izukun returned to the box. “Make a new friend?”

“Maybe,” he said, leaning forward. “He’s hoping to be transferred into the Heroics Department.”

“Good luck to him on that,” said Kyokun. “Who do you think will win here?”

“Like I said earlier, it depends on whether or not Iida can move fast enough to get Todoroki out of the ring before he gets frozen over.”

“...apparently not,” said Momo shortly afterward. “You have to face him next, right Izukun?”

He nodded. “Yeah. I have a plan though, so don’t worry.”

She smiled at him. “I wasn’t - I know you can take him.”

“Thanks, Yaomomo.”

“I’m not so sure,” Kyokun teased.

“...thanks, Kyokun.”

“UP NEXT IT’S EIJIRO KIRISHIMA VS TETSUTETSU TETSUTETSU! KIRISHIMA’S QUIRK, HARDENING, CAN MAKE HIM AS TOUGH AS SOLID STEEL, WHILE TETSUTETSU’S QUIRK CAN TRANSFORM HIM INTO STEEL! WHO COULD POSSIBLY COME OUT AHEAD IN THIS CLASH OF INVULNERABLE TITANS?!?”

“This should be interesting,” Izukun commented. “Their quirks are so similar, it’ll probably come down to which of them is more skilled, rather than whose quirk trumps whose, as many of these matches have been.”

“I feel bad for that steel kid, though. His name is literally just ‘steel’ four times in a row - how much did his parents hate him?” Kyokun joked, and Momo giggled.

“Well, it may all be pronounced similarly, but the kanji are all different,” Izukun pointed out. “I would say it means something more like ‘iron-piercing conviction of steel’. I guess most parents don’t actually think about what the names they give mean, though, so maybe it was just for the repetition of ‘steel’.”

“Maybe not, but-” Kyokun was interrupted by a chuckle. “Sorry - just overheard what Sharktooth said to Steel there. Apparently he’s getting revenge for Ashido’s loss to him, and now Steel is crying about how manly that is!”

“He is?” asked Ashido, leaning over the row of seats that separated her, Bakugo, and where Kirishima had been sitting from Momo, Kyokun, and Izukun. “That chivalrous jerk!” she said, her cheeks a little colored, “he should be focused on his own fight right now, not mine!”

“Hey, private conversation,” Kyokun said, one of her earplugs poking Ashido in the nose and making her sit up straight again.

“Well you’re talking nice and loud!”

“I think motivating himself with you worked for him, Ashido,” Momo said, pointing. “Look, he just won!”

“Oh, Kirikun!” Ashido cheered. “He did it!”

“That means he gets to face me next round,” Bakugo put in with a fierce grin. “I’m looking forward to it, too.”

“You’ll have to get through Uraraka-chan first, Bakkun, don’t get too hasty!”

He scoffed at the pink-haired girl. “I’m planning on making it all the way to the end, why are you surprised?”

“Shouldn’t you have been in a waiting room already?” Momo asked the explosive blonde. “Your match with her is starting in a moment.” Indeed, Uraraka was already walking out onto the field.

Bakugo stood and stretched his arms over his head for a moment. “I don’t need a waiting room to prepare in - I was born ready.” Then he planted a foot on the armrest between Momo and Izukun and leapt out of the box towards the arena, explosions propelling him a farther and slowing his fall. “Hey SpaceX, I’m coming for you!” Izukun burst out laughing as Momo and Kyokun gaped.

“How on earth have you stayed sane after knowing him for 15 years?” The purple-haired girl asked as Midnight scolded Bakugo - although the blonde seemed to be taking it as praise.

“I wonder how this match will go?” Momo murmured. “We haven’t seen Bakugo fight with his quirk since that first battle trial - and you were very familiar with each other already. I’m curious how he’ll fight someone he’s never fought before.”

The answer, she saw, was ‘cautiously’. The match was much more drawn-out than many of the previous matches had been, with Bakugo doing his level best to stay well away from Uraraka, fending her off with explosions even as she tried to get close to him.

“He’s wary of her quirk,” Izukun explained. “One touch would essentially end the fight - any explosion would send him off the pitch, and while he might be able to get back, he’s used to booming his way through the air with gravity, not without it. Kacchan won’t want to risk doing that for the first time in a competition.”

“So he’s taking her seriously, not picking on her like the crowd seems to think?” Ashido asked.

“Definitely,” Izukun told her, even as Aizawa began scolding the audience for that very assumption. “He’s going to win, but that’s because she’s more worn out that he is - she had a long fight against Sero last round, while Violet forfeited to him.”

“Why did you, anyway?” Ashido asked Kyokun.

“I have enhanced hearing,” the purple-haired girl explained. “Going up against someone who uses explosions could very easily result in me having no hearing.”

“Ooh. I didn’t even think about that, sorry.”

She sighed. “I hadn’t thought about it either. I’m just glad that Sparky did.”

“He’s a good guy,” Izukun agreed. “He’s not great at expressing his feelings, but he cares a lot.”

Ashido tilted her head curiously. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Hmm. Maybe there’s still hope then. Thanks Izukun!”

“Hey, don’t... call me...” she had already left, meeting Kirishima as he reentered the box and chattering at him excitedly. “...nevermind.” the green-haired boy sighed.

“You don’t want her to call you Izukun?” Momo asked him.

He shook his head. “I like that being your thing, you know? The two of you - and yes, Kyokun, I’ve noticed that you call me it too, sometimes.”

“Yeah, well you haven’t stuck with Violet all the time either, so it seemed fair.”

“It is. But it’s like I told you, Yaomomo,” Izukun said, “it would be weird for anyone but Kacchan to call me Deku. And... I don’t want anyone but you to to call me Izukun.”

“So it has nothing to do with disliking Ashido?” Kyokun asked.

He cast a quick glance at the pink-haired girl to make sure that she wasn’t paying any attention to them. “I don’t dislike her, it’s just... I don’t think she’s good for Kacchan.”

“Only the best for him, huh?”

“Yes! He deserves the best!”

“And that’s not Ashido?” said Momo.

“Well...”

“It sure sounds like you don’t like her,” Kyokun pressed.

“I just... she grates on me, a little bit. She’s too sunny and energetic and she’s that way all the time,” Izuku explained.

“This from our resident sunshine boy,” Momo said with a sigh.

“I’m not...” he sighed, leaning forward and resting his head in his hands. “I’m not a sunshine boy,” he muttered. Momo laughed and ruffled his hair, exchanging a teasing grin with Kyokun.

Notes:

Who cares about FIGHTS lets have some FLUFF

Chapter 15: Festival, Part 5

Kacchan had seriously torn up the arena in his match against Uraraka, so Izuku was able to take his time as he wandered down to the waiting room in preparation for this third-round match against Todoroki. But, still stewing a little over Ashido calling him ‘Izukun’, he didn’t really pay attention to where he was going - and it wasn’t long before he realized that he was lost.

Izuku knew how to deal with mazes, of course, and began following the left-hand rule - always turning left at every opportunity - feeling confident that he would find his room, or at least a part of the stadium that he recognized, before his match was due to begin. If worst came to worst, he could navigate by the blanket of energy above him, the bright stars of the audience’s lifeforce that he could see and feel.

And speaking of lifeforce... he saw two people ahead of him, their souls burning strong. Strong and... familiar. One of them, the less vibrant life, was like a bonfire in slow motion, flickering flames at glacial speed... Todoroki. The other was a full-speed blaze, a forest fire that pulsed and beat like a powerful heart.

That must be Endeavor, Izuku decided. Probably giving his son a mid-tournament pep talk for making it into the final four. He turned to leave - if Todoroki was here, this must be his side of the stadium, and Izuku’s waiting room on the opposite side of the field - but found himself frozen - metaphorically - by a snippet of conversation.

“Don’t touch me,” he heard Todoroki snap, and that was that.

Izuku was no fool. Even if he had never guessed Todoroki was in this kind of situation, there was no one else around that could have tried to touch Todoroki, no one else for him to be upset at. And he remembered his talk with Aizawa-sensei after the USJ attack - remembered him saying that Todoroki had reasons not to use his quirk to the fullest.

He couldn’t blame himself for not noticing before, he supposed. He and Todoroki weren’t exactly close - in fact, the only time they had spoken to each other was the morning Aizawa had announced the sports festival, when Todoroki had declared war. No, Izuku couldn’t be blamed for not taking action until now.

Now that he knew, however... how could he possibly call himself a hero in the future if he did nothing?

Izuku swung around the corner, a brilliant smile on his face. “Hey, Shoto!” he called, and the Torodokis, both tensely staring at each other, turned in surprise to look at him. “Weren’t we going to meet before our match?” He met Todoroki’s eyes with his own, desperately trying to send the message of ‘play along’.

Fortunately, Todoroki seemed to understand. “Yes. Sorry, Izuku. My father wanted to wish me good luck.”

“Who the hell is this, Shoto?” Endeavor demanded.

“This is... my friend, Izuku,” Todoroki said. “Would you mind giving us some privacy, father?”

The huge man growled, but, apparently decided that he couldn’t do anything in front of a witness, began stalking away. Todoroki and Izuku both watched him, still tense - and rightly so, because he spun before he rounded the corner. “You’re facing Shoto in the next match, aren’t you, boy?”

“Yes,” Izuku confirmed.

“Don’t you dare hold back just because you’re friends,” Endeavor spat. “I want him to prove he’s the best, and that means crushing everyone at their best. And you, Shoto...” he met his son’s eyes with a glare. “You’re not allowed to hold back either.”

Then, finally, he was gone, and Todoroki and Izuku breathed out. “Sorry about the familiarity,” he said a moment later. “I read once that a good way to get abusers away is to step in and make yourself an obvious witness.”

“...abusers?”

Izuku blinked. “I... heard you tell him not to touch you. Did I read to much in to that?”

The bichromatic boy sighed. “No. Just... wondering how obvious it was.”

“...not very, but some stuff makes sense in hindsight,” Izuku told him. “I wouldn’t have guessed, except... well, except I overheard you privately. The tone of your voice... you were frightened. No one should ever be scared of their family.”

“...no.”

“I assume this is why you don’t use your fire?” Izuku asked. Todoroki nodded after a moment, and he continued, “I can understand that. I... I don’t know what I can do to help, Todoroki, but if you need anything, please, just ask. I mean, hell, we have a guest room in my house if you need somewhere to go...”

Todoroki blinked at him, seeming shocked. “Just... like that? You’re offering up everything, your home even, just... why?”

“Because... you need help,” he answered. “And isn’t that what being a hero is about?”

The other nodded. “I suppose it is - although the old man probably wouldn’t agree.”

“Do you... want to talk about it?” Izuku offered. “I know our match is starting soonish, but... it kind of seems like you need to get this out.”

Todoroki was silent for a minute or to, Izuku waiting patiently for him to collect his thoughts, before finally saying, “have you heard of quirk marriages?”

---

“That,” Izuku said when Todoroki finally finished his story, “is fucked up. Todoroki, I’m so sorry you had to go through that.”

“It’s fine,” he said, although he was still just staring at his feet. “I... I survived. Am surviving. And Aizawa knows - he’s working on a case to force Endeavor to give custody of me to my sister so we can leave, even if it’s unlikely that he actually face charges. As... as the number two hero, he’s a very powerful man...”

“...I’m glad you told Aizawa-sensei,” Izuku said after a moment.

“I didn’t, actually. He asked why I didn’t use my fire after the apprehension test, and I told him that I didn’t want to copy my father... after the USJ, he asked why. Apparently another student hadn’t been using their full quirk, for a different reason, and the difference made him suspicious of my circumstances.”

“Oh. Um...” Izuku rubbed the back of his head nervously. “I think that was me. At the USJ was the first time I had drained energy... consciously, at least... in ten years. Aizawa asked me why I hadn’t been using half my quirk, and... well.”

“I see.” Todoroki blinked at him - he wasn’t very expressive, but that blink seemed to carry a lot of meaning. “Why don’t you use yours?”

“I... hurt someone, the first time I did. Really badly. And... I guess I just never wanted to hurt someone like that again,” Izuku explained. “I still don’t, I’m still not ready to use it, really, but... Aizawa convinced me that I’ll need to be ready, at some point. If I don’t... he said I won’t be the best hero I can be otherwise, and it won’t be me who pays for that.”

Todoroki stared. “I can’t... I won’t use his fire, Midoriya.”

“It’s not his fire though, is it? It’s yours?”

“...maybe,” Todoroki admitted. “But that means it’s my choice, doesn’t it? There have been pro heroes who use ice, and do fine that way - I don’t need his, my fire.”

“But Todoroki, you could be so much better with your fire,” Izuku wheedled. “Your biggest weakness is hypothermia if you overuse your ice - the fire would fix that, you could thermally regulate yourself - and the ice would prevent you from overheating, too!”

“I can use support items -”

“What happens when you run into someone who you can’t defeat with just ice?” Izuku demanded.

“Who, exactly, can withstand a glacier to the face, Midoriya?” Todoroki asked.

Izuku opened his mouth to answer, then closed it. Then he grinned. “Come out to the ring with me, and I’ll show you.”

“...Midoriya, you can’t possibly-”

“I’ll show you,” Izuku insisted. “Come on - let’s go have our match, and I’ll prove that you can’t beat everyone with ice alone. Because Todoroki, I promise you - if you only use ice against me, you’ll lose.”

---

“Are you both ready?” Midnight asked Izuku and Todoroki as they stood on the field across from each other. They both nodded, and she continued, “Then begin!”

Izuku took a deep breath, Todoroki shifted slightly, and suddenly he was suspended over the stands, encased in a massive glacier. It might, he wondered, be even bigger than the one that Todoroki had used on Ojiro - he hadn’t expected him to have this much left in him. “Got something to prove, Todoroki?” he called, getting a raised eyebrow in response.

“Well... it looks like Midoriya is unable to continue-”

“Not so fast, Midnight-sensei!” he denied, then breathed out. Crackling energy traveled along the glacier, his soul sinking into it, until with a loud crack, it began to shape itself around him. Ice didn’t take much vitality to animate at all.

“THE ANIMATOR OF 1A IS REFUSING TO YIELD, AND INSTEAD BRINGING THE ENTIRE GLACIER TO LIFE! JUST HOW STRONG IS THIS KID!”

Izuku shaped it into something like an extension of his body - thick plating over his torso to protect him, his arms and legs entirely covered in large extensions. Most of the ice he discarded, having it break away into snowflake-sized shards - he was finally running low on the energy stolen from the Nomu, and keeping such a large construct would drain him quickly.

As the glacier broke into glittering shards, each sparking with his soul for a moment, he plummeted to the ground and came down in a three-point landing with a massive thud. Then he looked up at Todoroki and grinned.

“Like I said - what happens when you run into someone you can’t defeat with just ice?”

---

“Holy shit!” Kyokun said, leaning practically over the edge of the box to see the fight - Momo grabbed the back of her jacket, afraid that she would fall out. “Look at our boy, Yaomomo!”

“Yes, I’m very proud of Izukun too, but can you please keep your center of balance on this side of the barrier?” she begged.

Bakugo, oddly, was frowning at the spectacle of his friend smashing through Todoroki’s strategies - the ice-forged mech, reinforced by Izukun’s quirk, was able to break through his increasingly-frantic attempts to knock it out of the ring with ice. And on the occasions it had been damaged, the green-haired boy simply used the next blast of ice to fix it.

“Bakugo,” Momo said, “you seem disgruntled.” He eyed her. “Even less gruntled than usual,” she clarified. “Izukun seems to be doing quite well against Todoroki - I thought you would be glad to see him make it to the finals?”

“I would be,” he grumbled, “except the idiot’s going to hurt himself. His fucking quirk runs off his lifeforce, remember? This goddamned robot he’s got is going to eat through what he’s got like nothing else. No way he can keep it going for long.”

“He stole a shit-ton from that monster at the USJ though,” Kyokun pointed out. “Won’t that help?”

“Sure, but it’s been weeks since then. And he’s pulled some pretty big stuff already today. I don’t know what Deku’s playing at - he could have won already, but instead he’s letting this be an endurance match.”

“I think... he may be trying to make a point,” Momo said, slowly. “Todoroki has both ice and fire as part of his quirk, yes?”

“Yeah, but Icyhot never uses the fire.”

“Perhaps that’s what Izukun is trying to get him to do? Using his own ice against him seems purposeful.”

Kyokun finally sat up properly, and Momo released her jacket. “I think you’re right, Yaomomo. Izukun’s been saying stuff like ‘wouldn’t it be nice if this ice melted’ and ‘gosh it’s cold in here’, and-”

“Wait,” Bakugo interrupted. “FUCK. That IDIOT! I swear to god when he wakes up I’m going to shove his goddamn quirk notebooks so far up his ass they come out the other way!”

“When he wakes up?” Kyokun asked, and Momo, realizing what the blond was getting at, felt her blood run cold.

“He’ll be running through his energy even faster with his body encased in ice like that, won’t he,” she said - not even a question, really, but Bakugo still nodded.

“Dumbass could keel over at any moment. HEY SEXPOT!” Bakugo bellowed at Midnight-sensei. “CALL THE FUCKING MATCH BEFORE-”

A wash of fire spread over the field, instantly melting Izuku’s armor. He landed heavily on the ground, wobbled a moment, gave Todoroki a thumbs up, and then collapsed.

“FUCK!”

---

Kyoka felt rather guilty as she and Yaomomo went to the infirmary to check on Izukun - Bakugo and Kirishima had both insisted, since they had to go on to their own match. Of course, they would have checked on Izukun anyway, but...

She had just been watching and cheering for her friend, not even thinking about what his quirk did to him. Perhaps it was easy to forget how conservative he had had to be with his energy in that first week, with how much more freely he used it since USJ, but Bakugo had given them a stark reminder - and so had Izukun himself, by collapsing on the field.

Kyoka had known in the abstract that Izukun’s quirk could potentially harm him. She had not, until that moment, seen it.

“I hope he’s alright,” Yaomomo said as they knocked on the infirmary door, her voice sober.

“He’d better be,” Kyoka muttered.

The door swung open and Recovery Girl looked up at them. “Come on in, girls,” she said, and pointed to a bed where the green-haired boy lay. “He’s over there.”

They walked over to him and stared. Izukun had been heavily bandaged, and his hands and feet were resting in dishes of hot water. Was this what winning against Todoroki looked like? “He looks... really hurt,” Kyoka eventually said. “Is he going to be okay?”

“He’s too low on energy for me to heal him yet,” the heroine told them, “which means that he needs mundane treatment for both the hypothermia and burns. Once he’s awake, I’ll be able to use my quirk to heal him, but it’s not anywhere near safe yet.”

“Will he be alright though?” Yaomomo asked, worried.

“Yes, he’ll be fine,” Recovery Girl said. “The self-sacrificing idiot.” She walked Izukun over the head with her cane, and he responded with a snore. “See?” she added. “Wouldn’t be snoring if he was in any real danger. He’s just going to have an unpleasant few minutes when he wakes up, with those burns all over him.”

“Hypothermia from the ice mech,” Yaomomo whispered, “and then burns from the flash-steaming... oh Izukun, why did you have to do this to yourself?”

“He wanted Todoroki to be the best hero he could be,” Kyoka said, putting a hand on her shoulder as Recovery Girl stepped away. “That’s what Green does - he encourages people.”

Yaomomo sniffed. “He does. You know, when we were first elected, that first day that we had lunch together, he asked me why I wanted to be a hero.”

“Yeah, he likes that question. Asked me that, too.”

“Yes, he mentioned your plan to sponsor music lessons. It’s an admirable goal, Kyokun.”

She poked her forefingers together, her earjacks mimicking the motion, and tried not to blush. While standing over their best friend’s injured body wasn’t the time for her crush to act up. “Thank you. So why do you want to be a hero?”

“I didn’t know, at the time,” Yaomomo confessed. “But... I think I’ve figured it out.”

“Yeah?”

“I want... I want to help people. To make sure that everyone is as safe as possible. To keep people from being hurt, and to help them when it’s unavoidable. I want... to be able to stop that from happening,” she said, nodding to Izukun’s prone form.

“Sounds like you want to be a rescue here,” Kyoka observed, and the taller girl nodded.

“Yes, I believe so.”

“You care a lot,” Kyoka said after a moment. “About everyone - not just Green. It’s what makes you one of my favorite people - and it’s what will make you a great hero, one day.” It was also, she thought to herself, what had led to her crush on the girl.

Yaomomo blushed. “Thank you. I...” she sighed.

“You know, Izukun is going to be a rescue hero too.”

“Yes, he told me.”

“And me... I’m not sure exactly what, but my quirk would be pretty good for rescue too.” Yaomomo raised at eyebrow at her. “Maybe after we graduate, we could form a team together.”

Yaomomo stroked her chin thoughtfully. “That... sounds nice,” she agreed. “Although we might be getting a little ahead of ourselves. We should probably focus on now before we look too far into the future.”

Kyoka smirked. “That kind of keen insight is why you’ll be in charge of our agency.”

The other chuckled, then stared down at Izukun again. “I wish I could just... give him a little energy,” she said wistfully. “Then Recovery Girl could heal him, and I wouldn’t have to - he would be -”

“Yeah. I don’t think his drain works while he’s asleep, though.”

Yaomomo sighed. “I just want him to be okay.”

“Me too, Yaomomo. But hey, he’ll be fine - Recover Girl said that she could heal him as soon as he woke up, remember?”

“I just...” Yaomomo took a deep breath. “Don’t tell Izukun this, okay?”

Kyoka tilted her head curiously. “...okay. What is it?”

“You remember the day we were elected, and you teased me,” she began, then shook her head. “No, the first day, during sensei’s quirk apprehension test, when you teased that I had a crush on Izukun?”

“...yeah,” Kyoka said, her heart starting to sink. She could tell where this was going.

“I think...  I think you might have been right,” Yaomomo admitted.

Kyoka forced a smile on her face and jabbed her playfully in the ribs. “I’m always right, haven’t you figured that out by now?” Yaomomo giggled. “So... are you going to ask him out?”

The taller girl squeaked. “No! I couldn’t possibly!”

“Why not? Is this another old-fashioned-upbringing thing? I don’t think he’d mind a girl asking him out, if that’s what you’re afraid of.”

She shook her head. “No, it’s just... what if he doesn’t like me that way? What if he rejects me? What if... what if it ruins our friendship? What if it ruins our friendship,” and this time Yaomomo gestured to all three of them, “to have two of us couple up?”

Kyoka took a deep breath, thinking. She wanted to tell Yaomomo that those were silly concerns - to say that of course Green liked her, and that their of course their friendship could survive. She also wanted to tell her that no, she didn’t think Green liked her - even though it would be a lie - in the vain hopes that perhaps Kyoka could have a chance with Yaomomo. She wanted, she wanted, she wanted...

But she didn’t say any of what she wanted. Kyoka wasn’t going to lie to Yaomomo and pretend that there was any chance Izukun would turn her down, but neither was she going to reveal that he liked her too, since she only knew that because of her quirk letting her hear his heartbeat skip when they looked at each other - Kyoka had developed strict rules for herself about what overheard gossip she could share.

She refused to admit to herself that she was aware of Izukun’s heart skipping when he looked at Kyoka, too. That wasn’t a thought she was ready yet, not even in the privacy of her own head.

Instead, she simply wrapped an arm around Yaomomo’s shoulders and leaned her head on the taller girl’s shoulder, offering silent support.

Chapter 16: Internships, Part 1

Izuku heard the front door of the house click open, and Kacchan’s voice say, “Hey, Mama Inko. Is Deku back yet?”

“Yes dear, he got back a half hour or so ago. He’s in the back room.”

“Thanks.”

Izuku paused the game he had been playing and stood as Kacchan entered. The blonde’s eyes scanned him up and down, checking for injury - there were none, Recovery Girl had done a great job once he had woken the previous night, even though it had knocked him out again until this morning - before he leaned up against the doorframe and crossed his arms. “So what was that bullshit about not knocking yourself out with your quirk in years?”

“...it was true at the time?” Izuku tried.

Kacchan leapt at him, hands outstretched, and they wrestled for a minute or so until the blonde managed to smack him in the back of the head, then collapsed on the floor, sprawled over and around each other. “Dumbass.”

“Sorry Kacchan, I just...” He sighed. “The whole draining Nomu thing really threw off my ability to track how much energy I had. If I’m going to be using that ability more often - which I know I need to - then I’m going to need to get better at handling large amounts of vitality.”

“And keep expanding your capacity, too.” his friend added. “Diminishing returns or not, exercising is the only way to do it.”

“Actually, I think I have another way,” Izuku told him. “Recovery Girl introduced me to an upperclassman who has a similar quirk, it also works off her vitality, and she thinks I can increase the size of my reservoir by keeping myself a little above my normal max - not enough to be harmful, but enough to give myself reason to grow.”

“...you’re not wimping out on me, are you?”

“No, of course not,” Izuku assured Kacchan. “I enjoy exercising with you, but... well, two hours a day is a lot. If I can cut back to, say, one hour a day, that’ll give me more time to...” he trailed off as the explosive blond eyed him. “...sleep,” he finished, and Kacchan nodded, apparently satisfied.

“Don’t stay up all night in that fucking chat anymore,” he ordered.

“I won’t, I promise! I just needed to do something overnight, it’s not like I could fall asleep like that!” Izuku tried to defend himself, but only earned another cuffing from Kacchan. “Yes, Kacchan.”

“And don’t text your girlfriends at all hours, either.”

Izuku sighed. “They’re not my girlfriends, Kacchan. I’m not dating either of them.”

“Sure.”

“I’m not!”

“Maybe not yet.”

“Okay, if you’re the romantic genius here, what about you?” Izuku challenged, poking Kacchan in the ribs - he squirmed away from Izuku’s touch, and they managed to separate their bodies and sit up against the couch instead of lie on the floor.

“What about me?”

“Do you like Kirishima?”

Kacchan grumbled, looking away, which Izuku interpreted as a ‘yes’.

“Then why don’t you ask him out?”

“It’s not that fucking simple, Deku.”

“Then don’t get on my case about my friends,” Izuku said smugly.

“At least I can admit when I fucking like them!” he snapped.

“You didn’t, actually, I’m just fluent in Gruntese.”

The blonde grumbled again.

“No, it doesn’t count if you’re not using a language other people speak.”

Grunt.

“How dare you say that about my mother!” Izuku cried, lunging for Kacchan’s neck.

They tousled for a few minutes more, eventually collapsing into laughter when Izuku’s mom appeared with a tray of cookies.

“Boys, how many times do I have to tell you not to roughhouse in the house?” she asked. “Mitsuki got you the sparring mats in the basement for a reason.”

“Sorry mom.”

“Sorry Mama Inko.”

“Are you going to go wrestle down there?”

“Nah,” Izuku decided. “We’ll just try to control ourselves.”

“Good. Now help yourself to some cookies.”

The two friends hummed happily as they ate for a minute or two, before Izuku finally asked, “So why isn’t it simple?”

“...I don’t just like Sharkface.”

“...Ashido too, huh?”

Kacchan grumbled.

“You don’t know if they’d be interested in a polyamorous relationship,” he finished.

“Yeah. I don’t want them to... to think that... fuck, I don’t know.”

“Just stick to grunts,” Izuku advised, and Kacchan grunted. “Yeah, no, that makes sense. We’ve had a great example of one, but most people haven’t.”

“Is that your problem too?”

“...maybe a little,” Izuku admitted. “But even if I was interested in one or both of them - which I’m not saying I am -”

“You don’t have to say it, I’m fluent in Mutter.”

He glared at the blonde, who just grinned. “Even if I was... Kyokun is barely interested in guys, there’s no way that she would be into me. And I think that Yaomomo is into her, although I don’t think she’s actually noticed that she is yet.”

“How the fuck could she had not noticed?”

“Yaomomo was homeschooled until UA,” he explained. “I don’t think she’s had the opportunity to be interested in anyone yet, let alone another girl.”

“...fucking emotions,” Kacchan complained after a moment.

“Yeah. Fucking emotions.”

They finished the plate of cookies before Izuku finally said, “Sorry I couldn’t meet you on the winner’s podium.”

Kacchan sighed. “If you hadn’t fucking knocked yourself out, you would have,” he said. “Even if you had still lost to Half-and-half, you made it to the final four - that’s third place, right next to Sharkface. Close enough.”

“Still. I meant to meet you in the finals, and I didn’t get to.”

He shrugged. “I got to kick Sharktooth and Icyhot’s asses. Decent consolation prize.”

“Congratulations, by the way.”

“Thanks.”

---

“You all did adequately in the sports festival,” Aizawa said the morning of the first day of the next week.

“Adequately my ass!” Bakugo shouted. “12 of us in the final 16, 6 in the final 8, and all of the final 4!”

“As I said, adequate,” he said flatly, and Kyoka smirked. “Your next step after this is internships. At the end of the month, you’ll have the opportunity to spend a week working underneath an active pro hero of your choice - this, of course, is one of the things your performance in the festival impacts. In response to the festival, those pros send invitations to students who impressed them - those of you who received invitations will be able to chose from all those who requested you. If you didn’t get any, you will still be able to intern - along with pros who send invitations, there are pros who mark themselves as willing to take on any students, and you can chose from them.” The teacher turned to the board and began writing a list. “As motivation for next year’s event, these are the number of internship offers received by each student in this class.”

Bakugo, Todoroki, and Izukun had the most results, unsurprisingly - with their flashy quirks and strong performance in the tournament, each had earned over 2500 offers, with Todoroki just barely edging out Bakugo and Izukun coming in third not far below him. Next up was Kirishima with a little over 1500, then Uraraka at 1000. After her, everyone was below 500, but everyone who had made it to the tournament had at least 50 - even Kyoka, to her own surprise.

“I can’t believe I got 67 offers,” she remarked to Yaomomo. “I forfeited in the first round of the tournament!”

“Making it to the tournament at all is impressive,” her friend pointed out, “and refraining from an impossible battle shows good judgment. But I certainly understand your shock - I can barely believe that I received 131!”

“You really showed off in the second round as the leader of our team, though. We faced some stiff competition to keep our headbands-”

“You have until Monday of next week to choose,” Aizawa continued, apparently having decided that the class had had enough time. “Before that, however, you have something else to decide: your hero names.” Again, he let the class murmur for a few moments before silencing them. “Since I’m no good at names, Midnight will be handling that part.”

He zipped himself into his sleeping bag just as Midnight burst in.

---

“Hey, Green,” Kyokun said, leaning back to talk to him.

“What is it, Violet?” Izuku asked.

“What are you thinking for yours? I’m kind of drawing a blank, myself.”

“Kacchan and I have wanted to be heroes for years and years,” he told her, “so we both have pretty good ideas about what our names should be. Although you wouldn’t believe how long it took to get him off of ‘King Murder Explosion’,” he teased the blonde.

“Fuck off, Deku, your first attempt was no better!”

“Okay, ‘All Might Junior’ wasn’t great, but see, I was seven - you were holding onto that until last year!”

Kacchan crossed his arms, glaring at the Izuku. “I’ve got a better name now, don’t I?”

“Yeah, that I came up with,” he pointed out. “Not the best at PR,” he stage-whispered to Kyokun.

She chuckled. “No kidding? I couldn’t tell.”

“Trip over a turtle and fall off a bridge, Earphones,” the blonde snapped, but she just laughed more.

“So what’s Bakugo’s hero name gonna be?”

“‘Ground Zero’,” Izuku said, and the purple-haired girl whistled softly.

“That’s pretty good. Think you could help me with mine? Like I said, I’m drawing a blank.”

“I’d like to hear your thoughts on mine, too,” Yaomomo said, leaning forwards.

“What is this, a fucking group project?” Bakugo demanded.

“Why not?” Izuku asked. “Hey, everyone!” he called to the rest of the class. “If you need help coming up with an idea, we’re brainstorming for people over here.”

Not everyone came, but Kirishima, Kaminari, Sero, and Ashido all clustered over, eager for help.

“I’m kind of embarrassed about my idea,” Kirishima explained.

“I was going to go with ‘Alien Queen’, but Midnight shot it down while I was writing it!” Ashido complained.

“Who has ideas already?” Yaomomo asked, taking charge as usual. “If we can confirm good names for those who already have some thoughts, then we can dedicate the rest of the class to brainstorming for those who have nothing. My first thought was the Everything Heroine, ‘Creati’, for myself.”

“I like it!” Izuku told her. “It’s sums up your powers pretty well, and shows just how versatile you are.”

“It’s really cute, too!” Ashido chimed in, and Kyokun nodded. “I bet Midnight will love that name...”

“Then I’ll present it to her... what about you, Kirishima?” Yaomomo asked. “You said you have an idea as well, right?”

The redhead rubbed the back of his neck, blushing a little, as he said, “Yeah, I had one. The Sturdy Hero, ‘Red Riot’.”

“Like Crimson Riot?” Izuku asked.

“Yeah, he’s kind of an inspiration to me...”

“Sounds perfect, Kirikun,” Ashido told him.

“Yeah, it’s an awesome name!” Kaminari agreed, Sero nodding along.

“Anyone else? Izukun, did you have one?”

“The Healing Hero, ‘Anima’,” Izuku said proudly.

“Like ‘animation’?” Kirishima asked.

“That’s part of it. But the word basically means ‘soul’, and the etymology comes from a word that means ‘breath’!”

“That’s very multilayered,” Yaomomo said, smiling at him. “I approve.”

“Yeah, Midnight is bound to love it,” Kyokun agreed. They weren’t the only ones who complimented him on his name - even Kacchan, although he was silent now, had grudgingly admitted that it was a great name.

Izuku noticed, however, that not everyone seemed enthused about his choice. Koji Koda - the quiet boy who sat behind Kirishima - was standing just outside the brainstorming circle, wringing his hands together. “Is something wrong, Koda-san?” he asked.

Koda opened his mouth, then closed it. He tried to speak again, failed, and began signing something - too fast for Izuku to catch anything but apologies - as he turned around.

“Koda, wait - please, you clearly have something to say,” Izuku insisted. “I’d like to hear it.”

He paused, then turned back to Izuku and began signing again. [I was thinking about that name also.]

“Oh... I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to take your name.”

[It’s okay. I just liked it because it sounded like ‘animal’. You have-]

“I’m sorry, Koda, would you mind slowing down a little,” Izuku apologetically asked. “I’m not as fluent in sign as you are...”

“He says your reasons are better than his,” Bakugo translated curtly, “and that he can come up with a new name.”

[Zookeeper, maybe,] Koda signed.

“That would be a good one,” Izuku agreed. “Again, I’m sorry, but...”

[You had it already picked out,] Koda insisted, [it was just my first thought. It’s okay.] The bigger boy bowed slightly to Izuku, then turned and sat down.

“I didn’t realize you two spoke sign,” Kaminari said to Izuku and Bakugo.

“There’s a lot you don’t fucking know about me, Pikachu,” Bakugo snapped.

“Let’s just move on,” Izuku suggested, not wanting anyone to pressure Bakugo to reveal his deafness - which, to his knowledge, only he, Kirishima, Kyokun, and Yaomomo knew about.

“Yes, we only have so much time,” Yaomomo agreed, probably thinking the same thing. “Ashido, you had an idea that Midnight-sensei said ‘no’ to already, correct? Perhaps we can come up with something similar that she will accept.”

---

As they were leaving the classroom for lunch that day, Present Mic called, “Jiro, would you mind staying back a moment?”

Kyoka glanced at Izukun for a moment, confused - he mouthed ‘we’ll wait for you,’ as he and Yaomomo stepped out of the classroom. She heard their heartbeats, both equally distinctive to her at this point, paused outside the door. “What is it, sensei?” she asked her English teacher. “Did I bomb the last quiz, or something?”

He shook his head. “No, you’re doing fine. I just wanted to ask about your internship offers - if you’ve settled on one yet.”

“Uh... no, sensei,” she told him. “I haven’t really had a chance to look through them yet - even just 67 offers makes a nice stack to go through, and I haven’t exactly had time since this we got them this morning.”

“In that case,” the hero said, “I hope you’ll consider...” He produced a sheet of paper and presented it to her. “My offer!”

She blinked at him in surprise. “You want me to intern with you?”

“Yeah! We both have audio-based quirks, and I want to show you a few tricks one-on-one that I might never get the chance to in those bigger classes!” Present Mic explained. “And I promise, you won’t have to appear on the radio show if you don’t want to - although if you do, the guest I had lined up for this Thursday cancelled on me...” He lowered the internship offer enough that she could see his face and his wide grin. “What do you say?”

“That... does sound kind of perfect,” she admitted, bumping her forefingers and earjacks together. “I don’t really want to be on the show, but... well, I’m going to need to get over my stage fright sometime if I want to be the kind of hero I’m planning on being...”

“And hey, doing a radio show where you can’t see the audience might be just the thing!” the teacher said encouragingly. “What kind of hero are you planning on being?”

“Search and rescue, primarily,” Kyoka told him. “Yaomomo, Izukun and I have thrown around the idea of starting our own agency once we graduate, although we know that’s looking pretty far ahead. But also, I want to use the publicity of being a hero to support musical education for low-income children - music has always been incredibly important to me, and I want other people to get that chance too.”

“That’s a very noble goal,” Present Mic said. “And I can definitely give you some tips on it, too. I do a lot of promotion for charities, and let me tell you, the earlier you can worm your way into that community the better. I may not be able to help much with the rescue aspect of your plans, but there will be other opportunities for internships.” He flashed her a grin, and added, “if you don’t just want to stick with me, that is. I am looking for a protege to eventually take over...”

“Then... I’ll probably choose your agency,” she decided. “I do want to look through my other offers just in case, but I doubt any of them will be as good for me as yours will.”

“And how about this Thursday?”

“...maybe? Can I let you know later?”

“Of course,” he assured her. “Tell me one way or another after class on Wednesday?”

“Sounds good.”

---

“What was that about, Vi?” Izuku asked Kyokun as she exited the classroom.

She grinned. “Present Mic wanted to give me his internship offer in person!”

“Whoa! Congratulations!”

“You seem quite excited,” Yaomomo observed. “Are you planning on taking it?”

The purple-haired girl nodded. “I’m going to look at my other offers just in case, but yeah, almost definitely. He said he has some audio tricks to teach me, and he’s going to give me advice about promoting good causes, too!”

“That sounds wonderful - I’m very happy for you.”

“I’m glad one of us has their internship sorted out already,” Izuku remarked as they turned to walk to the cafeteria. “How am I suppose to sort through almost 2600 -” he stopped in midstride, squinting, then sighed. “You two go on ahead, I’ll catch up.”

“What’s wrong?” Yaomomo asked, concerned.

“Nothing’s wrong, it’s just Hado-senpai - one of the students with so much vitality I can’t look at her - is coming this way. I’ll just wait until she’s passed and then keep going.”

“Yoo-hoo! Midoriya-kohai!”

“I don’t think that’ll work - she seems to be looking for you,” Kyokun observed.

Izuku gave another sigh, then turned around and waved his hand over his head. “Over here, Hado-senpai!” he called.

He heard her skid to a halt behind him. “Hey there Midoriya-kohai!” Hado said cheerfully. “Ooh, and I saw you two in the sports festival! You both did great in the second round! Shame about the tournament. But hey, why did you forfeit? Is it because you have super-hearing, and the other guy did explosions? Oh, and your net idea was really good, it just-”

“Hado-senpai?” he said, cutting her off before she could steamroller his friends.

“Sorry! I’m just here to give you this - uh...”

Izuku held a hand behind his back, and Hado-senpai put something - a piece of paper - in it. He brought the paper in front of him and blinked in surprise when he read it. “Ryukyu wants to offer me an internship?”

“Yup!” Hado chirped. “I’ve been working with her for a year now, she helped me get a handle on my quirk! I told her about you after we met, and she wanted to help you with your quirk just like she did for me! She even has a trick for your sight problem, she thinks!”

“That... sounds great, Hado-senpai, thank you,” Izuku said gratefully. “Again, I’m sorry I can’t look at you to say this, but...”

“It’s okay! I gotta run now, but I’ll see you at Ryukyu’s agency, alright?”

“Yes, definitely.” He paused for a moment. “Is she gone?”

“Yes, she’s gone,” Yaomomo said, sounding a little overwhelmed. “Is she always so...” She trailed off.

“Ashido-on-steroids?” Kyokun finished.

“God, I hope not,” Izuku said as he turned back around. “But if Ryukyu can help me get a handle on my quirk’s sight, I’ll forgive her for it.”

“So... where’s my personal offer?” Yaomomo wondered, and they all laughed.

Notes:

The reason the numbers for Bakugo and Todoroki are lower is that the numbers for Izuku (who wasn't shown breaking his bones on live television, but rather just overusing his quirk a little) are much HIGHER. I imagine that a significant portion of their offers were low-ranking heroes who hoped to boost their notoriety by taking on someone with a good showing in the Festival - Izuku also doing very well split the pot a little more.

I feel a little bad about Izuku stealing Koda's name, but the character his quirk is taken from was named Anima (for the reasons that Izuku explains in the chapter) before I watched MHA for the first time.

I don't know why Jiro didn't intern with Present Mic in canon. Maybe the teachers are just too busy to take on their own interns? Never seems to stop Eraserhead from doing 20 different things, though...

Chapter 17: Internships, Part 2

“Hello,” Momo said, bowing deeply. “It’s a pleasure to meet both of you. My name is Momo Yaoyorozu, hero name Creati - please take care of me.”

“Welcome, Creati!” Fatgum booms. “It’s nice to have you with us. I think you’re going to fit in great.” He offers a hand, and she rises to take it. “This is Tamaki Amajiki - Suneater. He’s my work study intern, also from UA!”

“...nice to meet you,” the shy boy muttered, looking down at his feet.

“We’ve met, actually,” Momo says, recognizing him.

“Have we?”

“You and two other upperclassman visited my friend Izuku Midoriya when he was in the infirmary a few weeks ago, to give him advice on his quirk.”

“Oh, yeah. I wasn’t really involved in that,” Amajiki-senpai admits. “That was Togata and Nejire’s thing - I just came to keep them company.”

“Well, it was very kind of you anyway.”

“...thanks...”

“Amajiki is kind of shy,” Fatgum tells her, “but he has great potential as a hero! Top ten material, I’m certain. And I think you can be the same!”

Momo blushed, and Suneater seemed to be doing the same. “Thank you, Fatgum-sensei. I’m very grateful to you for offering me the opportunity.”

“Ah, just call me Fatgum, kid. I’m glad you took it - I know I’m not all that highly-ranked in the grand scheme of things,” the hero said, “and with a quirk like yours I’d be shocked if you didn’t get some truly top-tier offers, even with the rough luck you had in the tournament.”

“Well, I was considering Uwabami, because of her high rank,” she confessed, “but my best friends both landed on internships that were perfect for their quirks and ambitions, and they encouraged me to look to something other than rank. I think that you can help me improve my quirk more than anyone else can, and isn’t that more important than rankings, particularly while I’m still learning?”

“That’s the spirit!” Fatgum boomed approvingly. “Now, I know you had a long train-ride to get here from UA, and you’re probably hungry.”

“Yes, sensei.”

“Just Fatgum, kid. I say we go out to get some food, and we’ll see where you’re at in quickly incorporating food into your body. Tomorrow, you can do some combat training with Amajiki-kun. Sound good for a start?”

---

Izuku glanced down at his phone, double checking that he had the right location, then glanced up and down the building. It was certainly where his phone had told him to be, and he could definitely see Hado-senpai on the next floor up - it was tough not to, even though she wasn’t as bright as she usually was - but it was hard to believe that the agency of the number 9 hero worked out of such a plain building.

He knocked, and one of the three presences within the building began making its way downstairs - not Hado, but a vitality that someone gave Izuku the impression that it had been... compressed. Like something much larger had been curled up into a smaller space. The door swung open and revealed...

“Ryukyo-sensei!” Izuku cried in surprise, bowing. “I’m very grateful to you for taking me on, sensei!”

“Oh, no need for that,” the draconic woman told him, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder and lifting him up to stand straight again. “It’s my pleasure, really. Izuku Midoriya, hero name Anima, correct?”

“Yes, sensei, that’s me. I know that Hado-senpai asked you to take me on, and I really don’t want to be a burden -” he babbled.

“I assure you, I’m fully capable of denying things to Nejire-chan,” she said with a faint smile. “She informed me that you were having difficulties similar to the ones she once had, and how could I not help you when it’s within my capabilities? That’s what heroism is all about, after all. And please, come inside!” She stepped out of the doorway to allow him entrance.

“Right...” Izuku rubbed the back of his head as he entered, embarrassed. “You certainly know what you’re about when it comes to heroism! Again, I’m really grateful for you being willing to teach me.”

“I enjoy teaching,” Ryukyu informed him, leading him to a tight staircase. “but I rarely get the opportunity outside of taking on interns. Perhaps one day I’ll retire from active heroism to earn a teaching degree, but... for now, I have too much to the offer the world as a heroine.” She paused at the base of the stairs and turned back to face him. “Now, before we go upstairs... Nejire-chan also told me that your quirk affords you enhanced sight, and you have difficulty seeing through it sometimes, yes?”

“Yes, sensei.”

“Not many people know this, but I have enhanced senses as well,” the heroine revealed. “My eyesight, hearing, and sense of smell are all significantly stronger in my dragon form, and that carries over even when I’m in this human shape. I’ve had to learn to be able to block out strong smells, especially, in order to operate normally. I think I ought to share that trick before we go upstairs, since Nejire-chan is also hear at the moment.”

“How do you do it?” Izuku eagerly asked.

“Well...”

---

“Welcome to the studio,” Present Mic told Kyoka as she entered. “Pretty cool, huh?”

“It’s okay,” she admited.

“This,” the boisterous hero said, wrapping a lanky arm around the shoulders of a blue-skinned woman with a pair of expensive-looking headphones around her ears, “is Kyoka Hoso, my studio manager! Hoso-kun, this is Kyoka Jiro, my new intern! Say hi to each other!”

“Hi to each other,” Kyoka said to the other Kyoka, and grinned when she realizes the older woman made the same joke, equally deadpan. “Nice to meet you,” she added afterward.

“A pleasure,” Hoso said. “You know, Hizashi here was absolutely despondent that you didn’t join us last week and decided to wait for your internship.”

“Really?” Kyoka asked, raising an eyebrow at her teacher.

Present Mic glared at Hoso. “You are a backstabber,” he informed her. “A betrayer. A monstrous traitor of the highest order.”

“It’s been years since he took on an intern,” Hoso continued, ignoring the hero’s continued - and increasingly over-the-top - complaints, “and he’s been very excited.”

“Is he ever not excited?” Kyoka couldn’t help wondering.

“No, but still.”

“...who even Benedict Arnold would think went a bit far!” Present Mic finished.

“You’re on in two minutes,” Hoso informed him, and he squealed, fleeing into the recording booth. “And you as well,” she added to Kyoka.

Kyoka swallowed, the nervousness she had tried to banished suddenly returning. “Um...”

“Here, sip this when your mouth gets dry,” the blue-shinned woman said, giving her a cup of water, “and remember, Hizashi can talk for literally hours without anyone’s input. Do not feel bad about being quiet in comparison to him.”

“...thank you.”

“Now get in there, it’s ninety seconds until you’re live.”

Kyoka slipped into the recording booth, closing the door behind her, and nervously sat in front of one of the microphones. “I... I’m still kind of nervous,” she confessed to Present Mic as she put on a pair of headphones. “I know I said that the extra week would help me psyche up, but... I’m really nervous, sensei. So many people listen to your show, and...”

He observed her, thinking for a moment, then smiled. “Close your eyes.” She did so, and he continued. “Now, you can’t see the mic in front of you, right?”

“No.”

“And this booth is pretty soundproofed, so you can’t hear the people outside, right?”

“No.”

“But you can hear my voice, right?”

“Yes.”

“I want you to forget that you’re sitting in a radio studio,” he advised her. “Just forget about it entirely. You’re just sitting in my office during office hours, and we’re talking about what I have planned for your internship. Okay?”

“...okay.”

“Right. So... are you looking forward to taking a break from classes for this internship?”

“I guess?” Kyoka said. “I mean, no teenager loves school, I don’t think - well, maybe Yaomomo - but I don’t hate it, either. I like UA.”

“What’s your favorite thing about attending UA, would you say?”

She hummed as she thought, focusing on imagining that she was just in Present Mic’s office. “Well... the people, I guess. In the last month I’ve made two of the best friends I’ve ever had, and the novelty of being taught by professional heroes hasn’t really worn off.”

“Oh?” she could hear the grin in the hero’s voice as he asked, “who’s your favorite teacher?”

Kyoka smirked as she answered, “Oh, definitely Aizawa-sensei - no contest. No one else even comes close.”

“Jiro-kun,” Present Mic said reproachfully, “words have great power, and you should consider them carefully. Those words, for example? Very hurtful.”

She chuckled. “Seriously though,” she said, “how do you and the other teachers manage to be heroes and teachers? And a radio host, in your case. They all seem like full-time jobs.”

“Lots of coffee,” he confesses. “But we all have our own tricks. In some cases - Midnight, All Might, and myself, for example - we cut back on heroism to focus on other things. Others - Cementoss and Lunch Rush, say - have limited teaching schedules.”

“You cut back on heroism?”

“I mostly focus on the radio show, when I’m not at UA. I still go on patrols on occasion - and we’ll do that tomorrow - but to be honest I’m largely a figurehead for the agency. My sidekicks do most of the patrols, as well as checking up on delicate situations reported to us through that phone number we’re always rattling off. How’s that go again?”

Kyoka rattled it off easily - she had called it while struggling with her gender, and while no hero had come, the young man on the other end had talked her through her gender crisis with remarkable calm and understanding. “It’s a pretty great cause, and great people,” she added. “I’ve called it - although I don’t want to talk about why - and it was very helpful to me.”

“I’m very proud of the crisis hotline,” Present Mic agreed. “Honestly, I think it’s one of the best things I’ve ever done. What’s something you’re proud of yourself for?”

“I think...” Again, she didn’t really want to come out to her teacher, so... “Honestly, I’m proud of myself for how well I did in the sports festival. I may have fell flat in the tournament, but just getting that far was a real achievement.”

“It certainly was - almost 250 students participated in this year’s festival, and you were in the top 16!”

“I honestly thought I was lucky to get through the first round,” Kyoka confessed. “My quirk isn’t exactly great for a race.”

“Well, that’s what the obstacles are for.”

“True. The minefield was a real boon for me.”

“How about the second round?”

“There, I have to thank my friends Yaomomo and Izukun,” she told him, her eyes still shut tight. “Green came up with a great plan to hold onto our headband, and Yaomomo is an awesome tactical leader. With them in charge, and Pikachu - that’s Kaminari to you - along to power the weapons Yaomomo made for us, it was a cinch.”

“But then, of course, came the third round,” Present Mic observed. “Where you made what I have to say was the wise decision to forfeit against Bakugo-kun. Are you okay with talking about that?”

She wasn’t going to mention Bakugo being deaf, but she said, “Yeah, that’s where my enhanced hearing can be a drawback. His explosions can be a little overwhelming for me even from a ways away - if we had to actually fight, I would have risked permanent hearing loss very quickly. The sports festival wasn’t worth that.”

“I can’t blame you. Being deaf is nothing to be ashamed of - I of all people know that - but those who still have their hearing should certainly do what they can to protect it.”

“Exactly.”

“Are you feeling a little less nervous now?” he asked.

“Yeah.”

“Well then... allow me to introduce you properly, listeners, to my new intern, Kyoka Jiro, aka Earphone Jack!” Present Mic said, suddenly shifting from the relatively laid-back persona he used as a teacher into the flamboyant and over-the-top heroic persona he used on the radio show, which Kyoka realized she had actually managed to forget that she was on. “Our low-key start this evening was to help ease her into the broadcast a bit! Jiro-kun, feel free to open your eyes at any time!”

She did, glaring at Present Mic. “How long have we been live?”

“Since I asked if you’re looking forward to the break,” he said shamelessly. “...hey, don’t look at me like that! It worked!”

“...true.”

“And I watch the comments on the live broadcast,” he told her, pointing to the quickly scrolling feed on one of the monitors, “and let me tell you, people like you. Especially when you roast me, unfortunately, but what can you do!”

“If you don’t want me to roast you, then don’t make it so easy on me.”

“I don’t make it easy, do I?”

“That’s what she said.”

Present Mic laughed. “Ouch! Okay, maybe I do.”

Kyoka found herself smiling - now that she was over the hump, this wasn’t so bad. “Is this segment just going to be us talking, or are you ever going to take some callers? You haven’t forgotten we’re on a radio show, have you?” she teased.

“Not for one second! And you’re right - it is about that time. Let’s hear from our first caller!”

She heard a faint ringing sound effect from her earphones, which then clicked. “Hi Violet!” came a familiar, cheerful voice.

“Green, what are you doing?” she demanded.

“I’m calling in support. You’re doing great!” Izukun encouraged.

“Midoriya-kun, aren’t you on an internship of your own right now?”

“Yes, sensei, but Ryukyu-sensei gave me the evening off!”

“Fair enough. Do you have any questions for me or Jiro-kun?” Present Mic asked her friend.

“Green, get off and let us get some actual callers!” Kyoka ordered. Izukun just cackled for a moment before being cut off.

Ring... ring... click! “Hi Kyokun!”

“Yaomomo!”

Notes:

The way that Present Mic's agency works - promoting a help line for sensitive topics, which his sidekicks can respond to - is very much inspired by another MHA fanfic: Canary, by cloud_nine_and_three_quarters, which I highly recommend. The basic concept is a selectively-mute Izuku who, after entering UA, discovers that he has a quirk that involves singing, and Present Mic takes him under his wing (including bringing him on his radio show) to help boost his confidence so he can use it in the Sports Festival, and transfer from general studies into the Heroics department.

Chapter 18: Internships, Part 3

Notes:

As of the writing of this note, this fic has just reached 10k hits, and it has over 100 comments and bookmarks, more than 350 kudos, and more than 250 subscriptions. It's an incredibly positive response, and I want to thank each and every one of you - you've given me the motivation to write at an unbelievable pace, and I'm nowhere near stopping. Again, and from the bottom of my heart - thank you.

“So, uh... Fatgum put me in charge of your combat training,” Amajiki-senpai muttered. “I guess... start by telling me what your quirk is?”

“My quirk is called Creation,” Momo informed him. “It allows me to produce any object I desire from my body, using my lipids as fuel. To create an object, I must have an understanding of its structure on a molecular level, and it must be on a limited size - small enough in at least one cross-section to pass through my body’s largest cross section. My costume is designed to give quick access to my torso if I need particularly large objects,” she explained, gesturing to the magnetic clasps that held her jacket shut, “as well as my thighs and hips, which are convenient places to draw from.” She demonstrated by producing a blunt rubber knife from her hip, as though drawing it from a sheath.

“Oh, okay... I think I see why Fatgum wants me to teach you,” he said, still sounding nervous. “His quirk is kind of straightforward in combat, but, uh, both of ours are pretty versatile. So you, uh...” He turned his head to look away from me, and seemed to gain a little confidence when he wasn’t looking at a person. “You need to be able to handle lots of different situations. Jack of all trades, master of none, but better than a master of one, is how it goes.”

“I’ve mostly focused on staff fighting,” Momo confessed. “It gives me reach and is rather flexible as a weapon, but... are you suggesting that I should branch out?”

“Yeah. It’s fine to have a primary weapon, but, um, the staff isn’t always the best option. You should be able to do things like...” Amajiki tilted his head in thought, still looking away from her. “Um, if you can produce things quickly, you could pop spikes from your skin in reaction to someone getting close. Or chemicals that burn on contact with the air, with protective chemicals between you and your skin.”

“Those are good ideas,” Momo said, thoughtfully. “I hadn’t really considered things like chemicals that aren’t discrete items... I’ll have to look into the formulas for that kind of thing, I know they exist.” She experimentally produced a spike from her hand - it sprang into existence quickly enough, falling away from her a moment later. Not a bad idea either.

“And then for actual weapons, um, a staff is good, but it’s not great for really close-in fighting. You want something like a dagger or shortsword,” Amajiki-senpai continued. “I would, um, I would recommend something like that, anyway. Maybe, uh, can you do technology, or just single materials?”

“Anything that I can comprehend the structure of,” she said again. “Technology takes more study and practice, but it’s certainly possible. Are you suggesting something like a taser?”

“Yes, that’s what I was thinking. Like you did with that electric kid in the Sports Festival.”

“You watched that?”

He nodded. “Since I started on with Fatgum, he likes me to join him to watch the Festivals for younger years and see if anyone stands out for internships. This year it was you and those two kids with hardening quirks.”

“Kirishima, and... Tetsutetsu, I believe,” Momo said, thinking back to the match between the two of them.

“That sounds right.”

“May I ask what stood out about me? I’m not really proud of my performance in the festival, to be honest - I feel that I could have done much better.”

“Well,” Amajiki-senpai said, “I was impressed by your adaptability in the obstacle race - the way you used the cannon that you were making for the robots as propulsion instead of letting it go to waste after Midoriya wrecked the obstacle. Fatgum,” he continued as Momo began to blush, pleased, “liked what he saw in the second event, with you and your teammates collaborating to make theirs quirks work better. Tools for the electric guy and the girl with those ear things.”

“Kaminari and Kyokun - Jiro, that is,” Momo informed him, remember the makeshift speaker she had made for Jiro to use as a ranged attack partway through the cavalry battle.

“Right, them.”

“Thank you,” she said, still blushing a little at the praise. “Shouldn’t we get to the training though? What should we start with first?”

Amajiki shrugged. “Up to you, I guess... the staff is a great mid-range weapon, but you should probably pick up something for very close range as well as a long-range weapon. Maybe also a more offensive mid-range style, since staff-fighting tends to be pretty defensive. A spear or glaive, perhaps.”

“Hm...” She wasn’t terrible at knife-throwing, even able to produce knives as she flung them, but range tended to be a weakness in general for her since expendable ammunition ate through her fat reserves. “Maybe a more ranged weapon to start with? I can throw knives, but it’s draining on my reserves... what would you recommend?”

He shook his head immediately. “Stay clear of knives, unless you’re using them to deliver something like a taser. Like you say, it will eat through your reserves quickly - if you’re using a weapon with ammunition, you’ll want it to be small. A gun is probably your ideal, but, uh, I’m not qualified to teach that. A slingshot, maybe? I’m not sure I can teach that, either.”

Momo thought. “What could be a long-ranged weapon without using ammunition? Maybe... some kind of polearm?”

Amajiki-senpai seemed relieved. “Yes, that sounds good. That I can teach you about.”

“Then why don’t we start with that? And perhaps move into more close-ranged moves afterward - I think I could put together a handheld taser easily enough,” Momo suggested, wondering when she had taken control of this training session.

---

“Midoriya-kohai!” Hado-senpai squealed as he entered, seeming immensely pleased that he was facing her. “It worked!” She practically flew to Izuku and embraced him tightly, practically smothering him in her generous chest.

He carefully extricated himself from her grasp - it had taken an hour or two for Ryukyu to teach him how to focus on reality over his quirk’s senses, and Hado had been gone on a patrol by the time he came upstairs and was shown to the room he would be staying in by Ryukyu’s secretary, so this morning was the first time he had been able to look directly at the older student. “Yeah, I can actually look you in the face now,” Izuku said, somehow managing not to blush from the position she had put him in. “Again, I’m sorry I haven’t been able to before.”

“It’s okay, Midoriya-kohai, I promise!” she assured him. “It’s not like most people look me in the face anyway!”

Izuku blinked, not sure what she meant for a moment, but then blushed intensely as he realized. “I, I, I would never-!”

Hado laughed and began levitating a little bit, backing away from him - perhaps she realized that she was making him a little uncomfortable, or perhaps she was just giving him space as Ryukyu entered.

“Good morning, Izuku-kun,” the draconic heroine said with a gentle smile. “Nejire-chan, thank you for coming in early as well. Would you mind covering the morning patrol on your own?”

“Nope, that’s fine!” Hado said brightly, beginning to fly out the window.

“Not just yet!” Ryukyu called, halting her. “First... Izuku-kun, I’d like you to drain a little bit of Nejire-chan’s vitality. You need to start building up your maximum capacity, after all, and she has enough energy to spare.”

“...oh.” Izuku had known, of course, that he would need to use his draining ability to actually expand his reservoir - obviously he would have to, since doing so required him to go over his max - but he had someone managed to forget. “I, um.”

Ryukyu tilted her head to the side, observing him as he stammered, tiny wisps of white coming from his mouth as he took a step away from Hado. “Nejire-chan, go on ahead,” she told the older student, who nodded and left. “You’re not comfortable with your draining ability,” she said to Izuku.

“I, uh, no,” he confessed. “I, uh, I’ve never used it without hurting the person being drained...”

“Hm...” Ryukyu put a gentle hand on his shoulders and met his eyes, seeming to be considering something for a few moments, before saying, “You will need to practice this, Izuku-kun - not just to expand your maximum reservoir, not just to give yourself a tool in combat, not just to gain the control over your quirk so you won’t hurt someone... but so that you won’t fear yourself. This is your quirk - if you hate and fear it, that means hating and fearing yourself. I know, believe me - there was a time when I felt the same way about my quirk.”

“...really?”

“Yes, really. I accidentally destroyed a building while I was in middle school, while I was trying to push the limits of my dragon form, and... well, it’s a mercy no one was seriously injured. But it nearly put me off from becoming a hero.”

“I’m glad it didn’t,” Izuku said.

“I’m glad it didn’t as well - and I’m glad that your experiences with your quirk haven’t put you off from this path either. But you will need to become comfortable with your drain.” The heroine gave him a soft smile. “It doesn’t have to be today, though. I’m sorry if you felt that I sprang that on you - that wasn’t my intention.”

“It... it’s okay, sensei,” he told her. “Really, it is. I shouldn’t have been surprised, but I managed to forget, during the weeks that I had so much extra energy, that I would need to use my drain again...”

“Then we’ll give you a little more warning,” Ryukyu assured him. “We’re going to see if we can find some ways for you to burn through lots of energy quickly, so that you can bring yourself down to a safe level after draining someone and bringing yourself above your safe maximum. When Nejire-chan returns from patrol, which will be in a few hours, I’d like you to drain her to get back to your maximum, alright?”

Izuku swallowed - a few hours didn’t seem like enough time. But he knew he had to, and he refused to back down, refused to let anything stand in the way of him becoming a hero - even himself. “Yes, sensei.”

“Follow me, then.” Ryukyu led Izuku down into the basement of the building, which turned out to be a sizable underground training hall - large enough for the heroine to reach the greatest size of her dragon form, although not much bigger. “Tell me the ways you’ve currently found to use your stored vitality,” she said once they had both changed into exercise clothing.

“I can expend it to animate a nonliving object,” Izuku began, “with different materials taking different amounts of energy to initially animate, and then larger masses taking more energy to keep animate. I can also expend it to enhance a living being - it increases their capabilities by my own, roughly, until the energy runs out. If they’re hurt,” he continued, “it speeds their healing and reduces their pain, although apparently not by enough to count as actual healing unless I can get it to be more focused and burn through the energy faster.”

“Hmm. Can you heal yourself?” she asked.

He nodded. “Yeah, I can burn through energy faster than usual to make myself heal faster. But to heal myself takes a ton of energy - like, burning through my vitality five times as fast in order to heal a papercut in a minute instead of five minutes, although that’s not the actual ratio for some reason - so I don’t usually do it.”

Ryukyu tilted her head to the side, thinking. “Would I be right to guess that the healing when you enhance another person is a function of the general enhancement? That it increases their pain tolerance by your own, and likewise doubles their speed of healing?”

“Yes.”

“When you heal yourself, then,” she asked, “does it come with a similar enhancement of your other abilities? Five times healing speed, five time strength, five times speed?”

Izuku froze. “...I’ve never even considered that,” he confessed. “I spent so much of my life worrying about conserving my vitality, I just steered clear of burning my energy on myself... oh, and I already know how to regulate how fast I burn through my own energy, even if I can’t take it below 100%, I bet I can focus another person’s to enhance them better as well, maybe make it real healing too-”

Ryukyu chuckled. “Don’t focus too much on that just yet - I think being able to focus the area of the enhancement will yield greater results for healing that the speed in any case - let’s test out this self-enhancement idea first.”

He leapt to his feet. “How?”

“Do a quick lap around the room normally,” the heroine instructed him, “then at twice your normal rate of energy consumption. After that, we can see what higher rates will do.”

Izuku nodded and began running, not pushing himself into a full sprint, but jogging quickly.

“58 seconds,” Ryukyu said when he was finished. “Not bad. Now with this new technique.”

He breathed out, allowing the mists of his soul to sink back into his body and spring up as a blazing aura around himself. The aura burst into being, burning down after an instant to hug is skin tightly, and he dashed.

He could immediately feel the difference - it felt... well, it felt incredible, a feeling of more than fitness, of superhuman acuity, just as Kacchan, Yaomomo, and Kyokun had described it. He was moving incredibly quickly, it seemed, and it wasn’t long before her pulled up in front of his mentor once more.

“27 seconds,” she told him with a smile. “I think this theory is confirmed.”

“This is just twice my normal abilities,” Izuku said in amazement, looking down at himself. “How powerful would I be at x5, or x10, or my usual rate?”

“Be cautious,” Ryukyu warned him. “This is a new technique, and you still have a limited well of energy.”

“Yes, sensei - I know. But it feels so good - and actually...” he tiled his head, confused. “I’m running at x2, but... I don’t think I’m running through my energy at that speed. Closer to 150% speed.”

“Does your enhancement normally affect a person’s quirk?”

“Yes, it - oh, of course,” he realized. “Quirks are physical, bodily abilities - of course my quirk’s efficiency is enhanced, along with everything else. That will make this mode much more sustainable.”

The heroine nodded. “Good - but I still worry, a little. Does it take effort to begin or end this technique?”

Izuku let it fall easily enough, then breathed out and began burning again, at only x1.1. “Not to end it, but it’s a bit of a flare to begin - not much, but...”

“Can you adjust your rate while already wearing this aura?” she asked.

Experimentally, he tried feeding more power into the burning power that wrapped around his soul - his own soul, redoubled. “...yeah, I can.”

“I think that we should spend the morning practicing this new technique of yours,” Ryukyu decided. “I would suggest practicing at x1.5 or x2 - making you comfortably superhuman - and jumping to x5 for a few moments at a time, for strikes and dodges. The quicker you can ramp up and down, the more power you can feed into yourself for that purpose.”

Izuku nodded, grinning widely. “This... Ryukyu-sensei, I can’t thank you enough, I really can’t. I never thought I would be able to be a combat-capable hero - I still want to be search and rescue, it’s obviously where I can do the most good, but I thought I would mostly have to rely on others to protect me if it came down to it,” he said, the grateful words tumbling from his lips without much conscious thought. “But this new technique you helped me come up with, this... Full Cowling, let’s call it... this will let me protect myself and others, if I need to, not just enhance them to protect themselves! Not to mention teaching me to see past my quirk!”

Ryukyu returned his smile, seeming just as pleased as he was. “I’m very glad to hear that you’re enthused. I’ll admit, I was a little concerned about taking you on patrol with me and Nejire-chan - as you say, your talents until this would not have lay in combat - but... if you can master your Full Cowling, perhaps you can join us as early as our Wednesday evening patrol of Hosu.”

 

Notes:

Izuku isn't particularly close with Iida in this fic, but those events are still happening. He just doesn't know it - yet.

Izuku's version of Full Cowling is, I think, the last piece of Anima's powers that he's discovering, and it's an important refinement of his skills, allowing him to fight much more effectively in combat - but it is, I think, a nerf as much as it is a buff. It lets him go toe to toe with combat focused enemies, but it means burning through his energy even faster than he already did, the poor boy.

Chapter 19: Internships, Part 4

“...yeah, I’m definitely enjoying the internship,” Kyoka agreed, idling fiddling with one of her earjacks as she spoke into the microphone. “I’ve learned a lot already. You’re a surprisingly good teacher, sensei.”

“Hey!” Present Mic protested with a grin, “what’s so surprising about it?”

“Well come on, sensei, your persona is so loud and raucous that it’s easy to fear you might be overwhelming, one-on-one,” she explained. “But believe it or not, everyone, he actually can turn it down - he just chooses not to, most of the time.”

“Everything I do is a choice,” the hero agreed. “I’ve never done anything by mistake!”

“What about when-”

“Anyway!” he interrupted, winking at Kyoka before she could tell the listening audience about how he had tripped and fallen while she was rehearsing for - well, for what she was about to do. “I’ve managed to convince Earphone Jack here to do a little bit of a performance for us. Isn’t that right?”

She nodded - her stage fright was, now that she was over the hump, almost a thing of the past. In yesterday’s show there had been a moment where she couldn’t make the words come at the beginning, but once she managed to say one thing, the rest came naturally - and today, not even that. Which is why she had told Present Mic about her musical talents, and overjoyed man had invited her to perform... “Yeah, I’ve got a little ditty to share,” she said, taking up the guitar she had brought to the station and strumming it. “It’s one of my parents’ favorite songs, actually - a classic number from before decades before quirks first manifested.”

“We’re waiting with baited breath!”

Kyoka strummed again, finding her fingering, then started the arpeggio and began to sing. “Tonight... I’m gonna have myself... a real good time...”

---

She let her voice fade, repeating the arpeggio more and more softly until Present Mic said, “Holy shit, Jiro! That was incredible!”

Kyoka raised an eyebrow at him. “Aren’t you suppose to avoid swearing?”

“That’s what the three-second delay we’re on is for. But seriously, that was amazing!” sensei repeated, his voice still rapturous. “Why are you becoming a hero when you could be saving the world through music?”

She absent-mindedly played a few notes, Queen’s melodies still playing through her head, as she answered, “Well, it’s what my folks wanted me to do - they’re musicians too, you know, and of course they wanted me to follow in their footsteps. But listen - is it too much to ask for both?”

“It shouldn’t be, no,” he agreed. “But unfortunately, listeners, we’ll have to step away from my intern’s dulcet tones for the moment - we have a commercial break. When we come back, however, we’ll be opening up the lines for callers, so get your phones ready!”

The commercial began playing, and Hoso spoke over the studio’s internal speakers. “90 seconds, guys. Take a breather.”

Present mic leaned back in his chair and sipped from his water bottle, and Kyoka mirrored him. “Thanks, Hoso-kun.”

“Hoso, my phone was buzzing all through the song,” she told the producer - she had left her phone outside of the studio’s walls, but that didn’t actually stop her from hearing its notifications. “It sounded like it might be urgent - would you mind checking for me real quick?”

“Sure. What’s the password?”

“Black Sabbath.”

There was a momentary pause before she reported, “You’ve got about 50 notifications from a group chat called “A Mad Banquet of Darkness.” Kyoka smirked, remembering the good-natured ribbing of Tokoyami that had led to 1A’s group chat receiving that name over the weekend. “...something’s happening in Hosu? People are trying to get a response from a ‘Nascar’ but they haven’t said anything... someone called ‘Icyhot’ has checked in and so has ‘Fog Machine’...”

Kyoka blinked, not sure what this could be for a moment. “Hosu? That’s where Izukun’s internship with Ryukyu is... and Todoroki’s too, I think...” They, of course, were Fog Machine and Icyhot in the chat, respectively - Nascar was Iida. “Iida must be there as well... What’s happening in Hosu?”

Present Mic’s eyes were wide as the producer said, “I’m checking the news now... oh, fuck. Hosu’s under attack - the whole place is on fire! Monsters rampaging...”

“And Hero Killer Stain was spotted there recently as well,” Present Mic added, sounding worried. “He attacked Ingenium there during the Sports Festival...”

“Oh shit, Ingenium is Iida’s older brother!” Kyoka realized. “He idolizes the man, won’t shut up about him... except... Hoso, tell Izukun not to-”

“Fog Machine says he’s going to go find Iida,” Hoso reported.

“No!” Kyoka protested. “That - Iida’s probably looking for Stain -” She stood, making for the door.

Present Mic looked at her, his face pale. “Kyoka, we... we’re too far away. There’s nothing we can do to get there in time... sometimes all we can do is to be strong and bring hope to others.”

“...15 seconds, guys,” Hoso reminded them, sounding miserable.

“Jiro, step outside,” her teacher quietly told her. “I can do the show on my own - you clearly need a moment.”

She slipped through the studio door, closing it behind her just as Present Mic began to say, “Bad news, guys! Something’s come up for Earphone Jack and she’s had to step out for a moment, but I’m still here to receive your calls...”

She snatched her phone from Hoso just in time to see Izukun send his location, and nothing else, in the group chat. She channeled Bakugo and typed furiously:

Check 1, 2, 3 -> @Icyhot if you don’t go help @Fog Machine I swear to god I’ll smother you in your sleep with a fucking marshmallow

Icyhot <- I’m going.

King Murder Explosion <- YOU HAD FUCKING BETTER OR I’LL HELP HER

---

The attacks that had struck Hosu shortly after they went on patrol - Izuku’s first patrol, what kind of awful luck did he have? - were quick and vicious, but not deadly. The rampaging nomu - because it was undeniable that they were the same kind of monster as Shigaraki had brought to the USJ, even if they were all unique - weren’t smart enough, or well-directed enough - to do much more than property damage. They didn’t care about the fleeing civilians enough to actually target people.

But it was still horrifying to Izuku. This was worse than the USJ - the devastation was so much more widespread, and no one had even the minimal training and combat-capable quirks that his classmates had had. And it was taking so much longer, too - that had lasted barely fifteen minutes in total, and the worst moment had been that horrifying instant when Yaomomo had been targetted by the villains, and then Kyokun had stepped in front of her, and Izuku couldn’t even bear to think about either of them being hurt, and he raced to intercept the nomu before even making the choice to do so, but that was already because he could never have made any other choice anyway...

Nothing tonight had reached quite that level of horror, but it came close every time he spotted a civilian who had been hurt, caught in the flames or the rubble or even directly in a nomu’s path.

Fortunately, those he could do something about. Ryukyu had sent Hado-senpai to help pros hunt down the nomus - she was a faster flyer than even the pro heroine, and her quirk was apparently better for combat than rescue - while Izuku’s mentor herself flew with him on her back, landing wherever he saw civilians in danger.

It had been nearly half an hour, and it felt to Izuku like things were only getting worse when he realized that his phone was buzzing.

Since they had finished the current rescue - Izuku having briefly animated a unstable portion of rubble to prevent it from collapsing while the trapped civilian crawled out, fueling the expenditure of vitality from what seemed like an endless store of energy within Ryukyu’s soul - he took a moment to glance at it.

It was the class 1A groupchat, currently named after something ridiculous Tokoyami had said, scrolling by at a mile a minute - people had seen the Hosu incident on the news, and were now trying to contact him, Todoroki, and Iida. He took a moment to respond, saying that he was okay and sticking close to Ryukyu.

“My class’s group chat wanted me to check in,” he told the heroine as she turned to look at him, and began to climb back onto her back. “This is on the news now, I guess...” He continued to watch the chat with one eye, keeping an eye on his quirk’s sight with the other. “Me and two others are here in Hosu.”

“Have they checked in to the chat as well?” Ryukyu asked, her voice rumbling as she took off back into the air.

“No, not yet... wait, there’s Todoroki,” he said gratefully as ‘Icyhot’ sent a thumbs up to the chat. “Iida still hasn’t checked in...”

“Who are they with? I assume Todoroki is with Endeavor...”

“Yeah, he is. Iida is with... I think Manual?”

“Iida... that’s Ingenium’s family, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, that’s his older brother. He-” Izuku’s eyes widened as he connected several dots he had barely even noticed. “He idolizes Ingenium, who was attacked by Hero Killer Stain here in Hosu... fuck. He’s probably looking for him!”

Ryukyu began diving. “I see Manual - but I don’t see anything with him.”

“Ryukyu!” Manual shouted as the heroine landed, directing a stream of water into a fire. “Boy, am I glad to see you - I’m trying to keep this fire under control, but it’s spreading quickly and there are people in the building!”

Izuku glanced at the building, which was just at the edge of his quirk’s awareness - he flared up to x2 for a moment to extend his range and get a better look. “I see two living people on the left half of the second floor, one in the center of the third,” he reported, sliding off of Ryukyu’s back.

“Thank you, Anima - don’t work, Manual, I’ll grab them.” She shrank to only a little bigger than an average person as she took off again, remaining small enough to go through one of the windows.

“Where’s Iida?” Izuku asked Manual. “He’s interning under you, right? - he’s a classmate.”

“I haven’t seen him since the attack started,” Manual confessed, sounding angry - at himself, Izuku thought. “I should have taken us out of the city - I knew he was here to get close to Stain - but he said that he understood why he couldn’t after I explained it to him -!”

“I’ll find him,” Izuku promised, flaring his aura to x2.5.

“Wait! Kid - Midoriya, right? It won’t be any safer for you! Wait for Ryukyu!”

He tapped at his phone, promising the class that he would find Iida, then, not really paying Manual’s protest any mind, he was gone in a flash of white.

---

It took a minute or two for Izuku to find Stain, but he had the advantage of his quirk’s sight - which, with a x2.5 aura that made parkour a breeze, extended 75 meters - to make it easy to check for Iida’s soul. It wasn’t as distinctive to him as some members of his class - Kacchan’s eternal explosions, Yaomomo’s ever-changing fractal patterns, Kyokun’s pulsing heartbeat - but it was still unique, pumping like a piston and easy to spot, and it wasn’t long before he saw it.

Iida was in an alleyway, he saw as he raced to catch up, and was lying on the ground, his soul seeming weak and frozen, somehow - a similarly paralyzed soul was in the same position nearby, while a powerfully radiating soul, one which seemed almost sharp despite having no particular shape, stood over them. Stain.

Izuku arrived just in time as Stain was about to bring a sword down on the paralyzed Iida, flaring his aura up to x5 as he launched himself at Stain and kicked the sword, sending it flying out of the man’s hands to embed itself in the wall.

“And who’s this?” Stain demanded as Izuku landed, letting himself burn down to x3 and feeling immensely glad that Ryukyu had made him sip from her well of power throughout the night - he was close to full, even if Full Cowling would run through his energy quickly. “Another false hero?”

“False hero? Not sure what you’re talking about, but I’m not going to let you hurt my friend - or Native,” he added, recognizing the pro hero.

“Get out of here, kid!” Native urged from where he lay on the ground - not entirely paralyzed, then, still able to talk. “Save yourself - don’t let him kill you, too!”

“This isn’t your fight, Midoriya!” Iida raged. “Go!”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Izuku promised, keeping his eyes on Stain as he tapped one-handed at his phone behind his back - another thing to be grateful to Ryukyu for, because Full Cowling also made him better at touch-typing, apparently. He sent his location to her, as well as into the class group chat - he didn’t think any of them would be close enough except maybe Todoroki, but... “I don’t think I’ll be able to get you two out of here while you’re paralyzed, but I hope I can hold Stain off long enough for you to escape.”

“Oh?” the hero killer asked, sounding interested. “Not worried about yourself?”

“Why would I be?” he asked, trying to sound braver than he felt. “Your quirk won’t work on me.”

Stain laughed. “You don’t even know what my quirk is, brat!”

“Maybe not the details,” Izuku said, stalling for time as he allowed some of his soul to enter his costume - if he was paralyzed, he would just have to repeat what he did against Shinso. “But I know you paralyzed them, and that won’t do much against me. Didn’t you see the Sports Festival? Shutting down my body only works if I let it.”

Stain’s eyes glittered darkly. “You know, boy, I was almost going to let you live - pass by you and take out just those fakers, since you arrived only to save them. But this kind of bravado? No true hero would be so arrogant in the face of certain doom!”

“Are you saying All Might isn’t a true hero?” Izuku retorted. “He taught us that to smile in the face of danger, to inspire others to believe that your presence brings safety, with unshakable confidence in yourself and a wide grin.” He tried to wear one of those very grins, but didn’t think he quite managed it.

“...hm.” Stain’s eyes narrowed. “Perhaps I misjudged you, if that’s your reason. But I thin you need to be tested!”

With his last word, the hero killer lunged forward, a sword in each hand. Izuku dodged to the side, flaring up to x5 again and this time not lowering his aura afterward - the man was inhumanely fast somehow, and x3 wouldn’t cut it - then grabbing him by his shirt and flinging him back down the alley way, away from the paralyzed Iida and Native.

“Please, Midoriya!” Iida begged. “Just go! I have to do this on my own!”

“He’s not leaving, Iida,” said a familiar voice, and Izuku spared a momentary glance, behind him, grinning when he saw the glacial bonfire of Todoroki. “Neither am I. That’s what it means to be a hero, isn’t it?”

“That’s right,” Izuku agreed, turning back towards Stain. “A hero fights for those who can’t fight themselves - and right now, that’s the two of you.”

“Oh, now this is just ridiculous,” Stain spat, rising. “You having the spirit of a true hero, I might believe,” he said, pointing a blood-stained blade at Izuku, “but you? With your father?”

“I am not my father,” Todoroki said coldly. “Perhaps it took me far too long to realize it, but I won’t let you of all people throw me off balance now that I’ve come to understand it.”

Stain sighed and brought the blade to his lips, a long tongue extending forward to lick at the blood. Instantly, Izuku felt his body lock up, and much more worryingly, his soul lock up - Full Cowling instantly died.

But, having planned ahead, his costume was animated and ready to act. It instantly pulled him forward, settling into a rough guard position even as his head rolled on his shoulders.

“What is this?” Stain spat.

“I told you, your quirk won’t work on me,” Izuku said again. Admittedly, he had been hoping that his master over his own vitality would simply trump Stain’s paralytic ability... but this worked too, he supposed.

In fact... if he could still speak, and there was still energy leaking from his breath - which there was, the usual faint wisps escaping as he exhaled - then maybe...

“Step aside,” Stain ordered. “You I don’t want to kill, but these three...”

Izuku was starting to get an idea of Stain’s idealogy, not that he was really keeping it a secret. He had some kind of fixation on ‘true heroes’, and was killing anyone who didn’t measure up - Iida for seeking revenge, Todoroki for his father’s general... Endeavor-ness, he supposed, and Native for... cultural appropriation, perhaps. “If I did that,” Izuku pointed out, “you would just decide you needed to kill me, too. A hero shouldn’t abandon those who need them.”

Stain sighed. “I’m glad you understand, but that just makes this more difficult. And if you insist on defending these fakers...”

That, too, could be judged a crime in Stain’s horrible black-and-white view of the world. But whatever Stain said, Izuku couldn’t step aside. “Read my lips,” he said, internally gathering up a great deal of his reservoir for a hail Mary play - the farther he was from something he imbued his lifeforce into, the more it cost, but he had done this before - “No!”

As he spoke, Izuku expelled a great cloud of radiant white mist, which swirled in the breeze, flowing behind him into Todoroki... and Iida and Native, whose eyes opened wide with surprise.

Stain’s quirk froze a person’s vitality everywhere but their heads, paralyzing them - but Izuku could give them new, unfrozen energy, even if their own lifeforce was paralyzed.

They rose.

“Stain,” Native growled, “you fucked up.”

“I quite agree,” said an immense, rumbling voice as Ryukyu landed behind the other hero.

Notes:

This was hopefully clear, but...
Nascar: Tenya Iida
Icyhot: Shoto Todoroki
Fog Machine: Izuku Midoriya
Check 1, 2, 3: Kyoka Jiro
King Murder Explosion: Katsuki Bakugo

Chapter 20: Recovery, Part 3

The nurse knocked on the door before opening it a crack. “You have a visitor, kids,” she said, leaning into the hospital room. “A Momo Yaoyorozu?”

“Oh, great!” Momo heard Izukun cheerfully call from inside. “Let her in, please?”

The nurse stepped aside and let Momo step into the room, where she saw Izukun - who seemed unharmed - standing next to a heavily-bandaged Iida’s bed. Todoroki was sitting on the bed, one hand in Iida’s.

“Yaomomo!” Izukun chirped. “I’m glad to see you - I didn’t want to miss Violet on Present Mic’s show, and the hospital doesn’t have a radio for us to-”

Momo interrupted him by striding over and smacking him upside the head. “That is from Bakugo,” she told him sternly, “who says, and I quote, ‘how dare that bastard fight a villain without me?’ And this,” she hugged her friend tightly, “is from me. I’m glad you’re alright, Izukun.”

The green-haired boy blushed but returned the hug, wrapping his arms around her waist just as tightly. “It was pretty scary,” he admitted. “Stain was... worse than Shigaraki, in some ways.”

“I can only imagine,” Momo said as she release him, shuddering. “Todoroki, Iida, I’m glad you too are alright as well.”

“I wouldn’t be if not for Izuku and Shoto,” Iida said, sounding ashamed, and Momo raised an eyebrow - first names, from the only other person in 1A who approached the level of formality that she was slowly stepping down from? Well, a near-death experience could certainly help people bond... “I owe them my life.”

“Jiro and Bakugo especially,” Todoroki quietly commented. “I would have trusted Izuku to save you himself, since we didn’t know for sure that you were in danger, but they pushed me to help as well.”

“I’m sorry that your father yelled at you for coming to help us,” Izukun told him. “I know I pulled you away from your patrol with him...”

Todoroki just shrugged. “You know I don’t care what my old man thinks.”

“Yaoyorozu,” Iida said to Momo, “thank you as well, for coming to visit us. I understand that much of our class is too far, but it means a lot to have our class president come to check on us - even though I know you’re mostly here for Izuku.”

She smiled at him. “I’m here for you and Todoroki too, Iida. Just because I’m not as close to the two of you as I am with Izukun doesn’t mean I don’t care for you.”

“I admit,” Todoroki said, “I didn’t quite understand that impulse until now - that everyone in the class was important to everyone else, not just to their close friends. I didn’t have any myself - Izuku was the only one I might have been able to call a friend, after... the Sports Festival,” he admitted, and Izukun gave him a smile. “I went to check on Izuku, but when I went, I didn’t spare much thought for Tenya. But as soon as I saw him in danger...” The stoic boy blinked. “Well. I understand that you really do care for everyone in the class, now - I do as well, even though I hadn’t realized it, and the feeling can only be stronger for you as the class president. So thank you for coming, Yaomomo.”

Momo blinked in surprise. “Oh,” she said, “I didn’t- um.”

Todoroki tilted his head to the side. “Oh, I’m sorry - I called you Yaomomo, didn’t I? That’s Jiro and Izuku’s nickname for you - I shouldn’t have used it.”

“It... it’s okay,” she assured him. “I’m trying to become less formal. If you, or anyone else in the class wants to call me Yaomomo, I think... I think I’m ready for that.” She smiled.

“Okay, Yaomomo,” Todoroki said. “If you’re sure.”

“I...” Izukun began, then shook his head. “Nevermind. Kyokun’s show is starting soon, right?” he reminded Momo, sounding a little down.

“Ah! Yes!” She produced a radio and turned it on, setting it down on a table next to Iida’s bed.

“-bzzzrchsrchch back to the show! We have, as we do every night this week, my intern Earphone Jack with us - Jack, how are you doing today?”

“I’m so tired... sensei had me practicing an entirely new way of using my quirk, and I have sore muscles that I didn’t even know I had.”

“It worked though, didn’t it?”

“Yeah, it did, and it’ll be really helpful once I get a proper handle on it. Being able to project sounds other than my heartbeat will make me way more versatile. It just... it’s like if you’d never used your left arm before, and then some loud, sadistic blonde made you start lifting weights with it.”

“Hey! I’m not a sadist!”

“Then why were you grinning at my pain?”

---

“Well done, young Midoriya,” All Might boomed as Izuku reached him first for the second time that day, grateful once again to Ryukyu that he could now look directly at the number 1 hero. “Your internship has really helped you develop your quirk!"

“Ah, thank you, sensei,” he said, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. “But I kind of feel like I was cheating. My quirk gives me both an easy way of locating you and a powerful boost to my speed, with Full Cowling, while everyone else has to get by with just one. I mean, Kacchan and Tenya would have both beaten me easily if not for the search aspect of this”

“Don't be like that, Young Midoriya," the hero told him. “Heroes must be able to find trouble, not just get there quickly. Your experience with Stain should show that well enough - if you hadn't been able to both move quickly and see people with your quirk, who knows what might have happened?"

“I guess that’s true - hey, is that why we’re doing this race?”

“What? No. I definitely had this on my curriculum all along. Definitely. 100%."

Izuku squinted at the man. “...really?”

“Oh my, look at the time. You had better get back to the changing rooms, young Midoriya!"

He chuckled as he brought Full Cowling up to x2.5, quickly finding Kacchan, Tenya, and Sero - all of whom had also won their first-round race and joined him in a champions’ race since they had a little class-time left - and letting them know that class was over for the day. Within a few minutes, he was yawning as he doffed his costume’s lab coat in the changing rooms.

Kacchan eyed him with a glare. “Deku...”

“I know, Kacchan - I’m still figuring out a good balance for Full Cowling,” he told his friend. “And I know how to increase my capacity now - Ryukyu and I worked on that for the second half of the internship - so...”

The blonde thrust a hand at him. “You’re not allowed to collapse,” he growled. “Drain me.”

“...what?”

“Deku,” Kacchan insisted, “you’re low on power. I’m not. Drain me.”

Izuku met his eyes, uncertain. “Are... you sure? It-”

“Do I need to yell at you for being stupid about this again?”

He sighed and grasped his friend’s hand. “Okay, but... tell me the moment it starts to hurt, okay?”

Izuku pulled at his friend’s soul slowly, gently, trying to take as little as possible while still satisfying his friend, but he thought he had made up almost half the difference to his maximum before Kacchan pulled away.

“That’s super manly of you, Bakubro,” Kirikun said, walking over as he buttoned up the shirt of his uniform. “Midoriya, you know you can pull from me any time you need to as well, right?”

He hesitated. “I just... I don’t want to hurt anyone by accident.”

“I know you’d never hurt anyone,” the redhead encouraged. “And hey, if you’re worried, why not practice on the invulnerable guy?”

That was true. And Kirikun had more stamina than almost anyone else in their class - despite the simplicity of his quirk, the shade of his vitality was as bright as Todoroki or Kacchan’s - brighter than the blonde’s, even, after Izuku had drained him. So he held his hand out to Kirikun. “You don’t have to if-”

Kirikun immediately clasped his hand. “Drain me, bro!”

Izuku pulled, keeping an eye on both their levels, quickly reaching his max and then a little past. He stopped before it could start to be dangerous, leaving just enough excess that his capacity would improve from it. “Thank you, Kirikun.”

“Anytime, bro. And call me Eijiro! You too, Bakubro - unless you want to stick with Sharktooth, I don’t mind that either!”

“...Katsuki,” Kacchan muttered, turning away.

“I can call you Katsuki?” Kirikun - Eijiro - asked for confirmation.

“What, you deaf too?” the blonde snapped. “That’s what I said, isn’t it?”

“Hey, what’s this?” said Kaminari, crouching next to the wall. “This tile fell off and there’s a hole behind it - looks like someone made a peephole at some point.”

“That’s the girls’ changing rooms behind the wall, isn’t it?” Shoto observed. “That... isn’t right.”

“No, it certainly isn’t!” Tenya declared. “We should cover it up immediately, and inform the teachers at once!”

“Relax, Iida,” Izuku said, crouching next to Kaminari. “Let me see that tile, Kaminari.”

“Izuku, I hope you aren’t-”

He breathed a touch of lifeforce into the tile, waking it for a moment, and pressed it against the wall. At his command, it reshaped itself, a tendril extending through the peephole and anchoring itself. “No need to bother the teachers, I got it covered.”

“Ah, of course!” Tenya said in realization. “You were fixing the hole - very responsible, as expected of our vice president.”

“I don’t know why you even doubted him,” Shoto said quietly.

“Nor do I!”

Izuku knocked gently on the wall. “I assume you heard all that, Kyokun,” he said - he could, after all, see the girls easily, and the pulsing shape of her soul was crouching right across from him. “I don’t know if there are any other peepholes - my quirk can’t spot nonliving shapes like that - but maybe yours can? It might be worth checking over it with Yaomomo. If there was one, there might have been others.” Kyokun’s soul moved a little closer to the wall, then he heard an answering knock. “Is that a yes?” She knocked again. “Thanks, Kyokun. You’re the best.” One more knock, confirming that yes, she was the best, made Izuku laugh as he rose. “Problem solved, guys!” he declared, turning to face the other boys.

Kirikun pretended to wipe a tear away. “So manly, bro - solving problems, just like that!”

Kacchan grunted. “Sharktooth, Pikachu, and I are getting boba tea. You coming?” he said to Izuku shortly.

“...is Ashido coming along?”

“No. Just us.”

“Then yes,” Izuku confirmed.

---

Izuku knew Kacchan as well as he knew himself - maybe even better. He was easily able to guess that the reason the explosive blonde had specifically invited him to come hang out with Eijiro and Kaminari was that he felt neglected - Izuku had, it was true, been spending a lot more time with Yaomomo and Kyokun lately, and they had just been separated for a whole week for their internships. It might have been the longest time that the two had spent apart since Izuku and his mother had moved in with the Bakugo family, almost eight years ago now - it was definitely the longest since they had all moved into a bigger house five years ago.

So he spent the walk to the nearby tea shop practically hanging off Bakugo, chattering happily to his best friend about what he had done during his internship - telling him about how kind Ryukyu-sensei was and Hado-senpai’s eccentricities, about how his new Full Cowling technique worked - a technique that Kaminari insisted on calling the Kaioken for some reason - and other such things. By the time that they reached the shop, Izuku was feeling a little burned out, but Kacchan’s shoulders had lost some of their stiffness and he was clearly feeling better.

Well, clearly to Izuku, at least.

“Okay, I understand why Yaomomo calls you a sunshine boy,” Kirikun teased once they had gotten their drinks and sat down. “That was like watching a plant perk up when the sun came out - Katsuki is clearly feeling so much better! I’m a little jealous, I wish I could do that for him!” Okay, maybe it wasn’t just obvious to Izuku.

“He is?” Kaminari asked, apparently not seeing it. “Looks the same to me.”

“He is,” Izuku assured the electric blonde, even as Kacchan scowled. “Look at how his shoulders have dipped since we left school - he carries his tension there, you know.” His friend quickly raised his shoulders up to his ears again, hunching his head down low, and Izuu laughed. “It’s no use, Kacchan!” he said, poking him in the side. “They know your secret - you’re not actually mad anymore!”

Kacchan growled. “I can still blow your head into so many pieces they’d need a world master of jigsaw to put you back together.” he muttered.

“I love you too, Kacchan,” Izuku said, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and leaning in - the blonde, subtly, leaned back. “But Kirikun-”

“Eijiro.”

“Eijiro, sorry,” he corrected himself. “I keep telling them, I’m not our class’s sunshine boy. I can’t keep that level of energy up for long - if anyone is the embodiment of sunshine here, it’s you.”

“Aw, thanks, bro!” Eijiro said, blushing and rubbing the back of his head. “I try... but I can’t keep it up forever either.”

“More than me, at least,” he insisted.

“If anyone is really sunshine in our class, it’s-”

“Me?” Kaminari asked with a grin.

“-Mina. Sorry, Kaminari!”

“No, you’re right,” he admitted.

“Ashido is pretty energetic,” Izuku admitted.

“It’s like having a puppy,” Kacchan commented, sipping at his tea. “Fucking thing is always bouncing around having the time of its life.”

“Yeah, but you can’t help loving that puppy,” said Eijiro. “That’s actually a great analogy - Mina’s super cuddly, too!”

“Why don’t you like her, Midoriya?” Kaminari asked.

“Hm?” Izuku said. “Who said I don’t like Ashido? I don’t dislike her.”

“You asked if she was going to come before you accepted Katsuki’s invitation,” Eijiro pointed out.

Izuku sighed. “Okay, fair.” He paused for a moment, marshaling his thoughts. “It’s just the whole energy levels thing again, I guess. Ashido is just beyond me, and she never slows down like you do, Eijiro. She’s perfectly nice, I just... I can’t keep up with her, and I get overwhelmed. If she could back off a little bit, I wouldn’t mind her at all, but...”

“I guess I can see that,” the redhead admitted. “She can certainly be a lot. But...”

“It’s nice to have someone so bright around,” Kacchan said. “That’s why I hang around with you, nerd.”

“And me?” Kaminari asked.

“Sure, why the fuck not.”

“Yeah, we like Mina,” Eijiro agreed. “Sorry if you felt like we’ve been choosing you over her, or something...”

Izuku shook his head. “Not at all. It’s not like I don’t have my own friends.”

“Yeah, Yaomomo and Jiro,” Kaminari said, leaning in. “What’s going on there?”

“Nothing’s going on, Kaminari.”

“Are you sure? I mean, they let you call them by nicknames...”

“Kyokun would let anyone call her a nickname,” Izuku pointed out. “She calls everyone else nicknames, after all. And Yaomomo is letting everyone call her that now.” He tried not to be bitter when he said it, but didn’t quite manage it. He had thought that was their thing, just like Deku and Kacchan were the only ones to call each other by those nicknames.

“She let you use it first, though.”

“There’s nothing to it,” he insisted

“Fine,” Kaminari relented, turning instead to Kacchan and Eijiro. “What about you two?”

“What about us?” Kacchan demanded, tension suddenly returning to his shoulders. Izuku placed a subtle, comforting hand on his, Eijiro doing the same thing.”

“You like Ashido, don’t you?” Kaminari pressed. “Like, like like?”

“Well...”

“Who the fuck told you that?” Kacchan snapped. He turned to look out the window. “Don’t talk about shit you don’t understand.”

“Okay, maybe not Bakugo,” the electric blonde allowed. “But you, Eijiro?”

“Okay, yeah, I like her,” the redhead admitted. “Like I said, you can’t help but love that puppy. And... I mean...” He blushed nearly as red as his hair. “You saw her at the beach, right? In that little black bikini?”

“Oh, I saw,” Kaminari agreed.

Kacchan tensed - Izuku noticed him shaking off Eijiro’s hand, and made sure to give him a gentle squeeze, which his friend subtly returned.

“Why don’t you ask her out?”

“I dunno...” Eijiro muttered. “I kind of don’t want to ruin our friendship, you know?”

“I get that,” Izuku commented.

“Besides, we knew each other before UA, back when I was a stupid little kid... what if she still sees me like that?” he worried. “And on top of all that, I might like someone else, too!”

“That’s a lot to worry about,” Kaminari admitted. “Whose this other girl?”

“Guy,” Eijiro corrected, and Kacchan’s eyes flicked to his face.

“Who’s this other guy?” the blonde repeated, unfazed.

“That I’m keeping to myself,” he insisted.

“Oh, come on, we won’t tell! Is it Todoroki, the handsome bastard?”

“Nope, you’re not getting this out of me.”

“It’s not that steel dude from 2A, is it?”

“Leave it, Kaminari,” Izuku advised.

“Thanks, bro.”

---

Group Chat: Yaoyorozu Rescue Agency

Green Sun -> @Goddess, can we talk real quick?

Green Sun -> you too @Muse if you’re up

Muse <- sure what’s up

Goddess <- Of course, Izukun! What is it?

Goddess <- Which of you renamed me ‘Goddess’?

Muse <- Green

Green Sun -> Violet

Goddess <- *sigh*

Goddess changed their name to ‘Yaomomo’

Yaomomo <- What do you need?

Green Sun -> Do you remember when we talked about me feeling anxious sometimes and needing reassurance?

Yaomomo <- I remember. Do you need some now?

Green Sun -> maybe a little

Muse <- I’ll write a song about how awesome you are if you need it

Green Sun -> that seems a little much but thank you anyway

Muse <- I’m already halfway done

Green Sun -> vi wait

Muse <- I’m recording

Green Sun -> kyokun you don’t have to

Muse <- [attached a media file]

Green Sun -> ...

Green Sun -> thank you, Kyokun

Green Sun -> even if it is just thirty seconds of you shouting “DON’T FORGET YOU’RE AWESOME AND MY BEST FRIEND” repeatedly

Muse <- anytime dude

Muse <- and it’s not JUST that I put it to a rhythm

Green Sun -> fair

Yaomomo <- Izukun, you truly are one of my best friends. You’ve been an unwavering pillar of support ever since we were paired in the battle test, and I’ve never doubted that I could count on you for absolutely anything. Even when I doubted myself, you found me and buoyed my spirits. You’ve been unfailingly patient as I slowly lowered my walls and attempted to reduce my level of formality, and never once pressured me. You’re an inspiration to me in battle and in the use of my quirk, you make me feel better just by spending time with me, and you’re one of the best people I’ve ever met - and I’m including All Might in that tally. You’ll become an incredible hero one day, and you’re already an incredible friend. Please, never doubt that I consider you to be one of my favorite people in the entire world.

Green Sun -> omg

Muse <- Yaomomo that was so fucking sweet

Yaomomo <- I’m sorry it took so long to type that!

Green Sun -> I really appreciate that Yaomomo

Green Sun -> like, so much

Green Sun -> I’m saving that message so I can look at it whenever

Muse <- not saving MY message of support

Muse <- I see which of us is your favorite

Green Sun -> I’m sorry, Kyokun, but heartfelt messages of support mean more to me than jokey messages of support

Muse <- how dare you imply I didn’t put my heart into that

Muse <- but okay I can be serious

Muse <- gimme like five minutes

Yaomomo <- May I ask what brought on this attack of anxiety, Izukun?

Green Sun -> I don’t want to make you feel bad

Yaomomo <- If it was something that I did, I would very much like to know so that I can avoid it in the future.

Yaomomo <- I never want to hurt you, Izukun.

Yaomomo <- Not even unintentionally.

Green Sun -> okay so

Green Sun -> it’s like how I didn’t want anyone other than Kachan to call me Deku

Green Sun -> or how I didn’t like Ashido calling me Izukun

Yaomomo <- Oh, I see.

Green Sun -> I thought that ‘Yaomomo’ was OUR nickname for you

Green Sun -> so it hurt a little bit that you opened it up to everyone

Green Sun -> it’s your nickname obviously and its yours to decide who can and can’t use it

Green Sun -> but

Yaomomo changed their name to ‘Momo’

Momo <- Does this help?

Green Sun -> :O

Green Sun -> Yaomomo, you don’t have to if you don’t want to

Momo <- No, I do.

Momo <- You and Kyokun are on a different level than the rest of the class. I care about all of them, but I care about the two of you so, so much more.

Momo <- I want to show it. And if ‘Yaomomo’ is for everyone now, doesn’t that mean that you two still deserve something special?

Momo <- The answer is ‘yes’, by the way. You both deserve the world.

Green Sun -> <3

Momo <- <3

Muse <- [attached a media file]

Green Sun -> Kyokun holy shit

Green Sun -> I’m legit crying

Momo <- Kyokun, this is beautiful!

Muse <- never doubt my love again

Green Sun -> I won’t I promise

Green Sun -> seriously this is incredible

Green Sun -> Kyokun how the fuck did you write something so amazing in five minutes

Momo <- It’s truly wonderful, Kyokun.

Muse <- I’m incredible that’s how

Muse <- also it might have been written already

Muse <- I was saving it for your birthday

Muse <- I just needed to record it

Green Sun -> <3

Muse <- <3

Momo <- <3

Notes:

That's right, arc titles can come back!

Sorry for the brief gap in posting. Self-quarantining is a bitch for productivity. Things might continue to be 1 chapter every 2-3 days for a while, but listen, I never promised any kind of update schedule, let alone a daily one.

Sorry also to those who wanted me to rename this Izuku's Full Cowling to the Kaioken. Hopefully you're satisfied with Kaminari calling it that - Izuku is still going with Full Cowling, because that's what he came up with in canon! And after all, it gives him basically the same capabilities, just a different drawback.
If you're curious, I imagine that Full Cowling x5 gives a similar boost to Full Cowling 5%. I don't think that Izuku could match One For All's power by going up to x100, though - I imagine that OFA gives an exponential increase in power as you go up, while Breath of Life's Full Cowling actually gives diminishing returns (if it didn't, then even a single multiplication would be infinite power - the x2 would become an effective x4, since it boosts how well your quirk works, which would then become a x16, and so on.)

Again, it should be clear, but...
Green Sun: Izuku Midoriya
Goddess/Yaomomo: Momo Yaoyorozu
Muse: Kyoka Jiro

Chapter 21: Tests, Part 1

The remainder of the semester seemed to fly by - there were no attacks by villains, no large events like the Sports Festival, no extended breaks from class like the internship trips - and with nothing to stand out, the days blurred into weeks.

Izuku spent his time outside of class training his capacity for lifeforce, refilling at the end of the day from Kacchan and Eijiro - he found, thankfully, that as long as he was wasn’t overflowing with energy as he had been in the days after he USJ attack, he was still able to sleep. He split his study time between Kacchan and Eijiro during the week and Momo and Kyokun on the weekend - managing to avoid Ashido, who joined Kacchan and Eijiro on the weekend and went to a study group that Momo started during the week. He split his free time similarly between the two circles of friends, while during class exercises he somehow ended up paired with every other member of 1A at least once. He managed to keep his growing feelings for Kyokun and especially for Momo buried - like Kacchan, he had no idea what his crushes would think of polyamory, and he was afraid of ruining the close-knit friendship they had forged.

Kyoka spent her time outside of class playing music, as she had always done - it was her refuge from a world that was often harsh, even if her life had brightened immeasurably since transitioning and coming to UA, where the only people who knew that she was trans accepted her without reservation. The songs she wrote were more cheerful than they had once been, and she even began to share some of them - not on Present Mic’s radio show, which she continued to appear on, although only once a week now that her internship was over, but privately, with Momo and Izukun. She studied with both of them during the weekend, kept up a constant chain of text messages and memes with the two, and somehow found herself roped into teaching Kaminari how to play the bass. She did her level best to ignore the crush on Momo which simply refused to go away, hiding it - she thought - with some success. Momo, Kyoka was certain, was straight, on top of the fact that she liked Izukun - it was hopeless.

Momo’s out-of-class time was mostly spent on the class. As class president, she did her best to foster a sense of unity - along with her own personal study sessions on the weekends, which she would spend with Izukun and Kyokun - neither of whom had her level of all-around intelligence, but who matched or even exceeded her in math and the sciences or the humanities, respectively - she also started an after-class study group three days a week for any members of 1A who needed it. She and Izukun arranged for more events as breaks, finding a schedule of one a month worked best for everyone - by the end of the term, along with the trip to Dagobah, the class had gone to a karaoke bar (where she discovered that Izukun had a voice almost as lovely as Kyokun’s, that Iida was a master of patter songs, and that Sero could belt showtunes with the best of them) and had a fancy dinner at Momo’s home. She spent what little free time she had with Kyokun and Izukun, sometimes together and sometimes apart - although for some reason, Kyokun seemed more comfortable with the three of them as a group than she was one-on-one. She managed to hide her feelings from Izukun, and ignored her increasingly common thoughts of Kyokun in the same light.

So passed the semester, until quite suddenly it was only a week until exams.

---

“Your final exams will be taking place over the course of next week,” Aizawa told them at the end of the morning classes, his voice as flat as ever. “You’ll be taking two exams for your academic courses each morning - meanwhile, your afternoon classes that week will be converted into freeform training like you had before the Sports Festival. Your teachers have graciously put together a study guide for your academic classes,” he said, gesturing to a tall pile of binders sitting on the front desk, “but the practical exam for the Heroics course, which will be on Friday afternoon, will be a surprise.”

“Midoriya, you have hookups in the upper years, right?” Kaminari asked, leaning back. “Can you ask your senpai what we’ll be dealing with?”

“Sure,” Izuku agreed. “Actually, wait - Aizawa-sensei? Are we allowed to do that kind of research?”

“Green, you aren’t supposed to ask for permission when you’re being sneaky,” Kyokun scolded him, shaking her head dismissively.

“Jiro’s right,” Aizawa said, “you shouldn’t ask for permission before sneakily doing research. That said, yes, that’s allowed - how you handle preparing when you don’t know what to expect is part of what you’re being tested on, and trying to find sources of information is a valid strategy.”

“Thanks, sensei.”

“I can ask my brother as well,” Tenya offered. “Although it’s been longer for him, so he may not remember.”

“We’ll all use our own sources,” Kyokun said. “I may not know anyone in the upper years, but I bet I could trick something out of Present Mic. I love the guy, but he’s not great at hiding stuff.”

“We’ll come back and compare tomorrow, then,” Izuku decided.

---

The comparison had not, as it turned out, been very successful. Izuku had texted Hado-senpai, and been told that her first-year exam had been against the robots from the entrance exam. Tenya’s brother had reported that his exam had been a sparring tournament. Present Mic had let slip to Kyokun that they would be going through individualized obstacle courses. No one had any idea what the truth was.

Izuku decided to spend his time focusing on Full Cowling, continuing to train himself to jump between different levels of multiplication in order to use his energy as efficiently as possible. Momo spent her practice time creating things, doing her best to speed up her production of both simple and complex items - Kyokun, meanwhile, practiced with the support items that her new costume included. They had taken a long time to finish, but were finally ready, just in time for exams.

When they gathered in the center of UA’s myriad training courses, Izuku was flabberghasted by how well Kyokun’s costume had come out. “You look great, Violet!” he gushed.

“You really do,” Momo agreed. “The new style suits you.”

The purple-haired girl blushed a little, wrapping one of her earjacks around a finger. “Thanks, guys. I’m just glad the sword and shield were ready in time. Without them, I’m not all that great in combat.”

“You look totally rad, Jiro!” Kaminari put in, giving a thumbs up. “I’m kind of jealous, actually - I ought to get myself some support items as well!”

Kyokun raised an eyebrow at the blonde. “Why didn’t you? You had just as much time as me to redesign your costume, and weapons to channel your quirk would be a lot simpler than mine.”

“Ah... I meant to, but I kept forgetting?”

Izuku was distracted from their conversation by the sight of a familiar, tired aura - one he hadn’t seen since the Sports Festival. “Shinso-kun!” he cried, rushing over to the lavender-haired boy who walked next to Aizawa as the teachers approached - and not just their homeroom reacher, but a full ten of UA’s pro heroes.

“Hey, Midoriya,” Shinso replied, his soul vibrating slightly with his voice. “Been a while, huh?”

“This is Hitoshi Shinso,” Aizawa-sensei announced. “You may remember him from the sports festival. He’s being offered the chance to transfer into the Heroics department starting next semester - however, he’ll have to earn that chance by participating in the same exam as the rest of you. If he passes, he’ll be joining you - if not, he won’t.

“But the rest of you can’t slack off just because you’re already in the department,” he continued. “Anyone who passes will have the opportunity to attend a two-week summer training camp between semesters. Those who fail will instead be required to attend remedial lessons. Any questions?”

“Yeah, I got one,” Kaminari asked raising a hand. “What exactly is the test? We couldn’t figure it out.”

“That’s because it’s meant to be a secret!” chirped Pricipal Nezu, emerging from within the folds of Aizawa’s capture scarf and startling everyone. “We specifically request for all those who take this test to lie, if any when future students ask them for advice, so that it will remain so!”

“No wonder we all got different answers,” Izuku realized.

“The truth of the test is that we will be testing how you have adapted to your greatest weakness, as evaluated by your teachers during this first semester,” Nezu explained. “You will each be paired up and required to spar one of your teachers - one who outmatches or negates your greatest strengths! In order to pass, you will each have to identify the weakness we’re targeting, and overcome it! You can win either by clapping a capture bracelet on us, or by escaping from the battlefield - however, if only one student escapes, only that student will pass!”

“The listings are as follows,” Aizawa began, cutting short any speculation and worry that the class could have. “Momo Yaoyorozu and Kyoka Jiro against me. Shinso Hitoshi and Koji Koda against Present Mic. Izuku Midoriya and Katsuki Bakugo against All Might. Shoto Todoroki and Hanta Sero against Midnight...”

---

“So...” Izuku began as he and Kacchan waited at the entrance to their assigned battlefield. “Any ideas?”

“I’m gonna fucking crush All Might,” Kacchan grinned.

“...any other ideas, Kacchan?”

His friend eyed him. “You’ve clearly got something in mind. Just spit it out, Deku.”

Izuku sighed. “Nezu specifically told us that we’re being tested for how we handle our weaknesses. I think we need to think for a moment about what weaknesses we have that are being tested, and how to get past that.”

“Well that’s easy enough.” Kacchan poked Izuku in the chest. “You still aren’t using your drain to its full extent.”

“What? But... I refill every day now, and I’ve been using it to expand my tank-”

“You practically took out that nomu monster on your own,” the blonde continued. “It’s not just a tool to strengthen the rest of you - draining others is a weapon, and you’re not using it.”

Izuku paused, then shook his head. “Maybe so, but... I don’t think it would work against All Might, not the way you’re suggesting. He has more energy than even nomu had, more than Hado-senpai, more than Mirio - actually, Mirio has more,” he realized, confused, “so why isn’t he quite as bright? Is it because his quirk lets him pass through things, and so he’s a little transparent, like Hagakure is, but he’s so bright anyway that-”

“Hey, stop muttering,” Kacchan interrupted, popping off some tiny explosions to catch his attention. “Focus in, fog-for-brains. Your weakness is that your quirk burns through your stamina fast as hell, you’ll never win an endurance match - not now, at least. If you drain from your opponents, you’ll change that.”

“Yeah, but... draining at a speed that doesn’t risk hurting someone is still really hard, even though I’ve been practicing on you and Eijiro for months now,” Izuku admitted. “I don’t know if I could do it without really hurting All Might...”

“That’s why they put us against him, Deku. He’s got so much damn power that you won’t be able to even when you’re trying, like you said.”

“I... I just don’t know, Kacchan. I... I don’t know if I can do it.”

“Hn. Then leave it to me,” the blonde boasted. “I’ll kick his fucking ass!”

Izuku narrowed his eyes at his friend. “Come on, Kacchan, you know it won’t be that simple. What do you think you weakness is?”

“I don’t have any weaknesses!”

Izuku shook his head, smiling at little at his friend’s unshakable confidence. “That’s not true, Kacchan, and you know it. You’re incredible in combat, yes,” he continued, parrying Kacchan’s half-hearted punch of protest, “but combat isn’t everything. And there are some situations where you just can’t win.”

“Oh yeah?” the blonde growled. “Name one!”

“Back in that first battle trial, you attacked me even after I animated the capture tape,” he pointed out. “There was so little time left in the match that if you had just stayed out of my reach, your team would have won, but you went for me instead, and you lost.

“...name two!”

“Well, we’re about to challenge All Might...

“...point,” Kacchan admitted. “Fine, what the hell am I supposed to do then?”

“I think... your quirk is incredible for mobility as well as for combat,” Izuku mused. “You came in second in the obstacle course, and probably would have been in first if not for the minefield. Our best strategy... is probably for me to take on All Might as a distraction while you head for the exit.”

“Not happening,” his friend immediately snapped. “We win together or not at all.”

“It might be not at all, in that case...”

“I’m not leaving you behind, Deku. Make a new goddamn plan.”

“Hmm...”

Notes:

I didn't forget about Jiro's new costume, as designed by Izuku, but didn't have a great place to show it off yet! It's mostly the same as her first costume, just with a little more armor - the complex part is her new support items.
Her shield is basically a larger version of her boots, but her sword transforms the sounds she pumps into it into vibrations. It's close to blunt normally, but if she plugs into it with a high-frequency tone, it becomes a powerful cutting tool - on the other hand, a low-frequency tone won't make it cut, but will increase the force of her blows. The gauntlets are also a support item - in addition to serving as protection, they held reduce the vibrational backlash of using the sword and shield.
The speaker-looking patches on the back of her jacket aren't additional speakers, they're magnetic connectors for her to hang the shield on. There are some on her hips as well, for the sword, but the shirt covers it.

If you're curious about the slightly changed match-ups (resulting from Mineta's absence), the reasons are as follows:
* Midnight vs Todoroki and Sero. In canon, Todoroki is against Aizawa because he needs to learn to stop relying on his quirk. Here, he went up against Izuku in the Sports Festival and ran into a situation where his quirk (at least, the half he was willing to use at the time) wasn't just useless, it was worse than useless - he's spent time working on his quirkless fighting and doesn't rely on it as much anymore. Instead, he's going against Midnight, who has normal human abilities and vulnerabilities but won't shut his quirk down like Aizawa can, because he still needs to work on his precision. Sero is against Midnight for... whatever the reason was in canon.
* Aizawa vs Momo and Kyoka. With Todoroki shifted to fight against Midnight, we need a different love interest partner for Momo in this matchup, so Kyoka gets pulled in. Momo is against Aizawa for a slightly different reason here than in canon - there it was because she needed to build her confidence in herself in battle in general, but here she has that - what she needs instead is confidence in her planning skills, which she's been offloading to Izuku for the most part. Kyoka, here, is against Aizawa for her weak close-combat skills.
* Present Mic vs Shinso and Koda. Kyoka is now fighting Aizawa, but fortunately, we have another sound-wielding student to join the fight. Shinso did a little better in the Sports Festival than in canon (where he washed out in the first match of the third round rather than the second), which is why he's getting the opportunity to transfer now.
* All Might vs Izuku and Bakugo. This is the same match as in canon, but as explained in the chapter, Izuku's reason for being matched against All Might is different.
All other matches can be safely assumed to be unchanged, and to play out roughly the same way as in canon.

Chapter 22: Tests, Part 2

Momo moved as quietly as she could, letting Kyokun set their pace as they slowly made their way across the training field. They had agreed to delay their confrontation with Aizawa-sensei for as long as possible, to give her time to come up with a plan to deal with him, but all they had was the idea of flashbangs - three were resting in a bandoleer she had wrapped around herself, but Momo was certain that the man’s goggles would reduce if not entirely negate their effects.

They were fortunate that Kyokun’s quirk was a mutant-type ability, which Aizawa was unable to erase - it meant that her new support items would be able to function even under sensei’s quirk, which should give them an advantage... except, Momo thought, that Aizawa was an incredibly skilled combatant, as they had seen not just at the USJ attack but repeatedly throughout the semester, on the occasions that he demonstrated one move or another during heroics classes. Kyokun’s vibroblade might be able to stop him, but she wouldn’t want to use its more lethal settings...

Speaking of its more lethal settings, Kyokun held up a hand to pause them as they reached a dead end. “I have to cut through this,” she whispered, nodding at the wall and drawing the blade from where it hung at her side, “and I won’t be able to hear as well while I do. Keep an eye out?”

“Of course,” Momo promised, turning to look down the alley they had been following. Behind her, she heard a faint, high-pitched hum as her friend channeled a powerful vibration into her sword, increasing its cutting power enough that it could slice through the concrete wall easily.

Momo glanced up at the rooftops, knowing that Aizawa-sensei could move along them as easily as he walked down the street, and didn’t see him. But when she glanced down again, she was startled to see the man had appeared as if from nowhere, and was rushing towards them.

“Kyokun!” she snapped, pulling one of the flash grenades from her bandoleer and detonating it, turning her head as she did so - while she had made a pair of powerful sunglasses for her and her partner, even that wouldn’t completely block out the magnesium-powered flare.

It didn’t seem to help, as a moment later she was being struck repeatedly by quick, precise blows, forcing her backwards. Momo tried to produce a staff, cursing herself for not doing it sooner, and managed to get about half of it out - Aizawa must have been blinded at least momentarily by the flare, then - but her quirk cut out a moment later, leaving her with only half of the weapon, not enough to be useful. She snatched it out of the air anyway, using it as a baton even if that wasn’t her best close-range weapon -

Why was she so flustered? Was because her plan was falling apart? She had never been like this with Izukun’s plans, she was able to put them into practice easily enough. Of course, her crush’s plans tended to be more fully-formed than her own relatively-vague thought of trying to be stealthy. Here, on the other hand, Aizawa-sensei had struck at exactly the wrong time...

There was a sudden overwhelming thrum of sound as Kyokun cut in between her and Aizawa, swinging her shield as it produced a powerful shockwave and launching the teacher backwards, giving them a little more space. “Momo, run!” she snapped, bringing the vibroblade up into a ready position even as its hum shifted lower in pitch, changing it from a lethal cutting tool into a stunningly-powerful blunt weapon.

Momo ran, getting herself out of Aizawa’s line of sight through the hole in the wall that Kyokun had opened and continuing even as her friend held a defensive line, still being pushed back by their teacher but far more slowly. That had been too close - if not for Kyokun, Momo would have been captured in only a moment or two more. Even after working with Amajiki-senpai during her internship, her combat skills weren’t as strong as those of many of her classmates...

And why had she gone for a staff when she knew that Aizawa’s quirk might return at any moment and cut off her quirk? She should have created a handheld taser, like Amajiki-senpai had taught her to use.

It was because, Momo realized, she wasn’t good at creating plans or contingencies. She could use them better than anyone - whenever Izukun created a plan, she could easily follow its logic, and knew when it was time to shift tacks to a one of his back-up plans, when to take action, and could marshal people to follow her orders easily - it was why he always deferred to her when it came to the actual leading. But on her own...

On her own, Momo had few ideas other than simply ‘create an item to deal with the problem’. Much of the time, this worked - in the first event of the Sports Festival, during the USJ attack, and many times during standard heroics classes, simply acting decisively had been all that was necessary to succeed.

But when that first act failed - in the third event of the Festival, in some of their other exercises, right now - Momo froze up, and had little other recourse but... to run...

But she couldn’t do that now. It wasn’t just her grade on the line, Momo remembered, even if she could get to the gate. It was Kyokun’s - by guarding Momo’s rear, her best friend was sacrificing her chance of success to help Momo.

And that was something she couldn’t allow. Kyokun deserved to go on that trip well, deserved her good grade - she certainly deserved it more than Momo did. Kyokun deserved the world, everything that Momo could possibly do for the girl she -

This, Momo thought to herself, was not the moment to realize that she was crushing on Kyokun just as hard as she was on Izukun, but apparently that was just how this day was going.

She needed to get it together, to come up with a plan to actually capture Aizawa-sensei. For Kyokun’s sake.

---

“Who cares about destroying the city?” All Might boomed. “I am a villain, little heroes! You’d best be on high guard!”

Izuku swallowed, trying to force his heartrate back down - it was racing after All Might’s initial blow, an immensely powerful shockwave sent straight down the main street of the training area. Their teacher was sitting square in the middle of the field, right in the open between them and the gate.

Kacchan was clearly tempted to charge right at him, but he stuck by Izuku’s side - a good thing, too, as the blonde dragging him off to the side was the only way he had avoided the shockwave. “He’s there all right, just like you thought,” he growled. “But we have to get closer before your plan will work.”

Izuku nodded. “Neither of us have any stealth capabilities, so we’ll need to be fast. Bounce from cover to cover and keep out of his line of sight - he can destroy all of this easily, but if he doesn’t know where to strike...”

“He’ll hear my explosions,” Kacchan reluctantly admitted, “so you should carry me with your kaioken.”

“Full Cowling.”

“That’s what I said, isn’t it?”

Izuku shook his head, smiling, but he turned and beckoned for Kacchan to get on his back. His friend wrapped his arms around Izuku’s shoulders, and he charged up to x4 with Full Cowling - that, Izuku thought, should get him similar results to x3 despite the extra weight.

He was off a moment later, leaping to the top of the building they had hidden behind and then across the street and down into another alley before All Might’s next shockwave could blow down that segment of the city. He didn’t stop, instead continuing to juke back and forth across their teacher’s line of sight - keeping the hero’s attacks to already-destroyed sections of the city as much as he could.

Each leap and dash brought him a little closer to All Might, until he was close enough to reach up, grab Kacchan’s arms, and fling his friend towards the massive hero.

Kacchan twisted in midair, using explosions to accelerate his flight and start him spinning. “HOWITZER IMPACT!” he howled as he closed in on All Might.

“Foolish little heroes,” All Might laughed. “Do you really think that you can challenge me?”

“I don’t just think so!” Kacchan shouted, setting off a powerful blast right in the number one hero’s face - the enormous blonde just laughed it off.

Izuku, meanwhile, split off, lowering his aura to x3 now that he wasn’t bearing his friend’s weight, and continued circling All Might. With the explosive blonde acting as a distraction, it should take long enough for All Might to notice that...

“Don’t think you can get by me that easily!” All Might boomed, tossing Kacchan away from him and leaping towards Izuku.

It was too soon - he hadn’t had the time to set up the trap that would have immobilized even All Might, a cage of animated limbs that would hold him in the air without giving him any leverage. And with the hero barreling towards him at a thousand miles an hour, Izuku didn’t have much time to react, and it would take split-second timing to pull off his backup plan...

But if he flared up high enough, perhaps he could get that one moment he needed

Izuku pushed Full Cowling farther than he ever had before, his aura blazing like a star to match All Might’s as he burned through his soul. X10, x25, x50... he could practically feel time slowly down as his speed rose. He couldn’t sustain this for long, but he shouldn’t have to. Kacchan could yell at him later.

By the time he hit x75, All Might hung nearly stationary in midair to Izuku’s eyes, the hero’s hand moving at a crawl towards him. X100, and that was it - he didn’t think any additional power would help him - he had had to burn more and more energy with each multiplication, and he simply didn’t have enough to fuel any more.

A single second at this rate would cost Izuku nearly an hour’s worth of energy. If he held at this rate for even ten seconds, it would knock him out, maybe even kill him.

Fortunately, it wouldn’t take him even a second to do what he needed to do - and there was more than enough energy to fuel this move hanging in midair, right in front of him.

Izuku stepped forward, rising off the ground a little from the force of his steps and watching All Might’s eyes track him - the hero seemed to be fully capable of perceiving his movements even at this ludicrous speed, was even starting to bring his hands in to cover his face - he wondered for a moment if his aura was bright enough to blind All Might like the hero had once blinded him. But for all his Power, All Might wasn’t fast enough to stop Izuku.

If only he was the one carrying the cuffs, Izuku mused - but if Kacchan hadn’t had them, it would have tipped off All Might, who had a well-honed strategic mind despite his meathead image. And for all his speed with Full Cowling pushed to the limit, Izuku didn’t have the time to get it from him.

Instead, he just put a hand on All Might’s, hesitated briefly - a subjective second, probably less than a millisecond in real time - then breathed in.

Izuku drew deeply from the seemingly-infinite well of power within All Might, refueling all the vitality that he was burning on this stunt and more. Then he pushed off All Might, sliding under the hero’s frozen-in-midair charge and stopping himself on the ground.

He let Full Cowling snap back to x5, a much more comfortable level for him to hold, and instantly felt every muscle in his body ache. Moving at x100... it wasn’t hard, not while in that state, but it seemed that it wasn’t good for him, that it damaged him to the point that not even the accelerated healing speed could keep up. Something to work up to, he supposed.

All Might skidded to a halt, then turned to look at Izuku and Kacchan behind him. “That was an impressive move, little hero,” he growled. “But it won’t save you a second time.”

“It only has to save me once,” Izuku said, and breathed out, extending his soul into everything around him.

He had stolen a massive amount of vitality from All Might, nearly as much as he had from the nomu at the USJ, and he spent it all at once, sinking it into the street and the surrounding builds. Arms began to sprout from them at his direction, reaching out and grasping onto All Might, lifting him into the air.

“This won’t hold me for long, little heroes,” All Might boasted, flexing his muscles and beginning to break free of the arms.

“It doesn’t have to work for long!” Kacchan yelled as he launched himself towards the hero.

Their teacher started working more quickly, but Izuku’s animated golems - which would only last a minute or so, by his estimate - just grabbed at him again, managing to slow him down a little. With the arms slowing him, Kacchan was able to dodge around his blows and clap the capture bracelet around All Might’s wrist.

---

After a whirlwind of blows and blocks, Aizawa finally backed off, giving Kyoka space to breath for the first time in what felt like minutes. “You’ve gotten a lot better at this,” he noted. “Your skill in close combat has improved immensely since the beginning of the semester.”

She grinned. “I’ve worked hard for it.”

“You have,” he agreed. “Unfortunately, fighting me alone...” he lifted his capture weapon for the first time and rushed her again. “...won’t be enough.”

Kyoka slowed him with another shockwave from her shield, but he somehow absorbed it with his scarf, and a moment later she was wrapped up tightly, unable to move.

“You can’t expect to win fighting on your own,” Aizawa lectured.

“I’m not fighting alone,” she pointed out. “...well, I’m fighting alone, but I have a partner - and if I hold you off long enough, she’ll win.”

“Yaoyorozu may pass,” he admitted, scratching his chin, “but you won’t.”

“Wanna bet?” Kyoka pushed, pressing her vibroblade as far away from her and into the capture weapon as she could. She shifted the tone she was producing with that earjack into a higher register, turning the sword into a cutting tool. She started to make progress...

But before she could cut through a loop of the scarf, Aizawa pulled, tightening its coils - she was forced to drop the vibration before the sword began to cut her. “Not alone you won’t,” he said again.

“She’s not alone!” came Momo’s voice from behind her, and Kyoka’s heart skipped a beat - she hadn’t heard her friend’s approach, too focused on the battle, but there she was, that distinctive heartbeat pulsing behind her. Why had she come back? Kyoka had told her to run, had thought she would be off to save her grade...

But one of Momo’s flash grenades came sailing over her shoulder, and Kyoka pressed her eyes shut tightly behind the dark glasses she still wore, blocking out the blinding flare of light. The coiled capture weapon loosened on her as Aizawa stepped back, startled by Momo’s return, and she was able to start cutting again - an instant later, she was free.

There was a dull thump from behind her as she scrambled backwards, and a thick, opaque blanket shot by her, wrapping itself around Aizawa. “Now, Kyokun!” Momo ordered.

Kyoka rushed forward again at her friend’s command, hanging her sword and grabbing for the capture bracelet instead, but Aizawa had already torn his way free of the blanket and a moment later he leapt up, high into the air and landing on a rooftop.

“Launch me!” Momo snapped, and Kyoka turned to see her friend running towards her. “Shield!” she clarified, discarding what looked like a t-shirt cannon - presumably what she had used to launch the blanket.

Kyoka crouched, holding the shield high, and as Momo landed on it, she pushed upwards, standing and letting off a low-powered shockwave. The taller girl was launched just as high as Aizawa, following his trajectory to the roof.

She couldn’t follow, but she saw a flash of light as Momo used the third flash grenade before she landed on the man. A few moments later, their teacher - blinded and stunned repeatedly before having Kyoka’s crush fall out of the sky on him - was thoroughly wrapped in some kind of metal cord. “Kyokun!” Momo called, “toss me the capture bracelet!” She did, and then it was all over.

Notes:

Like I said last time, Kyoka needed to prove that she had grown her close combat skills, and Momo just needed confidence in her planning skills - it's not that she doesn't have them, despite her private fears, just that she hasn't had to use them.
Izuku and Bakugo also pass with flying colors. Bakugo was being tested for his ability to work with others as much as his focus on combat, although Izuku didn't realize it - after all, HE'S never had trouble working with Kacchan.

Izuku can push Full Cowling really, really far, as it turns out... but if not for being able to drain from All Might right after, it would have crippled him even worse that Iida's Recipro Burst does for him.

On the subject of All Might, I've changed the way I format his EXTREMELY LOUD VOICE to be extremely loud instead - all-caps now are reserved for Present Mic.

Chapter 23: Relaxation, Part 2

Group Chat: A Mad Banquet of Training

Shining Star -> @everyone, Yaomomo and I have an announcement!

Shining Star -> Wait, who changed my name to Shining Star?

Alien Queen <- Well, you look like a star when you’ve got that new technique up!

Glorious Goddess of Tutoring <- You are rather radiant when you’re using it, Izukun.

Glorious Goddess of Tutoring <- ...was this you as well, Ashido?

Alien Queen <- Half of us would have failed our written exams without you!

Glorious Goddess of Tutoring changed their name to ‘Yaomomo’

Shining Star -> The point is, we have an announcement!

___ <- Ooh, are you finally dating?

Shining Star -> No

Yaomomo <- No

Radio Star <- No

Alien Queen <- One day, Toru

Alien Queen <- One day, our ship will set sail

Mr Roboto <- What is your announcement?

Mr Roboto <- @Alien Queen!

Alien Queen <- What?

Mr Roboto changed their name to ‘Iida’

Yaomomo added Hitoshi Shinso to the chat

Shining Star -> Shinso is officially in our class starting next semester!

Yaomomo <- We thought there was no reason to delay adding him to the group chat.

Hitoshi Shinso <- Hi everyone.

Hitoshi Shinso <- I’m not here to make friends, so don’t expect me to speak up much in this chat.

Alien Queen changed Hitoshi Shinso ’s name to ‘Aizawa Jr’

Shining Star -> We’re gonna be your friends anyway, Shinso

Sunshine <- You can’t stop friendship!

Icyhot <- I can confirm that there’s no hope. I was unable to prevent it either.

Aizawa Jr <- I DON’T EVEN KNOW WHO MOST OF YOU ARE!

Shining Star -> Don’t worry, you’ll learn!

Yaomomo <- I’m sure we can arrange some type of icebreaker activity once we’re all reunited at the training camp.

Alien Queen changed the title of the chat to ‘A Mad Banquet of Forestry’

Radio Star changed the title of the chat to ‘A Mad Forest of Training’

Alien Queen <- Ooh, that’s better

Radio Star <- Thanks

Pikachu <- I can’t believe that us not going to the camp if we failed was just another one of Aizawa’s logical ruses

Alien Queen <- yeah what a relief!

Radio Star <- How many people failed?

Alien Queen <- Me...

Pikachu <- Me

Sunshine <- Me...

Sunshine <- Sato, too.

King Murder Explosion <- You’re all a bunch of losers.

Sunshine <- Thanks bro, very reassuring

King Murder Explosion <- anytime

Yaomomo <- We’re glad that you’re able to come to the camp!

Alien Queen <- Thank you, Madam President

Alien Queen changed Yaomomo ’s name to ‘Madam President’

Madam President <- I suppose this is acceptable.

Alien Queen changed Shining Star ’s name to ‘First Gentleman’

First Gentleman -> We told you, we’re not dating

Radio Star changed First Gentleman ’s name to ‘VP Sunshine’

VP Sunshine -> I fear this will cause confusion

Sunshine <- Why?

Sunshine <- oh right lol

VP Sunshine changed their name to VP Anxiety

Madam President <- Oh no!

Alien Queen <- Oh no!

Sunshine <- Oh no!

___ <- Oh no!

King Murder Explosion <- Why the fuck are you surprised?

Aizawa Jr <- I’m regretting this transfer already.

VP Anxiety -> MOVING ON

VP Anxiety -> We had another thing to bring up!

Madam President <- Yes! It’s been a few weeks since our last class outing, and we’ll be leaving for the trip in only another two weeks - we wanted to arrange something before then.

___ <- Do you need ideas? We should go shopping!

VP Anxiety -> Actually, that was exactly what we were thinking.

Madam President <- We’d like everyone to meet at the Kiyashi Ward Shopping Mall next weekend. If you need to purchase anything for the trip, that will be the time.

Iida <- An excellent plan, as expected of our class representatives!

Alien Queen <- Ooh, shopping! I can’t wait - can we make the guys dress up in cute outfits?

Madam President <- I’m not sure that there will be time for that.

___ <- That wasn’t a no!

Icyhot <- Which day?

VP Anxiety -> Saturday has worked best for everyone in the past

Alien Queen <- I’ll be there!

Radio Star <- Sounds good to me

Sunshine <- Looking forward to it!

___ <- Works for me!

Pikachu <- sure

Aizawa Jr <- Mind if I tag alone? I need some stuff

Madam President <- Of course not!

Aizawa Jr <- Cool

Icyhot <- I won’t be able to make it. I made plans to visit my mother that day.

VP Anxiety -> You’ll be missed!

King Murder Explosion <- Will he though?

Radio Star <- Will he though?

Radio Star <- Jinx!

King Murder Explosion <- FUCK

King Murder Explosion muted themself for 15 minutes

Radio Star <- seriously though, have fun with your mom. Some things are more important than goofing off at the mall

Sunshine <- Right on, Jiro!

Iida <- If there’s anything you need, @Icyhot, I’ll be happy to pick it up for you.

Icyhot <- Thank you, but that won’t be encessary.

Radio Star <- encessary

Alien Queen <- encessary

VP Anxiety -> encessary

Sunshine <- encessary

___ <- encessary

Pikachu <- encessary

Icyhot <- Run while you still can, @Aizawa Jr.

Aizawa Jr <- encessary

---

“Guys, I’m so psyched for this shopping trip!” Ashido shouted as Kyoka approached the gathering group, leaping into the air and pumping a fist. “I haven’t been shopping in ages!

“Neither have I!” Hagakure said brightly, her hands probably clasped in front of her judging from the angle of her sleeves. “I’ve been so busy with classes and studying, I haven’t had the time!”

“Is everyone here now?” Momo asked, seeing Kyoka approach and giving her a smile. “Twelve, thirteen, fourteen... yes, that’s everyone who could make it!”

“What should we grab first?” Pikachu asked. “I need a sleeping bag.”

“I was hoping to find some new sneakers,” Shinso offered.

“I’ve got to get some bug spray...”

“I need sun screen!”

Before long, the clamor began to get intense, and Kyoka had to step back and turn away, breathing deeply. She didn’t have the sound-leveling earplugs she was able to wear as part of her costume to help her here - but, she reminded herself, there were also only a dozen people or so shouting. It wasn’t as bad as it sometimes was. She didn’t need to panic - everything was fine.

“Kyokun, are you alright?” she heard a familiar voice ask, a heartbeat as comforting as her own approaching. Izukun put a gentle hand on her shoulder, and she turned to embrace him, shoving her face into his neck.

“I just need a moment,” she muttered, focusing on his heartbeat. “Just gotta... drown all of that out.” She gestured vaguely towards the pressing mass of their classmates trying to figure out what to do.

“Of course,” Izukun murmured, wrapping his arms around her.

A minute or two later, the clamoring sound began to fade. “Thanks for that, Green,” Kyoka said, lifting her head and releasing her friend. “I know I gotta do better about that stuff, but... sometimes I just need something steady that I can focus on, you know? A rhythm line, a drumbeat, whatever.”

He raised his eyebrows. “Maybe a heartbeat?”

She blushed a little, looking away from the green-haired boy. “Yeah, maybe.”

“Well it’s no problem,” Izukun assured her. “That’s how you get through concerts, I assume?”

“Yeah, I can focus on the music and not pay attention to the crowd,” she confirmed, then glanced at their classmates. “Hey, where’d everybody go?”

“They split off, with Momo, Kacchan, and Tenya each leading a group,” he told her.

“Got it. I guess we’re together then, huh?”

“A real hardship, I know,” he teased. “What do you need?”

“I’ve got everything I need for the trip, although I’d never say no to stopping by a music shop,” she said, absentmindedly twirling one of her earjacks around her finger, “I mostly just came to hang out with everyone.”

“I need a new pair of sneakers, and I wanted to pick up a reusable water bottle. Maybe head to an athletic store and then swing by the music shop?”

“Sounds good. I might grab a bottle as well.”

They began walking, chatting idly about what they had done in the week since classes ended - apparently Izukun had been accosted by Pikachu and Ashido after the exams, both wanting him to redesign their costumes as he had done for Kyoka. She, meanwhile, had been presented with a new book of fingerstyle guitar songs by her parents as congratulations for finishing her first semester at UA, and had been spending her time with that.

“...that sounds pretty cool, Violet.” Kyoka heard Izukun’s heart skip a beat as he paused momentarily, staring across the mall, and she followed his eyes to see Momo leading her group - her own heart, she knew, did the same as she saw the object of their affections. “You should play them for me and Momo sometime!”

Kyoka took a deep breath, marshaling her courage, then spoke. “Can we talk?”

He raised an eyebrow at her. “Aren’t we talking already, Vi?”

“Izukun,” she said, emphasizing the much closer nickname that she only rarely used, “I don’t mean a casual talk. Like, a serious, important talk.”

He took a breath of his own, then nodded. “Yeah. Sure. Let’s just, um, find a seat, I guess?”

“This isn’t about anything bad you’ve done, I promise,” Kyoka assured her friend as they sat on a nearby bench, remembering that he was trouble by anxious thoughts and trying to calm his racing heartrate. “Just, some feelings that I think we need to lay on the table.”

“Okay. Okay.” He was still breathing too quickly for her liking, but at least he didn’t seem worried that she was about to tear into him.

“You like Momo,” Kyoka said, flatly. “Like, you like-like her.”

“...yeah,” he confirmed, and for some reason, her heart sank even though she had already known it. “And... you like her too, don’t you?”

“...yeah,” she agreed.

They sat in silence for a moment before he said, “I mean, it would be hard not too. She’s... incredible. Intelligent, creative, an amazing quirk, and maybe the single kindest person I know on top of it all.”

“Not to mention richer than god and drop-dead gorgeous,” Kyoka added.

“Well, I didn’t want to mention it, but...” They laughed. “I know I don’t really have a chance,” Izukun continued, “but...”

“Hold on, what do you mean you don’t have a chance?” she said, blinking in surprise. “You know she thinks the world of you.”

“I know she likes me as a friend, but that’s as a friend,” he emphasized. “I’m... nowhere close to her league. I’m plain-looking, I’m-”

Kyoka cut him off before he could start listing imagined failures by gently smacking him in the side of the head. “Stop that.”

“Hey!”

“You, Izuku Midoriya,” she said firmly, “are definitely in Momo’s league. You’re smart, brave, creative, you’re a fantastic artist, you have an amazing quirk of your own, and your heart is so big, Izukun, you care so much. If anyone has a chance with Momo, it’s you.” She didn’t mention that Momo had actually confessed her crush on Izukun to her, anymore than she would tell him that Momo’s heart skipped a beat when she saw him just as his did when he saw her. Kyoka had had enhanced hearing long enough to have developed strict rules about gossiping. “And plain-looking? You’re nothing of the sort, Green. You’re adorable.”

He blushed and looked away from her. “...adorable?”

“You know I’m mostly into girls,” she reminded him, “but I’m not relaying Ashido or Hagakure’s thoughts here. That’s me saying it.”

“...okay, but look at my competition!” Izukun said, turning back to her. “Kyokun, you’re one of the bravest people I know. You... you made a choice to be yourself, regardless of what the world thinks, and more than that, to become a hero! You stepped in front of a charging nomu! You’re not afraid of anything - not even of confronting your weaknesses, whether by practicing combat skills until you’re one of the best fighters in the class or by going on Present Mic’s radio show! And Kyokun,” he said seriously, looking her dead in the eye. “You’re every bit as gorgeous as Momo, not to mention being an incredible musician and songwriter. And you care just as much as Momo and I do, even if you don’t show it in the same way.”

Now it was Kyoka looking away and blushing. “...thank you,” she whispered.

“Not to mention,” he added, “You’re very funny.”

She elbowed him in the side, and he wheezed dramatically. “Oh, stop it.”

“Seriously, Kyokun,” Izukun said, “it’s not just me being insecure about myself. It’s also you. How could I...” he paused, then continued. “How could I hope to compete with you?”

“Well, I can think of one big thing you have over me,” Kyoka said, leaning back. “You’re a guy.”

“...you think Momo is straight?”

“Most people are, statistically.”

Izukun tilted his head to the side, thinking. “...that can’t be right.”

“And you say I’m the funny one?”

“Kyokun,” he said, “You have a better chance than you think. I’m pretty sure Momo likes you like that, not me.”

“I’m pretty sure of the opposite,” she insisted.

He seemed to be considering saying something, opening his mouth once or twice, then eventually just sat back. “...it’ll have to be her choice, whatever way it turns out.”

“...yeah,” she agreed, standing. “Hey, I’m gonna use the little girls’ room real quick. Back to shopping and unimportant conversation when I get back?”

“Sounds good.”

---

“Hey, Yaomomo?” Ashido asked, her voice relatively subdued for the chipper girl. “Can we talk real quick?”

“Of course, Ashido, what is it?”

The pink-skinned girl pulled her to the side, into a little alley away from the store that the rest of her group was now entering. “So here’s what’s up. You know that I’m interested in Bakugo, right?”

“You haven’t made much of a secret of it, out of the boys’ hearing,” Momo confirmed, confused why the girl was coming to her about it.

“Bakkun’s best friends are Kirikun and Midori,” Ashido continued. “And Kirikun and I get along great, but...”

“I think I see where this is going,” Momo murmured.

“Yeah. Midori hates me,” she said with a sigh. “I don’t even know what I did wrong - it can’t be the ‘Izukun’ thing you warned me about, because he was avoiding me as early as the beach trip. And besides, I switched to ‘Midori’ and he doesn’t seem to mind that.”

“But-”

“I know you’re not his girlfriend,” Ashido assured her, then narrowed her eyes. “Or so you say. But you can’t deny that you’re one of Midori’s best friends, and I’m not gonna ask Bakkun about this.”

“What about Kyokun?” Momo asked.

“I would have asked her if I was grouped up with her, but I’m not.”

“Fair enough.” Momo sighed. “First of all, I can tell you that Izukun doesn’t hate you.”

“It sure feels like it sometimes,” Ashido said, sounding miserable. “I don’t want my boyfriend’s best friend - I hope he’ll be my boyfriend by the time the camp is over - to hate me!”

“Izukun isn’t exactly fond of you,” she admitted, “but he’s insisted that he doesn’t dislike you. He just...” Momo cast her mind back to when he had explained it to her and Kyokun. “He told me once that you have too much energy for him,” she explained. “That he can only handle you in small doses, because unlike Kirishima, you never seem to slow down - at least, that’s how he perceives it.”

Ashido hummed thoughtfully. “That... isn’t as bad as I feared, in some ways, but it’s worse in others. On the one hand, there’s nothing I did that I can apologize for and try to make up for, but on the other, it’s just our personalities clashing and he’s aware that that’s all it is.”

“I... must also confess that he doesn’t think you’re good enough for Bakugo. I believe that Izukun is hoping he and Kirishima will begin a relationship.”

Ashido raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

“Yes.”

“Huh... I wonder what he’ll think about it...” she seemed to be considering something.

“Speaking of Kirishima, I must confess some confusion on that front,” Momo said after Ashido had been silent for a moment. “I know you’ve spoken about your attraction to Bakugo before-”

“Yup, no secrets here.”

“-but you’ve also spoken about Kirishima.”

“Sure, he’s tasty too.”

Momo sighed. “Well, I suppose I didn’t quite realize you were serious about Bakugo, given that you were quite happy to talk about Kirishima as well. I just...”

“Oh, I’m serious about Bakugo,” Ashido confirmed, “why would I not be able to be interested in Kirishima, too? They both make me happy.”

“I don’t understand how you can so casually be... interested in two people,” Momo tried to explain, not sure if she was making sense.

Ashido tilted her head to the side thoughtfully, narrowing her eyes. “...I see what’s going on here.”

“If you understand, please, explain it to me.”

“You’re interested in Midori and Jiro, aren’t you?” the pink-skinned girl said, grinning wickedly. “And you’re feeling guilty about liking both?”

“...yes,” Momo admitted.

“And you’re hoping I can give you advise on how to decide? Or at least how not to feel bad about it?”

“How did you know?”

She chuckled. “I was right where you were a few weeks back, when I realized I really did like both of them.”

“How did you...”

“Kirikun and I swung by Bakugo’s place after school,” Ashido began. “...have you ever been to Midori’s home?”

“No, we do our studying at my own residence. I’m not sure I see the relevance?”

“Oh, you’ll see. We met Bakugo’s moms, and they told us about a little something called-”

“A moment,” Momo interrupted, her phone buzzing in a specific pattern. She slipped it out and glanced at the emergencies-only group chat that she had created for the class after the Hosu incident - Ashido did the same thing.

Kyoka Jiro <- @Momo Yaoyorozu @Katsuki Bakugo come down to the central fountain

Kyoka Jiro <- Izukun had a run-in with Shigaraki

Kyoka Jiro <- HE’S OKAY

Kyoka Jiro <- hand-fucker is gone and the police have been called

Kyoka Jiro <- but he needs friends rn

Katsuki Bakugo <- omw

"Holy crap," Ashido said, her eyes wide, as Momo practically flew towards the stairs down to the mall's central plaza, typing one-handed:

Momo Yaoyorozu -> I'll be there soon.

Notes:

I hope these names are clear, but...
Shining Star/First Gentleman/VP Anxiety: Izuku Midoriya
Alien Queen: Mina Ashido
Glorious Goddess of Tutoring/Yaomomo/Madam President: Momo Yaoyorozu
___: Toru Hagakure
Mr Roboto/Iida: Tenya Iida
Hitoshi Shinso/Aizawa Jr: Hitoshi Shinso
Shunshine: Eijiro Kirishima
Icyhot: Shoto Todoroki
Radio Star: Kyoka Jiro
Pikachu: Denki Kaminari
King Murder Explosion: Katsuki Bakugo

Chapter 24: Forest, Part 1

The class tumbled down to the bottom of the cliff face, each breaking their fall in their own way. Izukun flared like a star for a moment before twisting in midair and somehow capturing a clump of rock in his aura and turning it into a sled for himself. Sparky blasted himself away from the rough face and spun down to the ground, steadily popping explosions slowing his fall by degrees. Ice Prince slid down in a trough of ice, and Momo produced a parachute for herself.

Kyoka, on the other hand, just fell. Her quirk was, as usual, mostly useless without support items. Fortunately, she thought as she struck the ground and rolled, she had a lot of practice breaking falls thanks to Aizawa’s martial arts lessons. While it was a hard fall, and she would definitely have bruises, it something she could do in her sleep.

“Is everyone okay?” Izukun called as she rose. He hopped out of his sled, absentmindedly tapping it and, presumably, reabsorbing its energy, because the faint aura that surrounded it vanished and it sagged into an oddly-shaped mound of dirt.

“Gonna be sore in the morning, but I’m okay. No need to worry, Green,” she assured him.

“Of course I’m fucking okay!” Sparky shouted, a maniacal grin on his face. “I’m looking forward to this!”

“Doing just fine!” said Sharktooth, giving a thumbs up.

“I think I rolled my ankle,” complained Pikachu. “I can’t believe Aizawa let that heroine just toss us over the edge like that!”

“If you’re hurt or sore, come over here,” Izukun directed, gesturing for people to approach. “I’ll heal you.”

“Isn’t your healing not actually real healing?” Kyoka asked as she approached.

“I’m working on that,” Izukun said, clasping her arm. “Tell me how this feels...”

Energy surged into her, and she gasped - as usual, the enhancement felt incredible. It blazed through her like a wildfire, making her cheeks burn and bringing a pleasant warmth to her core.

That was all normal, though - Izukun regularly enhanced his partners in heroic training, when they were doing team exercises, and Kyoka had worked with him enough to grow used to its effects. This time, however, it was even more than usual. She could leap a mountain, hear everything in the forest, lift a tree...

And the world slowed around her. She glanced around, seeing people move in slow-motion and hearing sounds shift tone in pitch. This had never happened before - at least not this noticably. She turned back to Izukun and saw that an aura was beginning to blaze around him as well, and his motions, also slowed, began to return to normal.

“Ah, damn,” he said. “I was hoping it wouldn’t speed up your perceptions.”

“It is,” she noted. “Why is that?”

“I’m trying something a little new, which I figured out I can do based on my Full Cowling technique,” he explained. “Instead of giving you five minutes of energy that works over five minutes, I’m giving five minutes of energy over five seconds.”

She blinked. “That’s... what, 60 times the normal enhancement, in that time?”

“Closer to 45 - it gets less and less effective. But yeah, the idea is that the healing will be fast enough that it actually won’t hurt you. If I can restrict it to just the parts that are actually damaged, it’ll be even more effective, but...”

Kyoka tilted her head to the side. “So we have five minutes at this speed? Or no, 5 times 45 is...”

“3 minutes, 45 seconds,” Izukun said immediately - he was much better at math than her. “Only 90 seconds or so left.”

“Damn,” she swore. “Not enough time to prank Momo.”

“We’re not going quite fast enough to do what I think you’re imagining,” he said with a chuckled, “but I take your meaning.

“This kind of healing will be tedious if if comes with the perception speed every time. At least you can match it, though. It would be pretty boring if I couldn’t make conversation.”

“That makes it even more expensive, is the thing...”

She shrugged. “Better than nothing,” she said, and in the middle of her sentence the world returned to normal speed. She blinked. “Whoa.”

“Feeling better?” Izukun asked.

“...yeah, much,” she confirmed after a moment’s thought. “No lingering aches like I normally have after your enhancement covers for a bruise or something.”

“Good to know.”

“Can you help my ankle?” Pikachu asked, limping slightly.

The green-haired boy frowned. “I’m not sure that I should, actually. Bruises and aches are one thing, but it seems like I didn’t quite have it there, and Recovery Girl would kill me if I messed you up permanently.”

“At least a normal enhancement to get me through the forest?”

He shook his head. “Sorry - I shouldn’t have even offered when I wasn’t sure if I had healing down correctly, yet. But I’m sure that Momo can make you a splint? I can enhance you then.”

“Here,” said their class president, already holding out out. “Wrap your ankle.”

“Speaking of that, Momo, would you mind-” Kyoka began.

She was interrupted by a tremendous thump as a huge monster formed from the dirt and rock of the cliff face and took one massive step towards the group. Kaminari and Koda screamed, Sparky lit up like it was Christmas, and Kyoka flinched away from the unexpected noise.

Izukun, on the other hand, didn’t hesitate. He lunged forward, a bright aura blazing around him once more, and breathed vitality into the rock monster. A moment later, it split into a flock of bird golems, all of them flying away in different directions.

“Oh good,” he wheezed, falling to his knees and letting his aura lapse. “I trump Pixie-Bob’s control...”

“DEKU!” Sparky swore, lunging for the green-haired boy and catching him before he collapsed. “You idiot, you’re gonna knock yourself out at this rate! We’ve got a hole forest of fucking beasts to get through!”

“I’ll be fine,” Izukun promised, waving his friend away.

“Are you sure, Green?” Kyoka asked. “That had to have taken a lot out of you.”

“Oh, it didn’t,” he admitted. “But I’ve got it covered.” He put a hand on the nearest tree and breathed in, tendrils of luminous white mist leaking from its leaves and soaking into his body. “See?”

Momo blinked in surprise. “Of course! You can absorb from any living thing, this forest is like one big battery for you!”

“That makes sense... and it’s not giving you any sensory overload?” she asked, wanting to make sure her best friend was alright.

He nodded. “It probably would have, a few months ago, but the technique Ryukyu taught me is working just fine,” he assured her.

“Well then...” she turned to Momo again. “As I was saying, would you mind making a me a sword?”

---

They traipsed into the camp a few hours later, all in high spirits. Izukun enhancing the whole class - refueling himself along the way from trees - had made the trek through the forest about as close to a walk in the park as they could hope. Bakugo had refused to let Momo’s green-haired crush break apart any more of the rock monsters as he had the first one, but between him, Kirishima, and Todoroki, the class had had little trouble destroying them on their own.

When they reached the camp, Kan-sensei blinked at them in surprise. “I didn’t expect you to arrive in time for lunch,” the blood hero admitted. “When Aizawa told me where he had left you, I figured you wouldn’t be back until dinner.”

“These kids are total monsters!” Ragdoll said cheerfully. “They weren’t worried for a moment, and were moving at crazy speed!”

“It’s thanks to this kid in particular,” Pixie Bob said, pointing at Izukun. “His quirk is crazy! I didn’t believe Aizawa when he said how great it was!”

Izukun blushed and rubbed the back of his head, clearly embarrassed by the praise. “The forest just happens to be a place where I can get almost unlimited energy to fuel my quirk. I wouldn’t have been nearly as useful if we had been moving through a city.”

“Hm... maybe you should join our team!” Ragdoll offered, leaning forward and batting her eyelashes. “You’d be perfect! You could be called Selkirk, and-”

“Sorry,” Momo cut in, “but I’m afraid that I’ve already called Izukun for my own hero agency, once we graduated.” She frowned at the all-too-flirtatious hero.

“Well, I suppose we have to respect the dibs,” said Pixie Bob, “but if you change your mind, kid, we’re always on the lookout for talented young men!” She winked.

Kyokun, standing beside her and leaning on her sword, almost growled. “That’s a little creepy, lady. You’re old enough to be our parents.”

“We’re young at heart!”

“Pussycats,” Ken-sensei groaned, “don’t sexually harass the students.”

“We’re not-”

“Not quite, but you’re close,” he warned. “You know what Aizawa will do if he even thinks you’re thinking about it.

Pixie Bob grumbled and turned to go. “Come on, Ragdoll. These jerks are no fun.”

“I apologize for them. Now, we have no exercises planned until tomorrow,” the hero told the students as they left, “so take the rest of the day to settle in. The cabins are there - boys on the left, girls on the right,” he pointed, “there are hot springs if you like, and we’re going to set up a pair of bonfires after dinner. Enjoy.”

---

“Hey, Yaomomo!”

Momo blinked in surprise and looked up from the book she had been reading, a trashy romance novel about a girl torn between two lovers. “Ashido? What is it?”

The pink-haired girl grinned at her from where she leaned in through the cabin door. “It’s bonfire time! Come on, it’s gonna be just us girls!”

“What about the boys?”

“They’ve got their own bonfire, come on!”

She closed her book - it had been hitting too close to home anyway - and rose, following Ashido out the door. “Very well. A bonfire and the company of friends does sound pleasant.”

“And that’s not all - we’re gonna play Truth or Dare!” Ashido told her cheerfully.

“That... I’ve never played that,” Momo confessed.

The shorter girl patted her on the shoulder. “I figured. Don’t worry, it’s pretty self-explanatory!”

“I know how to play, but-”

“Hey, you’re still trying to get less formal, right? No better way.”

Momo nodded decisively. “You’re right. I’ll play!”

“Great!” They arrived at one of the two bonfires, the flames burning merrily and illuminating a wide circle of girls - not just the others from Momo’s class, but those from 1B as well. “I got her!” Ashido announced, sitting on a log next to a green-haired girl with sharp teeth who Momo thought she had seen in the sports festival. “That’s everyone!”

“So, are we ready to start playing?” asked her logmate.

“We should probably-” Momo began, speaking at the same time as a redhead from 1B. She paused, and the other girl nodded at her to continue. “We should probably introduce ourselves,” Momo suggested as she found a seat. “I don’t think I know any of your names except for you, Shiozaki-san.”

“I was about to suggest the same thing,” the redhead agreed.

“Alright, I’ll start,” Ashido said. “Name, quirk, and something fun about us?”

“Sounds good.”

“Mina Ashido! My quirk is called Acid!” she said cheerfully. “And I’m a great dancer! Any kind of dance you name, I can do it!”

“Setsuna Tokage,” said the green-haired girl. “My quirk is Lizard Tail Splitter - I can divide my body and make the pieces fly around! My fun fact is that I know every kind of dinosaur there is!”

“Toru Hagakure! I’m invisible, obviously. I can play the flute!”

A girl with dark hair and a calm, flat expression gestured, and the redhead beside her translated, “Yui Kodai - her quirk is Size, and she can only speak when she’s singing something.” Kodai nodded in confirmation.

“My name,” continued the redhead, “is Itsuka Kendo. My quirk is Big Fist, and I’m the class president of 1B.”

That made it Momo’s turn. “Momo Yaoyorozu - my quirk is Creation, and I’m the class president of 1A.”

“Hey, girl power!” Kendo-san said cheerfully, holding up a fist.

Momo bumped it. “Girl power,” she agreed, winking at Kyokun - she remembered learning about fist-bumps back at the beginning of semester. Her friend blushed slightly, and she wondered what that meant - did Kyoka like her too? She hoped so, but she was probably just reading too much into it...

"Kinoko Komori, my quirk is Mushroom, and I know everything about fungi of all sorts!" a girl whose hair obscured most of her face said.

“Ochaco Uraraka, my quirk is Zero Gravity, and I love stargazing!”

“Ibara Shiozaki. My quirk is Vines, and I greatly enjoy baking bread.”

“...Reiko Yanagi. Poltergeist. ...I like ghost stories.”

“Kyoka Jiro. My quirk is Earphone Jack, and...” Kyokun swallowed nervously, and met Momo’s gaze. She smiled at her friend, and the purple-haired girl continued, “um, I’m trans. Uh, she/her.” She flinched reflexively, clearly expecting some kind of reaction.

No one seemed to care, thankfully - Momo was entirely ready to chew them out if they did, but all that happened was that the horned girl said, in a faint accent, “Pony Tsunotori, quirk: Horn Cannon. I grew up in America, so just call my Pony - it always feels weird to be called by my last name.”

“Okay, time for truths and dares! Who’s going first?” Ashido asked.

“...Mina, truth or dare?” Tokage-san asked.

“Dare, obviously!”

“I dare you... to kiss the prettiest boy in your class!” the reptilian girl grinned.

Momo blinked. “That escalated much faster than I expected it to.”

Mina tapped at her chin thoughtfully. “Are we talking most attractive in general? Or specifically prettiest? Because the most handsome boy is Bakkun, but the most attractive is Kirikun, and the prettiest is... hm...”

“Todoroki,” said Tsu.

“...yeah, definitely Todoroki.”

“The prettiest,” Tokage decided. “Go give a smooch to Todoroki!”

“I object to this objectification,” Shiozake

“Make sure you get permission!” Momo called after her as the pink-haired girl scrambled to her feet and went off to the boy’s fire. “Oh... I didn’t think it would be quite like this already...”

“What did you think would happen?” Kendo translated for Kodia as the mute girl signed.

“I thought it would start off with something like... I don’t know...” Momo cast about for an idea. “...daring Kodai to sing something for us, or asking who we have a crush on.”

“Well, we can certainly do that!” Ashido said, returning and taking her seat.

“Did you really kiss him?” Hagakure asked.

“Yup! Planted one on his cheek!”

“Hey, that’s not what I meant!” Tokage protested.

“You did not specify where the kiss had to be,” the pink-haired girl said with a smirk. “Now then... Yaomomo!”

Uh oh, Momo thought. “Yes?”

“Truth or dare?”

“...you’re obviously going to ask me who I have a crush on if I choose truth,” she said warily, and Ashido nodded. “Dare, then.”

“I dare you...” the other girl grinned deviously. “To tell us who you have a crush on!”

Momo facepalmed while everyone else laughed. “Is that allowed?”

“I don’t see why not,” Tokage said.

“It’s getting around the concept of the game!” Momo argued. “A dare should be an action, not just a rephrasing of a truth!”

“She has a point,” Itsuka agreed.

“Besides, Ashido already knows who I have a crush on,” she said, crossing her arms. “And she knows why I’m not sharing in this group.”

“...is it someone in this group?” Tsu asked, and Momo was unable to stop herself from blushing. “That’s a yes, then. And here I thought you liked Midoriya-kun.”

“Fine, fine, something else,” Ashido allowed. “That was mostly just a joke, anyway. Still dare?”

“If you’re not going to ask me about my crush, then... truth, I suppose.”

“Alrighty...” She tilted her head to the side, thinking. “When did you realize that you were bisexual?”

“...in retrospect, I think I first started to realize on that first day of classes,” Momo admitted, “when we were changing back to our uniforms after the quirk fitness test, you were all teasing me but...” her blush returned. “That was only half the reason I was all red.”

“Oh my god, Momo,” Kyoka laughed.

“I had never changed with other girls before,” she said defensively. “It was a new experience! I don’t get like that anymore!”

“I get that,” Kendo admitted. “I had a similar moment when I first started to realize I was a lesbian. One day I was looking around and realized ‘holy shit, all these ladies are gorgeous,’ and it took me a month to get over it and be able to change normally.”

“That was only in retrospect though, like I said,” Momo continued. “And my crush was a slow thing, it built up before I noticed it. It was...” she paused, thinking about how to explain without giving away that it was Kyokun she liked - she didn’t want that to come out before she was ready, not when she was still undecided between her and Izukun, still wracked with guilt about liking them both and not wanting to choose. The real moment had been when she had heard the song that Kyokun had written for Izukun’s birthday, and she hadn’t been able to get her voice out of her dreams that night, but... “You remember when we went to that karaoke club two months ago?” she asked.

Tsunotori - no, Pony, gasped. “You realized while listening to her sing?”

Momo nodded, trying not to look at Kyokun. “Yes. She has an incredible singing voice - although I was still in denial about it actually being a crush, at the time.”

“Yaomomo,” Tsu said sympathetically, “I’m sorry to say this, but I’ll try to let you down easily...” She laughed so hard that she ribbited - while Tsu had many skills, singing wasn’t one of them.

“She obviously means me!” Ashido boasted, “I’m the best singer of all of us!”

“No, me!” Hagakure giggled. “Don’t you remember my rendition of Mr. Cellophane?”

“Isn’t it my turn to ask?” Momo pointed out. They settled down, and she said, “Kodai, truth or dare?”

She signed and Itsuka translated, “Truth.” Momo blinked, and the mute girl continued, “I know you want to hear me sing, but it’s too early in the night for that! Maybe later.”

“Fair enough. Then... how did you discover that you could sing despite being otherwise mute?” Momo asked, finding herself curious.

“I could always hum along to music, even after my selective mutism got to this point,” she explained through the medium of Itsuka, “but it wasn’t until I was 11 that I discovered it. I discovered my favorite musical group, Bear and Lioness, and the rest was history!”

“Who’s up next?” Itsuka asked her, and Kodai pointed to Tokage.

“Dare!” the reptilian girl said cheerfully.

“I dare you to... kiss the cutest boy in 1A!”

“Not our class?” she asked.

“No, go pick a kid you don’t know,” Itsuka translated.

“Hm... okay!”

“On the cheek, on the cheek!” the redhead called after her. “Get permission!”

“I’ll do what I want!” Tokage shouted back. It was only a few moments later that she returned, looking immensely satisfied with herself. “Done!”

“Who’d you kiss?” Ashido asked curiously.

“This cute green-haired kid,” she said, grinning, and Momo felt a rush of anger that she tried to suppress - it was just a game, after all. “He went red as a tomato!”

“On the cheek, right?” Kyokun asked, glancing at Momo with a faint frown.

“Yeah, he said I could give him just a kiss on the cheek and I do understand the importance of consent,” the reptilian girl said, waving away the objection - Momo was relieved that that was all it was, but still felt a certain level of jealousy that she couldn't deny. “Alrighty... Kyoka!”

“...dare.”

“I’ve heard you sing on the radio,” Tokage said. “Sing something for us now?”

“...okay, but only if I’m not singing alone,” the purple-haired girl declared. “Kodai, do you know... hm... Cheek to Cheek?”

The mute girl shook her head, then began signing. “I know it, but I’m still not ready to sing,” Itsuka translated.

“Anyone else know it?” Kyokun asked. “It’s been in my head all day for some reason.”

“...I know it,” Momo volunteered after a moment.

“Ooh!” Ashido gasped. “Yes, you should sing together!”

Kyokun stood and walked over to where Momo was sitting - Kodai shifted along the log that she, Itsuka, and Momo were all sharing so that the purple-haired girl could join them. “Alright,” she said, her cheeks slightly pink. “I’ll be Louie and you be Ella. Ready?”

“Ready,” Momo confirmed, trying to hold back her own blush.

Kyoka began to sing, her voice husky and sweet. “Heaven... I’m in heaven...”

Notes:

I don't feel great about this particular chapter, which was giving me some real trouble - the Truth or Dare scene in particular - but we had to get to the training camp somehow, right?

Bear and Lioness should probably be a reference to something, but it was just the first thing that popped into my head.

Chapter 25: Forest, Part 2

“You’ve all come a long way in just one semester,” Aizawa told the assembled students the next morning. “You should be proud of making it as far as you have. But it’s only going to get harder from here on out, at the state you’re in right now won’t cut it.”

“What the hell do you mean!” Bakugo shouted, and Momo sighed at his outburst.

“Thanks for volunteering, Bakugo. Come up here and I’ll demonstrate.” Sensei gestured, and the disgruntled blonde shouldered his way forward. “Remember how far you threw the ball using your quirk on the first day?”

“705.2 meters,” he boasted.

“How far do you think you could do it now?”

“I dunno, 800 or so? I’ve gotten way stronger.”

“Try it and see,” Aizawa ordered, flipping a ball towards Bakugo.

The explosion blonde grinned fiercely. “Oh yeah... DIE!” he yelled, twisted and flinging the ball with a massive explosion, the backdraft making Momo’s hair lift briefly.

Sensei produced the same measuring device he had used at the quirk apprehension test. “707.3 meters.”

“WHAT?”

“Your improvements this semester have primarily been in your technical skills, knowledge, and strategy,” Aizawa explained as he shooed the grumbling Bakugo back into the crowd. “You’ve become better fighters, learned about when and why to fight, and have gotten practical experience in doing so. But that doesn’t mean improving your quirks.”

“As an analogy,” Kan-sensei said, “your quirks are like your muscles - to make yourself truly strong, you need to do focused training and push your limits. What you’ve been doing so far is martial arts - it requires strength and it can help maintain the strength you have - your quirks will never be weak, so long as you don’t neglect them - but it won’t make you stronger. To do that, you need to be lifting weights.”

“Kan and I have spoken with your other teachers and your internship mentors to develop personalized training plans for all 40 of you,” Aizawa continued. “Over the next two weeks, you’ll follow these plans in order to improve the raw power of your quirks. Once the camp is over, you’ll have to continue working on this on your own.” His eyes flickered to Momo, then to Izukun. “A few of you have already made a start on this process, during your internships,” he added, “but we’ll be going much farther. You’re going to hate us and yourselves by the end of the night.”

“That said, we do have rewards planned for you for getting through each day,” Kan assured them, and Aizawa sighed as though the work itself should be the reward. “Beginning this evening, the hot springs you may have seen will be open to all students shortly before dinner. And there’s a game planned for every other night. If you can make it through today and tomorrow, you’ll see what the first one is.”

“Until then,” said Aizawa, “it’s time to split up. Mandalay will tell you where to report to in a moment.”

Momo Yaoyorozu and Rikido Sato, report to the dining tables. The voice echoed in Momo’s head only a moment later, and she followed.

---

Kyoka followed Aizawa as he led her to a secluded, rocky area - they had dropped off Shinso and Koda earlier, but he had told her to keep following. After another few minutes, her teacher finally paused.

“When you first entered UA,” Aizawa began, leaning against one of the rocks and crossing his arms, “your biggest weakness was that you were a weak fighter. Your quirk gave you excellent abilities as a scout and even gave you ranged options, but if anyone had gotten in close you would have lost. That’s why you were placed up against me in the final exam - I have the stealth skills to do exactly that.” That was about what she and Momo had assumed. “Over the course of the semester, you massively improved your skills, and while you’re only in the middle of the class in standard martial arts, you’ve become one of the top students in costumed sparring thanks to your use of a sword and shield.”

“Thank you, sensei,” she said quietly. Kyoka was pretty sure she knew where he was going with this.

“While you’ve covered your biggest weakness,” the hero continued, “it’s introduced a new one - or perhaps simply exposed it. You’re a smart girl, Jiro - can you tell me what it is?”

“...I have a reliance on support items,” she answered. “Like you said, I’m middling at best without them.”

“Exactly,” Aizawa confirmed. “There’s nothing wrong with using support items, of course - I use them myself, my capture scarf and goggles. But,” he warned, “relying on them too much is dangerous. Your quirk can potentially allow you to fight without capture items - you need to strengthen it to get to that point.”

“But how? My output is so low without amplification that-”

“It’s simple,” he interrupted. “You have to push to your limit, and then go beyond.” He gestured to the rocks around them. “This is your training field. Plug into these rocks and pump the loudest sound you possibly can into them, for as long as you can maintain it. Take a one minute breather, then do it again. By the end of this training camp, I want you to be able to send at least a weak shockwave through the air without artificial amplification.”

She poked her fingers together nervously. “...do you really think I can?”

“I know you can,” he promised her. “I spoke with Hizashi - Present Mic - extensively about your program, and he believes you can do this.”

Kyoka thought about it for a moment. “If... if Present Mic thinks I can, then... I’ll do my best.”

“I hope you didn’t think you had a choice,” Aizawa deadpanned as he pushed off the rock. “I’ll be back to check on you in a half hour.”

---

“So, Midoriya,” said Pixie Bob, a pillar of earth emerging behind her that she casually leaned back against. “According to Aizawa’s files on you kids, you’re one of the only ones here who’s worked at strengthening your quirk already.”

“Ah, I guess? I mean, I’ve been trying to expand my vitality,” Izuku agreed.

The heroine nodded, seeming more serious that she had when they got to the camp the previous day. “And that’s a good start. But from what I read about your quirk, it’s not the only thing that you need to strengthen.”

“How so?”

She raised a glove-covered hand to count. “It sounds like you have, broadly, four options with your quirk. You can steal energy from a living being. You can impart it to another living being, strengthening them. You can impart it to an object, bringing it to life. And you can spend it on yourself, enhancing your own abilities.”

Izuku nodded. “Yes ma’am-”

Pixie Bob’s eye twitched. “I’m not a ma’am, kid! I’m young at heart!”

“Sorry, sorry! But yes, that’s correct. Although strengthening other people and strengthening myself are really the same thing, just with different targets.”

“I wasn’t finished. The limiting factor on all of these,” she said, “other than how much energy you actually have to fuel them, which you already know how to increase, is how fast you can impart the necessary energy. Recovery Girl had a note that you used your breath not because you had to, but because it was the most efficient method of delivering the energy. Is that right?”

He considered that for a moment, then nodded in agreement. “I suppose so. If I have so much vitality that it’s overflowing, it comes out really easily, but under normal circumstances, it can take a moment. I can extend very small amounts through my hands and feet, but...”

“Since you already know how to expand your capacity, and it’s a passive thing, you’re going to focus on this limit instead,” Pixie Bob told him. “At the end of training you’re going to drain a tree until you can start building up your tank, but during the day...” she straightened up and patted the pillar she had created, which crumbled into sand. “You’re going to work on speeding up your drain and animation. Dump as much energy into this sand as you can in five seconds, then refill from a tree, again as quickly as you can in five seconds.” She paused. “You can do it with your breath in the morning,” the heroine decided, “but in the afternoon, you’re using your hands and feet. Got it?”

Izuku’s eyes lit up - more than usual, that is - as he understood. This way, he would be increasing both his ability to deliver his soul through his breath, which would probably always be stronger, and his ability to do so from his hands and feet. “Yes ma’am!”

“I said I’m not a ma’am!”

“Sorry!”

---

“Ugh...” Kacchan moaned as he sank into the hot spring. “God, finally.”

“Today was killer,” Eijiro agreed, collapsing next to the blonde and leaning against him. “God, my bruises have bruises!”

“I didn’t realize that you could get bruises?” Izuku asked as he entered.

“Blame that guy,” the redhead - his hair no longer gelled, and pulled back into a ponytail instead - said, nodding towards the other side of the boys’ spring where the 1B boys were gathered, and specifically towards his doppelganger, the boy with the steel quirk. “He’s gotten even tougher since the Sports Festival. Fortunately,” he continued brightly, never down for long, “so have I!”

Izuku glanced at the 1B boys clustered in their own clique, then through the wall at the girls’ side of the springs, where he could see that the familiar auras from 1A were mixing easily with the unfamiliar lights of 1B. He wondered if the boys would have been the same if not for... Monoma, he thought his name was, the boy from 1B with the copy quirk and the reflective soul, who had gotten in a fight with Kacchan at the previous nights’ bonfire. It had broadened into an argument between the two classes which Izuku and Iida’s pleading, along with that of 2 guys from 1B - one with short, black hair, Kaibara maybe? The other had been Honenuki, the one who had no lips - couldn’t calm down.

He wished that the male half of the classes had been able to get along as the girls apparently had. They had been playing Truth or Dare - several times across the night, one of the girls had come over to the boys’ bonfire to fulfill a dare relating to one of the boys.

First Ashido had given Shoto a kiss on the cheek - which had left Kacchan stewing in rage for the entire night, and probably hadn’t helped prevent the argument - then a green-haired girl named Tokage had come and decided that the cutest boy in 1A was him! Izuku was blushing again just from the memory of it. He had been unable to stop himself from hoping, for the rest of the night, that either Kyokun or Momo would come to kiss him as well, but neither did - although other girls came. Uraraka had come to kiss the most handsome boy in 1B - she had chosen Kaibara - a girl with an American accent had come and whispered compliments in English to the boy whose head was a speech bubble until it had transformed into a POW and he had fainted, and a rather ghostly girl had come to kiss Tokoyami on the beak.

These interruptions had been the only thing to pause the argument. Someone, every boy in both classes had decided, without discussion, not to argue in front of any of the girls.

Watching Kyokun and Momo’s familiar souls sit next to a pair of 1B girls - one whose soul seemed both too large and too small, and one which was patterned almost like a fingerprint - he wished that the boys had been so lucky.

“What are you staring at, Midoriya?” Kaminari asked, plopping into the water, then he gasp. “Wait, you can see through walls, right?! You can see the girls!”

“Dude!” Izuku smacked him, his cheeks burning furiously. “You know it doesn’t work like that!”

“Well how does it work, then?”

“I can see the locations of living beings,” he explained, “but it’s just a bright light and maybe a vague shape. The lights are unique enough that I can identify people, but I can’t see them like you mean.”

“But, like...” Kaminari tapped his chin thoughtfully. “If two of the girls were right up on each other, you could-”

Kacchan reached out and grabbed Kaminari by the hair, then pulled his head underwater. “God,” he complained. “I thought we were done with this shit when the grapist got expelled.”

“He was only with us for one day, maybe he wouldn’t have been that bad?” Eijiro tried. Kacchan just gave him a look, and he shrugged. “Yeah, you’re probably right.”

“I’m glad he’s gone,” Izuku commented as Kaminari escaped Kacchan’s grasp and resurfaced. “It left room for Shinso.”

“What about me?” the lavender-haired boy rasped as he slid into the spring.

“You okay, bro?” Eijiro asked, frowning in concern. “You sound sick.”

“Aizawa had me screaming into the mountains to strengthen my lungs,” Shinso quietly explained. “Koda too.” He blinked slowly, then glanced at Izuku and Kacchan. “[He said you two know JSL?]” he tiredly asked, signing as he spoke.

“[Yeah,]” Izuku confirmed, Bakugo just grunting.

[Thank god,] he said. [I wanted to talk, but not to speak, you know?]

“[Sure, sure. What about?]” Izuku asked.

[No need to sign along. Although I guess it would be more private.]

[Does it need to be private?]

Shinso shrugged. [You might prefer it to be? It’s about what you said at the Sports Festival...]

Izuku nodded. [Okay, yeah. I’d rather keep that quiet, and Kacchan-] His friend’s name in JSL was like an explosion in his hand, and it drew the blonde’s eye briefly even though he seemed not to be paying much attention, more concerned with the redhead on his arm. [-already knows.]

[Well... you said you know what it was like,] Shinso reminded him, [to think of yourself as a monster, at the age of five. What... happened?]

Izuku rubbed the back of his head for a moment, feeling somewhat embarrassed. [It... it actually feels kind of stupid now that I’m starting to get over it.]

The other boy’s eyes bugged out a little - the first time that Izuku had seem them fully open. [You’re only just getting over it?]

[Oh, like you were over your issues at the Sports Festival!]

[Maybe not, but I’ve gotten a lot better since then!]

[And so have I!]

“[Calm the fuck down,]” Kacchan ordered. “[Just because I’m deaf doesn’t mean it’s not annoying to have you two arguing like that.]”

“Wait, Bakugo, you’re deaf?” Kaminari asked.

“Don’t go spreading it around, Pikachu.”

“I won’t, I just-”

“Didn’t think about what having explosions go off so close to you would do over ten years of having a quirk?”

“...okay, point. I’ll keep quiet about it.”

Izuku took a deep breath. [Sorry,] he signed after a moment. [Kacchan’s right, we shouldn’t argue about this. We’re both getting better, that’s the important thing.]

[Right.] Shinso sighed, then winced and rubbed his throat for a moment. [The point is, you said you would tell me why you thought of yourself as a villain when you were a kid once I got into the heroics department. Well...] he spread his arms briefly before signing again, [here I am.]

[Here you are,] Izuku agreed. [...do you know what my quirk does?]

[Brings things to life, right? And you can make other people stronger.]

[Yeah. It’s fueled by my own vitality - my internal fire, the doctor said when it manifested, although I don’t like thinking of it like that.] It made him think of his father, whose fire-breathing quirk had mutated into his own. [But it’s not just spending my own vitality. I... I can steal other people’s too.]

[...okay.] Sinso signed, [I can see why other people might think badly of that, but why-]

[When your quirk first manifests, its hard to control, right? I’m sure you brainwashed a few people you didn’t mean to when you were young.]

[Yeah, that’s why I first learned JSL.]

[Well...] Izuku winced preemptively before saying, [when I was five, I realized that I could take people’s vitality, and... I nearly killed my father.]

[...shit. But he forgave you, right? That’s what dads do, right?] Shinso seemed almost desperate.

[...I don’t think so,] Izuku signed apologetically. [Mom and I haven’t seen or heard from him since he left the hospital. There's a reason I call him father, not dad.]

The taller student was silent and still for a few seconds. [...I’m sorry, Midoriya.] He finger-spelled Izuku’s name.

[Kacchan and I use this sign for my name: Izuku.] He demonstrated, placing the sign for life in front of his lips.

[Mine is this: Hitoshi.] The sign for sleep under his eyes.

Izuku laughed. [Fitting.]

[Thanks.] Neither of them said anything for a moment, then, [You promise you’re getting over it, Izuku?]

[Yeah, I am,] Izuku assured his new friend. [I managed to use my drain in combat, in my and Kacchan’s exam! Against All Might, of all people!]

Shinso smiled a little. [Sounds exciting. How did that match go?]

[I’ll tell you if you share yours!]

[Well...]

Notes:

The two girls Momo and Kyoka are talking to in the baths are Kodai (large/small) and Kendo (fingerprint), but Izuku hasn't seen class 1B enough to remember their names. Just because he can identify their unique light doesn't mean he can match it up to a name, after all.

Shinso knowing sign language - and having had his own troubles with selective mutism, just as Koda and Kodai do in this continuity, although he decided not to mention that - is a headcanon I'm borrowing from Canary, which I will again recommend highly. I'm not sure if him being bounced around the foster care system is canon or not - I've seen it in a number of fics, but it could just be a common headcanon - is why he wanted to believe that a dad would have forgiven Izuku, although again he didn't want to actually explain that.

Romance is soon, I swear.

Chapter 26: Forest, Part 3

“...mmm, this is really good!” Kyoka said, eagerly spooning curry into her mouth. “It’s hotter than I usually like it, but damn! I didn’t expect you to be such a good cook, Sparky.”

“You try growing up with two moms and not learning to cook,” the blonde muttered, slurping at the food he and Izukun had taken charge of to make. “It’s not like it’s fucking hard.”

“I didn’t know you had two mothers, Bakugo,” Momo remarked, then tilted her head to the side. “...actually, Ashido mentioned that at the mall. But we were interrupted by... well, I rather forgot about it, I’m afraid.”

“There’s a lot you don’t fucking no about me, Ponytail.”

“Green, are Bakugo’s moms just as loud as-” Kyoka began, turning to look at her friend, then paused - he was staring off into the distance. “What is it, Izukun?”

He sighed. “You know Kota? That boy the Pussycats are taking care of?”

She tried to remember. “I think I’ve seen him around. Why?”

“He’s Mandalay’s nephew,” Momo said. “Or cousin, maybe?”

“Well, I just saw him heading up that mountain,” Izukun pointed, “and I don’t think he’s eaten anything yet.” He began to rise, then paused, looking at his tablemates.

Kyoka couldn’t hold back a smile. “Go ahead, Green. Take him a plate, you know you want to.” It was kind of cute, she couldn’t stop herself from thinking, that he was so concerned over the younger boy.

“Sorry guys,” the green-haired boy said to them, “I’ll be back in a few minutes, I’m sure.”

“No problem, bro,” Sharktooth assured him.

“Go ahead, Midori!”

Eyebags signed something as Izukun turned to go - there was no way that he could have seen it, but whatever he had said made Sparky snort with laughter.

“You know,” Ashido said, giving Momo a sly smile, “I think that was pretty cute. Don’t you think it’s nice when a guy is good with kids?”

Why was Ashido smirking like that, Kyoka wondered. Did she know that Izukun had a crush on Momo? Was she trying to set them up? After the game of Truth or Dare the previous night, Kyoka had dared to hope that perhaps he had been right, and Momo did like her - it turned out that she was bi after all, although Kyoka had no idea how Ashido had known that before she herself had, and she had mentioned a female crush with a wonderful voice. Kyoka didn’t think she was being conceited to say that she was an excellent singer herself. But if Ashido knew who she was crushing on, as Momo had mentioned - and how did she know that, too? Shouldn’t Kyoka know? It was enough to spark anxious fears that she hadn’t had for months, or would have been if she wasn’t so tired from the day’s training - then why was she asking Momo about Izukun?

“...Kyokun?” Momo asked, and she blinked.

“Sorry, I totally spaced out there,” she said, embarrassed to have missed part of the conversation. “What was that?”

“I said that it is nice, and that I’ve always wanted children of my own,” Momo repeatedly, frowning faintly at her. “Then I asked what you thought. Are you alright? Do you need to lie down?”

“I’m fine, I’m fine,” Kyoka promised. “Just tired from the day, I guess. And yeah, I’d love to have kids myself, but...” But as a trans girl, she couldn’t bear them personally, and she was sterile and unable to get anyone pregnant - while the sex-switching quirk that her parents had paid for to help her transition in middle school was impressive, it could only do so much. She didn’t want to get into that whole mess, though. “What about you guys?” she asked the others instead of elaborating.

“I’m not nearly ready for kids myself,” Kirishima said with a grin. “Maybe a little brother or sister.”

“Okay, but someday?” Ashido said

“Someday? Yeah, sure!”

“Depends on who I’m having them with,” Bakugo declared. “I know damn well I’m shitty with kids, I wouldn’t inflict myself on a kid unless there was someone better with them to help me.”

The blonde’s eyes flicked over to Shinso, who was signing something. “Eyebags here says the same,” he translated, then paused while the lavender-haired boy seemed to be signing something complicated. He signed back for a moment, then nodded when Shinso signed again, more instantly. “He says he was a foster kid and would want someone who knows what a more stable life looks like as a partner.”

“Both very understandable reasons to be cautious,” Momo said as Kyoka wondered what the little exchange at the end had been - Sparky telling Eyebags that he didn’t have to explain, maybe? “What about you, Ashido?”

The pink-skinned girl grinned. “I don’t want to put my hero career on hold for a pregnancy, so it’s adoption for me - but I do want to have kids someday!” As she spoke, Kyokun heard Izukun’s heartbeat approaching again, and waved at him.

“Sorry about that, guys,” the green-haired boy said as he sat, a faint frown on his face. “Poor guy had some stuff he had to get out, so it took a little longer than I expected. What did I miss?”

“We don’t mind,” Momo promised him. “We’re talking about kids - if we want them in the future. So far all of us do, eventually, although there are some reservations. What about you?”

“Oh, I definitely want kids...” he began.

---

“Great job, everyone!” Ragdoll cheered as the students all gathered after dinner the next day. “You’ve made it through two days of training, which means it’s time for your first reward event! And it is...”

Pixie Bob reached into a hat and theatrically pulled out a slip of paper. “A test of courage!”

“That’s right!” boomed Tiger. “Each class will go into the forest as a group and set up jump scares and the like to freak out the other class, which will go through in pairs or trios! Any and all use of quirks is allowed, so long as you don’t hurt anyone!”

Ragdoll grinned widely. “First up, class 1B will be doing the scaring! If you’re in 1A, find a friend or two to go through it with - if you’re in 1B, head into the forest and make plans! We’ll send in the first members of your rival class in ten minutes, then every five minutes after that.”

“Go on, get!” Pixie Bob ordered and, already excitedly planning their scares, 1B went.

“Izukun? Kyokun?” Momo asked her friends, who were already by her side, and they both nodded immediately.

“Kirikun!” Ashido said, marching up to the redhead. “You’re with me!”

“Sure thing, Mina!”

“And,” she said, thrusting a hand at him, “I’m tired of dancing around each other! We’re going to hold hands, and I’m going to cuddle against you when I’m frightened, and you’re going to like it, mister!” she insisted.

“Mina, are we doing this here and now?” Kirishima hesitantly asked. “Right in front of-”

“How else are we going to get it through his head that we’re not scared?”

The redhead nodded after a moment, taking her hand. Momo shook her head a little, surprised - hadn’t Ashido told her just last week that she liked Bakugo? Then she blinked, even more shocked, as Kirishima offered his hand to Bakugo. “You know, bro, I’ve got two hands.”

“So do I, Bakkun,” Ashido said, extending her own towards him.

The blonde gaped, and so did Momo - beside her, Kyokun seemed just as surprised, although Izukun was distinctly pleased. “Are you... you aren’t-”

“We don’t care what anyone else thinks, Katsuki,” Kirishima promised him. “We care about you.”

“We told you back when we met your moms and dad,” Ashido said firmly. “You just didn’t believe us then! Will you now?”

Bakugo was silent for a moment, then took both of their hands and glared around as though daring anyone else to protest. “What are you extras looking at!” he demanded. “Worry about your own fucking pairs!”

Momo gaped. “Is that - did I just -” was that what Ashido had meant? She couldn’t possibly have been suggesting... for Kyokun and Izukun? Was... that... allowed? “I... I’m not misinterpreting that, am I?” she wondered. “Did they just...”

“Just get together?” Kyokun said in wonderment. “Yeah, I think they did.”

“But three people...”

“Like Ashido said, she and Kirishima were on board with polyamory when they visited our home and found out about it,” Izukun said, and Momo thought that there was hint of fear in his voice. “Like, immediately. But he-”

“Wait,” Momo interrupted. “You said something, you said... ‘polyamory’?”

“Yes...” he hesitantly agreed. “That’s what it’s called when multiple people all date each other.”

“You know about this?” Kyokun asked.

“Yeah? My parents are polyamorous.” That was definitely fear in his voice, but Momo’s mind was racing and she couldn’t slow down. She seized on that, that Izukun knew about this, that he was a source of information as well as...

She snatched both of her best friends’ hands and began dragging them away from the rest of the class, going a little way into the forest but not far enough to run into 1B. “The three of us,” she declared, “need to have a talk.”

---

Izuku wasn’t sure he had ever been more nervous.

He had been holding back from sharing his feelings with Momo and Kyokun for months, too worried about how they would react to the concept of polyamory, too worried about ruining their close friendship, too worried about being rejected, too worried that one or the other or both would be disgusted and hate him and he would never be loved and-

And now, the instant she had heard of the concept, Momo had dragged both Izuku and Kyokun off for a talk, and this seemed like a sign of something but he didn’t know of what. The fears rushing through his head were too much for him, and he could barely-

“Izukun, breath,” Momo commanded him, and he did. “In... out... in... out... this isn’t a bad talk, I promise. I hope not, at least. Please, just breathe. In... out...”

“Thank you,” he said a few minutes later, his panic attack subsiding. “Sorry.”

“For what?”

“For...” Izuku sighed. “I don’t know.” He glanced around, seeing that they had paused in a small clearing with a trio of stones making a triangle. Momo had sat him on one and was currently crouching in front of him, while Kyokun was sitting on another and watching him worriedly.

“You feeling better, Green?” the purple-haired girl asked.

“Yeah, thanks.”

“Okay, so...” Momo sat on the third stone. “Polyamory, you said?”

He nodded. “Most people are monogamous, meaning that they’re only romantically interested in one person at a time,” he began, “but some people are polyamorous, and can potentially be interested in multiple people. If everyone involved is okay with it - and it does need to be everyone,” he stressed, “then you can have more than two people in a relationship.”

“How does that... work, exactly?” Kyokun asked curiously. “Like, do you go on three-person dates? Take turns?”

“What happens in-” Momo began, then blushed heavily and stopped.

“Uh, well, it depends on the relationship,” Izuku said. “My parents-”

“Your parents?”

He paused. “Maybe I should start with that. It’s how I know about polyamory, and why Kacchan and I are both okay with it. And how Eijiro and Ashido learned about it, too.”

“I heard Ashido say ‘your moms and dad’, Kyokun noted.

“Yeah, our moms and dad,” Izuku agreed.

“‘Our,’ not just his?”

“After... when my father left me and my mom, it hit her kind of hard,” he explained. “Kacchan and I were already best friends, but his mom was worried about mine. They started spending a lot more time together, and... well, long story short, they’ve been dating since we were six,” he summed up.

“...and Bakugo’s mother is still married to his father?” Momo asked.

“Yeah, she’s still with dad,” he confirmed.

“You call him dad?” Kyokun asked.

“Well, I’m not going to call my father that,” he muttered. “Yeah, since they got together - and especially since we all moved in together - it’s basically been one family. I call Bakugo’s mother Mama Mitsuki, he calls mine Mama Inko, and we both call Masaru dad.”

“Do they ever get jealous of each other?” the purple-haired girl wondered.

“There’s a concept called ‘compersion’, which is sort of like the opposite of jealousy. Instead of feeling jealous of your partner with a metamour - someone that your partner is dating but you’re not - you feel happy, because they’re happy. Sometimes that only applies with certain people, or with established metamours,” he explained. “I don’t think mom or dad ever get jealous of each other, but they’ve also all agreed not to date anyone else, so... it might just be each other that they don’t get jealous of.”

“This is just...” Momo rubbed. “I’m sorry, it’s just a lot to adjust to. I had never heard of anything like this, literally never even considered it, so... I’m sorry if I have a lot of questions.”

“...it’s okay,” Izuku promised her after a moment. “This is a lot better than some reactions we’ve had. In middle school, sometimes... well, let’s just say there’s a reason that we haven’t talked about it.”

“Is there... terminology? For people in a polyamorous relationship?” Momo asked.

“A group of people all tied together by relationships are called a polycule. Like ‘poly’ and ‘molecule’ together, you know?” he said. “Sometimes they can be really big and complicated, sometimes they’re a lot simpler. Like, my parents are just three people. Kacchan, Eijiro, and Ashido, too, they’re a simple triad.”

“Triad?” said Kyokun.

Izuku nodded. “Yeah, it’s a triad if all three people are dating both of the other people involved.”

“So if...” Momo trailed off. “This explains what Ashido was going to tell me.”

“Hmm?”

“At the mall,” she elaborated. “Ashido asked to speak with me, for... well, I suppose I should let her main worry be private. But she guessed, rightly, that...” Momo swallowed nervously. “That I had a crush on two people, and was feeling guilty about it. She asked if I had ever visited your home, Izukun...”

“Yeah, that... she probably wanted to give you the option of polyamory,” he agreed. “...it’s not as simple as just asking, though. Everyone really does need to communicate a lot.”

“Of course, communication is important in any relationship,” Kyokun noted. “But I suppose it only gets more important with more people involved.”

“Why did you...” Izuku swallowed, still nervous and feeling on the edge of another panic attack, but he had to know. “Why did you pull us out here as soon as you heard about it?”

Momo bit her lip and blushed heavily before she said, “because... the two people I have a crush on are the two of you.” She hid her face in her hands as Izuku’s heart stopped, but managed to continue, “I’ve been crushing on both of you for months and months, even if it took me a long time to realize it. I knew for you first,” she said to Izuku, “because I thought I was straight. And then even after I realized that I was bisexual, I was still in denial about my crush on you, Kyokun, because I didn’t think I could like two people at once. But...” She took a deep breath. “I think the real reason I never said anything to you, Izukun, wasn’t that I was afraid of messing up our friendship, but that I didn’t want to give up the possibility of you, Kyokun.”

“Holy shit, Green, breath!” the purple-haired girl said, rubbing Izuku’s back, and he finally remembered to take a breath. “That... I can’t say I’m not a little surprised, Momo,” she said to the taller girl, “because I thought you were only interested in Izukun, but...”

“I thought you only had a crush on Kyokun!” Izuku burst. “I hoped, but-”

She tilted her head to the side, lowering her hands. “You hoped that I liked you, or that I liked both of you?”

“...both,” he confessed. “I... I’m polyamorous, and I also like both of you.”

“Wait, is that what you changed your mind about saying back at the mall?”

“...what?”

“When we talked about our crushes on Momo, back at the mall,” Kyokun reminded him. “You started to say something, but didn’t and just said that it would be Momo’s choice!”

“...yeah, basically. I thought about saying that she could date both of us, but... I was scared,” Izuku whispered.

“Then... are we all interested in each other?” Momo asked, and Izuku nodded. “We could try it, then?”

“Hold on,” Kyokun interjected. “One problem. I’m only interested in Momo. No offense, Green,” she said to him, “but...”

“I know, you’re rarely interested in guys.”

“Yeah.”

Momo frowned. “But...”

“If...” Izuku tried to quiet his racing heart - knowing that Kyokun could hear it wasn’t helping his nervousness, even she seemed unaffected by his confession. “If Momo wanted to date both of us, though... would you be okay with that? You don’t have to date me.”

“...is that okay?” she asked.

“Yes. It’s a triad if all three people are dating both of the others, but they don’t have to. My parents... Mom is only dating Mama Mitsuki,” he explained. “She’s good friends with dad, but they’re not together like that. Mitsuki is the hinge, that's what it's called - Momo would be our hinge, in that case."

Kyokun bit her lip thoughtfully. “If... if I was okay with it, what would it probably look like?”

“I don’t think our friendship would change much,” Izuku promised. “It shouldn’t, at least. But sometimes, Momo would go on a date with you or me. And maybe kissing and cuddling, too. But if you weren’t okay with it happening in front of you, then it wouldn’t.”

“...could I see it?”

Momo and Izuku simultaneously blushed heavily. “Do you mean...” she hesitantly asked.

Kyokun was blushing nearly as much as she nodded. “If... if you kissed, I might be okay with it. I don’t know if I would be okay with anyone else kissing Momo, but...”

“I understand that feeling,” the black-haired girl admitted. “I was somewhat jealous when Tokage kissed you for the dare, Izukun, but I don’t think I would feel like that if it had been Kyokun.”

“Not that that will happen,” he pointed out. “I mean... if you changed your mind, Vi, I would love to date you as well, but...”

“Maybe eventually I will,” she said. “But for now...”

“Right.”

“So... could I see?”

Momo and Izuku locked eyes for a moment, their blushes redoubling. “...Should I? Or...?” he asked.

Momo leaned towards him. She bit her lip for a moment, clearly still nervous, then pressed her mouth to his.

Izuku had never kissed anyone before, never been kissed except by his moms - and by the green-haired girl the previous night - but those had all been on the cheek or the forehead. He had read romance novels and watched movies and TV shows, and these had primed him, somehow, to expect that his first kiss - his first real kiss - would be life-changing.

It wasn’t.

It was awkward for a moment, in fact, as neither of them had tilted their heads and their teeth knocked briefly into each other, and Momo pulled backwards for a moment, laughing a little. Then she tilted her head to one side, and he angled his to the other side, and they tried again.

It worked a lot better that time, Izuku thought. It wasn’t life-changing, no, but it was nice. It felt right, Momo’s lips against his own, her breath on his tongue, one hand around his neck and one of his own around her waist. It lasted a few seconds before Momo pulled back again, a goofy smile plastered across her face - of course, an equally silly grin was surely on his own.

“Um,” Kyokun squeaked, and they blinked in surprise - Izuku had almost forgotten that she was there for a moment. “Yeah, that...” the purple-haired girl was still blushing heavily, her fingertips bumping into each other in sync with her earjacks. “...that’s fine,” she managed. “I, yes, I would be okay with you two dating as well.”

“Well then,” Momo said, a wicked grin spreading across her face. “I think I owe you something as well.”

“What do you - mmph!” Kyokun said, but a moment later she was melting into the taller girl’s kiss, letting out a small, pleased moan.

Izuku watched with a smile, the compersion warming his heart. This had turned out perfectly - perhaps he could have hoped for Kyokun to like him back, but he had known that that in particular was a long shot even more than Momo liking him, even more than both of them being willing to try a polyamorous relationship. And she had left the door open to perhaps try dating him eventually! Really, he had nothing to complain about - no, he didn’t have two gorgeous girlfriends, but he had one gorgeous girlfriend and one incredible best friend, and that was enough.

Then he sniffed. “Uh, girls...” he said, and they broke apart, looking at him in confusion. “Do you smell smoke?”

---

Notes:

THESE KIDS FINALLY DID IT THEY FIGURED IT OUT mostly at least, it's not a triad yet BUT IT WILL BE

And listen, I know this literally took 75k words but it's tagged as slow-burn for a reason.

Fun fact: the scene in which Momo witnesses Ashido and Kirishima getting together with Bakugo, immediately thinks "THAT'S ALLOWED?" and proceeds to drag Izuku and Kyoka off for a Talk has been in my head since I wrote the first chapter.

As for Izuku's parents' relationship and the question Momo was too embarrassed to ask, I'll say this: Mitsuki mostly keeps her physical relationships with Inko and Masaru separate, enjoying different things with each. But they're not opposed to sharing from time to time, and on some special occasions... well, let's just say that Masaru is a very lucky man.

The illustration at the end isn't literally what happened, but it is the mood.

Chapter 27: Assault, Part 1

Momo sniffed. “Yes, that smells like smoke. Did someone start a bonfire...? But no, it’s coming from the wrong direction...” She glanced out at the forest where the smell was drifting from.

Kyokun closed he eyes, concentrating. “I can hear... crackling,” she said, sounding unsettled. “Burning. That’s a lot larger than a bonfire. And... panic... people’s heartbeats are... they’re frightened. Somethings happening.”

Izuku activated Full Cowling, flaring up briefly to try and get a look at as much of the forest as he could. If he went to x25, just for a second or two, that should let him take a look at most of the forest without spending all that much of his energy. He scanned the forest, spotting familiar auras and counting them in his head. There was Shoto, Tenya, Kacchan, Sero, Shinso, Tetsutetsu...

His blood ran cold when he began spotting unfamiliar auras as well. First one, then three, then four... he counting nine unfamiliar people in the forest, plus one with the same distinctived, stitched-together jumbled of lights that the nomu in the USJ had had.

“Villains,” he whispered as he lowered his aura down to x1.1, feeling a chill running down his neck. “And not just any villains, either, they have a nomu.”

“Are you sure-” Momo began.

All students, be aware that there are villains in the forest! Mandalay’s voice interrupted in their heads. Get back to the camp as quickly as you can!

Momo’s jaw set firmly. “Right,” she said. “As she says, back to camp. But if we hear or spot any other students in trouble, we help them.”

“Students... wait, I think I saw...” Izuku flared Full Cowling back to x25 for an instant, narrowing his eyes and willing himself to see through the thick trees, not letting his quirk’s sight overwhelm him but instead accepting its input for what it was, focusing on... “Kota’s in trouble!” he yelped, dropping back down to x5. “One of the villains is right near him!”

He instinctively looked at Momo for direction, wanting permission or forgiveness or perhaps just understanding. He friend - his girlfriend, Izuku thought a little giddily - seemed torn, for a moment, but then she nodded. “Go. Get him back to the camp. Kyokun and I will be all right.”

Izuku was off almost before she finished, a streak of brilliant white light bouncing off trees until he reached the canopy, tearing through the forest as though it was just another training course, one of the races that he had so excelled at after master Full Cowling. He knew that his path was easily traceable, knew that he was probably making himself a target, but he didn’t care.

A child was in danger.

He saw the villain as he approached, a massive man in a dark cloak whose internal light burned malevolently as if it wished to consume the smaller candleflame of the cowering Kota, and didn’t slow. Instead, Izuku crashed into the villain at x10, knocking him off his feet and breaking his fall. He crouched in front of Kota, his eyes flicking only briefly to the young boy before refocusing on the villain. “Are you alright?”

“I’m... I’m okay... but...”

The massive villain rose back up to his full height, an eager light in his eyes. “It’s you,” he said with almost-hungry-seeming grin. “Izuku Midoriya, right? That’s your name - the one Shigaraki wants.”

Izuku swallowed nervously.

---

Kyoka and Momo began moving back to the camp, trying to remain stealthy even as blue flames began to lick at the tops of the trees. Her friend - her girlfriend, Kyoka thought a little giddily - had created a pair of gas masks in case the smoke got to them.

“Wait,” Momo whispered, holding up a hand to halt Kyoka. “What’s that?”

She narrowed her eyes. “Some sort of smoke again... but it’s the wrong color to be normal smoke, and it’s not rising. It must be the result of some sort of quirk...”

“I agree. But what-”

“Oh thank god!” two students cried, bursting out of the dense pinkish mist. Kyoka recognized them - Ibara Shiozaki, the religious girl who had lost to Shinso in the Sports Festival and not really participated in Truth or Dare the first night, as well as Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu, the steel-skinned guy who had lost to Sharktooth. 1B students. “We thought we would never make it out of that mist!” Ironface continued.

“Don’t stop, it’s still spreading,” Momo warned. “Do you know what it does?”

“It’s sleep gas, or something similar,” Thornhead said. “Tetsu and I saw several students knocked out as it reached them. Fortunately, neither of us need to breath much, or I don’t believe we would have been able to make it out.”

Momo frowned, worried. “There are still students in there? And you do need to breath somewhat?” Ironface nodded. “Then here.” She reached under her shirt and produced a stack of gas masks. “Take these, and carry them out of the gas,” she ordered.

“Yes ma’am,” Ironhead said with a grin, strapping one onto his face and holding several more in one hand. He saluted, then turned and dove back into the mist.

“I will do my best,” Thornhead promised before following.

“Kyokun,” Momo asked, “I think we should enter as well. This gas is very dangerous when combined with the forest fire - I cannot in good conscious simply return to the camp when people may need help.”

Kyoka hesitated. “Mandalay said we should get back to camp though...” She glanced at the mist, which was slowly but steadily expanding. “This stuff is muffling noise, too, at least partially. I’m not sure how much use I’ll be.”

“If you would prefer to return to camp, you may,” Momo promised, “but I must do what I can.”

That got to Kyoka, and she set her jaw. “No, I’m staying with you,” she swore. She had to protect Momo. “Just give me a weapon and I’ll be right behind you.”

Momo drew a sword from her leg and handed it to her. “I don’t think I have enough in me to give you a shield as well,” she said apologetically, “not after making all those gas masks.”

“That’s fine, I’ll make do.” Kyoka plugged into the sword and sent a high frequency pulse into it, experimentally. Momo had just made a regular blade, not a high-tech vibroblade like in her costume that was designed to work with and amplify her quirk, but after the training she had been doing to strengthen her quirk, she could get at least part of the way there. Without the shock-absorbing gauntlets that were part of her costume, the vibrating blade would be dangerous to use for too long, but the lower power that was all she could manage should be less so... it would be better than nothing, at least. Kyoka nodded. “Let’s go.”

As Kyoka had warned, she couldn’t hear well enough to navigate in the mist - between its absorption of quiet sounds and the omnipresent crackling of flames, she was unable to pick out heartbeats and like she normally could. But even without her ears, Kyoka knew that she was perceptive, and it wasn’t long before she realized that the mist was flowing, and not in the way that the wind should have been pushing it.

“This way, I think,” she said, pointing upstream. “The mist is coming from this direction.”

Momo squinted. “If you’re sure.” She began forging ahead and Kyoka following, trying to hear through the mist and to spot who or what was making the sleeping gas.

After long minutes, she heard footsteps, soft but not soft enough. She may not have been able to hear heartbeats, but she didn’t have to to hear this. She caught Momo’s arm and silected pointed.

Momo nodded, easily picking up on Kyoka’s silence and correctly guessing that they had found the villain in question - or so Kyoka hoped, at least. The taller girl produced a long pole with a technological end, and Kyoka heard the footsteps shift, turning towards them.

She dove, tackling Momo to the ground as a gunshot rang out, nearly deafening her as the bullet whizzed overheard. Her ears ringing, Kyoka desperately hoped that that hadn’t deafened her.

“------- ------,” she heard, little more than buzzing, and she gritted her teeth. Even if it had deafened her, Kyoka swore, she wasn’t going to stop. She would be a hero. She still had her quirk - she plugged briefly into the ground, picking up vibrations and quickly pinpointing the feet that still touched the ground even as her brain refused to translate them into sounds through the loud ringing.

“------, --- --- -------?” Momo hissed, her eyes worried. “-----’- ----- ------ ---- ---- ----!

Even if she never heard anything again, Kyoka promised herself, it wouldn’t stop her. Izukun knew sign language, and so did Sparky and their new insomniac friend. She could learn. And right now...

Kyoka rolled off of Momo, grabbing her sword and plugging in. She swung it through the air, channeling a strong, low frequency vibration, and the gas rolled away from the humming blade, the magnified force of the swing pushing it back to reveal a small figure, a few inches shorter than Kyoka herself, wearing a gas mask and holding a pistol.

The villain aimed at her, which might once have sent Kyoka into a panic attack. But she had been through to much and had too much to fight for to let that stop her now.

Instead, she flicked forward the jack that wasn’t plugged into her sword. It buzzed, producing the strongest pulse she could manage into the air.

Aizawa would be proud, Kyoka thought - it wasn’t nearly as strong as her supper items could produce, nor was it directed as well, but it was a shockwave sent through the air, just as he had asked.

There was a slight backlash that didn’t quite make her stumble as she charged - most of the blast’s force, however, struck the villain, who stumbled back a half-step, losing their aim. Kyoka was on them before they could bring the pistol back to bear on her, her sword buzzing in her hand as she sliced through the pistol, cutting it in half.

Then the night lit up briefly as the polearm Momo had created struck the villain, arcs of electricity running up and down their body until the fell to the ground, unconscious.

Kyoka dropped to one knee as well, breathing heavily. Now that the adrenaline rush was past - or fading, at least - now the panic was beginning to set in. She swallowed, trying to find the rhythm that Momo had used to help her get through this before, trying to find any rhythm, but she couldn’t - without hearing anything but that high ringing, how could she - would she ever be able to... tears began to fill her eyes.

“------? -------, --kun! Kyokun!” Momo was crying, her voice worried as it emerged from the ringing. Kyoka’s eyes widened and she wrapped her arms around her girlfriend, thinking that she had never heard a voice so beautiful. “Kyokun, you need to breath! In... out... in... out...”

Her eyes were still watering as she met Momo’s worried gaze, unable to stop herself from smiling. “Momo, I can hear you,” she whispered. “I... for a moment, I couldn’t...”

Words failed her, but Momo seemed to understand, embracing her tightly. “I’m glad,” she murmured back, pressing Kyoka to her chest.

The sound of Momo’s familiar heartbeat entering her ears as the mist began to subside had never sounded so sweet.

Notes:

It's time for the forest attack! Even though, as usual, I struggle with action scenes. This chapter, and probably the next few until we get through this, will probably be a bit rougher than normal as a result.

On the plus side, though, I've created a channel in the discord server that I run, one dedicated to Breath of Life rather than my writing in general as the discord as a whole is! If you'd like to discuss it, ask me questions, just say hi, or whatever, feel free to join!

Chapter 28: Assault, Part 2

Izuku was slammed back into the mountainous wall again, pain flickering into existence and then away as Full Cowling prevented him from feeling it. He was rapidly running low on stamina, he needed to end this quickly, but how? Full Cowling wasn’t enough - not at x5, not at x10, not even moments of bursting to x25 had let him stand up to the immensely powerful villain.

At least, he thought to himself as he tried to catch his breath, the villain seemed to have forgotten about Kota almost entirely.

The hulking man laughed. “And this is the kid who impressed Shigaraki so much? THIS is the one he wants? You’re pathetic, kid! If I wasn’t supposed to take you alive, you’ve be dead three times over!”

Izuku gritted his teeth. He knew that the villain was right, but what could he do?

He could do more than this, he swore.

He dragged his hands down the face of the rocky cliff, pushing his soul as hard as he could - the training to use his hands and feet more effectively was already coming in handy, as white light fled his body even though he hadn’t gotten his breath back yet. The vitality fused with the rock, bringing it to life with a great lurching, and the rock melted and shifted and wrapped around his body.

“Oh?” asked the villain as Izuku stood, wrapped in armor like he had used against Shoto. “Maybe this will be interesting!” He lurched forward, his single eye gleaming eagerly as he brought a fist forward.

Izuku caught the fist in his own hand, the massive force of the blow pushing him back a step despite the weight of the armor, then caught the other in an uppercut. It staggered the man, and Izuku took the opportunity to sweep his legs out from under him, using his hold on his arm to try and trap him in an armlock.

“Maybe you are worth something!” the villain snarled, “but you’re not strong enough to stop me!” He slammed his one free arm into the ground, causing it to crack, and the rough footing made Izuku stumble in the armor - it was strong, but not agile, having to be reformed at every moment.

This wasn’t going to work either, Izuku decided - the stone armor was even heavier than the ice had been, and while his stores had greatly increased, he wasn’t nearly to the point of maintaining this without a care. Instead, he send a command to the animate stone and slipped out of it as the rock split and melted once more, this time wrapping around the villain. He breathed in, reclaiming the vitality he had used to animate it and leaving the villain encased in stone.

“Eh? You-” The huge, muscular man struggled for a moment, unable to move. “Damn it, boy! This won’t hold me for long!”

“Kota,” Izuku called, not looking away. “You’re still alright?”

The boy’s voice trembled as he said, “That... that’s the man who killed my parents.”

Izuku narrowed his eyes. This was the murderer of the Water Hoses? What had his name been again... Muscular? “I’m sorry, Kota. You shouldn’t have had to see this.”

Muscular grinned. “You’re that kid! Oh, no wonder I thought you looked familiar! No hard feelings, right? Your parents just got in my way, that’s all.”

“You killed my mom and dad!” Kota spat. “I hate you!”

“Oh, don’t hate me for that!” the villain cooed. “I can give you a much better reason to hate me!” The rock encasing him suddenly began to crack, hair-thin fractures beginning to spread from the opening Izuku had left for his neck.

Izuku gasped and stepped forward again. But he was so low on energy, even after draining the stone...

Draining. But...

Muscular locked eyes with him. “I told you, kid, this won’t hold me long,” he taunted as the cracks continued to spread and widen. “Shigaraki’s looking forward to meeting you again, you know.”

Izuku swallowed nervously. He thought he was over this. He had used it on Kacchan and Eijiro for months, at their request. He had even used it against All Might. But... but this was different. This wasn’t a sparring match, this wasn’t a man with more energy than an ocean. This wasn’t a friend who had offered up their soul to him, this wasn’t even the heat of combat.

This was just a man, someone frozen - at least for now - in a prison of stone. Muscular couldn’t stop him, and... if Izuku couldn’t stop himself...

But Kota was relying on him.

“I’m sorry, Muscular,” Izuku said softly as he put took the villain’s head in his hands.

“Eh? What the hell are you doing?”

He breathed in.

---

“Sensei!” Izuku called as he by the cabins with Kota on his back, brimming with vitality once more. He didn’t think about what he had done to get it. He didn’t have the time to break down, not during a villain attack. Instead, he crouched to let the boy hop off his back and rush inside.

“Midoriya,” Aizawa said, scanning him. “You’re unhurt?”

“I’m okay,” he summed up. “I’ve healed myself.”

His teacher narrowed his eyes. “You were hurt. And... you came from the wrong direction. What did you do, problem child? Where are Yaoyorozu and Jiro?”

“They’re not back yet?” he asked, his eyes widening. He glanced at and into the cabin, counting. There were Kaminari, Eijiro, Ashido, Sato, Monoma, Tetsutetstu, Tokage...

“No. What did you do?”

“I used my ability to see vitality to scan the forest,” he told Aizawa, “and I spotted Kota in his hideout, with a nearby villain. I had to save him.”

Aizawa sighed. “Understandable... what happened to the villain?”

Izuku swallowed. “He... I... he’s been dealt with,” he finally managed. He couldn’t think about it now. “But he wasn’t the only one. I saw nine villains and one nomu. Eight villains and a nomu now, if any others haven’t been dealt with.”

“We’ve been facing,” Aizawa began, then he glanced over Izuku’s shoulder and pushed forward, shoving Izuku behind him and sending his capture weapon forward.

He turned to see who the man was fighting - Izuku hadn’t seen any of the villain’s auras nearby when he had come in to land - and blanched, horrified.

Izuku had seen souls that were so beautiful that they made him want to weep. He had seen souls that bore an aura of peace and trust that made him want to stay near them. He had seen souls with malignant light, souls that hated everything near them. He had even seen the stitched-together, frankenstein souls of the nomu. Sometimes a person’s soul was wonderful, sometimes horrifying. He had learned to deal with it.

He had never seen a walking corpse.

It was burned and blackened, staples and stitching keeping the ruined skin from sloughing off its body. It had dark hair, a leather jacket, and a cocky grin on its face as it waltzed out of the forest.

And it had no soul.

“What the fuck,” Izuku whispered, softly but with feeling, as Aizawa fought it, blue flames blazing out from the thing when the hero wasn’t erasing its quirk.

It wasn’t long before Aizawa won, a snap kick breaking its neck and causing it to dissolve into a grayish goo. He returned to Izuku and glared. “Get into the cabin, Midoriya.”

“Sensei, what was that?”

Aizawa sighed. “That was the third time that villain has shown up, and he’s melted when defeated every time. The villains have someone who can clone people on their side.”

Izuku’s eyes were wide as he looked up at his teacher. “Sensei, I... I couldn’t see him.”

It seemed to take the teacher a moment to realize this. “Nine unique villains, you said? No repeats, and you couldn’t see that clone?” Izuku nodded. “Then we have no idea how many there could be out there. Get inside, kid-”

“But Momo and Jiro are out there-,” he began.

Aizawa growled. “Listen to me, Midoriya! There are who-knows how many villains out there, with that cloner, and we need to keep you and the other kids safe!”

“I’ll be fine,” he swore, “no one can take me out, not in a forest. But I need to find my friends!” Izuku pointed to the forest. “Kacchan is out there too!”

The hero rubbed his temples. “I’m not going to be able to stop you, am I?”

“Sorry, sensei. Not unless you erase my quirk and wrap me in your scarf to boot, and I don’t think you can afford to pay me that much attention.”

Aizawa growled again. “Fine. Then here’s what you’re going to do, problem child. Find Mandalay, and tell her that I’m authorizing all students to use their quirks to fight back against the villains. Then find your friends and get them back here. Use your quirk to stay away from the villains’ real bodies as best as you can,” he ordered.

Izuku nodded. “I was thinking the same thing, sensei.” A moment later, he was gone.

 

“Okay...” Momo said, watching the compass she had made so that they could get their bearings again. “North is that way, so... the camp should be that way.”

“Great,” said Kyoka, tossing the villain over her shoulder. “Let’s get going.”

All students: by order of Eraserhead, you are now authorized to use your quirks to defend yourself against the villains! Mandalay said in her head.

Kyoka exchanged an embarrassed glance with Momo. “...oops?”

“...let’s just pretend that we did this after getting that message,” Momo suggested, and she laughed.

They began moving, glad that the sleep mist was beginning to fade away and they could remove their gas masks. They left them hanging around their necks, though, just in case he woke up again.

“Hey, Momo,” Kyoka said after a few minutes. “Do you think this kid might be related to Midnight?”

“Hm.” The taller girl tilted her head to the side thoughtfully. “Possibly - their quirks are certainly similar enough. Perhaps a distant cousin?”

“Maybe. I don’t that she would let anyone close to her go villain-” Kyoka cut herself off as she heard something approaching. “Something’s coming,” she warned, focusing. “Something big. That direction,” she pointed.

“Right towards us?” Momo asked, looking into the darkness where Kyoka had indicated. “I don’t see anything.”

“It’s coming right at us,” she insisted. “And fast.”

“Then we should get of its way. Let’s go,” Momo began.

She was interrupted by a massive, dark shape bursting from the trees, cracking them around it as it rush forward. “FLEE!” came a familiar, desperate voice. “I AM SO SORRY!” Tokoyami called from deep within Dark Shadow.

Kyoka flung herself to the side, doing her best to dodge the out-of-control quirk’s rampage, but was clipped by a shadowing tendril that sent her flying headfirst into a tree. It took her a few minutes to rise again, groaning in pain.

“Momo?” she quietly called, trying to find her friend. Where was she? There was the villain they had knocked out, still peacefully slumbering, but where was her girlfriend?

Her heart skipped a beat as she realized the she couldn’t hear Momo’s heartbeat. “MOMO!” she shouted.

“Jiro! Is that you?” a familiar voice called back - Uraraka.

“It’s me!” she responded, moving towards the other girl and dragging the villain behind her. “Hold on, I’m coming to you!”

It only took her a moment to find Uraraka, as well as Tsu, who seemed to be injured. “What happened?” she asked, helping the frog-girl up.

“We were attacked by one of the villains,” Tsu said, leaning on both Kyoka and Uraraka. “She bit Uraraka, stabbe me in the leg, and then ran off.”

“Bit you,” Kyoka gaped. “What kind of psycho is she?”

“I don’t know, but she said something about looking for Midoriya,” Tsu said grimly.

“It must have been for some kind of quirk, I guess. Something that needs her to ingest blood to work.” Kyoka said as they began helping Tsu through the forest - slowly, as she was still carrying the knocked-out villain as well. Izukun’s interest in quirks must be rubbing off on her. “What do you think, Uraraka?”

Wait. Uraraka was being uncharacteristically quiet. She didn’t seem to be injured at all. She hadn’t used her quirk to lighten Tsu. And her heartbeat was-

“Tsu! Jiro!” called Uraraka’s voice from behind them, and Kyoka glance behind her to see another Uraraka. “That’s not me!”

Kyoka stabbed an earjack into the fake version of the girl, sending a pulse of sound through it to force her off of Tsu as  she immediately pulled the frog girl away from what could only be a shapeshifting villain.

The fake Uraraka began to melt into the shape of a different girl, blonder, taller, and - Kyoka blushed - less clothed. “Wow, you figured that out quick!” the villain said with a friendly grin. “Smart girl, aren’t you!”

With that, the shapeshifter leapt at Kyoka. She tried to bring her sword up to intercept, but with Tsu on one arm and a villain weighing her down, she was too slow. She felt a sharp, stabbing pain on one arm, then a blow to the head, and then everything went dark.

---

Izuku gaped as Dark Shadow rampaged. “I never realized he was so strong in the darkness...”

“He’s incredibly strong,” Shoji agreed. The multi-armed boy had grabbed Izuku out of the air before Tokoyami’s out-of-control quirk had made a grab for him, and was now dashing down the path with Izuku in his arms. “I don’t know how to stop him...”

“Light should do it,” he said. “I could probably do it, bur it would burn through most of my vitality. on the other hand...” He pointed a little way of the path. “Kacchan and Shoto are over there. If we get to them...” There was a villain too, admittedly, but between the five of them they should be able to take whoever it was out.

“Understood.” Shoji turned his charge, barreling through the bushes as Izuku slipped out of his arms, charging up to x2.5 in order to keep up with the taller and stronger boy.

It was only a few moments later that they came up on Izuku’s friends, who were fighting against - oh shit, he thought, that was Moonfish. He was shocked for a moment, but only a moment - he still didn’t have the time to freak out, not while the villains were gunning for him. “KACCHAN! SHOTO!” he shouted as Dark Shadow burst through the trees behind him and Shoji, “WE NEED LIGHT!”

Kacchan didn’t hesitated, bright explosions popping from his hands even as Dark Shadow slammed into Moonfish, shattering his extended teeth and barreling the cannibal to the ground. Shoto’s flames lit up the night sky only a moment later, and Dark Shadow began to shrink even as Moonfish collapsed, unconscious.

“...thank you,” Tokoyami said hoarsely as his quirk retreated into his chest. “I couldn’t... in the fearful darkness, I could not contain the rage of my spirit.”

Izuku put a comforting hand on the raven-headed boy. “Let’s get you back to the cabin. All of us,” he said to the others. “Shoji is hurt, and the two of you look like you’re running low on steam as well.”

Kacchan eyed him. “And you look fresh as a fucking daisy, huh? Keeping yourself full on trees, still?” Izuku shrugged. “Well, good. Let’s get the hell out of this goddamn forest.”

They had only been traveling for a few minutes before Izuku spotted a familiar soul. “Momo!” he immediately shouted to his girlfriend, who quickly began making her way towards his group along with the less familiar soul beside her. “Momo, over here!”

“Izukun!” she rushed towards him, wrapping her arms tightly around him as she entered the clearing they had been passing through. “Thank god you’re alright!”

“Thank god you’re okay,” he said, hugging her just as tight. “I was so worried - you hadn’t made it to the cabin when I got Kota back there-”

“Is Kota alright?”

“Yes, he’s fine.”

“Oh, good,” Momo breathed. She tilted her head to press a kiss into his hair. “Well done, Izukun.” He smiled involuntarily. “But... if you had made it to the cabins, why are you out here again?”

“Because I was worried about you and Kyokun!”

“Izukun!” she scolded.

“Oh my god, stop fucking flirting!” Kacchan snapped. “This is so not the time!”

“Wait,” Izuku froze as Momo released him, her cheeks colored only a little. “Where’s Kyokun?”

Momo frowned, clearly worried. “We were separated by Dark Shadow’s rampage. I’m afraid that I’m not sure-”

Izuku flared to x30, scanning the forest to find her, then let Full Cowling fade back down to x1.1. “Thank god - she’s with Tsu and Uraraka,” he told his girlfriend, “and they’re on their way back to the cabin. In fact, almost everyone is there or almost there.”

“And we should be on our way as well,” Shoji reminded them.

“That’s right,” said the unfamiliar person who had been with Momo - Awase, Izuku thought his name was, the guy from 1B with a sticky-feeling energy.

“Awase-san is correct,” Momo said. “Come, let’s go.”

---

“I don’t suppose anyone knows what these villains are after?” Momo asked as the group walked, Izukun and Shoji both keeping an eye out for villains. “Kyokun and I encountered one, but he didn’t say much - not that we gave him the chance to.”

“Who cares?” Bakugo growled.

Izukun hesistated. “...it... it’s me.”

“What?” Momo demanded. “What do you mean, it’s you?”

“They... they’re after me,” he admitted, clearly uncomfortable. “I don’t know why, but... one of the villains, Muscular, said that Shigaraki wanted me.”

“...he was the one who accosted you in the mall, wasn’t he?” Todoroki asked.

Izukun nodded. “Yeah. He said... a lot of crazy things, really. He talked about being jealous of Stain, and blamed that on All Might, but he also said something about... about even my quirk being more interesting than him. I don’t know what he was talking about.”

“...it doesn’t matter why,” Momo declared, “we will not let you be captured.”

“No fucking way,” Bakugo agreed.

“Definitely not,” said Todoroki.

“Who are we not letting get captured?” asked a voice. Momo turned to see Uraraka, tugging on a floating Tsu, Kyokun, and the gas villain that she and Kyokun had fought.

“Kyokun!” she cried, rushing forward to embrace her girlfriend. She realized a moment later that the purple-haired girl was unconscious. “What happened?”

“We were attacked by a shapeshifting villain,” Tsu said from where she floated. “She knocked Jiro out, but we drove her off before she could do much. She did extract a bit of blood, though.”

Her heart racing, Momo took Kyokun’s pulse and, thankfully, found that it was steady and strong. She leaned her forward against the unconscious girls. “You will be alright,” she swore. “I’m not letting either of you get hurt again.”

“That’s very sweet, Yaomomo,” Uraraka said, “but again, who are we not letting get captured? Are the villains trying to steal someone?”

“Yes, they-” Momo blanched as she looked back and saw who was missing.

Izukun and Bakugo were both gone - all there was in their place was a villain, a masked magician, displaying a pair of marbles between his fingers.

Notes:

I apologize once again for my weak action scenes.

Discord server for all my writing, feel free to join!

Chapter 29: Rescue, Part 4

The first thing Kyoka became aware of was pain - sharp, stabbing pain in the back of her head and her arm that made her groan. The second was also pain - a duller, more spread-out ache that covered her entire body. The third was fear.

She shot upright, wincing at the spike of additional pain that lanced out from her arm. Kyoka scanned the room wildly, her heart pounding like a drum as she tried to figure out what was going on. The last thing she remembered was being under attack...

“Kyokun!” Momo’s voice and was like a balm to her ears as the taller girl flung her arms around Kyoka, and she buried her head in her girlfriend’s chest, taking in the familiar scent of her perfume and the calming beat of her heart.

She breathed in and out steadily, matching the pace of Momo’s own breathing, for a full minute before emerging, her heartbeat beginning to slow to a more normal rate. “Momo,” she whispered. “Is... is it over?”

“Yes, Kyokun. The attack is over. You’re safe in the hospital,” her girlfriend promised her - but Kyoka could tell that she was holding something back. There was pain in her voice.

A horrible thought came into her mind as she realized whose heartbeat was missing, and she couldn’t stop her voice from trembling when she asked, “Where’s Izukun?”

“He...” Momo swallowed miserably, trying to hold back tears.

“What happened to him?” Kyokun demanded, terrifying scenarios coming to mind unbidden. He had been terribly injured, he had burnt out his quirk, he had killed himself saving Kota, he was missing...

“He... Kyokun, he...” Momo was really crying now, and she shouldn’t be thinking like this now but god it was unfair how beautiful her girlfriend was, even while crying she was gorgeous. “They took him,” she wailed, and Kyoka’s heart froze. “The villains, they took Izukun!”

It was a while before either could stop crying, after that.

---

Some time later, Kyokun lifted her head from Momo’s shoulder. “I hear footstops,” she murmured, her voice still thick. “Someone’s coming.”

Momo produced a pair of handkerchiefs for the two of them and began dabbing at her face, cleaning up the tear tracks. “Can you tell who?”

“Sounds like Kirishima and-” Kyokun paused to blow her nose, and Momo shouldn’t be thinking like this now but god it was unfair how cute her girlfriend was, she even blew her nose adorably. “-and Ashido, I think.”

Momo closed her eyes, concentrating, and subtle makeup rose from within her skin to hide the bags under her eyes, caused by a sleepless night of worrying about Izukun and waiting for Kyokun to wake. She was the class president - no one could blame her for falling apart for a time with her girlfriend, but she had to be strong now. As she finished and opened her eyes again, a knock calm at the door.

“Yaomomo?” called Kirishima. “Are you in there? Is Jiro awake?”

“I’m awake, Sharktooth!” Kyokun called. “Come on in!”

The redhead entered, Ashido followed close behind him. Both were uncharacteristically somber. “Sorry to interrupt you two,” said Kirishima, “but this can’t exactly wait. Yaomomo, I heard you made some sort of tracker?”

“Tracker?” Kyokun asked, looking to her.

Momo nodded. “Yes. After we were separated last night, I bumped into Awase-san, from 1B, and he planted a beacon I made on a nomu that had been brought,” she explained to the purple-haired girl. “I gave the police the tracker to follow it.”

“Ashido and I need one of our own,” the redhead asked. “We have to rescue Katsuki.”

“Midori, too,” Ashido agreed.

“Wait, Bakugo was taken too?”

“Yes... both of them,” Momo admitted. “Those of us who were there tried to rescue them, but...” She closed her eyes, remembering that frantic flight after the magician who had trapped her boyfriend and classmate, Todoroki flying through the air on jets of flame, Tsu leaping after him despite her injured leg, coming so close only to fail as the villains vanished through a portal. “But we failed,” she whispered, ashamed.

“We don’t blame you, Yaomomo,” Kirishima promised her. “But we can’t stop now. We have to save them.”

“The police have a tracker already,” she pointed out. “There will be heroes going after them...”

“The League of Villains is no joke,” Ashido noted. “Even something small could tip the scales. If the heroes fail, and there’s any chance we could have changed things by being there... I would never forgive myself if I didn’t even try.”

Momo looked at Kyokun. “What do you think?”

“...I think...” her girlfriend winced as she shifted her arm. “I think that I can’t go,” she admitted, “not unless this arm gets miraculously fixed before you leave. And I can’t imagine what Sparky and Izukun are going through. So Momo,” she said, looking into her eyes, “you’d better go keep an eye on these two idiots. Make sure they don’t screw things up. They’ll need a leader, right?”

Momo closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, then nodded. “Yes... you’re right, or course.”

“I’m always right, haven’t you figured that out by now?”

She giggled a little at that, and leaned down to press a kiss to Kyokun’s forehead - her girlfriend, however, tilted her head upwards to meet her kiss. Momo pulled back, a little surprised but not at all displeased, and they both grinned at each other.

Ashido gasped, and Momo saw that she was looking something like her old self for the first time since she had found out about Bakugo’s kidnapped. “Oh - my - god! Did you two...?”

“Yeah,” Kyokun said, still with an adorably goofy smile on her face.

“After seeing you take the plunge for Bakugo and Kirishima, we realized that there were no obstacles for us, either,” Momo told them.

“Midori too?” Ashido asked.

“Also dating me,” Momo confirmed, “but not Kyokun.”

“He’s my - metamour, I think is what Green called it,” Kyokun said. “My partner’s partner.”

“Still, that’s so exciting!” the pink girl squealed happily. “We have to go out together, all of us! A double date! Triple date? Kirikun, would that be a double or triple date, do you think?”

“I’m really happy for you guys, however many dates it would be,” the redhead said, giving them a smile - although, Momo couldn’t help but note, it didn’t quite reach his eyes. He was obviously just as torn up as she herself was.

“That sounds lovely,” she said, beginning to produce the tracker. “In the meantime, however, we need to begin following this tracker - and I think I need to lay down a few ground rules. First,” she began as Ashido quieted, “I am in charge. We take no action without my say-so, and if I say that we pull back, we do, understand?”

“Yes ma’am,” Ashido agreed,

“Got it.”

“Second, we will not be engaging in combat,” Momo insisted. “Heroics students have a certain amount of leeway to use quirks for the purpose of saving lives, it’s true-” She couldn’t help remembering the story of how Izukun, Todoroki, and Iida had fought Stain until Ryukyu had arrived, and not been punished except for their names being kept out of things while the man’s capture was attributed to Ryukyu and Native. Izukun had sworn her to secrecy when he had told her. “-but we don’t have licenses yet, provisional or otherwise. We cannot harm anyone with our quirks, even villains. Is that clear?”

“Yes.”

“Clear.”

“Thirdly, we keep out of sight of the heroes, if we can. If they know we’re nearby, they’ll worry about us, and that could impede their performance.”

“Makes sense.”

“Sure.”

“Finally,” she continued, “we keep this quiet. No one else in the class can know about-”

“Why not?” asked Todoroki as he stepped into the room, followed by Iida. “Why does this have to stay quiet?”

“That seems quite clear, to me,” Iida said with a stern frown. “Even if you avoid using your quirks, this endeavor you are planning is illegal vigilantism. That is why you are attempting to ‘keep it quiet’ as you say, and that is why you wish to avoid the heroes!”

Momo glanced at Kyokun, who shifted uncomfortable. “What?” her girlfriend said defensively. “I was paying attention to you, I can’t always be on guard?”

“...fair point.” Momo rubbed her temples briefly, thinking - how could she get them to stay quiet? “Iida, we have no intention of breaking the law. We just want to make sure that our friends are safe.”

“I... I understand that impulse,” Iida stiffly admitted, “but still... I broke the law when I sought out Stain, and that was very nearly the biggest mistake of my life. I don’t want to see any of my classmates make the same error.”

Todoroki put a hand on his arm. “Tenya... your mistake was taking on a villain beyond you, not breaking the law,” he said, calm as ever. “Izuku broke the law when he came to save you, as did I when I came for you both. Illegal isn’t always the same as immoral.” He clenched his fist. “If everything that was wrong was illegal, and everything that was illegal was wrong, well... you know why I live with my sister now.”

Kyokun raised an eyebrow. “She got custody?”

Todoroki furrowed his brows. “Last month, yes. How do you - did Izuku tell you...”

She shook her head. “He didn’t tell me anything - and I haven’t spread anything either. I just have enhanced hearing, remember? I hear a lot of things that I don’t share. I’m just glad you’re in a better place now.”

Momo tilted her head to the side. She didn’t know what he was referring to, but the only possibilities she could think of weren’t great. “I’m afraid I don’t follow. Are you... in trouble, Todoroki?”

“It’s private,” Todoroki said. “And... it’s over now, too. Don’t worry about it.”

“If you’re sure.”

Iida sighed. “I... suppose I must admit that Shoto is correct. I shall not stop you. BUT!” He straightened, chopping at the air with his hands. “If you are to do this, I insist that I be allowed to come, to make certain that you do not enter into combat!”

“I was already going to be enforcing that, Iida,” Momo reminded the taller boy.

“Ah... yes, but still.”

“I suppose you can come, yes.”

“I would also like to come,” Todoroki said. “I may not be as close to Izuku as some of you are-” Ashido snorted, eying Momo. “-but he is still a good friend.”

Momo sighed. “Yes, why not?”

“Just post it to the group chat, why don’t you?” Kyokun said with a chuckle.

“Well, if you-”

“No!” Ashido lunged, stopping Todoroki from bringing out his phone. “That was just a joke, Roki.”

“...oh.”

Notes:

Discord server for all my writing, feel free to join!

Chapter 30: Captivity

The last thing Izuku remembered had been Uraraka’s voice as she approached the group that had been escorting him back to the cabins. Everyone had turned to look, and then...

The next thing he knew, he had been held by the neck, unable to take a breath and panicking from lack of air. Before he could react, he had been bound, gagged, and thrown into a cell by a tall, rail-thin man with a soul like a wildfire.

Izuku didn’t know how long it had been since then - hell, he didn’t know how long he had been under the grip of whatever quirk had stolen his memory - but it had been a while. Long enough for his panic to begin to fade, long enough that his mind was working furiously to figure out how to escape.

They had presumably gagged him to prevent him from using his quirk, but he knew that it was a useless gesture - he could at any point bring the gag itself to life and free himself. No, freeing himself from his bonds and probably even the room wouldn’t be a problem. The problem was the villains themselves.

Izuku’s self-esteem issues were primarily social - in terms of combat, he could confidently say that he was in the upper ranks of the class when they were allowed to use their quirks, right alongside powerhouses like Kacchan, Shoto, and Tokoyami, as well as less powerful but equally formidable fighters like Momo, Kyokun, and Eijiro. He was confident that he could probably take on most of the villains one-on-one, maybe even two-on-one. If he spent energy on golems, he might even be able to take three of them on, and freeing Kacchan - who he could see surrounded by villains, apparently being guarded much more closely than Izuku was - would help as well.

But... observing with his quirk sense told him that there were seven villains in the building, including the teleporter who had been at the USJ attack. Kurogiri alone would have been a problem for Izuku’s escape - Shigaraki, although he was also present, was less of a concern, given his limited range.

And that wasn’t all, because Izuku couldn’t forget the horrifying sight of a soulless villain the previous night - the villains had a cloning quirk, Aizawa had told him. And while Izuku thought he could guess who the cloner was - a soul that seemed split in two - he had no way of knowing how many clones they might have.

Izuku’s prospects for escape, he knew, were low. For all that, he might have tried... but he was even less likely to be able to get out with Kacchan in tow. And there was no way he was leaving his brother behind.

With that in mind, he made a different plan, and focused instead on drawing attention to their location. He had just been practicing this earlier today - he released a chunk of his soul through his hands and let it sink into the wall behind him, creating several small, spider-shaped golems - hopefully, the villains wouldn’t notice the chunk of the wall that was missing behind his back. His instruction for them was a complex one - to leave the building without being seen, then find a hero and lead them back. That done, he would just wait for-

Someone new had just arrived.

The villains who he had seen so far were the same ones that he had spotted in the forest, minus... Muscular... and the one whose soul had drifted about like a gas. This one, however, was new - new and frightening. Their soul reminded him of a nomu’s, only even worse - rather than a handful of souls stitched together, it was hundreds - perhaps even thousands. Shards of thousands of souls, all torn apart and fused to one central light, a dark, all-consuming vortex of blazing black radiance.

And this monstrous person was moving towards him.

It was only a minute or two later that the door swung open, revealing a towering figure - a man nearly as tall as All Might. Less heavily built, perhaps, but that wasn't saying much - he was still broad-shouldered and powerful. He wore a deep blue suit and some sort of metal collar or neck brace, with a smoke-filled glass dome covering his head. “Ah, there you are. Izuku Midoriya,” he said, stepping into the room. “A pleasure, I’m sure.”

Izuku glared up at him, still gagged - sure, he could get rid of it any time he wanted, but he didn’t think he should reveal that if he could help it. If the villains thought they could stifle him with a simple gag, they wouldn’t bother getting actual quirk-suppressants.

“I’m sure you’re wondering why I chose you, hm? Why you of all people were taken.”

Izuku shook his head - Shigaraki had said it back in the USJ, that next time he would go for the healer first, not to mention making his personal hatred for Izuku, second only to All Might, very clear back in the mall. It had only been a week or two ago. But then he paused - if that was why, then why had this person said that he chose Izuku? If Shigaraki hadn’t picked out Izuku... that implied that this was the leader of the League of Villains.

“Not surprised?” the villain questioned. “I admit, I find myself curious what you have to say.” He tilted his head to the side, and the gag was torn from Izuku’s mouth. “What are you thinking, Izuku Midoriya?”

“You’re the leader of the League of Villains, not Shigaraki,” Izuku growled. “You’re the brains behind him. I knew he wasn’t smart enough to pull off the USJ on his own.”

“Not as he is now, perhaps,” the hulking man admitted, “but I assure you, he’s learning. Before long, he will be a worthy successor to me.”

“Who are you?”

“My name,” said the villain, spreading his hands proudly, “is All For One.”

“...never heard of you.”

He deflated slightly. “Really? You seemed like such a perfect candidate for All Might’s successor - your quirk’s limitations would be entirely negated, and you seem exactly the type that he would like... he’s really told you nothing of me?”

“Are you supposed to be his secret nemesis or something like that?”

“Something along those lines, yes.”

“Well, All Might and I don’t really have anything to do with each other,” Izuku informed the villain. “He’s a heroics teachers at UA, yes, but I don’t think we’ve ever had a single conversation out of class. I mean, he’s the number one hero, he’s kind of busy.”

“Hm. Well, even if I am not stealing his planned successor from under him,” All For One decided, “your quirk is still a powerful one, and one that will be a fine addition to my collection.” He crouched and reached a hand for Izuku.

Izuku pushed himself against the wall, staying as far from that hand as he could. “What, are you going to steal my quirk?” The resemblance of All For One’s soul to that of a nomu, who had multiple quirks... “That’s your quirk, isn’t it? To steal quirks, or force them on people? I bet you make the nomus, too...”

The villain paused. “Quite perceptive, aren’t you? All Might really is missing your potential. Yes, that’s entirely correct. Hm... perhaps...”

“Well... I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Izuku warned.

“And why is that?”

“Your quirk is obviously touch-limited,” he pointed out, “otherwise you wouldn’t be reaching to touch me, you’d steal mine with your mind, like how you took the gag out.”

“Continue.”

“My quirk isn’t touch ranged,” he informed the villain. “The range isn’t great, no, but you’ll be in my power before I’m in yours - and my drain is pretty fast. You have a good amount of energy, but I bet I could still take it all before you touched me.” Especially if he using Full Cowling for a moment to boost his quirk. “If you try to touch me, I’ll drain you to death.”

“You wouldn’t,” All For One said confidently. “You’re a hero-in-training.”

“...I killed Muscular,” Izuku whispered, acknowledging what he had done for the first time, and this seemed to surprise All For One. He hadn’t even meant to, he had just... the line between unconsciousness and death was so thin that he... “I have it in me to kill, All For One, and in this circumstance? Leaving you alive to recover later would be foolishness. You’re obviously the biggest single threat to me escaping or being rescued, even more than Kurogiri.”

“...oh, I like you,” All For One said as he drew back his hand, and a grin was clear in his voice, his approval sickening Izuku. “I can hear the truth in your voice - and yes, that’s a quirk I took - and you believe every word of what you say. But tell me, Izuku Midoriya, why warn me? If you are aware of the foolishness of sparing my life, why would you not simply let me reach a little further, and take my life from me, as I would have taken your quirk from you?”

Because he didn’t want to kill, he thought, but didn’t say. If All For One knew how disgusted with himself he was, he would have no fear of taking Breath of Life - and Izuku truly didn’t know if he would have the stomach to kill All For One, All Might’s nemesis or not. This maybe-bluff was his best option.

“Killing you would also be a mistake,” Izuku said instead. “You’re the leader of the League of Villains, and they captured me only at your orders - the only one other than you with any reason to be interested in me is Shigaraki, and he wants me dead. If I killed you, they would have no reason not to take revenge. My prospects for escape would be higher without you dead, but my prospects for survival would be lower.”

“You have the most interesting mind, Izuku Midoriya,” All For One said, still sounding very pleased. “In that case, why should I fear taking your quirk after all?”

“If you take my quirk, you have no reason to keep me alive, which means that I have no reason not to retaliate if you attempt it,” he shot back. “And besides... I’m a hero-in-training, remember? I’m perfectly happy to throw my life away to help someone else - someone like Katsuki Bakugo, who I know you also kidnapped. I would kill you and then do my best to get him out of here, even if the League killed me."

All For One tilted his head to the side. “So, you see three choices: allow me to take your quirk, leading to your death with nothing accomplished, and thus not an option; kill me and attempt to escape with Katsuki Bakugo in tow, which risks your own life; or convince me to leave you alive, and attempt escape with Katsuki Bakugo in tow, despite knowing that your chances of success are close to zero with me present. And you chose number three?”

“Well, you’re not always going to be here,” Izuku pointed out. “You’re bigger than this, you must have other stuff going on in your life. You can’t watch over two kids all the time.”

“True - although you have no way of knowing if I am present or not. But what surprises me here is that you both see your likely death as a viable option and are taking the third path,” All For One mused. “Most would either reject any possibility of their death or place no value on their life at all.”

Izuku thought of his friends - Kacchan, Momo, Kyokun, Shoto, Tenya, Shinso... “I’m willing to die, but I have too much to live for to take that as my first option.”

“I really am enjoying this,” the villain chuckled. “You, Izuku Midoriya, are the most entertaining conversationalist I’ve met in ages. But you’ve forgotten one thing - if I cannot have your quirk, what reason do I have to keep you alive? I can easily kill you in any number of ways without entering your range, after all.”

“Well... I’m the most entertaining conversationalist you’re met in ages,” Izuku pointed out, and All For One laughed aloud. “And...” he hated even suggesting it, but it was the only option he could see. “...you wanted to steal and neuter All Might’s successor right out from under him. I may not be his successor, but I’m still his student. Wouldn’t it be even more of a insult to him if you turned us into villains?”

“It would be, and that is indeed my thought,” All For One confirmed. “But you don’t think it’s possible, do you?”

“No,” Izuku admitted - the villain could see if he was lying, so there was no point in trying to hide his conviction to remain a hero, or his confidence in Kacchan to do the same. “But just because I think something is true doesn’t mean it is - a few hours ago I wouldn’t have thought it was possible to steal quirks, either. What matters isn’t if I think you could turn us, it’s if you think you could.”

All For One stood. “As it happens,” the villain declared, “I believe I can. You have convinced me, Izuku Midoriya, to leave you alive.” The gag, which had landed in the corner, flew back to Izuku’s face and stuffed itself inside of his mouth, tasting of dirt and concrete. “I will be back for more conversation later - for now, however, I think you would benefit from a little isolation. You see,” he explained, “the simplest and best way to turn you is to show you how truly alone you are, and then to introduce a new family. The heroes are not coming, you see - they have no idea where you are. They will fail to find you, and then they will forget about you, and you will be truly alone. But I... I will not forget,” All For One assured him. “I will be there for you. If you are good, perhaps I will allow some of the other members of the League to meet you as well. Toga is around you age, and so is Tomura Shigaraki - mentally, at least.” He chuckled and turned to leave. “But first, you must see that you are alone.”

Izuku watched as All Might’s nemesis moved towards Kacchan - no doubt to have a similar conversation. All he could do was hope that his brother could defend himself similarly. But...

All For One’s plan to turn him, he had to admit, was disturbingly plausible. He didn’t want to be a villain, no, but he knew that isolation could have a powerful effect. If All For One and the League of Villains were the only human interaction he had for weeks, months... perhaps his conviction would be worn down, perhaps he would begin to sympathize with them, perhaps he would grow to resent All Might and all heroes.

It would have been enough to send him into another spiral of panic, if he had the time, but he didn’t. Izuku needed to escape, as soon as possible, and he needed to bring Kacchan with him. So he watched All For One, keeping a careful eye on that horrifying chimera soul and Kacchan’s eternal explosion, hoping desperately.

His prayers were answered only a few minutes later - All For One’s conversation with Kacchan didn’t last as long as his own had, and the villain departed. Izuku had to wonder how the sight part of his quirk had been missed - he supposed it was the least flashy aspect, but he hadn’t exactly made a secret of it. Were they really going only by what they had learned from the USJ and Sports Festival? - but only for a moment. Nearly as soon as All For One was gone, he made his move.

A quick puff of breath entered the gag, which slipped from his mouth under his direction. A quick flex of his soul and the bindings on his wrists and feet did the same, and then he leapt to his feet.

Izuku had a decent amount of energy, but he wasn’t going to refill from his enemies, if he could help it. Maybe he had it in him to kill, but he refused to do so. That was the only way he was going to be able to keep from having a nervous breakdown. He could hate himself later - right now he didn’t have the time.

He crept up to the door of his soul and infused the lock with a touch of vitality, just enough to let it click itself open, and peered around the corridor. No clones in sight - thank god. Perhaps the cloner’s quirk was especially draining, or perhaps they simply had no idea how much of an advantage it could be against his escape. That meant he could proceed towards Kacchan.

He stayed quiet and unseen as best as he could as he went - right now they didn’t know that he was free, and that was an advantage that he could only have once. Even if-

He felt an unmistakable warmth through his quirk’s sight, and couldn’t prevent the grin that spread across his face. The heroes had no idea where he was, All For One had claimed - they would forget about him, he had claimed. Hah! Everyone was fine now.

All Might was here.

Notes:

Discord server for all my writing, feel free to join!

 

I kind of struggled with this chapter, tbh. Both in the actual writing - that conversation with All For One went through a few iterations - and in motivation - I'm pretty deep in planning for my next fic (which, if you're curious, is going to be 'what if trans!girl Jiro was still closeted when she got to UA, and also alt!quirk Jiro because why not?'. It'll definitely be Jiro/Momo, but I haven't decided if it will also be poly with Izuku or not. Let me know what you think - this link should take you to a poll to tell me.).

TL;DR writing is pain

(Oh, also I want to promise that Tsukauchi is fine. There are truth-telling quirks out there, and A4O has someone else's.)

Chapter 31: Rescue, Part 5

“That building,” Momo whispered to the small group, “is the one with the tracker in it. That’s where the nomu is. Or where they dumped the tracker, maybe. Either way, it’s all we’ve got.” The others nodded seriously, listening to her as she thought aloud. “None of us are very stealthy, but Ashido and Todoroki are both light on their feet. I want the two of you to -”

She was interrupted by a mighty CRASH as the building caved in, smashed by a kick from Mt. Lady, the superheroine having come out of nowhere. “Nomus, just like we thought!” the giant woman declared. “Come get ‘em, boys!” Tiger, Best Jeanist, and several other heroes that Momo didn’t recognized swiftly entered the wrecked building.

“The heroes are here,” she muttered. “We have to stay back - they’ll worry about us if they know we’re here.”

“It doesn’t look like they’re holding Midori and Bakkun here anyway,” Ashido said grimly.

“I hope that they heroes found the other location, if there is one...”

“I’m certain that they did,” Momo assured them. “They wouldn’t have made a move and given up their knowledge of this location if they weren’t confident that things would go well.”

“Then we should go,” Iida hissed. “If the heroes are making their move, we will only get in the way!”

Momo nodded. “Iida is right,” she said. “Come on, lets-”

She was interrupted once more by a massively powerful shockwave, one which knocked her off her feet only to be caught be Kirishima before she hit the ground. “Thank you,” she said. “What just happened?”

“A new villain,” Todoroki said flatly. “Look.”

Momo followed his pointing finger and saw a large man floating in midair, apparently in the epicenter of the shockwave. “I’m impressed,” the villain intoned, his voice deep and carrying. “You have excellent reflexes. Who are you, boy?”

A muscular blonde man stood untouched by the shockwave, one hand on Tiger’s shoulder and the other on one of the unknown heroes. Faint blue lightning crackled over his body and those of the heroes beside him.

Momo’s eyes widened in recognition. “Togata?”

“My name’s Lemillion!” the upperclassman said cheerfully, releasing the other two heroes, “because that’s how many people I’m planning to save! You two should go, by the way,” he added.

“But kid-”

“Don’t worry about me, Tiger. I’ll be fine.” Togata winked. “I’m untouchable, remember?”

The others fled even as the floating villain stared. “I was a fool to look to the underclassman,” he mused. “I thought he would want someone who he could mold from the beginning, but it’s you, isn’t it?”

“That’s me,” Togata confirmed. “And you’re All For One.”

“Yes... it really is you. Such a shame,” All For One mused, “that All Might isn’t here to see you perish.”

Togata laughed. “Big words for a man without a face!”

“I assure you, I have a face beneath this mask.”

“Not for long!” Togata leapt for All For One in a flurry of blue sparks.

“We should definitely go,” Momo said, finally getting through the paralysis that All For One’s presence had imposed on her. “Come on everyone, lets-”

She was starting to get tired of being interrupted, Momo reflected as yet another massive shockwave rolled through the sky - a sonic boom as Togata was flung backwards by a blow from All For One.

“You have potential,” the villain admitted, “but your experience is still nothing beside All Might’s. In ten, perhaps even five years, you could have stood up to me, but now...” He shook his head, then gestured, piles of black ooze beginning to form on the ground.

---

“FUCK!” Kacchan spat as he rolled out of the same black ooze that Izuku had been caught in. “What the shitting hell is it now!”

“I’m afraid I don’t have time to chat,” All For One said from above them - it must have been him who had stolen Izuku and Kacchan away from the bar, right from out of All Might’s hands. “Tomura Shigaraki, you must take your captives and go.” Long black tendrils extended from his fingertips and speared into the smoky body of the unconscious Kurogiri, and a warp gate opened. “I’m afraid I have my hands full with something.”

“But sensei-” Shigaraki protested.

Togata shot through the air like a bullet on a collision course for All For One, who raised a flaming barrier. The upperclassman went right through it without slowing, then through All For One, then stopped in-midair and swiveled into a powerful kidney shot. The villain coughed, then snapped his fingers, and Togata went flying.

“...right,” the younger villain decided, heaving a reptilian man over his shoulders. “Time to go, everyone. If that kid can land a hit on sensei...”

“That includes you, brats,” the slim villain with the fire quirk hissed at Izuku and Kacchan, blue flames dancing over his fingers.

“Yeah, no,” Izuku snapped, pulling Kacchan close. “We’re not going anywhere with you.”

“All Might’s not here to save you again,” the villain shot back.

“Oh really?”

As though summoned by his words, All Might landed in the street. “I am here,” he boomed, and was almost immediately engaged in a furious battle with All For One.

“He’s a little busy,” a blonde girl noted, toying with a knife. “Do you really think the two of you can stand up to all of us?”

“Hell yeah we can!” Kacchan spat.

“With Kurogiri and that lizard guy unconscious, and All For One just as occupied?” Izuku asked, putting a hand on his friend’s shoulder and enhancing him to x3, even as he sparked up Full Cowling to x3 for himself. “Yeah, I bet we can.”

“KATSUKI!” came a familiar voice from above, and Izuku and Kacchan simultaneously looked up to see Eijiro arcing across the sky at the head of some sort of makeshift sled. “MIDORIYA!”

“But I don’t think we have to,” Izuku said cheerfully, flinging his arms around Kacchan’s neck.

“BLAST OFF, BITCHES!” his brother shouted, leaping into the air propelled by series of massive explosions.

---

“Thank god, you’re all right!” Momo cried, rushing up to Bakugo and her boyfriend as they, Ashido, and Kirishima landed, Iida and Todoroki following right behind her. She scooped up Izukun in her arms and kissed him thoroughly.

He returned her kiss as though he needed it to live, only pulling away when Bakugo yelled, “Who’s fucking idea was that shit!”

“Mine,” Momo said. “And it worked, didn’t it?”

“Brilliantly, too,” Izukun said approvingly. “Ashido making a smooth surface for the sled, Eijiro as a cowcatcher to break through the wall, Shoto making the ramp to get them in the air... and I assume Tenya as propulsion?”

“Quite right!” Iida confirmed.

“We should go,” Momo said. “This battle is far too big for us to take part in.”

“You’re not wrong,” Izukun agreed, glancing over his shoulder at where All Might and Togata were fighting All For One. “All Might versus his nemesis... I’m just glad Togata-senpai is there to help him.”

“I didn’t realize Togata was quite so strong,” Momo commented.

Izukun was silent for a moment before he said, “He’s going to be the next number one, I’m pretty sure.”

“Fuck that,” Bakugo muttered from where he stood embracing his partners, his words muffled somewhat by Ashido’s hair. “I’m gonna be number one. He can take three.”

“After you and me, huh?”

“Exactly.”

“What am I, chopped liver?” Todoroki asked, and everyone laughed.

“Roki!” Ashido said, sounding immensely pleased. “You made a joke! And used an idiom correctly, too!”

“Proud of you, bro,” grinned Kirishima, gently punching the multicolored boy in the arm.

The group began moving - slowed down slightly by the reluctance of the polycules to part from each other - for several minutes, until they were stopped by the sight of the battle they had just left on a television in a store window.

The news had apparently found it and began broadcasting it live, and... All Might wasn’t doing too well.

Momo gasped as she saw the hero, seemingly skin and bones and with only one massive arm, which he was using to hold back a grotesquely powerful blow by All For One. Then the skeletally-thin All Might shifted, his other arm growing as the first shrank so that he could send off a massively strong blow of his own, using an opening caused by Togata as he attacked the villain.

They were winning, Momo could see that, their teamwork beating out the solitary villain... but at what cost? The toll it was taking on All Might was clearly immense.

“He’s got to do it,” Izuku whispered. “All Might, you have to win!”

“All Might!” Kirishima shouted. “You can do it!”

“All Might, don’t you dare lose!” Bakugo ordered.

“All Might, you need to-”

“All Might, you have to-”

“All Might, please-”

“All Might-”

“All Might-”

The sound of the crowd, all yelling for All Might to succeed and win was almost overwhelming, but Momo couldn’t stop herself from joining in - and somehow, her cry came at just the right time, a momentary lull, for it to be picked up by the crowd and  begin to spread.

“ALL MIGHT! WE BELIEVE IN YOU!”

Only a few moments later, as All For One was wrapped in quirk-suppressing bonds and taken away, the drained All Might put a hand on Togata’s shoulder and said, barely noticing the world watching, “Now it’s your turn.”

---

Izuku glanced through the door of the hospital room, triple-checking that yes, this was the room All Might was staying in - while his soul was much dimmer than it had been before that fateful battle with All For One, no longer as bright as the sun, it was still instantly identifiable to his quirk. But...

He was just looking for an excuse not to, he knew. But he had to tell All Might that he knew his secret - Togata-senpai’s secret too, now, but Togata wasn’t in the hospital and All Might was.

He knocked on the door.

“Come in!” the hero weakly called, and Izuku entered. “Young Midoriya,” All Might said, sounding surprised. “I’m glad to see you’re alright. I thought visiting hours were over, though.”

“They are,” he agreed. “But the doctors wanted to keep me overnight for observation, even though I’m not hurt at all, so...” he shrugged. “I snuck out.”

“Well, it’s good to see you hale and hearty,” said the hero. “And how is young Bakugo?”

“He’s... managing,” Izuku said. It was tough to read Kacchan at times, even for him, but he thought that he was doing okay, at least. “Not physically hurt either, but...” he shrugged.

“But being kidnapped can do emotional damage as well,” All Might finished, and Izuku nodded. “And how are you doing on that front?”

Izuku was silent for a moment, his courage having departed him once more. “I... I should go.”

“Young Midoriya, wait!” All Might said before Izuku could leave. “It seems to me that you have something to get off your chest,” he continued. “I can’t force you to talk with me, but I hope you intend to speak with someone. Hound Dog is a qualified therapist, you know, and quite a good one.”

Izuku did know that - while he hadn’t taken advantage of the free therapy UA offered for its students, he had made sure that he had the information for it, just in case his anxiety worsened as it sometimes had in the past. But he couldn’t tell Hound Dog this. “It’s... not my secret to share with him, is the thing,” he said after a moment. “It’s yours.”

The hero blinked, clearly surprised. “Come again?”

Izuku sat on the chair next to All Might’s bed and pulled his knees up to his chin, wrapping his arms around them. “Did All For One say why he had taken me and Bakugo, during your fight with him? The news choppers didn’t pick up much of what you were saying.”

His voice darkened. “He said that he planned to turn the two of you into villains.”

“That was his ultimate goal, but...” Izuku swallowed. “It wasn’t what he originally wanted, at least not with me. He... he said stuff to me which... let me figure out some stuff.”

“...what stuff, young Midoriya?”

“He thought that... that I was your successor,” he whispered. “And he wanted to steal me out from under you. Not as a villain, not at first, but he was going to... to take my quirk, and then kill me.” He swallowed again before continuing. “I realized that he was going to steal my quirk, that that was his quirk, and... he said something about my quirk’s limitations being negated if I had been your successor, and, well, between that and something that Togata-senpai said when I first met him...” That he had a second quirk, called Overflowing Power, that had manifested late in life - one which he had admitted was similar to All Might’s. “You have a transferable quirk too, don’t you? And you gave it to Togata-senpai.”

All Might’s eyebrows rose as Izuku explained. “I... yes, young Midoriya, that’s correct. I chose him as my successor, and the next in line to receive One For All, a little under a year and a half ago. I hop your realize why this needs to remain a secret?”

Izuku nodded. “Yeah, I’m not going to tell anyone,” he promised. “Not even Kacchan, Kyokun, or Momo. I just thought that you deserved to know that I knew.” He paused for a moment. “I should tell Togata that I know, too.”

“I’ll tell him,” All Might offered.

“No, I want to do it myself,” Izuku said. “I think... I think he’s probably going to need someone relatively disconnected to talk to about all this - about you crowning him your heir on live television,” he clarified when he realized that All Might was confused, and the hero flushed. “If I can be that person for him...”

All Might tilted his head to the side, thinking. “You’re a good kid,” he observed after a moment. “I can certainly see why All For One thought I would have chosen you. I may have already picked my successor - and several of my friends have already chewed me out for putting such pressure on young Togata, don’t worry - but if I hadn’t...” He shrugged. “Well, there are a number of students I might have considered.”

“Can I ask who?” Izuku said, curiously.

“I don’t see why not... I think my first pick would probably have been young Kirishima,” All Might mused.

“Agreed. He’s a lot like you in some ways - relentlessly positive, always moving forward.”

“Exactly. He’s also heavily focused on defense - I think that One For All would be an excellent boost to his offensive capabilities, and really help him round out as a hero,” he continued. “You would have been my second choice, I think.”

Izuku flushed. “What did All For One mean that, when he said your quirk would cancel out the weaknesses of mine?”

“One For All is a stockpiling quirk at its heart,” All Might explained, “simply one which has had immensely more time than most to grow in power. It constantly stores... everything, I suppose, and has been doing so for close to 200 years, whereas other quirks which accumulate power have had only one lifetime, and many only stockpile while they’re actively being used.”

“Ah,” Izuku said, realizing. “So if I could draw on its stockpiled energy for my own quirk, I would never run low. And its nature as a stockpiling quirk would keep me safe if I went above my limit, too.”

“Not to mention the obvious benefit of enhancing everything you do physically,” All Might noted. “After you, I think perhaps young Kendou, from your sister class. Then... I’m not sure. Perhaps young Yaoyorozu, young Tokage, or young Ashido. But I’m glad I chose young Togata. I’m not sure I would have survived this battle without him beside me, let alone won.”

A cursory knock came at the door, which opened a moment later. “Excuse me, Yagi-sama, but-” the nurse who stood there stopped and frowned at Izuku. “Visiting hours are over, young man,” she scolded him.

He leapt out of his chair. “Sorry. I’ll go back to my room.”

“See that you do.”

Notes:

Discord server for all my writing, feel free to join!

I asked for opinions about whether my next fic should be Izu/Momo/Jiro poly, or just Momo/Jiro, but I realized that comments aren't the best way to take a measure of that. Instead, I made a poll! As a reminder, that fic will be heavily focused on Jiro, specifically on her slowing growing confidence in herself as she begins to come out and transition as a trans girl.

Chapter 32: Recovery, Part 4

“So, young Midoriya,” said Hound Dog as Izuku settled onto the couch, “how are you feeling? I know you’ve been through a lot.”

“Kind of... drained, I guess? In an emotional sense, not a physical one,” he answered. “It’s kind of been a real rollercoaster.”

“Understandable. A kidnapping is a lot to deal with,” the dog-quirked therapist sympathized.

Izuku ran his hands through his hair, absentmindedly smoothing a few tangles, before he said, “I mean, it’s not just that. Did... did you read the full briefing packet?”

Hound Dog shook his head. “Only the summary. I wanted to get the full story from you and young Bakugo.”

“Well... it started back in the forest,” Izuku began. “I... I had a talk with my friends Kyokun - Kyoka Jiro - and Momo Yaoyorozu. Long story short, I’m dating Momo now.”

“Congratulations, young Midoriya. Although I hope you’ve considered your time management - being a hero student is quite demanding,” the hero noted.

“I know, sensei. But we’ve managed to scrape together some spare time while remaining at the top of the class for an entire semester, and we already spent most of that spare time together. I doubt anything will change about we approach school.”

“Fair enough.”

“But...” Izuku sighed. “The attack started literally right after that happy moment. Like, I kissed her for the first time and then smelled the smoke. I... don’t know that I’ve had time to let that sink in yet, let alone anything else. Hell, I’ve been actively avoiding thinking about part of it...”

“That’s not all too healthy,” Hound Dog informed him.

“I know. But I didn’t exactly have the time to have a nervous breakdown up until now, so...”

“We’ll have to talk about whatever it was, obviously, but I think we’ll get there when we get there,” the therapist decided. “For the moment, let’s dissect your new relationship.”

“Okay.”

“You mentioned that it was a talk with young Yaoyorozu and young Jiro. Why was she involved in a relationship talk between the two of you?” Hound Dog asked, and Izuku froze. “Was there some existing entanglement? Just trying to avoid ruining any friendships?”

“The... second, I guess?” Izuku said, picking his words carefully.

Hound Dog tilted his head to the side, snuffling briefly. “Young Midoriya, my enhanced senses may not be as reliable at spotting deception as a truth-telling quirk, but they’re close,” he said. “I will remind you, I am a therapist - I will not judge you for whatever it is you’re hiding here.”

Izuku swallowed nervously. “It’s just... I don’t know, a bit of an pre-existing issue, maybe? Most times I’ve brought this up in the past, it... hasn’t gone well.”

“I can understand your reticence. But again, I am a therapist. I can promise you, whatever it is, I’ve heard worse. Will you trust me, young Midoriya?”

He swallowed again, then nodded. “Okay. Have you heard of... do you know what polyamory is?”

Hound Dog nodded. “Of course. It’s not for me, personally, but then romance in general isn’t. There’s certainly nothing wrong with it, however,” he continued as Izuku gaped at the hero’s ready acceptance. “Would I be right to assume that young Jiro is also part of your relationship with young Yaoyorozu?”

“Uh. Yes. Momo is dating both of us, but Jiro and I aren’t dating each other.”

“I see.” Hound Dog took a moment to scratch behind his ears before asking, “I can understand why beginning such a relationship might be a little stressful even with a happy conclusion. How do you feel about it?”

“Happy,” Izuku said immediately. “It... yeah, it was really stressful, because like I said most of the times people found out about me being polyamorous they didn’t react well, but... Momo was very on board with the idea. Kyokun needed to think about it for a little, but... yeah, happy, mostly.”

“Mostly?”

“Well... I was, am, crushing on Kyokun as well,” he admitted. “So... I guess I’m also a little disappointed that she was only interested in Momo like that. But shouldn’t I be happy that Momo likes me too?”

“It sounds to me like you are happy,” Hound Dog said. “That was the first word that jumped into your head as an answer, and you came up with it very quickly.”

“I suppose...”

“Young Midoriya, I have never been interested in romance myself, but I have helped counsel many students and friends through their own difficulties,” he said. “It’s perfectly normal to be sad when a prospective partner does not return your affections. It’s normal to feel that even when other things are going on in your life that make you happy. Human beings are quite wondrous, you know - we have the power to feel multiple things at once. You can be sad that young Jiro only wants you as a friend and happy that young Yaoyorozu wants more.”

Izuku turned this over in his head for a few moments, then nodded. “Thank you, sensei, that makes sense.”

“What might be a potential concern -” Hound Dog mused, “- and please, don’t take this as a criticism of polyamory or of you, merely as a potential worry - is how that concerns your relationship with young Yaoyorozu.”

“What do you mean?”

“You are interested in young Jiro, romantically, just as young Yaoyorozu is. Are you going to feel jealous of your new girlfriend that young Jiro is interested in her?”

“No, of course not,” Izuku answered, feeling a little confused about why he would feel like that. “Why would I be jealous?”

“Because she has what you wanted, a relationship with young Jiro,” Hound Dog pointed out.

“Yeah. That’s a good thing, it’ll make her happy.”

The therapist gave a snuffling dog-like laugh. “With that perspective, young Midoriya, there is nothing to be worried about after all.”

“Thanks.”

“Now walk me through what happened to you during the attack.”

“Once we realized the camp was under attack, I went back for Kota-kun,” Izuku told him. “He’s Mandalay’s six-year-old cousin, who she took in after his parents died, and thanks to my quirk I was able to spot that he was in danger from one of the villains. I went to go rescue him, and...”

“...and?”

Izuku was silent for a minute or two, Hound Dog waiting expectantly, before he said, “I couldn’t stop him for long without using my drain, but... I had never drained someone into unconscious before. I can pull really fast, and... and the line between unconsciousness and death is pretty thin, and...”

“...and you accidentally crossed it,” Hound Dog finished.

“...yeah,” Izuku whispered, pulling his legs up to his chest and hugging them tightly to himself. “I... I killed a man.”

“You were defending yourself and the life of an innocent child,” Hound Dog said quietly. “That’s justifiable homicide if I’ve ever heard it.”

“Just because the law doesn’t label me as guilty doesn’t mean I’m not. Legality isn’t the same as morality, I’ve known that for years.”

“No, it isn’t,” the hero admitted.

They sat in quiet silence for a few minutes before Izuku spoke again. “How do you... have you ever killed someone?”

“A few times,” Hound Dog said. “Sometimes there’s no other way. Sometimes it happens in the heat of battle. I think almost every combat hero has had to go through it at least once.”

“How do you...” Izuku hesitated before asking, “how do you get over it? How do you... stop feeling like this?”

“Well.” The therapist paused for a moment. “In some ways, you never do,” he said gently. “There are some things that you can never go back from. This tends to be one of them.”

“...oh.”

“In other ways, however, you can definitely improve and heal,” he quickly added. “Although that takes different forms for different people. Some heroes shift their focus to a different branch of heroism, one where they won’t have to face the dilemma again. Others rededicate themselves, training twice as hard so that they’ll never have to kill again. Some retire entirely.”

“But how do I get better?”

“I’m afraid that’s something only you can answer,” Hound Dog said solemnly. “I can give you some possible strategies, ways to change your thinking and keep from falling into despair or guilt, but only you can determine what will help you. And only you can help yourself. A therapist can show you the path, but you have to be the one to walk it.” He put a gentle hand on Izuku’s shoulder. “But you don’t have to walk it alone. You have family, friends - a girlfriend, even - and teachers who will all be happy to help you in any way they can. And if you need an ear to listen without judgement, well...” He wuffled. “All too few students take advantage of my services, so my door is usually open.”

Izuku couldn’t prevent a small chuckle at that. “Thank you, Hound Dog.”

“Of course.”

“After... after killing Muscular,” he said, his voice still catching a little on that fact, “I brought Kota back to the cabins and left him with Aizawa-sensei, then went back into the forest to find my friends-”

“Hold on,” Hound Dog interrupted. “Aizawa-sensei just let you go?”

“Well...” he rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed. “I may have told him that he could only stop me if he used his quirk, and asked if he could afford to sit on me like that when there were so many other people to worry about.”

Hound Dog sighed. “We’re going to have to talk about this self-sacrificing nature of yours too.”

“Can we put that off until we’re done with the post-kidnapping session?”

“Yes, yes. Continue.”

“Bumped into Shoji and a rampaging Dark Shadow and led him towards Kacchan and Shoto, who could make light to help Tokoyami get control of Dark Shadow. Started escorting them out of the forest, bumping into Momo and Awase on the way out, and... and then the next thing I knew, I was in a cell.”

“How long were you awake before you were rescued?” the therapist asked.

“I don’t know, really... maybe an hour or two? Enough for me to have, and come down from, a panic attack,” Izuku said. “Once I calmed down I figured out that I might be able to escape on my own, but they had grabbed Kacchan as well, and I didn’t think I could get him out too. So instead I tried to set up an escape plan of my own, but... I don’t know if it helped anything at all.”

“Would that be the ‘creepy spider-thing’ that Edgeshot was complaining about?”

He brightened. “Yeah, probably! I made them to find heroes and lead them back to wherever I was. Did they help?”

“We knew where you were by that point, but it was additional confirmation,” Hound Dog said. “And if we hadn’t found you already, it would have been enough for us to investigate the location. I think you did very well there, young Midoriya.”

“Thanks.” Izuku paused. “After that... he showed up. All For One.” He hesitated again. “Do you... how much do you know about him?”

“Quirk-stealing villain, All Might’s nemesis,” Hound Dog said.

“Alright. He... he wanted to take my quirk,” Izuku muttered, curling up again. “I... I had to threaten to kill him with mine like I did to Muscular, to prevent him.”

“...I’m sorry, young Midoriya. Not only did you have to kill, but you had to use that the fact of that kill to protect yourself, long before you were in a place to do so.” The hero bowed his head. “Truly, you’ve been through something no-one should ever have had to suffer.”

“The worst part is... All For One had a truth-telling quirk, or said he did, at least. And... he believed my bluff,” Izuku said. “I told him that I could kill him, that I would kill him, and he believed me. What does it say about me, that I would have killed him to save myself?”

Hound Dog thought this over for a few moments. “Truth-telling quirks only tell what the speaker believes,” he eventually said. “You had accidentally killed Muscular earlier that very day. Would you actually have brought yourself to kill All For One? Who can say? You certainly believed, or perhaps feared that you would. But a truth-telling quirk does not condemn you to be a murderer. All it means is that, in that moment, you believed it - and humans are often wrong about ourselves.”

This, too, Izuku had to think about for a while before it seemed to click in his brain. “So... I’m not a bad person?”

“Of course not, young Midoriya,” Hound Dog immediately assured him. “You’re a fine young hero-in-training, and I know that you’ll grow to become an even better one. Young Midoriya, you are not the first hero to be in a situation where killing was necessary, nor will you be the last. Ask Aizawa if you need more assurance.”

“I... I think I’ll skip that. But thank you.”

“What happened after that?”

Izuku thought back, trying to remember the trajectory of his conversation with the villain. “I convinced him not to kill me, or Kacchan, by... by suggesting that he try to turn us into villains, instead. I didn’t think he could, but he thought he could so... he went to talk to Kacchan, probably about something similar, and then left. I slipped my bonds and went to try to rescue Kacchan, and All Might arrived around then.” He gritted his teeth. “There was half a minute where I thought it had been for nothing - when All For One stole us back - but All Might was there before long too.”

“How do you feel about the timing of All Might’s rescue?” Hound Dog asked.

“What do you mean?”

“You were already in the process of your own escape attempt. Do you feel grateful that he arrived in time to help? Resentful that it took him long enough for you to make an attempt of your own?”

“Who would feel like that?” Izuku was confused yet again. “I felt relieved that All Might was there, obviously. I knew that everything was going to be okay.”

Hound Dog nodded. “I’m glad this experience hasn’t changed your outlook towards heroes. That said, I’d like to speak with you more about your self-sacrificing tendencies - like your decision to originally forgo escape if you couldn’t bring young Bakugo with you. That will have to be next week though.”

Izuku blinked. “Next week?”

“It’s already been the full time, I’m afraid,” he said, gesturing at the clock on the wall. “Time flies when you’re unpacking trauma.”

“I guess it does.”

“Send in young Bakugo when you leave, will you?”

---

After he and Kacchan had finished their appointments with Hound Dog, they piled into dad’s car and went home, where mom had made katsudon for dinner. It wasn’t long before he and the rest of his family were cuddled up together in a giant pile on their over-sized couch while an old Disney movie played. Izuku was curled into mom’s side, Kacchan on her other side, with the woman’s arms wrapped around their shoulders and keeping them close. Mama Mitsuki had decided to park herself across all three of their laps - dad, meanwhile, was in his armchair, a hot pack wrapped around his neck. It was just as the genie burst forth from the lamp that they were interrupted by the doorbell.

Mom blinked in surprise. “Who could that be?” she asked as Mama Mitsuki paused the movie.

Izuku glanced towards the front of the house. “Looks like it’s All Might and Aizawa-sensei. Not sure why they’re here, though.”

“They’d better be here to apologize for what they let happen to my sons!” Mama Mitsuki growled, propping herself up a little.

“It’s not their fault,” Izuku protested.

“I’ll go see what it is,” dad offered. “Just a moment.” A few minutes later, he called “Inko? Sweetie? Would you two mind coming over here?”

Izuku exchanged a confused look with Kacchan, and they followed their mothers to the front hall, where a skinny All Might was standing beside a face-palming Aizawa and saying, “I’m sorry, I just don’t understand why you’re at the address listed as the Midoriya’s residence-”

“Please forgive my idiotic co-worker, who doesn’t understand the concept of a sleepover,” Aizawa muttered. “Obviously, they’ve all gather to reassure their respective children, who you should know are best friends as well as rivals.”

“I wasn’t aware we needed a reason to be present in out own house,” Mama Mitsuki said coldly, crossing her arms.

Aizawa blinked, which was the closest he ever got to being shocked.

“Pardon?” All Might asked.

“You heard me. It’s all one family here. Got something to say about it?”

“Mitsuki, dear, did you really have to-” Inko murmured.

“What? They’ve got no reason to object. This just means fewer homes to visit, isn’t that right?”

“...that is true,” Aizawa admitted.

“I’m just... one family? With, what, three parents?”

“What’s wrong with that?” Mama Mitsuki demanded.

“I... nothing, I suppose, it’s just a little unusual.”

“We’ve never really cared what’s considered normal, in this family,” dad explained.

“You’ve got that fucking right,” Kacchan commented, and Izuku chuckled.

“May we come in and sit?” Aizawa asked. “We need to speak with the three of you about some changes that have been made for security reasons, in order to protect your sons and their classmates as effectively as possible.”

“Yes, yes, come in...”

Notes:

Discord server for all my writing, feel free to join!

 

The results of the poll are - pretty unsurprisingly, to be honest - overwhelmingly in favor of polyamory. The people have spoken! Look for that to begin... uh, whenever I finish up with Breath of Life. I don't exactly have a set schedule here.

I'm gonna try to make that next fic a little more regular though. I'll update it once a week (with the first chapter coming on the same day as the last chapter of this), and it'll be 25 chapters long - with each chapter most likely ranging from 2k-4k words, just like Breath of Life. It'll end up a little shorter, most likely, but because I'm actually planning it out before I start writing instead of partway through, its plot will hopefully be more coherent.
The title of that next fic, by the way, is going to be Audiophage: An Opera in Prose because it's a Jiro-centric fic, and that means that I can't resist including as much musical knowledge as I have into it.

Uh, notes on this fic, uh... writing therapy is tricky. I tried not to make it feel like rehash, but it probably does to a certain degree. Sorry about that. I just wanted to make it clear that Izuku is using therapy - although more because Inko and Masaru are making him and Bakugo do it than because he would have bothered to do it on his own - and then I got sucked into the scene and that was the whole chapter. Oh well.

Chapter 33: Recovery, Part 5

“...and then they told me that I wasn’t allowed to be in a relationship if I was going to be living at the dorms,” Momo said to Kyokun as she helped her girlfriend unpack into her new room.

“Did you tell them?” the purple-haired girl asked, hanging up one of the few dresses that she owned.

“No way,” Momo laughed. “They’re very old fashioned people - they might be able to accept me dating a girl, but dating two people? No, I just crossed my fingers and said that I wasn’t in a relationship...”

Kyokun laughed, then leaned in to kiss her. Momo eagerly reciprocated, despite the box of clothes that she was holding between them.

“We probably should talk about ground rules for this whole thing at some point, though,” she mused after they separated. “Both having a polyamorous relationship in general and now that we’ll all be living in the same building. We didn’t really have time to before...”

“We have time now,” Kyokun promised, then grinned. “And hey, I just heard Sparky slamming open the front doors. You know what that means...”

Momo’s eyes lit up as she realized - “Izukun!” A moment later she was off, leaving Kyokun’s clothes on the bed as the two of them raced downstairs to meet their best friend.

“Izukun!” she cried, racing to the green-haired boy and pulling him into a kiss. She heard a thump as whatever box he had been holding fell to the floor, but she didn’t care - it had been a week since she had seen her boyfriend, and the last time she had done so had been while rescuing him from the hands of villains.

And yes, they had been in near-constant communication through text, but still.

As she separated from her boyfriend’s lips - and from Kyokun, who had joined in the hug but not the kiss - she heard someone laughing, and she flushed red.

“I assume these are the two young women you study with on weekends, Izuku?” asked a green-haired woman who had to be Izukun’s mother, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

“If they’re not, I think our son might have some explaining to do,” laughed a blonde woman who could only be Bakugo’s mother, not bothering to stifle her amusement. Bakugo himself, meanwhile, just rolled his eyes, still carrying boxes upstairs.

“Ah, yeah,” Izukun said, just as red as Momo. “Mom, Mama Mitsuki, this is my girlfriend, Momo Yaoyorozu-” She gave them a wave, suppressing the sudden shyness she felt. She had just kissed Izukun in front of them, what did she have left to be embarrassed about? “-and Momo’s girlfriend, Kyoka Jiro.”

“It’s wonderful to finally meet you both,” Midoriya-san said to them with a smile. “Izuku’s told us so much about you, but he’s never brought you home for some reason!”

“Just be careful with our boy, alright? If you hurt him, I’ll hurt you,” Bakugo’s mother warned, sounding like she was only half joking. “And I know what kids your age get up to, so make sure you use protection.”

Momo felt like her face was on fire as Izukun, equally red, protested, “MAMA!”

---

Kyoka and Momo offered to help Izukun unpack, but now that he was on UA grounds and allowed to use his quirk, he had it covered - his room rearranged itself and every item he owned leapt into position in a matter of minutes. Thankfully, Kyoka thought, he was happy to do the same for her and Momo, and it wasn’t long before the three were lying next to each other on the huge bed that her girlfriend had brought, ready for a serious talk.

“You’re right, Momo, we do need to talk about boundaries,” Izukun agreed. “But, um. I’ve never really been in a relationship, so I’m not super sure where my lines are yet. I can make a guess, but I might have to revise them later.”

“I’m in the same situation,” Momo said, “so I can’t exactly complain.”

“Same here.”

“So... who wants to go first?”

Kyoka could hear all three of their heartbeats thrumming nervously, but she decided to muster her courage and charge forward. “I’ll go,” she offered. “I think... I think the biggest thing, for me, is that I’m... not ready for anything, um. Sexual.” She blushed, but continued, “I know that’s probably not on the table anyway, whatever your mom said, Green, but I just. I'm not ready for that. I was very lucky in that my parents could pay for me to transition through a quirk, but that was only a little over a year ago now - I’m still learning my body. I’m not ready to share it with anyone.”

Momo nodded. “I have a ban as well, although on a different subject and for different reasons. As I was saying to Kyokun before you arrived, Izukun, my parents are... concerned, I suppose, about what I might get up to now that I’m not under their roof.”

“But you’re the most responsible person in the whole class!” Izukun protested.

“More than Iida? I did go on a technically-illegal mission to rescue you.” And had been thoroughly chewed out for it by Aizawa in the hospital afterward, along with the other members of the rescue and Kyoka, the only one who had known about it outside of the five who had actually gone.

“Iida also went on that mission,” Kyoka pointed out.

“And he went after Stain on his own, too,” Izukun reminded them. “That still leaves you as the most responsible.”

Momo rolled her eyes. “Even so, mother said that she ‘remembers what it was like to be sixteen,’ and that I’m strictly forbidden from being in a relationship.”

“...a relationship, you say.”

“Yes, I spotted that loophole too,” Momo said with a grin, “although I doubt my parents would be as happy to accept it as yours. I intend to ignore that restriction, but I do have to say no to anything that might get back to my parents.”

“No dates off of UA’s campus, then,” Kyoka summarized. “Or at least, nothing that couldn’t be excused as just hanging out.”

“Which, thankfully, is probably quite a bit. As long as we’re all together, at least - they’d probably be more suspicious of me alone with either of you.”

“Anything else for either of you?” Izukun asked.

Kyoka shook her head. “Not really. I told my parents already - I tell them everything - and they’re both fine with it. Apparently they were actually in a polycule with the other members of their band for a while, as a matter of fact, but they ended up deciding that monogamy worked better for them.”

“That’s a relief.”

“Dad might still try to give you the shovel speech, but just ignore him, he’s a pushover.”

“Other than trying not to visibly cross my parents line,” Momo said, “I have no boundaries from the two of you. Anything you’d like to do or try is alright with me.”

Kyoka immediately blushed, and from the way Izukun’s heeartrate doubled, he most likely was doing the same. “You mean...”

“Anything,” Momo emphasized. “If I don’t like it, I’ll say, but... well, let’s just say that I read a lot of romance novels and there’s a lot of things I’m curious about.”

Kyoka buried her face into Momo’s side, trying to hide her embarrassment. “How can you say that with such a straight face!” she cried.

Momo giggled and stroked her hair. “There’s very little straight about my face,” she joke, and Kyoka almost choked.

Izuku laughed. “Alright, well... I have a boundary or two of my own that I should set, then.”

“Yes?”

“Vi, I know that you said you weren’t ready for anything, uh, sexual. But if that changes and you and Momo want to do anything, I... I don’t want to see it,” he quietly said. “Not if I’m not involved. I don’t think I’ll be jealous of you for being able to be with Kyokun, Momo,” he clarified, “but I think it might be frustrating to not be able to participate. Part of the whole anxiety thing, you know. Feeling left out...”

Momo slipped her hand into his hair to play with it as well. “I understand, Izukun. If and when Kyokun feels ready for that, we won’t do anything in front of you.”

“Thank you.”

Kyoka swallowed, then said, “I, uh, I think I would say the opposite?”

“Sorry?” Momo blinked in surprise.

“When you guys kissed, back in the forest,” she said, “I, um. I liked it. I really liked it.”

“So... you would like to be there, if and when we do anything sexual?” Izuku clarifying.

Her face still buried in Momo’s side, Kyoka nodded. “Yes. Yes please.”

“I think I’m okay with that if Momo is.”

“I’m very okay with it.”

“Thank you,” she whispered, embarrassed by the request.

“Not that we’re likely to do anything soon,” Izuku added. “I know you said that you were, um, willing to try anything, Momo, but I might need to work up to it.”

“Of course, Izukun.”

“What about non-sexual boundaries?” he asked. “Momo wants to keep the whole thing secret from her parents. Is there anything else we want to try to do?”

“Keeping it quiet from the class in general is probably a lost cause, since Ashido knows,” Momo said, clearly thinking out loud. “I suppose I should just note that the ways I express and receive affection best are through touch and words. Gifts mean little to me, but kind words and casual touches are the way into my heart.”

“I can get behind that, although mostly for words,” Izukun agreed. “I still read that text you sent me that one time, Momo.”

“Agreed, but it’s more about touch for me,” Kyoka said. “When I do shit like elbowing you or leaning into you, that’s me saying that I care about you.”

“Sounds like we’ll do just fine, then,” Momo said with a smile.

“Although maybe I’ll have to actually say how much I care about Green a little more often,” Kyoka mused.

“Violet, we’re not dating. You don’t have to-”

“I want to,” she assured him. “Dating or not, Izukun, you’re my best friend, and I want to be able to show you that in the way that you’ll understand best.”

“...then I’ll do the same,” he promised. “Kacchan is all physical affection too, so I’m far from unused to showing my affection like that. And like I said, I’m just leaning towards words. Touch is wonderful as well.”

“Just as long as you don’t start thinking of me as a brother.” She joked.

---

Izuku woke up with a gasp and a smothered scream, as he had almost every night for the past week. It was a new variation of the nightmare, at least, even if was significantly more horrifying than what he was unpleasantly beginning to think of as ‘the usual’ - instead of All Might simply never arriving, this time he had appeared and then decided that he and Kacchan were villains, and had abandoned them to All For One’s tender mercies.

“He’s not here,” he whispered to himself. “He’s in Tartarus. All Might and Togata-senpai won. He’s not here.”

He didn’t even bother trying to just get back to sleep on his own - it hadn’t worked until now. Instead, he did the one thing that had - he texted Kacchan.

Chat: Katsuki Bakugo

   Izuku Midoriya -> Same nightmare. Can I sleep with you tonight?

   Katsuki Bakugo <- Our beds here are too small

   Katsuki Bakugo <- I’ll meet you in the common room instead

   Izuku Midoriya -> thanks

   Katsuki Bakugo <- gimme a minute to put on a shirt and pants so no one gets any dumbass ideas about it

Izuku was already wearing pajamas, so he didn’t need to change. Instead he just wandered down into the common room which, surprisingly, was already occupied even at 2 in the morning. “Shinso?” he asked, and the lavender-haired boy glanced up at him, a glass of milk in one hand and a book in the other. [What are you doing awake?] he asked, walking closer.

“No need to sign, my voice is fine,” Shinso said, taking a sip.

[Yeah, but it’s late. No need to wake anyone up.]

“Okay, [fair point.]” he admitted, beginning to sign. [Anyway, I have insomnia. Not much for it. Why are you awake?]

[Nightmares.]

Shinso nodded in understanding. [Understandable. Anything I can do to help?]

[Can you use your quirk to brainwash me to go to sleep?] Izuku asked, half seriously and half out of curiosity.

[Yes, but it wouldn’t stop you from having another one. What’s helped in the past?]

[Cuddling with Kacchan,] Izuku told him, lying on the couch.

Shinso seemed to be thinking about this for a moment. [I’m not Kacchan, but-]

He was cut off by the soft sound of a voice coming from the stairs. “Izukun, are you okay?” Momo asked, entering the common room. “Kyokun was worried.”

“I heard your heart beating like a rabbit when you came down here,” the purple-haired girl agreed. “Woke me right up - not that I was sleeping all that well anyway.”

“Were you having nightmares too?”

“I dreamed that you were gone forever,” Momo admitted.

“Same.”

“I almost feel left out, just being unable to sleep,” Shinso drawled, and Izuku tried to laugh quietly.

“Maybe we should just all sleep together,” Kyokun joked. “Momo’s bed is big enough to fit all of us.”

“It might help our nightmares,” Momo agreed.

“I appreciate the offer, but Kacchan is going to meet me down here to sleep on the couch,” Izuku demurred.

“Oh no,” Momo insisted, sitting next to Izuku and pulling him over so that his head was resting in her lap. “I’m your girlfriend, and if anyone is sleeping on the couch with you, it’s me.”

“Same here, minus the girlfriend bit,” Kyokun agreed, lying directly on top of Izuku. “Oh, hey babe! Didn’t see you there!” she said to Momo with a smirk, earning a brief kiss for her trouble and causing Shinso’s brows to lift briefly.

Izuku laughed, shoving Kyokun until they were all in a slightly more comfortable position. “What about Kacchan though? He’s on his way down.”

“Yeah, what about me?” the blonde said as he entered the common room, crossing his arms. Behind him were Ashido and Eijiro, who waved cheerfully around their more dour boyfriend.

“He can join us,” his metamour said cheerfully.

“Are we invited?” Eijiro asked.

“The more the merrier,” Momo agreed.

“Does that include us?” Tenya asked, entering the common room as well, Shoto behind him.

A few minutes later, nine people were arrayed in, on, or around the largest of the couches in the common room. Izuku lay with his head on his girlfriend’s shoulder, his best friend laying on his own, his brother stretched out across their legs, surrounded by friends on every side, and thought that - despite how the night had started out - he had never been happier.

Notes:

Discord server for all my writing, feel free to join!

 

 

When the OT3 is talking about how they receive and show affection in this chapter, what they're talking about is, basically, the five love languages. It's one of the things that I think is most important to be on the same page with your partner or partners as in a relationship, but it doesn't have to be about solely romantic affection - platonic and familial love can be expressed through the same ways.

As I see it, Bakugo is best with physical affection because he doesn't really get showing emotions through words. Izuku is good with physical affection thanks to that, but is mostly aligned towards words because his anxiety demands verbal reassurance. Jiro likes physical affection better than words, because before she transitioned, physical affection would overcome the dysphoria she felt. Momo prefers physical touch and words over gifts because her parents - both rich and busy - didn't show her much of either, instead simply spending money.

If you go back, you should hopefully notice that Izuku tends to reassure people verbally - with the exception of Bakugo, who he knows to use physical affection with - and responds best to verbal affection. See him being the one to take the lead in verbally boosting Momo's confidence during the Sports Festival, using physical contact to destress Bakugo after the internships, and being cheered by conversation - as when Bakugo, who knows this about him, does his best to actually speak to Izuku after the USJ incident. Similarly, Jiro goes in for casual physical affection or playful touches - hugging Izuku during the shopping trip, or being cheered up by one during the beach trip - and Momo does both.

Chapter 34: Ultimate

“As I’m sure you’re all aware,” Aizawa-sensei told the class as they stood at the entrance to Gym Gamma, “All Might has officially retired as an active hero following his battle in Kamino. Many people, including Principal Nezu, believe that criminals will be emboldened by his retirement despite the clear presence of a  successor in Mirio Togata. As such, he has decided, against my better judgment, to submit you all for the provisional licensing examination taking place three weeks from today. If you pass, you will receive licenses which will allow you to act as heroes so long as a full hero takes responsibility for your actions. You’ll be able to use your quirks without fear of the law.

“If you pass.” Izuku listened with interest as their teacher continued, “Under normal circumstances, hero students take the exam in their third year, and it has a 50% pass rate - a similar exam takes place after graduation for your full licenses. However, all that’s required to take the exam is a recommendation from the principal of your school. UA, as well as our rival Shiketsu, typically sends its students in their second year and maintains that same 50% pass rate, with the other half retaking it in their third year and 90% passing then. However...” he sighed. “These are not normal circumstances, and Nezu has decreed that you all will have an early opportunity.”

Aizawa eyed them. “Make no mistake, the majority of you are not ready for this,” he said flatly. “There will be no consequence if you fail. I will not hold you responsible for failing to meet the principal’s impossible standards. By my reckoning, only five of you stand a good chance of passing. If those five pass, I’ll be happy. If ten of you pass, I’ll be shocked. Anywhere beyond that...” He shook his head. “Again, this is not a test you should be expected to take at this stage in your education. And yet.” The corner of his mouth rose in a slight grin. “I can see that all of you are raring to go, aren’t you?”

“That’s right!” Eijiro cheered. “We’ll do our best, sensei!”

“Yeah!” Ashido agreed.

“I thought so. For the three weeks until the exam, then,” Aizawa said, “we’ll be doing some intensive training to prepare you. We’ll be dropping the usual team drills and hero law studies in favor of spending more time on rescue work and combat, which are the two aspects focused on in the test. After it’s passed, we’ll focus on teamwork and hero law again to catch you up before returning to the normal schedule-”

“Sensei!” Tenya asked, one hand thrust into the air. “I have a question!

Aizawa sighed. “What is it, Iida.”

“Which students should we be looking to as examples?” the tall boy asked. “You said that five of us stand a chance of passing already - I would like to know who, so that I can seek their advice and guidance as this test approaches!”

Sensei raised an eyebrow. “Are you all sure you want to know?” The class in general seemed to agree, nodding and murmuring consent. “Very well then. Your examples should be Ochaco Uraraka, Mezo Shoji, Kyoka Jiro, Izuku Midoriya, and Momo Yaoyorozu. All five of them intend to become rescue heroes,” he said as Izuku blinked in pleased surprise, “and have been putting more effort into that area of study, even though UA doesn’t put much focus on it until second year. All five of them are already aware of many of the considerations which I and Cementoss will be drilling into you over these next few weeks. If you look to them as your guides, you won’t go wrong.”

“That said,” the cement teacher said as he stepped out of the gym, the door staying open behind him, “we won’t be working on rescue work just yet. First, you all need to start working on ultimate moves.”

---

Kyoka leaned against one of the concrete slabs thoughtfully, thinking. She had a good fighting style down, in her opinion - based around her quirk-powered vibrosword and shield - but it was relatively basic in many ways. There was no stand-out technique that could serve as an ultimate move, unless perhaps you counted the time she had sent out a wave from her shield to launch Momo into the air, but these moves were supposed to be something they could do on their own...

...wait. Her shield could send Momo flying - Momo, who was close to 20 centimeters taller than her, and presumably weighed a fair bit more as well. If it could do that...

“Hey, space cadet!” she called. “...Uraraka!” she amended herself a moment later, as the other girl didn’t respond to the nickname. They couldn’t all be winners.

“What’s up, Jiro-chan?” the curvier girl asked as she approached.

“I have an idea for an ultimate move,” Kyoka explained, “but I’m a little worried I’ll fall and hurt myself. Could you spot me for a moment?”

“Yeah, of course!”

Her safety assured, she laid her shield on the ground and stepped onto it. She took a moment to find her balance - the shield was slightly curved so that it would deflect the force of blows rather than absorb them, but this made it a little tricky to stand on like this. Still, she had become pretty athletic since entering UA, and it only took a moment before she was confident enough to stand. Finding confidence, she plugged in.

The first thing she noticed when she began to pump sound into the shield was that balancing became a lot easier. With the speakers all sending out a similar level of energy, it was almost like having a few props to keep the shield from tilted over. This impression continued as she slowly advanced the level, the ground beginning to shake underneath her.

“Jiro-chan, are you sure about this” Uraraka called over the sound of the speakers, sounding a little worried.

“If I was sure, I wouldn’t have needed you to spot me!” she answered, putting a little more into it. The ground began to fall away as the shield lifted off the ground, and Kyoka grinned.

She let herself slowly rise to about ten feet up before dropping her output a little - the shield sunk a few inches before she adjusted and found the sweet spot where she was neither sinking nor rising. “I think I can do something with this!”

“WHAT?”

Kyoka blinked, then realized - while she was mostly shielded from the noise by the speaker’s directionality and the high-tech earplugs that she wore with her costume, Uraraka had no such protection. If this was too loud, it wouldn’t be very popular, but... Present Mic had taught her how to control the frequency of sound she projected. If she shifted the frequency down low enough...

Uraraka was clearly visibly relieved as the sound left human hearing. “You look good up there, Jiro-chan!”

Kyoka gave her a thumbs up. “I’m gonna try moving now! Ready?”

“Ready!”

The shield was sending all its energy in one direction, although it had a couple different speakers doing so. Those speakers weren’t hooked up to work independently, or to shift their direction - something for the next iteration of the costume, perhaps - so if she wanted to move... slowly, cautiously, Kyoka shifted her weight forward.

The shield moved, alright - but it moved far faster than she was ready for, and tilted farther than she had intended, as well. A moment later she was falling, then floating as Uraraka caught her.

“Are you okay?”

Kyoka grinned. “I’m great. That, however,” she said, nodding in the direction the shield had shot off towards, “will take some practice.”

“And maybe a costume revision?” Uraraka suggested.

“Maybe. I think I might work on something else for the rest of the day.”

“Might be for the best. What if you...”

---

“Hey Momo,” Kyokun said as she approached, and Momo smiled at her girlfriend.

“Hello, Kyokun. Have you thought of any ultimate moves?”

“A few. You probably heard me working with my shield, right?”

“I think the whole gym did,” Momo teased. “And saw it go flying across the room, too.”

“Yeah, well... practice makes perfect, and that was my first go.”

“It was,” Momo agreed. “And I can’t wait for you to take me flying once you have it worked out better.”

Kyokun laughed. “You might have to wait a year or two! But Uraraka gave me a ideas that I have more hope for.”

“Oh? What did she suggest?”

“Resonant frequencies and vibrational cancellation,” Kyokun toled her. “I got the first working pretty easily, although I don’t have a name for it yet - just panning through frequencies while I’m plugged into something until I get to something that will fuck it up isn’t hard, although it takes a bit. I can probably shorten the time with practice. Cancelling out sounds, however...”

“You need someone or something who can make those sounds,” Momo realized.

“Yup. I texted Present Mic and he’s on his way, but it’ll be a bit, so I thought I’d come see what you and Green were up to.”

“Well, Izukun is doing something with Cementoss-sensei,” Momo told her, gesturing to where her boyfriend was working with the hero. “He didn’t mention what it was, though.”

“What about you?”

She sighed. “I’m still brainstorming, I’m afraid. All Might-sensei came through to help and gave me some advice, but...” She glanced around.

“No one’s nearby,” Kyokun assured her.

“Thank you... it was some pithy line he pulled from a ‘how-to teach’ book,” Momo complained. “I’m glad that he’s trying to learn how to become a better teacher, but... honestly, I wish we had two of Aizawa-sensei instead.”

“I know what you mean,” her girlfriend commiserated. “All Might’s a great guy and he knows his stuff in battle, but he’s not the best teacher. Aizawa’s a lot better.”

Momo sighed. “I just... what can I do for an ultimate move? I make things. Any things. That’s my normal move.”

Kyokun hummed thoughtfully. “Well, making particularly complex things probably still counts...”

“It’s not the kind of unexpected or overwhelming thing Aizawa meant, though. People fighting me will already be expecting me to make things.”

“Maybe there’s an aspect of your quirk that we’re missing,” Kyokun wondered.

“I wish Izukun weren’t busy,” Momo sighed. “I’m sure he would have an idea. But he’s got so many ideas to work on for his own quirk already. He already figured out healing...”

“Really? Good for him!” Kyokun cheered.

“Yes, apparently it’s a matter of focusing the multiplicative enhancement into a particular area,” she explained. “It doesn’t speed the healed person’s perceptions, either.”

“That’s great - I know he’s wanted to be a proper healer for ages, and was kind of bummed when Recovery Girl told him it wasn’t real healing as he did it.”

“Mhm.”

“Still,” Kyokun said, “I’m sure he wouldn’t mind if you interrupted him to ask for ideas.”

“I’m sure he wouldn’t, but I don’t want to be too reliant on him, you know.”

“True.” Kyokun fell silent for a moment. “Would you object to getting some ideas from me?”

“...I should say no thank you from you as well, but honestly I’ve so lost that I’ll take them,” Momo admitted. “If Izukun were here, I doubt I’d actually stop him either.

“Pop something out for me real quick, then,” Kyokun requested. “Glass, or crystal, or something like that.” Momo obliged, producing a diamond rose in a shower of light and handing it to her girlfriend, who blushed. “That... thank you, Momo,” she muttered.

Momo grinned, then asked, “So what’s your idea?”

“Well, you make light when you make stuff,” the shorter girl noted, her blush fading. “And I was watching - that light was reflecting through the rose even as it was being made. Do you think you could do something with that?”

Her eyes lit up in excitement as she realized was Kyokun was getting at. “I bet I can!” She glanced down at her arm and produced a row of crystals in different shapes, watching how each of them focused the light of her quirk differently. “Yes,” she said, brushing the first set aside and beginning to make a new one - variations of the fourth crystal from the previous attempt, which had been the most effective - “I can definitely work with this...”

Notes:

Discord server for all my writing, feel free to join!

Chapter 35: Tests, Part 3

“May I have everyone’s attention?” Momo asked as the class gathered in their waiting room before the exam started.

“Sure, what’s up?” Kirishima asked as everyone turned to face her, a few others grunting or humming in acknowledgment.

“Izukun and I have been discussing the parameters of the exam as it was explained to us,” she told them, smiling down briefly at her boyfriend for a moment before turning back to the rest of the class, “and we believe that as UA students, we will be facing a handicap in comparison to the rest of the members of the exam.”

“Specifically,” Izukun elaborated, taking up the thread of their proposal, “because we appeared in the Sports Festival, they have at least some idea of our capabilities. They know who our strongest fighters are and what our quirks are. We’ve all improved since then, of course, but it’s still a base on knowledge that we don’t have on them.”

“We believe that the other students will attack us before anyone else,” Momo continued. “They will attempt to use that advantage to wipe us out - particularly Bakugo, Todoroki, Kirishima, and Izukun, as the four finalists and our presumed strongest fighters.”

“You think we’re not the strongest?!” Bakugo shouted.

“All four of us are excellent fighters,” Izukun agreed, holding up his hands placatingly, “but focusing on you would ignore other top threats like Kyokun, Tokoyami, and Iida.”

“I doubt they’ll pay much attention to me at all,” Kyokun agreed, somewhat sourly.

“But that’s a good thing,” Izukun noted, “as being underestimated will let you take them by surprise.”

“The strategy we’ve come up with,” Momo announced, “is to take them by surprise and turn their ambush against them. We will all remain together and work alongside each other to pass - it gives us the best chance of making it to the second stage of the test, as well as surviving a concentrated assault by unknown quirks.”

“I’m not so sure about working together,” Todoroki interjected, his voice as calm as ever.

“Shouto?” Izukun asked.

“It’s not that I don’t trust you or want you all to succeed,” he continued, glancing down with what Momo thought might have been shame or apology, “it’s simply that my quirk isn’t a precision instrument. If I have to worry about allies, my effectiveness is drastically reduced, both offensively and defensively. On my own, however, I can both defend myself from large onslaughts and strike back.” He looked up again, meeting Momo’s eyes. “I learned my own lessons from the sports festival.”

Momo nodded, remembering the obvious difficulties Todoroki had had during the cavalry battle - while his team had done well enough to pass into the third round, he had struggled to use his quirk without harming his teammates, and she and Izukun had taken advantage of that difficulty repeatedly to keep their headbands safe.

“Will you take a bit of a boost, at least?” Izukun offered. “I’m planning to keep my energy mostly to myself - I don’t want to run out in the first stage and be useless in the second - but I have enough to give you a level of enhancement, at least.”

Todoroki nodded immediately, offering his hand to the shorter boy and accepting the glowing white aura that surrounded him a moment later. “Thank you. I appreciate it.”

“Bakugo,” Momo asked the explosive blonde, “will you be taking that path as well?”

He was clearly considering it, but shook his head after a moment. “I’ve been practicing precision, unlike Half-and-Half,” he said. “And besides, if I don’t help herd them, there’s no way that Pikachu or Scotch Tape will make through.”

“Hey!”

“Well then!” Izukun said brightly, “I think this will go well!”

---

“This isn’t going well,” Izuku muttered as he slid down a rocky slope, keeping his balance with the aid of a x2 Full Cowling. A Ketsubutsu student who looked remarkably like a taller version of Izuku had shattered the earth in a wide radius, and the formation that class 1A - minus Shouto - had formed had been broken. Perhaps they could reunite, his quirk-given sight helping to locate his friends, but...

“Deku!” Izuku glanced up as the slope leveled out and he skidded to a halt, seeing Kacchan falling from the sky. A brief burst of flame slowed his fall enough for the blonde to land with only a momentary flex of his knees before he dusted himself off. “You’re still in. Good.”

“You’ve got one target lit up,” Izuku noted.

Kacchan growled. “Some bastard with a magnetic quirk hit me while I was in the air. Goddamn railgun-using piece of shit, I’m gonna crush him like a goddamn grape!”

Izuku couldn’t help but smirk as his best friend ranted. “They’ve made a mistake, though.”

“Yeah?”

“That earthquake guy may have split up the class, but we’re not entirely alone - you and I have each other.”

A grin split Kacchan’s face. “We’re gonna kick some ass!”

“Hell yeah we are.”

“Don’t be so sure about that!” called a voice from behind them, and they turned to see a pair of Shiketsu students in combat stances. One was tall and broad, with dark green scales and the head of a crocodile, while the other was a petite girl who seemed to be surrounded by a swirl of glowing gold energy, a glow that matched the fractal light of her soul.

“You arrogant UA asses think you’re so much better than us!” the crocodile continued, “but me and Sparkforge here are gonna show you otherwise! Shiketsu is just as good as UA!”

“Don’t get cocky, Sobek,” Sparkforge murmured from next to him. “That’s their fatal flaw, don’t let it be your’s as well.”

“You think you’re hot stuff, huh Boots?!” Kacchan yelled right back at the pair, his hands sparking. “I’m gonna skin you and make you into my next costume!”

“Oh yeah? Well I’m gonna use you as a kickboard to blast right up to space! It’ll be the most useful you’ve ever been!”

Sparkforge met Izuku’s eyes for a moment before rolling her own, and he nodded sympathetically. But moment of shared exasperation didn’t stop him from making a move - he let a few moments of energy trickle into one of his target balls and transform it into a bird, which fluttered off at high speed in a loop before colliding with one of Sobek’s patches, on the croc-morph’s lower back.

“HEY!” Sobek protested.

“Kacchan’s down one too,” Izuku noted. “Now you’re even.”

The reptilian boy’s dismay quickly morphed into a fierce grin, an expression his face was well-suited for. “A fair fight... I can get behind that! Come at me, Blast Boy!”

“I’ll flatten you, Handbag!” Kacchan shouted as the two charged towards each other.

Izuku kept his eys on Sparkforge, worried about what she might do with her quirk - the golden energy around her seemed to be shaping itself at her command, and that struck him as entirely too versatile for comfort. He took a moment to ramp up to x3, and dashed towards her with a target ball in each hand, hoping to take her out before she could act.

“You won’t find me as easy a target as Sobek,” Sparkforge said as she stepped backwards, small blasts of energy coming from her hands to propel her away from her dash. The swirl of gold wrapped itself around her thoroughly, covering all three of her patches as it shaped itself into medieval armor. “You’ll have to knock me out entirely to get at my targets.”

“That can be arranged,” Izuku threatened. For a moment, he considered reaching out to drain her - but no, that was too risky, he couldn’t do that, he might hurt her.

He made out a slight smile on her face under her helmet. “Then come at me!”

He obliged, rushing forward and leaping into the air to kick at her head - a strong enough blow should be able to stun her for a moment, even with armor in place.

He was intercepted by that golden energy, a kite shield manifesting from nothing to block him. The shield twisted into something more like cloth a moment later, wrapping around his legs as he fell to the ground.

“Too easy,” Sparkforge said, shaking her head. “I honestly expected more.” She tossed one of her target balls at him, lighting up his first patch before he could respond.

“I would hate to disappoint you,” Izuku responded, and reached out - not for her, she was out of his range unless he used his ultimate move, but for the energy around him. To his eyes, it matched her soul, but was disconnect - that should mean he could drain it, and without risk of hurting her. A moment later, his guess was confirmed as the golden wrapping shattered into white mist that sank easily into his skin.

Sparkforge’s eyes widened as he leapt to his feet. “How - you were supposed to be an animator, an enhancer...”

Izuku grinned, using the energy he had just stolen from her to animate some of the loose earth around him, wrapping it around his body in armor that mirrored hers. “I’m both of those. And also a dirty, dirty thief.” He rushed her again, this time with his hands outstretched, ready to pop her constructs when he got close enough.

She didn’t make it easy on him, producing polearms and whips to try and keep him away, but all it took was a single touch for him to destroy her weapons, and he recharged from doing so. She, on the other hand, was clearly flagging, and it wasn’t long before she fell to one knee, panting heavily.

“Alright, I... I give in,” she gasped. “I can’t do this much longer... I’d be useless even if I beat you by some luck, and I would probably knock myself out in the attempt.”

“You have an amazing quirk, and you use it well,” Izuku reassured her as she shifted her armor aside to let him activate her patches, “Mine just happened to be a perfect counter to it. Against anyone else, I think you’d have won.”

She chuckled weakly. “But I didn’t go against anyone else.”

“Bad luck, I’m afraid.”

“How’s your friend doing? Sobek is the best in my class, after me.”

“I’m sure Kacchan is fine,” he said dismissively. “...but maybe I should go check on him.” Izuku surged to a x5 Full Cowling and dashed in the direction of his friend.

He skidded to a halt a moment later, dropping back down to x2, as Kacchan dropped the stunned body of his crocodilian rival to the ground, a black eye and a cut on his jaw not diminishing the blonde’s obvious enjoyment of the fight. “Gotcha, Boots,” Kacchan laughed, pressing a target ball against one of the dazed Sobek’s patches. “That’s three!”

“Urgh, you sure did, fucking hell,” Sobek managed, rising to his feet, albeit with some difficulty. “And I didn’t get you even once more!”

“That was a good fight,” Kacchan said. “I wouldn’t mind sparring with you again sometime.”

“Might be tough since our schools are so far from each other, but that sounds fun. Maybe we can meet up during a break?”

“Sounds good. My number is-”

“Kacchan!” Izuku said with a teasing grin. “You’re making friends!”

“Shut up, Deku,” the blonde snarled, but Izuku could see the smile behind his bravado. “I know how to make friends!”

Sobek laughed, throwing at arm around Kacchan. “A good fight is the best way!”

“That’s one for each of us, I think,” Izuku said to the blonde. “Another two and we’ll be done.”

“Ayup.”

---

It didn’t take long for Izuku to find a second target, guided by his quirk’s sight, but the winged girl they targeted was sniped from under them by another contestant. So was the third, and the fourth... and after that, it was starting to get tough to find other students.

“I would hate to fail just because we couldn’t find anyone,” Izuku complained. “They have half of the passing students already! And it’s not like anyone has been a real threat to us.” Neither he nor Kacchan had lost any additional patches since their first.

“If it gets down to a quarter left, we’ll fight each other,” the blonde declared. “We each have one of the two points we need, and there’s no sense in us both failing when one of us could make it through.”

“Agreed, but-” he paused. “Someone’s on the other side of that wall.”

“Izuku!” Kyokun cried happily, sprinting around the wall full-tilt and running towards him and Kacchan. “I’ve finally found you!”

Izuku’s eyes widened as she approached, a brief moment of panic running through him, then kicked her in the face, knocking her back several steps.

“Ears, you - what the hell are you doing, Deku?!” Kacchan demanded, falling into a battle stance. “That’s your fucking friend!”

“That’s not Kyokun,” Izuku said, his heart pounding - he had recognized the shape of the attacker’s soul just in time. “That’s a member of the League of Villains!”

“You’re clever!” the imposter giggled, falling into a martial arts stance of their own - their voice was still that of his friend, but they were no longer even trying to act like her, their tone and body language completely different. “How did you know?”

“I can see your soul,” he spat, “and it looks nothing like Violet’s.”

They frowned in annoyance. “That’s cheating.”

“I don’t care. Stop pretending to be my friend!”

“Okay!” they said with an indifferent shrug, and began to melt. As their form dripped off them, they gained several inches of height, and their body mass changed until-

“What the hell?” Izuku instinctively looked away as he realized that the impostor was naked.

There was a sudden series of explosions, and he realized that in his distraction, the villain had rushed at him again. Kacchan, thankfully, had intercepted. “Don’t get distracted, idiot!” the blonde growled. “She’s a fucking villain!”

“Why are you even here?” Izuku demanding, allowing mist to spread and sink into the ground around him as he spoke. He layered instructions into them, if she came too close...

“The boss wants to know more about you,” the shapeshifter answered cheerfully. “He wants to know why Sensei - All For One, to you - liked you so much! So do I - you don’t look like much to me! Not enough blood. Although...” they tapped their lower lip thoughtfully. “If you were a bit bloody, I wouldn’t mind-”

“Shut up!” Kacchan burst, launching himself at them, but they sidestepped easily.

“Naughty naughty! Wait your turn,” they scolded. “I’ll get to you later!”

“If you know what happened with All For One,” Izuku growled, “then you know what happened with Muscular, too. I’ll do the same to you if you don’t back the hell off, and stay away from my friends!”

They laughed. “Oh, you can’t kill me - I’m well outside your range, here!” They produced a knife - Izuku couldn’t prevent himself from wondering where the shapeshifter had gotten it, they were still naked and completely unconcerned - and began toying with it. “I, on the other hand, can attack you at range to my heart’s content.” Suddenly the knife was flying at his head, and he only barely dodged it.

But a small grin spread across his face, even as his heart sank. “You’d like to think that, wouldn’t you? Time for my ultimate move: Full Drain!”

Full Cowling was powerful, but it spread across his entire body - and that had been the problem with his enhancement, too. Too slow to be real healing, until he figured out how to focus the enhancement into one area. And knowing that... he could do it to Full Cowling, as well. Boost just his perceptions, or his strength, or his regeneration... or his quirk.

Full Cowling x5, focused entirely on his quirk, vastly expanded the range that he could drain from. Normally it was only a few feet from his body, but now...

A faint mist rose from the shapeshifter’s body and flowed towards him.

They shook their head, seeming confused. “What are you-”

“I told you - I’ll drain you just like I did to Muscular, if you don’t leave,” Izuku bluffed. “Get out of here!”

The villain growled. “Fine, I’ll leave - but don’t think this is the end of it!”

“Hey! Get back here so I can kick your ass!” Kacchan shouted, blasting towards them, but the imposter was already gone.

Izuku sagged. “Thank god - I didn’t want to actually hurt them.”

His friend knelt beside him as he fell into a sitting position. “Fucking League of Villains... I hate them.”

“I know, Kacchan. I do too.”

He was silent for a moment, then said, “you should tag me out.”

Izuku blinked in surprise. “What?”

Kacchan crossed his arms. “There’s not enough time for us to find anyone else,” he grumbled, “and you’re more likely to make it through the second half than me. That’s the rescue section.”

“I- maybe, but-”

“Plus you need to be an example for all the other fucks. Remember Aizawa said that you were one of the best at rescue shit in the class.”

“Okay, but-”

“Deku,” Kacchan said, glaring at him. “Hit my fucking targets before the test ends.”

“I... thank you, Kacchan,” Izuku said, picking up a target ball.

His friend grunted, and he laughed.

“I love you too.”

Notes:

Discord server for all my writing, feel free to join!

 

 

Sorry for the brief hiatus - it was a mix of writer's block and trying to focus on Paternum when I was able to break through it. Paternum remains and will remain my focus, but I'll try not to vanish for a month at a time again.

Also, thank you to Evil Angel, who beta'd this chapter for me and made some suggested edits. Hopefully there will be fewer typos than usual!

Chapter 36: Tests, Part 4

“What did he say?” Kyoka asked Izukun as her metamour returned from speaking with Aizawa. He had made a beeline for their sensei as soon as the first round ended - apparently he and Sparky had been attacked by a shapeshifter from the League of Villains, someone who had taken on her form. She almost felt dirty just thinking about someone assuming her shape to attack her best friend, but at least he was okay.

Izukun sighed. “He said her name was Himiko Toga, she’s a member of the League who can transform into people by drinking their blood. She was the one who attacked you back at the training camp, and apparently she got away with your blood. The form she turned into after I called her out as an imposter is a girl named Camie who attends Shiketsu, and she's currently missing.”

“I hope she’s alright,” Momo said with a frown.

“Me too,” Kyoka agreed.

“But right now, we should focus,” Momo continued. “We can’t do anything to help Camie, and we have another half of the test to worry about - unless it’s being canceled?”

Izukun shook his head. “Sensei had me look around the area for other members of the League, but I didn’t see any. He wanted it to be canceled anyway, but the guy overseeing it overruled him.”

“They’re really desperate for more licensed heroes right now, aren’t they?” Kyoka asked.

“It’s no surprise, with All Might retiring,” Izukun said.

“Togata is his obvious heir apparent,” Momo noted, “but he isn’t a full hero yet, he hasn’t proven himself as much as All Might has. People are looking to him, but they’re still worried. So until he’s ready...”

“Almost makes me feel bad for him.”

“It does make me feel bad for him,” Izukun said. “I can’t imagine what he must feel like. I’ve been meaning to approach him and offer to let him vent, actually - he and Hado-senpai gave me some good advice back at the beginning of the year.”

Momo wrapped an arm around him and kissed the top of his head, causing a faint blush and a wide smile to spread across the green-haired boy’s face. “You’re a wonderful person for thinking that, Izukun. But again, we need to focus on the test.”

He shook his head to clear it before he nodded. “Right. I guess the main question is, do we stick together or split up, for the rescue half?”

Kyoka raised an eyebrow. “Green, why would we split up? We’ve practiced doing rescue work together, that practice would be wasted if we weren’t together.”

“But not everyone has focused on rescue work as much as we have,” Momo said, clearly following Izukun’s train of thought. “If we split up, we would be able to help other students, and they would do better. We might not do as well ourselves, but the test-takers as a whole would, which might mean more provisionally licensed students who could help in real situations. Is that what you’re thinking, Izukun?”

“Exactly,” he confirmed. “So... Momo, you’re our leader, as always. What do you think?”

She frowned, her face twisting thoughtfully. “I’m not sure... Izukun, I assume you think we should split up?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know, really. I think we would definitely pass working together, but splitting up puts it all up in the air. A greater risk for possibly a greater reward, for society as a whole.”

“What do you think, Kyokun?” Momo asked Kyoka.

“...I don’t think we should split up,” she answered after a moment’s thought. “If someone else only passes because one of the three of us was there to help guide them, well... we’re not going to be there for them in a real-life situation. Us guiding and leading them isn’t how a real situation would be. But the three of us... we’re always going to stick by each other, right?” The other two nodded, and she continued, “so in our case, working together is how a real situation will be. And that’s what this test is supposed to be about, right?”

Momo considered this for a moment. “I can’t disagree. We’ll stick together, then. If we happen to see someone doing something wrong, we won’t hold back from helping them and teaching them better, but we won’t make that our primary mission.”

The decision came just in time, as the tired-sounding voice of the test administrator came over the loudspeaker a moment later. “It’s time for the second half of the test. Please report back to the training field...”

---

The small polycule worked like a well-oiled machine - Kyoka would find victims by their heartbeats and cries, Izukun would use his quirk to reinforce buildings so they could escape, sometimes lighting an aura around himself to fetch them himself, then Momo would reassure the victim and perform first aid. Sometimes Kyoka’s sword was needed to cut through debris, sometimes Izukun’s quirk would let him spot a victim whose quirk or situation prevented Kyoka from hearing them, sometimes Momo would rope in another nearby student whose quirk would be helpful, but for the most part they stuck to the roles they had practiced.

It was nearly half an hour - halfway through the alloted time for the rescue section of the task - that Kyoka heard a high-pitched whine coming from one side of the field as they moved towards another victim. “What’s that?” she asked, turning to look.

Izukun turned as well and narrowed his eyes, the luminous glow that always emanated from them brightening as he enhanced his senses. “I see a bunch of people, and... that’s Gang Orca, I think.”

A moment later, there was a massive explosion, and the test administrator droned through the loudspeaker once more. “There has been an incident. The ‘villain’,” and the air-quotes around the word were obvious even without being able to see him, “who causd all this devastation has returned to sabotage you. To pass the test, he must be prevented doing more damage - otherwise, everyone will fail. The part of the villain for today’s test will be played by Gang Orca.”

Izukun and Momo exchanged a look, and Kyoka wished that she was as smart as her friends - able to assess a situation and make a decision almost instantly. It was only a moment before he said, “Kyokun should go assist the fight against Gang Orca. He uses sonic attacks that she can cancel out.”

Momo nodded immediately. “You might be able to contribute as well, but not as much - and we need you here to prevent structures from collapsing. Kyokun can’t move as fast as you, though - can you carry her and come back?”

“No need,” Kyoka told them, slipping her shield - so far unused in this half of the test, although it had been very helpful in the first half - off her back and dropping it to the ground. Her earjacks extended and plugged into it as she said, “I’ve got it covered.

She had quickly realized the problem with her initial, balance-based idea for riding the shield - it had no way to compensate for her weight, and a single jack didn’t offer much control - not that the previous version of it had much to control. But a friendly Support student - a rather overly friendly Support student, who had excitedly ranted with no care for Kyoka’s personal space and made her blush in a way that few other than Momo did - had rebuilt it for her, and done so far faster than what she had referred to as ‘the dunderhead who made this in the first place’.

The Support student, Hatsume Mei, had given it stabilizing programming similar to that of a quadcopter, as well as servos so the inbuilt-speakers could shift and magnetic hooks so she would be less likely to fall off. Now, if she was standing on the shield, it would automatically stabilize itself to keep her upright, regardless of where her body weight was. Movement was no longer a function of balance, but rather controlled by a second plug for her earjacks - rather than projecting the frequency she outputted, it took that output and interpreted it as directional control. Changing the frequency could move her forward or backwards, while changing the volume moved her left or right. And, of course, controlling the volume with her first jack, the one that was being projected through the speakers, would let her move up and down.

Mei had even added a use for the second plug when she wasn’t shield-surfing. By default the shield would simply project forward in one direction, as normal, but by plugging in her second jack she could change the focus of the sound - making it more omnidirectional or focusing onto a pinpoint. Mei had promised a similar upgrade to her sword, but there hadn’t been time before the exam, so it had had to wait.

With Mei’s technology on her side, flight wasn’t just in reach, it was a reality, and it was less than a minute before Kyoka reached the site of the battle between Gang Orca, Todoroki, and... that was the Izukun-lookalike from Ketsubetsu who had split up 1A in the previous section and the bald Shiketsu guy who had been obsessed with UA. Izukun’s doppelganger was creating an earthquake to hold back Gang Orca’s minions while Todoroki prepared for an attack, but the two-toned boy was seemingly distracted by the massive Shiketsu guy.

As she came in for a landing, hopping off the shield and scooping it up before it fell, Gang Orca released a powerful sound wave towards Doppelzuku, who fell, seemingly paralyzed. Todoroki and Baldy clutched at their heads, seemingly hardier but still feeling the effects. She, on the other hand, simply went nearly deaf as the smart earplugs she wore blocked out the dangerous sound.

Kyoka raised her shield towards Orca and plugged in, widening her sound wave and swiftly scanning through frequencies. It only took a moment for her to cancel out Gang Orca’s paralyzing call, then she shouted, “What the hell are you two arguing about now of all times?! There are more important things to worry about!”

“...she’s right, Yoarashi,” Todoroki said to Baldy. “Can we set this aside and work together at least until the end of the exam?”

“FINE!” Shiketsu guy - Yoarashi, apparently - spat, rising into the air with a flurry of winds.

Todoroki stomped his foot, sending a wave of ice towards Gang Orca and freezing him in place. “That should hold him for long enough that you can take out the minions. Then we can focus on Orca himself.”

Kyoka glanced at the horde of minions - each holding some sort of cement-spewing gun. “You have wind, right?”

“THAT’S RIGHT!” Yoarashi said proudly.

“Blow their cement back at them!”

He did so, even as Gang Orca began to break himself out of Todoroki’s ice. “Clever,” the hero rumbled. “But even with my sonic attacks blocked, I’m a dangerous foe, and ice means little to a man who swims the Arctic. What will you do now?” He charged forward.

The ground rumbled under his feet a moment later though, Doppelzuku seeming to have recovered somewhat - enough to slow Orca’s charge with another earthquake. “Fire!” he called. “Dehydrate him!”

“My aim with my fire isn’t good enough to dehydrate Gang Orca without potentially injuring him,” Todoroki said coolly. “Not unless he’s immobilized.”

“The earthquake will slow him,” Kyoka pointed out. “Is that enough?”

He shook his head. “Not enough that I’d be willing to risk it.”

“...how good is your control with that wind?” she asked Yoarashi.

“EXCELLENT! I CONSIDER MY FINE CONTROL TO BE MY GREATEST STRENGTH!”

“Can you sweep hot air from Todoroki’s fire at Gang Orca, if he’s slowed from Doppelzuku’s quake?”

“EASILY! BUT WHO IS DOPPELZUKU?”

“Don’t worry about that, big guy, just do it.”

Todoroki eyed her as he created a massive updraft of heat, which Baldy swept towards a rapidly-slowing Gang Orca. “That’s an excellent plan,” he said. “Did Izuku send you here with that? How did he know who would be available?”

She shook her head. “No, that was all me.”

“I’m impressed.”

Kyoka smirked. “I guess he’s rubbing off on me.”

“Stop!” Gang Orca called. “I admit defeat. Stop, please.” Immediately, Yoarashi curved the winds away, and Todoroki stopped producing heat.

“Gang Orca has been defeated,” the administrator lazily declared. “Well done to everyone. Now only those who are terrible at rescuing will fail. Which is a depressing number of you.”

But not, Kyoka thought with a grin, her, Izukun, or Momo.

Notes:

Discord server for all my writing, feel free to join!

Thanks again to Evil Angel for providing line edits for this chapter!

Chapter 37: Relaxation, Part 3

Izuku woke up in the middle of the night a few days after the provisional licensing exam, his throat feeling parched. He reached for the water bottle he usually kept next to his bed, but found it empty, so with a slight grunt, he pushed himself to his feet and began ambling down to the common room to refill it.

It was late enough that he wasn’t paying much attention to the world around him, letting his quirk’s sight sink into the background as Ryukyu had taught him, but even without paying much attention he was able to notice the eternal explosion of his brother sitting in the common room, Eijiro’s steadier soul next to him.

“...Kacchan?” Izuku asked as he stepped into the room, and the two glanced up from each other to look at him. “Eiji? Are you two okay?”

“It’s nothing,” the redhead assured him. “We’re just feeling rough about not getting our licenses this year.” The two of them had both failed in the first round, along with about half the class - and several others had failed in the second round. Along with Izuku, Momo, and Jiro, only Uraraka, Shoji, Asui, Todoroki, and Ashido had passed. As promised, Aizawa had been pleased, despite much of the class being disappointed.

Izuku glanced at Kacchan. “Really?” The blonde grunted, and Izuku frowned. “Yeah, I didn’t think so.”

“Bro?”

“I’m fluent in Gruntese,” Izuku informed Eijiro, sitting on the count next to the other two. “What’s really wrong?”

He glanced at his boyfriend. “I know you two are basically brothers, but I still don’t think I should be the one to tell him, Katsuki.”

Kacchan grumbled, then said, “We were kidnapped.”

“I know, Kacchan, I was there.”

His brother narrowed his eyes at him. “We were kidnapped, and All Might had to rescue us,” he clarified. “And now All Might has lost his power.”

“...ah,” Izuku said, seeing.

“Yeah. It’s my f-”

Izuku smacked Kacchan upside the head, the sound echoing in the nearly-empty room. “Don’t be an idiot, Kacchan.”

“Hey!”

“It’s not your fault, it’s All For One’s,” Izuku told him sternly. “No one made him kidnap us.”

“That’s what I was saying!” Eijiro agreed.

“You were already escaping when All Might arrived!” Kacchan growled. “You would have been fine without him! But I was stuck, I would have been fucking scrap if not for him! And now he’s lost his fucking power, because he had to rescue me!”

“He’s been stuck on this since the test,” the redhead informed Izuku. “I think not passing there kind of brought this whole inferiority thing to the surface, and this is just...”

“Him blaming himself because he feels like he failed as hero, yeah,” Izuku confirmed. “Kacchan, we both know you’re not dumb enough to actually think it’s your fault All Might lost his power, like there was some causation between you not escaping on your own and All Might facing All For One. You’re just feeling shitty about yourself because things haven’t gone your way recently.”

“Well maybe I fucking am! Is that so goddamn bad?!” the blonde burst. “I feel like crap and I don’t want to hear that I’m an idiot for how I feel, you assholes!”

Izuku blinked. “I’m sorry, Kacchan, I didn’t realize that was how you were taking it. We were just trying to make you feel better.”

“What he said,” Eijiro agreed.

Izuku heard a pattering as someone rushed downstairs, and turned to see Ashido.

“I heard Katsuki yelling,” she said, still tying the bathrobe she was wearing shut. “What’s wrong?”

“He’s feeling shitty because of a bunch of stuff,” Eijiro told her, “and we’re not sure how to make him feel better.”

The pink-skinned girl sighed and put her hands on her hips. “Boys.”

“Huh?”

She came around to the couch and shoved at Izuku. “Scoot.” A little confused, he scooted, and she wrapped he arms around Kacchan, pulling his head forward until it rest in the crook of her neck. “C’mere, honey.” The blonde gripped her tightly, and Izuku heard a faint sob. “That’s it, let it all out.”

“I... how did you...”

“Some things don’t need fixing,” Ashido informed him, “just sympathy.” She adjusted Kacchan a little, then said, “you should go. Give him some privacy, alright?”

Izuku rose, grabbed his bottle to quickly refill it, then went.

Maybe, he admitted to himself, Ashido was good for Kacchan after all.

---

Izuku stared in his mirror with a frown. This was a bad situation, he knew, and it was one he was completely unprepared for. It was his own fault, yes - he had known it was coming up, but it had approached so fast...

He admitted defeat, and pulled out his phone.

Chat: Kyoka Jiro

  Izuku Midoriya -> SOS

  Kyoka Jiro <- Seriously, dude?

  Izuku Midoriya -> I have no idea what to wear! Help!

  Kyoka Jiro <- geez

  Kyoka Jiro <- I’ll come help you once I have Momo’s nerves settled

  Kyoka Jiro <- you two are such dorks

  Izuku Midoriya -> You’re the best, Violet!

  Izuku Midoriya -> <3

  Kyoka Jiro <- you’re a useless nerd

  Izuku Midoriya -> <3 <3 <3

  Kyoka Jiro <- <3

Izuku grinned and set the phone aside, leaning back as he waited for Kyokun.

It wasn’t long before she opened his door, and his best friend caught his eyes before rolling her own exaggeratedly. “Seriously, I can’t believe that both of you are doing this.”

“It’s our first date, Kyokun. Our first date!” Izuku lamented. “It has to be perfect! And since Momo is planning the evening, all I can stress out over is my outfit!”

Violet whacked him over the head. “So just imagine how freaked out she is.”

“What does she have to worry about?” he asked, rubbing the back of his head where she had smacked him. “She’s perfect, and I know that the evening will be perfect too, because she planned it!”

“That’s what she said when I told her that you were freaking out,” she laughed. “Minus the part about planning the evening, obviously. Alright, show me what you were thinking.”

“I don’t know!” Izuku wailed. “Momo hasn’t told me what we’re doing, I don’t know how I should dress!”

Vi sighed. “Okay, fair.”

“Do you know?”

“Yes, I know, so that I could make sure we were doing something different on our date tomorrow.” Kyokun turned to his closet and swung it open, then began scanning through his hanging clothes. “I won’t tell you exactly what’s up, but I can tell you that the first half of the night is pretty formal, and the second half will be less so. You’ll want something like a sports coat, probably, and black pants that you wouldn’t mind getting a little dirty, but which could pass for nice when paired with the jacket.” She found a suit jacket and tossed it at him. “Start with that, and then... no pants in here?”

“They’re in the dresser, I’ll find them,” Izuku said, kneeling to pull out a drawer and look.

“Okay, great. Under the jacket, you want a button down, probably. You can have it tucked in to start and then take off the jacket and roll up the sleeves later.” Kyokun pulled out a pair of shirts and held them against Izuku’s shoulder. “Let’s see... green would match your hair, but white matches your eyes and your quirk...” She hummed thoughtfully.

“Are these pants okay?” he asked, holding them up for his friend’s inspection.

“Yeah, those should be fine. And... I’m thinking the green,” she decided, then turned back to the closet. “I’m not sure if you’ll need a tie or not...”

“I didn’t bring any ties to the school,” Izuku confessed. “Honestly, I’m amazed I had a suit jacket. Mama Mitsuki must have packed it.”

“Then you’ll have to go without, and let Momo make you one if you need it. Should be fine.” Vi began walking for the door. “Alright, get changed and let me know when you’re ready for inspection.”

“Um. You, uh, don’t have to leave if you don’t want to,” Izuku couldn’t stop himself from offering.

Kyokun paused. “Say again?”

“Uh. When we talked, you said that you wanted to watch if Momo and I ever did anything, and I thought that maybe you might like to, uh, to see me with my shirt off when I’m changing, and you know what this was a stupid idea, you’re only interested in Momo, and forget I ever said anything, I shouldn’t have brought it up-”

Izuku babbled, his face rapidly reddening, until she cut him off with a raised hand. “Okay.”

“...say again?”

“I said okay,” she repeated, her face nearly as red as his own had to be, and bit her lip a little. “Go for it.”

He swallowed, a little nervous, and lifted his shirt. He tried not to focus on Kyokun too much, the way her eyes locked onto his abs - he wasn’t nearly as ripped as Eijiro or Kacchan, but you couldn’t train as a hero without being in excellent shape - the way she gasped slightly as he tossed the shirt aside, her eyes widening a little, or how she shifted slightly, her thighs rubbing together almost of their own accord as he slipped the new shirt on and began buttoning it up.

He really did try not to watch her as she watched him. He had failed completely, but he tried.

When he was finished, Kyokun swallowed, still cherry-red and with an almost-panicked look on her face, said, “Thanksthatwasgreathavefunonyourdatebye!” and vanished, zooming out of his room and up towards her own.

Izuku hoped he hadn’t made her uncomfortable.

---

Momo waited a little nervously outside the dormitory, holding her purse in one hand and worrying as she gazed away from the building. She thought she had planned a nice evening for her first date with Izuku - Kyokun had approved it and so had Bakugo, when she asked him - but what if they were wrong? What if he felt uncomfortable, or wasn’t in the mood to go for a walk? What if their outfits clashed? What if they were attacked by the League? What if he just decided he didn’t like her after all? What if-

“Momo,” she heard a familiar voice from behind her. “You look... incredible.”

She tuned and saw Izuku, her boyfriend, looking more handsome that she had ever seen him. Dark pants and a jacket, a green undershirt that highlighted out the vibrant sheen of his hair, which had been combed not quite into neatness, but something a little more tame than the usual curly mess he settled for. He wore a nervous smile which dimpled his freckled cheeks, and his eyes were shining - both literally and figuratively.

“You look quite handsome yourself,” she managed after a moment, smiling widely at him. “Shall we?” She gestured to the car she had borrowed from her family’s manor for the evening.

“Please.”

They slipped into it, and Momo plugged the destination into the self-driving vehicle. A moment later they were off, and Izuku was too, asking about the car and where their family had gotten it and spewing out the history of self-driving cars and trivia about their development. Momo just grinned, not interrupting, and watched her wonderful boyfriend talk.

Notes:

Discord server for all my writing, feel free to join!

 

This chapter makes 100k words for Breath of Life!

Thanks again to Evil Angel for providing line edits for this chapter!

Chapter 38: Relaxation, Part 4

“Fancy place,” Izuku noted as Momo led him from where the car had parked itself to a high-class restaurant.

“It’s one of my family’s favorites,” she informed him, clinging to his elbow happily as they approached the doors. Izuku puffed out a mist-filled breath at them to make them open on their own, and his girlfriend grinned at him as he did. “I haven’t had reason to come since we moved into the dorm, and I've missed it. Hello, Shitsuji-san! Dinner for two in a private room, under Yaoyorozu?” she said to the steward who stood at the front of the restaurant.

“Yaoyorozu-chan!” he said with a smile, clearly surprised. “I apologize, I did not expect you, miss.”

She wrinkled her brow in confusion, and asked, “What do you mean? I’m positive that I made a reservation online.”

“Ah... yes, miss,” Shitsuji confirmed. “Two for dinner at 7:30, under Yaoyorozu. We, ah... we received two reservations for two in a private room, under Yaoyorozu, and believed they were the same reservation.”

Momo froze. “...my parents are here?”

“Yes, Yaoyorozu-chan,” the steward confirmed. “I could sit you and...” He glanced at Izuku questioningly.

“Izuku Midoriya.”

“And Midoriya-san with your parents, but we have no other private rooms available at present. There are public tables, if that is acceptable?”

Izuku glanced up at Momo nervously as she bit her lip, wondering what they should do. Her parents, he remembered from their discussion after moving into the dorms the previous month, had banned her from dating, and he knew that she had wanted to keep their relationship under wraps. Going to her favorite restaurant together was perhaps not quite discreet, but the reservation had been for a private room. And she was clearly on good terms with Shitsuji-san and would presumably have asked him to keep their presence quiet, except that her parents had unknowingly taken their reservation. They could take one of the public tables, but that risked being seen and word getting back to her parents. They could leave, and eat somewhere else, perhaps. They could wait for another private room...

“That’s true... how long until another private room is ready, Shitsuji-san?” Momo asked, and Izuku realized that he must have been muttering.

“Between 30 and 45 minutes, miss,” was the answer.

“Would that ruin your plans, Momo?” Izuku asked her.

“No, there are no other reservations,” she said, “but...” her stomach growled, and Izuku nodded in understanding.

“We could try to find another restaurant, then. But that would take time, and might not guarantee privacy, and without a reservation it might take just as long as waiting. We could take a public table here, and hope that no one notices. Or...”

“Or?” she asked hopefully.

“Or we could eat with your parents,” he suggested. “I know you wanted to keep things quiet, but...”

She sighed heavily. “I knew I wouldn’t be able to keep us under wraps forever, but... I had hoped we could have at least one date without them...” She trailed off.

Izuku hugged her gently, and her arms wrapped around him as well, the statuesque women leaning enough to rest her head on his shoulders. “Maybe we shouldn’t have gone to their favorite restaurant, then?” he teased, hoping to put her more at ease with humor.

She chuckled. “I suppose so. Perhaps I still need practice at making my own plans, hm?”

“Your decisions have always been immaculate, though,” he reminded her. “And it’s your parents. It’s up to you - what should we do?”

She squeezed him gently, seeking his comfort. “I... give me strength, Izukun.”

He squeezed back, then tilted her head back to kiss her chastely. A tiny sliver of his soul slipped from his lungs and sank into her - not enough to give her a visible aura, or to noticeably enhance her at all, but just enough to give her a feeling of warmth, to remind her that he was right behind her, all the way.

She nodded firmly as they released each other. “Right. Shitsuji-san?”

“Yes, Yaoyorozu-chan?”

“Seat us with my parents, please.”

---

“Excuse me, Yaoyorozu-san, Madam Yaoyorozu,” Shitsuji-san said, opening the door ahead of us. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but I’m afraid there was a scheduling mishap. Your daughter and her young man also reserved this room.”

Momo’s father raised an eyebrow and turned to face the couple, still holding his wife’s hand across the table. “Her young man? Oh,” he spotted Izuku over the shoulder and smiled slightly. “Midoriya-kun.”

“Yaoyorozu-san,” Izuku said, bowing respectfully. He had met Momo’s parents a few times during the weekend study sessions he, Momo, and Kyokun held at Momo’s house, and had always been a little intimidated by them - Yaoyorozu-san was an incredible wealthy businessman with a stern demeanor, and while Madam Yaoyorozu was nice enough she had also been quite overbearing.

Her mother was much less restrained. “Midoriya-kun! Please, join us,” she insisted with a wide smile. “Are we expecting Jiro-chan as well? I know the three of you are joined at the hip, after all,” she teased.

“Ah... no, mother,” Momo said as she entered the private room, Izuku following behind her. “Kyokun is, ah, not coming.” She sat on one of the unoccupied sides of the table, and Izuku across from her.

“Probably for the best,” her father decreed, releasing Madam Yaoyorozu’s hand and handing one of the menus sitting on the table to Izuku. “Not much more room at this table, after all.”

Momo’s mother eyed Izuku for a moment, the smile falling away from her eyes even though her lips still quirked upwards. “Momo, dear, was Jiro-chan unable to make it, or not invited?”

“Toshiko, don’t interrogate the girl,” Yaoyorozu-san said.

“Answer the question, Momo,” she ordered, ignoring her husband.

Momo cringed slightly, but then caught Izuku’s eyes and straightened again. “She... wasn’t invited to this dinner, no.”

“I hope you haven’t forgotten our rules, honey,” her mother said, no longer smiling at all. “You are not to begin a relationship while you live away from home.”

“I... I’m sorry, mother, but... Izukun and I are dating.”

Madam Yaoyorozu frowned. “Midoriya-kun, would you step out for a moment, please?”

Izuku began to rise, but Momo caught his hand. “No, stay,” she begged. “This involves you too, after all.” And, he understood as she squeezed almost tight enough to hurt, as though she was afraid he would vanish if she let go, Momo needed him there for support.

“I... it’s your decision, Momo,” he agreed, sitting down again. He put his other hand over his girlfriend’s, and her crushing grip eased a little.

“Were our rules unclear, Momo?” Madam Yaoyorozu demanded.

Momo shook her head. “No, mother, but...” She met my eyes. “I just... Izuku makes me very happy. I couldn’t imagine not having him in my life.”

“I will not have you distracted from your studies by a relationship, Momo!” her mother pressed. “You are in training to be a hero, you don’t have time for this!”

“You were perfectly fine with me spending time with Izukun before you thought it was a date, mother,” she shot back, “the time argument doesn’t hold up. Besides, professional heroes find the time for relationships, surely we can do the same.”

“You are sixteen,” Madam Yaoyorozu snapped. “You aren’t ready for -”

“Sixteen is quite old enough to begin dating, mother, and we aren’t doing anything we ‘aren’t ready for’, as you say. We’ve done nothing beyond kissing and have no plans to.”

“You began a relationship against our express order-”

“If it helps,” Izuku couldn’t stop from putting in, “our relationship began before you set that rule, while we were in the training camp.”

Madam Yaoyorozu glared at him, and Momo sighed. “I don’t think that helped, Izukun.”

“Sorry.”

“Toshiko,” Yaoyorozu-san began, “Momo is old enough to make some decisions for herself. And I recall you saying to me not five minutes before they joined us that you hoped she would end up with Midoriya-kun one day - what does it matter if that day is sooner than you expected?”

His wife growled. “I said Midoriya-kun or Jiro-chan,” she corrected harshly with a glare in his direction, then sighed heavily. “But... I suppose I may be overreacting.” She turned back to Momo. “Are you happy, dear?”

“Yes, mother,” Momo assured her mother. “Izukun makes me very, very happy.”

“Then I suppose you may engage in this,” Madam Yaoyorozu allowed, “so long as it does not interfere with your standing in the class.”

“Of course, mother.” Momo shifted a little, then said, “You, ah... you said Izukun or Kyokun?”

“Are you sure?” Izuku asked her, stroking the back of her hand for a moment.

She nodded. “Might as well get it all out at once, right?” she said, her voice still nervous. “Like ripping off a band-aid.”

“There’s nothing to rip, dear,” Yaoyorozu-san informed her. “We’ve known that you liked girls since you were eight.”

Momo blinked in shock. “I... since I was eight? I only just figured it out this year!”

“You had the most adorable crush on your piano tutor at the time,” her mother reminisced. “So no, dear, we’re not surprised that you’re bisexual.”

“I... good to know that literally everyone figured it out before me,” Momo grouched, and Izuku laughed a little as she absently entwined her fingers with his own. “But that actually wasn’t what I was going to say. Or not the only thing, anyway.”

“What is it?” Madam Yaoyorozu asked.

“Well, um...” Momo swallowed, and Izuku squeezed her hand encouragingly. “What if it wasn’t Izukun or Kyokun, but... but Izukun and Kyokun?”

“...what?” her mother asked after a moment. Her father simply froze.

“I... I’m dating both of them. Izukun is my boyfriend, Kyokun is my girlfriend. We all talked, and...”

“I’m sorry, dear, but I’m confused,” Madam Yaoyorozu said. “You’re... dating them both? Do you mean that you’re time to decide before committing to one? I realize that many young people do that, these days, but I must say I think it rather unfair to everyone involved -”

“No, mother, that’s not what I mean. I have decided,” Momo said firmly, “and I decided to commit to both of them.”

“I... I don’t understand, dear.”

“Does Jiro-chan know about you and Midoriya-kun?” Yaoyorozu-san asked.

“Yes, of course. We all discussed it together before we decided to try this,” Momo told him. “And we all spoke together about boundaries for each relationship, too.”

“It’s called polyamory,” Izuku informed them, seeing that her parents still seemed lost, and his girlfriend favored him with a thankful smile. “It’s not common and it’s not easy to maintain, but it’s possible and it’s worth it. My parents have been in a polyamorous relationship for most of my life.”

“So... let me see if I have this straight,” Momo’s father began. “You, Momo, are dating Midoriya-kun.”

“Yes.

“You are also dating Jiro-chan.”

“Yes.”

“And Midoriya-kun and Jiro-chan are not... jealous of each other?”

Izuku shook his head. “Not at all. Kyokun actually helped me get ready for this date, and I suspect I’ll be returning the favor when she and Momo go out tomorrow.”

“And... what are you and Jiro-chan to each other?” Yaoyorozu-san asked him.

“Best friends, Yaoyorozu-san,” he said. “If that grows into something else, as my friendship with Momo did, or Momo’s friendship with Kyokun did, well...” Izuku shrugged. “That just means another discussion like the one that we had before Momo started dating us. We agreed that the two of us were just friends at the time, but left room for that to change if we both wanted it.”

Madam Yaoyorozu sighed. “I still don’t really understand it. But... you’re happy with this, Momo?”

“Yes, mother,” Yaoyorozu assured her again. “Kyokun makes me very, very happy as well. Having both of them...” She hummed happily. “I don’t know how I got so lucky.”

“Well, then... I suppose I don’t have to understand, as long as you’re happy,” she decided. “Just... please be careful with my daughter’s heart?” she added to Izuku.

“Of course,” Izuku promised her. “I would never hurt her.”

---

“God, that was stressful,” Momo complained as she walked down Dagobah beach with her boyfriend. She had hiked up her dress and kicked off her shoes, leaving them under the watchful eye of a golem Izukun had created, along with his own shoes, socks, and jacket.

“At least it went relatively well,” he pointed out, wrapping an arm around her waist and leaning his head on her shoulder.

“That’s true,” she admitted. “It could have gone much worse. They could have tried to ban me from dating you, tried to force me to pick between you and Kyokun...”

“Keyword tried,” Izukun noted.

“Yes,” she laughed. “Definitely not succeeded. But... it could have been a lot harder, so I’m glad it went well.”

“Yeah. They clearly don’t understand polyamory, but they’re trying to, at least. That’s better than most.”

“I... I just realized that I somewhat outed you,” she said, glancing at him worriedly as he looked up to meet her eyes. “As polyamorous, I mean. I know that you’ve had... worries, anxieties, fears, about people finding out you were polyamorous in the past, and I shouldn’t have revealed it without asking you.”

“It’s okay,” Izukun assured her. “If it had been a problem, I would have asked you to stop instead of asking if you were sure. And neither I nor Violet needed to keep this whole thing quiet, so it was entirely your decision.”

Momo bit her lip thoughtfully. “I know that you two trust me to make decisions for you, but... I worry, sometimes, that I overstep. That I simply assume I know what you would like.”

“Like when you ordered for me back at the restaurant?” he teased, and she blushed.

“Yes. I... I didn’t really think about it until afterward, I just thought that you would like the fish best...”

“I really did,” he reassured her. “Momo, I promise, I don’t mind you making decisions for me from time to time. Half the time I asked you to, the other half I couldn’t have chosen anyway. If I ever objected, I would tell you.”

“And Kyokun?”

“Since when has Vi been shy about letting us know when she disagrees with us? Believe me - we both trust you to choose. Like this beach,” he said, gesturing to the sand and waves. “I trusted you to plan a wonderful date, and - with the exception of an awkward conversation with your parents - it has been. And even that wasn’t so bad once we got past the relationship talk and ordered food.”

Momo smiled, blushing from the praise. “Then I suppose I’ll continue - wait, is that?” she asked, spotting someone jogging down the beach towards them. He was blonde and massively muscular. But... “That can’t be All Might, can it?”

Izukun glanced at the approaching figure. “No,” he confirmed, smiling, “it’s Togata-senpai. Senpai!” he waved the bigger man over.

Togata waved back, slowing and reversing to jog backwards in front of their more sedate walk. “Midoriya-kun!” he said cheerfully. “I’m glad to see that you’re alright! I haven’t had the chance to check up on you after... well.”

Izukun nodded understandingly. “Yeah, I’ve heard that you’ve been pretty busy recently.”

“Yes, but that’s no excuse for you not checking in with your senpais!” he told Izukun sternly. “Nejire was worried sick about you!”

Momo’s boyfriend blinked. “Really?”

“For sure! She was very happy to have a kohai while you were interning with Ryukyo,” Togata said, “and wasn’t happy to hear that you were in trouble. You’ll have to make it up to her when you go back.”

“Go back?” Momo asked. “Are there going to be more internships soon?”

“Ah... I probably shouldn’t have said that,” Togata said, embarrassed, scratching the back of his head. “But yes. You didn’t hear it from me, but those of you who got your licenses will be able to do work study programs with certain heroes - think of them like deluxe internships. You’ll be allowed to do more, and get a stipend for your time. They’re tough, but well worth it!”

“And Ryukyo is one of the heroes who can take on students for work study,” Izukun nodded. “I’ll definitely work with her again, if she’ll have me.”

“Is Fatgum one of those heroes as well?” Momo asked hopefully.

“He sure is! And don’t worry - Yaoyorozu-chan, right?” She nodded in confirmation. “Tamaki is excited to work with you again as well, although I don’t know if he’ll ever admit it aloud,” Togata told her, and she laughed.

“That sounds like him,” she said, still chuckling. “But, no offense, would you mind giving us a little privacy? We’re on a date at the moment.”

“Oh, I’m terribly sorry - I should have realized,” the big man said. “I didn’t mean to interrupt - I’ll go.”

“It’s okay, I waved you over,” Izukun said. “And... find me sometime soonish, please? I have something I wanted to talk to you about, in private.”

Togata raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Is it urgent?”

Momo watched in confusion as her boyfriend gestured for the big man to lean in, then whispered something into his ear. Togata’s eyes widened, and he met Izukun’s eyes. The shorter boy nodded, then Togata did.

“Alright,” the blonde said, his voice lower and more serious than it had been until that point. “Nejire, Tamaki and I were asked to visit the 1st year classes on Monday - I’ll make sure to talk to you either before or after class.”

“Before is probably better,” Izukun said.

“Before, then.” Togata stood up straight again. “I’ll let you two be now - I have to go chat with my mentor. Enjoy the rest of your date - I’ll see you on Monday.” Then, with nothing but a flicker of blue lightning to announce his departure, he was gone.

“What was that about, Izukun?” Momo asked curiously.

He sighed. “I can’t tell you - it isn’t my secret to share.”

She furrowed her brow for a moment, still thinking about it, then deliberately put it from her mind. “Okay,” she said, putting an arm around her boyfriend’s shoulders. “Then I suggest we take his advice, and enjoy the rest of our date.”

“Yes,” he agreed, sliding his arm around her waist once more, “lets.”

Notes:

Discord server for all my writing, feel free to join!

 

Thanks again to Evil Angel for the line edits!

Chapter 39: Relaxation, Part 5

Momo held up one top against herself, then the other. Kyokun had said she’d planned a casual date and that she should wear whatever was comfortable, but... she wanted to look good for her girlfriend! That wasn’t weird.

At least she wasn’t feeling as panicked as she had yesterday when she and Izukun had gone out together. That had been her first date, and she had been - understandably, she thought - nervous, but it had been perfectly comfortable once she and Izukun had actually been together. With the exception of the awkward conversation with her mother and father, anyway, and even then he had been a rock of comfort for her. Today, however, her nerves were much more settled as she tried to decide what to wear while out with Kyokun.

Her phone buzzed briefly as she settled on a low-cut red tank top, and she slid it from the pocket of the tight jeans she had chosen already.

Chat: Izuku Midoriya

  Izuku Midoriya <- Vi was feeling nervous, but I’ve got her settled now.

  Izuku Midoriya <- Are you okay, or do you also need assistance from a lovable goofball?

  Momo Yaoyorozu -> I wouldn’t say no to a lovable goofball. Do you know one? :P

  Izuku Midoriya <- I feel like I should be offended

  Momo Yaoyorozu -> Thank you for the offer, Izukun, but I’m feeling alright.

  Izuku Midoriya <- kk

  Izuku Midoriya <- Have fun with Violet today! <3

  Momo Yaoyorozu -> We’ll tell you all about it when we get back! <3

She grinned as she returned the phone to her pocket, then turned back to the mirror to decide what to do with her hair.

---

She had met Kyokun outside the dormitory, just as she had met Izukun the day before, and had been stunned by how gorgeous her girlfriend was were, even in something as simple the jean shorts and an oversized sweater she was wearing. She really was the luckiest girl in the world. This time she had been unable to hold back from kissing her partner, and Kyokun had returned the kiss happily before beginning to lead her to the train station.

The shorter girl listened with interest as Momo spent the walk and ride telling her how her date with Izukun had gone - he had apparently told Kyokun already, as a way of helping her calm down before their own date, but she said that she wanted Momo’s perspective as well.

“I can definitely back up what Green said about trusting you to make decisions for us,” Kyokun told her as they were exiting the train again. “You’re the most brilliant and moral person we know. Why wouldn’t we trust you?”

Momo sighed. “I just... I don’t always have confidence in myself, I suppose.”

“You should,” Kyokun assured her her. “You trust us, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then trust us to have placed our trust wisely.”

Momo laughed. “Believe in the you who believes in me, is that it?”

“If you want to put it like that,” Kyokun nodded.

“I suppose you’re right.”

“I’m always right, haven’t you figured that out by now?”

She giggled. “So, what are you going to be right about today?”

Kyokun hummed, tapping her chin thoughtfully. “I think... I’m going to be right about what kind of date you’ll enjoy.”

“And what will I enjoy?” Momo challenged.

“I remember that back at the training camp, when we were playing Truth or Dare with the 1B girls,” she began, “you said that you realized you were bi while listening to your crush sing, that time our class when to the karaoke bar.”

Momo blushed. “...I did say that, didn’t I?”

“Well... I thought you might like to relive that,” Kyokun said, stopping and gesturing to the sign about them - the same place their class had gone to, Momo realized, “and to be able to kiss that girl as well.”

Momo’s face reddened even further, although she was comforted by the fact that her girlfriend’s cheeks were also flushed. “That sounds lovely, Kyokun. Although,” she added as they entered, “I was actually telling a white lie, that day.”

“Oh? I have a private room reserved under Jiro,” Kyokun said to the receptionist, who nodded and led them into a small room. “What was the lie?”

“I really did realize that I was bi while listening to you sing,” Momo said, “but it was before we went to the karaoke bar. It was that time that Izukun was feeling down about me letting the entire class call me Yaomomo. I invited the two of you to call me Momo, and you...”

Kyokun was now as red as a tomato. “I recorded the song I wrote for his birthday.”

Momo nodded. “Yes. It took a while longer to realize that I was actually crushing on you, not just attracted to you, but that was the first moment I know that I liked girls too.”

Her girlfriend laughed. “I guess Izuku and I have really helped you discover a lot, huh? He helped you figure out that you were poly, I helped you figure out that you were bi...”

“...you both help me keep my confidence up, constantly,” Momo added.

“Of course, it seems only fair, since the two of you have constantly helped me when I’m feeling overwhelmed, and support me in coming out of my shell.”

“Our little polycule is one of mutual support, not just love.”

“Yeah.” Kyokun grinned. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” She raised an eyebrow as Momo glanced away a little. “What? Would you want it to be different?”

“I don’t want to pressure you or make you feel bad,” Momo protested.

“No, tell me. It’s all about communication and respect, right?” her girlfriend pressed.

“I... yes, you’re right,” she agreed. “I just... I wish that you and Izukun were also together, I suppose. I know that you love him platonically just as much as you love me romantically, but...” She shook her head. “As I said, I don’t want to pressure you into anything.”

Kyokun sighed. “It’s nothing against Izukun,” she said. “Obviously it isn’t - like you said, I love him just as much as you, if in a different way. Hell, he’s even my type, and... uh. Have you seen him with his shirt off?”

Momo raised an eyebrow at Kyokun as her face reddened again. “Not since the beach. ...have you?”

“He. Uh. Don’t get mad?”

“Of course not, Kyokun. I just said that I wished you two were closer, didn’t I?”

“Right, right. Well...” Kyokun glanced away, embarrassed, as she said, “Yesterday, when I was helping him choose his outfit for his date with you? He said that I could stay and watch him change into it, and I did, and. Uh. I kind of haven’t been able to get it out of my head? He’s. Uh.”

“Yes,” Momo agreed with a smile, her eyes dancing with amusement, “he’s very uh.”

“Oh, you know what I mean!” Kyokun cried, smacking her on the arm.”

“I do, I promise,” she laughed. “So, can I ask...”

“Yeah?”

“If Izukun is your type, and very uh, as you say, then why not at least try dating him?”

Kyokun glanced up and away, seeming contemplative. “...you know, I’m not sure.”

“That’s alright,” Momo assured her. “You don’t have to know why. If you don’t want to, that’s enough - you don’t need a reason, I’m just curious.”

“Well, now that you mention it, I’m also kind of curious what it was that made me not want to date him,” Kyokun said. “...I’m going to have to think about this for a bit, if you don’t mind.”

“I just said you don’t have to know why, I’m certainly not going to demand an immediate answer,” she reiterated, amused. “Why don’t we just sing for a bit? That is why we’re here, right?”

“Right, right,” her girlfriend agreed. “We didn’t come here to fail the Bechdel test, after all.” Kyokun leaned forward and tapped the karaoke console’s screen, waking it up. “Let’s see... heh, remember singing this one with Izukun?”

Momo laughed as she spotted the song that Kyokun was pointing to. “Yes, I remember! In retrospect, it should have been me as Monty, not him.”

“Wrong vocal part for it,” she pointed out. “Maybe we can do a more correct rendition later.” She scrolled a little farther, then giggled. “Maybe he should sing this one?”

“Kyokun!” Momo cried, smacking her arm, “I thought I was the shameless one here?”

“Hey, it doesn’t go any farther than innuendo,” Kyokun pointed out, still chuckling. “Besides, in a private room, I bet I can be just as shameless.”

She leaned in towards her girlfriend, bringing her face right into the shorter girls neck so that Kyokun would be able to feel her breath. “Oh really?” Momo whispered, putting a hand on her knee and slowly sliding it upwards. “We’re in a private room right now, you know. How shameless-”

Kyokun leapt into the air, tomato-red again, as Momo laughed. “Okay,” she admitted, “maybe I’m not that shameless.”

“I’ll stop, I promise,” Momo said, gesturing for Kyokun to sit again. “I know you’re not ready for anything like that yet - I was just teasing.”

Her girlfriend sat next to her again, then turned to give her a brief kiss. “I know. It was a little more than I was expecting, that’s all.” Then she returned her attention to the karaoke screen again. “Ah, perfect!”

---

They spent a few hours singing, bouncing between love songs and songs that they just liked, across all genres from musicals to rock to comedy, before the reservation Kyoka had set up ran out and they had to leave, still giddy and energetic from a rendition of Mutual Admiration Society, a song which Kyoka insisted was very gay, while Momo insisted that it was written for characters who were mother and daughter. Either way, Kyoka thought, it was fun to sing.

“So what now?” Momo asked cheerfully as they began walking aimlessly, Kyoka’s arm around her waist while the taller girl rested her own arm on Kyoka’s shoulder.

She shrugged. “I mostly had the karaoke thing. I suppose we could just wander for a bit? The mall is nearby, maybe do some window shopping?”

“That sounds good,” Momo agreed, smiling in that way that always made Kyoka’s heart do loops. “I’ve been thinking about getting some new tops.”

“Clothes?” Kyoka pulled a face. “Eh...”

Momo raised an eyebrow. “Not a fan of clothes shopping?”

She shrugged. “I’ve never really done it, to be honest. I mean, there was a big spree after I transitioned because I needed a new wardrobe, but nothing since then. And before I did, I hated it, for hopefully obvious reasons.”

“Are you telling me,” Momo said slowly, “that you haven’t gotten any new clothes in... what, a year?”

“A year and a half, at this point.”

“This is a travesty,” she declared. “Kyokun, we have to fix this!”

Kyoka laughed. “Oh come on, it’s not that bad, is it?”

Momo stopped her and put a hand on each shoulder, gazing directly into Kyoka’s eyes. “Kyokun, there’s nothing wrong with not really liking clothes shopping,” she said, “but you’ve never gotten the chance to decide if you like it.”

“What do you mean?”

“For most of your life, you hated it, and that’s perfectly understandable,” her girlfriend began. “You hate a body you weren’t comfortable with, of course you didn’t want to think about how to dress it, beyond covering it up. I’m guessing lots of hoodies and baggy stuff?”

Kyoka nodded.

“Then you needed a new wardrobe, and I bet that trip was long and tiring.”

She nodded again. “Oh yeah.”

“And because you needed so many new things, and it would have been right after you started, you probably just got stuff that fit, am I right? You hadn’t yet figured out what you wanted to be wearing, you just wanted girl clothes that would fit you.”

“You hit the nail right on the head,” Kyoka admitted. “So what are you proposing?”

“At this point, you probably have an idea of what you might like to actually wear for yourself, right?” Momo asked. “You’ve found whatever your favorite kind of clothes from that first trip are. I know you like shorts and shorter skirts, leggings, band shirts, and crop tops, right? You wear all of them a lot.”

“Sure.”

“But you rewear a lot of them, too - I think I’ve only seen you wear two or three crop tops and just the one set of shorts. Use this as an opportunity to pick up some new ones, so you have more a variety to pick from!”

Kyoka turned the idea over in her mind. “I guess that makes sense,” she decided. “So how do we go about this?”

“Hm...” Momo said, biting her lip thoughtfully.

Kyoka resisted to urge to kiss her for a moment before remembering that she didn’t have to resist, and instead stood on her tip-toes to kiss her statuesque girlfriend.

She made a surprised but happy noise as she kissed back, then grinned as Kyoka pulled back. “Thank you,” she said, “that was just what I needed to figure it out!”

“Yeah?”

“We’ll find a shop and head to the changing rooms,” Momo began, “then split up. We each circle the place, going in opposite directions, and pick up whatever catches out eye for ourselves. But we also,” she added, “put together an outfit that the other has to try on! Something silly or something they genuinely look good in, either way the point is to bring in a little fun by shopping for each other, too.”

Kyoka only needed to think about it for a moment before she nodded, a wicked grin spreading across her face. “That sounds great,” she said. “But you might regret giving me a blank check to dress you in whatever I want.”

Her girlfriend raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Are we forgetting which of us is more shameless?”

She felt herself blushing again. “I didn’t mean like that, you pervert! Honestly, Momo!”

The taller girl laughed. “Well, how was I suppose to take it!”

“I just meant that I’m going to make you look absolutely ridiculous!”

Momo grinned. “Challenge accepted, Kyokun. You’re going to look just as silly, I promise.”

She sighed. “More so, probably - you could make anything look good.”

“Oh, look who’s talking!”

Notes:

Discord server for all my writing, feel free to join!

 

Thanks again to Evil Angel for providing line edits!

Chapter 40: Battles, Part 3

Notes:

Everything is okay now, because I am here! Here and alive and writing, no less!

After someone recently reread this and left several nice comments (you know who you are), I looked back through it myself and remembered how much I liked writing this story, and also this era of MHA in general (I still haven't actually watched anything past the Cultural Festival, nor do I really intend to based on what I've heard about what's been going on in canon). Since I still have the rest of this fic outlined and it's less than 20k words, and I'm trying to get back into writing, I decided why not? So I wrote a chapter. I don't have any of the remaining 8 written yet, but I intend to write and post them as they're finished. This fic will conclude, I promise, and I might even write that trans!Jiro-centric fic I talked about way back when as well - I still have the outline for that too, and still quite like what I planned for it.

To summarize what's going on in this fic, if you're just getting a subscription notification now and don't feel like rereading ~100k words to check where you've been, here's the basics:

• Izuku Midoriya has a quirk that's a fusion of his father's fire breath and his mother's psychic type pull - he can breath or inhale the fire of life, a weird lifeforce-energy thing that all living beings have. He can infuse it into objects to temporarily animate them as golems, into himself or others to temporarily boost their abilities, and can steal it from others to drain their energy.
• Because he has a quirk, he and Bakugo never stopped being friends, and Bakugo's rough edges are smoothed pre-canon rather than having a character arc about becoming a better person. He's still an abrasive, competitive guy, but he was never a bully and he and Izuku are basically brothers.
• Literally brothers, in fact, because Inko Midoriya ended up in a polyamorous relationship with Bakugo's parents - she's dating Mitsuki but not Masaru. As a result, Izuku and Bakugo both know what polyamory is, although both are also rather nervous about the subject due to having lost friends over it in the past.
• Izuku ends up becoming close friends with Momo Yaoyorozu and Kyoka Jiro, due to being paired up with Momo during the first battle trials and the two of them being the class president and vice president (Momo being pres).
• This develops over the course of things into a polyamorous relationship between the three of them - as of the present moment, Momo is dating both Izuku and Kyoka, who are best friends with each other but not currently dating. Izuku has admitted to having a crush on Kyoka, but Kyoka has not admitted to having feelings for him - although she is starting to wonder.
• Momo is much more self-confident as Kyoka and Izuku gave her reassurance after events which, in canon, trampled on her confidence. Kyoka, meanwhile, is much more of a fighter and brawler, with more support tools than just her belt - she also has a sword and shield which can similarly be powered by her jacks.
• Internship-wise, Momo went to Fatgum (it just made sense), Kyoka to Present Mic (again), and Izuku to Ryukyo (because his quirk works off his vitality in the same way that Nejire Hado's does).
• Both Bakugo and Izuku were kidnapped from the forest, because All For One had gotten it in his head that Izuku was All Might's successor. Izuku ended up figuring stuff about One For All from that conversation before they were rescued, and it became clear that Togata Mirio is All Might's chosen successor. He resolved to tell Togata that he knows the secret, but hasn't yet gotten the chance - although he arranged to talk with him before he comes in to class for the work study stuff.

I think that's all the context if you don't want to reread - I hope you enjoy the new chapter!
If you're just finding this fic now, your context is that the last update to this fic was about 2 and a half years ago.

The Monday after moving in to the new dormitories, the little polycule was walking to class together - after Momo and Izuku had dragged Violet out of bed and his girlfriend had cajoled the shorter woman into taking a shower even if she was skipping breakfast - when he spotted Togata waiting in a room near the actual classroom. “Oh, sorry,” he apologized as he released Momo’s hand. “I need to go talk with someone for a few minutes. I should be in time for class though!”

“What’s this about, Green?” Kyokun asked.

“Togata-senpai? I remember you arranged to talk with him before class, during our date,” Momo guessed.

Izuku nodded. “That’s right. I can’t tell you what about, sorry - it’s not my secret to share.”

“I understand.” Momo hugged him and gave him a brief kiss. “I’ll see you in class then, Izukun. You had better not be late!” she playfully teased.

Kyokun chuckled. “It’s more likely that he’d break his own bones than be late to class,” she joked as she too wrapped her arms around him. She looked up at him for a moment, bit her lip, then suddenly released him, cheeks a little flushed. “Get going!”

He wondered what that had been about as he lightly jogged towards the blazing brilliance he had seen through the walls, but had to put it out of his mind as he opened the door to the study room and entered. “Good morning, Togata-senpai,” he said respectfully, bowing his head. “I hope you had a nice weekend?”

The massive blond looked up from his book with a sigh. “A busy one. I’m grateful to All Might for mentoring me, I really am, but...”

“Let me guess - a lot of media attention?” Izuku asked, closing the door behind him and making sure that it was locked.

“That’s right,” Togata confirmed, then offered Izuku a hand. “And if you’ll excuse a change in venue, I think we might need a little more privacy for this discussion.”

Well, there were a lot of people who could see or hear them from another room, even if they weren ’t trying too - hell, Izuku’s girlfriend was dating one! He took the hand without objection.

There was a slight staticy feeling as faint blue lightning crackled over Togata ’s muscular form and spread to Izuku’s as well, a process he observed with interest - then, rather suddenly, they were on the roof of the building, and his senpai released his hand. “So.”

“So,” Izuku echoed, leaning against the building’s railing.

“You said you know about what All Might gave me - what exactly do you know, and how?” Togata-senpai asked. “I’m not mad, but depending on how much you know... well, you might understand why I’ve been warned to keep it secret.”

He nodded. “Yeah, I get it. And I know... I think most of it? I know One For All is a powerful stockpiling quirk, it’s where you got your store of infinite energy and is why you’re so strong - it’s the truth of your second quirk, Overflowing Power. It’s a quirk that can be passed on from person to person, and All Might was the previous holder of it. And...” He paused, swallowing the fear that rose up at him from thinking about that moment, weeks before, when he had stared down the devil and survived. “...I don’t know for sure, but based on the name I assume it has something to do with All For One.”

“...ah. You got some version of the tale while you were captive?” the blonde softly asked.

“Not in so many words, but he let enough slip that I was able to figure it out. I told All Might while I was in the hospital, and he confirmed it, as well as giving a few more details.”

Togata nodded. “And now you’re telling me, so I know the secret is out.”

“I don’t plan to share it,” he immediately assured the older student. “I would never-“

“Oh, I know you wouldn’t!” his senpai waved the concern away. “But as my other mentor says, three can keep a secret if two are dead. Every new person who knows about One For All is another risk - not that All For One couldn’t have told other people, but he doesn’t seem like the kind of person to share unless he’s gloating.”

Izuku snorted. “Yeah, that sounds about right. The only reason I managed to survived meeting him was because he wanted to gloat before taking my quirk, and I managed to talk him into thinking he could turn me and Kacchan into villains.”

“Wow. He really thought he could do that?” Togata marveled. “Clearly he doesn’t know my kohai.”

He flushed a little in embarrassment at his senpai ’s unwavering belief in him - the man really would be a great successor to All Might. “Who knows what would have happened if he had managed to keep us, but... well, no use pondering what-ifs,” he tried to remind himself, as Hound Dog would tell him.

“That’s right.” Togata put a hand on Izuku’s shoulder, and the staticky feeling spread over them again. “Thank you for telling me that you know, Izuku-kohai. But now I had better get you back to-“

“Wait, wait!” He interrupted before Togata could do whatever it was he had done to get them up here again. “Before that... I just wanted to tell you that if you ever need someone to talk to, someone not connected to all of the media or One For All stuff... you have my number.” He gave the gigantic man a nervous smile. It wasn’t much of an offer, he knew, but-

Togata pulled Izuku to him in a crushing hug.

 

It wasn ’t long after that that Togata was standing - completely untouched - surrounded by the groaning, bruised bodies of all of Class 1-A. The only people who had gotten even close to laying a mark on him were Kyoka herself - who had fended him off with powerful ultrasound pulses from her shield until he skipped a piece of debris off the wall with enough force to break it when it had struck the shield - and Shinsou, who had briefly caught the 3rd-year in Brainwash before it had broken.

Still, despite having been beaten and bruised, Kyoka felt pretty good about herself. Togata wasn ’t just two years ahead of them, wasn’t just the top student in all of UA - he was also All Might’s chosen successor, who had come along on the rescue mission despite still being in school and had helped him defeat All For One. She had known from the start that the class would lose this 1v20, no matter how much Bakugo had boasted while they prepped - having been able to give him even brief trouble was enough for her, for now.

Maybe be the time she was in 3rd year, she ’d be good enough to actually fight Togata on even ground - well, the current Togata. When she was in 3rd yeah, he ’d be out as a real hero and even farther ahead, probably well on his way towards being the number 1 hero. But that was fine by her - she had come to really enjoy combat and was certainly the best fighter between her, Momo, and Izukun, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t planning to be a rescue hero.

Which was why she wasn ’t paying all that much attention as Togata (and his friends. Well, and the busty one who Izuku had worked with at Ryuku’s, mostly - the other one, who she knew Momo had worked with at Fatgum’s, was pretty quiet) explained how work study programs worked. Frankly, it sounded like it was just internships plus, to her, and she already had an in with Present Mic’s agency. Unless one of the agencies would be better for her plan to be a rescue hero, she already knew where she was going.

...wait, what if Present Mic ’s agency didn’t do work study programs? The requirements for work study were even more stringent than the ones for internships, weren’t they? And while she thought that he was great - not that she’d ever say it to his face - he was the kind of goofball whose agency was mostly run by his staff. Maybe she should be paying attention.

Unfortunately, that realization came too late, as Aizawa had stepped forward to take over and was reminding them that only the students who had passed the provisional licensing exam would be allowed to take work study programs, and passing out papers with lists of the heroes who were willing to take them on.

“Damn it,” she muttered under her breath as Ashido snatched one of the papers and pulled her boyfriends into a huddle - while neither Bakugo nor Kirishima had passed the exam, she presumably wanted their advice on where to apply.

“What’s wrong, Kyokun?” Momo asked as she stretched, clearly still worn out from the battle - she tried not to stare at her girlfriend’s bust as it was emphasized even farther by the pose. “You seem unsettled.”

“I just wasn’t paying attention like an idiot,” she sighed, “because I assumed I’d be going back to Present Mic’s agency. But I don’t know if he even does work study programs...”

Izuku scanned one of the papers with a faint frown. “It... doesn’t look like he does, no. I’m sorry, Vi - do you want me to go over the details again for you?”

“...maybe later? I mean, we have until the end of the week to submit this stuff, right?” He nodded. “Then let’s talk about it once no one else can overhear it and realize I was such a dumbass.”

“You’re not a dumbass, Kyokun,” Momo assured her with a hug as the three older students approached.

“You can say that again!” Togata grinned. “I didn’t expect anything to be able to touch me while I was phased, but your shockwaves almost blew me away!”

“Thanks. You still got around them, though,” Kyoka pointed out.”

“Even so!”

“Hey Yaoyorozu,” the quiet one greeted her girlfriend. “Fatgum wanted me to ask if you’d like to come back to his agency for work-study.”

She smiled brightly up at him. “I’d love to, Amajiki-senpai! Tell him I’m looking forward to it.”

“Cool.”

“And you’re coming back to me and Ryukyo, right Midoriya-kohai?” the busty girl asked with a confident smile, leaning over towards him. Jiro found herself scowling for some reason.

Fortunately, Izuku didn ’t seem to notice the older girl’s curves, or at least was ignoring them. “If you’ll have me, Hado-senpai, I’d really like that.”

“I’m glad you both know where you’re going,” Kyoka said, then realized how bitter she sounded and tried to swerve it into a joke. “That means you can focus all your efforts on helping me figure it out!” Momo laughed, and she smiled, a warm feeling in her heart despite her worries.

“Maybe I can help with that!” Togata suggested, giving her a smile. “I work with Sir Nighteye’s agency, and he asked me to pass on an invitation to you, Jiro!”

Kyoka blinked. “He... what? To me? Are you sure? ”

The blond nodded. “Sir believes very strongly in the importance of humor and being able to make people smile, and was impressed by your sense of humor on Present Mic’s show. He’s also a firm proponent of making the most of supposedly-weak quirks, and believes that he can give you tips on how to optimize yours even farther, and that it will be helpful in an ongoing investigation! I can ’t tell you anything about that unless you join, though.

“You should do it, Kyokun!” Izuku encouraged. “Sir Nighteye was All Might’s sidekick, they worked together for years!”

“I’m not as much of an All Might fanboy as you, nerd,” she shot back automatically while trying to think.

“I’ve seen the figure on your desk, Vi.”

“I said as much.” It was a tempting offer - not for the sideways All Might connection, but for the idea that someone actually wanted her and thought she could be helpful to something. Plus, if he could help her with her quirk... “What do you think, Momo?” she asked, turning as always to their leader.

Momo chewed on her lip for a few moments, thinking. “Well... you shouldn’t make your decision just yet, there might be someone else on the list who would be a better fit for you. But Sir Nighteye has an excellent reputation as a teacher and mentor, particularly for heroes like you or I whose quirks don’t give us any physical enhancement.”

“I can confirm that reputation,” Togata put in. “I wouldn’t be half as good a fighter if not for him.”

“Then... then I will tentatively accept.”

Notes:

Discord server for all my writing, feel free to join!

Chapter 41: An apology, and a summary

Summary:

I'm officially cancelling the fic. This chapter will be a summary of the remaining story as I had planned it out.

Notes:

I'm sorry, everyone - it's become clear to me that I'm not really in this fandom at all anymore, and even when I have inspiration/energy to write, it's not going towards this fic. I'm considering it unlikely enough that I'll go back to it that I'm calling it qutes - the fic is cancelled.

However, I don't want to leave you all entirely unaware of what was going to happen. This chapter contains the outline of the remaining 8 chapters in the fic as I had originally sketched it out.

Sorry again. I hope you enjoyed what I was able to bring you.

Chapter 41: Internships, Part 5

Scene 1: Jiro meets Sir Nighteye for the first time. She then patrols with Mirio and has the encounter with Eri that Izuku and Mirio have in canon.

Scene 2: Momo goes on patrol with Fatgum while Kirishima is with Suneater. She and Fatgum bump into a supplier of Trigger and catch him while Kirishima’s big moment happens.

 

Chapter 42: Interships, Part 6

Scene 1: The meeting on the Hissaikai occurs, and Mirio is doubly guilty because he believes that, with One For All, he could have defeated Overhaul then and there.

Scene 2: Izuku talks to Mirio and comforts him - Mirio is feeling under a ton of pressure to live up to All Might’s legacy already, and now having failed Eri on top of that...
make sure to comment that he’s been working overtime, and has been catching relatively minor villains like Gentle Criminal, since I'm not including that as part of the Cultural Festival arc

 

Chapter 43: Assault, Part 3

Scene 1: Izuku stays outside with the Ryuku Agency while Jiro and Momo go in with Fatgum and Nighteye (and Kirishima, and Mirio, and Tamaki, and... you get the idea)

Scene 2: Mimic appears, and Jiro hears his heartbeat through the walls, pinpointing his location quickly and using her ultimate move to break his walls down - but not before the agencies are separated. Mirio rushes ahead, and brings her and Nighteye with him - Momo, meanwhile, has fallen down along with Fatgum and Kirishima.

Scene 3: Momo helps Kirishima and Fatgum defeat whatshisface with her laser ultimate move

 

Chapter 44: Rescue, Part 6

Scene 1: Mirio separates Eri from Overhaul and asks Jiro to watch her as he and Nighteye fight.

Scene 2: Mirio quickly breaks through the ceiling while fighting Overhaul. Izuku drops down and helps Jiro with Eri. Also, saves Nighteye’s life maybe? They mostly entertain Eri, which makes Jiro realize that she definitely likes him - Izuku is good with kids, which makes her heart warm. They have a quick chat about kids in which Izuku reminds her that his and Momo’s kids will be her kids too.

 

Chapter 45: Recovery, Part 6

Scene 1: Jiro visits Nighteye in the hospital, and bump into Mirio. They chat with him briefly before All Might comes, and Mirio and Jiro leave to let them reconcile.

Scene 2: They go to visit Eri, who Izuku was visiting (and introducing Momo and Kirishima to). They all play a kid’s game of some sort with Eri. This is where she’s invited to the festival.

 

Chapter 46: Relaxation, Part 6

Scene 1: Jiro and Izuku talk a bit and she confesses that she’s starting to wonder if she has feelings for him, too. Before they can do anything about it, though, they’re interrupted by festival planning.

Scene 2: In preparation for the festival, Jiro teaches Izuku how to play guitar. It’s cute. Momo arrives later on and they tell Momo that the two of them want to try dating as well - she’s very excited for them.

 

Chapter 47: Festival, Part 6

Scene 1: The whole band jams together.

Scene 2: Izuku, Jiro, and Momo wander the festival together before the concert.

Scene 3: Momo abandons them to leave Izuku and Jiro on a date. At the end of it, they have to rush to the performance.

Scene 4: The performance happens, and towards the end of it Jiro and Izuku kiss.

 

Chapter 48: Epilogue

Takes place ten years later

Characters to check in with and where they are:

• MAIN TRIAD
  • Izuku - member of the Yaoyorozu agency, takes double-shifts as a nurse at UA. Number 9 hero (have it be noted that he could have ended up higher if he focused more on it)
  • Jiro - member of the Yaoyorozu agency, doubles as cohost/alternative host for Present Mic. Number 17 hero
  • Momo - leader of the Yaoyorozu agency and an assistant teacher at UA. Number 12 hero (was higher, but is less active since becoming a teacher)
• SECONDARY TRIAD
  • Bakugo - leader of the Bakugo hero agency, number 4 hero
  • Kirishima - member of the Bakugo hero agency, number 3 hero
  • Ashido - member of the Bakugo hero agency, number 13 hero
• MISC STUDENTS
  • Todoroki - is number 2, in an agency with Iida and Uraraka
  • Mirio - number 1 hero, has an agency with Tamaki (number 7 - again, he could be higher but he’s still shy)
  • Hado - still working with Ryukyu. The two of them are the number 8 and 10 heroes respectively.
• MENTORS
  • Aizawa - still at UA, officially adopted Eri (but Izuku, Mirio, and Jiro are considered her big siblings). Is tapped to become the principal soon, which he hates. Momo is his assistant teacher and due to take over his classes when Nezu retires.
  • Present Mic - still at UA and still doing his show, but now with Jiro as a cohost (they each do 4 nights a week, sharing one show a week). Doesn’t plan on retiring soon but does plan on passing on the show to Jiro when he does.
  • Ryukyu - still the number 10 hero.
  • Fatgum - still working.
  • Nighteye - still working.

Check-in path?

A scene with Izuku covers the working heroes, bumping into Kacchan and getting an update from him, then working with Hado and Ryukyu on something - has Eri as his intern. Returns home and starts cooking.

A scene with Momo covers the UA heroes, finishing a class for Aizawa and then chatting with Present Mic. Revealed that they’re married (fifteen year anniversary) and going out tonight. She swings by the studio to pick Kyoka up at the end of the day.

A scene with Kyoka covers the Present Mic stuff - she’s doing Present Mic’s show because of their anniversary. It’s the day they usually cohost, so she has her old friend Mirio on as a guest host. At the end of the show (in which they chat about ‘Mirio’s sister’ and how well she’s doing at UA), Momo picks her up and they return home to greet Izuku.

A quick scene of them sharing the highlights of their day. All three are very proud of Eri. Things couldn’t be going better for them.

The end