Chapter 4: Baby Steps
- ALDERA HIGH SCHOOL -
Shinso Hitoshi sat at his desk as the day seemed to slowly drone on. He was ignoring the teacher as they spoke endlessly about their lesson. The teacher didn't seem to care. Or they just didn't want to risk Shinso somehow using his Quirk on them. Not that Shinso cared. His classmates were the same. Too afraid to talk in case they fell under his Quirk.
The villain's Quirk.
Shinso quickly shook off that thought. The rest of the school may have avoided him but one person didn't. At least not one that tried to use him for his Quirk.
Izuku surprised him the day they met. The freckled teen wasn't afraid to talk to him, Izuku was even excited to talk about his Quirk. But with what Shinso was used to dealing with growing up, he didn't trust Izuku right off the bat.
Sure, Izuku was nice, but Shinso had to be sure.
So, Shinso did what he did best. He listened to those around him. Tried his best to be in the same area Izuku was in without being noticed. Tried to pick up on what others said. Word had got around about Izuku tricking Tanaka and using his Quirk to send a message. Their schoolmates all had various reactions.
"Deku did that to Tanaka?"
"Sounds like him. Dude likes to act like a big hero."
"Didn't you hear? Deku actually has a Quirk."
"Bet it's still useless."
"I saw him use his mind to lift some desks around."
"I thought it was a Fire Quirk? I saw him generate fire this one time."
"Nah, gotta be a healing Quirk. I was there when he stood up for someone a week ago. Saw him all beat up and bruised after it but a second later he was all fine, not a scratch on him."
All in all, Izuku seemed genuine just from that alone. He kept wanting to talk and hang out with Shinso. He did most of the talking, while Shinso just sat there, not wanting to interact at first.
But after a while, he opened up a bit. Then that led to agreeing to hang out with the green-haired teen.
So now, here he was, curiosity driving him at this point. Shinso figured he might as well see where things went. His class just seemed to move too slowly for him though. It made the wait unbearable. All he could do was watch the clock as it ticked away.
'Just a few more hours.'
The sound of the bell reverberated throughout the hallways and classrooms of Aldera High.
Izuku was quick to leave his classroom as soon the bell rang. Most of his classmates were surprised by this, but just chalked it up to him being weird. Bakugo though, watched as the Izuku left the room.
When he had heard what happened to Tanaka and his cronies, the ash-blonde laughed his ass off. For the first time, he thought that Deku did something right for a change. Part of him even wanted to congratulate the nerd. But that was overshadowed by the idea that Deku was starting to think he was worth something.
And he would need to fix that.
Izuku quickly traversed the hallways of Aldera High, trying to get to classroom 2-C as quick as he could. Shinso had finally agreed to hang out yesterday. It took a while but he finally agreed. Izuku was ecstatic, to finally be able to spend time with someone else in person. To have a friend again. Well, a friend not online.
Or so he hoped.
'Don't think that Izuku, happy thoughts.'
He soon came to his destination as the students of 2-C began to filter out of the room. Some of them were surprised to see him there. Most of them knew about the freckled wanna-be hero, but he never came by, let alone near their class. Izuku ignored them and scanned the room looking for a certain indigo-haired teen when he finally spotted him.
"Shinso! You ready to head out?" Izuku's question caused the rest of the students to drop what they were doing to stare back and forth between him and Shinso. Some even had their jaws drop when they heard him. The silence was profound that no one said a word. They more focused on figuring out what was happening than trying to comment on it.
Shinso blinked a few times in surprise at Izuku's sudden appearance, and more so at how excited the he was. Then Shinso remembered that Izuku was the most genuine person who spoke to him, so of course he would be excited.
It took a moment, but Shinso finally found his voice. "Uh, yeah. Sure." Shinso stood up and gathered his things. Once he finished, he gave a glance to the rest of the class and wuickly strode up to Izuku in the hopes of getting out of there faster. "Let's go."
The pair left the stunned classroom, with the students still frozen in place trying to make sense of things.
"Since when did Deku and Zombie hang out?"
- MUSUTAFU STREETS -
"Sooooo," Shinso spoke out once he and Izuku had left Aldera. The Izuku turned his head to look at Shinso as his new companion voiced his curiosity. "Where are we going for this 'Quirk Session'?"
"Café Wildkat. The owner is a friend and mentor of mine. He helped me with my Quirk when I still couldn't use it and I figured that he might be able to help with some ideas we may not consider with yours," Izuku explained with a smile. "Plus, the people there are all good people. They won't judge you based on your Quirk. And if any of them did, they certainly won't be coming back any time soon." Shinso listened as Izuku gave him his reasoning. He gave a thoughtful hum as the two continued walking through the streets.
Izuku added one last thing to his list, going in for the kill. "The coffee is great too."
"Sold," Shinso replied rather quickly.
Izuku chuckled at Shinso's response. The two kept walking in an awkward silence, not knowing what to say next. Their inexperience and limited positive interactions with people their age showed. After a while, Shinso decided to ask a question that had been on his mind throughout the week. "Why do they call you Deku?"
Izuku seemed to stiffen before going even quieter, trying to find either the right words to say or to just build up the courage to talk about the nickname. Shinso cringed as he saw the look of discomfort on Izuku's face, realizing he should have either waited to ask that or found a better way to do so.
The hero nerd's response broke him out of those thoughts. "Remember when I said people thought my Quirk was useless?" Shinso nodded, letting Izuku know he could continue. "Deku comes from that. I was the useless kid with the useless Quirk saying he would be a hero. The name just stuck. I doubt people will be calling me by my actual name this late into high school, even with them learning about my Quirk." Izuku gave him a simple shrug at that last thought. He had grown used to the though while remembering something Mr. H once said.
High school ends at some point, and you never have to worry about it again.
Shinso chuckled dryly at what he heard. "You're right. Aldera is full of jerks." Izuku nodded at Shinso's words.
"What about you? How bad is it for you?" Izuku asked Shinso.
The sleep deprived teen thought about it for a moment before finally speaking. "Maybe not as bad as you," he said and turned to look at Izuku. "Most people avoid talking to me. Too afraid of my Quirk. The teachers don't even ask me questions. The only bad ones are the ones that group up and try to have me use my Quirk for them. You wouldn't believe some of the shit they ask me to do. You remember how they call me Zombie?" Izuku nodded. "You would think it's because of my Quirk. But no, I just have a lot of trouble sleeping. Easier to make fun of that. Only the brave ones call me a villain."
"Well," Izuku said. "At least we won't have to deal with them after high school. If anything, we can just avoid them..." Izuku's voice began to trail from there.
And Shinso picked up on that. "You don't sound so sure on that."
Izuku gave him a look that pretty much said he wished it was otherwise. "There is one classmate of mine. Bakugo Katsuki. He has a powerful Quirk that lets him create explosions from his sweat."
Shinso groaned. "Of course. Let me guess, it's a flashy Quirk that any Hero University would love to get?"
Izuku nodded. "Flashy, yes. But in the words of my mentor, Quirks are just one aspect of a person. His Quirk is powerful, but he is a genius with it. He is dedicated and smart too. I may not like him, but he for sure will be able to make it into a Hero University. You just have to get past his attitude... and his personality... pretty much all of him."
Shinso huffed in amusement as a small grin formed on his face. A comfortable silence fell between the two after that as they kept walking. The city's heart still beating as its citizens traveled up and down its streets, the cacophony of sounds coming together and creating a wordless symphony. Soon the two came to the street where the small café sat.
The bell above the door chimed as Izuku pushed it open. "Hey Mr. H! I brought company," he called, his voice ringing out as he entered the café.
"Sup, Phones. Come on in and I will get you a cup of your usual." Shinso saw a tall man working behind the counter casually address the teen. He looked to Izuku after hearing what the man called him, the question running through his mind. "Phones?"
Izuku just tapped the headphones around his neck in response. Shinso followed behind him and looked around the caf233, soaking in the atmosphere. A few of the customers in the café gave the boy in front of him some friendly greetings, even giving Shinso a nod or a wave. Shinso followed his green-eyed companion to the counter and took a seat in the chair on the left, dropping his bag on the ground beside him. Izuku took out a couple of notebooks from his backpack, one was labeled "Psychs" while the other was blank.
The sound of a lazy meow caused Shinso to jump in his chair. He blinked in surprise at the sudden appearance of the black cat sitting in front of him. Its blue eyes just stared lazily at the messy-haired teen.
"Shinso, meet LK." Shinso turned to Izuku who was busy petting another cat with a white star over its left eye. "And this is BK. RK is over there resting on her bed it seems." Shinso's eyes followed where Izuku was pointing and saw another black cat sleeping on a bed. He noticed that she seemed to mirror the cat in front of him in terms of their looks. Shinso stared at LK before he finally gave in to his desire to pet the cat. LK accepted it graciously and moved to sit on the teen's shoulders.
The older man moved over to them and placed a cup of coffee in front of Izuku as he addressed them. "Here you go, Phones. Your usual blend."
"Thanks, Mr. H," Izuku said before taking a sip.
Mr. H then turned and addressed Shinso. "And what about you? What's your mood for today?"
Shinso stared at Mr. H when he finally understood what the shades-wearing man was asking. "I'll take something to wake me up if you got it."
Mr. H nodded as he wrote down the order. "Pick-Me-Up, got it. I'll have it to you in a bit." Mr. H turned around to head to the coffee station, looking over his shoulder at Shinso. "In the meantime, I will leave you in the capable hands of Phones here. Pay attention, he talks fast."
As Mr. H walked away, Shinso could see the deadpan look Izuku was giving the man. "Anyway," Izuku said, moving the conversation along. "First things first, we should talk about your Quirk." Izuku opened the blank notebook to its first page and began to write some basic information at the top of the page before he looked to Shinso, "What can you tell me about it? You said it was brainwashing, but what's the trigger?"
Shinso gave Izuku an unsure look and clammed up. LK seemed to sense his discomfort and nuzzled against the teen's cheek settling him down. After Shinso calmed down, he started to explain the workings of his Quirk. "My Quirk works when I speak to a person and they respond to me. There's like, a small click or ding that goes off in my head when that connection is made and I can choose whether to use it or not."
Izuku was starting to fill in the notebook more while he continued his questions. "Can you cut that connection off? Can someone break free of it? Can you ask them questions and they answer? Do they listen to simple commands or can you be detailed?"
Shinso stared blankly at the teen next to, his mind catching up to the rapid fire questions he was asked. Shaking off his stupor, he finally answered. "Uhhh, yeah, I can choose to release my hold on someone if I want to and a sudden jolt can easily break someone free." Shinso paused as he thought about the next two questions, all the while Izuku continued to write down his answers in the notebook. "I don't know about having questions answered. I never really thought about it. And commands have to be simple. Anything too complex and they just stand there waiting for something easier."
"That's amazing, Shinso! Do you know how useful your Quirk is?" Izuku turned to face his indigo-haired companion, his eyes brimming with excitement. "You can be one of the most effective heroes out there. Think about it. You're in the middle of a hostage situation, and you're talking with the villain. All of a sudden you gain control and can get them to release the hostages without having to resort to violence! Or maybe you are doing underground hero work and have to infiltrate a villain hideout, you can easily do so with no issue!"
Izuku's excitement continued to build up more and more the more he talked. "ThenthereisthefactthatifyoucanlearninformationfromtheVillainsitwillmakeyouevenmoreeffecteandyoucanevenyouthattohelpsolvecases.MaybeyoucanevenmasscontrolagroupofVillainsifyourQuirkgetsstrongerbutthatwillrequiretesting.Also..."
Shinso looked at Izuku with a mix of shock, confusion, happiness, and concern as the he continued speaking. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Mr. H chuckling as he walked up to the two.
Shinso raised a brow as he addressed the older man, pointing his thumb at Izuku. "Does he usually do this?"
Mr. H nodded. "Yeeeeep. Every time he comes across an interesting Quirk. Congrats. You are the first person to cause him to do this in a long while." Mr. H snapped his fingers in front of Izuku, breaking the teen out of his mutter storm. "Kid, breathe. Don't scare off the newbie. You are trying to help him after all."
Izuku rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Sorry about that, Shinso, I've spent so much time studying Quirks to learn more about my own that my mind just seems to run on its own whenever I theorize about them. I hope I didn't go too fast for you."
Shinso stared at Izuku for a few seconds before responding. "I got, like, every third word from that. I understood everything before that, so no worries."
The two teens took a moment to enjoy their coffee, letting the conversation pause so they could soak in the peace of the café and the taste of the brew. Shinso spoke up after an enjoyable sip of his drink. "Thanks, though. You already know most people say my Quirk is a villain's Quirk. So hearing how it can be used to be a hero... It helps."
Izuku gave him a kind smile. "No problem, Shinso."
Mr. H spoke up, getting the two teens' attention. "Gotta agree with Phones here. Being able to save people without throwing a punch is a damn good ability to have."
Shinso's expression softened as he listened to the two continue to praise the potential of his quirk.
Izuku looked at his new notes and began to think. Mr. H saw this and knowing what was about to happen, went to pick Izuku's brain. "Whatcha got, Phones?"
"I have some ideas." Izuku turned to look at his companion. "Shinso, how do you usually get people to respond?"
"I usually just have them answer a question. That or I get them mad. Why?" Shinso asked with a raised brow.
Izuku pulled out his phone and began scrolling through it. After a moment he found what he was looking for, "From what you said, I think you may need another approach just in case. Ms. Joke uses humor to capture villains. Her Quirk makes others laugh so she often uses jokes to get them since they are too focused on humor overriding their thoughts and emotions."
"Anger can be good, but you run the risk of someone not responding and you then have an angry villain trying to punch you." Izuku turned the phone around to show Shinso what he was looking for. On the screen was an old comic book cover of 'The Amazing Spider-Man'. Shinso gave the freckled teen a questioning look, urging Izuku to explain. "So one thing you can try is quips. In most media Spider-Man is in, he is always joking around, or throwing quips and one-liners at the villains or criminals he is facing."
"And how does that help me?" Shinso asked.
"Because not only would this anger them and throw them off but most importantly, it annoys them," Izuku explained.
Mr. H picked it up from there. "And an annoyed villain is one more likely to respond to further questions, barbs, or quips."
"Exactly!" Izuku responded excitedly looking to Mr. H. He turned back to Shinso. "If you can focus on picking at a villain mentally, you'll have an easier time if you are in a fight because they will talk more."
Shinso nodded as he followed along, thinking more about Izuku's suggestion. In less than thirty minutes, he already had more to work with than he had in a long while.
"Okay, so, what else?" Shinso asked his schoolmate.
Izuku began to think heavily about what to say next when a smile formed on his face. "How's your fitness?"
Izuku was wandering the streets with his phone held out. He was wearing a comfortable green hoodie over a white "T-Shirt" t-shirt, black shorts, and his usual red shoes. Izuku moved at a frantic pace as he sporadically went back and forth around the area searching for something, seemingly at random. He suddenly stopped and focused on his phone, his fingers speedily tapping away at the screen. After a minute, his phone let out a victorious chime, causing the verdette to jump up and cheer before noticing the other people near him.
He tried to save face and left the area, his face tinged red with embarrassment. He found a quiet area and a bench to sit down at. Once he seated himself, Izuku began to type.
BUNYMIGHT: KAT! Guess what.
BlacKAT: What, you make a new pin?
BUNYMIGHT: ... No. Not yet. Still working on that.
BUNYMIGHT: I got a Silver-Age All Might for my team!
BlacKAT: Took you long enough.
BUNYMIGHT: Well somebody wasn't open to trading heroes from our agencies.
BlacKAT: I believe you said, and I quote, "I got this."
Izuku stared at the screen blankly, realizing his own idiocy.
BlacKAT: Checkmate, Dork.
BUNYMIGHT: ...
BUNYMIGHT: I am more mad at myself than anything else.
Izuku sent an emoji of his green rabbit slamming his head against a wall.
BUNYMIGHT: That aside, how are you doing? Is school going okay?
BlacKAT: Its... alright. Just boring.
BlacKAT: That and some friends are just starting to really make me question why Im with them.
Izuku read KAT's response. They didn't normally vent like this so he was a little concerned. He wanted to find out more but was afraid that he might push too much.
BUNYMIGHT: Sorry to hear that KAT.
BUNYMIGHT: Can anything be done?
KAT began typing only to stop. He saw them do this several times before their response came in.
BlacKAT: Dont worry about it. No point anyway. Not like it will change.
BUNYMIGHT: Are you sure?
BlacKAT: Im sure, stop worrying.
Izuku cringed at his friend's response. He thought about what to say next but chose something simple, extending an olive branch while trying not to overstep.
BUNYMIGHT: Okay. If I can help, you only have to ask.
KAT spent another minute typing and retyping their message before it popped up.
BlacKAT: Sorry. Its... Its fine. Really.
BlacKAT: If I need a hero I know who to call. Thanks, Dork.
Izuku smiled and released a chuckle. He wasn't going to stop worrying about his friend, but he at least wanted them to know he was there if they needed him.
BlacKAT: So whats new with you? Aside from finally having your "Mighty Team"?
BUNYMIGHT: Well, I made a new friend. He's pretty cool. Quiet but cool. He wants to go to UA, same as me.
BlacKAT: Well look at you, making friends.
BlacKAT: My little Bun-Bun is all grown up.
Izuku thought the emoji of the cat wiping away a tear was a bit much but took it in good humor.
BUNYMIGHT: Oh ha ha ha...
BUNYMIGHT: Joking aside I am meeting him for a training session.
BlacKAT: When?
Izuku looked at the clock on his phone and his eyes bulged out at the time.
BUNYMIGHT: Crap! Soon. I gotta go or I will be late.
Izuku began to leave the area as quickly as he could. He stopped suddenly when he realized he was about to leave KAT hanging.
BUNYMIGHT: Sorry KAT. We will have to talk later.
BUNYMIGHT: It was still good to get to talk with you though.
BUNYMIGHT: We should find a time to hang out soon. Maybe I can come to Shibuya?
BUNYMIGHT: Thoughts for later. See Ya.
Izuku closed the Hero Scramble chat as he made his way to the meet-up spot for his Quirk training session with Shinso. As he ran ahead, his mind finally caught up to what he asked. He shook his head and focused on the now.
'One thing at a time Izuku.'
On top of the 104 building in Shibuya, overlooking the crowded streets sat a young woman who was staring at her phone. A small smile graced her lips as her gray eyes read the last few messages.
"I'd like that."
She typed a response and sent it, pocketing her phone as she continued to watch the crowds below.
"Maybe next time, BUNY."
Izuku ran down the street until he came to the door of Café Wildkat. He took a moment to catch his breath before he entered. He saw Shinso at the counter and went to sit next to him.
"Sorry I'm late, Shinso. I was talking with a friend of mine and lost track of time," Izuku apologized to his new friend who gave him an indifferent look.
"No worries. I just got here myself." Shinso replied with a shrug before returning to his coffee.
"Oh! Good, good." Izuku slid up to the counter and took his seat. Mr. H had the foresight to have a glass of water ready for his mentee. "Thanks, Mr. H."
As Izuku took a few good sips of water, Shinso's curiosity got the better of him. "So you said this was a training day?"
"Mhm. So, I think we should find the basic limits of your Quirk and the café is a safe enough environment for us to do so," Izuku answered.
"Wait, won't we get in trouble for that?" Shinso had a look of concern and uncertainty about this due to his worries about Quirk usage laws.
Mr. H spoke up to assuage the teen's fears. "Don't worry. I have a Quirk-Use license for Izuku here to get some training with his Quirk. We stretch the rules a bit since he helps out every now and then when I need it. What's one more stretch to help out his friend."
Shinso nodded along. He came this far, might as well trust them. "Okay, so what first?"
Izuku went through his notes and hummed as he thought out a plan, "Well, you said you don't know if you can ask a person questions so let's start there. Then we can work with basic commands and more advanced commands. Maybe even see if someone can resist your Quirk."
"Alright," Shinso said with a determined nod. "Then let's do this. Remember, you have to respond so that I can start the connection." Shinso gave Izuku a second to get ready. Seeing his new friend nod, he spoke. "Midoriya."
"Ye-" Izuku's emerald green eyes seemed to go blank as he stared at Shinso.
Mr. H watched on, impressed by just how easy that was. "Alright kid, try asking a question."
"Alright, let's try a basic one. Where are we?" Shinso asked.
"Café Wildkat, Musutafu." Izuku's voice droned out in a monotone fashion.
Shinso smiled a little with this new revelation. He thought on another question, one that was a bit more complicated. "Why did you come here today? hat was the goal?"
Izuku responded, again, speaking in a monotone voice. "To help my friend with his Quirk. I'm trying to figure out his limits so we can train better."
"Try one that requires a higher brain function. Maybe a math problem." Mr. H recommended.
Shinso began to think about a math question that wasn't too simple, but also not too complex. After a few seconds, he spoke, "What is twelve times fourteen divided by six?"
Unfortunately, Izuku just stared at Shinso with blank eyes. Shinso clicked his tongue at the failure.
"Maybe your control only allows for certain questions to be answered? Maybe Phones here answered the first two questions because he already knew the answers? Answering a math equation, or maybe asking a question the person doesn't have an immediate answer to won't net you anything new," Mr. H supplied.
The coffee master's words helped put Shinso at ease, though the teen was still annoyed at the sudden roadblock. "Guess I will have to keep that in mind," Shinso replied with a groan.
"Let me try something. Phones, what is the price of my house blend?" Mr. H asked, taking control of the guestioning.
To his and Shinso's surprise, Izuku remained silent. Shinso figured out what Mr. H was trying for and asked the same question. "Midoriya, what is the price of the house blend here at the café?"
"Six hundred and eighty yen," Izuku answered immediately.
"Okay, seems like only I can ask a question and get a response," Shinso concluded.
Mr. H nodded along with him, "Good to know. You will need to know that if you work with another hero. You might have one who is too gung-ho about an interrogation and could possibly ruin it for you."
The two went quiet as they tried to figure out another question before ending this session. Mr. H smirked and whispered one into Shinso's ear who couldn't hold back a grin of his own. "Midoriya, who is your hero crush?"
Shinso could feel his connection being blocked. He made note of that but tried again. "Midoriya, do you have a hero crush?"
Izuku seemed to fight back answering but Shinso's control won out. "I have crushes on Lady Nagant, Mirko, and Mandalay."
Izuku broke out of Shinso's control immediately after that and noticed the smirks on both Shinso and Mr. H's faces. He tilted his head in confusion at their behavior but ignored it for now. He started to get ready to write notes on their session and spoke. "So, did we learn anything?"
Shinso tried hard to hold back his laughter and nearly failed. "Pfft. Yeah, we learned some things." He calmed himself down a bit before continuing. "I can have questions answered, though they have to be simple questions or the person has to know something about what I asked. We tried having you answer a math question but you didn't."
Mr. H picked things up from there, raising his hand and counting out with his finger. "We also learned that Shinso has to be the one to ask the question. I asked one and you didn't answer. He asked the same question and you answered immediately." Mr. H raised a second finger to add another point. "Also, you did resist a question it seems."
Shinso nodded. "Yeah, I felt the connection being blocked to some degree. It seems that if it's something you don't want known, you can fight back to keep me from learning it."
"That's amazing. We have so much more to work with now." Izuku began to frantically write down in his notebook and paused for a second. "You, you didn't ask me something embarrassing, did you?"
"Not at all, Phones," Mr. H said, giving his student a reassuring smile but Izuku was still wary. As he returned to his notes, Mr. H spoke rather nonchalantly. "So. Lady Nagant, Mirko, and Mandalay huh?"
Izuku stopped immediately and looked at the two in betrayal. "You guuuuuuys!" His arms wrapped around his hide, trying to hide away from his friends.
Shinso and Mr. H couldn't hold back anymore as their laughter filled the air. "Nothing embarrassing with having a crush, Phones."
BlacKAT: Sup BUNY. How goes things?
BUNYMIGHT: I'm alright. My friend and I were able to get some training with his Quirk last time.
BUNYMIGHT: Going to do some more training later.
BlacKAT: Still trying to be a hero?
BUNYMIGHT: That's the dream at least.
BUNYMIGHT: What do you want to do? Have you ever considered being a gero?
BlacKAT: ...
BlacKAT: I dont know. Dont really have a lot going on for me.
BlacKAT: Doubt I would make a good gero anyway.
BUNYMIGHT: I see.
BUNYMIGHT: Well, I hope you can figure out what you want to do KAT.
BlacKAT: Me too.
BUNYMIGHT: Is everything alright?
BlacKAT: Dont really know. Decided to get away from some of the people I hang out with.
BlacKAT: Seems like Shibuya just isnt as fun anymore.
BlacKAT: It just, feels lonely I guess.
Izuku stared at the chat and KAT's last response, an idea forming in his head as he thought about what to do to help his friend.
"Hey, Mom?" Izuku poked his head out of the doorway to the living room. Inko was currently sitting on the couch, scanning through several channels to find something to watch on TV.
Inko turned her head to address her son. "What is it, sweetie?"
"D-do you..." Izuku stopped and took a deep breath. "Can I maybe go to Shibuya on Sunday?"
Inko blinked in surprise at her son's request. She shook off the surprise and replied after seeing her son waiting for her to answer. "I don't know, Izuku. That's a decent amount of time spent just to go there. What brought this on?"
Izuku rubbed the back of his head before responding, "W-well, my friend, you remember KAT from Hero Scramble? I kind of wanted to visit them. We often talked about how we should hang out in person so I figured, why not?"
"And do they know about this?" Inko asked.
"I wanted to make sure it was alright with you first," Izuku answered honestly.
Inko looked at her son and let out a light sigh. This was the first time he asked for something like this so it was a surprise to her. She said softly at him. "Alright."
Izuku smiled brightly at her as he pumped his fists in triumph.
His jubilation was cut short by his mom. "But," she started, "you must promise me you will be safe. Don't go chasing heroes and be home by nine." Inko gave him a look. "Are we clear?"
Izuku nodded enthusiastically. "Crystal!" He cleared the distance and brought Inko into a warm hug, who smiled at her son's affection. "Thanks, Mom!"
BUNYMIGHT: KAT!
BUNYMIGHT: What are your plans for Sunday?
BlacKAT: Not much.
BlacKAT: Why?
BUNYMIGHT: I figured I could drop by Shibuya.
BUNYMIGHT: Maybe we can hang out then?
BUNYMIGHT: We always said we should try to.
BlacKAT: Really!?
BlacKAT: Are
BlacKAT: Are you sure?
BUNYMIGHT: Definitely :)
BUNYMIGHT: Who knows, the two of us might be able to find her for you.
Izuku waited in suspense for KAT's response. Minutes ticked by as the chat stayed on his last message which he saw KAT had read. He looked away for a second when his phone chimed.
BlacKAT: Alright. Sounds like a plan. Time to form a party!
BlacKAT: See you Sunday then. Meet up by Hachiko @ 10.
BUNYMIGHT: See you then KAT.
- TUESDAY -
Izuku and Shinso were at the park. Both wore casual workout clothes as the two stretched and loosened up before their workout.
"So, first things first.," said Izuku as he stood up. "We're going to get an idea of what we're working with. We'll just do a simple routine and go from there." Izuku finished limbering up and turned to look at Shinso. "Sound good to you?"
Shinso finished up his stretches and nodded to Izuku. "Yeah. I'll follow your lead on this."
"Alright," Izuku replied. "let's start then."
Where Izuku could handle the basics, having followed Aizawa's suggestions to the letter, Shinso learned just how far he had to go. Something he will just have to get used to.
- THURSDAY -
Izuku and Shinso trekked through the woods outside the limits of Musutafu. Izuku was carrying a duffle bag that was stuffed full of something, but Shinso couldn't exactly figure out with what. The two found a clearing and Izuku set the bag down as Shinso looked around the area.
"Alright, Shinso. Now that you have recovered from Tuesday, today we are going to do some basic dodge training for you and accuracy for me. Then we'll switch," Izuku said while opening the bag.
"Dodge training?" Shinso raised a brow at Izuku.
"Yep. Figured this would be better than me punching you in order to teach you." Izuku proceeded to take out a rubber ball from the bag. "Plus, we still have to find a dojo or a gym that can teach us, so better leave that to them. I may have some training but I don't think I'm good enough to teach you."
"Riiiight." Shinso drawled out as he watched Izuku set the balls down randomly around him. His curiosity soon got the better of him. "And how is it accuracy training for you and me?"
"Easy. I'm going to use my Verdant Orbit pin to toss all these balls at you. All you have to do is see how many you can either dodge or block within my one-minute time limit. Then it will be your turn, plus you can try and use your Quirk to catch me off guard me while you do so. Might as well work on your quips." Izuku turned and faced Shinso with a smug smirk on his face.
Shinso didn't like that look. "This is for using my Quirk to learn about your hero crushes, isn't it?"
"Noooooo. Absolutely not." Izuku's smirk turned into a vindictive grin.
Shinso, in return, gave him a deadpan stare.
Izuku, as the mature one, turned his head and pouted a little when he answered. "Maybe a little."
Shinso let out a heavy sigh. "Whatever. Let's just do this. Maybe I might not do too-"
"TRAINING BEGINS NOW!"
Suddenly, Shinso was hit in the gut by a ball that flew straight into him. The indigo-haired teen tried to ready himself, only to get hit in the arm by another ball. This went on for a full minute before Izuku finally stopped. Shinso was lying on the ground, breathing heavily as he stared up into the sky. Izuku came over and looked down at him.
"I hate you," Shinso groaned.
Izuku just shrugged. "You weren't ready."
- FRIDAY -
"Parkour?" Shinso asked as he looked down at the small drop in front of him.
"Yep. I had a hero give me some ideas for training and parkour was one of them. I was looking things up on the basics and the number one thing we need to know and be good at is knowing how to land and roll," Izuku explained as he studied the drop next to Shinso.
Shinso nodded. "Makes sense." He turned to Izuku. "You want to go first?"
Izuku gave him an affirmative nod. "Yeah. It was my idea and I already have some of the basics down. I brought my notes if you want to read over them."
"Sure thing." Shinso backed up and went over to their things, found Izuku's notes, and began reading them to get an idea of what to do. Meanwhile, Izuku started to practice his landing and rolls.
- SATURDAY -
Izuku and Shinso after getting out of school, headed to Café Wildkat to have another brainstorming session. Izuku was trying to explain his idea for two new pins and his issue with trying to make them.
"I have the idea, I just can't express it," Izuku complained as he drank his coffee.
Shinso was petting LK who took his new perch on the teen's shoulder as he listened to his friend. "What exactly are you looking for?"
"I'm trying to have two forms of attack I can use regularly. One is a long-range attack while the other is close-quarters," Izuku replied as he flipped through his sketchpad. BK climbed up the teen, sprawling himself atop Izuku's head, and joined Izuku as they studied the teen's notes.
Shinso began to think about this conundrum. He didn't have much experience with this, so he didn't know how much he could actually help his friend out. An idea suddenly came to him. "Why not think of it like a sword?"
"What?" Izuku froze, the weight of his friend's words crashing into him.
"Yeah. A sword just seems like the right way to go. After all, it might be easier to get into swinging a sword for a fighting style." Shinso took a few sips of his drink and continued. "Don't know about that long-range thing for you. Maybe make it like the Mega-Buster from Mega Man. Give yourself a few ways to shoot the thing, like a charge shot."
The sound of Izuku slamming his head on the counter startled Shinso. The green-haired teen proceeded to thump his head a few more times for good measure, all the while, BK was barely bothered by his human's antics. "That makes so much sense." Izuku turned to Shinso as a stream of happy tears trailed down his freckled cheeks. "Thank you, my friend."
A gruff, tired voice sounded out at the display. "Get a hold of yourself, Midoriya. Don't start being a problem child."
The two teens turned and faced Mr. Aizawa as he walked up to the counter and took a seat next to Shinso.
"Sorry, Mr. Aizawa. Shinso here just helped me figure out my next two pins," Izuku explained to the Underground Hero.
The man just hummed in response and waited for Mr. H to make him a cup of coffee. Izuku went to work while Shinso was a little put off by the man's sudden appearance, but didn't let it bother him. They all sat in silence enjoying their coffee until Mr. Aizawa spoke up. "How is your training going, kid?"
Izuku stopped his work as he looked at the man and responded, "It's going alright." He looked to Shinso and got an idea. He gave a glance to Mr. H who picked up on what he was thinking and a shared smile formed between the two. "I actually got my new friend here to train with me. He has a great Quirk for Underground Heroics."
Aizawa raised a brow when he heard this. He turned to study the teen next to him. Shinso seemed to straighten up as he was being looked at. Aizawa's voice broke him out of that uncomfortable feeling, "Really? What's your Quirk?"
"Uh, Brainwashing, sir. If I get someone to respond to me I can control them for a time, give them basic commands, and ask questions that will get answered." He pointed his thumb at Izuku. "Midoriya here was helping me learn more about my Quirk and asked me to train with him."
"Do you plan to go to U.A.?" Aizawa asked critically.
"Yes sir," Shinso answered rather quietly, faltering under the older man's questioning gaze.
Aizawa hummed again and nodded. "Good. Keep training then." He went back to his coffee ignoring the two teens. Izuku gave a look to Mr. H that Shinso noticed. He gave Izuku a questioning look but Izuku gave him a sign to just roll with it.
"Now we just need a combat instructor. We haven't had any luck with that sadly," Izuku said dejectedly. Mr. H picked up from there.
"Well, I might have an idea," The older man said. He looked to Aizawa who gave him a tired stare.
The two went on for what seemed like hours before Aizawa spoke, breaking the stalemate. "No."
Mr. H rolled his eyes but continued to push the idea onto the hero. "Come on Aizawa. You and I both know Izuku has potential. And I can vouch for Shinso. He has stuck with Izuku, doing everything he can to be ready for U.A. They both got what it takes."
Aizawa glanced at the two boys before narrowing his eyes at Mr. H. The café owner maintained his usual demeanor as he spoke. "Besides, isn't your job to help that potential grow. Think about it. You can have two students who already know what your expectations are, are willing to go above and beyond to prove their worth, and already have the makings of great heroes. They just need someone to make sure they can reach it."
Aizawa seemed to consider what Mr. H said. It wasn't a terrible idea, exactly. But he wasn't entirely sold on it. That was until Mr. H pulled his trump card.
"Plus, if you do this, I will let you have two free coffees every time you visit. And think about it, if Izuku gets in your class, that means he can make you coffee as well. Same blend as mine. You know this," Mr. H said, sweetening the deal.
And in a sudden turn of events Aizawa zeroed in on the two teens and spoke with a commanding presence.
"Listen up you two. Every Saturday after school and Sunday afternoon you will meet me here," Aizawa said as he took out a card and placed it in front of the two teens. "If we do this, you will give me your all. You won't complain, you won't quit. If your grades falter then we're done. You're aiming to be heroes, so prove it to me. This is where you go beyond." He gave the two an intense stare, his hair already flaring up. "Am I understood?"
""Yes sir!""
"Good. We will start next week. Don't be late." He turned to Mr. H and spoke to him. "Hanekoma, I expect my two free coffees after this cup. I already paid for this one so I'll have them after it."
Mr. H gave him a light-hearted laugh. "Sure thing, Aizawa."
Izuku mentally cheered. Shinso turned to look at him with a questioning look. Izuku stealthily wrote one word down for Shinso to read.
Eraser Head.
Shinso gave his friend the brightest smile Izuku ever saw.
That made his day.
- SUNDAY -
Izuku got off the bus at the West Exit Bus Terminal and took his first steps into Shibuya. He was wearing a long-sleeve white shirt and a blue hoodie on top with the sleeves rolled up. He had on a pair of black jeans with the ends tucked into his red shoes. His red headphones sat around his neck.
Izuku was taken aback by the hustle and bustle of the world around him. Shibuya was a much different place than Musutafu. It seemed everyone was on the move and the city beat with a heart of its own. He moved up the street and came to the Scramble Crossing and was wowed by the towering buildings that buzzed with activity. From the busy bus terminal to the enormous jumbotron showcasing a variety of ads and Hero news. He could even see 104 and Tower Records either down the street or peaking over the surrounding buildings.
He shook his head to focus on where he was going. His green eyes looked around and found Hachiko, the ever-present statue that greeted many travelers and denizens alike, and made his way over to it. He took out his phone and checked the time.
'9:46. Plenty of time.' Izuku thought. He opened Hero Scramble and moved to his chat log. After doing so, he shot a message to KAT.
BUNYMIGHT: Hey KAT. I just arrived. Let me know when you get here.
BUNYMIGHT: Oh! I'm the guy with the red headphones on.
He placed his phone in his pocket and waited. Izuku decided to people-watch in the meantime, taking a minute to see each new Quirk that he could notice. The Crossing was always busy, it seemed, so there was no end to the sight of new people or interesting looking people. It was amazing to him. It seemed like he could be here for days and still see something new.
But after a while though, Izuku started to feel a little worried. He took out his phone and checked the time again.
'10:05. I mean, with how busy this place seems, I can understand that they may be a little late. Maybe they had to fight the crowds.' He thought, trying to assure himself. He didn't bother putting his phone back. Opting to hold onto it just in case he got a message.
Time passed by, though. Izuku continued checking his phone every few minutes. Still nothing. A few minutes more. And still nothing.
It seemed that KAT wasn't going to show up.
Unknown to Izuku, he was being watched by a young woman about his age. The teen girl was slim, though had generous curves that could be seen even through her hoodie, and stood at around Izuku's height. She had large gray eyes that had a rather relaxed look to them but could turn fierce at the flip of a coin. She had deep red lips that highly contrasted with her pale skin. Her hair was long and black, her bangs cut into a hime-style and she had long side bangs that framed her face and spilled out over her front.
She wore a black hoodie coat, with white cuffs on the baggy sleeves. Sewn onto the hood were cat ears, one of the ears having a single ring on it, and the hood itself had a simplistic cat face printed on the top. The coat was held together with a red belt that wrapped tightly around her slim waist and let the hood be fairly open, exposing her shoulders, her light-gray plaid sailor dress with white frills along the collar, a black tied knot, and her generous bust. Her outfit was completed with a pair of white socks that had several black and pink stripes around the top and a pair of black high-tops.
She watched as Izuku was constantly checking his phone and waiting for much longer than anyone else would have for her. A part of her was happy that he kept his word, and she smiled as she saw that he hadn't left yet, determined to see her. But her eyes became downcast as her expression shifted to a mixture of sadness at the thought of not going over there, and disappointment in herself at being afraid to. She pulled out her phone and was tempted to message him. She wanted to, she really did.
Any courage she had was erased as she received a message from someone she dreaded hearing from. She clicked her tongue in annoyance and looked at Izuku one last time.
He was still standing by Hachiko. Still waiting for her. The cat-hooded girl pocketed her phone and pulled her hood down, trying to hide herself as she walked away. The crooked tail on her coat seemed to droop, matching her mood.
Her voice was quiet as she spoke. "I'm sorry. I just... I don't know what to do, Buny..."
She made her way down the street, doing her best to avoid everyone around her.
"Maybe next time..."
Izuku still waited by Hachiko, sitting up against the statue's base to keep himself propped up. He kept opening up the chat between him and KAT. It had been two hours now. He didn't know why he kept waiting. Maybe he was too determined to meet up with his friend. The first friend he had in a long time until he and Shinso had met only weeks ago.
He let out a heavy sigh as he stood. He stretched and worked out the kinks in his muscles. 'I hope everything is alright, KAT.' With a heavy heart, Izuku began to make his way back to the terminal. He started to message his mom he was coming back home when Hero Scramble gave him an alert. He opened the app dejectedly, knowing it was a hero alert rather than a message. Any other time, he would have be excited, but now, he wasn't in the mood.
That was until he saw what hero was nearby.
He looked around with his phone held out, using it to scope the area around him. He found what he was looking for at the 104 building just up the road. He crossed the Scramble as quickly as he could, trying his best to not bump into anyone and apologizing when he did. He came up to the iconic building and looked around one last time.
He smiled when he found her.
Izuku began to send out a team and after several minutes, he was able to claim his prize. A part of him recognized how it seemed cruel that this hero would show up when she did. After all, this was the one KAT was searching for. But he still smiled. He set his new hero in his reserves for safekeeping.
"Next time, KAT." His voice carried a little bit of hope in it.
Izuku finished his text to his mom and started making his way bake to the terminal and back home to Musutafu.
"Definitely next time."