Chapter 10: Surface Tension
"Each of you brings something different here. Strength. Permeation. Support Items. Energy Blasts. Healing and Medical Care. Lizard Splitting. Marketing and Legal..."
At the assembly hall, Momo kept her attention focused on the Number 1 Pro Hero, All-Might himself, as he addressed the crowd of students. No, that wasn't quite right. He wasn't speaking to students, he was speaking to fellow heroes. All-Might was animated as he spoke. He had left the podium aside to speak with a booming voice, pacing to and from as he spoke out into the crowd.
"But we are all here for the same reason. Each of us wants to be the hero that the public needs us to be. Each of us wants to serve our fellow man, and reach out to bring peace and justice to the cities we call home," All-Might called out, before arriving right in front of the column of students that Momo was a part of.
"I won't try and deny that the hero course is the most popular branch here," All-Might paused to allow the polite chuckles to finish, his big smile keeping everyone calm, "And for good reason. We have an excellent program with outstanding students. Those who know of U.A. know us for the great heroes of our time, like Endeavor, Best Jeanist, and the Wild, Wild Pussycats!" As his voice carried through the hall, All-Might started to move to the side, arriving at the next column.
"However, we cannot forget our other courses! Our heroes may help save the public in the short term, but our medical students will go out and save their lives in the long term!" he pointed a finger out to the crowd, "You all better make sure to take Recover Girl seriously!"
As the medical course students murmured and chuckled, All-Might moved to the next column, "And of course, we can't be heroes if we don't look the part! Our support course students will ensure that our heroes have the best costumes and gear so that our future heroes can say, 'I AM HERE!'"
The crowd burst into cheers at All-Might's catchphrase, which he just laughed off as he arrived at the final course of students, "However, let's not forget our business course students. They won't just handle the marketing and financial affairs of the hero agencies that they will work for, oh no," All-Might got quiet, which caused the student assembly to lean in. Momo leaned forward, wondering where this was going. This was the course that her parents had wanted her to attend, before she chose to join the hero course proper. She felt obligated to hear what the Symbol of Peace had to say here.
"The business course also helps our heroes manage their professional relationships. Not just to each other, but also to the public. Such as in legal matters, when they are needed in court to testify of a Villain's wrongdoing. Or to help defend a hero's public record. As well as to coordinate rescue operations and undercover investigations as well. You all may see the business course as simply a way for heroes to make their money..."
All-Might let the silence linger as he returned to the podium, standing before the whole assembly. He cast his gaze across every student, every teacher, every single person who was in that room. When he started to speak, it was in a lower tone than before, "But the truth of the matter is that everyone here, at U.A. Academy, is here to be a hero. It doesn't matter if you are going into the field or building the support gadgets. Whether you are giving medical treatment or reaching out to address official matters. You are willing to make the sacrifices needed to continue to help the public keep their regular lives intact."
All-Might started to walk backwards, each step echoing out into the hall, even as the Number 1 Pro Hero continued to cheer on the assembled students, "You are willing to stand here, with this pressure, and meet it head on. Even when you stumble, and when you fall, you will get back up and push forward. You are willing to look ahead and bring those in need out of the darkness of terror."
The energy in the crowd was buzzing as All-Might's grin flashed large and wide. Everyone knew what was coming next, "In time, you will all stand as beacons of light. In time, you will all accomplish wonders. In time, you will all..." All-Might paused, as the crowd dared not make a sound. The Number 1 Pro Hero let loose a low growl that climbed up in power, "...Go BEYOND!"
"PLUS ULTRA!" The student body called out in tandem with All-Might. Even the faculty standing behind the Symbol of Peace called the school's motto out. All-Might grinned, then launched straight into the air, smashing through the ceiling and disappearing from view.
All of the students around Momo fell into an excited uproar at the spectacle. All-Might was loud and bombastic. That rowdy spirit that swept through everyone with a kind of charisma. An energy that both calmed the mind and excited the heart.
With a speech like that, it's easy to understand why Midoriya admires him so much.
As she observed the U.A. service bots rush in to patch up the ceiling, Momo wondered if Midoriya had ended up making it to U.A. He wasn't in Class 1-B like she was, but... She glanced over to the empty seats which Class 1-A had been assigned to. They never arrived at the orientation assembly. Mister Kan, the Pro Hero Vlad King, had simply scoffed at the empty seats, but told his students not to worry about it.
She didn't have any proof that the green head was in Class 1-A. Maybe he was in another course. Maybe he was in a different school. However, when she remembered the drive that the young man had on the beach... No, Midoriya was here, Momo wouldn't count him out yet. Which begged the next question.
Where is Class 1-A?
Izuku released a frustrated breath as he walked back to the high jump starting point. He had just failed the first attempt, only two more to go. The hero wannabe got into his starting running position. He bent forward, bringing one leg forward as he rested his hands on the track. Izuku took a deep breath, and closed his eyes. He let the murmurs and chatters of his classmates fade away as he focused on his task.
The Quirk Apprehension Test had been brutal for Izuku. Sure, his physical scores were nothing to sneeze at... but they weren't outstanding either. The bigger problem was One for All. Mister Aizawa kept making comments about actually using Quirks to solve the tests. Izuku was trying, but reaching out to One for All wasn't working.
When Izuku had finally talked to All-Might about One for All, just before school started, the Number 1 Pro Hero had remarked that Izuku needed to create a strong mental image. That image would be used to control One for All's output. Izuku had landed on a peculiar image; an egg being cooked in the microwave. All-Might found that image amusing, and simply told Izuku to lower the power setting or decrease the cooking time. His advice boiled down to use less of One for All.
But that's not how Izuku felt the awesome power he had inherited. It was all or nothing, no matter how much he tried to tamper with the metaphorical microwave. After that first activation, where he had broken his body to save Uraraka, his body would shut off the connection to One for All immediately. A circuit breaker on the microwave would trip before the cooking could even start. It was beyond frustrating. How could Izuku learn to moderate One for All's output if his body refused to feel the power it had?
Well, if he needed a stronger mental image... Izuku would find it. He imagined the egg in the microwave, then removed the control panel. The wires were arranged in patterns that Izuku didn't understand, but that didn't matter now. What mattered was that Izuku had found the circuit breaker. So all he had to do was...
"We don't have all day, Midoriya, get to it," droned Mister Aizawa out loud. Izuku opened his eyes, and took a deep breath. Right before he shot off, he called up One for All in his body...
And shoved a fork right through the circuit breaker in the microwave. Power flooded through Izuku, seizing his body as it completed the circuit. One for All screeched to life.
Izuku took off, containing the power for a brief moment. His breathing felt ragged as he ran, like he had to choke down the oxygen. Izuku felt like a tesla coil was strapped to his back. His teeth chattered, and his muscles spasmed keeping the power in check. Izuku still pushed forward. Four more steps, then he'd use One for All to leap over the high jump.
Three...
Two...
One...
Izuku turned to perform the Fosbury Flop, bending his knees to launch. The power started to well in his legs, and Izuku felt that maybe... just maybe he could tone the power just enough to...
It was gone. Instantly. Not even a second later, Izuku was stunned as he felt One for All disconnect from his body. It was like the microwave was ripped away from Izuku's grasp. The only thing that remained was the shocks and tremors coursing through his body.
Izuku locked up as if he had been tased, every muscle screaming as they revolted. His eyes widened as he continued to fall onto his back and hit his head on the metal frame of the fall cushion. Izuku winced as he ignored the horrified chuckles of his classmates. He tried to get past the fog of his throbbing head as he tried to get feeling in his limbs. What the hell happened to One for All? An ominous shadow fell over Izuku, and he instantly realized he already had his answer.
Eraserhead, the Erasure Hero, stood over Izuku Midoriya, his hair raised and his bloodshot eyes glaring right into his soul. Clearly, the teacher had used his Quirk, Erasure, to cancel out One for All. Izuku had checked on his phone about Mister Aizawa while changing in the locker room, and had face palmed the second he read the bio. Izuku had studied the man years ago, trying to see if Mister Aizawa's methods could lead him to a Quirkless way of being a hero. It had been a dead end.
Izuku tried to shift onto his elbows, but it was useless. Instead, the formerly Quirkless boy just looked up to his teacher, his breathing heavy. Izuku didn't need to ask anything, his question was evident on his face. Mister Aizawa kept his tone low and disdainful as he responded, "Your Quirk is defective, Mister Midoriya. You felt aftershocks after I shut it off. That isn't supposed to happen."
Izuku was unused to this angered gaze that Mister Aizawa had. Before, his teachers had looked at him with disgusted apathy. Like he was a chore they needed to take care of. This gaze was different. Mister Aizawa was fully engaged in this situation. Which made his anger all the more personal.
"You can have all of the passion in the world, but that doesn't make you All-Might. If you can't handle it, you'll only end up buried in the rubble, a complete liability to your allies," Mister Aizawa tilted his head back, his gaze still casting judgement down on Izuku, "Go to Recovery Girl's office, you're done here."
The teacher turned to walk away, but now Izuku was mad. He scrambled to his feet, "Wait, Mister Aizawa!" Izuku paused for a moment, as his vision filled with black spots. He had stood up too fast. Once they disappeared, Izuku could see that Mister Aizawa had stopped moving, but hadn't turned around. "I have one more chance, don't I?"
The teacher turned his head to the side, an unamused expression on his face, "...You do. But haven't you hurt yourself enough already? What else can you do but either hold back and fail or use that short circuiting power and injure yourself?"
Now Mister Aizawa turned fully around, "In the practical exam, you threw everything you had into destroying the Executor, just to save one girl. But due to your blunders, Miss Uraraka had to help save you. If she had been actually hurt from the debris..." Mister Aizawa paused, as he closed his eyes for a brief moment.
When they opened again, it wasn't anger anymore, it was... empathy. Mister Aizawa's tone was gritty and tired, worn down from the decade he had served in the field, "Mister Midoriya, you don't want that kind of weight on your soul. Stop rushing into situations where you are unready. You aren't All-Might. You lack his control. Choose another path to help others."
"I've been told that before," Izuku retorted, remembering his rooftop talk with the Number 1 Pro Hero, "That didn't stop me then. I'm going to become a hero like All-Might. I know I don't have full control of this power, but that's why I..."
Mister Aizawa cut him off, "Words are cheap, Mister Midoriya. You should have had control of your Quirk before you entered the entrance exam," the unkempt teacher gestured to the high bar, "Fine, if you want to prove you belong here, you have one more chance. But I don't want to see you just clear this thing. I want to be blown away. Prove to me that you don't need Miss Uraraka or Miss Pendragon to come save you."
Mister Aizawa returned to his observation spot by the high jump, tablet in hand. Izuku sighed, then walked over back to the starting point for the high jump. He tried to ignore the class murmurs, as Izuku could tell some of his classmates had written him off. He forced himself to ignore Uraraka's and Arturia's cheers, even if they did lighten his mood.
...Mister Aizawa had been right on one thing. Without Uraraka and Arturia, Izuku would have been splattered across the ground after he smashed the Executor's head. He needed better control, but the microwave metaphor wasn't going to cut it.
Izuku needed to somehow restrain the overwhelming, electrifying power of One for All and channel it effectively. But how could he do that, if the second he tapped into that power it overwhelmed every muscle he was using with raw power?
Izuku wiped the sweat from his forehead, then flicked it away. He stopped, as he glanced down at his finger tips. Kacchan... Kacchan did smaller explosions by flicking his sweat aside. A flick wasn't a large movement either, Izuku noted, as he stared down at his hand. His mind raced with the possibilities.
If One for All is going to give my body 100% at all times... then I need to limit what parts of my body One for All uses.
A plan started to come together. Izuku knelt down once again, into the starting position for his last sprint for the high jump. He took a deep breath, and selected a new metaphor. Izuku pictured his body coated in thick insulation tubing, restraining the power of One for All. Then, slowly, ever so slowly, he peeled insulation from four of his fingers.
Right ring finger. Left ring finger. Right middle finger. Left middle finger. Izuku picked each digit deliberately, planning out how each one would be used. Once they were freed of the insulation, they felt raw and exposed. They were ready to channel the awesome power that All-Might had given him. He could feel One for All testing its limits now. It wanted to flare into the surrounding muscles, but Izuku managed to keep it between his fingers. Good, this might work after all.
If Mister Aizawa wants to be blown away... I think I can do that.
The teacher called for Izuku to start, so he took off running. One for All was primed, but Izuku didn't unleash it yet. He just kept one foot in front of the other for a few more paces, keeping his breathing leveled. Once the high jump bar was in range, he put his hands to the sides, readying his ring fingers. At this point, One for All was screeching to be unleashed...
Izuku took one more deep breath, eyes narrowed in focus. He lowered his body, and bent his legs down. He leapt into the air, flicking both of his ring fingers down, blasting the ground apart as he launched into the sky...
Aizawa barely flinched as the shockwave of power washed over him. He couldn't say the same thing about some members of Class 1-A, who yelped as the wind rushed past them and dirt flew into their eyes. They should have had the situational awareness to prepare for this. The teacher set those concerns aside for now, as he watched the green problem child soar into the air.
Midoriya had figured out a neat trick. By forcing his errant Surge ability into just his fingers, he had only broken two fingers. Clever. The kid was still sacrificing his body to use his Quirk, but it was now slightly more useful. Still, it was shortsighted to use two fingers just to overshoot a high jump like that...
"CLEAR!" Midoriya roared from the air, pointing his right arm down right at the fall cushion. His left arm stabilized his aim as his middle finger flared with power. Aizawa blinked, surprised that the problem child would use his Quirk again after clearing the challenge. That blink cost Aizawa the chance to stop Midoriya, however.
The problem child flicked that finger with the force of a thunder strike, right at the fall cushion. As though it was slapped down by God, the fall cushion immediately collapsed, and another, stronger shockwave blasted over Class 1-A. Three students were immediately ready, as Emiya and Toyotomi immediately used their Quirks to form a wall of swords, while Tokoyami used Dark Shadow to brace the makeshift construct from falling.
While the fall cushion collapsed, Midoriya ascended back up into the air, continuing his flight forward past the destroyed cushion. He was about to crash right into the earth.
Aizawa immediately started to sprint towards the falling kid, readying an emergency cushion balloon from his belt to stop this kid from breaking his neck when he landed...
Only to slow down slightly as Aizawa saw Midoriya's face. It was a triumphant grin, as if he had everything in control. It was at this moment that the veteran Pro Hero saw where Midoriya's arms were. The problem child had switched hands. Now it was his left arm pointed at the ground this time, finger ready. Midoriya released a third flick, and blasted the ground apart.
Aizawa shielded his eyes as debris flew into the air, coming to a full stop. Then he lowered his arm, staring at the green problem child. Midoriya was standing, even if he was leaning slightly forward, panting. The kid glanced up, then held his two hands up. The fingers that were fine were extended, while the broken ones were curled. Which meant he was posed like he was those web slingers from New York, "Well, did that count? Were you blown away?"
It only took a second for Aizawa to realize the point of the second and third flicks, and he had to scoff in amusement. If Midoriya had just wanted to clear the high jump, he would have been fine with his original leap. Fine... but ultimately unimpressive.
But Midoriya had chosen to prove a completely different point. If this kid had done this at the entrance exam, Midoriya would have been able to take out the Executor and land more safely. He would have only broken fingers instead of limbs.
This kid was reckless and immature, nothing had changed on that front. Midoriya still acted as if he was the next coming of All-Might, in passion more than arrogance. Aizawa had no doubt that this kid wouldn't hesitate to break a limb again if it meant 'saving' someone else. That martyrdom would cause problems in the future, if it wasn't taught correctly.
...Damn it, Aizawa finally got what Nezu wanted from him. After he was called out on how he handled the Executor, Midoriya spent two extra fingers showing he would adapt. The kid was a self-sacrificing idiot, but one with the drive to actually improve. Reckless, but teachable.
If this kid really wanted to be the next All-Might, then he needed to be pushed back. Midoriya was going to push forward regardless of what anyone or anything tried. What he needed was guardrails. The green headed needed a hammer to strike back and forge him into a proper hero. Aizawa was still wary about Midoriya being here at U.A...
But teaching this kid was going to be fun, "Yeah, alright, Mister Midoriya, consider me blown away," Aizawa gave a deranged grin, "Let's see if you can keep me impressed. It would be a shame to expel you after all that effort."
Ochako's eyes were wide as Dark Shadow peeked over the sword barrier, then glanced back at Emiya and Toyotomi, giving a thumbs up. The haunted redhead and the golden diva waved their hands, and their swords either retreated back into the golden portals or faded like stardust on the wind.
With the view unobstructed now, Ochako could see Mister Aizawa and Midoriya walking back to the class. Both seemed to be in better moods than Midoriya's last attempt, though the plain boy with green hair was holding his fingers. He must have injured them with his leaps.
Releasing a sigh of relief, Ochako glanced at Arturia, who hadn't been phased when the shockwaves had hit the class. Unlike Mineta and Kaminari. The two had walked up and tried to talk to Ochako and Arturia, only to be blown back by Midoriya's Quirk. Ochako wanted to think she had been as cool as Arturia... but she still flinched.
Arturia was still just folding her arms, grabbing her left bicep, as she glanced back to Ochako, "See? Midoriya had this. He just had to figure it out, right, Shirou?" she directed her question to the returning redhead.
Emiya simply cracked his neck, still glancing back at Midoriya, "...Yeah, I guess so..." His tone was off to Ochako, but she couldn't place why. The redhead returned to stand next to Arturia, simply staring at Midoriya, like he was a puzzle trying to solve.
"Still... he shouldn't be hurting himself using his Quirk, right?" Ochako asked, glancing at Arturia, who nodded along. Ochako glanced back, focusing on Midoriya's hands, her voice full of concern, "He only broke his fingers this time, but even then... why is he breaking anything at all?"
"I know what's going on," Arturia confidently declared, nodding her head victoriously. This caused Shirou to glance towards her.
"You do?" the redhead asked, his tone containing a mix between genuine curiosity as well as disbelief. Like a parent whose child had said they could solve world hunger.
Arturia confidently nodded, "Of course. Midoriya said that he had never gotten his Quirk to work until the entrance exam," she glanced at Ochako, before continuing, "So he's firing on all cylinders, and only all cylinders. He needs to practice using only so much of his Quirk at a time, or else he'll keep breaking his bones. I had the same issue when I was younger."
Emiya pursed his lips, "...You may be right. But that leads me to wonder why it took so long for him to be able to use this... ability," his face was squinted up in concentration, "He called it a well of power before, and he had to train to even get to this point."
Arturia had her response ready, "I have a cousin whose Quirk seems similar to mine, but her Blood Oath Quirk stockpiles from doing favors for others. I bet that Midoriya's Quirk picks up power in a similar way, but if he didn't know what it is fuelled by, then that power would have been stored up until it became too much. Hence why..."
"DEKU YOU BASTARD!" Bakugo roared, interrupting Arturia's deduction. Ochako and her friends snapped their gaze to the explosive bully. He was literally sweating bullets, having been pushing himself the whole day. His glare matched his growl, and he lowered himself to sprint after Midoriya.
"Oh no you don't!" Arturia took a deep breath in, ready to leap after him, but Ochako put a hand to her friend's stomach, holding her back. Mister Aizawa already had an eye on Arturia's spat with Bakugo, Ochako didn't want to risk her friend getting into trouble.
She also didn't want to let Bakugo hurt Midoriya, so even as Ochako held Arturia back, the gravity heroine slid to her left, just as Bakugo shot past her. Reaching out, she 'accidently' touched the bully's sweat drenched back with all five of her fingers. She made it look like she was just trying to stop him.
In reality, her Quirk had a weird side effect around sweat. Since it came from the body, she could use it as a conduit for her Quirk to reach her target through their clothing. It was gross... but effective.
Bakugo had already moved a few paces away from Ochako by the time he used another explosion to boost speed. Without gravity tethering him, the explosive bully shot into the air, causing a few in the class to gasp or burst out laughing as he spun out in the air.
"OI, WHAT THE HELL!? HOW DID I..." Bakugo growled, spinning around until his red eyes locked with Ochako, who glanced away whistling, "OH IT WAS YOU, HUH CHEEKS!" he held out his hand to launch back at Ochako, but no explosion came out, "OH WHAT NOW!?"
"I Erased your Quirk, Mister Bakugo," Mister Aizawa drawled out, as he arrived at the bulk of the class with Midoriya. The teacher's eyes were wide and bloodshot, his hair raised like the hood of a cobra, "If you would like to remain here, I would suggest worrying about yourself, rather than your classmates. Understand?"
Bakugo held out Mister Aizawa's gaze for a few moments, before he cowed, glancing to the side. Mister Aizawa sighed, then closed his eyes, "Miss Uraraka, can you release Mister Bakugo from your 'accidental' Quirk usage?" the teacher glanced right at Ochako, who sheepishly smiled. She wasn't sorry, and it had all worked out.
Ochako tapped her fingertips together. Gravity grabbed hold of Bakugo once again, and he fell back to terra firma, using his explosions to guide his descent down. It was annoying how smoothly he fell, like he was going down a slide at a park.
The explosive bully glared at Midoriya and Ochako, but Arturia, Emiya, and Tokoyami glared back. Even Dark Shadow got in on the action, popping up as a chibi version of herself on Tokoyami's shoulder. Bakugo simply scoffed and moved elsewhere.
"Now that's been settled, it's time for lunch," Aizawa called out, causing the class to cheer, letting the stress of the test out for a bit. Ochako released a sigh of relief, as she was ready for some of the rice balls she had made.
At least, that's what she would have had, before Aizawa stopped them from heading inside, "Oh, no, you think we're going to spare the time for all of you to go inside and eat? Do you newbies think you can go back to your agency's office to have a meal on patrol, or during a disaster or crisis?" the teacher gave his signature deranged grin, before tapping a button on his tablet. Service bots came rushing in from a nearby station, similar to the ones that held their gym uniforms at the classroom.
"Even if one of you is getting cut today, I didn't want to deprive you of a small taste of the hero life," Aizawa's grin only grew wider and wider, "So, on the house, you all get to have some MREs that fit into a utility pack or belt. Unless you know how you make proper preparations before you enter the field, this is what you all will be eating." With that statement, Mister Aizawa started passing around the dry packets of food among the classmates. He also passed along bottles of water, to both drink and activate the flameless heaters.
Ochako sighed as she got her packet. Hamberger stew. Not her favorite, but she had eaten worse things before. She immediately got to work making hers, as did Emiya and Arturia without any complaint. Tokoyami and Iida took a bit longer, but they too got started making the meals.
Midoriya held off for a moment, squeezing his hands flat together. His face was a tight grimace, as he let a low hiss out. Emiya paused for a moment, "Are you alright, Midoriya? Do you need me to make your food for you?" Midoriya shook his head, but was still gritting his teeth.
"No, thank you. I should be able to..." He was cut off when Arturia simply grabbed Midoriya's packet and passed it to Emiya, who got started working on the plain boy's MRE meal. After a small pause, Midoriya couldn't help but give an amused snort, "I'm not really used to people stealing my lunch to make it for me."
Arturia simply nodded, "Trust me, if you were going to have anyone make you food, Shirou is the one to do it. He probably knows some tricks to make these things edible." Emiya simply gave a confident smirk, as Iida and Tokoyami started to ask what they should do to prepare their meals.
Ochako wanted to ask too, but she couldn't take her eyes off of Midoriya's fingers. He had taken the issued water bottle and held it between his hands. The plain boy was trying to keep his fingers cold, as flat as possible, and under pressure to alleviate the pain. Ochako could sympathize with that kind of pain, as she had hurt plenty of fingers on construction sites or at the Worii Scrapyard.
But not like this. Not to this level of injury. Ochako couldn't begin to guess why Midoriya's Quirk hurt him like this. All she knew is that she wanted to help. If only she knew how.
Her attention was drawn away when she heard Toyotomi ask Mister Aizawa a question, "Excuse me, but if we're able to use our Quirks to provide for a better lunch, would that be against the rules of this lunch?"
Mister Aizawa leveled an unamused look to the golden diva, "...No, it wouldn't. The spirit of this lunch is to show you what you will be eating in the field if you don't prepare ahead of time," the teacher opened a water bottle, but before he took a sip, he asked, "Let me guess, you already had something in your Treasure Portal Quirk?"
Instead of answering, Toyotomi just smirked, and snapped her fingers for dramatic effect. A few paces away from the group, a large golden portal manifested a few paces in the air. Then a lawn chair fell out of it, along with a table, a cooler, and a large amount of food, all which landed perfectly in place. It was all capped off with a large umbrella landing right behind the lawn chair, providing a magazine-perfect picture of a tropical retreat.
The entire class just stared at the high class set up, before looking back at the golden diva, who just twirled her hair in satisfaction. Mister Aizawa rolled his eyes, but nodded, "Go eat your food and have it packed up before I start the next test, or I'm docking you points."
"Of course, Mister Aizawa. You'll never know it was there when we start the next test," replied Toyotomi with a chuckle, while she walked over to her little retreat. As she passed by Ochako and her group, the golden diva leaned down to peer over Ochako's shoulder at the food.
"Hmm, looks decent enough, I guess," she remarked, glancing up to meet Arturia's glare. Toyotomi smirked, then stood back up and headed over to her table.
Ochako raised an eyebrow at the bluntness of the golden diva's actions, then glanced down to work on her MRE. She was startled that inside the packet was a small gold portal that dropped two new surprises into her hands. A jar of bruising cream with antibiotics as well as a box of bandages.
...Did she...? No, it didn't matter. What mattered was that Ochako now had tools to help her friend, "Hey, Midoriya, come here," she turned to the plain guy with green hair. Midoriya was startled, but the gravity heroine simply held out the medical supplies, "I got some first aid supplies here, let's get you patched up."
The plain boy moved over to her, holding out his fingers. "Sorry for the trouble," Midoriya apologized, but Ochako shook her head, as she put the box of bandages to the side as she opened the jar of bruise cream.
As she scooped up some of the cooling ointment onto his fingers, being gentle even as Midoriya hissed, Ochako just gave Midoriya a smile, "Don't worry about it. This is what friends are for." The plain guy gave a half hearted chuckle, as they worked to bandage up his fingers.
As they worked to bandage each injured finger to a healthy one, Ochako couldn't help but think about what that explosive bully had said. So, she decided to simply ask, "Hey Midoriya... Why does Bakugo call you Deku?" the plain boy winced, giving another weak laugh.
"Oh... uh, Kacchan just calls me that to make fun of me," Midoriya tried to laugh it off, but Ochako could see the pain hiding behind his eyes, "It's another way to read my name, after all."
Ochako hummed in understanding, biting the inside of her cheek, "I see... Well, I think it works for you," Midoriya snapped his gaze up to her in confusion, but she just smiled back, "You know? It kinda sounds like 'You Can Do It'. That fits you, since you don't give up no matter what."
Midoriya's face immediately flushed, "Oh, I see. Um, I guess. Er, I mean. You could interpret it that way. Sort of. Sure. It's a nice meaning. A more positive one. If you wanted to use it that way." Ochako couldn't help but chuckle as she watched Midoriya short circuit for a bit. Before long, Midoriya was chuckling too.
The Quirk Apprehension Test wasn't over. Mister Aizawa still had more trials for the class before he picked one to expel. Ochako hated that. This wasn't the kind of competition she wanted. They all had worked so, so hard to get here, only for this one teacher to toss them out just for being in last place. Ochako couldn't help but worry that Midoriya could be on the chopping block.
Still, it was like what she had told Midoriya at the entrance exam luncheon. All they could do is stay positive. Ochako had faith that Midoriya would live up to his nickname's new meaning. She chose to believe that Midoriya would pass alongside them.
Toshinori Yagi, in his skinny form, took a long sip from his meal pouch as he reflected on what he had just seen of Young Midoriya and his friends. It had been a struggle to change from his Pro Hero suit to his yellow striped business suit, before rushing here to this secret spot around the corner of the building.
The gaunt giant had arrived just in time to see Young Midoriya shooting off into the air with his fingers, exceeding this high jump test with nearly flying colors. Nearly flying, as the young man still broke some fingers. Now he was getting medical attention from another student, Young Uraraka, if the weary old man recalled correctly. Toshinori could see them through the set of binoculars he carried in his suit.
For some reason, even his vision was impaired in his skinny form compared to his heroic form. His muscles, lungs, and other organs made sense... but why had his eyes taken such a strange debilitation? A frustrating mystery, just like how One for All seemed to overwhelm Young Midoriya's body at every opportunity.
The old man put his binoculars down and took another sip as he tried to think back to when he got One for All from his mentor, Nana Shimura. It had been nearly forty years ago, so the memories were fuzzy in places, lost to time and trauma. However, All-Might didn't recall these kinds of troubles adapting to the stockpiling Quirk. Sure, some minor bruising or sprains, maybe a dislocation or two. But he hadn't ever seriously injured himself using his Quirk until after he defeated All for One.
His mind flashed back to the warning Nana had given him. If a potential wielder of One for All wasn't ready, their body would literally explode. Toshinori refused to consider that possibility to be true here. It couldn't be, the young man still had all of his limbs after fighting the Executor. Not only that, Young Midoriya had done exceptionally well at isolating One for All to his fingers.
All-Might believed that Izuku Midoriya would be able to control One for All soon, but it was his role as the young man's mentor to help guide him there. There must be a reason Young Midoriya struggled with One for All in a way that Toshinori hadn't as a newbie. If he could just figure it out, then he could teach his successor and help guide the boy as the next Symbol of Peace.
The weary, old man pondered the situation, as he finished his meal pouch and continued to observe Aizawa's class. Thankfully, All-Might wouldn't be required to appear anywhere soon, which left him time to watch as the class finished their own meals and moved on to Aizawa's next test. The side steps.
Toshinori enjoyed seeing creativity on display with the various Quirks, like with Young Mineta. The kid pulled off a few strands of his purple seaweed-like hair, inflated them, then attached them to his shoes. He then just bounced between the two points like a ball. Young Emiya did something similar, just with oversized spring knives.
Using some form of support items wasn't the only way people excelled in this test either. Young Tokoyami had his spectral companion Dark Shadow shake him from side to side, which seemed to count based on Aizawa's softly amused face. Young Iida revved his engines, appearing to wiggle back and forth like a car trying to escape a ditch.
Young Midoriya's attempt was once again concerning. The green boy didn't break his fingers this time. No, he broke his toes... and his shoes... creating twin shockwaves that rattled Young Midoriya back and forth. Aizawa's grimace was in line with Toshinori's own feelings on the matter.
It was just another reminder of the work Midoriya would need to put into mastering One for All.
Once the side steps were done, the class moved into their last challenge, according to what Nezu had said. The ball throw, a simple test made slightly harder by it being the last test of the day. While the class was giddy, no doubt anticipating this to be the last test of the day, all of the students moved more lethargically. It was devious of Aizawa to choose such a simple, attainable task as the last test.
That didn't stop any of the students from giving it their all. Toshinori watched through his binoculars as Young Uraraka stepped up to the plate. She took a deep breath, face set, then glanced at Mister Aizawa. A quick dialogue ensued, before the gravity heroine stepped back, then pitched the ball into the air.
Up... Up... And away it went. Toshinori had to let out a small chuckle as he watched the ball simply... vanish. With her Quirk being Zero-Gravity, it seemed likely that Young Uraraka had just expelled the ball from Earth itself. A glance at Aizawa's tablet screen showed that Young Uraraka had scored the distance of infinity.
Toshinori let out a low whistle. He wasn't sure if he could have pulled off something similar in his hey day. All-Might didn't tend to throw his enemies into space, but his punches have been known to change the weather. Maybe All-Might himself couldn't have, but Toshinori wondered if one day, Young Midoriya would be able to go beyond and...
"What exactly do you think you are doing here?" a young feminine voice called out, causing Toshinori to drop his binoculars and whip around in startlement. It was a good thing he didn't suddenly transform into All-Might, as that could have been awkward to do in front of a U.A. student.
Indeed, the new arrival was a tall young woman with blonde hair tied into twin tails. Her uniform signified that she was in the third year hero course, and her expression was clearly unamused with Toshinori's presence, as she held up her right hand, ready to snap her fingers, "Are you some sort of reporter, trespassing here for a scoop?" Her eyes narrowed, "Or a creep cruising for a good view? Answer quickly."
Toshinori held his hands up carefully, "Oh no, I'm not a reporter or a creep. I'm actually All-Might's secretary, Toshinori Yagi. Let me get my ID out and I can prove it." The blonde's eyes narrowed, but she didn't react until Toshinori reached into his suit pocket and pulled out his school ID. The one for Toshinori, not for All-Might.
Just as he brought out the plastic card, the blonde student snapped her fingers anyway. Toshinori braced for anything, but the only thing that happened was that his ID vanished from his hand and appeared in hers. The blonde third year glanced down at it, then her face morphed into a more calm, polite expression, as she tossed back the card.
"My apologies, Mister Yagi. I was surprised to find anyone else here when I arrived, but it seems that you are officially a part of the faculty alongside your boss, All-Might," the blonde student performed a curtsey with her apology, then asked, "Though, I still wonder what you are doing, watching Expel Head's class."
Toshinori let out a chuckle meant to ease the tension, as he bent down to pick up his binoculars with a groan, "Yes, well, you couldn't have known. I'll be introduced to the classes All-Might teaches as the need arises. I'll be his substitute, in case he ever gets too busy to teach." Really, just whenever Toshinori burned out his time limit as All-Might.
The young woman nodded slowly, following along, as the frail old man turned to look back at the ball throwing contest. A student with multiple arms, Young Shoji, was giving it a go, as Toshinori continued to explain himself, "As for why I am here, Mister Aizawa pulled his class out of Orientation, so All-Might sent me here to watch over them and get a feel for this class."
The blonde student with twin tails hummed carefully, "I see. I must apologize again, then, for interrupting your work." She moved over so that she could watch Aizawa's class in action as well, before she added, "I had just arrived to check on my sister, and was concerned you were peeping on her and her classmates."
Her sister? Toshinori gave the blonde third year a once over, before checking back with Class 1-A. Only two young women had blonde hair, and the incognito Pro Hero knew Miss Pendragon's family. That left only one option, who was currently sending the ball accelerating through two golden portals. "Ah, is Miss Toyotomi your sister then?"
The blonde student gave a small smile, "Yes, though while we may look similar, we aren't actually blood related. I was adopted into their family four years ago, after..." The third year student paused, as clearly painful memories flashed before her eyes, "Well, it matters very little now. Suffice it to say, I was left cold and alone in this world, overwhelmed by it all. If it wasn't for Gila finding me in the rain, well..." A crack sounded, as the first year Toyotomi moved her bottom portal as far out as she could, shooting the ball into the atmosphere. Another infinity score was displayed on Aizawa's tablet.
Toshinori's heart sank at the implications of her statement. However, he could tell she didn't want pity, so he simply nodded, "Tragedy can come in all sorts and forms. In my time with the Symbol of Peace..." he paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts, "I have seen so many different disasters and crises that have destroyed countless lives. I don't know what happened to you... Miss Toyotomi?" he questioned, having assumed part of her name.
When she gave a simple nod, the old man continued, "I may not know the details, but I can say that you must be doing something right. You must be busy with your third year here at U.A. Yet you have still taken some time to check on your younger sister. You may be adopted, but it's clear that your bond is more than that."
Miss Toyotomi let loose a sardonic chuckle, "Of course, she's all that I have left. She's helped to take years of pain off of me. Helping her is all that I have left. That, as well as..." A crack ripped through the air, as both secretary and student glanced as they saw an arrow fly off. It was clearly shot by Young Emiya, who had a large, black bow in his hands.
Toshinori whistled, glancing at Miss Toyotomi for her reaction. Instead of being impressed, however, the blonde third year simply had her lips pursed, her dark blue eyes flickering with restrained emotion. "Are you alright, Miss Toyotomi?"
The student took a deep breath, "Yes, that just startled me. I'm quite alright," she stated in a practiced tone, which failed to hide the low growl in her voice.
She wasn't alright, but Toshinori had no idea what he should do about this. Before he could inquire, she turned to face the frail, old man, "Tell me, if you are truly All-Might's secretary, may I presume that you have a class roster? Do you know who fired that shot?"
Toshinori mentally debated if he should say anything, but decided to go ahead and answer the question, "I do. That was Shirou Emiya, he'll be in class with your younger sister." Trying to lighten the mood, he covered his mouth, then added, "He's actually one of two applicants that destroyed one of the Executors. Not many students have done that here."
The attempt didn't succeed, as Miss Toyotomi just made an unamused hum, "I see. I guess he does have a talent for destruction then." She glanced back towards the redheaded student, her brow furrowing, her fist clenching. However, she stopped herself, and took another measured breath, "No matter. I trust my sister's talents. She'll exceed Expel Head's test. I need to return to class. Take care, Mister Yagi."
Returning the nod, the incognito Pro Hero turned back to Aizawa's class, "Take care, Miss Toyotomi. Remember to follow the school's motto." This caused the young woman to stop, turning her head slightly. Toshinori also turned his body to glance back at her in curiosity.
"Go Beyond, Plus Ultra?" she asked, her voice colder than the polar ice caps, "You don't need to worry about me. I already know how far I'll go to be an Ally of Justice." With that, she departed.
...Those eyes. Toshinori had seen eyes like that before. Eyes that burned with the embers of grief and fury. Miss Toyotomi's eyes evoked the image of Endeavor, the Number 2 Pro Hero of Japan, and self-proclaimed greatest rival to All-Might.
While All-Might disagreed with the title, the effort Endeavor put into his heroics wasn't to be lightly dismissed either. The strong facade the Flame Hero put on was a vital instrument to both his villain capture rate as well as maintaining his devoted fanbase.
But Toshinori was aware of another side of the Pro Hero. A side of Enji Todoroki that had mourned the loss of his son, Touya, in the great fires of Sekoto Peak. All-Might was in another part of the country during the incident, chasing after long forgotten leads. What he did remember, was looking into Endeavor's eyes when they next met.
Grief and fury. A storm of emotions that every hero would have to tackle at some point. As Toshinori had told the three teenagers at Takoba Beach, every hero would one day be haunted by the lives they failed to save.
Miss Toyotomi seems to have already had such an experience. That may very well be the drive behind her choice in becoming a hero. Whether it was to prevent such a tragedy from happening again... Or perhaps to track down whatever villain had left her cold and alone in the world. All-Might remembered having a drive similar to that, once upon a time.
The cost of that hunt was still being paid to this day.
Toshinori turned back to gaze at Aizawa's class with his binoculars. It was now time for Izuku Midoriya to step up to pitch the ball. The green boy had removed his bandages, and it seemed that he was planning on breaking another finger.
As the Symbol of Peace watched his protege prepare to use the awesome power of One for All, just to toss a ball for a classroom test... Toshinori couldn't help but appreciate Young Midoriya's attitude. As the young man pulled his arm back, his back was straight, and his limbs in great form. His face was set in determination, with a small amount of both confidence and pain leaking through.
The ball shot forward with a crack, landing at about seven hundred and nine meters. As Young Midoriya walked gingerly back, using his heels and avoiding his toes, the smile he had as he tapped his forearm with his friends was cheerful.
That smile was proof that All-Might had chosen his successor well. Toshinori knew of the troubles that Young Midoriya had faced, and how none of it had kept him down. Even while facing the threat of expulsion by Aizawa, the young man continued to fight well and try to perform to the best of his abilities.
Regardless of how today went, All-Might knew he would find a way to keep training Izuku Midoriya. He knew that he had to help his successor master the power of One for All.
Most importantly, Toshinori knew he had to be there when the boy failed to save a life.