Chapter 6: Nice To Meet You Again
- CAFÉ WILDCAT -
Early in the morning, as the city of Musutafu began to awake and buzz with activity, Izuku sat at the counter in his usual seat at Café Wildkat, surrounded by the trio of black cats that called the café home. LK lazed around in the seat to his left while RK was lying down on the counter to his right, her eyes trained on the door as if she was waiting for someone to walk through at any moment. BK took his new perch on top of Izuku's head, snuggling himself into the fluffy green and black hair of his human.
Izuku was enjoying a cup of coffee as Mr. H busied himself by making some small breakfast items for his customers. In front of Izuku was a notebook filled with ideas for potential Psychs he thought of. He had rewritten his Psychs notebook, ensuring that his completed ideas and potential ideas were separate from each other. He had learned the hard way that mixing his notes was a nightmare to understand.
That, and Aizawa just said to "Fix it".
As he scribbled away, Mr. H walked over to check on the teen. "What's the word, Phones?"
"Not much, Mr. H," the teen replied. "Just coming up with ideas for some new Psychs, but nothing seems to stick out." Izuku huffed in disappointment before continuing, "Maybe I just need to step back for a bit and let an idea come to me naturally."
"Sounds like a good idea," Mr. H replied, agreeing with the verdette. He took a sip of coffee from his cup as he read through some of Izuku's ideas. All of them could be useful, but they just didn't seem like they fit Izuku, or he just hadn't found a way to make them his. Mr. H moved the conversation along, shifting the focus elsewhere to help get Izuku's mind off his Psychs. "So, final year of high school, yeah? How are you and Shinso feeling about it?"
"Kind of over it already," Izuku replied bluntly.
"Heh. Yep, sounds like high school alright," the older man remarked with a chuckle. "At least U.A. will be exciting for you two. How has training with Aizawa been?"
Izuku shivered as his mind reflected on his and Shinso's training under the Pro Hero, but got it under control after a taking a deep breath. "Aizawa-sensei is tough, but I know he wants the two of us to be ready when we apply. He said he had an idea for our physical training to get our bodies up to snuff, but he needed to work out a few things. We're supposed to meet with him on Sunday and start then."
Mr. H nodded along before responding, "Good. You two keep at it and this year will pass by in a flash." He placed a hand on the teen's shoulder as he spoke. "Don't tell ol' grumpy cat I told you this, but he did say he was impressed with how you two have been doing. He won't ever say that out loud, but I still think you should know anyway."
Izuku gave the man a soft smile. "Thanks for sharing, Mr. H."
Mr. H gave him a thumbs up and took another sip of his coffee. "No worries... Problem Child," he said with a cheeky smile.
Izuku face-palmed at the moniker Aizawa gave him. Still, he laughed it off and looked at his phone, noting the time. "Well, I gotta get going, Mr. H. I don't want to be late for class."
"Sounds good, Phones. Let me get you a to-go cup for you and Shinso. I'm sure he needs the pick-me-up," Mr. H said as he went over to the coffeepot.
"Thanks, Mr. H," Izuku said gratefully.
As Mr. H filled up two to-go cups for Izuku and Shinso, Izuku packed up his things, careful to avoid disturbing the Kat Trio. BK hopped off of the teen and took over his seat, looking up expectantly at the human. Izuku took a moment to pet the cat as Mr. H walked over with the coffee in a drink carrier. "Here you go, Phones. Fuel for the soul."
Izuku accepted the drinks and gave his thanks to the older man once more. "Thanks, Mr. H. I'm sure Shinso would agree with you." He began walking to the door before turning around one last time. "See you later, Mr. H!"
Mr. H watched as Izuku left and began his trek to school. He smiled once the teen disappeared into the distance. He looked to the Kat Trio, giving each of them a little bit of affection, and went back to work.
RK still focused on the door as Izuku disappeared down the street. LK opened his eyes lazily as he watched BK join RK and went to lie down next to her as the two watched the door together. Mr. H saw this out of the corner of his eye and smiled one last time before returning to his work and his guests.
Izuku walked down the street, his music ringing out from his headphones as a smooth, upbeat song played from his phone. The female vocals sing in harmony with the techno and synth rhythm, making the walk to school more enjoyable.
As the song played, Izuku took out his phone and opened his chats to send a message to his friends.
Phones: Hey Shinso, got a cup of coffee for you from Mr. H.
Phones: I will wait by the school gate to hand it to you.
Brewd: There is a god.
Izuku chuckled and shook his head at his friend's response. He sent him an ETA and opened Hero Scramble, moving on to the next person he wanted to message.
BUNYMIGHT: Morning Materia. How are things on your end?
LadyMateria: Things are rather well, thank you for asking.
LadyMateria: By the way, I decided to try one of your suggestions over the weekend.
LadyMateria: Unfortunately, I was unable to create Vibranium from that comic you sent me.
LadyMateria: There may be information to work with, but my Quirk is unable to create it.
BUNYMIGHT: Sorry to hear that. Maybe because it's a fiction material?
LadyMateria: Maybe. I feel like I am missing something, but I am unsure of what that is.
BUNYMIGHT: Maybe you just need to think of it from a different angle? My Psychs require me to have an inspiration to pull from, but I need to apply meaning and form to them.
LadyMateria: Possibly. If anything, that just means more tests! Do you have any more materials for me to look at? I rather enjoyed several of those Pre-Quirk comics you shared.
BUNYMIGHT: For reference or personal reading?
LadyMateria: Yes.
Izuku let out a laugh at that. His friend was slowly, but surely, breaking out of their very formal shell bit by bit.
BUNYMIGHT: Yeah, I can share some more. I will have to do it later though. I hope you don't mind.
LadyMateria: Of course not! I very much appreciate it.
LadyMateria: Sorry, I need to go now. Some acquaintances wish to speak with me.
LadyMateria: Talk to you later?
BUNYMIGHT: I will be here if you need me.
LadyMateria: Splendid.
LadyMateria: Enjoy your day my friend.
Izuku was about to pocket his phone before he stopped. Slowly, he turned the phone back on and went back to his chat logs. He tapped the one he was looking for and typed out another message.
BUNYMIGHT: Hey KAT. Just wanted to say that I hope you are doing alright.
BUNYMIGHT: I have one more year until I go to UA, been working hard and training harder.
BUNYMIGHT: That's all I wanted to say for now.
He closed out of his chats and scrolled through his roster in Hero Scramble. At the bottom, ready for transfer, was the Hero he found while in Shibuya. Izuku sighed before exiting the app and putting his phone away.
He continued on his way to school before he noticed a crowd of people gathered around watching what seemed to be a villain attack. Several police officers were attempting to ensure the safety of the public as the Pro Hero Backdraft, a Rescue Specialist Hero dressed in firefighter's equipment, with a white mask that had an orange sphere in the center under a custom firefighter's hat, and had fire hose nozzles for his hands, allowing him to use his water pump Quirk more effectively, arrived to help. He was currently using it to create a no-crossing line to prevent the civilians from getting any closer.
Izuku figured he still had time and squeezed through the crowd to see what other heroes were around. He caught sight of the Punching Hero, Death Arms, a large, muscular Hero with large hands and arms with spiky white hair held back with a metal headband colored yellow and black like caution tape. He was wearing an opened teal cropped-top shirt with long sleeves tucked into metal braces on his wrists. The braces had a caution tape design similar to his headband and belt. His outfit was complete with navy blue pants with a white stripe running down the legs and brown boots.
Death Arms caught some falling rubble, using the strength his Quirk provided his arms, and prevented it from injuring several civilians. Izuku cheered along with the crowd at the hero's action. Izuku soon paid attention to the whole the scene before him. He saw a gigantic villain whose head resembled either a horse or shark, something Izuku was unsure of at the moment, causing havoc all around him while on the train tracks of Tatooin Station. It was an interesting Quirk, to say the least, but then Izuku ears picked up things the crowd was saying.
"Anyone know what happened?"
"Apparently, he was a purse snatcher. He used his Quirk the minute he got cornered."
"Really, such a waste of a Quirk for something like that."
Izuku had to agree with them on that.
"Yes, I'm going to be late... Villain attack at the station."
Izuku whispered his sympathies to that office worker. 'That must suck for sure.'
Izuku continued to watch when he noticed several growing branches of wood fly into the scene. He smiled as he saw the hero Kamui Woods swing into the fray. Kamui Woods was a Hero with a Quirk, allowing him to generate and control wood. His costume was made with this in mind as he wore a dark blue bodysuit, with wooden gloves, knee pads, shoes, a belt, and a wooden mask and helmet combo. Izuku watched in fascination as he saw the Hero continue to swing and evade the Villain while also attempting to capture the rampaging Villain. He tried to ignore the screaming fangirls when Kamui made his appearance, but they somehow overpowered his headphones.
Izuku watched and pulled out his Hero Analysis notebook, intent on updating Kamui's entry for later study and possible inspiration for a Psych. As he wrote, his thoughts beginning to verbalize as he muttered his observations and ideas while watching the rising star hero. He heard a voice speaking to him, breaking the teen out of his stupor.
"Quite the analysis, kid. You must be a real big hero fan," an older man commented.
Izuku couldn't help but smile as he answered, "That I would have to agree with. And so would a friend of mine."
The two refocused on the fight as Kamui used his Quirk to swing off of the villain, landing and sliding on top of the train station covers.
"Illegal use of powers during rush hour and robbery resulting in bodily injury," the hero listed out. He raised his arm and thrust it to the side as several branches grew from it. "You are the incarnation of evil."
Izuku, despite being the Hero nerd he was, paused when he heard the Hero speak.
'Well... he is certainly earnest with his dialogue.' His time spent with Aizawa and Shinso had Izuku appreciate either not saying anything, or at least not making his quips or dialogue too cartoonish. 'Comes with the job, I suppose.'
The teen was broken out of his thoughts as he watched with rapt attention as Kamui prepare for his super move. Readying his pen, Izuku waited to begin his observations and note taking as soon as the hero made his move.
"CANYON CANNON!"
Until a woman with a gigantification Quirk, which made her larger than the purse-snatching villain, barreled through the scene and kicked the villain straight onto the street below.
Kamui Woods stood there, shocked by the sudden turn of events, and Izuku couldn't blame him.
He just had his thunder stolen.
Izuku only then noticed the growing number of males with cameras appearing to take pictures of the giant heroine. The woman was a very curvaceous hero, with long creamy blonde hair that curled several times along her front bangs and bright purple eyes with long eyelashes. She wore a purple and tan-colored body suit, with her chest, gloves, and boots being purple with orange accents. She had on a purple domino mask with horns curved up and out from the sides of it.
"Today is the day of my debut," the tall heroine said. "My name is Mt. Lady."
As she went to capture the Villain, she struck up a rather provocative pose, bending over slightly as she turned to look over her shoulder and winked to the crowd, and purposefully displayed her ass to everyone. "A pleasure to make your ass-quaintance."
Izuku, while appreciating the view, and even blushing a little, was more focused on the fact that this was her debut entry into the hero scene. That and the fact her puns needed work. 'Three out of ten...' Izuku thought. He packed up his belongings, picked up the coffee, and continued on his way to Aldera, all while hearing Kamui Wood argue with Mt. Lady in the background.
'Helluva debut though.'
- ALDERA HIGH -
Shinso stood at the gates of Aldera, waiting for Izuku to show up. It was rare for him to not be early to school most days, but shrugged it off. He noticed Bakugo pass him by. The ash-blonde teen spared Shinso a glance and nothing more, brushing past him as he entered the school. Shinso hummed in thought but ignored the explosive teen.
So far, Bakugo had been rather distant and a little stand-offish ever since their brawl, choosing to ignore him and Izuku as if they didn't exist. Shinso was completely fine with that. It meant that he didn't have to worry about his hearing.
He turned his head to face a voice that called out to him, "Yo, Shinso! Sorry I'm late."
Shinso greeted his friend, taking the cup of coffee handed to him. "No problem, Izuku. What slowed you down this time?"
Izuku sheepishly rubbed the back of his head as his eyes looked to the side. "W-well, there was a villain fight by Tatooin Station."
Shinso stared at his friend, who broke down under Shinso's gaze. "You have learned too much from Aizawa-sensei..." Izuku muttered. Shinso ignored Izuku and continued to stare at him. "Okay, I stopped to watch because I was curious. Got to see Kamui Woods pull off some cool maneuvers, which side note, I think you can learn a few pointers on swinging around from watching him. That and I saw a new hero debut."
Shinso simply nodded and turned to enter the school, taking several appreciative sips of his coffee and leaving Izuku by the gate. Izuku quickly rushed to join his friend as they headed to class.
Izuku's teacher walked into the classroom carrying a stack of papers as he addressed the students, "Alright class. The time has come for you all to consider your path in life. You all are in your final year and have had plenty of time to consider your future." The class paid close attention, their excitement building up as the teacher looked around the room. He slapped his hand onto the paper stack and threw them all in the air theatrically. "But who am I kidding? You all are dreaming of becoming heroes!"
"""YES!!!!!!"""
The class erupted into loud cheers as all of them used their Quirks freely. All but two, that is. Izuku mainly focused on his notebook, touching up the details of Kamui Woods' entry while the class had their celebration. Once he finished, he began working on one for Mt. Lady based on the information he retained from her debut, all while mentally thanking Aizawa for teaching him and Shinso to make quick observations and committing them to memory.
The only other teen who was quiet, and uncharacteristically so, was Bakugo. He was currently lounging in his chair, with his feet propped up onto his desk. His head was down but one could tell he was watching the class.
As the teacher managed to calm the class down, Bakugo spoke up. "Hey, teach. Don't lump us all in the same group." He raised his head as he confidently addressed and mocked the rest of his class. "Unlike the rest of this school, I'm going to be going straight to the top. The rest can fall into obscurity, only getting the honor of saying they were in the same class as me."
"Oi, Bakugo what the hell!?"
"Where do you get off, asshole?"
Bakugo clicked his tongue at the attitude of the rest of the class. Izuku was barely paying attention, not really worrying about what was going on around him.
The teacher looked at his notes and addressed Bakugo's point. "Right. You are planning to attend U.A. University, correct?"
The rest of the class spoke in hushed tones.
"Makes sense that he would apply there."
"But I hear the cut-off rate is no joke."
Bakugo scoffed at their reaction. He expertly hopped from his chair and onto his desk as he spoke, "That's why all of you extras won't get anywhere. I put in the work. I aced the mock exams. If there is one person going to U.A., it will be me." He looked at the students around him as he finished, "I'm going to be the next top hero! And no one will stand in my way. All any of you ever were was just a stepping stone in my path to greatness."
Bakugo held his hand in a tight fist as he finished, only to have his thunder stolen as the teacher looked at another sheet of paper. "Midoriya, you put U.A. down on your applications as well, yes?"
Bakugo shot a glance over to Izuku, who joined in the conversation as his name was called. The class looked at the freckled teen, half scoffing at the idea, while the other half wasn't so sure. Izuku paid them no mind as he responded to the teacher, "Yes, sir. My friend and I both plan to attend. We've been training and studying seriously for it, so I'd like to think we have a good chance."
Most of his classmates knew who his friend was. And their opinions soon came after the realization hit them.
"That Zombie is applying too?"
"I forgot that they like to hang out together."
"Makes sense that Deku and the villain are in it together."
At that last comment, Izuku couldn't help but frown and sent a hardened glare at the person who called Shinso a villain. That seemed to put them into submission as they meekly turned their head away. Izuku looked around to see if anyone else would make a similar comment about his friend. They all got the message and remained quiet after that.
Izuku turned his head forward and saw Bakugo still staring down at him. Izuku returned the stare, the two having an unspoken conversation, while measuring the other up.
It was quite the sight to the entire class, most expecting Bakugo to verbally assault Izuku. The teacher even prepared for it. Only for nothing to happen. The two former friends just stared each other down, neither speaking nor willing to break away.
To the class' -and Izuku's- surprise, Bakugo left it alone and just returned to his seat. Izuku raised a brow at his behavior but thought nothing more of it. The rest of homeroom continued on from there, and Izuku went back to working on his notes, just waiting for the day to go on.
- MUSUTAFU, CITY STREETS -
Elsewhere in Musutafu, around noon, a cry was heard.
"Someone! Call the heroes!"
Rushing down the street was a man with a Quirk that turned his physical body into a green sludge. Loose bills of money fluttered from his viscous body as he was fleeing the scene of a robbery he had committed.
The villain called out, challenging all who could hear him, "Go ahead, just try and catch me!"
Several citizens watched helplessly as the villain passed them by. Some wondered just what to do.
"Where are the heroes?"
"They might still be busy handling the mess at the station. They're trying to get the trains to run again."
Walking out of a convenience store was a rather emaciated, skeletal-looking man holding his recent purchase of groceries. He wore a baggy, white t-shirt and olive-green cargo pants with a belt that had a large buckle wrapped tightly around his waist. He had tan skin and bright blonde hair that was messy and scraggly, with two long bangs drooping down his face. But where his body showed frailty, his eyes seemed to glow a bright blue and held a powerful sense of justice.
"There's no end to villains these days."
Unknown to the surrounding citizens, the man bulked up, his body growing large muscles that were on full display under his now tight shirt. His posture straightening up while his hair slicked cleanly back, with his bangs now styled upward. The most striking feature was the bright, wide smile he displayed.
"There is an end," the man responded
Several people in the crowd turned around, shocked to see the man standing there.
"Why?"
The fleeing villain saw the man's experience out of the corner of his eye, causing them to widen in panic. He exerted himself in order to escape as quickly as possible, all to get away from the man he recognized and feared.
The larger-than-life man's eyes seemed to glow brighter as he spoke once more, his voice brimming with confidence and power. "BECAUSE I AM HERE!"
- ALDERA HIGH -
Class had now ended and Izuku was finishing up writing some notes for a potential Psych based on Kamui's special move. He thought that being able to capture the villains in a similar way would be something to consider for the future. All he needed to do was to create an appropriate Psych.
'I should talk with Aizawa-sensei next time I see him. Maybe he can give me some pointers or ideas based on his capture scarf. Shinso has gotten the hang of it, maybe he can help too,' Izuku thought as he finished up his writing.
Heavy footsteps grabbed Izuku's attention, causing him to pause his work. His emerald green eyes glanced up and saw Bakugo standing over him, with two of Bakugo's followers standing several feet away, intent on seeing what they would do to mess with Izuku.
"Yes, Bakugo? Is there something you need?" Izuku asked. He merely stared at the ash-blonde, wondering what was going on in his mind. Izuku prepared himself in case he needed to use his Psychs, with Orbit already being prepped with energy.
After several intense seconds, Bakugo spoke. "Deku." He paused as the tension built up. His followers were getting antsy, waiting to see what would happen. "You better not fuck up getting into U.A., you damn nerd." The two cronies' faces faltered, their jaws dropping at what they heard. Izuku and Bakugo paid them no mind as he continued, "You think you're hot shit now, don't you? Well, listen here. I'm going to be the next top hero. That is a fact. But I want to prove to you that you're still the shitty Deku you've always been."
Bakugo quickly turned and made his way to the door before he suddenly came to a stop to glare at Izuku over his shoulder. "So get your ass into U.A. We'll settle it there." His red eyes narrowed as he finished, "You hear me?"
The teen left no time for Izuku to respond before he left the room. His two followers looked back and forth at Izuku and the door before realizing Bakugo was leaving them behind.
"Hey! Bakugo!"
"Wait for us, man!"
Izuku just looked at the door where Bakugo left. The ash-blonde's actions confused him, but he listened to Bakugo's words and steeled his resolve. "Yeah, we'll settle it there, Bakugo."
Izuku returned to packing away his things. He rummaged through his backpack and took out his headphones, placing them around his neck as he made his way to the door. Right as he stepped through, Shinso materialized out of now where, causing Izuku to jump back in surprise.
"AHHHH!" Izuku was unable to hold back a scream.
"Sup, Izuku," Shinso replied dryly.
Izuku swore that he spotted a ghost of a smirk on his friend's face, but ignored it, instead he clutched at his heart and focused on steadying his breathing. "Shinso what the hell!?"
"Practicing my Aizawa impression, obviously," Shinso stated matter-of-factly. "You have your weird-ass All Might face morphing. I figured I was already halfway there for an Aizawa one."
Izuku stared at his friend blankly before erupting into a fit of laughter. Shinso gave him a tired grin, and the two made their way to the school's entrance.
"So, how was your day? Did your teacher give you the 'Think of your future' speech, too?" Shinso asked.
"Yeah," Izuku answered, "got everyone excited about it. Bakugo talked about going to U.A. and gave his whole 'You all are extras' spiel."
"Sounds like him," Shinso commented with a derisive snort.
The two had changed out of their shoes, put on their regular footwear, and left the school. Izuku continued, "Yeah, but he talked to me after class. Like talked, talked. Didn't yell or anything. Just said that I better make it into U.A."
Shinso hummed in thought at what Izuku said. The two reached the gates when Shinso voiced his opinion. "Maybe what you said did something. Who knows?" He shrugged. "Might actually just be an asshole instead of an absolute asshole now."
Izuku chuckled dryly. "Maybe. Guess we'll see when we get to U.A."
Shinso nodded. "Yeah." As they two made it to the school's gate, he pointed his thumb in the opposite direction Izuku was heading. "Well, sorry to say I can't hang out today. Need to get home for a family dinner later."
Izuku understood and waved a dismissive hand at his friend. "No worries Shinso. Say hello to your parents for me."
"Will do. Later, Izuku," Shinso said as he began his way home.
"Later, Shinso." Izuku waved goodbye to his friend and watched him tread down the city streets. Izuku turned the other way and thought about what to do now as he wandered down the street.
'Haven't been to the park in a while,' He thought. It was a rather nice day and the walk would do him some good.
He stopped when he got a notification from his phone. He pulled it out of his pocket and quickly opened Hero Scramble, navigating to his chat logs.
LadyMateria: Hello again. Sorry to disturb you so soon after school let out.
LadyMateria: But...
LadyMateria: I think I just need someone to talk to at the moment.
BUNYMIGHT: What's wrong Materia?
LadyMateria: ...
LadyMateria: It seems that I had my hopes up when I told my classmates the news about my recommendation.
Izuku could already tell where this conversation was going. He couldn't help but feel frustrated for his friend, knowing what LadyMateria was talking about.
BUNYMIGHT: Don't listen to them.
BUNYMIGHT: I know you earned your spot on the recommended exam. I learned that just by talking with you.
BUNYMIGHT: You just need to believe that you yourself, earned it.
LadyMateria: I wish I could.
LadyMateria: It gets hard to ignore the noise when that's all you hear.
Izuku stopped and thought about what to say. It reminded him a little of Shinso when he first met him. He let out a mirthless chuckle at the memory. 'Seems Aizawa is right. I'm a Problem Child who likes to look out for other Problem Children.' It was just who Izuku was. Always willing to do all he could to help out a friend.
BUNYMIGHT: Yeah. I know it can be tough.
BUNYMIGHT: But I learned a long time ago when I had to deal with it. That having one person saying otherwise can help.
BUNYMIGHT: My mentor helped me learn to believe in myself.
BUNYMIGHT: So until you believe in yourself, I will believe in you.
BUNYMIGHT: And when you do, I will still believe in you.
Izuku waited for LadyMateria to respond. He knew it could be a long wait, but he didn't mind. Thankfully, it wasn't long until his phone released a familiar chime.
LadyMateria: Thank you. You seem to always help me in my time of need. To think it all started because of a raid.
BUNYMIGHT: Strange things happen every day. Just up to us to interpret it in a way that makes sense to us.
LadyMateria: Quite. Then I better do my best. I have a friend to meet when we get into UA.
BUNYMIGHT: I will see you there, Materia. I still need to take you to Café Wildkat when we get there.
LadyMateria: Yaoyorozu Momo. You can call me Momo. I would think that my friend has earned the right to call me by my name, wouldn't you agree?
BUNYMIGHT: Izuku. Midoriya Izuku.
LadyMateria: It is a pleasure to finally know you, Izuku.
BUNYMIGHT: Same here Momo.
Izuku struggled to maintain his cool at the moment. Because he realized something important.
"I WAS TALKING TO A GIRL!"
He failed.
- MUSUTAFU, TATOOIN STATION -
Repairs at the Tatooin Station had progressed enough to allow trains to run again. A train slowly pulled in not soon after, allowing several passengers to step out onto the slightly damaged platform. Trailing behind the crowd was a teenage girl wearing a black cat hoodie coat. The ears and tail of the coat bobbed up and down as she bounced off steps of the stairway towards the city streets.
She stopped as she made it down to the bottom of the station and looked around, seeing some of the damage still being repaired from the earlier attack.
"Some people have no respect. You'd think villains would at least not be total assholes and make peoples' commutes harder," she said to herself.
Her hand reached into her coat's pocket and pulled out her phone. She took a moment to mentally debate with herself until she finally opened her Hero Scramble app. Scrolling through the freshly installed app, her gray eyes landed on the agency team-up tab and added a name to the search bar.
HS: Team-up request sent to the BUNYMIGHT Agency.
"Please accept it, Buny..." the girl whispered. She pocketed her phone and thought of what to do in the meantime.
"Guess I can explore a bit. Maybe go check out that café he always hyped up." She decided. A thought came to mind, causing her deep-red lips to curl into a cat-like smile. "I might even see him there."
The young woman walked the streets of Musutafu with an extra spring in her steps, absentmindedly taking the time to see the sights and sounds of the new city around her.
Izuku took a scenic route to the park this time around, wanting to just enjoy the peace of the city. This specific route took him through an overpass tunnel. He paid it no mind as he listened to his music, not once noticing a pile of green sludge build up behind him. As he neared the end of the tunnel, he stopped as his training with Aizawa kicking in as he felt something was wrong.
Izuku looked over his shoulder as the mass of sludge continued to build up. He spun around, worry apparent on his face as the villain continued to take form. Taking up a stance, Izuku channeled his energy into the pair of Psychs pinned to his uniform's cuffs.
Soon, an enormous mouth with jagged teeth and yellowed eyes with red irises emerged from the sludge as a distorted voice rang out. "Well, well, well. A medium-sized skin suit. Perfect for hiding from that bastard."
Izuku acted quickly as the viscous villain lunged forward to overtake him. Izuku nimbly dodged it, frustrating the villain, who twisted his body in order to keep his eyes on the green-haired teen.
The villain's voice was full of rage when he spoke again. "Come on, kid. It won't take but a minute. I just need your body. You'll be a real HEROOOOO!"
The Sludge Villain lashed out at Izuku, sending out a gooey tentacle to strike and grab the teen. Izuku acted quickly again and called on Excalibur. He ducked under the attack and sent out a slash of his own and cut cleanly through the viscous appendage. '
His body is a liquid, not solid. That may sting him, but it shouldn't kill him. Still, better be careful,' Izuku concluded.
"AHHHHH! FUCK! You little shit!" The villain cried out. He leaned closer to Izuku as he raged at the teen. "You know, I was going to be a nice guy. I was going to make it quick and painless. But now..." The living sludge wound up another strike, his arm reforming from the mass of sludge he still had left. "I'M GOING TO TAKE MY TIME AND MAKE IT HURT YOU FUCKER!"
He launched his arm forward again. This time, it split into several tentacles, attempting to overwhelm Izuku.
The teen, however, maintained focus and countered the villain's attack. He deftly slashed through the tentacles, proving to be a difficult target, causing the villain to grow worried. That worry soon grew to a higher degree as the manhole cover behind him rattled, the sound of laughter being heard by both Izuku and the Villain.
"No! I thought I had more time!" The Sludge Villain whimpered.
The manhole cover blasted off the ground and bounced several feet away. The silhouette of a large man crouching down, highlighted by the light behind him and creating a powerful silhouette. His booming voice echoed off the walls of the tunnel as he spoke, "You've done well, young man. Now, let me take things over from here."
The man stood up and Izuku smiled, recognizing the stature and voice of the man who came to his aid. The No. 1 Hero of Japan.
All Might.
All Might's eyes glowed brightly as he smiled. "FOR I AM HERE!"
The Sludge Villain cowered and shrunk in on himself as he tried to find a way out of this situation. In his panic, he attacked All Might, who easily dodged the villain's wild attacks. Then he slammed his foot down and wound up his arm, readying an attack of his own. Izuku couldn't help but smile as he witnessed what was happening, feeling the need to pinch himself. That excitement turned to concern not a second later, 'Wait... the villain is in front of me... and All Might is about to attack.'
"TEXAS..." All Might said, his voice booming throughout the tunnel.
'Crap baskets!' Izuku began to panic.
"SMAAAAAAASH!" All Might punched, the immense power behind the strike being sent out with a forceful wind that whipped through the tunnel.
The wind pressure quickly broke apart the Sludge Villain's body, causing him to cry out in defeat, "Damn... You..."
The pressure blew past the Villain and towards Izuku, who, while panicking, quickly came up with a plan. As the wind forcefully knocked into him, Izuku used Orbit to wrap himself in his own telekinetic energy and keep himself firmly planted against the ground. The Sludge Villain's remains shot out, threatening to slam into Izuku, who used Excalibur while maintaining Orbit to cut through the sludge.
As the wind died down, Izuku relaxed and released Orbit. Even then, his analytical mind noticing something new with his Psych, causing him to ignore the world around him. 'Huh. If I use Orbit on myself, it doesn't drain as fast compared to if I use it on someone else. Good to know... Why didn't I try that before!?' His train of thought was broken as he noticed All Might approach him.
"Well done holding your own with that villain, young man. And what a clever use of your Quirk at the end there," All Might said to Izuku, his voice brimming with pride.
The young man's mind ran a mile a minute at the thought of his idol praising him. There were so many things to say to him. "THANKYOUALLMIGHT!" So, he would just have to settle with that.
"Ha ha, think nothing of it, young man. Now if you will excuse me, I better get this Villain contained!" All Might began to dig through his grocery bag and proceeded to pour out two bottles to empty them. The Pro Hero began to scoop up the remains of the Sludge Villain when Izuku spoke up.
"Let me help you. My Quirk should be able to help out with this," Izuku offered. 'At least I hope it can. The guy was made of sludge, after all.'
All Might looked at the teen and his smile seemed to grow larger at the offer. He tossed the second bottle to Izuku. "By all means, young man. And we'll keep this Quirk use between us. After all, you already had to defend yourself that this really shouldn't be an issue." All Might was glad the teen offered to help. It would help speed up the process and ensure that the hero didn't hit his time limit.
Izuku sent out energy to Orbit and got to work while All Might did his own fair share. Izuku's hunch was correct, as he could easily use his Psych to gather the scattered sludge despite it being part of a living person.
"Maybebecausehisbodyismoreofaliquidthanasolid,IjustsawthatIcanuseOrbitonmyselfwithoutthesameissuesIhavewhenusingitonanotherperson.MaybeIshou-"
"Are you alright young man? That's quite the mutter storm you got going on," All Might said, causing Izuku to blink owlishly at the hero.
"S-Sorry All Might. I just learned some new things about one of my Psychs and I got rather excited at the possible applications." The teen replied sheepishly. He quickly returned to gathering the sludge before Orbit drained itself. How both he and All Might managed to contain it all in two large bottles made him question the laws of the universe, but he knew an Aizawa and a Shinso and they could down pots of coffee and still be exhausted. If anything, he was more concerned that the bottle that had the villain's eyes and mouth glared at him with rage.
"Thank you for your help, young man. I appreciate the gesture," All Might said, thanking the teen.
"I-it's no problem All Might. I'm just glad I could help," Izuku replied. "OH! AN AUTOGRAPH!" He dug through his backpack but stopped to look sheepishly at All Might, realizing that his excitement got the better of him. "Um, sorry. I mean, do you mind if I got your autograph, All Might, sir?"
All Might laughed heartily at Izuku's antics. "HA HA! I don't mind at all. Consider it my further thanks for you helping me out."
"Thank you All Might!" Izuku cheered. He pulled out his Psychs notebook and handed it to All Might. "I-if you could, could you sign the blank page next to the one labeled 'Ego'?"
"Sure thing." All Might took the notebook and a marker into his hands and looked at the cover. 'Psychs? Must be the name of his Quirk,' The hero thought to himself. He opened the notebook and flipped through it, curious to see its contents. His brows shot up as he read through several of the Psychs listed. 'Psychokinesis. Pyrokinesis. ENERGY ATTACKS. HEALING? WHAT IS THIS QUIRK?!' He turned to the front of the notebook and saw the entry on Ego and was further intrigued. His curiosity got the better of him and he soon had to ask the teen to elaborate on his Quirk.
"Young man, this is a rather interesting Quirk. How does it work?" All Might asked.
"Oh! Well, my Quirk is whatever I make of it, in a way," Izuku remarked quietly. He raised his left arm and showed the No. 1 Hero his Verdant Orbit pin. All Might inspected the pin as Izuku elaborated further, "My Quirk is called Psychs. It works by using pins that activate my stockpiled energy. The pins each have their own power that I imagine they have when I make them. I have to design them myself, from the initial idea all the way to the production of the pin. This one, Verdant Orbit, was inspired by my mom's Quirk."
All Might was impressed so far. Izuku then went to take off the pin clipped to his collar. He felt the hum of his Quirk die down as he handed it to All Might, the Hero gently taking the pin that seemed so small in his large hands. All Might looked at the pin and saw some inspiration put in that was based on him. He also felt drawn to it in a way he couldn't really explain.
"This is Ego. It's my first pin and the one that makes it all work," Izuku explained. "This one was inspired by you."
All Might looked at the young man in front of him. "By me, you say?"
"Yeah." Izuku looked at his Hero and spoke, his voice full of life as he did, "You're my hero, All Might. I grew up wanting to be a hero like you. It's my dream..." All Might saw the teen get lost in his memories, his green eyes flashing through several emotions as he spoke, "But I had a hard time with my Quirk. So much so that it made it hard to think I could achieve that dream. But I met my mentor at a park not too far from here. In front of a mural of you. He helped me by just talking and later helped me make this pin. But I learned what this pin was supposed to mean through all of that."
Izuku's eyes shined with confidence, a confidence that was carried by his words. "This pin is who I am. And who I want to be. And I want to be a hero like you! I want to show the world that won't give up! That no matter what, I will be a hero they can depend on! I want to be a hero for all!"
All Might's smile widened at the teen's declaration. He handed Izuku Ego back, unaware that the pin seemed to draw power from the older hero, and signed Izuku's notebook. As he handed it back, he felt his Quirk growing weaker, but he ignored it. Instead, he focused on the resounding feeling from his Quirk that seemed to be drawn to the teen. He decided this needed to be said, so All Might spoke up, his voice quieter than his usual boisterous cadence but carrying sincerity behind his words. "Young man. I believe what you said speaks volumes about you. And I can say, without a doubt, just on those words alone, YOU ARE ALREADY ON THE PATH TO BECOMING A GREAT HERO!"
Izuku began to tear up at All Might's words. His hand clenched around Ego tightly, the hum of his Quirk produced now going wild as he held onto the black and white pin. All Might smiled but shook his head at the teen. Izuku finally calmed down. "T-Thank you, All Might. You don't know how much that means to me."
"Think nothing of it." All Might was about to leave when he turned to the teen one last time. "What is your name, young man?"
Izuku blinked in surprise at the question but answered quickly. "M-Midoriya Izuku, All Might, sir!"
"Well then, young Midoriya, hold on to that spirit of yours. I will be honest and say that there will be many people who will wish to see you broken." He paused as he said that last part. He could feel the pain in his side as he remembered the one who wanted him broken. "BUT A HERO IS ONE WHO CAN OVERCOME SUCH ADVERSITY, AND A STRONG HERO KEEPS SMILING TO REASSURE THOSE AROUND THEM! SO STAND UP TALL, SMILE BRIGHTLY, AND LET THE WORLD KNOW WHO YOU ARE! AND THAT YOU ARE THERE FOR THEM!"
Izuku's eyes brightened once more as he took in the hero's words. All might gave him a wave goodbye and prepared to jump, "Well then young Midoriya, I must be off. Better get this guy to the police as soon as possible. Farewell!"
And with that, All Might leaped into the air as Izuku watched on in awe. Once the hero was just a speck in the sky, Izuku through his fists into the air, finally let loose all his contained excitement.
"I GOT ALL MIGHT'S AUTOGRAPH!!!!!!!!!"
All Might was sailing through the air, off on his way to the police. As the wind blew through his hair, enjoying the thrill of pseudo-flight, All Might suffered a major coughing fit. Blood spewed from his mouth as he focused on maintaining his form long enough to land somewhere. Unknown to him, his coughing was forceful enough to cause a bottle with the Sludge Villain's remains to fall out of his pocket and plummet to the city below.
All Might landed on top of a skyscraper as his Quirk finally gave out, and with a poof of smoke, he reverted back to his skeletal form. "Shit," he swore while wiping the blood from his mouth. "I pushed myself too far." He sat down to relax for a moment and to catch his breath. "Just need to rest a bit."
"Yo, Bakugo, everything alright?"
"The fuck do you mean, Fingers?" Bakugo questioned the teen following him.
"I mean with Midoriya, man. Ever since you chased after him and Zombie, you haven't really messed with him." The teen had a smug smirk on his face as he continued to speak, "You aren't going soft, are ya?"
Bakugo, in a brief fit of rage, kicked a bottle filled with a disgusting green liquid into a wall, causing the cap to loosen. "The fuck you say, Fingers!?"
What the teens didn't notice was the bottle then bounced off of the head of a teenage girl wearing a black cat hoodie coat.
"OW! What the hell, you jerk!?" she cried out.
Bakugo and his two followers turned to face the girl, who stared irately at them. Bakugo returned the stare as the other two didn't hide the fact they were checking her out. Ignoring the other tow, Bakugo spoke up, "You should watch where you're going, extra."
"Oh, I'm sorry," she said mockingly, crossing her arms under her breasts. "I didn't realize that you needed an entire street clear for your ego to get through."
That caused Bakugo to grit his teeth. He stomped over to the girl, not noticing the bottle he kicked begin to shake violently and open as the green liquid spilled out.
"The fuck you say you shitty extra?" Bakugo growled out, letting his Quirk set off as sparks erupted from his palms.
The girl noticed and went further with her barbs, unafraid of the ash-blonde in front of her. She leaned forward, turning her head slightly, and placed one hand on her hips and the other behind her ear. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize that you must be hard of hearing with you going boom boom every time you make a mess."
"Who the fuck do you think you are!?" Bakugo roared. As he argued with the hoodie girl, the viscous liquid from the bottle took on a more sludge-like form. Bakugo's followers noticed and tried to get his attention, but he was too enraged by the girl in front of them to notice.
"Wouldn't you like to know, Sparky? Guess I have the advantage." Her gray eyes narrowed as she stared down Bakugo. "I know exactly who you are, asshole."
Soon the sludge grew in mass and made its presence known. Bakugo's followers trembled in fear as they watched on, their legs shaking as they crept backwards.
"I know who you are, too," a distorted, watery voice said. The mass of sludge towered over Bakugo and the teen girl, the freed villain's eyes narrowing on the two teens as he smiled a wicked grin. His next words chilled the two to the bone. "Two perfect skin suits for me to use."
All Might had left the building he was resting at and continued on his way to the police station to hand over the captured Villain.
"Well, it's time to get you to-" All Might paused when felt that one of his pockets was empty. He panicked as he tried to think about what could have happened and realized that the bottle must have fallen while he was still in the air.
'Shit. I should have done a better job of holding on to him. I was too lax,' he reprimanded himself.
The nearby sounds of explosions broke All Might free from his thoughts, drawing his attention to the growing plume of smoke off in the distance.
"No, not now!" All Might rushed to the scene, hoping that maybe the other heroes could handle it.
Izuku was over the moon as he made his way to Café Wildkat. He wanted to show off the autograph he got from All Might to Mr. H. But his excitement was cut short as the sound of an explosion broke through the city.
'That was rather close to here,' he thought. 'Maybe another villain attack is happening.'
He debated on whether to go see it or to continue on his way to the café.
The hero nerd side of him easily won out with little issue. 'Maybe I can see something new.'
Izuku diverted from his path and headed to the scene. As he got closer, he noticed several buildings were ablaze as multiple heroes struggled to keep the crowds safe from the attack. He saw Backdraft fight against the growing fires, doing all he could to stop them from spreading. Mt. Lady could not do much with her giant form, so she worked to protect the crowd from the bursts of fire or debris that blew towards them.
"Fire is my natural weakness, and with all these explosions, I can't get too close!" He heard Kamui Woods call out.
"RARGH!" He saw Death Arms attempt to throw a punch into a familiar mass of sludge, only to fail to do anything to it. "I can't get through it!" He said as he jumped back from an attack.
Izuku saw the sludge and grew worried as his mind raced. 'But, All Might had him contained! How did he get out!?' Izuku looked around the area, desperately trying to find any sign of the No. 1 Hero. 'Where is he? Why isn't he here?'
"Those two won't last much longer!" One hero exclaimed worriedly.
Izuku turned to the hero and listened in on the conversation happening.
"He's got two hostages, right?" Another asked.
Izuku grew even more worried. He remembered fearing what the Sludge Villain would do to him if he got captured when he fought the villain. But to hear that the villain now had two people in his clutches made Izuku's stomach drop. The crowd's reaction wasn't matters.
"Hey, isn't that the villain that All Might was chasing?"
'Yes.' Izuku mentally answered.
"Where is All Might!?"
'He should still be nearby!' He wanted to cry out.
"Why aren't the heroes doing anything to help those kids?!"
"We gotta wait for another hero with the right Quirk. We don't have anything effective." The hero's words were spoken quietly, but Izuku heard them all the same. Izuku stared at the hero in disbelief. He could understand Quirk advantages, but in a case like this, they should still be able to find a way to save the hostages.
All Might stood on the sidelines, leaning against a pole as he watched on in frustration.
Frustrated that the Villain escaped.
Frustrated at what he heard from the heroes.
And frustrated at himself for not doing more. 'Even after what I told young Midoriya, I just can't...'
Izuku was having his own internal struggle. He wanted to yell out at the heroes to do more, but would they even listen to a civilian? He wanted to help, but what could he do? As he battled on with his thoughts, he finally caught a glimpse of the hostages.
He recognized the spiky, ash-blonde hair of Bakugo as he struggled to free himself from the Sludge Villain's hold. The mouth of the Villain smiled gleefully as he manipulated Bakugo's body to fire off more explosions, keeping the Heroes at bay. Izuku saw his former friend and tormentor fight for control, but to ultimately fail.
It was the other hostage that got his attention, though. A teenage girl his age wearing a black cat hoodie who struggled to free her arms and legs as they continued to be held in place by the villain. The sludge slowly trailed up her body, threatening to fully envelop her. Soon, the sludge moved across her head and covered her mouth, hindering her breathing. In her struggle, she looked at the crowd.
And her gray eyes focused on Izuku.
Time seemed to slow down at that moment as Izuku looked at her. There was a glint of recognition in her eyes as she looked at him. He didn't know why, but he felt like he knew her, as if his heart were reaching out to her.
Okay. Just... If I can help, you only have to ask.
He saw her free one of her arms as her fingers dug through the sludge. Her hands shifted into black and white claws and tore through most of it, but could only do so much as the sludge kept reinforcing its hold on her. She then held out her hand and reached out for Izuku.
If I need a hero I know who to call. Thanks, Dork.
And Izuku rushed forward.
"HEY! KID! GET BACK HERE!"
"WHAT THE HELL IS HE DOING?"
Izuku paid them no mind. He only focused on moving forward, his mind on the goal. To help Bakugo. To help the girl. If the heroes decided they couldn't do anything, then someone had to.
He blitzed past the dancing flames that stung and singed his skin and uniform as he passed through them. As he edged closer to the villain, he thought about the heroes who did nothing, claiming to need a better Quirk. It infuriated him and he understood why, as Mr. H's words to him filled his mind.
"And? Quirks just happen to be one aspect of a person, Phones. You can have the greatest Quirk in the world but that doesn't make you a hero. It's how you use that power you are given that makes you one." Mr H. turned fully to face Izuku wanting to make sure the message stuck with him. He lightly poked Izuku's chest to drive the point home. "So tell me, why do you want to be a hero?"
As the memories rushed through his mind, he answered the question his mentor asked him that day. 'I WANT THEM TO KNOW THEY CAN COUNT ON ME!'
The Sludge Villain took notice of Izuku charging through to him and smiled. "So the little green fucker comes back for round two. Well, guess what, you little shit? I ain't going down so EASILY!" He rocketed several sludge tentacles at Izuku.
"Being a hero isn't just a job, it's a calling. Anyone can be a hero, from the smallest interaction to the biggest action. You doing all you can for others can make you a hero to someone."
"I will do everything I can to help those in need!" Izuku loudly declared. His words stunned the crowd behind him as they were fully enraptured by the reckless bravery of the teen rushing head-first into danger.
As the tentacles neared him, Izuku drew energy to Excalibur and executed several counterattacks, hacking and slashing away at the sludge without losing his momentum. As the sludge dissipated and fell to the ground, he used Orbit to pull another pin from his backpack. He grabbed the black and green pin and clipped it next to Orbit as he continued his charge.
All Might watched intently as the boy he met earlier never lost a step as he bravely, and foolishly, charged into a dangerous situation like this. But All Might saw the look in Izuku's eyes. He saw how Izuku moved.
"No hesitation. All to help those in need." All Might smiled brightly as he watched on.
"YOU ARE AN ANNOYING LITTLE INSECT!" The Sludge Villain raged. He raised his arm and built up a mass of sludge into it, intent on slamming it down on the freckled teen. "AND I'LL CRUSH YOU LIKE ONE!!!"
Izuku noticed quickly how fast the attack was coming. His earlier encounter with the villain came to him, and he quickly applied his Orbit in a new way. Using his energy to wrap it around himself, Izuku quickly side-stepped the arm slam by flinging himself out of the way. He then used Excalibur and stabbed it into the arm, continuously cut along it as he maintained his charge.
'Like Aizawa said, do what you can to disable a Villain. The Villain uses his sludge to empower his attacks, so let's cut away his mass,' Izuku observed.
The Sludge Villain screamed as he failed to take down the teen and at the loss of his sludge. He hunkered down to conserve his remaining mass, all the while glaring at Izuku. He manipulated Bakugo by forcing him to raise his arm and prepared to fire off his Quirk. A quick explosion erupted from the ash-blonde's palm as fire and smoke blasted outward.
Izuku, having already faced Bakugo's explosions in the past, knew when to dodge and did so easily. As the heat of the explosion blew past him, Izuku planned his next move. 'Can I grab him with Orbit, like last time?' Izuku reached out but could feel Orbit struggle in his attempt to grab the Sludge Villain with its energy, only to feel his Psych struggle against the villain. 'Crap baskets! It must be because he is a single mass now. I'll have to use it on Bakugo and the girl. I may have to cut away at the sludge to free them a bit to make it easier for me.'
Izuku studied the villain and noticed his eyes. 'His eyes and his mouth are the only real physical part of his body. If I hit those, that should give me and the hostages more time.' With his plan set, he raised his left arm and connected his energy to Buster-Shot, releasing an energy round that shot out and hit the Sludge Villain's eye.
"GAH!" The hit caused the living sludge to recoil and begin releasing his hold on his hostages. The villain's mouth slid off of Bakugo's face, allowing the ash-blonde a chance to breathe, with the excess sludge shifting off of the girl enough for her to do the same.
"Deku, the fuck are you doing, you nerd!?" Bakugo demanded as he coughed up the remaining sludge in his throat.
"Bakugo, save it for later. For now, just focus on getting out of this!" Izuku chided his classmate as he focused his energy into Excalibur. He hacked away at the sludge around the two trapped teens, causing it to break apart and recede. Once he cleared enough away, he reached out with Orbit, focusing on the two.
As he did, he failed to notice the relieved and happy look on the hooded girl's face as she kept her gray eyes on him.
"Not so fast, hero!" The Sludge Villain recovered quicker than Izuku hoped and so he surged more energy into Orbit, hoping that it would do something. What he didn't notice due to the situation was Ego boost Orbit's power, allowing Izuku to grab both Bakugo and the girl with his psychokinesis and rip them free from the Sludge Villain's hold. The action caused the villain to slide back several feet at the sudden force, while the two freed teens were sent backward behind Izuku.
Bakugo didn't give an answer, but gave a subtle nod. Right now, Bakugo was running on adrenaline and was still trying to catch his breath and didn't seem to care that it was Izuku who came to rescue him.
The girl only looked at Izuku and returned his question with one of her own, concern lacing her voice as she spoke. "What about you? You look like you can barely keep from falling over."
Izuku gave her a shaky smile. "I'll be fine. I've been through worse." Despite his words, there was a small part of him that his actions would catch the attention of his mother. Or worse, Aizawa. 'I just hope he at least goes easy on me.'
Their discussion was broken up as the Sludge Villain returned, angrier than ever at Izuku's interference. "THAT'S IT!" He bellowed out, "I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" He attempted to slam another mass of sludge down onto Izuku. Bakugo tried to fire off an explosion to blow the sludge away, but his Quirk refused to act, his body struggling to produce even a pop at the moment. The Izuku could only watch as his body refused to move. He closed his eyes and braced for the hit.
Only to hear something else stop the attack.
"You really are proving me correct, young Midoriya." Izuku, Bakugo, and the girl all look up to see All Might standing before them, the Sludge Villain's arm wrapped around his own. "If you can rise to the occasion, then I must be willing to go above and beyond as well!"
All Might then shifted his focused onto the Sludge Villain who shook in fear at the timely arrival of the No. 1 Hero. "Now then, it's time for your villainy to end!"
All Might ripped his arm free from the sludge, causing it to splatter against the ground. And with a powerful punch, All Might struck the Villain, "DETROIT SMASH!"
The force of the attack blew through the Villain with ease, causing him to explode from the pressure. The wind generated from the punch blew with a powerful gust of force, creating a small tornado on the spot. Mt. Lady and the other heroes did what they could to protect the civilians, blocking most of the high-pressure winds from knocking them all over. Izuku forced his Quirk into action once more and used Orbit to hold down himself, Bakugo, and the girl, keeping them from being blown away.
The last thing he saw was the tornado disappearing, and raindrops hitting his skin as he passed out from pushing his Psychs' limits too much.
The next thing Izuku knew when he awoke was him getting checked over by paramedics, who had arrived not long after the recapture of the Sludge Villain. He watched as Bakugo was getting praised for his Quirk and his bravery for having to withstand the Villain taking him hostage. He could see the irritation build up from the ash-blonde teen. Even he saw this as useless praise and just wanted to get out of there.
The girl he rescue was getting checked over by medics not far from Izuku. She stole a glance at him now and then, though she was subtle enough about it. Izuku could see her frown several times, a disappointed look forming on her face, but he could tell it wasn't directed at him. Part of him wanted to go see how she was doing.
Unfortunately, the Heroes wouldn't let him. Specifically Kamui Woods and Death Arms.
"What were you thinking? You could have gotten yourself killed out there, kid!" Death Arms shouted at Izuku. The loud noise and harsh tone from the hero caused Izuku to flinch slightly in response.
"That, and you used your Quirk illegally. You interfered with a Hero Operation and could have hurt the hostages," Kamui Woods stated much more calmly.
Izuku just sat there quietly as he took in their words. He agreed with them on some level, but there was a bigger part of him that just didn't agree with them. And, unfortunately, he decided to voice that opinion.
"And how long until a hero with the right Quirk showed up?" His eyes met the two heroes who had the decency to flinch at his words. Izuku kept talking, "I don't know why I ran out there. But I know one thing. You gave up too quickly! Why didn't you find a way to do more?"
Death Arms gritted his teeth, as Kamui seemed to consider Izuku's words.
"Listen here Punk, you're about five seconds-" Death Arms said, only to be cut off by All Might, who joined the conversation.
"I believe young Midoriya here knows what he did right and wrong, Death Arms," All Might intervened, preventing the hero from speaking further. "Do I agree with you two that what he did was reckless? Absolutely." Those words caused Izuku to flinch. "But he did what any hero should have done. Doing all they can to help those around them. To save everyone they can."
Izuku looked at All Might in shock and awe. "Let's let the young man off with a warning this time. I would hate to end the career of a future Hero before it even begins."
Death Arms and Kamui considered it and seemed to drop the matter for now. Not before Death Arms gave Izuku one last look before walking off. Izuku let out a held breath as the Heroes returned to the crowd and turned to look at All Might. The No. 1 Hero gave him a wide smile as he spoke, "Young Midoriya. Again, what you did was reckless. You should leave it to the Heroes, or at least wait until you get your Hero License before rushing headlong into danger like that. But I must thank you, young Midoriya."
Izuku looked at All Might in confusion. "W-what do you mean All Might?"
"FOR REMINDING ME THAT THE GREATEST ARE THE ONES THAT MOVE WITHOUT THINKING TO SAVE EVEN JUST ONE PERSON!" All Might said proudly to the green-haired teen. He placed a hand on the Izuku's shoulder and gave it a firm squeeze. "I look forward to seeing how you grow as a hero, young Midoriya."
All Might stepped away, gave the teen one last wave, and leaped away. 'So you are the one of the students with potential that Aizawa was talking about. Yes. I can't wait to see what kind of hero you grow into, young Midoriya. Maybe you are who I am looking for.'
Izuku watched as All Might disappeared into the sky. His attention was soon drawn to Bakugo, whose abrasive voice called out to him, "Listen here, Deku." Izuku turned to look at the ash-blonde teen, waiting to hear what he would say next. "Don't think this changes anything. We're still settling things at U.A."
Bakugo turned and walked away before calling out to the Izuku one more time. "And don't fuck up, Deku! I won't accept this being a damn fluke!"
Izuku shook his head in disbelief at the Explosion user's words. He didn't let it bother him too much, and focused on what the medic was doing for him. With how much Izuku pushed his Quirk, he didn't want to risk using his Vitali-Tea Psych in case it somehow made things worse.
He blushed as he took in her features, now finally able to do so without the threat of a villain bearing down on him.
Izuku found her to be rather attractive, from her slim, maturing figure to her silky raven-black hair and her deep gray eyes. And of course, the very noticeable black cat hoodie-coat. Everything just seemed right to him when he looked at her.
The medics checking on her just finished their check-up as Izuku neared them. She thanked the medics and focused entirely on him.
"Hey," Izuku spoke up, "How are you holding up?"
"Fine," she replied. "I mean, aside from still finding bits of sludge in my hoodie."
Izuku cringed at her words, not at all envying her. "Yeeeeeah, that sounds like a wonderful time."
The two stood in an awkward silence as they struggled to find anything else to say. Izuku rubbed the back of his head. Due to his awkward nature, he didn't talk to girls too often, at least until recently he learned, and even then, any interactions with a girl in person were limited to single sentences.
The girl herself bit her lip, struggling to bring up a certain topic that weighed heavily on her mind.
"W-well," Izuku started, "I'm glad I was able to reach you and Bakugo in time. I-I hope you stay safe out there." Izuku turned to leave after giving the girl one last soft smile. Before he got too far away, he heard the girl speak up.
"Not exactly how I thought our first IRL meeting would go," she blurted out suddenly.
Izuku stopped and turned around to look at the girl, his confusion apparent on his face. She took that as a sign to keep talking, taking a second to breathe in deeply before continuing. "Honestly, I was hoping for something a little more chill. Maybe go searching for heroes on HS."
Izuku's eyes widened in realization. He took a tentative step toward the girl and asked a question he now desperately wanted an answer to.
He had to be sure. "KAT?"
The girl gave him a sad smile before nodding. "Hey Bun-Bun."
Izuku stood there, mouth agape as his mind rushed to find the next question to ask her. "What happened to you? I... I kept trying to reach you. L-left you so many messages on HS to just let you know how I was doing and trying to get a hold of you..."
"I'm sorry." Her response was quiet as her apology hung heavily in the air. Her hands went to tug the ears of her hoodie, pulling it down over her face, her coat's crooked tail drooping to match her mood as she spoke. "Some things happened, and I had to get away from some people in my life. Lost my phone and couldn't access my account. Even when I tried to get it back, I just couldn't."
She then brought out her phone. "So I started a new one. Even sent you a team-up request." Her expression shifted to a pout. A rather cute pout, and one that Izuku tried his hardest not to blush at even more than he had when he first looked at her. She leaned forward, getting in close to his face. "One you still haven't responded to yet, by the way."
"You did?" Izuku panicked. He hadn't even looked at his phone recently with everything that had been happening. When he finally took out his phone and opened Hero Scramble, sure enough, he had a new notification about a new team-up request.
HS: The ShoKAT Agency requests a Team-Up. Do you accept?
"Oops," Izuku said sheepishly to the girl. He immediately hit accept, and he was once again friends with KAT.
"Really? Oops?" The girl questioned him while crossing her arms under her chest, causing her full breasts to become much more noticeable to the blushing teen.
"Would you believe me if I said today has been rather interesting?" He rubbed the back of his head as he explained, "T-to be honest, not the first run-in I had with that blob of sludge. H-he tried to get me earlier today."
"What!?" the girl yelled out in surprise.
"B-but I was able to get an autograph from All Might out of it! A-and I may have been geeking out over that for the past hour..." Izuku gave her a shaky smile as she gave him a stern look. He was worried and wanted her to say something just to break the awkward tension.
"Sounds like you, you dork," she replied with a huff. A soft smile formed on her lips after that as she started to chuckle, which soon turned into a full fit of laughter.
Izuku laughed along with her with the tension between the two dying out as the two friends had finally reconnected after so long. Their laughter slowed down, and they shared a look as they smiled at one another.
Izuku held out his hand. "Izuku. Head of the BUNYMIGHT Agency."
The girl raised her hand to meet his and grasped it. "Shoka. Head of the new ShoKAT Agency."
"Nice to meet you again, Shoka." The two teens let go of the other's hand reluctantly, their fingers lingering for a moment before finally breaking apart.
"Same here, Izuku," Shoka said.
Izuku then had a sudden epiphany and fumbled with his phone, "O-oh! I have something for you. Been holding on to it for a while!" Izuku messed around with his HS account and sent over something to Shoka. "Since you said you have to start over, let me help you out a bit. Who better to have on your team than Lady Nagant."
Shoka couldn't believe what she heard, the chiming of her phone almost lost on her. Her eyes widened as she looked at the screen. On it was a stylized Lady Nagant as she was added to Shoka's new roster. Her mouth dropped as she looked at Izuku. "You... you found her?"
"Yeah. I kept her in my inactive roster, waiting for this moment." Izuku stated plainly.
Small tears formed in the corners of Shoka's eyes. She looked back down at her phone, letting the tears splash against the screen. With a quiet, shaky voice, she finally spoke up, "Thanks, Izuku."
Shoka looked up at Izuku and the two just shared another smile. Izuku, not wanting to waste this chance, asked Shoka a question, hoping she would accept his sudden proposal. "S-so... w-want to go somewhere? M-maybe get a cup of coffee?" Izuku's nervousness built up, a blush forming on his cheeks as he looked off to the side, his eyes darting back and forth to look at Shoka. "I-I know a really g-good café. I m-might have been wanting t-to take a friend there for a l-long time now."
Shoka chuckled at Izuku, causing his blush to deepen at hearing her melodious laugh. "Sounds good. I could go for a cup of joe. Sounds like this one place I heard about from a friend of mine. He really hyped it up."
"GREAT!" Izuku suddenly yelped before trying to recollect himself and recover from his embarrassing answer, "I-I mean, great!"
Shoka moved past Izuku and turned around, bringing her arms behind her back as she leaned forward. "Then what are we waiting for, Dork?"
Izuku and Shoka walked away from the scene, leaving behind the crowd of civilians, heroes, and police officers as they made their way to Café Wildkat. The two chatted about anything and everything, all while messing around with Hero Scramble.