Chapter 8
Izuku had no idea how long he lay there, floating in the endless void of dark unconsciousness. That is until he felt something tickling him right under his nose. That sensation caused the teen to stir, bringing him back to the word of the waking while at the same time he felt something tapping at his forehead. Slowly, Izuku opened his eyes…and then screamed in shock at finding another pair of eyes filling his vision! Out of shock, the teen moved to sit up only to then recoil in pain as his head collided with Ryoko's.
"Ouch, ouch, ouch," whined the space pirate as she floated backwards, rubbing her forehead as she moved across the room. At the same time, while Izuku was holding onto his own bruised forehead, he felt Ryo-Ohki landing on his lap.
"What the?" began the teen. "Where am-" Izuku's question was cut off as he began to look around the room while Ryo-Ohki hopped up his body until she found a perch on his shoulder. The first thing Izuku noticed was that he was in a hospital bed, one of three with the curtains pulled back allowing him to see the rest of the room unobstructed. Next to each bed was a small nightstand, each one having a vase on top of it with a few flowers. There were also I.V. stands that lacked the bags holding medicine as well as a few machines that Izuku was unfamiliar with. For a moment, the young Midoriya thought that he had been brought to a hospital. It would have made sense, given that the last thing he remembered before passing out was him falling after cutting into the-
Izuku's eyes went wide as memories of what had happened came crashing back. How he had zoomed towards the Zero-pointer, flying towards it faster than he had ever done before. How he had then formed his sword for the first time. The feeling of utter freedom while hovering above the false city.
"So," began Ryoko. The girl was still tenderly rubbing her forehead, but there was a smile on her face as she landed on the ground next to the bed. With her standing between him and the window, Izuku could see the red and orange sky of the setting sun behind her. "How does it feel to take your first step?"
"What?" was all Izuku could say before understanding filled his eyes. "I did it Ryoko! I flew! I finally managed to create the sword!"
This brought out a laugh from the space pirate as she plopped onto the bed next to him. "Always knew you had it in you," she said, slapping the teen on the back with enough force that felt like he could have been sent sailing out of the bed, into the wall. "Bet you made an impression. There you were, screaming your head off as you sliced right into that big hunk of metal like it was nothing!"
Upon hearing, and remembering, what he had done, Izuku felt his face turn bright red while steam began to rise from his forehead. Quickly, he moved to hide this from Ryoko with his hands only to wince when his hands pressed against his cheeks.
"What happened after that?" he asked while looking for a mirror. "I'm guessing I passed out, but I don't know why. Or how I managed to land without getting hurt."
"Well," began Ryoko as she looked away, scratching her chin as she did so. "We're still in uncharted territories here. But, if I had to guess, you pushed yourself to the limit and beyond in that single attack. Your body wasn't used to it so it said 'I'm taking a nap now'. Happens to most toddlers on my home planet." Hearing that, Izuku hung his head low at hearing how far he was still behind. Seeing this and panicking slightly, Ryoko was quick to continue. "Hey, considering you've only had these powers for less than a year, I'd say moving from infant to toddler is pretty damn good! It means that your powers are rushing to match up with your actual age. We just need to keep working on it."
"As for how you survived that little freefall," continued Ryoko. "Thankfully that girl you saved returned the favor. She hopped on one of those robots, made it float, and then slapped you in the face so hard that you began floating yourself. Ha! Isn't that a cool power? The ability to slap someone so hard that gravity is knocked away!"
"She made it out of the rubble? That's good. I'm glad she's safe," whispered Izuku, remembering how Uraraka had looked the last time he had seen her. Her pretty face scrunched in pain and terror, calling out for help as the Zero-pointer drew ever closer.
Ryoko, however, overheard that, merely raising an eyebrow as a slight smirk appeared on her face. Yet, she continued to talk as though she hadn't heard a thing. "After having you float for a bit, she let you drop to the ground like a sack of potatoes before vomiting rainbows. Haha! You really got to love the randomness of this planet! And well, after that, you just laid there until the exam ended."
"So I guess I failed," muttered Izuku, his eyes becoming downcast as he gripped the sheets. There was no other outcome that he could see. He couldn't remember how many points he had racked up during the test, but all his foes had been low scoring ones and he had been rather slow. He was positive that others got way more points than he did.
"Hey, don't worry about it," said Ryoko in a reassuring tone as she wrapped her arm around her surrogate little brother's neck to pull him in for a sideways hug. She then leaned over to whisper in his ear. "I saw everything. You did great. Sure, you didn't get the most points, but you fought hard and smart. You were resourceful, using the armor of one of those dinky robots as a shield. And if this school can't see that, then it's their loss. We'll just have you enroll into a different hero school! That or I can just change the test results. Wouldn't be any problem!"
"Ryoko," hissed Izuku, though there was a bit of a blush on his face as her words were having an effect on him. Slowly, the teen began to loosen his hold on the sheets before turning his hands upright. He stared at them, thinking about how he had managed to take down several robots. How he had finally managed to create the sword that had eluded him for so long. He had done his best and, in the process, had gotten stronger. A step closer to becoming the hero he had always wanted to be.
"You're right," said Izuku aloud, balling his hands into fists while smiling. "I did my very best out there. I have nothing to be ashamed of. But more importantly, I managed to save Uraraka. So, I'm not going to let this stop me! I'm going to keep trying to get into the very best hero school I can get into so that I can save as many people as I can!"
"That's the spirit young man." Upon hearing the voice Izuku, Ryoko, and Ryo-Ohki all jumped. The three quickly turned their heads towards the door, finding a small old woman in a lab coat standing on the opposite side of the room with an amused look on her face. Slowly, she walked over to Izuku's bed with the aid of a cane shaped like a syringe. Izuku's eyes slowly began to brighten with excitement as Ryoko just tilted her head.
"Who's the old hag?" the space pirate asked, only to then get whacked in the head courtesy of the old hero's cane.
"Ryoko, don't you know who that is?" asked/shouted Izuku as he gestured to the tiny old woman. "That's the Youthful Heroine: Recovery Girl! She has one of the best healing quirks in the world! She's saved millions of injured people from villain attacks to natural disasters because of it! I've even heard that she's the reason that U.A. can run the way it does!"
"Well, well, sonny. You sure do know your stuff," said Recovery Girl, a slight blush on her face from all the praise.
"Sure doesn't look all that 'Youthful' to me," grumbled Ryoko, still rubbing the top of her head. Then, no doubt sensing danger, she lunged to the side with a slightly worried expression on her face to avoid another powerful whack on the head.
"Young people these days. Reckless and lacking respect," growled Recovery Girl softly as she glared at Ryoko. Said target of the elder hero's wrath had moved behind Izuku, holding onto his shoulders as if ready to use him like a human shield. For a moment or two, the healing heroine just continued to glare at Ryoko before turning to look at Izuku with softer features on her face. "And how are you feeling dearie? Any injuries?"
Izuku blinked when he was asked that. He looked down at his hands, flexing his fingers just to remind himself if they were ok. Following that, he began to rotate his arms before feeling up his legs to see if there was any pain when pressure was applied. What he ended up finding was that, much to his delight, he was in perfect health.
"I feel fine," he said in confirmation, causing Recovery Girl to let out a small hum. "Did you use your quirk on me?"
"No," replied the older woman, surprising Izuku who just balked at the school's nurse. "I thought I might have to after seeing that One-pointer slamming you into that wall at the beginning of the exam. Given how your quirk seems to be an emitter type based on the videos, I figured you had a high pain threshold, and were working past the pain for the sake of the exam, or lacked the ability to feel pain at all. For all I knew, you were running around that test with your body unable to tell you the state you were in. Then when the exam ended, you were in no state for me to use my quirk on you. You see, my quirk allows me to use your body's stamina to speed up the healing process. Given the state you were in, using my quirk on you would have done more harm than…good?" Recovery Girl blinked at the sight before her as Izuku was scribbling in a note book she hadn't seen on him before. The old woman then shot a look at Ryoko who shrugged.
"Hey, don't look at me," said the most feared space pirate in the universe. "I didn't give it to him."
"Well, anyways, I had the medical drones bring you back here along with the rest of the injured students," continued Recovery Girl. Hearing that, Izuku stopped his writing to look at the elder healing hero.
"Uraraka," he began, setting down his notebook so that he could give Recovery Girl his full and undivided attention. "The girl who saved me. Did you bring her in as well? Is she going to be ok?"
For a moment, Recovery Girl just stood there with her mouth hanging open in surprise before closing it as a small smile took over. "Not to worry young man," she said warmly. "That girl you saved will be alright. Her leg wasn't that bad, just a sprain. Managed to heal her leg up on the spot and then gave her some gummies to help replenish her energy. Same as you. I don't know if it's your quirk or you just have a tough body, but after I examined you I couldn't find any serious injuries. After what you did out there, you're a hero in my book." Hearing that recognition from the older hero caused Izuku to smile while tears threatened to begin spilling out, Ryo-Ohki pulling out a tiny umbrella from out of nowhere to prepare for the waterworks to start. That, however, never happened as Recovery Girl's smile vanished before a more serious expression took over. "However, I will say that what you did was reckless! Had it not been for that young lady, you would have been a splat on the street! Was that what you wanted? To save the girl only for her to watch as you died right in front of her? For her to live the rest of her life with that image burned into her mind!"
"N-No!" yelled Izuku, waving his hands. "I just saw her in danger and then my body just started moving on its own! Up until that moment, I had never been able to do anything like that." The old woman stood there for a moment, eyeing Izuku as he continued to freak out. Behind him, Ryoko was giving Recovery Girl the stink eye while no doubt thinking to herself that, had Uraraka not been able to save him, she would have done it herself. On the other hand, Ryo-Ohki was nodding, as if she agreed with the older woman's words. Then, after another tense moment, the face of Recovery Girl softened.
"Alright then," said the withered heroine as she gently placed a hand on Izuku's shoulder. "I believe you. But promise me that you'll take care not to overdo it like that again! There won't always be a pretty girl to catch you before you hit the ground." Izuku blushed at the 'pretty girl' part, but managed to nod his head. This was one promise he fully intended on keeping. Now that he knew he could fly like Ryoko and could use the sword, he planned on understanding both abilities to their fullest so that he could become the type of hero he wanted to be. The kind that saved everyone with a fearless smile on his face.
"Don't you worry," Ryoko said, throwing an arm around Izuku's neck as she leaned to the side. "I plan on driving that lesson through his head. By every means necessary."
"Ah, don't you mean 'by any means necessary'?" asked a somewhat intimidated Izuku.
"Nope," replied Ryoko, making a popping sound at the 'p' and grinning. The same grin she used whenever she was talking about an extra painful training session.
"Well then I'll leave you to it. You're free to head home," said Recovery Girl, turning to leave. However, she stopped when she spotted Ryo-Ohki sitting there on Izuku's lap. The cabot looked up at the older woman, its large eyes fixed onto hers innocently before letting out a loud 'meow'. Seeing this made Recovery Girl's heart melt before she reached into her pocket to pull out a candy. "Well aren't you a cutie. Here, have a carrot-flavored gummy." Ryo-Ohki jumped as the treat was presented to her. Quickly she took it with both paws before beginning to nibble on her snack.
Seeing as it was getting late, the duo got off of the bed before making their way out of the room with Ryo-Ohki perching herself on top of Ryoko's head. However, before they made it to the door, Recovery Girl spoke up one last time.
"Oh, and dearie," she said sweetly, looking at Izuku. "Before you go applying to other hero schools, how about you wait to see your results. They may just end up surprising you."
Hearing that, the young man stared back at the elder woman with obvious confusion. Honestly, it felt like something weird to say since there was no way he had passed the U.A. entrance exam. And, if he remembered correctly, the deadlines to apply for Shiketsu, Ketsubutsu, Seijin, and Isamu Academy were at the end of the month. The reason for this was pretty simple when you stopped to think about it. There were many students who had amazing quirks, thinking that they had what it took to get into a great school like U.A. Yet given how low the acceptance rate was, most students found themselves needing a fall back option. Because of this, the other schools eventually decided to extend the deadlines to apply for their school's hero programs in the hopes of picking up promising students. It was something that all of the faculty at U.A. should know.
After a moment of thought, Izuku came to two conclusions. One was that he might get offered a spot in General Studies. It was well known that students could get transferred from other courses, mostly General Studies, into the Hero Program if they showed the school that they had what it took. More often than not, this happened at the Sports Festival though he supposed there were other instances. However, Izuku felt this was unlikely since he had only taken the exam for the Hero Program. So unless they made him the offer, he wasn't getting in. Then there was a darker thought. That he should wait to see his test results because he did so poorly on it that she wanted him to pursue a different career path. Though this thought was quickly shaken away as Recovery Girl's voice didn't seem to suggest that he had failed that badly.
In the end Izuku bowed while thanking her before leaving, never realizing that the old woman was planning on telling the staff that they shouldn't doddle with the acceptance letters. Or else they might lose a very promising young man.
-x-
Later that night, after dinner, Izuku stood on top of the roof of the apartment complex wearing the same tracksuit he had worn during the exam. Across from him stood Ryoko. The alien woman had with her something that looked like a burlap sack which she held upright with one hand. Despite how dark it was, Izuku could spot the gleam in her eye as well as the slight smile tugging on her lips.
"Alright, before we start, I got something to give ya," she said, picking up the item with one hand. "Catch." With that, she tossed the sack at a slightly panicking Izuku as he waved his arms around. When the bag connected with him, the green-haired boy stumbled back slightly though it was more from surprise than anything else. It wasn't as heavy as he thought it would be. In fact, the weight felt familiar somehow.
Curious, Izuku opened the burlap sack in his arms. His eyes then widened at what he once more held in his arms: the shield he had quickly made during the entrance exam from the One-pointer robot! It was in the locker room, getting changed back into his school uniform after being dismissed by Recovery Girl, that he had realized that he hadn't seen the shield anywhere in the nurse's office. The shield that had protected him, helping him score what little points he could manage. For a moment he stood there, contemplating whether or not to rush back to see the elder hero and ask about it. To see if they would let him keep it, maybe even allowing him to use it as part of his hero costume for another school. But such thoughts were quickly dismissed. The school had either scrapped it by then or were in the process of reusing it. Besides, he doubted that it would make good support. It had done well against the other robots, but they had been built to be destroyed by the examinees. So using a part of them as his defense seemed more than a little silly.
When Izuku looked up at Ryoko, he found her holding up two fingers. "In my personal experience, you can tell what kind of pirate you're dealing with by how they mark their victories: tallies or trophies," she began. "Those who use tallies are more bluster than anything else. They mark down whatever they shoot down. Whether it be a war-class space battleship, a fighter, a civilian cruise ship, or even a dinky transport. To them, all that matters is having a bigger number so they can brag about it." Ryoko then shook her head, looking momentarily exasperated just thinking about them before the familiar pride she held returned. "However, pirates who collect trophies are far more complicated and interesting. The only time they mark a victory is when that battle or heist has some personal significance to them, represented by the trophy they take. What they take depends on the pirate. Some enjoy taking a favored weapon from a foe, like the gun of a bounty hunter that had been trailing them for some time or the blaster from an Imperial warship. Some take seemingly random objects, like the trinket from the desk of a GXP captain whose office they had just broken into. Er, then there are the sickos who enjoy taking body parts and sticking them into jars. To be honest, I only deal with those freaks when I have to. But, no matter what they take, they treat their trophies like they are the real treasure aboard their ships. Very rarely do they display them for the whole crew to see and never do they decorate the hauls of their ships with them like tally marks. Instead, these treasures are kept safe. Some will keep them off ship in a private location that only they know about. Those that do keep them on board will have a separate room just for them or will make a space in their private chambers."
A smile crossed Izuku's face as he reached out, running the tips of his fingers across the cold metal's surface. While there was still a part of him that was crying its head off, sobbing as it proclaimed that he hadn't won the battle, it was overshadowed by the confidence that Ryoko had instilled into him. Yeah, he had lost the battle…but not the war. This shield was his trophy, a reminder of that first time he went into real combat. It was a marker, pinpointing an important moment in his life. He would hang it on the wall, reminding him of this day and to keep on improving!
He just needed to decide which of his All Might posters he needed to take down. Maybe the twenty anniversary of All Might being the Number One hero? NO! How could he think that! Maybe one of the more generic ones. Like the 'Hang in there' poster where All Might was hanging off the side of a cliff while smiling at a viewer?
"Alright, now let's get on to business," Ryoko continued, slamming a fist in her open palm suddenly. The action caused Izuku to jump slightly, looking up at the woman before him who had a glint in her eyes. "Today you got your first taste in real combat. You also managed to pull use of some of your other abilities. So before your next entrance exam to wherever, we need to make sure you don't make the same mistakes. Sadly, we have a lot on our plate and not a ton of time to work on it. And as much as I would prefer pulling you out of prison, Mama Inko would have my head!"
As Ryoko let out a sigh, Izuku set down his shield before raising a hand. "I have a question," he said. "When I was hit by one of the one-pointers, it flung me into a wall so hard I was embedded into it. But I barely even hurt. Is this one of the powers I gain?"
"Hmm, been wondering when you'd notice and bring that up," replied Ryoko as she brought a hand to her chin, a sly smile appearing on her lips. "The truth is that that was the result of all my wonderful training!"
"WHAT!?" Izuku yelled so loudly that he was sure that his father in America could hear him. "B-But how is that possible?"
"Did you really think I was throwing you off cliffs, letting you bang against the rocks for fun?" laughed Ryoko. "Think of it sort of like body building. You lift weights, starting at a smaller manageable amount and over time adding onto it when you can lift the previous set with no issue. That's what I've been doing with your body. Along with the cliffs, I have also been slowly increasing the force of my punches over time. That, along with all the muscles you have built up over the last year, have made you a lot more durable."
"I don't think that's how it works!" yelled Izuku, his mind trying its best to process what he was hearing.
"Moving on," continued Ryoko in a sing-song tone with just a hint of laughter mixed in. "Like I said, we have a lot to work on so every second counts. The first thing we need is for you to get a handle on these new abilities so that they become second nature. The last thing you want is to need a giant robot going on a rampage to activate them, right?" At that, Izuku nodded vigorously. "Alright, let's see your sword."
Izuku blinked, surprised that they were doing something like this on the roof. Normally, they would either head down to the beach or the forest to train his new abilities. Not just because they were out of the way, but also because, if something went wrong, the damage would be less likely to hurt anyone. Yet up here, all it would take was a single stray blast to cause the floor, or in the case of the people beneath him their ceiling, to come crashing down.
Regardless, Izuku put his trust in the space pirate as he set down the shield. Holding out his hand, he began to gather his energy into the palm, pooling in his hand like a water balloon filling with water. Like this morning, the energy wiggled around as it became bumpy in some areas looking like it was leaping to escape while in others it slid lifelessly through the gaps in his fingers. Then, after another moment or two, the orb exploded into nothing.
"I don't understand!" cried a panicked Izuku, staring at his hand as it began to shake. Tears of frustration began filling his eyes as an expression of horror appeared on his face. Why didn't that work? He had done it earlier. Was it a one time deal? Or was it-
"Kid," shouted Ryoko, gaining Izuku's attention. "Remember, your powers are not like a quirk. Try again. But this time, I want you to think back to what you were feeling right before you sliced into that zero-pointer. Focus on that."
Izuku swallowed down the lump that had formed in his throat before wiping away the tears in his eyes. After taking a breath, he nodded to the alien woman while holding out his hand. Rather than staring at it, Izuku closed his eyes so that he could better remember what he was feeling as the energy began to pool up in his hand once again. He remembered the fear he felt at seeing such a massive robot. Then, he recalled what Ryoko had told him. That he needed to stop thinking that he was borrowing her power. That this was his power, his sword! He remembered his inner declaration of his dreams as well as seeing that the zero-pointer was the obstacle he needed to cut down.
As Izuku closed his fist, he felt something familiar. Opening his eyes, he saw the green blade glowing brightly in the night air. Izuku grinned happily at seeing it again.
"Ok, you can summon it," said Ryoko. "Now, allow me to show you the level you need to be at to use it effectively." With that, she held out her arm and summoned her own red blade in an instant. She then rushed at Izuku, moving faster than he had ever seen her move before! There was a flash of light and, out of instinct, the freckle-faced teen raised his blade to block it. However, his sword shattered, its pieces turning into nothing as they fell to the ground beneath his feet. The next instant, the tip of Ryoko's blade was almost pressed right between his eyes.
"This is what you need to aim for," continued Ryoko as she pulled the blade back. "You need to be able to summon it at a moment's notice. To the point where a mere thought is all you need. You'll also need to improve your control on the power output. If that sword shatters from another light tap, then it'll be useless in battle."
"That was a light tap?!" demanded Izuku, earning a grin from Ryoko.
"Well, maybe I put a little too much umph in it," she admitted while chuckling. "But, the point still stands that you need to get used to that sword before we can move you on to combat training. Then, you'll be able to do things like this." Suddenly, Ryoko's blade swung upward right in front of Izuku's face; an act that both startled the teen but also briefly blinded him. Before his eyes could readjust, Ryoko had closed the distance so that her unarmed fist collided into his gut. Instantly after that, before Izuku could even clutch his chest, the space woman's leg collided with the back of his ankles causing the teen to fall on his back once again. Wincing in pain, Izuku was about to roll over but stopped as the tip of Ryoko's sword was right in front of his face once again.
"Was that really necessary?" asked Izuku as the sword was pulled away. Slowly the teen got back to his now shaky legs, a hand still covering his chest.
At that, Ryoko cocked an eyebrow. "Again, I'm a more hands on type of gal. Besides, I thought it would be a wonderful way of showing you just how effective this blade can be in taking down an opponent without killing them."
At that, Izuku looked at her in confusion for several long seconds before a sudden fear overtook his very being. Since the moment he had woken up after Ryoko had used that device on him, one of the things he had wanted to try was that sword. More than once, he had envisioned himself as a futuristic samurai wielding the blade. Cutting through the weapons of hordes of entire villain lackies just to make it to the big boss. Slashing down doors and walls to help people evacuate burning builds. But now that Ryoko said it, he remembered that the sword was a weapon. One that he had seen in action more than enough to know the type of damage it could do to a human body. If it could slice through trees like they were nothing, then all it would have taken was a flick of her wrist during that last attack and his head would have… Breathing hard, Izuku began to use his other hand to feel his face just to reassure himself that he was still all there!
"Looks like you get it," said Ryoko as she swung her sword around before resting it on her shoulder. "This blade is your best friend, your ultimate weapon in close combat. With it, you can deflect most other energy based attacks, cut through projectiles, and a ton of other things until you can get in close. Fools trying to block this with anything less than similar weapons will watch as we cut through it with ease. With enough time and practice, you'll be able to control the amount of power you pump into this bad boy to increase its power. If you want, you can make it powerful enough to cut through the haul of a space battleship! But, at the end of the day, it's still a weapon. One meant to kill. At least, to those who are untrained in how to use it."
Now back on his feet, the teen couldn't help but go over all the things his sword could do. He thought the sword was amazing before, though potentially dangerous if he ever grew careless. All it would have taken was one wrong miss-swing or for something to go wrong to permanently maim someone. Or worse, end their life. Something a hero should never do. But perhaps there was a way he could prevent that. Ryoko had brought up pumping more energy into the blade to vastly increase its destructive capabilities. If something like that was possible, then couldn't he do the opposite? Decrease the power to weaken the blade to the point where it became blunt? If he could do that then he could just knock out the villains! Wait, could he do more? With enough time and practice, could he alter the sword's size and shape? He could make something the size of a dagger for smaller targets or extend the length of the blade suddenly to catch the villain by surprise! Could he make two swords? Could he make a third in his mouth? What about his feet, was it possible to-
"Ok, ok," laughed Ryoko as she ruffled the boy's hair. "Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves." It was only then that Izuku realized that he had been mumbling all that aloud.
"Sorry," was all he could say, his face turning a slight shade of crimson.
"It's fine," replied Ryoko, waving it off. "Now, before you go trying to turn yourself into a living blender, you'll need to learn how to use the sword in battle. Up until this point, we've been focusing on your hand-to-hand combat with a few beam attacks thrown in. Now you need to learn a bit of swordsmanship. You'll also need to learn how to fight in the air."
Izuku tilted his head at that. "Isn't it the same as fighting on the ground?" he asked. But, before Ryoko could say anything, the teen brought a hand to his chin as he began to mumble to himself at a rapid pace. "No, it wouldn't. It would be like moving from a 2-D platform into a 3-D one. There are extra dimensions to consider. I'll be able to move around in ways that I couldn't while being ground-bound. Meaning I'll have an advantage against foes who are not accustomed to aerial combat. Additionally, there will be other things I'll need to consider while I'm in the air. Like how a powerful gust of air might affect me. There are also some-"
"Izuku, breath," commanded Ryoko, instantly gaining her little brother's attention. "Well, now that we got that out of the way, how about we take a little fly?" As she spoke, Ryoko began to levitate in the air. Now a few feet higher, she reached down to extend her hand to Izuku. "What do you say? Care to feel free for a bit?"
For several long seconds, Izuku just stood there feeling like his tongue weighed a hundred pounds. There were so many things he knew he should say. That quirk usage like this without a license was illegal. That if a hero spotted them, then they would get in trouble. The heroes and the police would, at the very least, scold them for using their 'quirks' without a license. Worse, they could both be fined or even arrested! If either of those things happened, no hero school worth its salt would even consider taking in Izuku no matter how skilled he was. His dream would be over with and all of the hard work they had both put into it would have been for nothing. But, then, he remembered that brief moment when he was high in the sky above the false city at U.A. How the world seemed to just stretch out endlessly before him, allowing him to go anywhere he wanted. To no longer be chained to the ground. It was a level of freedom that he had never expected to long for.
He then looked back at Ryoko, at her hand still outstretched towards him with that smile. So, the question was, could he trust her?
Izuku felt his feet leave the ground, floating him upwards as his hand extended upwards to take hold of Ryoko's. Now that his heart knew what true freedom felt like so high above everything else, the young Midoriya didn't feel the familiar barrier that kept him close to the ground. Instead he moved upwards along with Ryoko leaving behind everything. The knowledge of his upcoming rejection letter, figuring out what school to apply to next, and so many other things could wait. None of that was more important as he flew higher and higher into the star filled sky with Ryoko still holding his hand.
Together they flew until the buildings looked like nothing more than blocks and dots. No doubt that they themselves would be nothing more than dots to the people on the ground should they look up. Well, that is if anyone could see them. It was at this point that Ryoko allowed her hand to slip out of Izuku's. At once, the teen found himself just floating in mid-air helplessly with no clue on how to move. Feeling a slight panic, the green-haired youth began to thrash his arms in front of him while kicking his legs about as if he were back in a beginners swimming lesson. Yet, no matter what he did, the teen didn't move an inch.
"You're doing it wrong," laughed Ryoko. Izuku turned his head to see that the alien woman seemed to be standing in the air with her hands behind her back. Once she saw that his attention was on her, Ryoko began to move backwards. After a moment or two, she began to move in a corkscrew-like motion, spinning her body around so that she was briefly upside down before righting herself all while moving backwards. Then, once she was a fair distance away, Ryoko just teleported back to his side. "Feel, don't think. Let it just come, don't force it."
For a moment Izuku just stayed where he was with a frown on his face. How was he supposed to not think? How was he supposed to move around with feelings? Well, maybe he could think a little about it. So, when he flew last time what was he feeling? Then, he had wanted, no, needed to get to the Zero-pointer. Wanted to slice it in two in order to protect someone else. And the only way to do any of that was to…
Slowly, Izuku began to move. In the beginning, it felt both weird and unnatural. He had thought, if it wasn't like swimming, then it would be like leaning in the direction that you wanted to go. Instead, he felt like a window on a computer being moved around through the air by some invisible mouse. To say it was off putting would have been an understatement. Yet, as Izuku continued to fly through the air, moving in whatever way caught his fancy, that feeling vanished. The young teen laughed as he spun around slowly as if he were a human top, still moving forwards towards Ryoko. Then, he moved his body so he was upside down. While like this, Izuku didn't feel like any blood was rushing towards his head. It felt like gravity had shifted so that the ground below was the ceiling and that open sky was the ground.
Grinning even more broadly, Izuku wanted to try something. As he began flying towards Ryoko his body began to turn on its side while his legs moved as if he were walking. The end result made it seem like he was walking in some weird funhouse, his body turning clockwise with every step he took.
Eventually, all good things had to come to an end as Ryoko called an end to their training. For today at least.
-x-
"So, yeah, I'm going to be heading out of the solar system for the next several days." Izuku felt his backpack, as well as his jaw, hit the ground when he heard this. This was not what Izuku had expected to hear when he came home.
Though perhaps he should have expected it given how his day had gone.
From the moment he stepped into class, there had been an air around Bakugo. There was a certain additional smugness to him as he sat in class, leaning back with his hands behind his head while a savage grin played at his lips. It didn't take long for the entire class to come to the conclusion that he had done well in the entrance exam the previous day. A certain dread then began to circulate around the rest of the students, knowing that once it was confirmed that Bakugo had been accepted into U.A. he would be all the more insufferable.
As if to alleviate this foreboding tension, his classmates decided to mock the quirkless teen. Loudly they asked him how he did, doing their best to get him to admit that he had either failed utterly or had simply been knocked out seconds after the exam began. Bakugo, of course, chimed in.
"That sounds about right," Bakugo had laughed, not even bothering to look at Midoriya or anyone else as he spoke. "I heard from some of the other worthless extras who sucked so badly that they had to be taken to the nurse's office that there was a green-haired loser in one of the beds. Looks like you bit off more than you could chew Deku!"
Izuku just inwardly groaned inwardly as the rest of the class laughed. As much as he wanted to argue with them, to tell them that he had actually gotten some points and that he had only passed out after facing the Zero-pointer, Izuku knew it was pointless. They would either say he got lucky with the points he did collect or just outright call him a liar. And knowing Bakugo, whatever good mood he was in would evaporate the moment he tried to claim taking down a giant robotic killing machine as part of his accomplishments. No doubt the ashen blond would lunge at Izuku the moment the words left his mouth and Midoriya really didn't want that sort of trouble.
So, instead, Izuku just let all of them most him to their heart's content as the day just seemed to drag by. All the while his mind kept wandering back to the night before when he flew through the air. There was even a part of him that was just itching to start hovering out of his seat! The only thing that kept that impulse at bay was knowing that, when he got home, he would get his chance.
Now, in the present, Izuku realized he had been too optimistic.
"What?" was all Izuku could ask as he stared at Ryoko. "But I thought we were going to start training with the sword!"
"Yeah, well," began Ryoko with a nervous chuckle as she scratched the back of her head. "You see, when I said that I was all excited to start with some more intense training. So excited that I sort of forgot that I had to pick up something really important."
"Do you know how long you'll be gone?" asked Inko. The matriarch of the Midoriya household was standing in front of the stove, several pots already steaming with delicious-smelling delights. As she spoke, she looked at the alien girl with clear worry and concern.
"Hmm, lets see," said Ryoko as she looked up at the ceiling, her index finger touching her chin as she did so. "The planet I need to visit isn't that far away from here. So, if Ryo-Ohki moves at full speed we should be there in three days. Five days max if GXP is patrolling the area, enforcing the speed limit." As she said that last part, the space pirate rolled her eyes.
"So, you should be back in six to ten days," Izuku said, his shoulders slumping. Not just because he wanted to continue to train, but also because he had just become used to the alien. She was his big sister after all. For all intents and purposes, Ryoko was a part of the family and the house would feel just a little bit emptier without her.
Ryoko, meanwhile, gave her green-haired brother a slight smile as she approached him. "Yeah, I'd take you with me and show you the stars," she said before ruffling the boy's hair. "But then you'd miss your time in prison. Can't have that now, can we?"
"It's called school," said Izuku as he backed away, Ryoko grinning slyly at him as he did so. Though, as he used his fingers to get his messy green locks back the way he liked them, Izuku wondered about the idea of going into space with Ryoko. The idea was intriguing. He had once read that the appearance of quirks caused unrest in the early days to the point where the whole world was in disarray. Because of this and all fields of science focusing on quirks, technology began to stagnate. It was the reason they were still using smartphones and flip phones two hundred years after they were first invented. In fact, one scientist claimed that had quirks never appeared, they would be colonizing other planets right now. So, to get a chance to go outside of the solar system was a pretty amazing opportunity.
Just because he was living with an alien and her spaceship didn't mean that the novelty of alien existence had worn off! He was dying to see what other races were out there, all the various spaceship designs, the abilities of other races that could be similar to quirks, and so much more!
Yet, at the same time, Ryoko was right. He couldn't miss that much school right now. He needed to keep his grades up if he wanted to get into a good school and there was no telling how the other hero schools might interpret his absence if they ever looked into it.
"Hey now," said Ryoko as she vanished and then reappeared right behind Izuku, her hands wrapping around him in a hug. "Don't think I'm going to be leaving you all high and dry. I think I figured out a way for you to train with your sword while I'm gone."
"Well, I hope you can at least wait until after dinner before leaving," said Inko.
At that Ryoko grinned. "Miss one last home-cooked meal before being forced to chow down on rations and instant ramen for the next week? Like hell that's happening!" Inko frowned slightly at the swear, but let it slide as she went back to making dinner.
As she did, Ryoko brought Izuku into the living room where Ryo-Ohki was waiting for them. Though, for some reason, the cabbit had on a tiny, red baseball cap with a whistle hanging around her neck. Before Izuku could question this, Ryoko plopped onto the couch while explaining her brilliant idea: improving the speed of Izuku creating his blade via repetition. The plan was simple. Each day while she was gone, Izuku would sit in the living room and create the sword one hundred times. Each time he made it, the young man would then hold its form for a solid thirty seconds before releasing it and starting again. That way, by the time Ryoko got back, his control over summoning the weapon should vastly improve.
With that, Ryoko told Izuku to start so she could oversee his first day of this new training. While on paper this seemed easy, in practice it turned out to be more demanding than he thought possible. He stood there in the middle of the room, gathering the energy and forming the blade in his hand under the gaze of the cabbit. Sometimes he would get it on the first try but more often it would require two or three. Then, when the blade in his hand collapsed, he would glance over at Ryo-Ohki who just shook her head as if to say 'that one didn't count'. When he did make it to the thirty-second mark, Ryo-Ohki would leap into the air, whistle in her mouth, and blow on it letting Izuku know that he was one step closer to being done for the day. How she did so, well, that was something you had to see to believe.
By the time Izuku had finished his training dinner had been ready for some time, their dishes kept warm as Inko watched her son training his new power. But despite this, the meal tasted just as good as it always did. As they ate, both Midoriya's tried to start a conversation with Ryoko on where she was going as well as what she was going to do. However, Ryoko kept her lips closed on the matter. The most she would say was that 'it was a surprise' while also doing her best to convince them both that it wasn't illegal by any means.
Unfortunately, dinner ended far too soon for all those seated at the table. With one last hug to both, Ryoko briefly became rigid when Inko hugged her before melting into it, both the alien and her fuzzy spaceship left.
-x-
"Have no fear! Why? Because I am here!" The loud declaration from All Might was met with cheers from the farmers who surrounded the towering hero. All of them leaving behind their crops of carrots where they were.
"Thank you All Might," cried one farmer, falling to his knees while pressing his hands together in prayer. Tears were running down his face as he looked up at the warm smile All Might was giving him. "We don't know who else to ask. The Great Carrot Thief may strike us at any moment."
To that, the American-themed hero nodded before stoically looking out at the seemingly endless fields of carrots before him. "It is no trouble. All of you have put your blood, sweat, and tears into producing a crop meant to feed millions each day. Yet this most dastardly villain seeks to create a worldwide shortage of your orange vegetable, robbing those who wish to taste the end results of your hard work as well as denying you of your financial reward. Well no longer! I shall spend the entire night camping out here, keeping watch."
More cheers followed while All Might stood there with a grin on his face, already planning on changing into his more slender state once everyone left. Though he was mentally sweat-dropping at the insanity of it all. What possible reason would anyone have to create such a massive carrot shortage? The best he could come up with was that it was some kid who had a quirk to make things vanish from a great distance and just wanted to get out of eating carrots.
Well, at least the press had stopped blaming Miriko for it. Those reporters sure had a lot of balls to ask her if she was the one who was doing it and implied that the reason for her supposed weight gain was because she ate them all. Those poor souls.
At the very least he was only doing this at night. He had a busy day starting tomorrow.
-x-
Over the next several days, Izuku did his best to keep up with the strenuous training that Ryoko had set. Each night, after dinner, he and his mother would go into the living room to repeat the exercise set up for them. And it seemed to be paying off. By the third day of Izuku's training, he was able to create the blade on the first attempt one hundred times in a row. After that, it just became easier to form it in his hand. It was appearing faster, its form lasting longer as Izuku managed to get the right feel for it.
But, that wasn't the only thing Izuku was doing for his training. Now that Izuku better understood the right mind frame he needed to access his other abilities, he was finally beginning to make some progress.
The first major step he took happened the very next day after Ryoko left. In order to make more time for his training, the green-haired teen had brought several old chunks of metal he had gathered from the beach. During his lunch break, Izuku hurried up to the roof which was thankfully vacant due to the chillier weather. Something that suited the teen just fine as he found a nice spot to place the junk he had brought and began to practice firing his finger beam. He practiced this until his phone alarm went off informing him that lunch was about halfway over. Smiling at the progress he had made, the teen made his way over to where he had set his lunch when the door to the roof suddenly opened. There, standing and laughing at the doorway, were several students. Two of them being the guys who hung out with Bakugo. And all of them had cigarettes in their hands.
For a moment, Izuku just stared at the group as he began to realize what they had planned on doing as smirks appeared on their faces. At first, Izuku thought they would just surround him to mock him, telling him to leave and to not inform any of the teachers as to what they were going to do. That or they were going to drive the point home by punching him in the gut several times. Imagine his surprise when they just waved at him while backing away, closing the door as they did so. In that moment, Izuku just let out a sigh of relief believing that he had just dodged a bad situation. Only for that relief to evaporate into thin air as the sound of a click filled the air.
Feeling a wave of panic, Izuku raced over to the door to open it only to find it wouldn't budge. What's more he could hear laughter on the other side moving away, no doubt from his classmates hearing him trying to get off the roof as they made their way down the stairs.
Slamming a fist on the door, Izuku began to go over his options. Option one was the same thing he would have done had this been a year or so ago: call for help and hope he didn't freeze to death. Back then, that would have been his only option. Thankfully, that was no longer the case as he went through all the powers at his disposal. Finger beams were out as there was no lock on this side of the door for him to blast. He could try cutting a hole in the door with the sword, but he was sure he would get expelled for doing that. Even if he was trying to save his life, he would still be using a 'quirk' without a license and damaging school property. Flying was probably his best option. The only probably would be if he was seen. He didn't know which rooms were full and, if anyone happened to be looking out, they would either think he had finally jumped off the school roof or something. He could explain to them that it was his quirk and that he had registered it, just not updated it yet, but that was bound to get him into trouble. Still, it was his best option as it would be the one that got off the roof safely without damaging anything.
With a sigh, Izuku lifted himself off the ground and began flying over to the edge. Then, before he could fly down towards the ground, a thought hit him. Glancing back at the door, Izuku bit his lower lip for a moment before flying back.
Standing before the only barrier between him and the stairs, Izuku placed his hands on the cold metal before taking a breath. The teen had tried phasing through objects several times in the past, each effort met with only failure and sometimes a bruised forehead. But now that he knew the right mind frame he needed, there was a greater chance at success. He thought back to Ryoko's words from that day as he stilled himself.
"Ha! You think you can keep me out?!" yelled Izuku before he pushed against the door. However, much to his disappointment, nothing happened. Rather than giving up, Izuku took a step back. He took another deep breath as he began thinking, imaging what he thought he needed. In his mind, Izuku began to think that there was nothing that could stop him from reaching his goal. That this door was nothing more than a layer of mist that he would cross with ease. And it would be the same with any obstacle he faced. If there was a person injured in a burning building who needed to be saved, he would pass through every wall and floor to reach them. That there was nothing that could stop him from reaching out a hand for someone in need. While thinking this, Izuku stepped forward and passed right through the door.
"I did it," the teen whispered to himself once he was on the other side. Quickly he began to feel himself up and down to make sure that all of him was back. He would have tried doing it again only to have the warning bell ring, signaling that lunch was ending and that they had only five minutes to get back to their classrooms. So, Izuku just opened the door and left it open so he could grab his stuff before rushing back to his desk. Much to the surprise of the people who had trapped him there.
For the rest of the school day, Izuku found it difficult to pay attention to his lessons as his mind kept wandering back to his newest ability. When the final bell rang, the young Midoriya raced out of his seat faster than what anyone thought possible. He sprinted out of the school, never once stopping until he made it back home. Grinning excitedly, Izuku pulled out the notebook on his own 'quirk' before turning to the page on phasing. Once he found the page the green-haired teen practically slammed a hand on the paper to keep it still while his other hand began to write feverishly.
While he only had the one experience so far, Izuku could still remember how it felt clearly. In that moment when he passed through the door it had felt like he was moving through water. There was resistance to his motions but nothing that would give him too much trouble. He also noted that he could see, though the images were a little blurry. That meant that he could tell what was on the other side of whatever was phasing through before launching his own attack.
That night, Izuku added in one hundred repetitions of phasing through his door to his daily exercises. Though he was tempted to try something else this just seemed like the safest option for him until Ryoko got back.
Two days after that, Izuku Midoriya got his next big breakthrough. It was during his early morning commute to school when he suddenly got a ding on his smartphone. After pulling it out and opening the app 'Hero Tracker Plus Ultra', his green eyes widened with delight and disappointment. There was a hero fight going on! Not only that, but the hero was unknown meaning this was their début! Reading this nearly made Izuku begin to cry out. Sure he could read all about it on the app and watch whatever videos were posted online to get an idea of their quirk. However, in his opinion, it was always better to see them in action in person. That way he wasn't limited to what the camera was focused on. He might see something that others missed, taste something in the air that others ignored that could be a clue to how their quirk worked. Heck, they could even produce some sort of odor like Midnight and he would love to figure out what it smelled like!
Sadly, he couldn't go. He knew the location where the fight was taking place, an outdoor shopping district in the next town over that he and his mom sometimes visited. In fact, it was in that area where he got some of his old comics. So he knew that there was no point in rushing over to see it. No doubt by the time he made it to the train station the fight would be over. He was tempted to fly over, but he doubted his skills in flying that long over such a distance.
So, as Izuku continued to walk, he stared at his phone imagining how amazing it would be if he could be there right now. Standing with the crowd, cheering on the hero as he saved people, when all of a sudden he began to feel something. Then, in the blink of an eye, the scene around him changed. No longer was he walking to school but into the back of someone tall. Thankfully this person was so enthralled with what was happening in front of him that he didn't bother looking around to give Izuku an annoyed look.
Blinking in confusion, the young man looked around him. He was in the shopping district. The same one his app had told him about. Confusion turned to excitement as Izuku began to push his way through the crowd until he saw it: a new pro hero fighting a villain! The same one he had been reading about!
For the rest of the day, nothing could bring Izuku's mood down no matter how much the world tried. Not only had he teleported but he also got the new hero to sign his notebook with a half a page's worth of notes already written on him. And as the cherry on top, he had managed to get to school by the skin of his teeth!
Later that night, Izuku began to experiment a bit more with teleportation. One of the first things he realized was that he could only teleport to places he had already been. To test this, he had managed to teleport to the beach, picking up some more trash for training before returning to his room. However, when he tried teleporting to his dad nothing happened. For a moment, Izuku wondered if this was due to some sort of limit on how far he could teleport. From there, he tried a few more tests. He found that he could teleport to all the places he and Ryoko had trained prior as well as the hot springs they had visited. Though that last one he had landed in the water, coming home drenched. But, when he tried to teleport to the new arcade that had opened up down the street, one he had never been in before, nothing happened. The same when he tried teleporting to the roof of All Might's agency.
Going over his notes, Izuku began to realize the pros and cons of this new power. The biggest con was that he couldn't teleport into a burning building right behind someone to rescue them. He would first need to enter the building and map out the area before he could make better use of this ability. Nor could he teleport to any area in Japan that needed help right away, not without visiting it first. On the positive side, judging by the fact that he had teleported his clothing every time as well as a bag full of junk off the beach, meant that he could take other things with him. Perhaps ever another person. It would also make for a great means of avoiding fights to reach someone in need.
The next day, when Izuku returned to the beach once again, he figured out how to the energy blasts. With all he had learned about activating his powers, this had been the easiest and most underwhelming. He just focused on the anger he felt when people laughed at him or put him down, wishing it would all go away as the power coursed through his hands.
When Izuku returned home that night, Inko was standing at the door with a letter in her hand. A letter from U.A. For a moment, Izuku held the letter that he had little doubt held his rejection letter before shaking his head.
"I…don't want to open it," he said with a sigh. "Not now."
"How about when Ryoko comes back?" suggested Inko gently. "She should be back any day now. Then we can all read it together." For a moment, Izuku stood there thinking that might be what he would need. Knowing his mother, she would hold him tightly to comfort him the best she could. At the same time, he could see Ryoko punching the air as she let out a string of insults at the school while Ryo-Ohku hissed on top of her head. Yeah, he would need all of them there for that big moment.
"Sure, that sounds good," he said at last. With that, Izuku lifted his feet off the ground as he glided over to his room. Once inside, he closed the door behind him before dropping the rejection letter onto this desk with the same amount of care as junk mail. After sitting down in his chair, Izuku began to distract himself as he wrote down his findings that night in his personal notebook. The first thing he discovered, and the most obvious, was that they were far more powerful than the finger beams. Now he was destroying entire chucks of the trash piles in huge explosions that made him nervous that someone would see and report to the police about. But the rest, well, that was more interesting. After launching several of the green orbs of destruction, Izuku discovered that he could either throw the blasts as if they were baseballs or launch them out of his hand. The ones he launched were faster, but lacked the power of the orbs he threw. And while the ones that he tossed didn't go as far, Izuku saw that he could get them to curve slightly.
For a moment, Izuku paused as he wondered if he should write down his own theories on the matter or to just wait for Ryoko. He then chuckled to himself while shaking his head. While Ryoko was certainly knowledgeable in many areas in how to train and use her powers, explaining how they worked was a different matter. Knowing her, if he did ask why throwing the orbs gives them more power Ryoko would just shrug saying something like 'It's just how they work'. So, Izuku was left to ponder the reasons on his own. The best he could come up with was that additional force was required to propel the energy spheres. That might even explain why his arm needed to be straight.
From there, Izuku just continued to write his ideas on why it was like this with the only sounds one could hear were the scratching of pen on paper and his low-key muttering.
-x-
"I'm back," came the sing-song tone of Ryoko the next night. Widening his eyes, Izuku looked up from his homework just in time to see his pseudo sister as she phased through the wall and into his room. The alien woman was wearing her usual blue outfit with the yellow line running down her knees, hands behind her back, and Ryo-Ohki panting on top of her head as if the cabbit had just come back from running a marathon.
"Welcome home. Mom thought you'd be back around now so she has a special meal planned for dinner," replied Izuku as he set down his pen before turning to look at her. Just in time, her playful expression shifted for a moment, looking both shocked and surprised until she finally looked down. With her bangs casting a shadow over her face, Izuku couldn't really see her expression.
"Yeah, I guess I came home," she said, barely above a whisper. The statement struck Izuku, but before he could comment on it, the space pirate flung her head back up revealing a happy smile. "And I come bearing a gift! Congratulations on not falling on your face during the entrance exam!"
With that, Ryoko brought her hands around to reveal what she was hiding: an egg. One that Izuku had never seen before in his life. The thing was huge, needing two hands to hold it properly. What's more, the shell of the egg was black with an obsidian-like luster to it. With a grin still on her face, Ryoko handed the egg to Izuku who found it to be rather warm to the touch while also seeming to give off a sort of pulse he could feel running through his system.
"What is this?" asked Izuku, silently hoping that this wasn't some weird alien dish that he now had to eat every once in a while to stay alive. There was no way he was going to be able to finish this thing all by himself if that was the case.
"This, Izuku, is one of the rarest things in the universe," said Ryoko as she bent down. As she did, Ryo-Ohki began nodding her head. "Many races throughout the universe have looked for the specific planet where these guys come from. However, only a few have ever managed to find it. In fact, I've only met one other person who has one."
At that, Izuku's eyes widened in amazement at the treasure in his hands. He was about to ask what makes this egg so special only for something to stop him. The egg began to hatch. Izuku caught movement out of the corner of his eye, but he didn't look away from the egg as cracks began to form around the top. They continued to grow as the 'cracking' sound of the egg grew louder and louder. Then, finally, the top just launched itself up into the air sending chunks of the shell flying everywhere. Izuku didn't see what caused it as the cracks continued to grow, forming a spider web pattern across the egg's surface. When it had stopped, there was a moment of pause before the rest of the shell just crumbled onto the floor.
Now, Izuku held in his hand the great treasure Ryoko spoke of: a cabbit! The teen couldn't help but marvel at the creature he now held in his hands as it slowly opened its red eyes. Unlike Ryo-Ohki, this one had whitish-gray fur instead of brown and was a bit bigger. He also noticed that there was a diamond-shaped gem on its forehead that looked transparent. The cabbit then let out a yawn, showing off its tiny razor-sharp teeth until it noticed Izuku. The little space bunny just looked at him, head tilted to the side before bending down.
"Ah, hi there," said Izuku as the cabbit began sniffing his hands. Whatever it was he was sniffing for, the cabbit seemed to like because when it was over the creature leapt into the air while letting out a joyful meow. Izuku felt like laughing at how the creature was acting, only to stop when their eyes locked. A beam of light then shot out of the gem in the creature's head, striking Izuku's forehead. For several long moments, the light began to shift color from a brilliant white light to an emerald green. When it was over, it was like the light was being pulled back into the gem which seemed to fill with that same green color.
"What just…" began Izuku, only to trail off as his mind finally got a moment to put the pieces together. This little guy was a cabbit, just like Ryo-Ohki. And if that was the case, then that meant… Quickly, Izuku spun around to look at Ryoko who had a satisfied smile on her face. "You got me a spaceship?"
"Well yeah," she replied, floating into the air and leaning back. It now looked like she was reclining on a sofa or something. "I still haven't given up taking you into space with me. And when I do, you're going to need your own ship and crew. So I got you started with a bit of both. That little guy right there is going to be your best friend. What just happened was he created a permanent telepathic link with you. You can now talk to him the same way I talk to Ryo-Ohki and the link will translate it for you. Not just that, but you can also mentally call him to you if you're ever in trouble. Of course, he can also turn into a spaceship."
"Ryoko, I…" began Izuku as a mix of emotions took over. There was a small bit of annoyance within him as he suspected that this 'ship and crew' were to be used for pirating. Something he would never do as that would make him a villain! Yet, that feeling was overshadowed by other emotions. When he was younger, he had wanted a pet. Something that would be there for him other than his mother when he got home and would comfort him when he was having a bad day. However, for one reason or another, it just never happened. And to be given something so rare, to have Ryoko go so far just to give him something like this, brought a happy tear to his eye.
Something the space could see plainly, smiling at Izuku before shifting her attention to the newest member of the household. "Well, given the color of his color and the shape of the gem, it's a boy. Got a name for him?" Izuku opened his mouth, a name already chosen, only to have Ryoko hold up an open palm while closing her eyes. "Something that doesn't involve All Might."
Izuku closed his mouth while a crestfallen expression appeared on his face. What was so wrong with 'Mighty Pet' or….ok, now that he was thinking about it, the names he came up with for his pets when he was five might not be the best.
"How about…Kyo," said Izuku as he looked down at the little guy still in his hands. "Using the kanji: to save or to make right. How does that sound?" Izuku got his answer almost immediately as the cabbit began jumping up and down in his hands, letting out a cry which the teen easily translated as delight. Kyo then raced up Izuku's arm till he reached the shoulder where he then leapt up onto the messy green hair belonging to his master. Kyo then got onto his hind legs, letting out a series of meows which Izuku understood as him proudly declaring his name for all to hear.
Of course, all this noise drew the attention of the Midoriya matriarch.
"What is going on," she began as she opened the door. She however stopped when she noticed the scene before her before a smile appeared on her face. "Welcome home Ryoko. Given how lively it suddenly became in here, I should have guessed it was you."
At that, Ryoko grinned broadly. "Guilty as charged."
The sight made Inko shake her head in amusement before turning to look at her son. "Before I start dinner, how about we finally open that letter from U.A?" she asked.
"It arrived?" asked Ryoko before Izuku could object. At once, the alien girl turned to look at him. "Well, come on. Let's see. Let's see!" Hearing that, caused Izuku to slump as he reached over to the envelope. Honestly, he had wanted to wait a little longer so that there wouldn't be a heavy cloud of depression hanging over him once he saw in writing that he had failed. Not tonight when they should all be happy that Ryoko was back.
After picking up the letter, he glanced back at the other two people in the room. Ryoko was still in the air, but she had positioned herself as if she were laying on top of the bed. Her hands were placed on either side of her cheeks, legs bent and slightly kicking. The whole image brought to mind someone laying in front of the T.V. as they watched an exciting program. As for his mother, Inko just sat on the bed with a hopeful expression on her face. Again, the thought of asking them to wait at least until after dinner crossed his mind. Yet he knew neither woman would hear of it. Besides, prolonging this any longer would probably be pointless.
So, with that, Izuku opened the letter causing a metal dish contained within it to drop to the floor.
"I AM HERE! AS A HOLOGRAPHIC PROJECTION!" At once, a light emerged from the disk as the image of Japan's Number One Hero appeared in the room. He was not dressed in his normal hero attire, but rather a yellow pinstripe suit that looked like it was straining to keep his muscular form hidden. At the same time, both Ryo-Ohki and Kyo covered their ears before looking back at the projection in annoyance at the suddenness of the loud volume.
"What's going on?" asked a stunned Izuku as he stared up at the muscular hero he had admired since the age of four. "What is All Might doing here?"
"You are probably wondering why I, All Might, am here? It is to give you your test results!" announced the holographic recording of All Might. "Why, you ask? Because, starting this year, I shall be teaching at U.A." A mix of awe and bitter disappointment filled Izuku as the image of All Might smiled at him. He was happy that the school had gotten someone like All Might to record this message just for him. But, at the same time, he couldn't help but feel cheated that he would be missing the chance of a lifetime to be taught by one of the greatest heroes who ever lived.
"Now then, Young Izuku Midoriya, you will be pleased to know that you passed your written exam," continued All Might before his image vanished to be replaced with his test results. It was broken down into several rows, each one a different subject with his score right next to it. As Izuku took all this in, the teen could hear his mother clapping proudly at his grades as well as seeming that he ranked 18th on the written part of the exam. Not bad when you consider the level of difficulty that the school provided as well as the hundreds of applicants that took it.
"Yes, a fine score indeed," continued All Might after his image returned. "However, we know what you are really interested in: your practical score! On that, you scored a grand total of twelve villain points. While not the most impressive score on the board, Principal Nezu himself complimented you on your resourcefulness during the exam. As for myself, seeing you getting back onto your feet after getting knocked down by a one-pointer was a fine sight. You should be proud of yourself. True strength is not how many times you get knocked down, but how many times you rise back onto your feet. I only wish such merits could be added to this part of your overall score of the practical."
Hearing this caused Izuku's cheeks to burn, lightly scratching at one of them with a single finger. He had prepared himself for the inevitable, but it was nice to hear that All Might and Principal Nezu had praised him. Maybe if they remembered him later he could…wait a moment! What did he mean by this part? Was there more?
"Before I continue with the rest of your score, there is something that I would like you to see," continued All Might, his broad smile seeming to grow wider as he stepped to the side. "Behold as I show you a video!"
"Wait, what's going-," began Izuku, but was suddenly cut off when he saw two people on the screen.
"Excuse me," said the recording of Uraraka as she stood before Present Mic. The brown-haired girl was panting slightly, her rosy cheeks a bit brighter. It was clear to Izuku that she had rushed to get to wherever this was. Most likely the hallways of U.A. As for Present Mic, the man was smiling down at her with a posture that told him he was giving her his full attention.
Before the girl could catch her breath, she began to talk. "I need to talk to you about Izuku Midoriya. He's the one with the green hair, freckles, a little plain-looking but in a good way I guess. I was wondering if it was possible to give him some of my points."
"Well now, isn't this interesting," said Ryoko while Inko let out a small gasp. But as for Izuku, his focus was locked onto the image of Uraraka as her eyes gained a fiery determination.
"He saved me," continued the brown-haired girl, her gaze locked onto Present Mic. "He was the only one who came back to help. He took down that giant robot. If it weren't for that, then he would have been able to get more points. So please, give him some of my points so that he can get in. Because he deserves it." As tears began to form around the girl's eyes, All Might paused the video.
"Your quirk is impressive," said All Might. "And I, along with many members of the staff, can tell that it still has more to grow if properly nurtured. With that said it is your actions, not the quirk, that defines what sort of hero you can become. Helping others in need is a hero's corner stone. How could any hero school worth its salt deny anyone who is willing to risk themselves to save another when they needn't have to?"
Just then, the video resumed as Uraraka broke down crying. "We heard you loud and clear little listener," replied Present Mic as he placed a hand on her head to pat it. "And thank you for coming down to the station with your request. But, there's no need to do anything. That boy shot up the charts at the last moment all on his own. Same as you."
Izuku's eyes widened when he heard that, leaning forward as the hologram shifted towards All Might once more. "As you have probably guessed by now, there was another part to this the exam. It wasn't just mindlessly destroying robots. We wanted to see what you would do when there was no benefit in helping others and awarded Rescue Points! A panel of six judges witnessed your actions and awarded you the maximum of sixty points! Izuku Midoriya, your grand total is seventy-two points!"
As he said this, the scene changed once more while Izuku fell to his knees as a powerful wave of emotions swept through him. He was not looking at the top ten scores for the practical. Sure enough, Bakugo had made number one solely by defeating villain bots. But, more importantly, Uraraka was there as well with her own rescue points. Probably earned when she saved him!
The two Cabbits began doing a dance of joy on top of his head. Both his mother and Ryoko moved to either side of him, his arms wrapping around them as soon as they were close enough. He wanted to hold them close while weeping out his thanks as he knew that there was no way he could have gotten to this point without them. His mother, who had given him all the support she could these last several months. Ryoko, not just for giving him the power to fight but the knowledge of how to use it. To both of them, just for being there for him. Even Ryo-Ohki and now Kyo.
"Welcome, Young Izuku Midoriya, to your Hero Academia," finished All Might.