Chapter 12: Move In Day
"Regardless…" Nana cut in. "You should probably go back. If my timing's right, you only have a few minutes before the other students arrive."
"Oh." Izuku blinked. "Crap."
By the time Izuku returned to the land of the living, Tenya had been given a clean bill of health. Tensei's Engine had settled in well, though Recovery Girl was thoroughly interested by just how much the two Quirks seemed to be melding together. Tenya would be getting routine checkups to ensure nothing changed, but her prognosis was wholly positive so far.
Granted, Tenya was a touch twitchy, but he seemed to be handling that relatively well.
"Thank you again for doing this." Tensei said as Izuku pulled his new compression sleeves over his elbows. "And I'm sorry you have to hide those."
Izuku waved him off. "Again, I'm happy to help. An… unanticipated wrench thrown in the plans doesn't change that. And at least I know now, and didn't find out with something harder to hide."
"All the same, Izuku. We appreciate what you did for the both of us." Tenya said. "While it's not… exactly as we imagined it, you've given us back the chance to protect the citizens of Japan together."
"That's assuming we survive trying to pass this off as a Quirk Awakening to Mom." Tensei sighed. "I'm still not convinced you'll be able to say it with a straight face without bursting into flame or something."
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it." Tenya said with a confidence his face did NOT reflect. "For the time being, we must return to the dorms! I have to perform my duties as Class President, Mrs. Midoriya her duties as Dorm Supervisor, and Izuku…"
Tenya trailed off, then glanced sheepishly Izuku's way. "If you wouldn't mind assisting with anything more physical than I can manage, it would be greatly appreciated."
"Absolutely, Tenya." Izuku said, and he caught a nod of approval from Recovery Girl at her desk. "You do the administrative part of the job, I can handle any grunt work that the robots aren't already doing better."
"Excellent." Tenya turned towards his brother, then hesitated. "I… would like to see you again soon, Tensei. Maybe if you're feeling up to it, you could give me some pointers?"
"Of course." Tensei smiled widely up at Tenya. "Once I have a few things straightened out at the Agency, I'll make sure to come back and visit. Give you some insider secrets."
Tenya nodded, then startled slightly. "Of course, Izuku, you'd be welcome to join us!"
"I'd like that." Izuku nodded. "But if you want to spend time with your brother, I don't mind. I'm not really expecting to use Engine very much in the near future. I'll want to learn how to properly use it eventually, but it's a much higher priority for you."
Tenya flushed slightly, but ducked his head in acceptance. He turned back to his brother, leaned down for a hug, then returned to his usual stiff posture. "Let's be on our way!"
The first to arrive was Yaoyorozu, who's moderately sized caravan of black SUVs had just pulled into the parking lot as Izuku, Tenya, and Inko returned. She'd been visibly relieved to see Tenya back on his feet, curious about Izuku's eyes, and delighted to meet Inko. She'd promised to come assist them in their efforts to corral the move in process once she'd gotten her own move-in underway, then lead her squadron of butlers and robots into the Dorms.
"You know, I somehow didn't think she could possibly be one of those Yaoyorozus." Inko had whispered faintly as the heiress vanished into the building, visibly shell shocked by the sheer wealth on display.
Before long, however, more students began to arrive. While many were chauffeured by UA personnel, others had arrived with what Izuku assumed to be family members.
Kaminari had been dropped off by the immediately recognizable hero Livewire, whom Izuku learned was also Kaminari's aunt. With the two of them side by side, that fact had been overwhelmingly obvious. Izuku had been tempted to slip back to his room and grab something she could sign, but before he could, Livewire had run off to get her own autograph from Jiro's parents. Izuku couldn't say he recognized them, but from the vortex of attention they'd formed, he was the odd one out. Jiro herself didn't look especially pleased by the attention, visibly embarrassed as she talked with a laughing Kaminari.
Izuku had been carrying Kirashima's punching bag towards the dorms when he saw Tokoyami arrive in what he could have easily mistaken for a hearse. A slender, hawkish man with black feathers for hair stepped from the car, and the shadow he cast was pitch black despite the bright sunlight of the day.
Shoto had arrived a bit after noon, and Izuku had nearly run into him on his way down from helping Sato install his refrigerators. He'd been flanked by two people who could only be his siblings, whom Shoto had introduced as Natsuo and Fuyumi. Despite the slightly stilted way he'd made the introduction, and the admittedly awkward fact he'd done so in the middle of the staircase, there had been a spark of warmth in Shoto's voice that was quite welcome to hear. About an hour later, Izuku had caught a glimpse of Fuyumi helping his mother in the kitchen.
Mineta's arrival had been… oddly understated. Though nobody had specifically mentioned it, Izuku suspected they'd all been braced for some kind of incident, given the chaos. However, Mineta had been… well behaved was perhaps a strong word, given the way Izuku had seen him literally gnawing on his lip a few times, but there hadn't been any obvious problems. Part of Izuku had been curious. The rest of him had just been relieved.
Bakugo's arrival, on the other hand, had more than made up for it. He'd arrived with his customary aura of impending violence cranked up a few notches, no doubt to compensate for the sensible hairstyle Izuku had tried very, very hard not to focus on. Bakugo had immediately cut a swath through the milling crowd, glaring down anyone who dared look at him for more than a second. He'd done a double take at the sight of Izuku, but had shouldered past him with twice the vitriol to make up for it, then vanished into the building without a word.
Aunt Mitsuki and Unkle Masaru had been far happier to see Izuku. Mitsuki had nearly picked him up with her spine-warping hug, then proceeded to grill him on what, precisely, the fuck he'd been thinking to get involved with Stain. While that had been a… fun… conversation, it had genuinely been nice to see them again. They'd been ecstatic to hear that Inko was still on campus, and even more so to learn that she'd been hired. Mitsuki had been particularly pleased that there would be someone to keep her son properly in line.
Bakugo had returned just in time to hear her mention returning to visit more often, which had prompted a particularly colorful explanation of why she very, very much shouldn't.
By the time the afternoon had blurred into evening, almost all of Class 1-A had arrived. Granted, most were still in the process of moving in, which left the main entrance more a warzone than a walkway, but progress remained steady. Izuku had stepped away from the overwhelming crowds for a moment to get a breath of fresh air when he saw another car pull in.
It was a smaller model that might have been older than Izuku was, with what appeared to be a bedframe and some boxes strapped to the top. Once it pulled to a careful stop, a tall, broad-shouldered blond man unfolded himself from the driver's seat and stretched, while the back door opened to reveal Uraraka.
Briefly, Izuku's mind flashed back to his last conversation with her. He glanced over his shoulder towards the dorms, half way hoping Tenya or Yaoyorozu might have already mobilized to intercept, but he couldn't see either amidst the mob of people.
'This is stupid. All that happened was that you offered to get her a meal to make up for the one she missed. That's not really a date. She probably didn't even think about it that way. ' Izuku mentally berated himself.
One for All pulsed skeptically. Izuku suspected it was Daigoro, but wasn't entirely sure.
'You're not helping.' Izuku groused, then peaked back in Uraraka's direction. Uraraka looked oddly stiff as she talked to the man Izuku assumed to be her father, and a shorter woman whose hair was the same color as her presumed daughter's. Uraraka glanced in Izuku's direction, seemed to startle slightly when their eyes met, then gave him a small wave.
'She's your friend. Go be a good friend and help, instead of standing here like an idiot.'
"W-welcome to Heights A-alliance, Uraraka!" Izuku half choked on his words as he approached. "I-it's good to see you again!"
"You too!" Uraraka squeaked, then snapped her mouth shut. She gave her family a sidelong glance, then continued in an oddly deep voice. "You're already moved in? And what happened to…"
"Quirk development." Izuku replied automatically, as he had after the 8th time he was asked about his eyes. He blinked, then shook himself. "And yeah. My Mom was actually hired as the Dorm Supervisor for our building, so we moved in yesterday. It was kind of a sudden thing, and between that and the packing I forgot to tell anyone. Tenya moved in yesterday evening, too. He's helping organize everything with Yaoyorozu somewhere in that mess."
"Oh!" Uraraka brightened. "I bet she'll do a great job! How's Iida doing?"
"Much better. He's walking around now, which is a relief." Izuku said, then smiled at the way Uraraka visibly relaxed. "Recovery Girl thinks he should be fully recovered after his treatment tonight."
"Thank goodness." Uraraka sighed in relief. "I'll have to go say hi-"
"Ehem."
Both Izuku and Uraraka jumped slightly, and Uraraka half spun to look back at her father. The large man was smiling widely as he looked between them, and the woman next to him was doing the same. Something about it sent a spike of animal terror through his brain. It was like they were looking directly at his soul, reading him like a book.
"AH!" Uraraka yelped, then blushed as she hurriedly gestured towards the two. "These are my parents, Takumi and Naika Uraraka!"
"I'm honored to meet you both!" Izuku bowed.
"It's good ta' finally meet ya', Midoriya." Takumi smirked as he crossed his arms. "We've heard quite a bit about ya'."
"Indeed we have!" Naika said as her grin grew even wider.
"EEP!" Uraraka squeaked. "Um! Uh! Moving in! Right! Gotta do that!"
Uraraka dashed towards the back of the car, grabbing and floating her parents as she passed to drag them along with her. Takumi guffawed, then gently ruffled her hair. "Fine, fine. Let's get you all moved into your fancy new castle, Princess."
Uraraka groaned.
Izuku stood there awkwardly for a moment, unsure what to do. He watched as Uraraka hopped weightlessly onto the roof of the car, quickly undid the straps, then casually leapt down and took the old, wood-frame bed with her. Before he could say anything, she scurried off towards the dorms.
"...Can I help with anything?" Izuku asked hesitantly, then blinked. "Wait, do you and Uraraka have the same Quirk, Mrs. Uraraka?"
"Hmm?" Naika glanced at Izuku from around the dresser perched on her shoulder. "Oh! No, but they're related. I can interact with things like they got no mass so long as I've got ma' hands on it."
"Oh! That's really interesting!" Izuku perked up. "Is there a mass limit? Does the effect propagate to everything inside an object, or just the object itself? What happens if you step on a scale while you're holding something?"
"Careful 'bout the scale question, lad." Takumi snorted. "Wanderin' into dangerous territory."
Naika smiled sweetly at Izuku. "Up to 20 times ma' mass, anything inside an object is fair game, and the weight is still there, I just ignore it. If you'd like a demonstration o' that last bit, I can club my dear hubby with this here chunk of wood, and we can figur' out the forces involved based on how far 'e flies."
Takumi gulped audibly, then shuffled around to the opposite side of the car to start picking up boxes from the back seat.
"Thought so." Naika nodded. "If'n you'd like to grab the table from the back and bring that up, since Mister Man's Man over there threw out his back on the job site earlier, that'd be appreciated."
"Gladly!" Izuku was just happy he had something to do, rather than stand there. "And if you're still dealing with any pain, Mr. Uraraka, I might be able to help with that for the time being!"
The large man cocked an eyebrow at him through the car window. "I thought yer' deal was punchin' things real good? If this is one of those "If I break your arm, it'll take yer' mind off yer' back" things, I think I'll pass."
"I made… several breakthroughs with my Quirk over the past few days." Izuku said as he made his way to the back of the car. "One of them is a way to amplify my vitality, and to use it on other people through touch. You'll still need to take it easy, but it'll help with any lingering soreness and-"
Takumi's hand was thrust between the worn headrests and almost into Izuku's face in a second. "Hit me."
With a brush of Izuku's fingers, he passed the man a small dose of Boon. Takumi looked at his hand for a second, then carefully leaned backwards. His face still scrunched up slightly, but he looked relieved at the same time.
"Hot DAMN kid. What kind o' genetic lottery did ya win? "
Izuku shrugged, then hefted the table onto his shoulder. "What room should I take this to?"
"4-1." Naika grinned. "Thanks fer' the help!"
"Gladly!"
Takumi watched the short green haired kid trot off with the table held easily over his shoulder. A table that by all rights should have made him completely lopsided, but didn't seem to bother him at all.
'They're raisin' some scary ass youngins' at this school.'
When he'd seen the boy invent a new shade of red just looking at his daughter, part of him had wanted to scare Midoriya straight. He seemed like a good kid, but paternal instincts were hard to ignore.
Plus, he'd received a masters course in suitor scaring from Naika's father, and it seemed a shame to waste it.
But then he'd seen Ochako make a new shade of her own, squeak like a startled mouse, and immediately overcompensate in the opposite direction in an attempt to cover her mistake. It had been such pure Grade A teasing material he almost felt obligated to thank the boy instead. Then he'd caught a glimpse of Naika's smirk, and he knew that doing anything that could possibly scare Midoriya off would end with his ass sleeping on the lumpy old couch in his work office for a week.
Of course, the kid had provided a pretty compelling case of his own. The unprompted offer to help move Ochako in had been a good start, if an expected one. He'd gone above and beyond, however.
Takumi rolled his shoulder, then gave another experimental stretch. Over the years, he'd done some pretty inadvisable things to his body in the interest of getting jobs done fast. It had helped him get his feet under him early on, but he was paying for it in his later years when he needed his body just as badly. He could still feel achs old and new through whatever glowy Quirk bullshit Midoriya had pulled, but just barely. He felt a good few years younger, and had a pep in his step he never thought he'd feel again.
"Can we keep 'em?"
Naika rolled her eyes, but had a wide grin on her own beautiful face.
"You'll have ta' ask yer' daughter about that one." She drawled. "But I have a hunch you'll like the answer once she's bein' honest."
It hadn't taken all that long to get Uraraka's belongings to her room, and Izuku had found an excuse to flee the scene shortly after. It might not have been set up yet, but being in a girl's room had been a rather overwhelming experience. The fact that it was Uraraka's only magnified the experience.
Her parents had been nice, but he'd occasionally caught another glance from them that made him feel like he was under a magnifying glass. On his way out, they'd said they were looking forward to seeing him again, but then Uraraka had slammed the door behind him. He wasn't sure if he'd overstayed his welcome or otherwise made her uncomfortable, but he'd decided to apologize at another time.
He'd requested that Kinenkō let him know once the Uraraka's got home so he could withdraw Boon, then returned to his room to finish his own decorating. That attempt to reorganize his collection had gone far, far better, and he'd managed to finish up the rest of his room before his mother called the class downstairs for a meeting.
"I'm sure myself and others have already said so, but let me say it again. Welcome to Heights Alliance!" Inko smiled at the students haphazardly strewn across the lounge.
She looked slightly disheveled from her day of frantic cooking and greetings, though the temporary culinary assistance from Fuyumi and Masaru had lessened the load considerably. Despite that, there was a happy glow to her that brought a smile to Izuku's lips. From the smell that wafted from the kitchens, Izuku suspected that dinner would be served after the meeting was finished, which he was desperately looking forward to.
"Now then. Seeing as many of you are making eyes at the kitchen like you haven't been fed in three days, I'll keep this brief. I'm Inko Midoriya, and I'll be the in-residence Dorm Supervisor for 1-A. My rooms are next to the kitchen, so don't hesitate to come find me if you need anything at all. In the event of my absence, emergency contact information is posted on the door." Inko continued. "I assume you've all read the rules of conduct for these dorms, and I trust that you'll follow them like the honorable future heroes you are."
Izuku caught Kaminari, Ashido, and Hagakure surreptitiously flip through the packet they'd all received, and had to stifle a laugh.
"In the event that any issues arise, I've been instructed to inform both Mr. Aizawa, and Mr. Nezu. I assure you, that is not something you want." Despite her wide, friendly smile, Inko managed to convey an implied warning that gave the room pause. "Anyone who has any questions can reach out to me in person or through the top phone number listed on my door. I hope that we can get along well!"
A murmur of agreement rolled through the room, with the occasional enthusiastic response from the usual suspects.
"Now that that's dealt with…" Inko gestured towards the dining hall. "I and several kind volunteers throughout the day have prepared everyone an array of dinner options to choose from. I should have all the various dietary requirements UA was told of accounted for, but if anyone needs something added, just let me know!"
The enthusiasm was far more widespread at that, and the group formed an orderly stampede on their way to the food. Izuku was delighted to discover his favorite Katsudon was on offer, alongside a plethora of other dishes his classmates dug into with gusto. Within moments, the room had descended into a clattering din of eating and laughing. Rather than everyone settling into their usual groups as they would in the UA Dining Hall, however, the class ate in a disorganized mass at one table.
Unsurprisingly, the most prevalent topic of conversation settled on their internships.
"Hated it." Bakugo sneered into a bowl of katsudon he'd carefully seasoned, then annihilated with chili powder. "We barely touched the sparring grounds. Hell, he spent more time trying to give me a fucking makeover."
"I can see this, Mon Ami." Aoyama eyed him. "While it clashes with your personality, it does have a certain… homme de salarie chic to it."
Bakugo's face twitched violently, and with a sharp pop his hair burst back into shape. "Va te faire foutre."
Aoyama blinked, startled. "You speak French?"
Bakugo smirked. That lasted right up until Inko spoke up.
"No, at least not unless he learned since the last time I spoke with Mitsuki. He probably just picked that up from her habit of cursing in other languages while in polite company."
"I'd forgotten that Bakugo and Midoriya knew each other." Shouji spoke from a mouth on one tentacle, even as he shoveled food into a mouth on the other.
Bakugo sneered, then shot a look in Izuku's direction, which very quickly prompted him to find somewhere else to aim his attention.
"He was impossible to keep up with!" Dark Shadow groaned animatedly. "It was like someone hopped him up on enough energy drinks to kill an elephant, then told him to fly across the city in as random a pattern as humanly possible! Hell, half the times we found him, it was because he flew in from BEHIND US!"
Tokoyami rubbed his temples, but nodded. "He was indeed a creature of impenetrable intent."
"Also pretty sure he single handedly keeps all the fried chicken places within 100 miles of his agency in business." Dark Shadow added. "Half the dumpster behind the place is filled with greasy buckets and bones, and that's just the stuff that actually makes it that far."
"That sounds frustrating, Ribbit. And deeply unhealthy." Tsuyu said. "I'm sorry it didn't go as well as you wanted."
"We learned much, we simply did so on the move." Tokoyami sighed. "If nothing else, he enlightened us to a potential we had not considered…"
A finger poked Izuku in the shoulder, and he turned to see Sato. "Could you pass me the salt, Midoriya?"
He did so, then caught the tail end of a conversation from Sato's other side.
"...had some seriously weird ideas about rescue work and where it fits into the big picture." Jiro groaned. "So yeah, Death Arms was a mistake. What about you?"
"Seeing Auntie again was awesome! Her Quirk has a lot in common with mine, she can control electricity instead of being able to generate it. I was able to pick up a few tricks from her!" Kaminari laughed. "Plus, I got a picture of her losing her mind over-"
"Don't remind me." Jiro groaned. "I didn't want anyone to know about them. I love them, but it was kind of nice talking about something other than my parents."
Mineta visibly twitched, then crammed a wad of rice into his mouth and began to chew violently. By the time he'd finished, Kaminari had turned to face him. "How was your internship with Mt. Lady? I know you were… uh, looking forward to it."
Mineta grimaced, then forcefully swallowed. "She basically used me as a servant. I spent more time fetching things than I did actually observing what she was working on, much less going on patrols."
"Ouch." Sero grunted. "I'd heard she was kind of self absorbed, but I didn't think she'd be that bad."
"...well, there were some perks."
Jiro narrowed her eyes and raised her jacks threateningly.
"Didn't mean those this time!" Mineta raised his hands in surrender. "Just… When she bothered to talk to me beyond issuing orders, she actually had a few… useful… suggestions. They sucked to hear, but she had some points."
"What?" Kaminari blinked. "Like critiques on your combat style or something? I think you're kind of on opposite ends of the spectrum there."
"Yah, combat training would have been worthless. But that's not what I mean." Mineta shook his head. "If she's good at one thing, it's image management and marketing. She had… a few criticisms regarding mine."
"Like the fact that being a little creep who harasses girls is going to land you in jail instead of the hero billboards?" Jiro sniped.
"Not quite like that, but close enough." Mineta winced, then stared deeply into his bowl. "Said my primary demographic is going to be male incels, and even they're not gonna want anything to do with me when I'm running around in a metal diaper."
Sero snorted, then started choking on his ramen. Sato delivered a quick slap to his back, and after a cough and a gasp, Sero recovered. "Thanks, man. And I'm sorry, Mineta. That's harsh… but she's kind of got a point? You don't exactly have the best reputation going on, and I'm sorry, but the bowl just… doesn't do you any favors. Like, at all."
Izuku nodded along with several other nearby listeners.
"Yeah, I know." Mineta sighed. "Once I admitted she had a point, she was more helpful. We brainstormed a few new ideas while she had me sorting shit, and I think I have a new brand hammered out. Given I didn't make much of an impression at the sports festival, and my costume saw the light of day like twice during my internship, I can probably get away with changing… everything."
"Including being an open perv? Ribbit."
"...yeah." Mineta sank into his seat even further, but nodded. "Gonna try to act on it less, at least. I'm still me, I just have to act like I'm… not."
"That's… rough, buddy." Kaminari patted Mineta on the shoulder. "But it's not like you can't still be you, just with less of THAT part of you. You can take things a little too far."
"A little?" Jiro rolled her eyes.
Mineta grumbled, then stuffed another wad of rice into his mouth.
A loud laugh drew Izuku's attention to the opposite end of the table, where Uraraka had just mimed throwing something, or likely someone, through one of the nearby windows. Hagakure had her gloved hands over her mouth, while Ashido was giggling up a storm next to her. Both pulled themselves together when Uraraka said something around a bite of food.
"Missdirection was great! Making people think I've given away my position when I'm actually somewhere else is a great way to triple down on stealth fighting!" Hagakure cheered. "I even managed to pull one over on her before I left, but only because I spent waaaaaay too long setting it up at the agency and got help from some of her sidekicks. How about you, Ashido?"
"It was fantastic!" Ashido gushed. "Pirouette was the perfect choice! Even though it wasn't directly compatible, a lot of what she showed me was close enough that we could fill in the gaps! My sliding has never been faster, and I managed to work more of my dancing skills into combat! Plus, I got to meet that spinny guy from 1-B, Sen Kaibara. He was kind of the odd one out between the three of our personalities, but he was nice enough. Ran into this guy out on patrol, too." She gestured towards Kirishima.
"Yeah, that was great timing! One of the only long patrols we went on." Kirashima gave a shark-toothed grin. "Fourth Kind helped Tetsutetsu and I with our defenses, but mostly got us working on a lot of the non-combat stuff! It, uh, wasn't exactly what I expected going in, but it was still Manly in its own way!"
"The non-combat aspects of Hero work are of great importance, even if they're not what the public sees the most!" Tenya called. "It's imperative that we perform just as well in the office as in the field! Manual showed me a variety of small but impactful ways to improve the documentation process during my hospital time, which will doubtless be of great help in the future!"
In the corner of his vision, Izuku saw Bakugo open his mouth, glance in Inko's direction, then snap his mouth shut with a sour look.
Tenya's words, however, had brought the rest of the conversations to a screeching halt as well. Given that it was the first time any of the three who'd been present in Hosu had spoken about their internships, it wasn't all that surprising. It had been obvious for the entire day that some of his classmates were curious, but by and large they'd avoided asking anything directly. While Izuku could appreciate the sentiment, he couldn't deny that the tension had been grinding on his nerves.
Finally, someone broke the silence.
"How are you feeling, Iida?" Shoto's words were somewhat stilted, but the fact that he'd been the one to speak up first overrode that. "You seem much improved since the hospital."
"An understatement, if I've ever heard one." Tenya smiled slightly. "While I'm not completely recovered, that's likely to change in two hours when I go to see Recovery Girl."
"I don't want to sound insensitive, Ribbit, but how DID you recover so quickly?" Asui asked. "Last I was aware, you'd received severe spinal trauma. I know Todoroki mentioned Midoriya and a healing Quirk were involved, Ribbit. But even with Recovery Girl, it's surprising that you're walking already. Also, what's on your elbows?"
Tenya froze in the middle of adjusting his glasses, and all eyes turned towards his exposed arm.
"Well that's new." Sero raised an eyebrow. "Welcome to the weird elbows club, man!"
"Ah. Um, thank you?" Tenya finished readjusting his glasses, then coughed into his hand. "Well, as far as my recovery goes, that's as much Izuku's to explain as my own. As for these, I experienced a… Quirk Awakening, during my recovery. These are almost identical to my brother's version of Engine, they simply haven't fully grown in yet."
"I'd wanted to ask earlier, but never found a chance." Momo admitted from her seat next to Tenya, then peaked closer. "I've heard of Quirks that rely heavily on a specific limb sometimes forcibly manifesting elsewhere in response to sufficient trauma, but that's usually from extreme damage. When I saw you this morning, I thought the reports might have been exaggerated, but once I noticed those, I was worried all over again."
"Er, yes." Tenya made brief eye contact with Izuku. "They first appeared some time this morning, which was after my last treatment. But given the extent of my injuries, your explanation may still fit. My spine was almost completely severed by Stain, which would likely qualify as extreme damage."
Someone's fork clattered to a table. It was the only sound in the room.
"Holy Shit!" Uraraka blurted, though she quickly slapped her hands over her mouth afterwards. She began to drift upwards, but she managed to catch herself and tap her fingers together before she got far. "Sorry! Are you, like, absolutely sure you shouldn't still be in bed recovering?"
"Quite sure." Tenya nodded. "I doubt Recovery Girl would have let me walk around if she weren't completely satisfied that I could do so safely. I benefited from a stunning sequence of events, which greatly facilitated my recovery. While I'll still be attending checkups and some precautionary physical therapy for another few weeks, I should be given a mostly clean bill of health later tonight."
Asui nodded in acceptance, then turned her large eyes towards Izuku. He took a deep breath, then nodded to himself.
"A lot happened during my internship. I managed to get a better grasp on my super strength, but that just opened up a whole new can of worms. As it turns out, my Quirk isn't just super strength. That's just the simplest way to use my power." Izuku said as he tried to keep the story he'd practiced straight. "It seems the energy I have stockpiled is really, really flexible. I managed to use it to amplify my Vitality, and transfer that vitality to others."
"Damn." Kaminari whistled. "And here I thought I made some breakthroughs. You can heal people now? Wait, does that mean you don't have to worry about breaking your arms, because you can just heal them? What are the other things you can do? Was the green glow in that video I saw-"
"Chill, dude. Maybe let him actually answer." Jiro elbowed Kaminari, though she'd leveled a considering look Izuku's way herself.
"It's ok. Um… it's not actually that great at healing on its own. It's better at energizing people and keeping them alive." Izuku explained. "But that's what I used on Tenya after he was injured. It kept his condition from degrading anywhere near as fast, and made it easier for the doctors to start correcting the damage. Then, when Recovery Girl went to treat him, Heal used up the vitality I gave him to accelerate the process far beyond what anyone was expecting. The same thing happened during his session last night."
"But Todoroki said you'd used a Quirk someone else used on you." Tsuyu pointed out. "He seemed specific about it."
"Yes, I was. You told us…" Shoto trailed off, then took on a pensive air. "Were you trying not to mention…?"
"No, it's ok." Izuku grimaced slightly. "I was getting there, I was just trying to cover how I helped Tenya before I got into the heavy subject."
"Wait, was Iida getting hurt not the heavy part?" Ojiro set his utensils down, then leaned forward to better see Izuku. "What on earth happened?"
Izuku caught sight of Uraraka at the far end of the table as she watched him, clearly worried. When she noticed him looking, she mouthed 'Are you ok?' He gave her a small nod, then braced himself.
"I wasn't actually meant to be in Hosu. My mentor, Gran Torino, was taking me elsewhere when a Nomu attacked the train. He dragged it away, but we were separated as a result. I went into Hosu to try and help, heard Manual calling for Tenya, then went to go look for him myself. Before I found him, I stumbled on a building another Nomu had smashed through. There were people who hadn't evacuated, so I went in to look for them." Izuku stopped, then took a steading breath. "One of the people I was looking for, a doctor named Kouki Kinenkō, was crushed in the initial collapse, and was barely alive when I found him. I'd hurt my leg getting two people off the upper floors, and he offered to use his Quirk on me so I could keep helping with the rescue efforts. It was called Boon, and it amplified his vitality and let him share it with others. He… died, shortly thereafter."
Izuku stopped for a moment, and the dining room was completely silent once more. He could practically feel the weight of everyone's gaze, but he couldn't let himself think about it. He could already feel the prickling of tears, despite the fact that he knew Kinenkō wasn't completely dead.
"When I was trying to save Tenya, I tried to push Boon into him as a last ditch effort because nothing else was working. When something actually happened, I just assumed that it was part of the Quirk. It wasn't until later, when I figured out what was going on with my own, that I realized what I'd done. It was all energy manipulation and enhancement, and I sort of had a roadmap to follow, so… I managed to mimic Boon."
"Holy crap. " Sato grumbled, audible over the other similarly concerned voices around him. "The fact that you can do that is insane, but… are you ok, Midoriya? Like, actually ok? I thought having to fight Stain was bad, but on the heels of that? "
"I was a mess once I got a chance to really think about everything. But once I talked through it all, I managed to pull myself together." Izuku shot another brief but appreciative glance Uraraka's way. "I can't change what happened, but I can absolutely do my best to make sure it doesn't happen again. I already had a lot of ground to make up, and with all the new aspects of my Quirk to learn, that gulf has only grown wider. But if anything, I'm more motivated to improve than ever."
"Hell yea, Midoriya! That's the spirit of a true man, right there! You survived something awful, and you're using it as fuel to make a better future!" Kirashima shot up from his seat and thumped his chest. "If you ever need a sparring partner, or a spotter, or anything else, you just let me know and I'll be there!"
"Yeah!" Uraraka agreed. "If you ever want to work on rescue training together, all you ever have to do is ask!"
Koda gestured at Uraraka, then nodded quickly.
More and more of the class spoke up, and Izuku could feel the heat of tears as they gathered in his eyes. Inko looked much the same, though he could see the signs of a smile behind the hands she'd clasped over her mouth. "T-thank you, everyone. I really appreciate it." He managed to get out around the lump in his throat. "And the same goes for all of you. If anyone needs anything and I can help, just ask."
It took some time for things to settle down after that. Conversations had eventually resumed as people finished their food, and the group had made their way to the lounge once more, though Bakugo had turned in the direction of the stairs instead. Inko had quickly pulled Izuku aside for a hug, then scurried off to address the dishes after dismissing his offer to help. He made it to the lounge just in time for Ashido to speak up.
"Soooooo, now that everyone's moved in, there's an idea I wanted to run past you all…"
Ochako couldn't say she'd been prepared for quite how… intense… the tour-turned-competition was, but it had still been fun. Mostly.
Knowing that everyone would see how hand-me-down her room was had put a bit of a damper on the experience. But, as it turned out, she was far from the only one self conscious about their room.
Tokoyami had seemed embarrassed, despite how cool some of the guys thought his room was. Sure, the dark and ominous aesthetic had been a little much for her personally, but it wasn't exactly a surprise.
Kyoka had been bafflingly reluctant to show off her room, even though she was apparently able to play all the instruments in it . And there had been a lot of them!
Momo had been confoundingly shy about her ridiculously lavish room, even if it was pretty cramped. Frankly, Ochako had a hard time imagining her entire family owning so much in their entire house , much less cramming it all in a room just a little bigger than the tiny box of an apartment she'd been living in prior.
Even Tsuyu had been surprisingly quiet, despite the fact that her room was absolutely adorable. She'd just stood on her lily pad rug, surrounded by her rainforest decor, and watched everyone as they looked around. If it hadn't been for Sato's cake, her vote would have absolutely gone to Tsuyu.
However, if anyone had actually outdone her own embarrassment, it had been Izuku Midoriya. His room had been wall-to-wall hero merch, a substantial amount of which she recognized as rescue heroes, 13 one of the most prominent. He'd devolved into a blushing, stuttering mess as he tried to dissuade people from looking too closely at his shelves of figurines, which had been so cute adorkablein character that it had brought a blush smile to her face.
'Bad.' Ochako groaned inwardly. 'Down girl.'
She shook her head. She REALLY needed to get herself under control. Midoriya had just offered to make up for a missed lunch, even though he really hadn't needed to. And gave her that speech about being an amazing hero. And helped move her in. And helped with her father's bad shoulder and back. And her mother had-
She shook her head again, this time harder. The less remembered about the look in her mother's eyes, the better. She was NOT ready to deal with that. She took a deep breath, then caught an odd movement from the corner of her eye.
Naturally, it was Midoriya.
'Seriously girl, ya' need to-'
Midoriya's fingers twisted themselves into the hem of his shirt. The muscles of his arms danced, and there was a tension to him that worried her as soon as she noticed it. Carefully, she approached.
Midoriya blinked, darted his eyes to her, then blinked again. "O-oh! Uraraka, what's up?"
"Are you ok, Deku?"
"Um. Yes?"
She glanced down. Midoriya followed her gaze, then mechanically released his fingers from his shirt.
"Really, it's nothing to worry about." Midoriya said, but he wasn't quite making eye contact with her anymore. "It's just that the Vitality boost I gave Tenya yesterday wore off, so I have that energy back. It kind of makes me… hyper."
She knew him well enough to recognize when he wasn't saying something. That had been happening a… worrying amount, recently, especially when he'd explained things to the class over dinner. She wanted to ask, but at the same time, she didn't want to overreach and make him uncomfortable. She'd just have to play along and let him talk if he wanted to.
"Hyper, huh?" Ochako looked up and down his tense body, did another pass, then snapped her gaze away in a fluster. That tight t-shirt would be the death of her. "W-well, I've been wanting to check out the Exercise Room and the Gymnasium. Would you mind showing me around?"
"Oh! Sure! I was probably going to go there myself, at least until Tenya is ready to head for the nurse's office."
'Shocker. Ya' look like yer' about to make a break for it.' Ochako thought. "Cool. It's down this way, right?"
"Exercise Room is, yep! If you want the Gymnasium, we can take the stairs in the gym, or use the elevator."
Ochako nodded, then jogged down the hall with Midoriya on her heels. The gym was smaller than the one at Gunhead's agency, but that wasn't especially surprising. Even UA couldn't deck out so many dorms to that degree. Regardless of the size, it was still astounding to her that she could just use it freely.
She had been horrified at the thought of on-campus housing and the steep costs that would be attached. When she'd found out that the dorms would be free for all current students because of the sudden nature of the transition, she'd cried out of pure relief. Not only was she now living in an upscale dorm with amazing amenities like this, she was cutting down on her expenses at the same time!
"What do you want to use first?" Midoriya asked. "It sounded like you did a lot of weight lifting at Gunhead's agency. Do you want to keep that up, or give something else a try?"
Ochako considered for a moment, then nodded to herself. "I made a lot of headway with muscle building, and I'd like to keep that up. What about you?"
Midoriya hesitated slightly. "Treadmill. It… helps take the edge off."
"Sounds good. Would you mind spotting me in a bit?"
"Sure!"
They went their separate ways, though Ochako kept an eye on him as she made her rounds of the machines. Because she was still worried. Specifically that. Nothing else.
When he'd first stopped at the dumbbell rack, she'd been taken slightly aback. He'd plucked up two of the 20lb weights, then casually strode to the treadmill as he'd said he would.
'...he's not actually gonna… oh. Yeah, that's exactly what he's gonna do. Holy shit.'
At first, she'd been concerned he would exhaust himself immediately, given the pace he set. Then, he'd increased it rather than backing it down. Once he seemed satisfied with his pace, Ochako wasn't sure the treadmill had much left to give regardless. Hell, she was pretty sure she'd be out of breath and sprawled on the ground within a minute, but he just… kept going.
By the time she'd finished her last set on the leg press, she was panting and just about every muscle she had ached. Midoriya, however, had the gall to seem barely phased despite what had to be a solid half hour of sprinting while curling 20lb weights. Sure, he looked as sweaty as Ochako felt, but he wasn't breathing hard, his movements were crisp and even, and his pace hadn't slowed.
'Holy crap. THIS is what he was tryin' t' pass off as just a bit hyper?' She gaped. 'No wonder he can't sleep!'
Ochako rolled herself from the leg press' seat, then hobbled her way over to the treadmills. As she got closer, she noticed something else. Not only was he not breathing hard, but he seemed to be muttering to himself in classic fashion.
"Deku?"
No response.
Ochako stepped into his line of sight, but he still didn't seem to notice her. His eyes were oddly unfocused, more staring blankly ahead than looking at anything in front of him.
"DEKU!"
His eyes re-focused, then flicked to her. He did a double take, then tripped over his own feet.
Ochako lunged forward and just barely managed to slap a hand on his shoulder before he slammed into the ground. At the same time, a flash of green light enveloped Midoriya, and he twisted to plant a hand on the ground.
Or, well, he tried to. Given that he was no longer falling, the only thing he managed to do was send himself into a rapid spin while he hung in the air. The dumbbells tumbled away, one thudding into a wall, the other fetching up on another piece of equipment with a metallic clang.
Ochako observed the spinning, flailing, crackling green blur for a moment before she carefully reached out a hand. In return, Midoriya's hand snapped out to clasp her wrist, his grip firm. With a solid anchor, his tumble came to an abrupt stop… upside down. For a moment, they just stared at one another, his hair blown to one side from the speed of his Zero Gravity mishap.
Then, he snorted.
In turn, she lost her fight to keep from laughing, and a giggle bubbled up and out of her throat.
At the sound, Midoriya lost his own fight entirely and let out a bright peal of laughter.
They went back and forth like that for a time, each making the other laugh in a cycle they couldn't break. It wasn't until she'd collapsed to her side and Midoriya had floated to face the ceiling that they managed to reign themselves in.
"Sorry about that." Midoriya gasped. "I was a little lost in thought."
"Oh, were you?" Ochako asked sarcastically. "I just thought you found the wall really, really, really interesting."
"Given it was made by several pros working together, it is objectively a more interesting wall than most." Midoriya pointed out around another small burst of laughter. "But no, I was just… trying to brainstorm for my Quirk. I didn't even notice you until you yelled."
"Sorry it startled you. I probably should have tried to get your attention a bit more gently."
"You're fine, the yell didn't startle me." Midoriya said.
"Why'd you trip, then?"
Midoriya simply floated silently for a few moments. "Just clumsy!"
Ochako blinked. "Seriously? After you kept THAT pace up for so long?"
"Yep!" Midoriya sounded oddly high pitched. "Thanks for saving me!"
"Sure…" Ochako said. "But it looked like you would have caught yourself just fine, Mr. Clumsy. Is that the Full Cowling technique you told me about?"
"Oh! Yes, it is!" Midoriya twisted himself in the air in a way completely at odds with his claimed lack of coordination, but the beaming smile on his face made short work of any other thoughts she might have had. "I'm getting a lot better with it, too! When I first figured it out, it took me a few seconds to get it charged up. But I've been flicking it on and off so often the past few days that I managed it almost instantly! You were just faster to react this time."
Ochako stared for another few seconds, then her brain rebooted and her face flooded with heat. "OH! I, uh, was just on guard in case I startled you, so I was ready when you went down. Sorry again!"
"My fault for zoning out. I take it you want me to spot you now, right?"
Before Ochako could respond, someone knocked on the door.
"I apologize for the intrusion, but I must borrow Izuku for my appointment." Iida called from the doorway, Mrs. Midoriya at his side. She was eyeing the both of them in a way Ochako immediately recognized.
'Oh…. Oh no. She has the same look as Ma does. Do all parents just share a brain cell or somethin'?'
"Ah!" Midoriya squawked from overhead. "I completely lost track of time! Let me run and grab a quick shower, then I'll be right down!"
Iida glanced at his phone, then gave a sharp nod. "I'll meet you in the lobby. Please make haste!"
"Will do!" Midoriya said, then looked back towards her hesitantly. "Er, sorry I didn't get a chance to spot for you, Uraraka. I'll, uh, have to make up for that at some point, too."
The reminder was enough to make her blush all over again, despite her best efforts. "That's fine! I look forward to it!"
'Huh. It looks like the exertion finally caught up with him. He's turning pretty red too.'
She tapped her fingers together, and Midoriya landed easily next to her. In the same movement, he snapped out his arms, and two strands of black something shrouded in green light shot from his palms. Lightning quick, they snatched both dumbbells, which she'd entirely forgotten about, out of the air and pulled them into his grasp. In a green blur of movement, he returned them to the weight station, then took off for the exit like a shot. He casually leapt over one of the machines, wove between Iida and his mother, then vanished down the hall.
'...Clumsy my ass. What the hell was ANY of that?!'
"I apologize for interrupting your exercise." Iida turned back towards her, though he seemed slightly… off, in a way she couldn't place. "I presume it was Boon at work, given how skittish Izuku was?"
"Oh! Uh, yes. I noticed he was really tense after the voting. He said what he'd given you had come back, and that it makes him hyper. I wanted to check this place out anyway, so I asked him to show me around since I arrived too late to get the tour before dinner."
"Thank you. I should have realized the time myself, but my family called to check in." Iida nodded. "If you'd like to come along as well, you're more than welcome to."
"Oh, that's ok! I should probably get a shower myself." Ochako shook her head and felt wet hair slap against her head. "Thank you, though! I hope it goes well!"
"I'm sure it will!" Iida smiled, then turned. "And thank you for helping me find them, Mrs. Midoriya."
"It was no trouble at all! Now, you should probably run along. I'm sure Izuku will be down shortly."
Tenya nodded, then briskly strode from the room. "Both of you have a wonderful evening!"
Suddenly, Ochako was alone with Mrs. Midoriya. Who was smiling again, albeit in a way that was a little less alarming than before.
"I apologize you didn't get a tour earlier, Uraraka." Inko stepped further into the room. "If you'd like, I can show you around after your shower."
"Um." Ochako faltered. "I wouldn't want to bother you-"
"Oh, nonsense. It's my job, and I intend to do it well!" Inko grinned. "And besides, I'd love to get to know one of my son's best friends. I've heard quite a bit about you, you know."
"...You have?" Ochako asked, and knew Inko had her hook, line, and sinker.
"Absolutely! He told me all about your Quirk, how you saved him at the Entrance Exam, how you managed to capture the target during your battle trials, eating lunch together-"
"O-oh, he mentioned that?" Ochako asked, startled. If her blush wasn't literally glowing, she'd be shocked.
"Yes?" Inko cocked her head. "He said that he usually eats with his friends. He's mentioned talking to you in particular a few times, though."
"Oh. That. Not-" Ochako cut herself off, but it was too late. She could see Inko's smile widening right back to that terrifying mom-smile that promised teasing and questions she wasn't prepared to answer.
"Is there a lunch I should know about in particular?" Excitement danced in Inko's eyes. "Perhaps one that happened… off campus?"
Ochako dropped her head into her hands with a groan, then felt herself begin to float towards the ceiling. 'Nice goin', Ochako. Now ya' really gon' an' done it.'
Notes
Merry (Impending) Christmas and happy holidays to all!
This is a chapter a LOT of people have been waiting for. Hopefully it lives up to the expectation of 1-A's return. For those of you expecting Inko to have to tear strips off Mineta from the get go, I'm sorry to disappoint. He'll no doubt do something to get a reprimand at some point, because he's DEFINITELY not going to turn into a perfect angel on a dime, but Mt. Lady's internship is a fantastic way to alter his trajectory in a way that remains mostly in character for him. Bakugo is still Bakugo, but he's biting back some of his worse impulses because Inko is present.
And, last but not least, some more IzuOcha goodness. Finally. Neither are composed enough to actually broach the elephant in the room, especially when both are really hoping the other will take the plunge first. But that doesn't mean they can't have a few nice moments together beforehand.
The parents are rooting for them, though.
P.S. Kaminari's Aunt is the female lightning hero from the opening to Heroes Rising. There's no real information on her, but I think the common consensus is that she looks too much like Kaminari to be completely unrelated.