Chapter 12: Volume 6, pt 1 On Our Way
Shota sighed, watching his students check for their trains and shiver in anticipation with their outfits in their cases. How many of them, he wondered, would not be coming back?
"Don't lose your costumes. Don't wear them without permission, but… just don't drop them," he managed, not sure what else he could say.
"Yeeeyahh!"
"And don't slur your "yeah" Ashido. Now be on your best behavior and go."
They dispersed towards their various directions, only Ida missing from the group. Ingenium (V) had, sadly, been taken from his friends early by Midnight and crammed into the plain, white kidnapper-van that was the Nightingale. Had he screamed "HELP!" any louder as she dragged him inside, someone might have actually tried to save him.
Probably Midoriya, Shota smirked to himself, feeling oddly sad to see them all go.
"Midnight-sensei-"
"Ah, ah, ah! I'm off duty," Midnight teased.
"K-kayama-sensei?"
"Acceptable," she yawned, "What's up?"
"I just… wondered why you're so intent on visiting my brother?"
Kayama sighed, leaning back in her chair and putting on a rather wistful expression. Surprisingly, she was not wearing her Hero Costume she seemed to adore so much. Rather, she was wearing an ultra large T-shirt which might have been a piece of Fatgum merchandise at one point early in his career, along with sandals and half-moon classes. The sleeves were rolled up to expose her arms, and the hem only went down to her mid-thigh.
The overall effect was that of someone who'd got out of bed, and was somehow worse than if she'd gone with her seductress outfit. Tenya was pretty sure he'd be dead by now if it wasn't for the fact he had ultimate control of his physical body and mind, thanks to years of dedicated training to become unbreakable.
"Tensei, Tensei, Tensei," she muttered, considering, "You know, back when we were at U.A. together, we were a bit like rivals. He got 1-B, I got 1-A. He was the one who could move the fastest, I was the one who brought everything to a screeching halt. We even got into a little bit of a costume battle in our third year. I swore mine could be the most efficient, and he tried to one-up me by getting a racecar built around him. So, naturally, I grabbed a pair of boots, a belt, and a trenchcoat and called it a day. I won, FYI."
Tenya was dead. Yep, he was absolutely deceased now. Goodbye Uraraka and Midoriya, his best friends. Midnight had claimed the life of a student, merely by reminiscing about her third year at U.A., where evidently she'd known his brother.
"The thing is, we only had four OTP's in our year," she sighed, her overly-dramatic tone coming out in spades, "Plus an OTT, but that wasn't really going anywhere after an accident we had during our Work-Studies. Everyone kept shipping me and Tensei, but I was so busy being the R-Rated Heroine and fantasising about a future full of young men serving my every whim while I lounged about home, I didn't see… just how lucky I would have been."
Kayama's voice became speculative and full of regret, making her seem suddenly much older and more weary.
"Your brother… he's probably one of the best out there, kid. Yeah, we all do sponsorship deals and play the part for the crowds, but he never believed his own character. He's never been an Ingenium true believer. He's always been about the people, the work, and his friends. I remember he wanted to induct a Vigilante into his team for a bit, license or no license. Let him get back to work on cleaning up the underground, of course, but only because Tensei admitted he'd be getting in the other guy's way if they teamed up."
Giving Tenya's shoulder a gentle punch to try and revive him, Kayama chuckled.
"I'll tell ya this, Tenya: if I'd been a little bit smarter about my life at your age, focused more on the job than the character of Midnight, I'd probably be your sister-in-law, and probably in the top 25 instead of just the top 100."
"That's why I became a teacher, see. I never wanted anyone to mess up how I did. Now, no matter who goes through my classroom, there won't be any more R-Rated Heroes who believe in harems. Just Heroes who put on the show so people can feel safe."
"Then, you're coming to learn from Tensei on how to become that Hero yourself?" he tried, earning himself a whack from her open hand.
"Jigoku no!" she scolded, "I'm gonna show him up on how I'm still better than he is! I even brought some of my raunchier outfits just to tease him!"
"Oh…"
After a moment of holding her serious face, she started laughing.
"Kid, you are too easy sometimes! Nah, I'm going to help him get back in the game. He's dropped three Hero rankings in the last year, and I'm gonna get him into the top 10 if it kills me! Not to mention, I can totally prove my powers of seduction are second to none. You know, I never actually managed to get him to sleep with me? Freakin' had five mistletoe encounters, and not even a peck on the cheek."
Tenya decided to go back to being dead. He liked it much better than hearing about Midnight and his brother, in anycontext. Kayama just laughed and pushed a little more into the gas, muttering something about proving she could get out of a ticket without effort. It was going to be a long week.
"Sir!" Izuku cried, leaping into the room and kneeling beside the figure to check his pulse.
Had he been attacked? How had he lost so much blood without it spreading more? Would paramedics even get here in time?
"I'M ALIVE!" he roared, sitting up suddenly and kicking Izuku off him.
"You're Alive!" Izuku confirmed, relieved and a little shocked at the blow.
"WHO ARE YOU?!" the man shouted back.
Standing quickly, Izuku bowed and introduced himself.
"Izuku Midoriya, sir. I'm here from U.A. High School. I was told you requested I be here over another agency."
"Oh… and who are you?" he asked, his tone that of someone rather confused.
"I-Izuku Midoriya?"
"Hm. I think it's lunch time."
Izuku gaped at the man as he dropped onto the floor, right in the center of the red patch and what he now realized were sausages, not organs. The man clearly wasn't well, and probably would be in danger if he stayed on his own for much longer. He'd call All Might and see about getting him into assisted living, and maybe try to salvage one of the other internships. Nighteye probably wouldn't take him this late, but maybe he could still get in with Morning Crow Agency…
"I know that muttering! Toshinori!" the elderly man beamed, pointing at him.
He thinks I'm All Might? Izuku thought, aghast.
"N-no sir, I'm not," he apologized, "Excuse me, I need to make a quick phone call."
He turned towards the door, hoping help would get here soon.
"Hit me with an attack. I wanna see what you can do with One-for-All."
The comment was so starkly different from his prior tone and way of speaking, it took a moment for Izuku to register that it was indeed the old man who was speaking.
"I need to see what kind of handle you have on Nana's old Quirk too, so try a midair punch, if you can manage it."
"Sir, I- ah, I don't think I can-"
"Ohoho! Nice costume! These boots look better than Nana's old beaters. Put 'em on and come at me!"
Then he turned back to Izuku and his face went to the dopey grin and curiosity from before.
"And ah… who are you again?"
"I-" Izuku clenched his mouth and shook his head, speaking more to himself than the old man.
"I need to learn to use my Quirks properly, without destroying my body," he said, holding up his destroyed and multi-scared hand, "I didn't think about what I was doing before, and now I'm one bad move from losing my chance entirely. I need control now, and not just for myself… All Might- All Might's not gonna be around much longer, and I need to step up before he's gone. I'm sorry sir, but I can't be here any longer than it takes for aid to arrive and help you."
He could almost hear the stunned silence behind him, but didn't really care. Gran Torino would probably forget he was ever there by the time someone arrived to get him and his effects.
Stepping towards the door, Izuku jolted in alarm as a loud blast came from behind him, followed by a crash above the door. He looked up, catching sight of the tail-end of a wind trail as Gran Torino impacted the wall and stuck there like some kind of elderly spider man.
"Good, you've learned not to waste time. So now I'll tell you once again: Come At Me, you Neophyte."
Izuku tried to process what he was seeing, the pieces coming together in his mind. A test? Another logical deception to get him to act in a way the other could assess without bias from Izuku's knowing it was a test?
"I watched you at the Sports Festival. You've got Nana's speed, alright, and some nice early control, but I saw how it strained you to hold up the other boy for longer than a few minutes, and how you had to stop moving by flying in the opposite direction. Not to mention your actual attacks with One-for-All weren't tuned to your body at all, and your punching match was pitiful!"
He sighed, growling almost to himself.
"That justice-obsessed fool, All Might, sure is a novice when it comes to teaching. He hasn't even inspired you to emulate his boxing style. A step backwards, but at least a step at all! But if he's not gonna watch over you properly, then that means I'm gonna have to."
He grinned, and Izuku grinned back, realizing that this was indeed All Might's teacher, from how he spoke to his methods of deception.
"So, put on your costume!"
"Yes Sir!"
Izuku grabbed his case and jogged up the stairs, grabbing the first empty room and getting changed.
He was surprised to find the outfit exceptionally different from how he'd imagined. It even came with a little user's manual on what each component did, and an apology they'd changed the materials and design slightly. He wanted to be mad they'd changed his mother's gift, but really he couldn't be more pleased.
The compression gloves seemed a bit bulky in the knuckles, and he couldn't quite find a fit where the skin actually met the fabric, while his fingers were quite tightly held. Checking the manual, he realized that was intentional, as the "Rift" between his fingers and the support structure when he made a fist would allow more of the shock to be taken by his whole arm, rather than getting caught in his wrist, elbow, or fingers, which would suffer far more than if his arm itself broke.
The boots were similarly impressive, with a similar design to Uravity's, though more streamlined for combat use instead of the bubbly-friendly look she had. The pads had springs and cushions to soften impacts, but could also lock the external, metal soles into place when he wanted to hit something hard intentionally or run without bouncing.
And of course, his mask was much more impressive than before, with the sharp and lined metal appearing bold and a bit intimidating. He left that around his neck for the time being, not wanting to scare the old man, and instead grinning at the colors they'd added without comment.
On his compression gloves there was an odd loop of color, which came forward as it came around to the outside of his bicep, before returning to where it was, making a sort of step down his arm. There were two on his left arm, each the color of his own hair, the forest green much darker than his mother's jumpsuit, but on the right they'd got the colors he'd requested perfectly.
The uppermost was the same green as his mother's hair, just a half-shade darker than the costume itself. Below that was a thick, Gold stripe. After that was a Pink, followed by a much thinner Blue, a normal thickness Black, and then a trio of medium ones in Violet, Indigo, and Red. He'd requested they continue to add bands on his uniform each time it was updated or repaired, and that he'd supply the new colors and sizes as those times came, and All Might said it wasn't so uncommon a request to have certain colors added to one's outfit in small details, and usually a fairly quick design to add during upkeep. Izuku wouldn't let himself forget how he came to get there, and guessed there would be a Yellow addition before too long.
"Alright," Izuku said, clenching his fists and nodding at Gran Torino, "I'm ready. But, um… are you sure we should do this here? I can't really get going without hitting something, and I don't want to break your place. A-and if I go with the Stockpile Quirk, it's fixed at 30%, and you might get hurt if I hit you at that power."
"You sure talk a lot…" Gran Torino muttered, before vanishing entirely.
"I'm starting to get a little impatient!" he shouted from behind Izuku, smashing a foot into his back.
"Gah! I thought you wanted a demonstration, not an actual fight!"
Gran Torino smashed into the microwave, crushing it like cardboard and scowling at him.
"You clearly don't perceive my true power. You haven't learned from your mistake at the Festival. I showed you I was dangerous, I displayed that I don't waste time on idle actions, and yet you weren't ready. That girl who won first had no right to defeat you with her power against yours, yet she manipulated you like a puppet. You didn't think to check in midair if she was playing you, and while you were acting all concerned for her: she was winking at the judge to make sure everyone knew you'd just thrown the fight like a chump. To choose such a wet blanket for the Ninth Successor? All Might's truly a Novice among Novices," he jibed.
Izuku frowned back. That was going too far. Uraraka had outwitted him, and he'd acted without thinking, that was fair enough, but All Might wasn't someone to be idly scorned.
His new mentor vanished again, and another impact hit him from the back. This time though, he didn't stop moving, whooshing off again. Izuku managed to hear him ping off a few of the walls and ceiling, and guessed he was using them for push-off points. If Gran Torino could do it, so could he.
Kicking in Float, Izuku launched himself at the wall at an angle to where he'd heard the last ping off the wall, and managed to avoid the next hit. Keeping it at the 3% he was comfortable with, Izuku started pushing off the walls, reorienting and then firing off again. It was quickly apparent to both of them however: Izuku wasn't nearly as fast.
"You're stiff!" came a voice from behind him, "And you're slow!"
Izuku had begun to notice the angles he was using and had already spun to punch at the area where Torino should have been. But his fist caught only air.
"You're predicting, but you're not acting!" the voice came from behind him again.
A much harder kick sent him into the ceiling, and he drifted off, Float still active but down to its 0% mode of null gravity. He let go and slumped against the floor on his back, Gran Torino walking over and grabbing his arm.
The elderly man shook his arm, then tapped his head.
"You're fighting is all kinds of stiff, and you aren't reacting quickly enough," he chided, shaking his head, "Your guess was good, but if you can't move fast enough to make use of the information: it's less than useless. Not even an attempt to use One-for-All, which might be the most disappointing of all."
"I- I thought I knew where you'd be…" Izuku sighed.
"You did," Torino agreed, "And in fact, I probably would have been caught for a second by your little move, except you already showed me during the Cavalry Battle that you can Float at low percentages with fair control. I was expecting you to try and challenge me, so I came prepared. You attacked where I was going to be, all well and good, but when I can see you moving too: you have to be striking where I'm going to be as I'm getting there, not before I move, or else I won't be going there."
""I need control now," that's what you said, yes? You're right. Time isn't on your side, though not particularly on your enemies' side either. But they won't wait for you to get stronger."
Getting off him, Gran Torino walked over to get his cane, heading for the door.
"You're treating Float like it's related to the world around you, when in truth it's the power to become detached from distractions. Meanwhile, I don't think you even have a grasp on what One-for-All is, or why it's not alright to let Nana keep the reins tucked in at 30%, or All Might's at 100%."
"So… what do I do?" Izuku asked, sitting up.
"That's something you have to figure out for yourself, kid," Gran Torino sighed, glancing back at him, "Just remember: "Your power is your own." Think on that, while I grab us some grub."
"Thank you very much for taking me!" Ochako bowed.
"Oh no!" Gunhead shook his head, seeming a little worried at her gratitude, "I should be thanking you! You picked me over all the other Heroes who wanted you. I'll be you even got some of the top 10 asking for you, but you came to see me instead."
"W-well… it just seemed like the right fit…" she mumbled.
A hand rested on her shoulder, and she looked up at him.
"Uravity, you have to choose your own path in this world," he confided, his tone very gentle, "Not everyone tries to hit the top spot. Endeavor's got his whole deal, but some of us like to put in a hard day's work down here on the ground and come home in time to greet the Mrs. for dinner. If you think that I can teach you how to be the best version of yourself, whatever that might look like, then I'm honored to do all I can."
She smiled in gratitude, feeling a desire to hug him suddenly.
"Now, enough serious stuff, let's go on a morning patrol!" he said, seeming rather like a giddy maiden off to meet her friends.
"Yes sir!"
Gunhead waved to the sidekick running the desk for the day, giving him a quick instruction to handle morning-exercises while he took their new companion on a walk. Ochako giggled to herself at how adorably he spoke.
"Come, Uravity, Adventure awaits!" he cried, pointing to the horizon and stepping out at a mild stroll.
"R-right!" she agreed, a bit surprised and kind of amazed at his dichotomy of action and word.
As it turned out, Adventure did not await today. Instead, they just kind of strolled. Ochako was used to walking a lot, it was less expensive than almost anything else, but her boots were designed with a bit of a tilt to make way for the impact springs, which made the balls of her feet start to ache a lot quicker than they normally would. Luckily, she was able to ignore them as she became smitten by Gunhead's explanation of how he got paid.
"See, I write up nice reports describing how much I help I was at catching bad guys and saving people. Once the Specialty Organization does its little examination, they put the money into my bank account, okay? It's mostly on commission, which is why Heroes get sponsorships and secondary jobs to help keep the lights on for patrolling and maintaining our figure."
"I didn't know you had other jobs," Ochako said, a touch surprised, "What is it you do?"
"Gunhead Martial Arts of course!" he beamed, "I get to help the kids learn some discipline and a fun way to exercise, and they get to see a Pro Hero up close. Which reminds me: you wanted to learn some, right?"
"Yes, of course!" she agreed, smiling in anticipation.
"Well, I saw your style in the festival. Kinda run-&-gun-y, right? I'll have to teach you the proper way to hold your weight and power, but you won't have to start at the kiddie level either…"
He considered before snapping his fingers.
"What you need is a full boot-camp," he decided, "Since we'll be going out only when the Police request it of us, the rest of your time we can work on getting your body into remembering your forms. They'll seem pretty basic, but when things get dire: your muscles will know how to move, and you'll be okay. And on the last day we can celebrate with a party of some kind! Maybe go out villain hunting, yet your teeth cut on some easy mooks?"
"Alright Sir!"
"Now, either of you'll be helping me with a different aspect of Hero Work," Uwabami said, smiling at the both of them with something like hunger in her eyes, "Kendo, you're a synch for fighting, but you seem to be a little, well, blunt. We're going to refine you into a beautiful Hero, who can take on more than just the villains. Meanwhile, Jiro here… well, you already know your weaknesses, don't you, hun? We'll be focusing on some of the more "job stress" related issues."
"O-of course ma'am!" Kyoka managed, wondering if she could back out now.
"Sure…" Kendo agreed, a little less enthusiastically.
Uwabami smiled at them, then waved to a door beside her little set-up stall.
"Kendo, I'm going to be filming a commercial over there. I'd like you to go see how it's all set up while I chat with Jiro here. After that, you two can watch me and give me your notes after we wrap up. Sound like a plan, girls?"
They nodded, and Kendo stepped away, her expression one of relief at the ability to do something.
"take me with you…" Kyoka hissed after her.
"Oh no, dear, I'm afraid you're stuck with me," Uwabami giggled evilly, "After all, I'm here to help you overcome your major weakness: the one that nearly made you lose your opening round."
Kyoka paled, and prepared to sprint for the door.
"Just a quick talk about your love life, and we'll be on our way," Uwabami confirmed her worst suspicions, her snakes nodding in sync.
"Please, no…"
The Pro Heroine's expression softened, and she gestured to a chair opposite her dressing stool. Once Kyoka was sitting in it, her jacks tapping one another nervously, Uwabami sighed.
"Jiro… I saw how you panicked when young Yaoyorozu went for the, shall we call it: frontal assault. I also saw how you flailed a bit and attacked blindly. Had she been deliberately baiting you, you would have lost that fight."
"Yeah…"
"And if a villain attempts something like that, especially something so simple as showing off some skin, you can't clam up like that," she continued, her voice still gentle but firm, "So, I'm gonna help you turn that weakness into your strength."
Kyoka's blood ran cold. She absolutely could not and would not turn into someone like Midnight, or even a more girly themed version of her, like Uwabami seemed to be indicating.
"Whoa now," she soothed, "I'm not gonna try and push you off-brand. You're really into that punk-rock style, right? That's fine, we can work with that. But I'm saying, Jiro, that you can be the one turning heads and stunning foes."
Kyoka folded her arms across her chest, frowning in suspicion. She wasn't interested, per say, but she wasn't going to immediately turn down the idea of another weapon.
"And how can I do that?" she asked warily.
Uwabami spun around to face away from her, seemed to touch up her makeup a bit, then spun back. She beamed at Kyoka with a blinding intensity.
"You look so pretty today, Kyoka-Chan!" she gushed, pitching her voice up just a little bit.
Kyoka's heart stopped, and before she knew what was happening, Uwabami was standing behind her, one of her snakes at her throat and a delicate fingernail touching the place where her ear transformed into her jack. Her brain caught back up with her, and she had enough sense to stutter: "H-how…?!"
Uwabami let her go, stepping back around to sit down, her entire aura that of a woman who knows she's in control of a room. She felt menacingly like Midnight, but more intense and less seductive.
"I did that with a grin and a compliment," she said, back to her usual tone, "You didn't expect it, and your brain didn't see me as a threat. That's why I was able to get in and attack without difficulty. You were still trying to process what just happened."
Turning back around, she continued to work on her look, but didn't stop talking.
"I didn't have to show you my body, pose in any way, or use any special pheromones. I just needed my expression and my voice. This is the true power of acting, and it's why I do so many commercials. With my fanbase so large, and my followers so avid about who I am, no one expects me to be any kind of difficulty in a fight. Not to mention, I prefer to do rescue work with my snakes, which labels me a rescue Hero. That's why I've never failed to take down a villain I was assigned to capture... or eliminate."
Kyoka was stunned. In a single instant, the air-headed woman had turned into an assassin of deadly skill and beauty.
"Step 1 of your training will be learning to get your own heart and brain under control. Some confidence and the ability to know what other people's actions or appearances are doing to you will be of the utmost importance," she said, a little more briskly, "Step 2 will be helping you to apply what you have and improve upon it. You can shock with girlish, stun with seductive, confuse with the obvious, and slow with tears. These tools I will teach you, if you promise me two things in return?"
Kyoka nodded.
"Y-yes ma'am!"
"I'm glad to have such an excellent student," she grinned, turning back around.
Uwabami held up a finger, and one of her snakes moved up in kind.
"First: you must never reveal that it was I who showed you these things. Tsutsumi would kill to figure out how my count's so high. Granted, she'd kill for a lot less, but I don't think you're really interested in those things."
Kyoka didn't know who Tsutsumi was, but doubted knowing would make her any more comfortable with it.
"Second," Uwabami trilled, putting up another finger and another snake and grinning like the devil, "You have to tell me how it goes with your girls."
"M- my- I-"
"I know, nothing's official yet," Uwabami cooed, getting back to her usual persona, "But I just can't wait to see which one you pick, and how you manage to enthrall them. Perhaps you'll entrance them both, or maybe pick someone else entirely? I simply have to know."
"That's, um… that is to say-"
"I know, it's a bit of a long-term commitment," she agreed, tapping her chin in thought, "So I promise to give you a new bit of advice or training whenever you give me an update. It'll be all on you that way, and you can quit whenever you see fit."
Kyoka swallowed, trying to take it all in. It seemed like a heavy bit of info and some strict requirements, but all in all… she really couldn't say it didn't sound like a good use of her time. Not to mention, she would be able to call it quits whenever she chose, which was a good backup plan.
"Alright. I'll do it."
"Excellent! I knew you were a good pick when I saw how cute you looked! Now, be sure to watch closely during the commercial. Not just me, but the people around me. Keep your ears out, darling, and tell me what you hear."
"I mean, I don't get why you didn't go for someone flashier," Manual said, a bit bashfully, "I know you've got the whole "Plain Hero" thing goin' on, which kinds fits my agency, but you're really kind of limiting yourself by giving into the stereotype of being the normal guy."
Mashirao shook his head.
"I don't see it that way. I'm okay being plain. That just means I'll be able to do my job more easily, without worrying about being"on-brand" or anything."
Manual nodded, but seemed concerned.
"Are you sure it isn't for… another reason?" he asked, a bit warrily.
"Such as?"
"You're after the Hero Killer, right?"
Mashirao blinked at him, utterly bewildered.
"What?"
"I just can't think of any other reason why you'd choose my agency," he admitted, "I mean… I'm thrilled you did! Don't get me wrong! It's just… don't let yourself get motivated by personal grudges."
Mashirao stared at him, utterly blank-faced.
"Or not, nevermind!" Manual backpedaled, turning and going back to his patrol with an air of trying too hard to be casual.
Mashirao stared after him, still confused as to what was going on with his mentor. Was he… was he being funny?
Minoru gasped for air, sticking his head out of the apartment window as he tried to regain his wits. He'd come here for various things, none of which had happened, and been hired for mostly related things! Like learning how to be a popular and well-loved Hero who girls would flock to and shower with kisses in the morning! He'd done none of those things!
What he had done was a completely worthless day's work! He'd cleaned an apartment, been told about how to spend his down time between jobs, and on the one assignment they'd gone on: he'd been forced to just watch her fight them at normal size! He wanted to see her go giant and smoosh some guys, for crying out loud!
This was turning out to be an awful decision on his part.
"Woods-sensei?" Ibara asked, a bit timidly.
The seasoned Pro looked up from his phone, glancing to her with a bit of a distracted gaze.
"Y-yes, Vine?"
"You seem… well, rather discontented. May I ask who you were texting?" she pried, tentative of overstepping.
Kamui Woods sighed and rubbed his forehead, seeming to consider how to answer her.
"I was talking with a… cohort, who's dealing with one of your fellow students. I'm a bit anxious as to their progress. She's rather new at being a Hero herself, and he's not exactly a shining example of what I would call someone with potential."
Ibara nodded, having heard something of the relationship rumored to be around the two semi-rivals. Something of a mentor dynamic, though one which was quickly evolving into friends and teammates.
"I too was worried when I heard she'd requested Mineta," Ibara admitted, "I'd hoped it was merely rumor, but if they are indeed working together this week, I have faith they'll come through it stronger than if they had not."
Kamui chuckled a little. He pulled over his phone and scrolled up from where he'd last been.
"According to her, he's attempted to sneak into her room to steal personal effects no less than four times since arriving, and she had to make sure another Hero can watch him when she went into action, since she didn't think he could be trusted otherwise," he sighed, continuing down, "And based on what she hasn't told me… I think he's been doing worse, but she's trying to A. not get fired for incompetence during an Internship, and B. not get him kicked out of the Hero Course forever… I wish I had a clue as to why."
Ibara didn't really have the words to explain how she felt about that report for the first day.
"Eysh…" she finally settled on.
"Yep."
They sat in silence for a bit, using the couches in Kamui's break room to wait on some reports before their night patrol. After a moment, Ibara decided to try and cheer him up, though she supposed she was also risking a lecture.
"You really care about her, don't you sir?" she asked, glancing at the floor, "Despite your… rocky first meeting. You want to see her succeed, and… you want her to be safe."
The Pro gazed off into the distance, deep in thought. He glanced down at his wooden hand, opening and closing it a few times, the slight creak of the material sounding rather calming in the quiet.
"She… has potential to be one of the biggest symbols of security to the people," he said finally, still not looking at her, "I suppose both literally and figuratively. Takeyama… she's in this job for the fame, yeah, but… deep down she's willing to put in the work for it, and understands what the job is. Even if she has no shame and could do with some empathy lessons, I want her to make it to the top, where she wants to be, and I want to be proud of her for making it there. More than anything, she's dedicated, and despite everything… it's honestly rather amazing to see, even when it gets in my way."
Ibara could hear the mixed affection and irritation in his voice which usually combined to form some variant of love, be it platonic or romantic. She smiled and offered a hand on his shoulder.
"I know it isn't my place to offer suggestions," she admitted, smiling, "but I understand sleep deprivation is part of a Hero's training? I would be honored to learn something about it. And if, suppose, we lined up our schedules accidentally with that of the famous Mt. Lady, I could do with a crash course in… unexpected team ups with unfamiliar Heroes?"
Her intent wasn't subtle, but Kamui's eyes lit up at the idea. He quickly got himself under control, and she retreated a little to give him proper space.
"That won't be necessary, Vine," he said, overly formal as if playing a character with her, "However, I do think Mt. Lady might find the suggestion helpful. We'll have to see about getting you that training another time. Tonight though, I want to see how you do with quick-transit. We'll be having a bit of a game, in fact."
"A game, sir?" she asked, not getting into the role quite as well.
"Yes!" he proclaimed, standing up and gesturing to his sidekicks to come over, "We'll be having a race! I want to see how you do in a little speed challenge."
Ibara nodded, thinking of how best to maneuver in a city at night. It wouldn't be easy, especially with her need to locate each and every vantage point manually.
"Who will I be racing, sir?" she asked, "You?"
"Not at all! You'll be racing them."
She looked over the six sidekicks, blinking in surprise.
"All at once?" she hoped.
Kamui Woods' expression became darker, and yet more happy at the same time.
"They'll be having a little relay," he explained, "Your job will be to keep up with the changing styles. Meanwhile, I'll stay close and give you some tips."
"I think we have the advantage, Chief," one of them smirked, "She's not exactly dressed for action."
Ibara glanced to the woman, then down at her own plain white robe. She could have retaliated; shown off the bronze-colored body armor and battle skirt beneath, but she chose not to rise to her challenge. Instead she simply smiled at her.
"I'll admit, it's not as flattering or colorful as some," she said, glancing up and down the tight bodysuit the other was wearing with a bit of pity, "But in its simplicity I find I'm underestimated, and I can use that to my advantage."
She scowled at Ibara, before blowing off the remark with a tiny scoff.
"Quite so," Kamui Woods agreed, standing and glaring at the sidekick, "Which reminds me; in order to make it a little more fair: three of you will have a handicap."
The woman seemed to sag slightly, realizing she'd only dig herself deeper by complaining.
"Now, where's that report?" Kamui continued, glancing around, "We've got a race to get to!"
"Well, that was… Nice?" Pony tried, stumbling over the last word and reverting to English to try and get a translation.
"Nice? Well, if you mean it sarcastically," Dark Shadow grumbled, "I was gonna smack that Hawks guy after he explained why he brought us."
"We've been deceived by our own blindness," Tokoyami growled, evidently livid, or as close to it as he ever showed, "Those who look down from on High do not see the diving predator, nor do they fear the leaping prey, ready to fight to the end for their survival. We must become the former, while appearing at most the latter."
"...yeah, I caught one over two of that," Pony admitted.
"Fumi's just very angry Hawks only wanted us to come over to tell him information, and then to say: "Do whatever you want,"" Dark shadow explained, a little hesitant so she could catch the words she might have trouble with, even with the simplest combos being used.
"Oh! Dang, I thought he was just bein' really lax about it and was letting us have the day to ourselves while he figured out how to help us. But I guess he was just being a jerk about it," she sighed, using English as she evidently wasn't going to be having any in-depth conversations with her roommates.
It wasn't that she didn't like Tokoyami and Dark Shadow, she did! It was just that… they weren't really communicating right. He liked to talk in metaphor and cryptic messages with convoluted words, which usually meant Pony didn't know what he was talking about. Meanwhile Dark Shadow spoke very clearly, but also very slowly and sometimes a little condescendingly, treating her almost like a child. Pony hated being treated like a kid.
Yes, she was new here, and didn't speak very well, and yeah; she had her share of girly and more innocent interests, but she could separate that from work. She liked explosions and action movies too! She was down to spear a training dummy with her high-speed horns or bash an enemy to paste with her hooves, just point her in the right direction.
Pony was smiley and nice to people, but that was because she wasn't an antagonistic bastard like Monoma or Bakugo. She'd punch someone in the gut if they sassed her, or she'd be their best friend if they stood up to/for her. If someone would just take the time to get to know her, they'd be able to understand why she stacked her Disney Princess movies in her closet in between Dragon Ball Z, Attack on Titan, Sailor Moon, Teasing Master Tagisan, Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, Powerpuff Z, and Cowboy Bebop. She was more than a cute face and fluffy tail, dang it!
"Tsunotori," Tokoyami said, suddenly appearing very serious as he looked out the window, "Can you fly?"
"Fly?" she clarified, thinking about it, "I don't think so. I'm a horse, not a pegasus."
"But you can… command your horns when they detach, yes?"
She ran the sentence over in her head a few times, before nodding and speaking to answer.
"Yes. I control them pretty good."
"Can you lift a person?"
"With two."
"How many can you control at once?"
"Control? Four. Fire? Lots."
"Then you could make us both fly by detaching four of your horns and pairing them off to us?"
Pony blinked. She'd considered flying before, but with how she directed her horns it had always seemed… out of reach.
"I guess. But why can't you fly?"
Tokoyami bristled.
"I may have the beak of a Raven, and the spirit of a Raptor, but my hands are not wings."
"Then… have Dark Shadow pick you up."
"She isn't strong enough in the light. We would plummet."
Pony tilted her head at him, pointing to his cape.
"You have shade in your pants. She can hold your above knees," she tried, not really familiar with anatomy or clothing terms yet.
Tokoyami blinked at her, and she shrugged.
"Anyway, it's bed time. We can talk more after the sun lights up."
Heading over to one of the bunks, she grabbed her Hero case and began to rummage through it for a night gown and some comfy pants. She wasn't overly thrilled to be sleeping in the same room as a boy, but she was pretty sure Hawks didn't care, and also that Dark Shadow canceled out Tokoyami's boy factor and came to a neutral charge.
"Tsunotori? Why are you here?" the spectre Quirk asked.
"Um, this is my room too?" she said, gathering up her stuff, "I'll change in the bathroom, don't worry."
"No, I mean… at this Agency. Why did Hawks ask for you? You weren't at the USJ attack."
Pony considered, thinking it over. She shrugged.
"He sent me the invitation. I took it. Simple as that."
As she headed for the door to the hall, intent on finding a shower and somewhere quiet to change, she noticed Tokoyami's eyes. He wasn't staring at her or even at his case of clothes. Instead, he was staring up at the star-speckled sky, a look of longing in his gaze. She realized why he'd wanted to know, then.
"Hey!" she called over to him, grabbing his attention, "If Hawks isn't letting us do stuff, let's practice flying tomorrow, yeah?"
Tokoyami seemed to swallow the offer, unsure it was real until it was fully ingested. Then he smiled and nodded.
"Thank you, Rocketti."
"You betcha, Tsukuyumi."
Izuku stood at the microwave, staring at it without seeing it. "It's the power to become detached from distractions." That's what Gran Torino had said. But Float, by its nature, had to be related to the material around it, didn't it? That's what the name implied.
And how was he supposed to understand what One-for-All was? It was All Might's power! But… what did that mean? Was there some aspect of it he wasn't getting? Some power he wouldn't unlock until he mastered it?
He thought about their battle, where he'd predicted where Gran Torino would be, but moved too slowly. If he could funnel One-for-All into his body safely, he would have been able to catch him. But would it have been enough if he couldn't see where he was hitting. All Might never seemed to have issues seeing his enemies when he moved at top speed.
He'd pounded the Nomu to bits at velocities that seemed imperceptible, but had still been able to focus each punch to exactly where it needed to go. But then again, All Might had buffed up his whole body at the time, so maybe he was-
Izuku inhaled sharply. That was it! All Might's power, it didn't just enhance his physical strength: it enhanced every aspect of his body he attached it to!
Charging up the purple lighting, and feeling Nana's presence as it raced out, he charged his eyes. He felt the world slow down marginally, and was about to test it when he realized a problem. His eyes could tear themselves from his skull if he moved them at these speeds! He'd better get his whole head moving together, so they could take less strain. But no, that would mean he could break his neck. He might as well get his spine moving too, to help it absorb the force.
Izuku flexed his arms a little. They felt sluggish and slow. He'd better just pour it out into… everything.
The lightning died away, and Izuku smacked himself in the forehead. He'd come so close to the lesson, and gone about the wrong answer, but it had led him back to the right one in the end. He was thinking about One-for-All like some kind of super move, like his punches at the Sports Festival or All Might's named attacks. But All Might buffed his whole body up when he fought, and not every attack got a name!
Letting the 30% course through him, Izuku floated off the ground at 2%, and tried to apply his modulation to the power. He felt Nana's presence fighting him on it, as if determined to keep it at her charge. Izuku eased his own control over it, slowly subsuming her desire with his own calm determination and sincerity. The charge dropped to 2%, and suddenly the lightning changed.
Instead of the slow, powerful bolts of purple, they changed to quick and vibrant green, jumping from spot to spot with a furious rapidity and wild pattern. He felt everything start to settle inside him, and a gentle voice he hadn't heard in a while whisper to him from the back of his mind.
Sorahiko's right… I tried to give you this power, but it's not mine to give. It's yours, and it always will be. Please… forgive me, Izuku…
"Always, Nana-sama," he whispered.
The sensation of great pride and gratitude flowed through him, before her presence vanished once again.
Coming back to himself, Izuku focused the power through his body again, this time without Float to guide him.
"One-for-All… full body application... " he muttered to himself, fighting to regulate the 2%.
It felt like the energy was fighting to stay contained to just one area, and rushed to fill some spots while leaving others vacant. He didn't understand why it was being so stubborn, and tried easing it back to 1%, only to find it became even more erratic.
He spent the next hour trying to command the power to stay put, eventually finding that 3% was a little more stable, and at 4% he could even it out much better. At 5% though, it started to feel a little painful and tense along his body. The rational part of his brais said he should attempt to hold it at 5, so his body could adjust and start pushing itself, but… Izuku glanced down at his hands, which still shook and twinged when he used them for anything more than minimal tasks.
"All Might always compared our bodies to vessels for the power," he muttered, considering and starting to float around the room without noticing, "My body can handle the output of around 4%, which is probably where I should try to hold it for now until my body recovers enough to start pushing it a bit, but in having that room: adding less power than I can handle leaves empty space, where the power tries to settle. I need to be able to control the output while also controlling the energy I'm holding, which seems like almost a contradiction… Unless my body's just not used to the power being contained, and is trying to shift it to my arms or leg out of habit? Maybe I have to just practice at lower levels until my brain and body accept its even distribution as normal? But I can't just use this energy. I have to be able to regulate my Float power at the same time I'm using One-for-All, which means focusing on two things at once, unless I can-"
"DODGE!"
Izuku felt something smash into his chest, and he retreated without thinking, flying back to the nearest wall and trying to get into a ready stance. Gran Torino was standing there, having dropped off a bag of food and taken up his fighting stance. Without further warning, he started bouncing.
Bringing his body up to 4%, Deku found he could follow the movements just enough now, and shot off the wall to meet him, deactivating Float so he could imitate Gran Torino's style and maybe throw him off guard. He heard the ricochet of his mentor's feet, saw the angle of his last burst, and twisted to punch where he would be, feeling his glove graze something, when suddenly a mass of red was in his eyes.
"Gah!"
"Villains play dirty tricks!" Gran Torino shouted, continuing to fight, "Hit me again without seeing me!"
Izuku kicked himself into 5%, feeling his muscles groan in protest as he tried to gauge where the next attack would be. He endured another trio of hits before realizing he wasn't moving! He was just floating there, as a sitting duck, while Gran Torino beat the stuffing out of him!
A whoosh of air near his ear and the whistle of Gran Torino off a wall told Izuku where he would be coming from. He inhaled and punched, feeling his arm impact something solid. But he didn't have time to congratulate himself as the moment he did: a hand clasped over his eyes.
"Where is the floor?" a voice asked.
"Wh-"
"Where is the floor, Midoriya?!" Gran Torino demanded, "And what wall are you nearest to?"
Izuku tried to calculate the answer. He'd been spun so many ways, and taken so many impacts which probably pushed him around… he could be anywhere!
"I… don't know."
Gran Torino removed his hand, wiping away the ketchup from Izuku's face. He rubbed at it until he could see, then blinked in surprise. He was floating at a strange angle, with the floor only about a centimeter away from his head, but almost precisely where he'd been when Gran Torino had blinded him.
"But… you hit me so often… how did I not go flying into a wall?" he exclaimed, righting himself so the floor was below him again.
Then it struck him.
"I… I didn't move because… because I wasn't thinking," Izuku gasped, gripping his hair in shock, "I was just floating on instinct, and moving exactly how I needed to, so I could remain stationary even after you hit me! And when I spun and forgot about the ground, I was able to keep moving anyway… because "down" wasn't a factor anymore!"
It was like a wall had been broken down in his mind. Float meant there was no "down." There were only the directions he chose, and the will he had to get there when he wanted. Suddenly the room felt much more open, and Nana's Quirk- no, his Quirk, felt so much more freeing. He'd been afraid of crashing, like he had at home before, and had limited himself to 4% or lower. Against Todoroki, he'd risked 8% of Float to get in behind him. He wanted to taste that speed again.
Without warning, he rocketed around Gran Torino's living room, becoming the green blur of motion as he impacted walls, ceiling, and floor, deflecting off them at will and with ease, and even changing direction in midair. Izuku laughed in joy and relief, feeling the rightness of having a Quirk that had been so long absent, quiet tears welling up in his eyes, before he brought himself back under control and to a stop above the old man. He held his legs forward, and his arms back behind his waist, both fairly straight, and grinned at him, feeling suddenly very comfortable in the air.
"Thank you, Gran Torino!" he beamed.
"Nana… Toshinori, you might have picked a good one after all..." Gran Torino whispered, so low Izuku barely heard it, and knew he wasn't meant to, so he didn't call attention to it.
"Alright, that's enough messing around!" Gran Torino called, "Now comes the hard part: No more Float until I say so."
The declaration was so surprising that Izuku actually fell out of the air, managing to land on his feet before losing his balance anyway and dropping to his pockets.
"But, Gran Torino, I-"
"You've been neglecting your physical training!" he demanded, whacking his head with the cane, "I heard you talking to yourself when I came in. You're only comfortable at 4%?! Float's been distracting you. You should be able to handle at least 6! So, since you were so happy to show off that little copycat style there, you can try it again with just One-for-All tomorrow."
"T-tomorrow?" Izuku asked, suddenly feeling let down.
He'd just unlocked his potential! He needed to train this ability!
"Kid, you interrupted lunch, and you spent so much time figuring yourself out it's already past dinner time. We're having a late bite and hitting the sack," Gran Torino decided, heading over to the kitchen portion of the room.
Izuku nodded, but made himself a silent promise. When Gran Torino went to sleep, he'd get out there and practice with his power. He'd prove he could handle 6%, and that he wasn't going to fall behind with either Quirk. He was starting with a handicap against everyone else, but that just meant he had to work harder and fly higher.
As much as it pained him, he'd also spend a little bit Floating after getting a better grasp on the full-body output. He knew Gran Torino would beat him for it, but it wasn't something he could just ignore either. Float was… it was exactly how Gran Torino described it. It detached him from distractions. When he used it, truly used it… he felt free. Even if it was just a simple glide to wherever he'd go to train, or just letting himself drift in the sky for a bit, he had to capture that feeling of serenity again.
"Oh!" he remembered, suddenly recalling an issue he'd wanted to run by Gran Torino, "I wanted to ask you a little bit about Float, since All Might says you were friends with Nana."
"What's that, kid?"
"Did she… ever fall out of the sky? Like, after Floating for a long time?"
Gran Torino burst out laughing.
"Kid, she would Float for days. She sometimes slept in the air. Hated coming down. The only time she fell was when she was out cold or wanted to."
"So my time limit was just from my mindset?"
"Probably. Then again, I didn't know her when she was a kid, so maybe she just practiced until her body made an upper limit she never hit around me. Who knows."
Izuku grinned. It was nice to know there was at least the possibility his growing pains were normal.
"Which reminds me," the elderly man said, handing over a plate, "You called out a few special moves during the festival. Named 'em after American National Parks, not States? But you weren't doing any of Toshinori's moves. None of his punches or combos. I thought you were some kind of fanboy?"
"Well, until I unlocked the core of One-for-All, I assumed I was going to be stuck with just Float," Izuku explained bashfully, "I didn't think I could pull any of them off. My first "Smash" was without a Quirk at all, so I decided to name it after something smaller. After that, I came up with one while flying, and kind of just went for the most obvious thing."
"You can invent special moves later," Gran Torino brushed the topic aside, "I mean, why weren't you using his boxing style when you fought Shinso? It works just fine without One-for-All, if a little blocky. And when you were using Nana's 30%, you barely managed a straight punch and a meager roundhouse. No style or finesse."
Izuku wilted a little.
"My arms were… well, are… they're not in working order."
"Eh? You mean no one-"
"Recovery Girl tried her best," Izuku explained, sliding off his glove to show the triple-ringed scars, "But when Nana was regulating the power: I shredded the muscles in my arms without injuring the bone. I didn't recognize how dangerous that was, and kept fighting. Against Shinso, I was just trying to move my arms to hit him, and couldn't really manage much else. And after that, against Todoroki… well, my fingers and joints were barely preserved by some dark tendril energy that came from inside me after I finished the cavalry battle, but I went 30% without any supporting muscle to take the hit for me."
Gran Torino winced at that.
"And yet you continued."
"Oddly enough, if Recovery Girl had wanted to, she could have knocked me out," he joked, a bit self-deprecating, "But she stabbed me with an adrenaline shot when I explained why I wanted to keep going, and I couldn't really stop moving after that."
The elderly Pro laughed.
"But even with that," Izuku continued, flexing his fingers a little, "I just… every time I've tried to punch with them since, or move something heavy, or… there's this jolt of fear which goes up my arm. Like the 30%'s still trapped inside, and whenever I go to act, it tries to get out."
"You're scared of it, aren't you?"
Izuku nodded.