Chapter 5
It was early in the afternoon as Ryoko made her way down the streets of Musutafu, heading towards her green-haired pseudo-sibling's school. As she normally did, Ryoko moved with both hands behind her head with her trusted spaceship, Ryo-Ohki, resting peacefully upon the top of her head. And while her gaze was more focused on the nearly cloudless blue sky above her, Ryoko weaved her way through the crowd almost effortlessly all with a smile on her face.
As she walked by an appliance store with functioning display tv's, Ryoko noticed out of the corner of her eye that another villain attack was going on. Briefly she glanced at the screen, more interested in where the fight was taking place than the action itself. Thankfully, it was happening at the opposite side of the city where she had plans with Izuku today. And even if it did, Ryoko wasn't about to let it stop her. If she had to teleport them to Ice Jet's in order to get that special ice-cream sundae that was only available until five today then she would do it!
Then, as she walked past the shop, a thought came to mind that caused Ryoko to chuckle a bit. "Wow, guess I've gone native," she said aloud, more to herself than anyone else. But then again, she really shouldn't have been surprised. It had been nearly a year now since Ryoko crashed- landed on this backwards planet in the middle of the boonies. Almost ten months of living on this rock, interacting with a race of people whose genetics seemed like they were constantly run through a blender. Ten months of living in one place, not having to worry about those idiots from Galaxy Police stumbling upon her latest hideout or worrying that the gang she was crashing with was going to turn her in for the bounty. And somehow, without her noticing until now, everything just sort of clicked into place. Things that had once been strange on this rock, she could look at without batting an eye. She felt oddly comfortable here, feeling more at home and more at peace than she ever did on the planet she actually grew up on.
And she had the Midoriya's to thank for all of that.
Thinking about the Midoriya's, especially the one who had become her honorary little brother, caused her to grin a bit as she continued to make her way to his school. It seemed odd to her that this was the first time that she was doing this, going to his school to pick him up. Honestly, she would have thought walking home with a gorgeous woman such as herself would make him the envy of all the other male, and perhaps a few of the female students. Then again, she hated schools in general so going there was never high up on her list of priorities. That and Izuku had asked her not to.
Today, however, she was making an exception. Why? Because tomorrow was the big day. The day they had been training for since she had used that device on Izuku: the U.A. entrance exam. She had done everything in her power to get Izuku ready for this. He still hadn't awoken all of his newfound abilities, but what he did have she had made sure that he knew how to make the most of them. No longer was he that frail, skinny child but a fairly built fighter who could bust more than a few heads. Heck, she had even managed to weasel in some additional training on his study days!
An almost wicked grin appeared on Ryoko's face, nearly laughing aloud at her own brilliance. It had started off so innocently, waiting for Izuku to finish studying to suggest that they watch some hero footage online. She recalled how her honorary brother's eyes sparkled at that, moving to his laptop to pull up an All Might video. Ryoko had watched them for several of the study days, listening to Izuku gushing over them before asking to see someone else. Someone who didn't end the fight so quickly. Thankfully, Izuku hadn't been bothered by this as he pulled up a video that had been posted early that day featuring some speedy hero in armor. As they watched, Izuku went over everything he knew about this hero, whose name Ryoko barely registered, with great detail but paused when she asked about the villain. Thankfully it was only a moment before Izuku began to focus more on speed-boy's opponent, watching the video and quickly deducing how his quirk worked. Nodding to the green-haired teen, Ryoko then asked how he would have defeated the same villain using his powers. The scene before her became priceless as Izuku brought a hand to his chin, tapping it as he looked at the screen intently all while mumbling to himself. It took several minutes, but Izuku came up with a strategy that used some of the powers he didn't yet have. It sounded good so Ryoko then asked to see another video only to repeat the process.
Thus began Izuku's 'homework'. Whenever Izuku had time after studying, Ryoko would put his mind to work studying the villains. Having him think about their strengths, their weaknesses, the way they moved, and so forth while trying to find a way of dealing with the situation. She even began asking Izuku to take the surrounding area into consideration and if he could use that to his benefit. Soon, a new series of notebooks began appearing on his shelves: 'Notable Villains and How to Defeat Them'. Like with his hero notebooks, Izuku analyzed them to the finest detail as he sketched them, listed their quirks, any special moves that they might have or show be wary about, and finally how best to go about defeating them. Ryoko also noted that her potential future partner was careful not to get lazy with this new research. When sneaking a peek into them, she noticed that while he did draw comparisons to villains and heroes who had similar quirks, he would make note of what he could tell what made their quirks different. Those slight differences, he noted, could impact how to defeat them. What worked for one villain might not work for another.
This 'homework' was something that Ryoko herself had done before, though not to the same level of detail as Izuku. Whenever a notable bounty hunter made the scenes, Ryoko did her best to get at least some info from the bars which space pirates liked to frequent. Things like what sort of ships they used, choice of weapons, strategies they liked to implement. That sort of stuff. Information of this kind made it easy to outwit or just beat the ever living crap out of them…save one. Naturally she never bothered doing the same for any of the officers within the Galaxy Police since the organization was nothing more than a joke in her eyes. Everything there was standard, by the books, making it easier for people like her to evade.
So, in short, Ryoko felt like Izuku was more than ready for this exam. Tonight, there would be no training at all. She would take him out to get that dessert before giving him words of encouragement…followed by the promise that his real training was just around the corner! Like hell she was going to trust this fancy school alone to make Izuku the best hero/partner! What did they know about-
"Don't you dare think about showing up at the exams, you useless Deku!" came a loud, angry voice that filled the air around the space pirate. As Ryo-Ohki covered her large ears with her paws, Ryoko made a face. Something about that voice simply grated on her nerves, making her instantly dislike the source without ever seeing it.
Seconds later, Ryoko turned the corner to see something that just confirmed her utter contempt for the voice. Standing there in front of the school's fence was an ashen blonde teen with red eyes wearing the same uniform that Izuku wore. There was a scowl on his face, showing off his teeth, with one of his hands held open palmed by his side with small explosions going off right above the skin. His other hand was stretched forward, pinning a clearly panicked Izuku against the alley wall.
"K-K-Kacchan," stammered Izuku, sweating as he gripped the bars behind him.
"Don't you dare look down on me Deku!" yelled the blonde, the hand holding Izuku thrusting forward so that it pinned the green-haired teen harder against the metal behind him. "Don't even think you have a chance at upstaging me nerd! I told you and the rest of the losers here that I'm going to be the only one at that this shitty school to get into U.A. Having someone like you even being there will just end up polluting my victory! All the others get it but you. So perhaps I'll need to-" The blonde brat stopped, his head turning to look at Ryoko as if finally noticing her for the first time. That or he finally heard the hissing sound Ryo-Ohki was making on her head. She could feel her trusted spaceship's nails digging into her scalp, her body tense as she got into a pouncing position with her fur standing on end.
This boy looked at the two of them with a scowl, his body language telling Ryoko that he was going to tell them to fuck off. Only, as her yellow slit eyes locked onto his own red orbs, he stopped himself. For a long time, the two just stood there with the blonde being the first to break eye contact. With a 'pht' sound, the kid looked away from her before releasing Izuku and moving towards Ryoko with both his hands in his pockets. Ryoko watched him as he moved, wondering if he was doing this because he recognized that a much larger, much more dangerous predator stood before him ready to pounce…or if he was worried about something silly like her calling the authorities. Perhaps he was worried that, if she did, it might hurt his chances at getting into his dream school. Not that she would, seeing as how if he had made a move to seriously hurt her partner, Ryoko would have pulled out her blade to remove both those hands before firmly implanting one of the crystal spikes of Ryo-Ohki's travel form right up his ass.
Then, she would get serious.
"Just remember what I said Deku," said the blonde after he had passed Ryoko. "If I see you at the exam, I'll fucking murder you. And no shitty passerby will be there to save your worthless ass!"
And with that, the angry explosive blonde stormed off leaving behind Ryoko as she looked at a very embarrassed looking Izuku.
-x-
"Come in," said Principal Nezu, as he heard a knock on his door. The bear-mouse-dog hybrid calmly reached for his tea cup, sipping the hot liquid as the door opened to reveal what most would call a skeletal man. The man looked like he was nothing but skin tightly woven around his very bones while wearing an oversized orange pinstripe suit on top of his small frame. His chin looked sharp, making those who saw him for the first time wonder if he could use it to stab people. His blonde hair looked ragged and unkempt, with two bangs hanging limply on either side of him. But the most striking thing about this man were his eyes: blue orbs which seemed to glow deep within his sunken eyes. Those eyes, however, were not glowing as brightly as they were the last time Nezu had seen him.
"Sorry for interrupting you out of the blue like this," the man said. Nezu nearly paused in the middle of his drink, taken aback by the tone in the man's voice. There was a distinct lack of energy that it once held when they had spoken many months prior. What's more, Nezu watched as the man walked into his office, his back slightly hunched over. Whatever it was, his guest was not here for a mere social call or to bring good news. Holding back a sigh while also hiding his frown behind the teacup, Nezu decided to play the role of a good host to one of his former charges until he was ready to say what was on his mind.
"It's no trouble All Might," said Nezu, his voice and features as upbeat as possible. As he set down his teacup, the white animal gestured to one of the chairs placed in front of his desk. "I was just finishing up going over tomorrow's entrance exam. Power Loader was here a little while ago to inform me that all of the robots for the exam are in tip top shape and have been strategically placed within the testing grounds. He has also confirmed that the Zero-Pointers will be ready to put on a good show. I do look forward to your input on all our hopeful students as you will be teaching some of them."
"Actually, that's sort of what I need to talk to you about," said All Might. As he spoke his hands, which had been resting on his legs as he looked downward, suddenly began gripping tightly at the fabric. "I…I've decided that I won't be teaching here at U.A."
"Oh my," said Nezu politely, his dark eyes examining the man before him. "Well, it certainly is your decision. Though I will admit that it is a little disappointing as many of the staff were excited that you were joining us. And with the school year just around the corner."
"I-I sorry Principal Nezu," replied All Might, lowering his head even more. And, while Nezu couldn't see it himself, he was positive that the blonde had his eyes closed. "I didn't mean to drop this on you at the last moment. Truth is I've been wrestling with this decision for a while now. I just…I just knew I needed to make up my mind before you announced to the press that I would be teaching here."
"Yes, that would have been quite the nightmare for all of us," agreed Nezu with a nod of his head. "Thank you for being considerate of that. But, while I will respect your decision, I believe that I am owed an explanation. When I first offered you the chance to teach here, you were very enthusiastic at the prospect. I have to wonder what could have made you have second thoughts for so long…"
All Might let out a sigh as he slowly raised his head enough to look the animalistic principal in the eyes. "Your right, an explanation is in order," he said with another heavy sigh. He then folded his hands together, resting his chin on the very top. "It happened shortly after I arrived in Musutafu. I was just going about my day when I spotted a robbery."
"And you couldn't help but get involved," said Nezu, closing his eyes while his mind went to work. Various pieces of information were coming to the forefront of his mind, putting them together like puzzle pieces. "I believe you are referring to the sludge villain robbery."
All Might's head lifted up from his hands, hacking blood in surprise. "H-How did you know…I checked the papers and the web. I was…I was never mentioned when he robbed…"
Nezu left out a small chuckle. "While that is true, a few people spotted the sludge villain as he made his getaway, posting the pictures they took on social media. But a few people took pictures of a blurry figure taking off after it, claiming that it was All Might. Normally I don't take much stock in such things as they usually turn out to be photoshopped in order to get more followers. However, seeing as I knew you were in town gave it a bit more weight."
All Might seemed to look all the more dejected as Nezu finished his explanation. "Then, if you know that part, then you know he got away. He made his way down into the sewers and, like a damn rookie, I got lost. By the time I finally found his trail…he was already long gone when my time limit expired."
"All Might, please don't tell me you are giving up teaching here just because you let one villain slip through your fingers?" asked Nezu gently, though in truth he knew now what was really bothering the Pillar of Justice. What had happened afterwards. As such, he leaned to the side, opening a drawer on his desk and flipping through the numerous folders within.
"Not at first," admitted All Might as Nezu continued to skim through the files. Giving his former student time to get this all off his chest. "To be honest, I was more disappointed in myself that I had allowed him to get away. Yeah I beat myself up a little, but decided to just do better next time. Then a few days later I was reading the news about a young middle schooler who had survived out in the wilderness for a couple of days, having escaped the clutches of a villain. I didn't think much of it at the time…until I read his description of the villain." All Might's hands flew to his head, his thin fingers pressing down into his messy hair. The man's teeth clenched tightly, drawing a bit of blood that dripped onto his suit. "It was the sludge villain! The very same one I had failed to stop! I read how that villain came out of the sewer and forced himself onto the young man before taking him out into the woods to escape. The boy admitted how scared he was, how he couldn't breathe and then finally passed out. He went through all that because I got lost in that damn sewer! Because of this damned timed limit! And it's only going to get worse from now on!"
All Might paused for a moment, taking in deep breaths before wiping away the blood from his lips. "Mirai was right, I should have been focusing on finding myself a successor to pass on my quirk. I should have retired long ago. I told myself and everyone else around me that I had to keep doing this, to preserve society by continuing to be the Symbol of Peace. But, after this, lately I've been wondering if that was just a convenient lie I've been telling myself. That I just didn't want to pass down this quirk. To going back to how I used to be."
While All Might was saying this, Nezu had found the folder he had been looking for. Silently, the bear-dog creature placed it on the desk before turning it so that it faced All Might. "Please don't take this the wrong way, but I believe that you are shouldering more of the burden than you should."
"But if I had just-" began All Might, standing up so fast that he knocked back the chair he had been sitting on before being interrupted by a bloody geyser erupting from his mouth.
"All Might, while it is true that you are the Number One Hero in Japan as well as the world's Symbol of Peace, you must not forget that you are still only human," said Nezu gently. "So many of the public views heroes, especially the higher ranking ones, as being so far above them that they might be akin to gods. But the sad truth of the matter is that we are flawed, we make mistakes." Nezu paused for a moment to look up at the still standing All Might. "Tell me, were you ever made aware that this sludge villain could take over a person's body?"
"Well, to be honest, no," replied All Might, sitting back down in his chair. His voice was a bit calmer now as he brought a hand back to his chin as if he were now deep in thought. "I had never even heard of that guy before. The only thing I knew for certain was what I saw on the streets. Figured the most he could do was turn into something more like water. That's how he managed to get into the sewers in the first place, he slipped in through the small holes and cracks." The slender man then slowly lowered his hand, placing it back on his knee. "But, even if I didn't know what his quirk could do or that he would find someone like that student, the fact remains that I'm getting weaker. I should be spending all of my time and energy finding the right person to pass this great gift onto."
"And how do you plan on doing that?" asked Nezu.
All Might scratched the back of his head. "To be honest, when I finally made up my mind about all this I gave Mirai a call. Told him he was right and that I should have been looking for a successor this entire time. We talked for a while and he brought up a few of his former interns and students who did the work study under him. He seemed really fond of this one kid who is currently working under him. Said he has the right attitude. Thought I'd check him out and, well, pass down One For All. I had also considered Melissa Shield as she could bring her tech to the game, but I really don't want her to be put in this kind of dangerous life."
Nezu let out a little hum. "All Might, please don't take this the wrong way, but it sounds like you are rushing this due to your own guilt." This statement by the principal caused the pro-hero's eyes to widen. "That if someone else were to now possess One For All, that it might lessen the burden that you are now feeling."
"But my condition!" shouted All Might, droplets of blood flying out of his mouth. "Because of it, I couldn't even protect one child! How can I ever hope to protect an entire class!? I need to pass on this quirk so that there will be a new Symbol of Peace and Justice!"
"Isn't that why you originally decided to become a teacher here at U.A.?" asked Nezu, his words startling All Might. "You are certainly in your right to look into the young lad that your former sidekick speaks so highly of. In fact, I would highly recommend it if only to help mend the rift between the both of you. With that said, the former wielder of One For All chose you with the greatest of care. It would be a disservice to her memory if you did not do the same. If you become a teacher at this school, you will be able to get a firsthand account of many additional candidates. People that Mirai has never met. Furthermore," continued Nezu, finally opening the folder to reveal a file as well as a picture of a certain green haired student, "that kidnapping was not the end of Izuku Midoriya's story."
All Might looked down at the file, his blue eyes staring down at the nervous green ones in the picture. "Y-You mean he's…" The man's words trailed off from there, slowly reaching to take hold of the file and bring it closer to himself.
"He's a fascinating young man," said Nezu, pouring himself a new cup of tea. "Most civilians who go through something like what he did would never wish to come near a true villain ever again. Yet here he is, not letting that tragedy hold him back." Nezu then paused to take a sip of his drink, sighing loudly after pulling the cup away from his lips. "Tell me, have you sought the boy out? Asked for his forgiveness?"
"No," said All Might, staring at the picture with a small smile. "He'd probably tell me it wasn't my fault." As he said this, All Might seemed to sit up just a bit straighter. The light in his eyes seemed to return, as if he were feeling more at ease.
Nezu chuckled at that. "Yes. And he would be right to say that." Nezu then set down the teacup. "However, if you are still feeling guilty about it, I'm willing to help you make it up to the young man. All you would need to do is to recommend young Midoriya and, should he fail in tomorrow's exam, we could hold a special recommendation exam just for him. Of course, that will be just for appearances sake and we will have to remove one of the other students. But if it's for you…" Nezu let the offer hang as he looked at All Might who was now looking over at Nezu with his mouth hanging open.
"That," began the slender man, looking from the principal to the photo in his hands then back to the principal. "That seems…I-I don't feel right about doing something like that. I don't know his skills, what his quirk can do. Heck, I don't even know what kind of person he is! How can I just recommend someone like that?"
Nezu smiled softly as he lowered his head as he took his teacup back into his paw, glad to see that All Might was thinking rationally once more. "Well, if you want to get an idea of Midoriya's quirk and how he uses it, you could always sit with the teaching staff as we watch the mock battles. That way you can keep an eye on him as well as the rest of the student hopefuls. Who knows, he might get in on his own merits." The dog-bear-mouse creature then took a long sip of his tea. "With that said, I believe there is a far superior way for you to make it up to him. I believe that this young man would appreciate it far more if he were taught by you, guided by the Number One Hero. You know the old saying, 'Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he'll eat for a lifetime'. All Might, don't just give him an experience that will last three years. Give that young man the skills he will need moving on into the future. If you can teach him to protect not only himself but also how to best prevent something like what happened to him from happening to others, then I believe you will have truly made it up to him. Who knows? Perhaps this young man might be the one to inherit your quirk. Him or one of the other fine students learning along with him."
A moment of silence passed between the pair before All Might looked up from the file. Nezu felt himself smile, hidden behind the teacup at the change in the man before him. The light in All Might's eyes was brighter now, his shoulders raised up a bit instead of slumping. It was as if a massive burden had been lifted, his passion reignited. Yes, this was the All Might that Nezu had spoken to months ago back when he had first suggested the job of teaching here at U.A.
"Well then," said All Might with a laugh. "Let's see if young Midoriya has what it takes to get into U.A." All Might then looked down at the document, appearing ready to hand it back to Nezu…only to pause as a thoughtful look appeared in his gaze. He began to stare at the file, bringing a hand up to his chin. This behavior confused Nezu as it looked like the man was trying to figure out a complicated puzzle only to find that one of the pieces didn't belong.
"Is something the matter?" asked Nezu, generally curious. At his words, All Might jumped a little in his seat as he was no doubt clearly startled by the principal's words.
"Oh, it's, ah, nothing," said All Might as he took the hand that was on his chin, bringing it around to scratch the back of his head. "I just thought…Well it was a while ago, so my memory of this must be a little cloudy. But I could have sworn that the article said that young Midoriya was quirkless. Must have been mistaken."
-x-
At the same time, Izuku sat within the chilled building of Ice Jet's Ice Cream Parlor: a franchise that belonged to a former pro ice themed hero who had his heyday about a decade before All Might first made the scene. He sat there with his head down, a large bowl of ice cream with fudge brownies positioned around the rim of the bowl in front of him, while Ryoko sat across the table eating her own ice cream like a starving animal. Next to her was Ryo-Ohki as she enjoyed the carrot flavored ice cream that this place, for some strange reason, sold.
As the green haired teen sat there, his cheeks burned with shame at what Ryoko had walked in on at the school. He could tell by her unnatural silence as they walked to their destination that she was disappointed in him. How could she not be after all the training they had gone through, his lack of progress in her powers? Seeing Izuku like that, just standing there as Kacchan screamed in his face, was probably the final nail in his coffin. No doubt this was going to be his last meal before she took back her powers.
"So," said Ryoko, snapping Izuku away from his thoughts, causing him to look at her with a start. He could see that she was finished with her treat, still holding her spoon between her fingers as she pointed it at Izuku. Ryo-Ohki had also finished hers and was now laying on her back, her stomach bloated slightly. "Mind telling me who that kid was?"
"K-Kacchan?" stammered Izuku. Ryoko raised an eyebrow before gesturing with the spoon for him to continue. "I mean, his name is Bakugo. Katsuki Bakugo. And, well, he's an old friend of mine."
"An old friend huh?" replied Ryoko, a dubious look on her face. "Now, unless this is a weird earth custom, friends don't usually threaten each other like that." She then let out a sigh. "Be honest with me."
"No! H-He really is an old friend!" said Izuku quickly and loudly, the action surprising him so much that his hands flew towards his mouth to cover it. As Ryoko continued to give him a questioning look, Izuku slowly lowered his hands while his face flushed a deeper shade of red. "We…we grew up together. Kacchan was always so fearless, so sure of himself that all the kids in the neighborhood followed him. He was even the one who gave me the nickname: Deku. Sure it means 'useless', but compared to him I guess it made sense. He's still as confident as ever, gets good grades without really having to try, family is well off, has a powerful quirk…"
"Oh, so he's a princess," said Ryoko, her tone much lighter now as she leaned forward with her spoon to take some of Izuku's ice cream.
"…You mean prince, right?" asked Izuku.
"Nope! He's a princess," repeated Ryoko as Izuku dropped his spoon.
"W-W-What?!" Izuku yelled, hands waving above his head wildly as he looked around half expecting Kacchan to come flying through the doorway and begin yelling. Honestly, Izuku was surprised that they weren't thrown out given how he was acting.
"Yep, a princess," said Ryoko, stealing another bite of Izuku's ice cream. "Someone who was born with all the power they could ever want. Doesn't matter if it's physical, political, or even just being stinking rich they have it in spades! Someone who feels like they are entitled to everything they want just because. And when something doesn't go their way, they feel like they have the right to make a scene! Yelling at the top of their lungs and demanding that things go the way they want it to before getting violent. Trust me, I saw, and heard, enough of that brat to get an idea of him. You just sort of filled in the blanks." She then let out a sigh as she leaned back in her seat. "You know, when I was little, I used to get bullied by a princess."
Izuku, unable to stop himself, snorted loudly as he too leaned back in his seat. He didn't mean to upset her, but it was hard to imagine Ryoko at any age getting bullied.
"I'm serious!" said Ryoko as she placed her free hand over her chest, her tone scandalized. "And it was from a real princess too. A witch who goes by the name Princess Ayeka." Ryoko then brought her hands together, looking up at the ceiling as her eyes gained a slightly misty look to them. "I can remember it like it was yesterday. I was at this one festival on a planet bordering the Jurai Empire. We were poor so I had to handle a stall, then one day that wicked girl just walked up and started insulting it. I was so young and helpless that all I could do was sit there, taking insult after insult until she just toppled the stall over. Then, as I lay there crying and trying to salvage whatever it was that I could find, she walked away laughing loudly in that annoying way that will haunt me until my dying day." As a tear formed in Ryoko's eye, both Izuku and Ryo-Ohki gave her a deadpan expression. While it was possible that something like that might have happened to Ryoko, since there was a chance that she hadn't always been so…confrontational, the story just kept her in too good of a light. Ensuring that she was the victim as well as completely blameless.
"She just did…that to you. Just you?" asked Izuku.
"Hey, what can I tell ya?" replied Ryoko with a shrug. "I had the cheapest looking stall there, made with wood that I salvaged from the local trash. Plus most of the stuff I was trying to sell were knock-offs. Guess it offended her." She then let out another sigh. "And it wouldn't be the last time I had to deal with that arrogant princess."
"…And you never got back at her?" asked Izuku.
The smirk that Ryoko gave would have put the devil himself to shame. "Never said I didn't." Izuku blinked at that before a small smile appeared on his face. Ok, that he could believe.
Sighing, Izuku finally dipped his spoon into the ice cream. "So, you're not disappointed in me?" he asked before taking his first bite.
"Well, that depends," replied Ryoko as she crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes fixed on Izuku in a serious manner. "Are you going to do what that loud mouthed princess wants? Or are you going to stick it to him?"
"Well, I don't want to but…," Izuku's words trailed off as he looked away, fully aware that Ryoko's gaze was narrowing at him. The green-haired teen allowed his spoon to fall into the cold, yet now melting treat before holding up the hand that had first fired that finger blast at his ceiling. "I'm…worried that I'm going to fail. Even after ten months of both you and my mom helping me, all I have to show for it is flying a foot off the ground and this finger beam. I just know I'm going to fail and let the both of you down. T-That you're going to regret everything you've done for me."
Lowering his head again, Izuku began to move the spoon in his hand around and around in the semi-liquid that had been his ice cream. There he had said it. Ten months of all that hard work: learning how to fight while making his body as fit as possible were the only true accomplishments he had. But, despite all of Ryoko's help trying to help him understand how to access her other abilities, he still had only managed to awaken the two. Even those were pitiful when compared to Ryoko. He still couldn't figure out what this mental limit was that Ryoko said was keeping his flying down. As for his finger beam, he could fire it faster than before, but his aim still needed a little work.
"Izuku," said Ryoko, pulling the teen from his thoughts. "I think you don't fully realize just how much you have accomplished. When we first started, you were this stringy thing that could barely even keep up with me. Now we're trading blows! You're barely even winded even after I knock you down ten times when you're giving it your all. That's no small feet. Not to mention the progress you've made with those powers of yours. You're firing those finger beams much faster than when you started and your aim isn't half bad for a beginner." She then paused for a moment. "What I'm trying to say is that I've had these powers my whole life. For you to make this much progress in ten months is nothing to sneeze at."
Then, Izuku felt an arm wrap around his shoulders, startling him. "Let me let you in on a little secret," said Ryoko, whom Izuku just realized teleported next to him. The tone she was using now had both strength and reassurance within it, one that brokered no interruptions. "I have never regretted any decision I have ever made in my life. Not a one. Do you know why? Because everyone of them were decisions I choose. Sure, I might not be happy about the outcome, but I never regret the fact that I made them. Now, tell me, what do you want to do?"
Izuku opened his mouth, ready to tell his surrogate sister that of course he wanted to do the exam before going over all the reasons why it would be a bad idea…but found no sound coming from his mouth. Slowly blinking his eyes, Izuku allowed the words that Ryoko had told him to sink in. What would he regret more? Going to the exam, trying his best, only to make a fool of himself? Or just not showing up, giving up right when the goal was within reach. The fear, the doubt he had felt from before seemed to be pushed away as he began to think about it like that. This was his dream and, if he was going to fail either way, he would rather do it while going down in a blaze of glory rather than limping away in a whimper!
"I want to take the exam," said Izuku firmly, earning a soft smile from Ryoko who placed a hand in his hair before ruffling it.
"That's the spirit!" said Ryoko, back in her normal tone. "I want you to come into space with me, but I also don't want my future partner to have any of those pesky regrets when you get there. So, we'll take as long as you need to get this hero thing out of your system! Even if that means you skipping a year of school to train and take that damned exam over again, transferring to a different school, or whatever else the damned rules say then we'll do it. Or not! We could just shout 'screw the rules' and just do the hero thing without a pesky education or license or whatever. Or I could just sneak into the school and make it so that you pass."
"L-Let's not!" stammered Izuku, looking around to make sure no one heard that. At the same time, Ryoko let out a loud laugh before taking Izuku's ice cream for herself.
"Fine, fine," she said, scooping up a massive spoonful of ice cream and quickly eating it. "But just know that whatever we do, we'll be having fun along the way! Just like all great space pirates do!" As Ryoko ate another massive bite of ice cream, she gave Izuku a side glance. Her eyes seemed to glow a bit as she then pointed the spoon right at Izuku's face. "Now, relax and forget about that blonde idiot. Don't let what he said get you down because he's absolutely wrong."
"Ah," was all Izuku could say as he looked at the spoon as the remains of the ice cream still on it dripped onto the seat to Ryoko.
Ryoko frowned as she got a bit closer to Izuku's face, ensuring that he couldn't look anywhere else. "Look here, I saw something inside you that made me want to take you off this planet in the middle of nowhere into space with me. Something that Baka-go doesn't. To me, you are a priceless treasure hidden on this rock that I have put time and effort into shining to make you the envy of the universe." As she spoke, Izuku's face turned scarlet at the compliment, having never heard anyone before say anything like that to him. "And, just so you know, the only way you will ever let me down is if you let all that power go to waste. But we both know you're not going to do that, right?"
"Right," said Izuku, giving Ryoko a genuine smile as the woman pulled away.
"Good. Now, as the most feared space pirate, I am commandeering your ice cream!" With that said, Ryoko went back to eating Izuku's treat. Though the teen didn't mind. He felt better about himself thanks to this little pep talk, too good to worry about something so small.
So, as Ryoko began to finish his bowl loudly, Izuku pulled out his phone and looked up an article he had been reading. As he began scrolling through it, Ryo-Ohki hopped over to where he was sitting, jumping onto his shoulder. The cabbit then poked his cheek with her paw, meowing at him a few times before pointing to the screen.
"Oh this," said Izuku, doing his best to interpret what the small fuzzy animal was saying. At a nod from Ryo-Ohki, Izuku scrolled back up to the top of the article. "Well, it's about a weird crime wave that's been happening all over the world. One that has all the heroes stumped. Someone, or some group, has been going around stealing entire fields of carrots!" At the mention of this, Ryoko began to gag on a brownie she just ate while Ryo-Ohki fell to the ground.
Chapter 6
The city of Musutafu seemed still during the early hours of the morning, at a time when the sun's light was barely able to be seen over the horizon and the stars still twinkled in the sky. Few people walked along the streets with only a few scattered cars here and there to provide any movement. Most of the people were still in their beds, savoring the rest for as long as they could before their alarms awoke them to the new day. Those who were awake at this hour had their own reasons for being up. Among them were the police and a few pro-heroes, yet their attention was lax as the quiet hours seemed to drag on and on.
So much so that they failed to notice a river of sludge as it crept its way down the street, pressed against the buildings close to the sidewalk. The sludge moved at a quick pace, always pausing at an intersection to scout for potential threats before making its way farther into the concrete jungle. Then, seemingly at random, the sludge slipped into an alleyway the same way a vampire slips into his crypt.
The sludge moved deeper into the alleyway, moving away from the walls now to avoid the dumpsters filled with trash and the other filth that littered the ground. Rats and other vermin paused for only a half second as they saw what was coming before letting out a cry, running on all fours to avoid this thing. It was only when it reached a stairwell heading downward that the sludge finally stopped, pooling in one place before taking on a humanoid form with yellow eyes. As soon as his legs were formed, Jiro Yamada aka the sludge villain, made his way down the steps towards a chipped red doorway.
The door opened easily, allowing the villain to enter into the once illustrious Nobody's Bar.
Yamada had heard stories about this place from his old man growing up. How, in the days before All Might appeared on the scene, it had been the premiere place for villains to celebrate their victories. The place always seemed to be packed with criminals of all shapes and sizes, an area where the lowly pickpocket could have a drink next to a kidnapper or someone with a plan to seize control of the city. Beer and other booze seemed to flow like an endless river, served by the most daring and beautiful women as they listened to the villains regaling all with stories of their crimes before it hit the news.
At least, that's how the old man had described the place as it had been in his prime. However, it seemed that All Might ruined everything as Nobody's Bar looked like it was on its last legs. The dim lights shined down on the tables and booths, illuminating the thin layer of dust upon the tables as well as the tape patching up the seats. Most of the tables were empty, their seats turned upside down upon the table's surfaces as spiders made their webs between the legs. The only table to not have this treatment was being used by three depressed, old time drunks. Their clothing looked cheap, tattered and patched like everything else here, save for the name tags. No doubt hanging on to their low paying jobs after getting out of prison, coming here to reminisce about the good old days.
Not bothering to hide his disgust at them, Yamada turned his sludge head towards the bar where the youngest person in the bar sat with the eldest standing on the opposite side. As the living pile of sludge moved closer to the bar table, he took note of the owner and founder of this establishment: Mr. Nobody. The man was in his late seventies, his long hair now white and tied up in the back. His eyes were nothing more than thin slits that, even when he was talking to you, seemed to be paying attention to everything else going on. That, along with his slender build, gave him the appearance of an evil butler ready to kill for his master at a moment's notice. Of course, Yamada knew better. Unlike the rest of the people in the bar, Mr. Nobody wasn't the type that went out to fight heroes or commit crime. Everything he did happened right here. He was a fixer and an information broker; if you needed help with a certain job Mr. Nobody could point you in the direction of the villain most suitable for your needs…for the right price. He also seemed to know when important goods were entering and exiting the city, what sort of heroes were passing through, and so on. And most useful of all: hiding criminals from the police. His quirk, Unnoticed, was a sort of perception quirk. All he had to do was touch an inanimate object and people's attention would drift away from it. So, if he were to put someone in that room right behind the bar and then touch the door, heroes and police could press their noses against it without ever realizing that it was there. Well, so long as the door didn't move and the person inside wasn't making too much noise. It was that quirk that made him a friend to all of those living underground.
But Mr. Nobody wasn't the one Yamada wanted to see. Rather it was the teenager sitting at the bar. Said teen was as scrawny as ever, like a scarecrow who had been put up in the fields without any straw. He still wore the tight jeans splattered with paint stains, but his leather jacket had been replaced with a red hoodie.
"Well, look who finally crawled out of the sewer," grumbled the teen as he looked up from his mug of beer as Yamada sat in the stool next to him. The sludge villain said nothing at first, merely eyeing the scrawny teen with one of his massive yellow eyes. He wasn't surprised that Mr. Nobody had served him. The man never cared about age limits or anything like that.
"Been around Ink Drop," replied Yamada after placing his own order of the same beverage. Soon, a mug was placed in front of him, the suds spilling over the rim and running down. After grasping the handle, the living pile of sludge took a drink, watching Ink Drop out of the corner of his eye. The two had only ever met a handful of times and only ever in this bar. And while he didn't know Ink Drop's real name, he knew enough to know that he would be useful.
"I'll bet," was all Ink Drop said before downing the rest of his drink. As he placed the mug back on the table, the teen let out a sigh. "Been how long since you've shown your face in Musutafu? A year?"
"Just about," replied Yamada, keeping his tone nonchalant as he took another mouthful of beer.
The answer brought forth a snort from the teen. "So, what have you been up to? Last time anyone around here heard about you was when you got your sorry ass chased out of town." Yamada could hear the smugness dripping from the teen's words as he looked at him, eyes shining with satisfaction. A satisfaction that Yamada would happily crush.
"Considering that it was All Might chasing me, the fact that I managed to get out of town is pretty impressive," replied the living sludge, eyeing the teen as he deflated a little. Just barely, he could make out the teen muttering 'You have a point' into his empty mug. Seeing that made the older of the two smirk as he went in for the killing blow. "Compared to being left naked in the middle of the streets, I think I did pretty well for myself."
The effect was instantaneous. Ink Drop's hands balled into fists before slamming them onto the counter with enough force that his mug moved. The teen then lowered his head, ears turning red as his teeth began to grind over and over again. It seemed as though his humiliation over that little event hasn't lessened with time.
"Damn it," hissed Ink Drop, slamming his fists against the counter again. "Damn it, damn it, damn it! Do you have any idea how humiliating that was?! To be the headlines joke?! Not only did I lose my favorite jacket, but nearly all of my gang as well! I used to command dozens. But after that loss, I'm such a joke that I can barely keep five people in line! Maybe if it had been some A-lister pro I might have been able to rebuild but…Damn it!" With each repetition of 'damn it', Ink would bang his fists against the counter. His eyes twitched, veins appearing near the orbs making it look like his head would explode at any moment.
That brought a chuckle from Yamada. "Oh wow. Looks like you have it rough. So, who did it? Some crummy D-lister and his sidekick getting a laugh out of you?" Taking another sip of his drink, Yamada fought back a bitter laugh at the truth of his statement. He, along with a few other villains, had either seen or heard of 'heroes' acting in a way that very few people would consider heroic. Heroes convincing people to commit crimes, promising that their sentence would be light as well as a portion of the profits before leaving them to rot in some cell. Heroes causing 'accidents' so that they could arrive and save the day. Heroes who acted like thugs, beating low level criminals who weren't worth all that much just for kicks. Sure, it was mostly the low level heroes who did this sort of thing. The ones who weren't really household names or ones who had fallen from the higher rankings. But it did happen, more than most people thought.
"…I don't think so," breathed Ink as he began to calm down. Ink then closed his eyes, no doubt picturing the person who had wronged him. After a moment or two, he shook his head. "No, she looked too young to be a pro. And the way she talked made it sound like she was a former gang member or something. Plus those yellow slit eyes looked like they had seen…" As Ink trailed off, the younger man pausing to shiver, Yamada nearly fell apart as his eyes widened. A young woman with yellow slit eyes? There was only one person he had ever seen like that. Could it have been… No! It couldn't be her!
"Well, ah," began Yamada as he tried to compose himself. Slowly he leaned closer to Ink, stretching his jaw a bit so that his lips were closer to the younger teens ear. "Got some news that you might be interested in. See, I didn't just come back to Musutafu because I was homesick. This guy approached me while I was hiding out. Said they're looking for people for a special job coming up. And it's going to be a big one since they're recruiting people like crazy. Since we need as many people as we can, I thought you and your gang might want to join. Who knows? Maybe once this job is done, you'll get back all those chumps who left you. That or just going on to bigger and better things with your new street cred."
Yamada watched as Ink Drop gave him a very careful look, his hand coming up to grasp his chin. It was clear he was thinking about it. Then, he whispered softly so that only the living pile of sludge could hear. "What's the target?"
"Heh," laughed Yamada. "Not what, who. All Might. There's a plan to finally put an end to that pain in the neck."
"ARE YOU…" began Ink, shouting at the top of his lungs, stopping himself as he heard the people behind them jump in their seats. The teen gave them all a look before returning his focus back to Yamada, his voice low in a harsh whisper. "Are you crazy?! No one can take down All Might! That's just insane!"
"Hey, I thought the same thing," whispered Yamada back. "Trust me, I told that guy to screw off when he told me that. But…haven't you noticed that All Might isn't around as much anymore. Dude used to be all over the place, either fighting crimes and saving people or doing those stupid talk shows. Now he's out there a few times a day. Seems a little weird, doesn't it?"
"Well…now that you mention it…" replied Ink slowly, causing Yamada to nod his slimy head.
"The person I spoke to represents a group and they got someone powerful backing them. Don't know who that is, but they claim that All Might is getting weaker," explained the sludge villain, earning a shocked look from Ink. "This group, The League of Villains, they plan on exploiting this. Right now they don't know the when or the where, but they have the how all figured out. The League claims to have a weapon created to defeat All Might, something that's as strong as he was in his prime and won't go down easily. All they need right now is a little extra muscle. That's where people like us come in."
For a while, Ink Drop just sat there, folding his arms across his chest as he stared down at the counter. No doubt taking a moment to process what he had just heard, mulling it over in his head. The same thing Yamada had done when he had heard about this. Perhaps it was this fact that drew the sludge villain to the painter. He wasn't completely stupid. Unlike so many of the dumb thugs out there who went wild with their quirks, Ink had a somewhat level head to him. He understood weighing the risks vs. the rewards.
"Have you seen this weapon?" asked Ink Drop at last.
"No," replied Yamada before finishing up his drink. "Won't show it to anyone until the big day…whenever that is."
At that, Ink Drop let out a groan as he covered his face with both his hands, his following words coming out somewhat muffled. "So let me get this straight: you only have their word that it's as powerful as they claim. You have no idea who's backing them. You don't know when or where this attack will take place. I bet you don't even know who's in this League." Ink's hands went up to the sides of his head, massaging his temples. "Yamada, I'm going to be straight with you: only an idiot would sign up for something like this. What if it's a trap by some hero to collect as many villains in one setting? And if it is legit; what if the information is wrong or they're just overhyping this weapon? Then everyone involved with this League gets a one way trip to Tartarus curtsey of All Might's fist! Even in the best case scenario where these guys are telling the truth and you win, then all of Japan will be coming after you. First up: Endeavor! I just don't see any way we get anything out of this!"
At that, Yamada let out a loud laugh earning a small glare from Ink Drop. "You're smart, I'll give you that. But you're forgetting one thing: if this weapon can really take down All Might, the strongest hero ever, what hope do the other heroes have? Think about it. If this weapon can bloody up and kill the strongest hero out there, just imagine what it can do to the rest. Sure, I can see a punk like Endeavor and a few of the others trying to take it down only to end up just like All Might. Dead. The rest of the heroes out there, well, they'll be too busy pissing themselves.
"Look, my quirk is powerful. So is yours. Bet we could take down plenty of pros out there. If it wasn't for All Might, we could be living the good life right now. Just imagine what will happen once he's out of the picture. Villains like us will come crawling out of every dark hole, from around every street corner. The time for hiding will be over. Sure, there will be a few goodie goods who will try to protect people…and we will deal with them the same way we'll deal with All Might. But the rest? You know how they are. Once the job gets too tough, too dangerous, they'll decide the money and the fame isn't worth the risk and hang up their capes. From there, nothing will be able to stop us!"
"Still a big if," muttered Ink.
"Oh, well, if you need an extra incentive," said Yamada with an evil smirk. Once more he leaned a little closer to Ink who just raised an eyebrow at this. "See, I wasn't lying about not knowing the when, or where. But I do know that it will involve U.A. High." The sludge villain paused, a sadistic grin appearing on his face, as Ink's eyes widened, mouth opening in surprise. "Thought that might get your attention. Don't know how the League found out, but apparently there is going to be an announcement once the new school year starts at your old Alma Mater that All Might will be teaching there. Oh, I can't imagine a better way of ruining that man's legacy. Killed while trying to protect his students, only to have his last thoughts knowing that they will soon be joining him! HA! The look on people's faces when they hear about that on the news, the panic everyone will be in. And you, well, you get the added bonus of watching that dumb school that kicked you out go up in flames. Reputation as the best hero school: gone! Trust they earned: gone! Might even have to shut down for good."
Yamada watched as Ink just continued to stare at him, processing what had been told to him. The living sludge could almost see the scene playing in the eyes of the art themed villain, from All Might taking his last breath to the U.A. broken and abandoned. Slowly, Ink's open mouth closed as a smile began to form on his features.
"I think I'd like to meet this…League of Villains," said Ink Drop.
-x-
At the same time, Izuku sat on his bed with his normal sleep wear discarded for his Middle School uniform. As the seconds ticked by, a small amount of light began to shine through the window to illuminate the teen's face which stared with a laser focus towards his open hand. There were no bags under his eyes and his hair was the same tangled mess it had always been. Nothing about him showed that he had had trouble sleeping. No, he was rested and ready for today.
Though he wished he was more ready than he was.
Without a word, Izuku began to focus on his open hand while trying to remember what Ryoko had told him. Power began to flow to his hand, filling it the same way that it filled his finger before he fired a shot. Only, instead of sparks, the green energy began to pool in his gasp feeling like a water balloon filled with hot water. It jiggled about, making the teen hero hopeful think that at any moment it would slip through his fingers. But the teen gritted his teeth, focusing more on the glowing green orb as he tried to focus on his task. If he could only get this right. If he could only figure out what Ryoko meant by-
Izuku's thoughts were cut short as the orb vanished with a loud 'pop'. All the teen could do for several long seconds was to stare at his now empty hand before letting out a sigh of defeat, lowering his head more.
"Still don't have it," he muttered to himself. Maybe there was something wrong with him?
As more light began to fill the room, Izuku lifted his head as he ran his hand through his messy green locks. Just as he was about to go on a muttering tangent, his eyes fell upon something. Upon seeing it, Izuku's eyes widened while a small smile appeared on his face, the topic of his muttering vanishing from his mind. There, still on the ceiling, was the small scorch mark he had created when he first used the finger beam. His eyes began focusing on it, the words of Ryoko as well as his own memories of the last ten months washing over him. Before ten months ago, he stood no chance of getting into U.A. even with the best of intentions. Now, however, he did have a chance. He was stronger, faster, knew how to fight, and had the power to save people.
Standing up, Izuku pointed to the spot right next to the mark as green bolts of lightning began to run along his finger. Less than a moment later, a thin beam of energy flew from his finger to create an identical scorch mark made next to the original. Yeah, he had improved. And he wasn't going to stop improving. He would continue to move forward, trying to figure out how to use these powers until he mastered them all.
With renewed determination, Izuku exited his room while also grabbing his backpack which already had his jogging suit for the practical portion of the exam. After exiting his room, the teen made his way through the silent apartment. Thinking that his mother was tired and forgot what day this was, Izuku opted to just let her and Ryoko rest as he made his way to the front door. No sense in waking them up.
Yet when Izuku opened the front door to his apartment, his eyes widened in surprise at what he saw. Standing outside the door was his mother, a proud smile on her face with tears threatening to spill at any moment. What surprised him even more was that Ryo-Ohki was on Inko's shoulder who seemed to be looking at him with a raised eyebrow. And she wasn't alone. Laying on the thin railing, with her back facing him and looking up towards the vanishing stars was Ryoko.
"Izuku, I'm so proud of you baby," cried Inko as she approached her son, Ryo-Ohki leaping off the woman as her arms swiftly wrapped him in a big bear hug. As Izuku felt the grip tighten, he could see Ryoko over his mother's now Cabbit free shoulder. The space pirate turned her head around to look at the green haired teen, giving him a toothy smile before vanishing only to reappear right next to him.
"Thought you could sneak off without saying goodbye?" said Ryoko in a teasing tone, one of her fingers digging into the boy's cheek. At the same time, the cuddly space ship had leapt onto Izuku's head, stomping her small foot on Izuku's head over and over again while letting out tiny mews of anger. "Well you'd have to get up pretty early to get one past me."
"No…I mean I didn't…I just," rambled Izuku as sweat began to drip down his face. But before he could continue, his mother let him go. With a smile she backed up several steps so she could properly look her son in the eye.
"Izuku, before you head off, I just wanted to let you know how proud I am of you right now…and how sorry I am," Inko said, lowering her gaze a little as she spoke. "Back when you were little, I said something to you that must've really hurt. You needed me to tell you something, b-but I just couldn't. You probably felt like I didn't believe in you. So, I'm going to make it up to you and supporting you from this point on!"
For a moment, Izuku couldn't say anything as he was taken aback by his mother's words. He could feel his eyes beginning to water, yet by some miracle he managed to hold them in. Then slowly he smiled at her before speaking from the heart. "Mom, it's ok."
"No, it's…" began Inko, but stopped when Izuku shook his head.
"Mom…I do remember that day," said Izuku in full honesty. "And, yeah, it hurt a lot back then when I thought that you didn't believe in me or my dreams. It hurt for a very long time. But, then I found out everything you tried to do to help me. I mean, even though I never knew it, you and dad were out there searching for any chance that would give me a quirk. And when I brought Ryoko here, even though you were uncomfortable with it, you still gave me that chance. Since then, you've been supporting me with everything you have. I don't think I would be standing here, ready to take the entrance exam without you. Either of y-" Izuku was cut off as he noticed Ryoko's fist coming towards his head out of the corner of his eyes. Thinking quickly, he jumped to the side to dodge.
"Not bad," said Ryoko, placing a hand on her hip as she looked at Izuku with a smile. A smile, which quickly faded as Ryo-Ohki, who was still on Izuku's head, began mewing up a storm and hissing. "Hey, we already did the sappy speeches yesterday! Besides, he really needs to stop thinking that we did all the hard work here."
"What? But…" began Izuku, his words trailing off as Ryoko approached him slowly.
"Look, I know I'm awesome," said Ryoko with a Cheshire grin. "But, even with all of my amazing training, it wouldn't have done you any good without all the work you put in. So don't go into that exam thinking that we did all the work here. Remember, you're not a Deku."
Izuku stared at the teen space pirate for a moment, his eyes widening in understanding, before nodding. "You're right," he said.
"Good!" declared Ryoko as Ryo-Ohki hopped from Izuku's head to hers. Still smirking, she gave Izuku a light push…for her at least seeing as the green haired teen stumbled back several feet. "Now get out there and rip this exam a new one!"
"You got it," said Izuku as he turned, waving to the two women as he took off towards the stairway.
-x-
"Looks like I'd better be off too then," said Ryoko as soon as Izuku was out of sight, walking to the railing with both hands behind her head. From where she stood, the day's light was now beginning to cover the city before her. The light of which illuminated everything in a sparkling display. "Don't want to miss a moment of the exams."
"Do they let family members watch?" asked Inko, giving Ryoko a curious look.
"Don't know," laughed Ryoko while shrugging. "Not like I'm going to let a little thing like the rules stop me."
Inko stared at Ryoko in shock, her mouth hanging open. She took a breath to reprimand the pirate girl, but she paused, thinking better of it. After a few seconds she finally replied " Make sure my baby doesn't get hurt."
-x-
Alright, I'm here, thought Izuku as he walked through the gates of U.A. On his bag he had on a special pass that allowed him through the gate, and a sheet of paper in one hand as he made his way towards the large class building that had taught some of the greatest heroes in the country! His head was held up high, eyes focused on the sight before him. So much so that he barely noticed the dozens of other students along the path leading towards the same building, some taking a moment to collect themselves before entering the building while others walked towards the school like they owned the place. His heart was racing almost as if he had just run several miles while dodging Ryoko's strikes, but unlike last Tuesday this was more out of nervousness and excitement than from physical labor.
This is it, he thought as he continued to walk. My first steps to becoming a hero! Ryoko's right, I've put the work into making my dreams come true. And nothing is going to get in my way! It was then, however, that Izuku spotted something that made his blood run cold and sweat formed on his brow. Standing there near the entrance was Kacchan. At first, he seemed to just stand there shooting glares and disapproving looks at the examinees as they got close. That is, until he locked eyes on Izuku. In a slip second, his eyes became bloodshot while his hair seemed to stand up just a little bit more. One of his fists opened in a manner that would normally be followed by a series of small sparks or explosions. Seeing all this made Izuku's heart stop in terror.
Then, Kacchan began walking, his eyes never leaving Izuku while flaring his nostrils. Somehow, the fact that the exploding teen was just walking towards him silently was more terrifying than it would have been if he had launched himself through the air screaming 'DIE!' at the top of his lungs. A part of Izuku wanted to make a break for it, his long conditioned fight or flight instincts telling him to bolt. But for some reason he stood his ground as the blonde got ever closer to him.
After what felt like forever, Kacchan was next to him. "I thought I told you not to show your face here," came a low growl from the teen, placing a hand on Izuku's shoulder. Rather than letting off tiny explosions and creating tendrils of black smoke, Kacchan just tightened his grip. "Now, here's what you're going to do. You are going to turn your shitty ass around and leave. I don't care where you go. Just get the fuck out of my sight. Because if you're not gone in the next ten seconds, I'm going to blast your useless, quirkless body all over Japan so much that they'll be looking for your remains for weeks."
"I…I…," stammered Izuku as he looked over at the bully, seeing that all his words had done was create more veins in the other teen's eyes.
"Stupid Deku," growled Kacchan. "What part of get the hell out of here don't you understand?! Last warning! Leave or-"
"There you are," came a sudden, cheerful voice that cut Kacchan off. Laughter then filled the air as Izuku then found his arm being grabbed and pulled away from the exploding boy towards the school. "Come on! We're going to be late for the entrance exam!" Wide eyed, Izuku allowed himself to be pulled away as his legs began to suddenly work. Together the pair moved quickly away, only stopping once they were right in front of the glass doors. It was then that his rescuer turned around, revealing it to be a girl with short brown hair and what seemed to be permanent rosy cheeks on her round face. His face began to heat up at seeing someone who looked so…so cute!
"Sorry about that," said the pretty girl as she let go of Izuku's arm. "I saw what was happening and it didn't look like he was giving you a pep talk. Oh, I'm Ochaco Uraraka by the way. Pleased to meet you."
"Oh, right!" said Izuku, speaking a little louder than he meant to while doing his best to fight back the blush on his face. "Sorry, I'm Izuku Midoriya. And, as for Kacchan…well you're not wrong. He, ah, doesn't really want me to be here."
Uraraka's head tilted slightly at that, her smile vanishing. "Well, it's not really his decision. He has no right telling you what you can and can't do."
Izuku didn't say anything right away, instead turning to look at the blonde. He was still standing right where they had left him, looking like he was trying to gain a new quirk that would let him burn a hole right through the two of them with his gaze alone. His scowl had doubled, teeth showing off his fangs in a way that made him look manic. But despite all of that, he just stood there while taking deep breaths and making loud angry noises. He wasn't trying to charge him, setting off his quirk, or anything else. Because he…
"Yeah, you're right," said Izuku as he reached towards the door and opened it so that Uraraka could head in first. As she entered, he shot a look back at Kacchan, knowing that he couldn't try anything right now. Not here with all the teachers watching. And he knew it as well.
As he entered the building, Izuku was completely unaware just how right he was. Cameras were everywhere, the exam truly started the moment they entered through the gates as a certain bear-mouse like creature watched everything while sipping his tea. The creature would only pause to make a note or two on what he saw, noting student behaviors with the plans on bringing them up should something come down to the wire with their scores.
But there was someone else watching with her yellow slitted eyes as she floated above the school.