- ALDERA HIGH SCHOOL -
"Alright class. That will be it for today. Be sure to study for the test later this week," the teacher called out to his students as he begins to pack up his materials. The class began to chat among themselves as the school day wrapped. Idle chatter about future plans for hangouts could be heard throughout the room.
At his desk, Izuku ignored the chatter of his classmates. The now high-school teen was too busy going over his notes. He was wearing his usual school uniform with his first pin, Ego, pinned to the collar of his gakuran. After making headway on his Quirk with Mr. H's help, he began to keep a notebook made for his Quirk.
Any ideas for his Quirk or future pins were jotted down no matter how strange the idea and the notes on what seemed to work or what failed. Izuku finished writing down a possible idea for a new pin and was about to put his journal away when an unwanted presence made itself known, rather abrasively.
"Oi, Deku! Been rather quiet the last few days. Makes me wonder what's going on in that delusional head of yours, you nerd." The voice belonged to one Bakugo Katsuki, and it cut through the noise around them, drawing the attention of everyone still in the class room. A cocky grin formed on his face as he and his goons crowded around Izuku's desk. Izuku let out a small huff, making sure it was barely noticeable from his tormentor.
"W-what do you want Bakugo?" Izuku asked the ash-blonde. He was careful not to look him in the eye just in case that might set Bakugo off. The last couple of years with Mr. H may have helped with his confidence a little, but old habits die hard, much like his stuttering. His eyes darted upwards, getting a good look at his main tormentor and former friend.
Bakugo Katsuki was a young man with spiky ash-blonde hair and red eyes that had a feral-looking edge to them. He stood taller than Izuku by a few inches with a rather athletic build and strong arms which helped brace himself with his Quirk, a powerful combat Quirk by the simple name of Explosion. A mixture of his parents' Quirks that allowed him to secrete sweat laced with nitroglycerin and ignite it. A Quirk that matched his personality perfectly if you asked the right person.
"What was that? Better try again with a different tone, Deku," the abrasive teen growled out. Izuku could smell hints of burnt caramel slowly fill the air, letting him know Bakugo was starting to prepare his Quirk. The ash-blonde suddenly slammed his hand on Izuku's desk, startling the green-haired teen. "Must be hard of hearing. Listen good, cause I'm not repeating myself again. What's rattling in that delusional head of yours, Deku?"
'Right, I'm the deaf one. How have your explosions not killed your ears by now?' Izuku was quick with a response to try and placate Bakugo. Unfortunately, he decided to speak truthfully. "J-just making notes on my Q-Quirk. I've made some progress with it and I-"
"Right. Your useless Quirk that's just barely useful nowadays. Still not great like mine." Bakugo decided to make his point by raising his hand and generating small explosions. He gave Izuku a rather pleased smile like he just won the lottery. His entire posture, and even his voice, just oozed arrogance. "Still think you can ever hope to be a hero? I thought we taught you long ago that it's a pipe dream for a Deku like you. Do you honestly think you're on my level?"
Izuku's gaze began to harden as he stared at the ash-blonde while Bakugo's group began to laugh at his statement. Bakugo returned Izuk's gaze with a glare of his own. In a flash, he grabbed Izuku's notebook before the Izuku could react. He stood up quickly, kicking his chair back by his sudden rise. "Bakugo!"
Bakugo flipped through the notebook while Izuku watched on, his body growing tenser and tenser. He was worried about what Bakugo would do if he acted, so he remained still. When Bakugo's eyes were off of him, Izuku slowly reached into his bag to grab something from it, not once turning his eyes away from his tormentor. His fist clenched tightly around the object from his bag and he waited.
Bakugo gritted his teeth as clicked his tongue. "Tch. Fucking useless. All I see in here is you fucking up with your own Quirk." He spared Izuku a glance and grinned. The scent of burnt caramel grew stronger, tickling Izuku's nose, causing him to grow worried. "Maybe we need to teach you your place again. Sound good, Deku?"
Before Bakugo could use his Quirk on Izuku's notebook, a green energy wrapped around it before launching it into Izuku's outstretched hand. After grabbing the notebook, Izuku jumped back to get some distance from the group of teens. His heart was beating wildly like a drum at what he did but he was more surprised by his words that followed. "T-then maybe I should show you how good I am with what I can do with my Quirk." At that declaration, several of the desks were suddenly lifted into the air, with the same green energy enveloping them as they hovered in place, ready to move at Izuku's command.
Bakugo's glare matched the intensity of Izuku's determined expression. Small explosions began to build up in his hands as he heard the others chatter among themselves as they watched the potential fight heat up.
"Whoa! Who knew Midoriya could do that?"
"Since when did he get good with his Quirk?"
"He actually has a Quirk? I thought he was Quirkless?
"Dude, he's standing up to Bakugo!"
"He's got a death wish."
Bakugo was surprised by Izuku's actions. It didn't mean he accepted this sudden newfound confidence. To him, it just meant he needed to work harder at putting Izuku in his place. He was about to act when the voice of a teacher called out. "What is going on here?"
There was a sudden silence filling the air. The class all turned to the teacher while Izuku and Bakugo never once looked away from each other. With no one answering the teacher, they tried to take control of the situation. "You two know that you're not allowed to use your Quirks at school. Midoriya! Make sure you put all those desks back in place. If even one of them is out of order you will get detention. Bakugo, you better not let off an explosion in here."
The desks Izuku was lifting with his Quirk were slowly lowered as he addressed the teacher. "R-right, sir. I will make sure they're put back correctly."
The teacher looked to Bakugo to make sure he complied as well. Bakugo gave him a side glance before clicking his tongue and walking away. He and his group walked past the teacher as they left the room not sparing the man a second of thought. The rest of the class just stared at the door as they left before looking at Izuku. The teacher then addressed them as well. "Well? School's out, which means you should have already left. So go on. Go home or whatever. And again, Midoriya, those desks better be in order before you leave."
Izuku gave him one last nod and the teacher left. The class soon followed suit, some of them looking back at Izuku as they did reevaluating the freckled teen. Once the room was empty, save for Izuku, he picked up his chair and dropped down into it with his legs finally giving out. They had been shaking the entire time and he felt like he just ran a marathon with how fast his heart was beating.
"Ohmygod!IjuststooduptoBakugo.I'msodead.I'mdead.I'mdead.I'msooooodead!W-whydidIdothat!?" In the middle of his verbal rant, Izuku slowed down and took a deep breath before releasing it. His thoughts slowed down as he centered himself. 'I-I stood up to Bakugo.'
He unclenched his fist and stared at the object in it. It was another 1.5-inch pin. The first one he made to give him a power to use his stockpile. The pin had a green, freckled rabbit lying on top of a moon with a green trail of energy whipping around it like a comet. He made this pin and based it on his mom's Quirk. She had been his first supporter and the only one for the longest time. That meant something to him so he used her for inspiration. Instead of basic Attraction like his mom had, he thought about giving this pin basic Psychokinesis and it worked. After two years it is still one of his go-to pins to use.
Izuku broke out of his thoughts as he reset the desks he lifted with Verdant Orbit. Once he did he began to finish packing up. He was about to leave when he heard a ping from his phone. He reached into his pocket and dug it out and a smile formed on his face as he saw the notification.
BlacKAT: Sup Bun-Bun. School let out for you yet?
Izuku huffed at the nickname. Though it was his own fault. His screen name for Hero Scramble pretty much left him open for jokes like that from his online friend. Still, he was glad they messaged him. He opened the Hero Scramble app and went to his chat logs as he left the classroom.
BUNYMIGHT: Yeah, just let out. On my way to my usual spot. Any luck with your search?
BlacKAT: Sweet!
BlacKAT: And no. Still cant find her. Do you know how many times I wandered around Shibuya?
BUNYMIGHT: Somewhere between "Not enough" and "Why am I still doing this?"
BUNYMIGHT: Only for it to come full circle and start over again :P
BlacKAT: Dang. When did you get snarky?
BlacKAT: But youre not wrong. I swear whoever reprogrammed her spawn rate is a dick.
Izuku chuckled as he shook his head. His friend was determined with their search. A specific hero spawn for the mobile game Hero Scramble that focused on recruiting heroes to form teams and take on villains. A game he played regularly since he traveled around Musutafu a lot. Thanks to that, Izuku had recruited plenty of heroes from his own searches and made some decent teams. The game even reintroduced people to some vintage heroes from back in the day.
Izuku had met his friend one day while playing, having been challenged by them through a random encounter. They both had rather unorthodox teams fighting each other and afterwards, they got to talking and transferring heroes regularly. They had become Izuku's best friend through it all.
Izuku had left the school grounds and started his way to Café Wildkat before responding.
BUNYMIGHT: I mean, they could have just removed her entirely. I'm glad they didn't but ...
BlacKAT: Yeah... just sucks no matter what.
BlacKAT: Anyway. What happened today?
Izuku thought about what he should say next. He had told them about their school and his main reason to hate it. They had choice words about Bakugo when they found out about him.
BUNYMIGHT: W-well. I stood up to B-Bakugo...
BlacKAT: Wait, hold up. You finally stuck it to the Sparky Pomeranian?
BlacKAT: Please tell me you used a rolled-up newspaper and swatted his nose.
BUNYMIGHT: A-aboslutely not. I-I wouldn't be alive i-if I did.
BlacKAT: BUNY, chill dude... also cant believe you still stutter in texts.
BUNYMIGHT: ... Force of h-habit.
BlacKAT: All good dude. Im proud of you though. My little BUNY finally acting like a rabbit.
BUNYMIGHT: That makes no sense.
BlacKAT: Doesnt have to for you, just for me.
BlacKAT: Anyway, I gotta cut this short. TTYL BUNY.
BUNYMIGHT: Bye KAT. I will keep my eyes open for your prize.
BlacKAT: I will hold you to it :)
Izuku closed off the chat with a final emoji of a green rabbit saluting. After spending so much time with Mr. H, he had gotten more into art and design and managed to make some simple image stickers for his texts. KAT was the only one he got to use them for, but it was still fun when they found some to use for themselves.
- CAFE WILDKAT -
It didn't take long for Izuku to arrive at Café Wildkat. After he first started regularly going to Mr. H's café, it began to get more and more popular as a quiet hangout spot to get some great coffee. It was even close enough to U.A. that many of the students who attended the Hero University would often drop by. Some heroes also made random appearances every now and then, which excited Izuku who would often geek out over them. He even got quite a few new autographs from them as a bonus.
Being a regular had its perks.
And with his growing friendship with Mr. H, the older man decided to teach a few new things to Izuku about making a good cup of coffee. He asked the teen if he could help out every now and then too, and even got a basic Quirk use license to let Izuku practice with Verdant Orbit when he could. Those days made the green-haired teen really thankful for his mentor's help.
He entered the familiar café and the welcoming bell chimed out, alerting the guests and owner to his presence. Izuku could see RK, BK, and LK look his way and meow a greeting before going about their business or lazing around some more. Mr. H turned around from the counter and greeted his student. "Sup, Phones. Glad you could drop by. I'll make you your usual, just give me a minute."
"Thanks, Mr. H." Izuku sat down in his usual spot and took out his journal and sketchbook. BK made his way over to him and Izuku began to pet the cat who had at this point claimed Izuku as his human. "Hey, BK. How are you doing?"
The cat let out a content meow before lying down. Izuku gave him a few more pets before getting to work on his Quirk notes. A minute later, Mr. H came by with a cup of coffee for him and joined in his creative session.
"So how's it goin', Phones? Make any headway with these new pins you are thinking about?" The older man took a sip of his own coffee as he watched Izuku work. The teen tapped his journal with his pencil as he was deep in thought. After a moment, he let out a sigh and grabbed his own cup.
"It's going alright. I have the ideas down, but I just can't seem to express them the right way." He took a couple sips from his drink before looking back at the notebook. He propped his arm onto the counter, cradling his head in his hand. Mr. H could see the frustration growing in the teen. He waited for Izuku to work through his thoughts and emotions. This was his project, the café owner just needed to be sure to be there and help be a backboard for Izuku to bounce ideas off of.
"Maybe I just need to step away for a bit. I feel like I am hitting a brick wall, you know?" Izuku looked to the older man who gave him an understanding nod.
Mr. H certainly knew that feeling all too well. "That sounds like a good idea," he said, agreeing with the teen. "Remember to not force an idea. That's how you get some bad ones you won't be proud of."
"I remember Mr. H. You were quite insistent on that lesson." Izuku chuckled when he remembered that day. It was when he first was trying to come up with ideas for Verdant Orbit and his other two pins. Mr. H had to literally sit him down and take away his sketchbook. Izuku even watched the older man lock it in a safe under the register that he didn't know the café owner had.
The two were interrupted by the sound of Mr. H's phone going off. He took out the device, reading the message on the screen and huffed out in annoyance. He turned to the teen and addressed him. "Hey, Phones. I gotta take this. My supplier has been running late with their delivery 'cause their supplies are all messed up. I need to run to the back to do a stock check and let them know what I need immediately. Think you can run the counter while I do that? Shouldn't take me too long."
Izuku gave the man a nod. "Yeah! No worries Mr. H. I got this." Izuku stood up from his chair and went around the counter, grabbing an apron that Mr. H got him to wear whenever the shades-wearing man needed his help.
Mr. H gave Izuku an appreciative nod before going to the back, leaving Izuku alone to man the café. It was an easy day it seemed. There were several regulars, all of whom knew Izuku, so it made it easier for him to handle things. He went around and checked up on everyone, making sure they were all fine and refilling their cups if they needed it.
While he was back behind the counter the bell chimed as a new guest entered the café. Izuku, putting on a cheerful smile, turned around to greet them. "Welcome to Café Wildkat. What's your mood for today?" After he finished his greeting, Izuku finally got a look at the man who just entered the café and blinked owlishly at what he saw.
The new guest was a tall, athletic man who had long, shaggy black hair that draped over his head and face down to his shoulders. He had a tired look to him and stubble growing on his face. He wore a black long-sleeve shirt that was a little ragged that was tucked into a pair of pants in the same shade of black, with the legs tucked into a pair of black combat boots. The look was completed with a utility belt around his waist and a gray scarf loosely wrapped around his neck several times.
The man gave Izuku a questioning stare. The teen began to dart his eyes around the room, hoping the man would at least respond to him. For what felt like hours the man finally spoke in a tired tone. "Are you even allowed to work here, kid?"
The man rarely saw high school students even hold part-time jobs in Musutafu. With how close the schools were to U.A., most high schools wanted their students to focus on their classwork in an attempt to build up their academic chances of getting into the Hero University. He knew of several nearby schools that had forbidden students from having jobs for that reason alone.
Izuku was surprised by his sudden question and attempted a professional tone as he responded. "U-uh not full-time. I only help out Mr. Hanekoma when he needs me to cover for him for a minute or two. You can ask some of our regulars and they can tell you the same thing." Izuku gestured to several of the café's guests. The man turned to look around the room and saw several of them nod at the teen's words. He turned back when Izuku spoke again. "I am more than willing to fill your order if you'd like sir. But if you would feel more comfortable, Mr. Hanekoma won't take long until he is back. He just had to run to the back to check his supplies."
The man gave Izuku a tired look before nodding. "That's fine. As long as you have permission and know what you're doing. Give me the house blend. Black." The man pulled out his wallet and paid for his coffee. He sat down at the counter in the seat next to Izuku's things, not really caring where he sat. BK gave the man a once-over before ignoring him. You could see part of the man's soul die a little at that. Luckily LK decided to make the man his perch for his nap, which seemed to lift the man's spirits.
Izuku had come by and placed the man's drink in front of him before returning to his spot behind the counter and working on his Quirk notes. The man saw Izuku give him a couple of glances every now and then before thinking heavily about something, like he was trying to figure something out. The man paid him no mind, as long as the green-haired teen didn't bother him and just returned to drinking his coffee.
All in all, it was rather relaxing. The music was softly playing in the background and the coffee, to the man's surprise and pleasure, was very good despite it not being made by the café owner. He enjoyed the atmosphere in content as he sat there. The man only really came here in the early morning hours or very late into the night if he could. He was glad to know no matter when he came here, he at least had a good hour or two to himself.
He was brought out of his musings at the sound of a familiar voice. "Thanks for watching the shop, Phones. You're good to work on your project again."
Mr. H came out from the back of the shop before manning the counter and noted the guest sitting next to Izuku's belongings.
The freckled teen gave him a nod and went to grab his cup to refill it. "No problem Mr. H. Anytime."
As Izuku was busy with his drink, Mr. H turned and addressed his new guest. "How's it goin', Aizawa? Rare to see you here this early... Or late. Honestly, I'm confused by how your internal clock works. You really like to keep me on my toes, don't you?"
The now-named Aizawa gave Mr. H a curt nod before speaking. "I just got done with a case. Paperwork took longer than I would have liked."
"You need a nap, not coffee. As much as I love my own brew, even I don't have it replacing the blood in my veins like you seem to. I'm seriously considering switching you to decaf. That or find a way to break the laws of the universe and make a pot of coffee that makes you sleep," Mr. H said with a cheeky grin on his face.
Aizawa just gave him a deadpan stare before slowly sipping his coffee while maintaining that stare. The retort worked as Mr. H couldn't help but chuckle at the tired man's antics.
Izuku had finally returned to his seat as the two men conversed. Mr. H saw Izuku give Aizawa a few more glances and knew what he was doing. The teen's encyclopedic knowledge of heroes was coming out and trying to figure out who Aizawa was. So, he did what all good friends/mentors did.
He helped out his student and annoyed his friend all at the same time. He just needed to set things up.
"So, Izuku. Have any new ideas for your Quirk while I was in the back?" Mr. H gestured to the teen's notebook. He saw Aizawa raise an eyebrow at this, knowing that while the disheveled man wasn't too interested, he was at lest keeping an ear out. Mr. H smiled as he knew he was getting the other man's attention.
Izuku stared at his mentor. "Y-you were only gone for a few minutes, sir. How would I get an idea in that short amount of time?"
Mr. H shrugged. "Epiphanies can strike at the most random of moments, Phones."
Izuku gave the man an unsure nod. He looked at his notes while thinking on them, scribbling away at new ideas or reworking some already written down. After a moment he spoke up. "I know for sure I need some form of combat-based pins. Verdant Orbit and Emerald Pyre can both work and fill out that role, but they are more specialized. I think I need something more generalized but adaptable."
Mr. H nodded as he listened to Izuku. He sent a subtle glance to Aizawa to see if he was paying attention, noting that Aizawa was giving Izuku a few more curious glances. 'This is it' He thought to himself. "Adaptability would be a good thing for you. Your Quirk can be rather versatile once you get more pins made. Still got a little over a year before you apply for U.A., so you got time to prep and train." Mr. H sent Aizawa one more glance.
Aizawa started to pay more attention to the conversation as he listened in. He saw Izuku flip through a few pages in the sketchbook he had set to the side and got a look at several sketches he had. The most notable thing was that a bunny was in each of them, though all of them were varied and different aside from that. His curiosity was piqued, a rarity for him.
"How does your Quirk work?" Izuku turned to look at the man as he registered his words. Aizawa wasn't even looking at him, just sipping his coffee as he stared off at the back wall. Aizawa spoke again, this time much sharper. "If you can't quickly explain your Quirk, how can you expect to communicate with future partners? Again, how does your Quirk work?"
Izuku sat up straight, taking in Aizawa's words, and responded as quickly and clearly as he could. The man was rather intimidating after all. "My Quirk is called Psychs. By keeping a pin I made on my person, I can use abilities I imprint on to them, such as psychokinesis or pyrokinesis," Izuku managed to say without stuttering.
Aizawa gave Izuku a nod of understanding. "Good. Basic, but gets the needed information out." Aizawa finally turned and faced Izuku as he addressed the teen. "Give me more details. Quirk type, hindrances or drawbacks, anything that can help."
Izuku began to ease any tension he felt as he went to explain more of his Quirk, "Emitter type Quirk that has a stockpile component. My stockpile increases with age and is constantly recharging. I have to use pins I make as I imprint or set the power to them. Each pin draws from my stockpile and has a limited use before it needs to recharge or a limited use per day. Pins can grow stronger as I train them, meaning I can use them more efficiently as they draw less from the stockpile, the damage can increase or their own limitations improve. I don't know the current limit of my Quirk but I believe I can only have so many pins 'set' to me but I only have three so far, so I can't be sure."
Aizawa gave Izuku an appraising look as he began to think about what the teen told him about his Quirk. 'Hanekoma was right, the kid's Quirk can be versatile.' He looked over to Izuku's notebook and sketchbook on the counter. 'And he is more than willing to push its limits and to let it grow.' Aizawa hid a smirk under his scarf.
"Mind if I see your notes?" Aizawa asked as he pointed at Izuku's notebook. The teen gave him a smile and nodded enthusiastically. He slid the notebook over to Aizawa, who began to read through it. Izuku sat there as he listened to Aizawa give out the occasional hum or grunt, wondering what the man thought of so far.
After a minute Aizawa spoke up. "Interesting to say the least. How do you come up with your pins?"
"Well, they are based on an ability I think would be useful. But as you saw on those notes I developed that first concept to make sure the power is exactly how I see it. Then it comes down to what I know and how I can interpret that power." Izuku turned to his backpack and rummaged through it. Aizawa watched Izuku place three pins on the counter.
The green-haired teen then began to explain them. He pointed to the first one that had a green, freckled rabbit on a moon. "This one is Verdant Orbit. I based it on my mom's Quirk, Attraction, a minor Telekinesis Quirk. I saw how useful it could be and wanted a more generalized power to use so Attraction turned into Psychokinesis. It allows me to telekinetically lift and move up to two-thousand five-hundred kilograms, which can be a singular object or a combination of several within that weight range. The object or objects have to be within a ten meter range for me to affect them. I can hold things I grab for a total of one minute before the pin loses power and needs a recharge. The recharge rate is ten seconds if I drain it. I can use it on people but that is much more difficult and drains the pin faster."
Aizawa nodded at the rather in-depth explanation, taking in all the information as Izuku pointed to the next pin. It had the same green, freckled rabbit on it as well. Aizawa just assumed it meant something but didn't inquire further. The rabbit was holding a red, black, and white can with a rotated green cross on it. A red, black, and green wavy pattern sat on a white background behind the rabbit with the red and green having bubbles flow from their edges.
"I call this one 'Vitali-Tea'," Izuku explained. "I made it as a form of healing tool in case I needed it while working. I... I was bullied a lot growing up because my Quirk didn't work until rather recently. Even after it did I still had to deal with some of the more physical ones. My mom is a nurse so I learned a thing or two about first aid to make this one effective. It can heal almost any kind of injury, but you can probably guess there are some tests I just don't want to try my luck with. I did heal a broken bone completely without issue when I used this pin so that's how strong it can be but I know it can do more."
"I can only use this pin twice a day, though. After the second use, it has to recharge completely, which it usually does around midnight. Why that is, I don't know." Izuku shrugged as he finished detailing Vitali-Tea while Aizawa just stared at him.
Hearing that Izuku have a form of telekinesis and a way to heal himself, albeit within a limit, was unheard of. He was wondering if this really was one Quirk. He looked to Mr. H who seemed to read his mind and gave him a nod that confirmed that, yes, this was all one Quirk.
His attention was brought back when the green-eyed teen beginning to detail the next pin. On it was a rabbit dashing to the left as it was made of varying shades of green flames. It sat on a light-blue to blue gradient with white diagonal lines forming in front of the flaming rabbit. "This last one is Emerald Pyre. I made this one based on my dad's Quirk, Fire Breath."
Aizawa heard a brief moment of pain in Izuku's voice as he spoke about this pin. It was obvious that his father was no longer around.
Izuku, however, moved past his memories and focused on finishing up his explanation. "And where I can generate flames and breathe them out like he could with this pin, I made this with a more basic pyrokinesis ability in mind. I have moderate resistance to the fire I generate, but I still need to be careful in case I accidentally burn myself from overuse. They don't generate immediately, they need to build up after a couple of seconds and their range is limited to five meters. I can generate and hold control of my flames for about twenty seconds before the pin needs to recharge. I think I can combine this with Verdant Orbit, but I'm not sure how to. When I pair those two pins there is just a feeling from within my Quirk that hints at it. I figure I will have to wait until I am in a more controlled environment before I try that, for safety reasons, of course."
Izuku raised his hand as he remembered something else that would help explain his limits. "Verdant Orbit and Emerald Pyre can recharge if I stop using them for a couple of seconds. I don't have to use them to depletion. And I do have multiple pins of each one just in case I lose one. I can also produce them on my own so I am not limited to having to wait for support equipment to do so. I do know I can't..." Izuku paused as he brought his hand to his chin and thought about what to say next, "I guess the best term to use is 'Stack' the same pins together. I can't use up one Vitali-Tea pin and then use another Vitali-Tea. It seems my Quirk knows when I am using a duplicate so it must cut off the stockpile from draining itself in such a way."
Aizawa just sat there as he listened to the teen in front of him, his drink now in his hand as he took several sips and processed everything he just learned. He was impressed, that was for sure, by how much thought Izuku put into his Quirk and how it works. Most kids he had to deal with just had their Quirk and seemed to do the bare minimum. Only a few really seemed to see their own potential and went further with their training.
Mr. H reached his hand over the counter as he clasped Izuku's shoulder. The teen jumped slightly at the sudden action and looked to Mr. H who had a bright smirk on his face. "As you can see, Izuku here has put in the work for his Quirk. And I can honestly say that the kid is a genuine Quirk nerd. It helps he has studied heroes and Quirks for years growing up and made notes on just about everything about them." Mr. H gave Izuku a teasing grin. "I swear, my mind just goes in circles trying to keep up with him sometimes. But it's impressive nonetheless."
"Though, what do you think, Aizawa?" Mr. H looked at Aizawa, who in turn stared back at the man. He set down his empty cup on the counter and turned to address Izuku.
"You have a good start on things. Keep developing your Quirk and how to use it. Be creative with it, don't just use the basic functions of it." Aizawa gave the teen a calculative look as he seemed to study him. "What have you done for physical fitness?"
"I took some self-defense classes growing up. As for exercise, I just do some basics and some running." Izuku seemed to falter as he listed his fitness level. He may be better than a normal student but he does know he should do better. Aizawa seemed to think the same.
"You need to change that. Your Quirk is only one aspect of being a Hero. Where it is impressive the level of thought and training you put into your Quirk, especially if you were only able to use it recently, you need to work on your fitness as well." Aizawa raised his hand as he began to list out things for Izuku, who quickly grabbed his notebook and turned to an empty page to write the advice down.
Aizawa smiled again at the teen's antics, appreciating the drive before he schooled his features. "Firstly, work on building your muscles. You don't need to be a muscle head, I can already see that you will never be one. Focus on tighter muscles for speed and endurance. Larger muscles can hinder your movements. Sometimes the winner of a fight isn't who hits the hardest, but who can outlast the other. Secondly, stamina and mobility. Again, outlast and outfight. I would recommend free running as something to try. Being able to move across the field quickly and effectively will help in a lot of things. Thirdly, learn a fighting style. With how versatile your Quirk is, find one that can be used with and without your Quirk. You can't always rely on it and I'm glad you have thought ahead on some things like having multiple copies of a pin. Equipment can break, you have the added perk of having your main equipment be easy to replace."
Mr. H watched the interaction with a soft smile. Where he could help Izuku with his Quirk, he couldn't help him much in regards to hero work or how to prepare for it. It was rather a stroke of luck that Aizawa came in today. Now that he had fulfilled the mentor role, it was time to be the annoying friend and sic the hero nerd on the perpetually tired hero.
"Better take his advice to heart Phones. Aizawa here is a real hero. I would say out of all the Pro Heroes that come here, his words are the ones to listen to." Mr. H turned and smirked at Aizawa who gave him a glare, which Mr. H easily ignored. The tired man let out a huff as he turned to Izuku and froze. The teen's eyes seemed to sparkle at this new knowledge and his smile shined. He swore the sun seemed to reflect off of the teen's teeth and nearly blinded him.
"I thought I recognized you! You're Eraser Head, right? The Underground Hero who can erase people's Quirks! I've only seen rare footage of you fighting villains!" Izuku leaned forward as his words began to pick up pace, "Howmanycaseshaveyousolved? IsitrueyouworkasaprofessoratU.A.? CanIhaveyourautograph? Wait,Idon'thavethenotebookwithyourentryinit. CanIhaveyourautographnextime?"
Aizawa stared at the teen in shock and confusion. He hadn't met anyone who could verbalize so many thoughts as quickly as Izuku did. He wanted to say he was impressed if he wasn't starting to get overwhelmed by it. He quickly activated his Quirk, his shaggy hair began to lift ominously into the air as his eyes glowed red.
Izuku felt the hum from Ego fade out entirely. Izuku, and the rest of the café, suddenly stopped as Aizawa used his Quirk. For an intimidation tactic, it certainly worked.
'So cool.' Even as he saw it, Izuku couldn't help but nerd out. In the back of his mind, he started to think of a pin idea seeing Aizawa's Quirk in action. 'I might not be able to cancel Quirks, but maybe I can make something that causes that same feeling of intimidation. Thoughts for later.'
"Good," Aizawa spoke up now that things were quiet. "You didn't waste time going quiet." Aizawa deactivated his Quirk and the strangling atmosphere that accompanied it disappeared. Aizawa spoke again once everything was settled down. "Allow me to actually introduce myself. My name is Aizawa Shota. Yes, I am the Underground Hero, Eraser Head. I don't mind that you know but since I'm not working, call me Mr. Aizawa. Understood? I'm an Underground Hero for a reason."
Izuku nodded several times in quick succession, happy to learn more about the reclusive hero. He quickly shot out his hand to the ma., "Midoriya Izuku, sir."
Aizawa gripped his hand, shook it, and then went to his belt and pulled out a bottle of eye drops and applied them. As he applied the liquid relief to his eyes, he had to wonder how exactly Izuku know about him. "So, how did you come across me kid? I don't like the limelight and as you said, any footage of me is rare."
Izuku was more than happy to answer him. "Well I was studying other Heroes when I came across a video of one of your fights. I saw the villain you were fighting try and use his Quirk and then all of a sudden he couldn't. I figured your Quirk did something to him. Later I was searching for more videos of you to learn more but couldn't find any. The ones I did see only popped up every now and then, and each time I studied them more and more to see what you were doing." Izuku rubbed the back of his head as he thought of the many sleepless nights he had trying to learn more about the Underground Hero.
And the many groundings he received because of it.
Inko was not amused those days.
"I noticed your eyes glowed red in one of them and figured things out from there. How you often worked with the police to solve cases. How you developed your own fighting style. The more I learned the cooler you were to me." Izuku started to scratch his cheek as he mentioned the next part shyly. "You actually became one of my favorite heroes from that."
As Aizawa listened, he gave an appreciative huff at the teen's words. He didn't expect much in fanfare as an Underground Hero, as it wasn't something he held in high regard. He was a hero, that meant he was supposed to help and protect people. Fame should be the last thing on his mind. So to hear he had a fan was a nice change of pace.
The two grew quiet as Izuku returned to working on his notes and Aizawa just enjoyed the peace of the café. Mr. H came by every now and then to refill their drinks and to start up some small talk. The silence was broken by a question from Izuku.
"Mr. Aizawa, sir. Since your Quirk requires you to use your eyes, you use those eye drops to help them right?" Aizawa gave him a nod, curious as to where he was going with this. Izuku continued now that he had the hero's attention. "Have you ever thought of having your goggles be able to release some of those drops with a click of a button? Or have them laced with something that will help you keep your eyes open without drying them out? I'm sure you can find a support company who could pull that off without hindering your Quirk."
Aizawa was speechless. He honestly didn't know how to respond to that. The only thing he did though, was to give a wide grin under his capture scarf.
'This kid.'
- MUSUTAFU STREETS -
The sunsets on the streets of Musutafu. Small stars could barely be seen in the shifting sky as it darkened. Along the streets, the sound of footsteps beats at a high pace rhythm as a pair of red shoes hit the pavement.
"W-why did I think this was a good idea?" Izuku gasped for air as he was currently trying to up his workout routine based on Aizawa's input. He decided to build up his tolerance for running by adding it to the end of his jogging route. He also decided today was a good day to start.
And Izuku was hating himself for it.
The teen began to slow down as he needed to recover. He raised his arms and put his hands behind his head to aid his breathing. He kept moving while taking deep breaths to keep his run going, even if at a slower pace. He continued on, enjoying the music he had playing on his phone with his red headphones covering his ears.
As the song ended, his ears picked up the sound of a scuffle nearby. Izuku looked around while taking off his headphones, trying to determine where exactly the sound was coming from. A cry of pain helped him narrow it down to an alley just ahead of him. As Izuku neared it, the sounds getting loud enough for him to hear several voices of what sounded like high school students.
"Come on man. We are just helping you use your Quirk. All you had to do was use it on the clerk, letting us grab whatever we wanted," said one of the voices.
The sound of flesh hitting flesh was heard, followed by a grunt of pain. Izuku sped up and saw a rather familiar sight.
On the ground trying to catch his breath was a teen, about the same age as Izuku, surrounded by others he recognized. They were the usual suspects at his school, a group of delinquents who were more than eager to lord themselves over others. Izuku didn't recognize the teen on the ground, but he had a pretty good idea what was going on based on what he heard and saw.
"Come on, Zombie. Not like you can use your Quirk for anything else. You're a villain in the making, if anything you should thank us for helping you train," said the leader of the group. He was a rather thin teen with dark hair styled into a faux-hawk. Izuku knew he had a rather simple Quirk that gave his punches an extra oomph to them by hardening the knuckles in a way that made one feel like they were getting hit by knuckle dusters. Izuku knew that all too well. Taking out his phone and he began to think of a plan. Before the delinquent teen could strike again, Izuku called him out.
"T-the only villain here is you, Tanaka." Izuku tried and focused on how he stood up to Bakugo earlier in the week to give him the same feeling here. It was helping a little bit, but he wished it did more.
Tanaka turned to faced Izuku and smirked. "Well if it isn't Deku. What, you couldn't get your usual beat down from Bakugo so you came to me? Well, I'm flattered." His smirk suddenly turned to a sneer as his group of goons lined up behind him. "But I'm a little busy teaching a lesson to Zombie here." He pointed his thumb behind him towards the teen kneeling on the ground. "So go play hero somewhere else you useless shit. I'll get to you at school later if you're so insistent on an ass-kicking."
Izuku's bravery faltered for a moment before looking at the teen behind them. When the teen looked into his eyes, Izuku regathered his courage and acted. Clipped to the inside of his pockets were his pins and he began to feel the energy shift between them. Several trash cans and even heavier trash bins began to lift into the air, green energy wrapping around them as Izuku closed the distance. Tanaka and his group seemed to lose their edge as they saw the objects rise and slowly encircle them.
"I know it's hard for you to remember things, Tanaka. My Quirk isn't useless, and I'm more than happy to show you." Izuku's eyes sharpened as he looked at the teens. "I'm not useless." He brought his phone up and closer to his mouth and made a show of it, 'Time to see if this works' "But that's not important, Tanaka Ichiro. Quirk, Iron Knuckle. A second-year student at Aldera High currently using his Quirk on another student on 5th Street."
Izuku saw several of Tanaka's goons make an immediate run for it through the alley believing he would call them out next. Tanaka paused as if trying to call Izuku's bluff but didn't risk it. He clicked his tongue in frustration and followed after his friends. Once the coast was clear, Izuku's hold on the objects dropped suddenly as his time limit was reached, and he dropped to his knees and let out a relieved sigh.
"O-oh m-man. T-that was close. I c-can't believe they bought it." After steadying his breathing, Izuku got up and walked over to the other teen. Izuku called out softly to him to not startle him, "Hey, how bad is it? Do you need me to take you to a doctor?" Izuku raised his hand out to show he meant no harm.
The other teen let out a huff but shook his head. "I'm fine. Wish I didn't have to say I'm used to it, but I can't. Did you really call the police?" The teen slowly got up but did so shakily. Izuku closed the small gap between them, holding out his arms to help steady the other teen.
The young man stood taller than Izuku and was just barely larger than him. He had messy, indigo-colored hair that seemed to fly up and out in all directions. He had sharp eyebrows and even sharper eyes that had dark rings around them.
'Must not get a lot of sleep.' Izuku thought. "No. But Tanaka and his group aren't the sharpest around and it might take a week for them to notice... I-I now realize if he learns I bluffed, I m-may have to deal with him l-later." There was some dread in his voice. Once the other teen was steady, Izuku released his hold and backed up.
The indigo-haired teen gave him an appreciative nod. "Thanks."
Izuku returned his nod, "No problem. S-so what got Tanaka to come after you? Normally I'm the one on his hit list."
The tired-looking teen huffed out, annoyed at his situation. "Asshole wanted me for my Quirk."
Izuku thought for a moment before the light bulb lit up for him, "Oh, you must be the transfer student in 2-C!" Izuku noticed the teen flinch at his words and realized there was much more to this. He waited for the other teen to tell things at his own pace.
After a moment, he did respond. "Yeah, that's me." He turned to face Izuku, "Look, you should do yourself a favor and just leave me alone. Don't want to get mixed up with a villain." He was about to leave when Izuku spoke up.
"Your Quirk doesn't make you a villain you know." The teen abruptly stopped and faced Izuku, shock apparent on his face as he heard those words.
That shock immediately was replaced with a mixture of doubt, suspicion, and a little anger. He spoke out with a sneer. "And what do you know? I saw your Quirk in action. Unlike me, you hit the Quirk lottery, so what do you know!? I'll say it again, leave me alone." The teen turned around to leave again.
"I couldn't use my Quirk until two years ago!" Izuku's voice echoed in the alleyway, causing the other teen to stop in his tracks. "I grew up not knowing how to use my Quirk. Some of the other kids said that I was useless. The worst ones said I was a Quirkless liar trying to get attention. My Quirk works by using pins. And I didn't learn that until three years ago." The indigo-haired teen turned around and looked at Izuku. He could see the sympathy expressed on the Izuku's face.
"I at least know what it's like to have others tell you what you are. I-it sucks. And you start to believe it after a while." Izuku said, his voice filled with understanding. "And y-yeah. I heard about your Quirk. Your Quirk doesn't make you a villain. Honestly, it sounded like a great Quirk for a hero. There are so many good things you can do with it." Izuku meant it. He was also trying his hardest to hold back his nerding out at what he knew to be such a great Quirk.
The other teen just stared at Izuku before finding the words to speak again. "W-what?"
Izuku let out a pained sigh. This was something he was used to and after finally hearing the words he wanted to hear after so long, to see who he was and not what others said he was, he recognized the same look his eyes had in the person in front of him. "Don't... don't listen to what those guys say. Aldera is full of jerks who don't really know better. The only person's opinion that matters is yours. After all, who knows you better than you?"
Izuku stepped forward a bit, his eyes focused on the teen in front of him. "Are you a villain?"
"No..." The other teen's response was slow and sounded like he didn't believe what he said.
"Are you a villain? Does your Quirk make you a villain?" Izuku pressed on.
The other teen stood there for a moment before speaking a little louder. "No."
"What do you want to do with your Quirk?" Izuku asked.
"I want to be a hero damn it!" The other teen cried out, letting his frustration vent out. He looked at Izuku who just had a smile on his face. He could feel his own lips curl into a small grin.
"Then that's all you need to know to do so. But if it helps, I believe you will be a great hero with your Quirk. You choose what to do with your Quirk. It's only villainous if you make it so." There was a look of surety in Izuku's eyes. The other teen could see a shine in them as he said those words. Izuku pushed out his hand towards the teen as he introduced himself, "Midoriya Izuku, my Quirk is Psychs. People said my Quirk was useless but I'll prove them wrong. With it, I'm going to be a hero."
The teen took Izuku's hand and shook it, feelings of frustration beginning to leave him and be replaced with hope. "Shinso Hitoshi, my Quirk is Brainwashing. I'm going to show everyone that my Quirk isn't villainous and become a hero."
Izuku gave Shinso a wide, bright smile that put the other teen at ease. "Then let's show the world that we can be heroes. Together."
Verdant Orbit
Psych Type: Psychokinesis
Based on his mother's Quirk, Attraction.
Verdant Orbit allows Izuku to telekinetically lift and throw objects. Objects must be within a 10 meter range from Izuku and within a 2,500 Kg weight limit. Izuku can use it on living things but it drains the psych's power faster.
Psych works with a one minute timer and once drained requires a ten second recharge.
Vitali-Tea
Psych Type: Cure Drink
Vitali-Tea allows Izuku to fully recover from most injuries or ailments depending on the severity or type of healing required, for up to two times a day. The psych recharges at midnight, every night.
Emerald Pyre
Psych Type: Pyrokinesis
Based on Midoriya Hisashi's Quirk, Fire Breath.
Allows Izuku to generate and manipulate flames that extend to a 5 meter range. Izuku has moderate flame resistance to this psych and must be careful of continuous use.
Izuku can control the power and heat of the flames for 30 seconds before it requires a 10 second recharge.