Chapter 54: Class 1-A
"Any luck waking up Hikage?" Izuku asked Yoichi.
Yoichi steepled his fingers as he leaned forward on his desk. As time has gone on, he has remodeled his office several times. His desk and office grew more ornate each time, almost mimicking the office of an old-timey director of a secret agency. "So far we haven't had luck waking up Third or Fourth."
"Do you have any ideas why?" Ochako asked curiously, sitting beside Izuku.
"It's almost certainly related to the reason you are both capped at using at most sixty percent of your maximum potential," Yoichi explained. "One For All just hasn't had enough time to accumulate enough energy to support its full power yet."
"But we're out of time!" Ochako insisted. "School starts up tomorrow, and that means we're only days away from the USJ incident!"
"I know you're concerned," Nana said from the doorway to the office, seemingly materialized out of thin air. "But you two have grown so strong these last eight months - don't you think you're a little too worried?"
"We just want to be prepared," Izuku insisted.
Nana looked at the pair with a comforting smile. "Of course you do." She looked at Yoichi who gave her the smallest nod of his head before she looked at the pair. "Why don't you two walk with me."
Izuku and Ochako looked at each other before they both turned back to Nana. "Okay."
Leading the pair out of the office, Nana began slowly walking through the observatory with the pair following dutifully behind her. "What's really troubling the two of you?"
"Were we that bad?" Izuku asked sheepishly.
Nana stopped and looked at them. "This place is a reflection of us - all of us. For most of us we're pretty static in our emotions. So when the air's filled with a nervous energy like it has been-" She gestured all around them before pointing a finger at the pair. "-it's not hard to guess the cause."
"It's just hard not to think about everything that happened during our first year at UA," Izuku said. Ochako bobbed her head vigorously in agreement. "Up until now we've been able to control when things happened - more or less!" Izuku quickly added.
"But now…" Ochako's voice trailed off. "Now we know that All For One is going to start moving again. And soon!"
"I see," Nana said, a thoughtful expression on her face. "You've finally reached the point where you don't have control anymore, and you don't know how to handle it."
"Yeah…" Izuku said softly. "I know how much we've been relying on others up until this point-"
"-but we still felt like we could help! Like what we did actually made a difference! But then, at the entrance exam… Inasa isn't coming to UA, and there isn't anything I could do about it!" Ochako said, worry leaking into her voice.
"Sero and Mineta too," Izuku added. "It- now we can't even pretend things are under control anymore."
"So you're flying blind?" Nana said. "No wonder you were so insistent we tried to wake Hikage up."
"If we had Danger Sense, at least we'd have some sense of-"
"Lemme ask you something," Nana said, stopping in front of a doorway. "What's the difference between now, and the first time you went to UA?"
Izuku and Ochako just stared at Nana in disbelief, wondering what she was getting at. Nana simply folded her arms and stared at the two, patiently waiting for an answer. Finally, Izuku decided to relent and break the stalemate with his grandmother. "We've already been through it once before we were sent back in time."
"And were you scared the first time through?"
"Huh?" Ochako asked.
"Not during the events themselves," Nana clarified. "But leading up to them. USJ, Kamino… Jaku. Were you two scared about what would happen then?"
"A little," Ochako admitted. "Not the USJ! We were excited to go! Kamino…" Ochako's face fell.
Izuku silently hugged his girlfriend, holding her in his arms as he turned to his grandmother. "Of course we were scared! Those were big battles! And we didn't know what was going to happen!"
"So what makes this different from back then?" Nana asked rhetorically. "You didn't know what would happen then, and you were scared and uncertain. But you still went. You still went with smiles on your faces. Because you were heroes."
Izuku and Ochako looked at each other, realization dawning on them. They had been so reliant on using their knowledge to control things, that their class roster change had shaken them more than either realized. And that things were only going to get worse now that they were back at UA and ready to restart the hectic final year of their old lives.
"You're right!" Izuku said as he turned to his grandmother. "This- this isn't any different!"
"Mhm." Ochako bobbed her head rapidly. "We- even though it was hard, we got through it. Up until-"
"Exactly!" Nana said. "You made it through everything Japan threw at you, and you came out stronger for it. And you've been preparing ever since. You have any number of heroes at your side, you have your friends, and most importantly you have each other. The way you two are now, I don't need some silly future knowledge to know you're gonna come out on top."
"Thanks Nana," Izuku said, smiling at her.
"Someone's gotta keep you in line," She smiled as she grabbed the pair and pulled them into a hug. "And we both know Toshi's not the one doing it."
Both kids laughed.
"You're right. Nowadays he's spending all of his time with Inko," Ochako said.
Izuku felt his face heating up at the mention of his mother. "But they're so happy together!"
"I'm glad," Nana said, releasing the pair. "Those two deserve all the happiness in the world. Speaking of, when is Toshi gonna ask Inko to marry him?"
"Wa- Naaaanaaaa!" Izuku whined, his face turning bright red.
Ochako laughed at her boyfriend's expense. "Toshinori's practically your dad already. This just would make it official!"
"Yeah but I still don't want to think about it!" Izuku exclaimed.
"Well too bad, I'm sitting here every night waiting for you to show up and give me the good news," Nana said smugly.
"Don't worry, we'll tell you as soon as it happens!" Ochako said as she threw her arm over her boyfriend's shoulder and felt him relax slightly.
"You'd better or you'll never hear the end of it," Nana said with a chuckle. "And now you two are both out of your heads."
"I- you did that on purpose!" Izuku protested.
"Of course I did," Nana said wryly. "And it worked."
"Mmm." Ochako looked at the seventh One For All holder in awe. She really had a lot to learn, still. "Thank you for talking to us."
"Anytime," Nana said before waving a hand dismissively. "Now go on, get out of here. It's your last night of freedom before school, I'm sure you don't want to spend it talking to a relic like me."
Izuku and Ochako's hands found each other as they watched Nana enter her own private sanctuary within the vestige realm. Once they were alone, they turned to each other.
"Well the stars aren't going to watch themselves," Ochako said.
"Yeah, let's go." Izuku smiled at his girlfriend, and they left for the observatory.
When Aika opened the door to her homeroom, she was surprised to find out that she was the first one to arrive. She had expected Izuku and Ochako to be the first ones there, after all! Himiko too, now that she thought about it, but there were even odds she was already kissing her girlfriend somewhere in the school.
Oh well, they'll be here soon!
Katsuki walked through the halls of UA, ready to show everyone why he was destined to be the next number one hero. Sure, he's had a few setbacks over the past year, but that just meant he had to push himself even harder! So hard that nobody will ever remember what happened to him in middle school.
Slamming the door to his classroom open, his mood immediately soured when he saw the two people who were already there. The tall blue-haired boy who demanded silence during Present Mic's presentation, and… her.
Katsuki clenched his fist.
She's the reason he was in Ninth place!
Storming over to her desk, Katsuki noticed the girl was busy reading some colorful magazine - some gossip rag about music or something, he didn't care about the details.
"You have some nerve for what you did during the exam!" Katsuki yelled. "I had everything under control and you had to come steal my kills! Those were mine! You ruined my score!" Katsuki growled while the girl seemingly ignored him, flipping the page in her magazine.
"Hey!" Katsuki slammed his palm on her desk. "Quit ignoring me!"
The blonde girl looked up, confusion in her eyes quickly fading as she recognized him. Pulling a pair of orange earbuds out of her ears she smiled at him. "Oh, it's you! From the test site! I guess your strategy worked after all!"
"Of course it worked!" Katsuki snapped. "I was all set to get the high score and then you had to go and throw everything off!"
The girl laughed. "Funny you thought you were getting the high score, there's no way anyone except Mido and Rara were getting it."
"Mido - you know Deku?" Katsuki asked.
"Who's Deku?"
Katsuki grimaced. "Midoriya!"
"Oh!" the girl's face lit up in recognition. "Of course I know him! He helped me get into UA! There's no way I would have passed the written portion of the exam without his help." She laughed nervously as she rubbed the back of her head. "Good thing I got all those points in the practical part of the exam to bring my score up!"
Katsuki realized he was grinding his teeth. "How many points did you end up with?"
"Seventy-four!" Aika said proudly.
Katsuki growled only for Aika to perk up at the sound of the door opening. "Oh, Kyoka, you're here!" Jumping out of her seat, Aika bolted off to the entryway, leaving Katsuki standing there seething.
I've worked so hard! Why- what are you hiding Deku?
How are you this far ahead of me?
"So what do you expect to see when we open the door?" Ochako asked as they approached the doorway to their classroom.
"Not Himi." Izuku paused to think about it. "Actually nevermind. I wouldn't put it past her to drag her girlfriend into the classroom just to kiss her in front of everyone."
Ochako rolled her eyes and giggled. "She would too! And we're going to just ignore Aizawa-sensei, right?"
"Yep." Izuku smiled at Ochako as they stopped in front of the door. "Well, here goes nothing."
Sliding open the door, Izuku was quietly thankful that Himiko was nowhere to be found. He wasn't surprised to see Tenya already embroiled in an argument with Katsuki, while Aika and Kyoka were chatting happily with Mina and Toru, the exaggerated motions from that group promising trouble for the rest of the class.
"Tsu," Ochako murmured, looking at the green-haired girl sitting at her nearby desk. She seemed content to just observe the rest of the class, rather than actively participate.
Separating from Izuku, Ochako closed the distance and gave her old friend an awkward wave. Even though she loved their circle of friends, it was no secret how much she missed not having the frog girl in her life, and she hoped that they could once again be friends.
"Not going to join the rest of the class?" Ochako asked curiously.
"Eventually, kero," Tsuyu said before turning towards Ochako. "What about you?"
"I um," Ochako rubbed the back of her head awkwardly. "A few of my friends from middle school made it to UA as well." She gestured to indicate three of their classmates.
"I see," Tsuyu said thoughtfully. "Only one other person from my school tried, and she failed the exam."
"Oh no!" Ochako gasped. Despite being good at hiding her emotions, Tsuyu was not perfect at it, and Ochako had gotten really good at spotting her friend's subtle indicators. She could tell the frog girl was sad that her classmate didn't make it. Of course, if it was who she suspected it was…
"It's alright," Tsu said before turning to smile at Ochako. "She managed to pass the exam at Isamu out in Tokyo! She's close enough that I can visit her on weekends!"
"That's great!" Ochako said. "Well um, if you'd like you could join our group for lunch?"
"I don't even know your name, kero." Tsuyu pointed out.
"Oh, right!" Ochako rubbed the back of her head. "I'm Ochako Uraraka, nice to meet you!"
"Tsuyu Asui, kero. Call me Tsu."
"A-alright Tsu," Ochako breathed a small sigh of relief. This was harder than she thought it would be!
"And thank you," Tsuyu said, looking up at her.
"It's nothing!" Ochako waved her hands defensively. "I um- last year I moved to a new school and know how hard it can be."
"Kero," Tsuyu said thoughtfully as she examined the gravity girl before turning toward Katsuki and Tenya, already having an argument. "Even for people like that?"
Ochako looked and let out a suffering sigh. "Blasty's an exception."
From his position in the doorway, Izuku could feel Katsuki's gaze the moment he laid eyes on him. Hopping to his feet, he immediately began to rush toward him, only to be interrupted by Tenya.
"I must insist that you sit down!" Tenya said. "I saw how you approached that blonde girl already, and your behavior suggests you are planning on doing it again!"
"This is none of your business," Katsuki said, looking annoyed as he crossed his arms.
"It doesn't matter!" Tenya said, his right arm chopping rapidly for emphasis. "We are students at the most prestigious school in Japan! It would not bode well if-"
"It's okay," Izuku said from behind Tenya, startling him. "I can handle this."
"If you plan on fighting him I must insist-"
"I'm not going to fight him," Izuku assured the bespeckled student. "Just talk to him!"
Tenya gave Izuku a hard stare. Unlike the blonde boy, this new student seemed much less aggressive in his expression and posture. "Very well then." He adjusted his glasses. "Pardon me for getting in the way of you two."
"You're damned right, this is between us," Bakugo said.
"Bakugo," Izuku said, looking at his former friend-turned-bully. "It's been a while."
"Bakugo huh? No Kacchan?"
"No." Izuku shook his head. "You always hated that name."
"So how'd you do it?" Katsuki asked. "How'd you manage to fool everyone and get the high score on the entrance exam?"
"I didn't fool anyone," Izuku said firmly. "Do you seriously think I could cheat on the entrance exam for any school in the country? Let alone UA?"
"Tch." Bakugo bared his teeth. He knew Izuku was right, but that didn't answer how. Something wasn't adding up - the boy in front of him was not the same weak timid Deku that he knew.
And it scared him.
"So what'd you do then? How did you get so many points?!"
Izuku held up his hand and Katsuki's eyes went wide when it suddenly became enveloped in a green light. "It turns out I've always had a quirk, Katsuki."
"YOU-"
"I didn't lie to you!" Izuku insisted, extinguishing the glow from his hands. "You - do you remember the discussion about late bloomers from class?"
Of course Katsuki did. Children whose quirks were so powerful that their bodies suppressed them until they could handle the strain of the quirk. "It can't be! Those kids usually are discovered before they are twelve!"
"Maybe if I was at another school I would have found out earlier," Izuku said cryptically. "But it doesn't matter anymore! All that matters is I have a quirk, and I'm going to use my power to save people!"
Katsuki felt a twisting knot forming in his stomach. Deku - the useless kid - wasn't so useless after all. The one thing holding Izuku back was gone.
Katsuki trembled in anger - at least that's what he told himself. "It doesn't matter! Quirk or no quirk, you're never going to be number one! Because that's going to be me! If- if you have a quirk, that just means I'm going to work twice as hard to make sure nobody would ever think you deserve the spot!"
Izuku smiled at Katsuki, and Katsuki didn't like it. "I hope you do."
Katsuki deflated, confused by Izuku's words. He was trying to come up with a comeback when everyone heard a loud coughing coming from the door. Turning, he and the rest of the class saw a puffy yellow sleeping bag standing in the doorway.
"I was there for thirty seconds and nobody noticed me," Aizawa said, not bothering to hide the annoyance in his voice. Unzipping his bag from the inside he stepped out, glaring at Izuku and Ochako in particular. "If I was a villain, half of you would have been injured or worse."
Sleeping bag in hand he entered the classroom and watched as the nineteen students quietly took their seats. Of course, he knew exactly who the missing student was. Letting out a long sigh, he looked at Izuku. "Midoriya, where is your-"
"I'm right here!" Himiko said as she burst into the room. "Right on time!"
Aizawa glared at Himiko as she sat down at her desk with seconds to spare before the bell rang to inform them that homeroom had started. "Midoriya, should I expect you to be precisely on time every day?"
"Yep!" Himiko gave her teacher a wide smile.
"Just be aware that there will be consequences if you are late," Aizawa said, trying his hardest not to think about what Himiko and Emily were doing before homeroom. "As heroes, being punctual isn't good enough. I'm sure the civilians whose lives are in danger will appreciate you waiting to the last possible second."
Himiko looked like she was about to respond but Aizawa watched as Izuku swatted at his sister. The girl shot her brother an annoyed glance but got the point and wisely changed her mind. "Yes Aizawa-sensei, I understand."
"Good. Now then, we've already wasted enough time this morning," Aizawa said as he opened a drawer and pulled out a box full of gym uniforms. "It's time for your lessons to begin."
"We aren't going to orientation?" Aika asked, words already coming out of her mouth before her hand was fully raised.
"No, we aren't," Aizawa said. "The ceremony itself is a waste of time, and I've already arranged for the speakers to talk to you after they are done with 1-B. That gives us plenty of time."
"Time for what?" a pink-skinned student, Mina Ashido, asked.
"Time to assess your abilities," Aziawa said with a grin that scared more people than his scowl.
"I can't believe I came in last!" Toru wailed as Aizawa displayed the scores. "I thought I was in great shape!"
"Hey, don't worry about it!" Aika said, throwing her arm over the invisible girl's shoulders. "It's not your fault. Those tests don't test your quirk at all!"
"That's easy for you to say, you still came in 8th," Toru said.
"That's because I spent the last year doing some serious training!" Aika said, flexing her free hand.
"Watch out," Kyoka said as she pulled up on the other side of Toru. "If you're not careful, she's going to put you through her own personal bootcamp."
"I'm in!" Mina said. "You must teach me your ways."
By the motion of her clothes, the three girls could tell Toru was sweeping her head to look at the three of them before her arms curled up in front of her. "Me too! If you're all going to be this strong, then I want to be that strong too!"
"Yay!" Aika cheered.
Meanwhile, elsewhere Ochako was celebrating her victory over Izuku. "Ha! I told you I'd come in first."
"Only because of Zero Gravity," Izuku countered. "Otherwise we were even in everything."
"It doesn't matter!" Ochako said as she grinned at Izuku. "You could have pulled out Blackwhip to help on some of those tests!"
While true, Izuku didn't want to reveal the fact that he had multiple quirks quite yet to his classmates… especially not Bakugo. While the explosive boy looked angry at the start of the exams, his glances toward Izuku changed to ones of disbelief and uncertainty as they went through each of the exams. It was an unexpected change from how Izuku remembered Katsuki, even after he told him the truth about One For All in his original timeline.
"They'll find out soon," Izuku mumbled. Ochako looked like she wanted to say something but stopped herself when she noticed their blue-haired classmate approaching.
"Midoriya, I must commend you," Tenya said. "Not only did you handle the situation without incident this morning, but your skill with your quirk is quite impressive!"
"T-thanks," Izuku said, unsure how to handle his old friend. "I've just worked really hard this past year to try catching up with everyone."
"So I heard! If this is where you are after a year, that only makes it more impressive!"
"It's nothing, really!" Izuku insisted.
Tenya smiled as he adjusted his glasses. "If you don't mind, I would like to hear more about your training sometime. I feel like I could learn a lot from you."
"Sure?" Izuku asked, glancing at Ochako. Was it really this easy? "Why don't you walk with us back to the train station after school?"
"Yes, that sounds perfect," Tenya said.
As the blue-haired student walked off, Izuku saw Ochako smiling at him.
"Looks like things are going to turn out alright?"
"Yeah," Izuku smiled as he looked at the class. Himiko was off talking with Tsuyu while Aika and Kyoka were embroiled in an energetic conversation with Mina and Toru. Finally his gaze fell on Katsuki, who was eyeing him warily. But instead of his usual aggressive response, Katsuki shoved his hands into his pocket and turned away from Izuku.
While the pair didn't know what changes the future held, seeing their class back together again, they couldn't help but feel like things will turn out alright in the end.
Chapter 55: First Class
"I'll see you in class!" Himiko exclaimed as they neared the gates to UA.
"Have fun with your girlfriend," Ochako teased, seeing the older girl already waiting inside the gate.
"Oh we will." Himiko grinned back before taking off inside.
"I know it's been a year, but seeing her here is still strange," Ochako admitted. She watched the retreating form of the girl who, in another life, would have been her killer.
"Because of all the memories from UA?" Izuku asked.
"Yeah." Ochako bobbed her head and turned to Izuku. "I know it's all new now but… there's so much that's the same. I… it's going to take some time to sort everything out."
"I know how you feel," Izuku confessed. He squeezed her hand for comfort. "But we'll figure it out, right?"
"Of course!" Ochako chirped. "I'm sorry, I know I should be better but-"
"No buts," Izuku insisted. "We both knew coming back would be hard. Now that we're here, we've just got to figure it out."
"You're right." A smile tugged at Ochako's lips. "Thanks Izu."
"Anytime." Izuku smiled back.
"Hey, there they are!" a familiar voice called out. Izuku and Ochko both whirled to see the future Big Three of UA approaching them. Nejire smiled and waved as she floated toward them, while Mirio half-dragged Tamaki along. "There's our kouhai!"
"We didn't see you at the opening ceremony yesterday," Mirio commented, "but since we didn't see you in Kan-sensei's class, it wasn't hard to put the pieces together."
"Aizawa does that every year, doesn't he?" Izuku asked nervously.
"Mhm!" Nejire rapidly bobbed her head. "It threw us for a surprise too when he did it to us!"
"Since you're both here, that must mean you weren't scared off though!" Mirio said.
"No," Izuku replied. "It would take more than that to chase us off.
"I would hope so, after what you put us through at the exam!"
"Speak for yourself," Tamaki said. "Your quirk is practically purpose built to counter theirs."
"Yeah…" Izuku rubbed the back of his head. "It was a good reminder that there's some problems we can't solve by punching."
"It's a good lesson!" Ochako added.
"Well, I'm glad we're already helping." Tamaki awkwardly rubbed the back of his head while he offered them a brilliant smile.
"I know it's only the first day, and I'm sure you have plenty on your minds, but if there's anything you need, just come find one of us!" Nejire said happily.
"Actually," Izuku began, "I can think of one thing already…"
"Oh, what's that?" Nejire asked, vibrating with excitement.
"It's actually not for us-" Izuku admitted. "But a friend of ours. She just transferred to UA to finish her final year in the Support course, and she doesn't really know anyone yet? I was um, wondering if you'd be willing to introduce her to other third years?"
"Do we have to?" Tamaki asked.
Mirio laughed lightly as he elbowed his friend. "Of course we can! It must have been a big deal for her to transfer to UA so late, though!"
Ochako laughed nervously. "Y-yeah, you could say that! It's not our story to tell though!"
"As long as she's not like Kenranzaki." Nejire pouted.
"I don't know who that is," Izuku said nervously. "But she's really nice and friendly! I hope you get along with her!"
"I'm sure we will!" Mirio said.
"That sounds great. Umm, can we introduce you to her at lunch?"
"Of course!" Nejire said. "Just bring her to our table."
"Thanks." Izuku smiled at the trio. "We appreciate it."
"Of course," Mirio said. "We're aiming for the top this year, so it's up to us to set an example for everyone else!"
Izuku and Ochako gave each other knowing smiles. "I'm sure you'll do fine."
"And we'll be cheering you on!" Ochako remarked.
"Yay!" Nejire rushed forward and pulled Ochako into a hug. "I promise we won't let you down!"
Separating, the third years began to lead Izuku and Ochako to the main building, happily talking about the school experience and what to expect. Even though the information wasn't new to them, they both smiled and politely listened, secretly thankful for the break in their routine.
It gave them hope that things would be different this time.
After introducing Melissa to her fellow third years, Izuku and Ochako made their way back to the table where Kyoka and Aika chatted idly away with Tenya and Tsuyu. Himiko, unsurprisingly, had been dragged off to eat lunch with Emily and her friends, leaving Izuku and Ochako alone to help integrate their old friends with their new ones.
Lunch flew by, and before they knew it, they returned to their homeroom. Everyone in the class sat with eagerness and excitement. It was time for their first proper Heroics lesson!
But one person was more excited than others.
After they split up and sat back down at their desks, Izuku practically buzzed in anticipation, his eyes glued to the door. From her own vantage point, Ochako watched her boyfriend's reaction before she gave up on him. With a quiet sigh, she rolled her eyes and turned her attention toward the door. It wasn't like they haven't been through all of this before. She had to admit though, there was something nostalgic about the energy in the classroom. It felt simple… and nice.
This time we'll protect this feeling. Ochako promised herself as she swept over the classroom one last time before she joined her classmates in watching the doorway.
"I am coming in… like a normal person!" the muffled voice of All Might said moments before the door slammed open.
Practically everyone in the classroom gasped. Some shocked and some flabbergasted. For five of them it would be just like their previous lessons, but for the other fifteen, they were finally getting a unique opportunity - training with Japan's Number One hero!
Giving the class a small wave, All Might crossed the front of the room to stand behind the comically miniscule desk. "Good afternoon class! Welcome to your first Heroics lesson! I will be your teacher for the year."
Everyone felt the enthusiasm in the air as All Might smiled at them. Then he finally raised a hand to calm his students. "And for your first lesson, we are going to let you try using your quirks in mock combat!" he exclaimed. Holding up a tiny remote, he pushed a button, activating a projector and lighting up the wall behind him. A diagram of Training Ground Beta appeared with five buildings highlighted, forming a circle around a small central building. "You will be paired off and then face off against another random team in mock two-versus-two combat for ten minutes with each team having a different objective."
"How will we choose partners?" Mina asked, her hand shooting up.
All Might let out a quiet laugh. "Why, you're getting ahead of me already! Teams and opponents will be chosen randomly - after we have a costume check and go over the ground rules."
"Costume check?" Momo asked curiously.
"Indeed," All Might said, looking at the recommendation student in particular. "While your initial costumes were designed according to your submissions, you may find them lacking when it comes time to actually go out onto the field. Why, when I was a hero student like you, I would lose my costume practically every week!" He laughed boisterously, hearing several groans from the class. "Until I met my good friend David Shield, who has been designing my costume ever since. Not only was it durable enough to withstand the rigors of battle, but it also looked stylish!"
Momo's face seemed to heat up under All Might's gaze as she thought about her own costume. "I understand sir."
"Hmm, I guess I got ahead of myself," All Might continued as he mentally reviewed his speech. "I guess that means we can move on. Well then, onto the important part of class." All Might looked over his students before he held up his remote. Pressing another button, a part of the wall slid away, revealing twenty numbered cases. "I'm sure you're all excited to try your costumes on! Once you have changed, we will reconvene in front of Ground Beta for the first part of today's lesson."
As they stood, Ochako finally managed to make eye contact with her boyfriend. Even without their silent language, she could feel his enthusiasm wash over her. Rather than fight it, she smiled back at him as she closed the gap between them.
"You sure your mom didn't sneak in a homemade costume?" Ochako teased.
Izuku laughed nervously. "She would've made one for Himi and me if we let her but no. I can't wait to see Melissa's design in action!"
"As long as it keeps you from breaking anything," Ochako said.
"Hey! You're just as much at risk as I am!"
"True." Ochako smirked at her boyfriend. "But I don't have a history of it."
"That's not fair."
"You're right," Ochako conceded. When it was her turn she grabbed her case and pulled it from its mount, unable to keep the smile off her face. "I can't wait to try this on!"
"I'll see you in a bit then," Izuku said as he grabbed his own case before they followed their classmates out the door and toward the locker room.
"How do I look?" Aika asked excitedly.
Ochako paused to examine the other girl. She wore a black-and-orange bodysuit with white knee-high armored boots and armored gloves that ran nearly all the way to her elbows along with an armored white skirt, which Ochako knew were filled with various gadgets and devices to help her in the field. She also wore what looked to be an orange headset with two white antennas sticking out along the sides.
"You look great!" Ochako complimented. "The costume is very you."
"What she means to say is you look gaudy," Jiro said as she crossed her arms smugly.
"Hey! I want to be a shining star on the battlefield," Aika defended.
"I think it suits you," Mina said as she slapped a hand on Aika's shoulder. "Although, I don't quite get the headphones. Aren't you supposed to be an idol?"
"They're supposed to help with my quirk!" Aika exclaimed. "Since I need to sing to use my quirk, I need some way to filter out the noise so that I can hear what is going on. So with a touch of a button here," Aika proudly explained as she touched a spot on her headset. "I no longer hear- woah ok this is weird, can you guys hear me okay?"
Aika looked at Kyoka who gave her an amused smile. "Man, I'm going to need to get me one of those so I can filter out your voice too."
"Hey!" Aika shouted, a little louder than necessary.
"We can hear you just fine," Ochako assured her friend.
"Great! This is perfect! Now I can sing and I won't have to worry!" Aika said smugly. "This equipment's great!"
"Good thing I have my noise-suppression collar," Kyoka said as she adjusted her jacket and looked over her gadgets. Between Emily and Melissa, she had a half dozen different devices that she could plug her ear jacks into for different effects, and she was sure it would take months for her to master them all. Once she was confident that everything was secured properly, she reached into her case for her final piece of equipment - a collapsable sword.
"You have a sword?!" Toru exclaimed.
"Isn't that a little excessive?" Momo asked, her eyes a little wide.
"Wait, you think a single weapon is excessive?" Himiko asked as she buttoned up her coat. "Then don't ask how many knives I've got right now."
Her costume didn't have nearly as many accessories as the others - it simply consisted of a skintight black bodysuit that was designed to survive her transformations, a pair of black boots, and a Victorian-style crimson long coat. Despite the simplistic appearance, her coat and boots were both filled with hidden holsters and gadgets, many at Emily's insistence.
"Himi-" Ochako said, staring at the girl in exasperation.
"What?" Himiko grinned at her friend. "It's not like I have some fancy quirk like the rest of you, I've got to have ways to defend myself!"
"I- I think I'm underequipped," Toru said, her gloves pressing together as she waved her hands in front of her.
Ochako looked at the invisible girl sympathetically. "That's what the costume check is for, to see what you need. Maybe we can help you design something better?"
"Yeah!" Himiko bobbed her head rapidly. "I can introduce you to my girlfriend - she'd be glad to help!"
"The girl who had you pinned against the wall this morning?" Toru asked cautiously.
Himiko's grin widened. "Yep!"
"Wait, what?" Momo asked, a blush darkening her cheeks.
"Oh you didn't know about that?" Himiko asked playfully.
"I'm actually surprised you haven't seen it yet," Kyoka commented dryly.
"Himiko and Emily are enthusiastic about their relationship," Ochako explained.
"That's an understatement!" Aika said, turning off her earphones. "Those two are shamelessly in love!"
"Emphasis on shameless."
"You're just jealous!" Himiko countered.
"I'm not!" Aika insisted. "Someday I'll find my sunshine! Until then I'm gonna keep chasing my dreams!"
"Girls, please," Kyoka said, barely hiding her exasperation as she stepped in between the pair. "Our teacher is waiting for us."
"She's right," Ochako pointed out as she slipped her last accessory on her arm. "You two can save your bickering for later." Looking at the rest of their classmates, Ochako gave them a sympathetic smile. "Don't worry, they aren't always like this."
"What are you saying, you guys are great!" Mina said as she danced towards the exit. "This is going to be fun!"
"I… never expected to have classmates like this," Momo admitted as she closed her own costume case.
"It'll work out!" Ochako assured. "Just give them a little time!"
Momo looked at the gravity girl with relief. "Thank you. Shall we get going?"
Izuku tugged his gloves into place before giving his costume a quick examination. His costume was reminiscent of the same design he wore at the battle of Jaku, but the support gear contained within the outfit has been vastly improved by Melissa's genius. His white gloves had been streamlined with openings on the back to allow for him to use Blackwhip properly, and the oversized ring that was formerly used to direct the air blasts from his Air Force attack had been removed, replaced with a smaller ring that housed his Full Gauntlets. Unfortunately the material that went into Full Gauntlet was rigid and inflexible, and so, Melissa opted to build a toggle into his gloves, allowing him to activate the gauntlet only when necessary.
Similarly his black boots had been redesigned, containing their own variation of Full Gauntlet that he could deploy around his legs, but he hoped that the reinforced soles Melissa designed would be more than enough given how much work Mei's more basic Iron Soles did in the past. Finally, the fabric of his suit had been upgraded to the same durable material All Might's costume was made of, designed to keep him safe from most elements and designed to be extremely durable.
Satisfied that everything checked out, Izuku followed his classmates out to the mustering area in front of the training ground. There he joined half of his classmates and watched as the rest joined him, keeping an eye out for one girl in particular.
When he saw the group of girls approaching, he couldn't help but smile as he finally saw her in her costume. Ochako's costume was a primarily-white bodysuit with two black strips that ran from her shoulders down her torso and inner legs, and black sleeves. She had opted for chunky knee-high boots with pink soles, as well as a high tech belt that wrapped around her back and sides, serving as both storage and as part of a system to relieve her nausea when she overused Zero-Gravity. In addition she had two round white gauntlets with pink handles mounted on each wrist, each gauntlet both capable of firing cable wires and deploying her own Full Gauntlet when she needed to use higher percentages of One For All. Finally, she wore a white headband with a pair of pink antennas sticking out from them.
Just like Ochako, it was both familiar and different to Izuku, and very very her.
"I'll admit, that's not what I was expecting," Ochako said as she stopped in front of Izuku. "I mean, I saw the designs, but the hood just doesn't suit you in practice."
"I… maybe I can change it later?" Izuku said, looking at All Might. "I had originally designed it because of - you know. But we really are growing past that, aren't we?"
"Yep." Ochako smiled warmly at him. "I'm sure you'll look like a hero no matter what you decide on."
"Thanks." His face heated up.
"Welcome!" Ochako held her hands behind her back. "So, what do you think?"
"It suits you," Izuku said. "You look great!"
"Thank you," Ochako breathed. "I was worried 'bout keeping my original design but…"
"You don't have to worry about me," Izuku said. "You'd look amazing in anything."
"I wouldn't say anything if I were you," Ochako laughed. "But I appreciate it."
"Shall we?" Izuku asked as he noticed the last few members of their class arriving.
"Yeah, let's go!"
All Might stood there with his signature smile as he examined the twenty students, assessing each of their costumes.
Most of them are acceptable. Some may need to have their material adjusted or additional accessories added, but those things are mine. Those three however…
"Young Kirishima, Hagakure, and Yaoyorozu," All Might called out. "We need to have a discussion with the support company about your costumes."
"M-me?" Momo asked, her cheeks heating up.
"I knew it!" Toru wailed in despair.
"What's wrong with my costume?" Kirishima asked in confusion.
"Do you really believe pants and shoulder pads are enough protection?"
"But my quirk is Hardening," Kirishima explained. "My bulky size would just tear apart any shirt, and I doubt any fabric would be stronger than my quirk."
All Might chuckled at that. "As I mentioned in class, I used to have the same problem. However the material does exist! Besides, you don't want to keep your quirk active all the time, and the same material would provide protection against weak attacks, to say nothing of saving you from dealing with scratches and debris!"
Eijiro seemed to take everything under consideration before bobbing his head in understanding. "Yes sensei. If I'm adding a shirt, I should probably upgrade my pants and mask as well…"
"Exactly! Which brings me to the next person-" All Might looked at Toru.
"I can't help it!" Toru wailed. "It's just the way my quirk works. I need to be mostly naked to be invisible."
"I don't fault you at all," All Might said. "I am angry, but my anger is toward the fact that nobody told you that a workaround exists."
"I'm so sorr- wait, what?!" Toru exclaimed. "There's a way for me to wear clothes?"
"Of course!" All Might reassured her. "There are companies that specialize in creating DNA-infused clothing, created out of someone's hair. I believe Young Himiko is wearing such an outfit."
"Yep!" Himiko chirped, stepping forward. "If I use my quirk to change my clothes, it would destroy whatever clothing I'm wearing. But my bodysuit was made from my hair, and it transforms with me! So when I drop my transformation I'm not naked!"
"But how will that work? My quirk is invisibility!"
"I don't believe that is entirely correct," All Might explained. He had talked it over with Izuku and Ochako, and they had explained to him that Toru's quirk is really light refraction, which meant that a DNA-infused outfit would work for her. "If your quirk was true invisibility you would have problems seeing, when you clearly don't. Therefore we can assume that there is some other factor in play - and that factor could be enough. I am going to insist that we take a sample of your hair and send it off to the support company to have it analyzed, and they will be able to tell us if it's possible to create a costume for you."
"Yes!" Toru exclaimed. "That would be amazing! I'd love to wear more than gloves and boots!"
"I believe I can already see what you are going to say," Momo said as All Might turned toward her. "If I tried to use Creation through clothing, it would rip my clothes, but if I had one of these outfits, it would in theory use my clothing as the outer layer instead, while protecting me."
"Precisely! And I believe there is an easy way to test that."
Momo's eyes went wide. "How?"
All Might pointed toward her head. "Try making something out of the back of your head."
Realization filling her face, Momo began to concentrate until a matryoshka doll suddenly sat on top of her head. "T-that worked."
"That means you can easily wear something more protective! Plus it has the added benefit of your opponent not knowing where you will be creating objects from!" All Might explained. "But that's not all."
Excitement was quickly replaced with dread as Momo looked at All Might. "There's more?"
All Might pointed to the bookshelf resting on Momo's back. "If you were to stumble and fall, you would injure yourself! That is unacceptable. May I suggest something smaller and more convenient, like a watch with a holographic display, or perhaps even a visor to store information?"
Momo blushed. "Those both sound more practical than what I'm wearing."
All Might put a hand on Momo's shoulder. "There's no shame in not coming up with these solutions on your own. That is why we are having these costume checks after all! To ensure you have the best equipment possible!"
"I, thank you All Might," Momo said as she looked up at the hero.
"Don't thank me," All Might chuckled. "I'm just doing my job as a teacher!" Looking up, his gaze swept over the rest of the class. "Now then, let's see how we can improve the costumes for the rest of your classmates."
Chapter 56: Battle Trial (1)
After discussing costumes with his students, complete with an impromptu explanation of the support department to cover what the students missed at orientation, All Might was ready to begin.
"Alright students," All Might began as he exchanged a notebook for a box full of colored balls. "It's time to select teams for today's exercise!"
"Aww, we don't get to pick our partners?" Aika exclaimed.
"I'm afraid not," All Might chuckled. "Does anyone know the reason why?"
Izuku was ready to raise his hand, but a subtle glance from All Might told him that he'd prefer it if someone else answered. Getting the message, Izuku simply switched the motion to scratch the back of his head sheepishly, earning an amused look from his girlfriend. Fortunately, he was saved from further awkwardness when Tenya raised his hand.
"While you are likely familiar with heroes that inhabit the same city as you, and you also are familiar with those who share similar patrol schedules, when a villain attacks you can never be certain who will come to your aid. Therefore, it is important for us to learn how to work with anyone under any circumstances."
"That is correct!" All Might gave a brilliant smile to the student. "And we will begin that lesson today."
Lining up, the students each took a ball and paired off, forming the ten teams:
Team A - Izuku Midoriya & Mashirao Ojiro
Team B - Shoto Todoroki & Yuga Aoyama
Team C - Momo Yaoyorozu & Ochako Uraraka
Team D - Katsuki Bakugo & Tenya Iida
Team E - Mezo Shoji & Mina Ashido
Team F - Rikido Sato & Koji Koda
Team G - Denki Kaminari & Kyoka Jiro
Team H - Fumikage Tokoyami & Tsuyu Asui
Team I - Himiko Midoriya & Toru Hagakure
Team J - Eijiro Kirishima & Aika Shizu
Once the teams had been chosen, All Might put half of the balls back into the box and drew two of them. With a large smile, he presented them to the class. "Our first match of the day will involve the nefarious Team A, defending the bomb from the noble heroes on Team B!"
Izuku felt the cold stare immediately, and he turned to face one of his opponents. There, standing a handful of meters away, stood Shoto Todoroki, his heterochromatic eyes leveled at him. Smiling awkwardly, Izuku gave his opponent a small wave. "Good luck!"
"I don't need luck to win," Shoto replied flatly. "I will defeat you and reclaim the bomb."
"Oh how wonderful! Our first day of class and already the fires of passion are lit!" Yuga said next to his teammate. "What a wonderful display statement! You shall shine brightly next to yours truly." He ended with a dramatic gesture indicating himself.
Izuku let out a quiet sigh as Shoto turned away before turning to his own teammate. Mashirao, to his benefit, also appeared unphased as he watched the hero team depart. Watching them leave, he turned toward Izuku. "They're not going to make it easy on us."
"No," Izuku agreed. "Although we do have one advantage they don't know about."
"What are you talking about?"
Izuku gave his teammate a mysterious smile. "Let's go take a look at the building and begin setting up. I'll explain once we're inside."
"Heroes, begin your mission. You have ten minutes," All Might announced through the earpieces.
Izuku took a deep breath and looked at his teammate. "Ready?"
"Mhm." Mashirao bobbed his head before he hopped on Izuku's back and wrapped his tail around him.
Activating Full Cowling for extra support, Izuku used Float to hover in the middle of the open room. Sure enough, a few seconds later, they both felt the temperature of the room drop drastically as ice began to cover every surface. Once the room was completely frozen, Izuku released Float and dropped to the ground, his soles shattering the ice underneath them.
"How'd you know?" Mashirao asked as he dismounted.
"Call it a hunch," Izuku explained quickly. "I um, have a thing for quirks, and given his statement earlier and his ice powers, it would make sense that he'd try and disable us by freezing the building if possible. It's the quickest and most efficient way to win."
"I see." Mashiro wrapped his arms around himself to try and retain his body heat. "And even if we are free, it's going to be hard to fight in the cold."
"Actually, I'm still okay," Izuku admitted as he rubbed the back of his head. "My suit is designed to protect against extreme temperatures."
"Of course it does," his teammate let out a dry chuckle. "I'm going to have to go to the support department after this with a long list of requests."
Izuku laughed nervously. "I'm sure they'll help you out! But we've gotta focus now."
"Are you sure you want to engage Todoroki directly?"
"Mhm." Izuku bobbed his head. "I'm confident that I can stop his ice attacks with my own. If I can keep him distracted, that means you only have to worry about Aoyama!"
"Right." Mashirao bobbed his head. "We can't risk them getting the bomb."
"And if they both engage me, I'll radio for backup," Izuku assured his teammate as he walked toward the door. "Since neither of them have a duplication or illusion quirk."
"Sounds good. Try to come back in one piece, Midoriya."
Izuku smiled and threw his teammate a thumbs up. "Don't worry, I will!"
Stepping into the frozen hallway, Izuku heard the ice crunching under the soles of his boots as he descended down to the next level. "With my Full Gauntlets I can punch at sixty percent of One For All without worry," Izuku muttered as he walked, reviewing his strategy. "But All Might has explicitly warned us against damaging the building, explaining we would lose points if we did so. I'll have to hope my Air Force attack will be enough to stop Todoroki's ice. If not…" Izuku grimaced.
Descending one more floor, Izuku stopped at the base of the stairwell and listened. There! Echoing through the frozen hallways, he heard a single pair of footsteps marching steadily toward him. Toggling his radio on, he quietly spoke. "I hear Todoroki, two floors below you. Aoyama isn't with him."
"Roger," Mashiro confirmed over the radio. "I'll keep a lookout up here then. Good luck - and try not to get frozen. I don't want to have to deal with him alone."
Izuku smiled. "Thanks, I won't." Silencing his radio, he took a deep breath, walked out to an open intersection, and waited.
The sounds steadily increased in volume as Shoto moved ever closer, and before Izuku knew it, his opponent, the person he once called a friend and brother-in-arms, turned the corner to face him. But that Shoto was gone, and the new one stared at him with unfamiliar eyes. Or eye, as the case may be, with his costume.
Izuku swallowed the lump in his throat. He hoped he would be able to break through to this Shoto, just like he had done before. Preferably with fewer injuries.
"You're not getting past me, you hero." Izuku raised a fist and took a half step towards Shoto.
Shoto merely looked at Izuku impassively. "I'm impressed you managed to avoid my attack. Then again, given your performance yesterday, I shouldn't be surprised."
"That's what you get for underestimating us!" Izuku did his best imitation of Aika, placing his hands on his hips and laughing.
Shoto's eyes simply narrowed as he launched a glacier at Izuku.
Izuku's laugh quickly became a strangled sound as he saw the incoming wave of ice. Reflexes taking over, he activated his glove's Full Gauntlet and charged One For All to twenty percent, punching the incoming ice and watching it shatter into pieces.
Shoto brought up his arms to protect himself from the icy debris as the force of Izuku's blow sent the shards flying in his direction, a grimace on his face. "H-how were you able to do that?"
Izuku looked down the hallway. "Did you know my quirk is so powerful, I can't actually use it to its full potential without hurting myself?"
Shoto's eyes went wide. "What?"
Izuku held out his hand, his white glove wrapped in crimson bands. "Even with support gear, I can only use a fraction of my power without injuring myself. If I were to use my full power, this would shatter - along with my limb."
"Why are you telling me this?"
Izuku pointed at Shoto's right side. "Your quirk. I noticed this yesterday, but you only use your right side. I don't know why, but if you've got a drawback that is limiting you, maybe support gear would help?"
Shoto's eyes narrowed. Midoriya had figured that out about his quirk? And so quickly? "Support gear won't help me. Also I see what you're doing."
"What am I doing?" Izuku asked.
"You're stalling for time and keeping me from that bomb," Shoto retorted as touched the wall, launching a fresh wave of ice down the hallway. He dashed down the hallway, keeping his hand pressed against the wall as he followed the wave of ice toward his target.
Izuku charged One For All again, raising the percentage in his arm back to twenty percent before launching another attack, shattering the ice. Shoto was prepared, and as he heard Izuku's cry he suddenly stopped, creating a wall of ice on both sides of him to keep him safe - and prevent him from being thrown backward.
The ice in front of him cracked under the residual force of Izuku's attack, but held, protecting Shoto from the strong gust of wind created by his foe. Not bothering to aim, Shoto pressed his hand on the cracked ice wall, causing it to race forward.
Izuku saw the attack and dodged out of the way. Having trained with a much more experienced Shoto, these attacks were far easier to read than he remembered. "If support gear won't help, then what will help?" Izuku asked.
"Beating you," Shoto said flatly, pressing his hand against the horizontal column of ice and extending it sideways, chasing after Izuku.
Spinning around, Izuku unleashed another smash, easily destroying the pillar, although enough of it remained near Shoto that it would continue to pose a threat. "How would that help?"
"My goal is to become Japan's number one hero," Shoto declared, stepping forward with his right foot as he kept up his assault. "And that means beating All Might. You're not All Might, but your quirk mine as well be a copy of his." He heard Izuku gasp and allowed himself a satisfied smile. "You're not the only one who was paying attention yesterday."
"What does All Might have to do with this?" Izuku asked, feigning surprise. Turning around, he unleashed another Smash, halting Shoto's latest attack.
"Endeavor has been chasing after him for decades but never able to surpass him," Shoto explained, holding out his hand and launching another wave of ice. Even though the icy covering of his suit hid his condition, he could feel the frost building up on his left side. He'd have to end this sooner rather than later. "I plan on surpassing him and claiming the title of number one for myself."
"And you plan on doing that with half your body?" Izuku asked, not even breaking his stride as he stopped this latest attack.
"You wouldn't understand," Shoto's voice rose fractionally as he launched two waves of ice one right after the other. However, with each attack Izuku stopped, he felt his chances slipping away.
Father… is this what it's like to chase after All Might? Is Midoriya going to become my All Might?
"I may not understand-" Izuku braced himself and charged both of his fists to twenty percent, slamming his fists together to create a shockwave and shatter the incoming ice. "-but I want to understand!" Izuku noticed Shoto stagger back from the force, barely able to get a barrier up in time to keep himself from falling. "I want to help you!"
With his body wrapped in the signature green energy of Full Cowling, Izuku finally went on the offensive. Kicking off the floor, he jumped to the ceiling, launched off the left wall, then the right, and finally the ceiling again before he began to descend, his leg extended and ready to deliver a massive axe kick.
Shoto gasped at Izuku's speed. He saw hints of it yesterday, but here in the tight confines of the building, it felt so much faster than what he witnessed the day before. Without any other options, he raised his left hand, hoping that if it went numb, he would still be free to use his ice.
Not that he could use it for much longer before his body would begin to shut down from overuse.
For the briefest moment, the crystalline armor on his arm looked like it might hold. Then cracks began to form, a vicious spider web running all throughout the icy structure before shattering into countless pieces, just like the ice Izuku had shattered over and over again. Shoto tried to remain upright, but the force of the blow was too much, and he was sent to the floor, crashing into the pile of shattered ice and the remains of his icy armor.
"I'm sorry I have to do this," Izuku muttered as he grabbed the still-dazed Shoto's hands and wrapped them in the capture cloth. "But you're too dangerous to be roaming free."
Izuku stood up before tapping the earpiece to enable it. "This is Izuku. I"ve secured Shoto, and he has been eliminated."
"I can't believe you've done it," Mashirao replied. "Now all we need to do is find Aoyama."
"Mhm." Izuku smiled. "Do you want to trade places so you can go looking for him?"
"I'm comfortable right where I am," Mashirao admitted. "Why don't you come back and we'll wait out the clock together."
"Sounds good," Izuku agreed. He turned toward his foe. "I'll be up soon - with a guest!"
"Are you sure that's wise?"
"I've immobilized him with capture tape," Izuku explained.
"I understand now. I guess I'll see you when you get here, and we can have a nice chat with our guest in the meantime."
"See you soon," Izuku said before cutting the line and turning toward Shoto. "Do you need help standing? I've got some painkillers and light first aid supplies if I went too hard on-"
"It's okay," Shoto interrupted as he leaned against a wall and braced against it to stand. "What kind of hero would I be if I let something like capture tape stop me?"
Izuku couldn't help but chuckle as he watched his companion's trials. Once Shoto had stood himself up and began to look around in the abandoned building, Izuku decided it was the right time to bring it up again.
"Shoto…"
"What is it Midoriya?"
"I meant what I said. About trying to help, that is! I know the year's just started but if there's anything I can do to help…"
Shoto turned and gave Izuku an empty stare. He tried to read what the other boy was thinking, but Shoto's facial expressions were subtly different, and he couldn't get a good sense of what he was thinking. Hoping it was enough, Izuku began to lead him back up toward their makeshift base, where the bomb was contained.
As they climbed the stairs, All Might announced Shoto's capture. Not wanting to stand idly by, Yuga tried his best to rescue his teammate and secure the bomb, going even as far as to use the ice Shoto had created to reflect his Navel Laser around the room! But in the end it wasn't enough. The heroes laid defeated after nine minutes.
After the two teams returned to the central area, All Might drew the teams for the second round.
"Young Tokoyami and Young Asui, you will be defending the bomb. And your opponents will be Young Himiko and Young Hagakure."
"Oh thank goodness," Toru exclaimed. "I was so worried we were going to have to defend!"
"We'd have figured something out," Himiko assured her, "but this is going to be fun!"
"Kero" Tsuyu studied her opponents before turning to Fumikage. "They won't make it easy on us."
Fumikage nodded once before the team departed to begin their preparation. After receiving their map from All Might, the hero team followed suit and left the observation post to begin their own plan of attack.
"This isn't going to be fair, is it?" Ochako asked Izuku as they watched the monitors.
"No." Izuku shook his head. "Even without having blood for Transform, Himi has more experience than the other three combined right now. Pair that with Hagakure's quirk…"
"At least it won't be as dramatic as your fight with Shoto?" Ochako said.
"Ehehe." Izuku rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah…" He spared a glance across the room where Shoto stood silently next to Momo. Shoto seemed to notice him immediately, and his gaze once again locked with Izuku's, heterochromatic eyes studying green, as if searching for something.
Izuku broke contact first, knowing that it wouldn't do well to challenge Shoto. He could extend his hand, but until the other boy was ready to take it… For now, he was content to watch the match on the monitor. This was just as new to him as it was to Himiko, and he was excited to see what happened.
"Heroes, you may begin. You have ten minutes. Time starts now."
"Well, here goes nothing," Toru said as she made her way to the building.
The two very quickly cleared the first three floors of the building, falling into an easy pace where Toru scouted a room before moving on, Himiko trailing behind her. They both suspected that their opponents would stay grouped up, so they didn't bother wasting much time on the lower floors.
As Toru poked her head out of the stairwell on the fourth floor, she noticed an immediate difference from the lower floors.
"Hey, why are half the lights off here?" She asked.
"They must be here," Himiko whispered from below. "They're trying to make it harder for us to see, to take away our advantage."
"Makes sense," Toru replied before turning around. "I guess it's time for me to go into stealth mode." Himiko bobbed her head and watched as Toru removed her boots and gloves before handing her teammate her earpiece. "Here I go."
Himiko gave her teammate a small wave and heard her climbing the last few steps to the landing. Once Toru was on the move, Himiko looked down at her belt and sighed. Normally she wasn't supposed to be the distraction, but in this case, it made sense. Unhooking a pair of safety flares, she waited until Toru had left the stairs and counted to ten. Stepping onto the floor, she lit the first flare and tossed it down the hallway.
Jackpot!
As she watched, she heard a screech as the flare highlighted the form of Fumikage and Dark Shadow waiting for them in a small side-room.
Himiko gave a fierce grin as she heard Dark Shadow's screech, the quirk seemingly recoiling from the light of the flare. Dropping low to the ground, she charged forward, lighting the second flare and preparing to toss it further down, further illuminating the hallway…
…only to feel a pair of strong legs connect to her back, sending her forward. With a grunt, she landed on the ground, only to immediately roll to her side, the flare discarded as she grabbed a pair of knives.
"Kero," Tsuyu said, landing several feet in front of Himiko. "Where's your partner?"
"Wouldn't you like to know," Himiko teased with a playful grin; she casually tossed a knife at her opponent.
To her benefit, Tsuyu easily dodged out of the way, leaping to the wall before lashing out with her tongue to smack the second knife out of Himiko's hand before she could throw it. Himiko countered by grabbing her opponent's tongue and was rewarded with a surprised croak from her classmate. Her grin shifting to predatory, she pulled hard, forcing Tsuyu to release her grip on the wall as Himiko threw her down the hallway toward her teammate.
Unfortunately, while Dark Shadow appeared to be afraid of the light, Fumikage had no problems and caught his teammate, taking a step back to steady himself from the impact before he set her on the ground. They weren't given any time to recover as Himiko was already rushing toward them, knife in one hand and flare in the other.
The seconds dragged on as Himiko kept both of her opponent's attention on her. She just needed to give Toru enough time! Even fighting two-on-one, she felt secure in her advantage, until Tsuyu finally realized the problems the flares were causing and used her tongue to fling them away.
As the shadows enveloped her fully, Himiko felt a shudder as she saw the golden eyes of Dark Shadow focus on her. She raised her knives to defend herself, only for All Might to suddenly cut into their headsets. "Young Hagakure has secured the bomb, Hero Team wins!"
Himiko couldn't help but grin at her opponents. "Sorry to keep you here. I was just the distraction."
"Of course, kero," Tsuyu croaked. "We thought that we could ambush you and then go find your teammate.
"Sorry not sorry," Himiko said as she slid her knives back into their holsters. "I've had a lot of training. Too bad I couldn't show off more."
"You did great!" Toru's voice called out from down the hall. "It was so scary wondering if they were gonna start chasing after me, but you kept them off my back!"
Himiko flashed a fanged grin in the girl's direction. "Next time, I'm gonna make you be the distraction!"
"Hey, no fair!" Toru complained.
"Why don't we go back to the observation room, kero." Tsuyu looked at the three. "I'm sure All Might is waiting for us."
"Fine." Himiko rolled her eyes. "We can talk more there."