Chapter 18: Midoriya Izuku's Birthday/Fifteen Years Old
Six weeks passed quickly for Izuku. His lessons with Nedzu picked up not long after the principal introduced Izuku to his favorite board game, Go. The principal's lessons often covered both philosophy and practical applications of information gathering and analysis. Izuku is confident that by the entrance exam he'd have the skill to destroy Aldera himself had Nedzu not already done so.
Nedzu wasn't the only one who picked up the pace of his training. Mr. Aizawa, true to his prediction, started sparring with Izuku. The first few fights lasted a few seconds, but now Izuku can almost hold his own. Sometimes Mr. Aizawa would bring in UA students as sparring partners, just to make sure Izuku didn't develop habits from fighting only him.
Izuku was hesitant at first to take time away from actual students, but Mr. Aizawa assured him that Nedzu—or the Rat, as Mr. Aizawa called him—offered extra credit to anyone who sparred with Izuku. One of the most frequent students to take up that offer was Togata, who Izuku remembered from the Second Year's Sports Festival. Togata had improved in leaps and bounds since then.
By mid-July, Izuku had a decent shot against several of the first-year Hero students, and even the second years weren't instantly destroying him. Very few third years ever joined him, which is fair, Izuku figures. He can't exactly give them a good fight.
"You're doing good, kid," Mr. Aizawa says, and Izuku flushes with pride.
"I'm home!" he calls, slipping his shoes off at the apartment entrance.
"Izu!" Himiko calls, bounding down the hall to pull him into a quick hug. "I know I said it this morning, but happy birthday!"
"How was your day, Sunshine?" his mother asks from the kitchen. Izuku smells her katsudon and his grin widens. He follows Himiko over to where his mom is cooking.
"Uh, mom?" Izuku says, "That's a lot of katsudon for just the three of us." His mom laughs.
"I got a call about a week ago while you were at UA," she says. "Mr. Yagi asked if he could come by with two of his friends." Izuku perks up. All Might is visiting for his birthday! Yeah, only he knows that, but still!
"Did he say who his friends were?" Izuku asks.
"Nope!" Himiko says. "Just that it's going to be a surprise!"
"Will you be alright?" he says. She's doing much better since she first moved in back at the start of May, but Himiko still struggles around strangers sometimes.
"Mo—Mrs. Midoriya already asked. I'll be okay." Izuku nods, carefully choosing to ignore Himiko's slip. His mother shoots him a knowing glance. Himiko's own birthday is just over three weeks away, and from the sounds of it, their planned surprise is a guaranteed success.
Izuku steps back out from his room into the main halls. He just changed out of his unofficial school clothes into something more comfortable. He doesn't really have a uniform since he wasn't officially a UA student. Yet. Hopefully.
He makes his way to the table, where Himiko and his mom finish setting up for six.
"Do you know when Mr. Yagi and his friends will get here?" he asks.
"It should be soon," mom says. "Sometime in the next half-hour or so."
Naturally, it was that very moment someone knocked on the door. His mom ushers him and Himiko to their seats before hurrying down the hall. Izuku cranes to see who's at the door, but at his angle he won't be able to see anyone until they're halfway to the table.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Yagi," his mom echoes down the hall.
"The pleasure is mine," All Might—Mr. Yagi says. "I wish we had met sooner." Izuku hears more voices, but he can't make out what they're saying. They must still be in the hallway outside the apartment.
His mother returns, followed by Mr. Yagi and—
"David Shield?"
"You know this guy?" Himiko whispers. Izuku nods, mouth hanging. A ringing laugh draws him out of his stupor.
"See, Papa? You have a fan!" says a tall, blonde girl as she moves her bangs out from in front of her glasses. Izuku hadn't noticed her come in. She must be the other guest. Mr. Shield laughs.
"I did tell you Young Midoriya was quite knowledgeable," Mr. Yagi says, before turning to Himiko. "Hello, Young Himiko. I don't believe we've had the pleasure of meeting yet. I'm Yagi Toshinori. I'm acquainted with several members of staff at UA." Himiko nods and Mr. Yagi gestures for his guests to introduce themselves.
"As Midoriya said, I'm David Shield. I'm a scientist at I-Island. This is my daughter, Melissa." The younger Shield reaches out a hand as Izuku goes to bow, both halting at the same time. Himiko giggles. Traitor.
"It's nice to meet you Miss Shield," Izuku says, accepting the handshake. "Midoriya Izuku."
"Please, just Melissa is fine," Melissa says.
"Call me Himiko."
"Yagi, you never told me your friends were so famous," his mother says. Mr. Yagi chuckles. "I hope you didn't go too out of your way."
"Not at all, ma'am," Mr. Shield says. "Toshi is a long-time family friend. I'm just glad we managed to get time off this week to meet Midoriya for his birthday."
"He's practically my uncle," Melissa chimes.
"Young Midoriya is truly something else," Mr. Yagi says, taking his seat. The Shields follow his example, and his mom sets to serving katsudon.
"Papa says you want to be a Pro Hero," Melissa says after everyone's finished eating. Izuku nods.
"I know being a Quirkless Hero is going to be hard, but it's always been my dream." Melissa smiles wistfully.
"I was afraid I'd have to give up my dream when the doctor told me I was Quirkless," Izuku freezes, "But Uncle told me that I could be someone's hero through my support equipment, the way Papa is for All Might." Melissa's blue eyes meet Izuku's green. "If you're going to do this, you need gear."
"I wouldn't want to impose," Izuku says but Melissa shakes her head.
"It's your birthday! Besides," she leans in slightly as though sharing a secret. "We Quirkless need to stick together. So! What can I do for you?" Izuku places a thumb to his lip and thinks.
"Mr. Aizawa told me that mobility is one of the most important parts of heroism. I also like his Capture Scarf as a way to apprehend targets, but I'm not sure that's the right tool for me." Melissa lights up.
"Papa! What about—"
"The Cat's Cradle, right?" Mr. Shield says. Melissa nods enthusiastically.
"Cat's Cradle?" Himiko asks. "Like the string game?"
"Exactly!" Mr. Shield pulls out a small metal disc from his pocket and sets it on the table. He types something on his phone, and the disc lights up, projecting a hologram of some kind of gauntlet.
"It's something I designed," Melissa says excitedly, "It's still in the prototype stage. The concept is a pair of gauntlets which house special cables you manipulate with your hands. You can use them to maneuver, restrain, or any number of things!"
"It sounds perfect!" Izuku breathes. Mr. Shield hums thoughtfully.
"Wouldn't they pair well with the Jet Boots?"
"Oh!" Melissa claps. "That's brilliant, Papa!" She turns back to Izuku. "The Jet Boots use bursts of compressed air to launch you. We hope to have a gliding function some day!"
"Well, Happy Birthday, Midoriya," Mr. Shield says. "We'll get to work on your first set of gear within the week." A stunned silence falls on the family.
"But I—I'm not licensed," Izuku protests. "I'm not even in a Hero School yet! I can't go around with a costume and support items!"
"Perhaps not," Mr. Yagi says. "But you would be allowed to use them at UA." Izuku's eyes water.
"Thank you all so much!"
After dinner, Himiko and his mother gave Izuku their gifts—a new notebook and a DVD of the Sports Festival, respectively—and the Shields and Mr. Yagi took their leave. Izuku settles on to the couch, and Himiko sits next to him a moment later.
"Um, Izu," she says. "Is this what birthdays are supposed to be like?"
And oh, how Izuku hurts.
"Yeah," he says, "Your family and sometimes your friends get together and you just have a good day with them."
"Oh."
Izuku is glad Himiko's parents were arrested. It would be difficult to get into UA if he were arrested for double homicide.
"Well, your birthday is just over three weeks away, right? We'll just have to make sure it's the best birthday you've ever had!"
"That reminds me," mom says, coming up behind them. "Nedzu asked to host your party at UA so that the staff could attend. You haven't met them all yet." She places two cups of tea on the coffee table in front of Izuku and Himiko before sitting down herself.
"Can… can you tell me about them? The teachers?" Himiko asks. Izuku brightens. Hero information is his specialty.
"Well, there's Nedzu, the Principal, you already met him. There's Mr. Aizawa, or Eraserhead. He's Underground, so he's not super well known. He can be pretty stern, but it's because he doesn't want people getting hurt. There's Ectoplasm. He can be intense, but he's nice. Power Loader teaches the Support Courses," Izuku puts a thumb to the corner of his mouth. "Present Mic –the one with the radio show? —he teaches English. Cementoss teaches Literature. Midnight teaches Modern Art History, and she specializes in Hero art."
"I think I met her," Himiko says. "Back when I was… you know. Out of it." Izuku nods, taking a sip of his tea.
"You also met Vlad King. Uh, there's Snipe, and Hound Dog is a counselor. Recovery Girl is the school nurse, and there's Thirteen and Lunch Rush," Izuku finishes.
"And they…" Himiko swallows. "They won't… hate me because of my Quirk?" Izuku shakes his head.
"I think… I think all of them faced some kind of Quirk discrimination. I think all of them were told at one point that they couldn't be Heroes because of their Quirk or appearance—even species." Izuku pulls Himiko in gently. "They all know what it's like. They won't hate you."
Himiko sobs quietly for a few minutes before composing herself again.
"Mr. Nedzu offered me that opportunity, but I feel like I'm squandering it," she murmurs, sniffling. "I'm going to UA, but I don't know what I'm doing there."
"What do you want to do?" asks his mom.
"I just want to be. I want to live without having to—to hide parts of myself. I don't want people to think I'm weird, or different, or, or…" she sniffles. Izuku holds her, sitting quietly for a minute.
"You should be a Hero," he says. Himiko starts, looking at him. "If you're a Hero, people will see your Quirk saving lives, and they'll think it's cool." Himiko shifts her gaze to the floor, contemplating.
"I—I'd never heard of Vlad King before he found me," Himiko says at last. "If someone like me had been a Hero, had been popular when I was young, my parents… they would've…"
"Those people are not your parents, dear," his mom chimes in. "They should have cared for you and loved you, and they didn't. They lost the right to be called your parents a long time ago."
"I—I'll think about it," Himiko says.
"I see you've reenrolled half of your class now," Nedzu says glancing up from the paperwork Aizawa handed him. The man grunts.
"They've learned the lesson I wanted them to. I'm holding out hope for the other ten, but they haven't made much progress yet, and it's almost the end of the term."
"Indeed." Nedzu sets the paper to the side, resolving to finalize the class transfer as soon as the meeting ends. "This does raise a concern though. I had rather hoped you would still be free to teach not only Midoriya, but Class Z as well."
"This lot had some potential," he says. "It happens. I should still be available for Midoriya though. Now that he's sparring, I can have him participate in some of the Heroics lessons."
"An elegant solution. Be careful not to overwhelm him."
"I'm more concerned I'll overprepare him. That kid really lives up to Plus Ultra. At this rate, he'd be able to pass the previous years' entrance exam. Probably win the whole free-for-all."
"Imagine how powerful he'd be if he'd been properly supported," Nedzu muses, mostly to himself.
"Guess that's our job, huh?"
"Yes, it certainly is." Nedzu stands, arms folded behind his back. "Seeing as you'll be teaching your 1-A, I suppose there's only one person left to handle Class Z." Aizawa stares.
"You're sure? You've upped your duties already this year."
"It was my idea, I'll see it through to the end," Nedzu says. "For Class Z, I'll teach homeroom once more."
Chapter 19: Equipment Training Exercise/The Future Holds
Izuku retracts the cable, barely pulling himself along out the way of Togata's attack. The blonde laughs, disappearing under the streets of Ground Beta yet again as Izuku flips upward and lands.
For the past week, Mr. Aizawa wanted Izuku to use the new gear from the Shields. Today's exercise is fighting a team comprised of UA students working together to take him down. Mr. Aizawa had saved this team for last. Amajiki, Hado, and Togata. All three had versatile Quirks and trained extensively to master them. Izuku had personally watched Togata's improvement from their sparring sessions. This was Amajiki's first time joining one of Izuku's sessions, and he suspects Hado dragged him. She's extroverted like that.
Speaking of Hado, Izuku hears a blast of her Wave Motion slam into a nearby building, sending chunks flying. Izuku proved he could doge her direct attacks, so Hado switched up her strategies. Izuku whirls, whipping the cables from the Cat's Cradle on his wrist, and a single flick carves them through the rubble. Small rocks and pebbles rain down on Izuku. He raises an arm in front of his face to block the dust.
Izuku sidesteps a punch from Amajiki—briefly noticing the student's fist encased in some kind of shell—and grabs his arm and flips him. Too long since Togata's last attack. Izuku launches to the side with a burst from the Jet Boots just in time for Togata to fly through where he'd been standing, vanishing once again.
One on one, I might be able to outlast him, but I definitely can't when I'm outnumbered! Izuku aborts an attack at a still-prone Amajiki to dodge another blast of Wave Motion. He's too focused on her energy blast to notice Togata's hand reach through the ground and grab his ankle. Izuku stumbles and hits the ground.
"That's enough," Mr. Aizawa calls, walking towards where the four catch their breath. Melissa trails close behind him. She's only in Japan for a few more days and wanted to personally make sure the new gear held up. "Midoriya, your endurance and reflexes have improved. Keep it up." Izuku flushes at the praise. "Amajiki, invest in longer range options, but otherwise you did good." The boy nods, hiding his face. "Hado, try to keep property damage to a minimum."
"My bad!"
"Togata, good improvement on your Quirk control."
"Yes, sir!"
"Do some cooldown stretches and we'll call it a day," Mr. Aizawa says, walking off. Izuku removes his gear. He takes a swig of water from his water bottle before following Mr. Aizawa's instructions and stretching.
"It looks like you've got the basic functionality down," Melissa says, examining the Cat's Cradle. "I can't wait to see how you'll use it by the time next year rolls around!"
"Thanks, Melissa!" She smiles and grabs his equipment, taking it back to the support labs for a more thorough examination.
"You're getting pretty good, Midoriya!" Togata says.
"You're one to talk; you've improved so much since the Sports Festival!" Izuku replies. "I've got a long way to go."
"You saw that, huh?" Togata laughs. "Yeah, after that Sir Nighteye scouted me for internships. He's helped me a ton these last few months. Without him I'd still be falling out of my clothes!"
"He sure would! Did you see our first Sports Festival? He got disqualified for it!" Hado gushes. Izuku laughs.
"I remember! They had to censor the footage!"
"Yup! It's a miracle I got into UA at all!" Togata says.
"So, your mentor is Sir Nighteye? Like, All Might's old sidekick Sir Nighteye?"
"He's great!" Togata says. "He's got a real sense of humor, too!"
"I'd love to meet him!" Izuku says. "He's one of my inspirations! A Hero with a non-physical Quirk and he managed to be All Might's sidekick!"
"Ooh! Ooh! Togata! Tell him!" Hado cheers. Togata chuckles.
"Yeah, Sir is actually here right now!"
"He is?" Izuku barely manages to avoid losing his balance mid-stretch.
"Yup! He's in the teacher's lounge right now. I think he's here to check on sending me another Work Study offer. I'll introduce you!"
"Thank you so much!"
Togata opens the door to the teacher's lounge, gesturing. Izuku walks in, tailed by the second-year student. A tall man with a gray suit stands in the center of the room, observing the door.
"Hello, Sir! What did the janitor say when he jumped out of the closet?" Sir Nighteye, the Sir Nighteye, chuckles.
"I don't know, what did the janitor say?"
"Supplies!"
Sir Nighteye gives a small chortle, which gives way to uproarious laughter. Togata joins in, Izuku not far behind. The second year has an infectious laugh.
"This is Midoriya Izuku! The middle-schooler I told you about!" Wait, he talked about me to Sir Nighteye? "He's a big fan! Sadly, I have to get to class. See you next time, bud!" Togata waves before hurrying down the corridor, leaving Izuku alone with Sir Nighteye.
"It's a pleasure to meet you!" Izuku bows. The Hero stands there, staring, unmoving.
"So, you're Midoriya," says Sir Nighteye. "I've heard much about you." There's an intensity in the air. Something about the Hero's posture has Izuku immediately on the backfoot.
"Yes, sir!" he swallows. "I've always looked up to—"
"I watched your training exercise earlier," Sir Nighteye says. "In every sense of the word, you are mediocre. I respect All Might a great deal, but on this matter, I cannot fathom what he was thinking."
"What?" Izuku steps back. What's he talking about?
"When Togata told me you were here at UA training for the Hero Exam, I was surprised. To think UA would bend over backwards for someone like you. You have none of his presence, his inspiring qualities. You cannot become the next All Might, the next Symbol of Peace."
"Of—of course not," Izuku says, thinking back to what All Might told him on that rooftop. That he should be a Hero like himself. "I'm not All Might."
"Precisely. You should never have been chosen for One For All."
Izuku reels. It makes sense for him to know; All Might and Sir Nighteye partnered for a long time. Nighteye was his strategist. Of course All Might told him about One For All. But what does Nighteye mean about him being chosen? He turned it down. Did no one tell him?
Unheeding the thoughts swirling in Izuku's mind, Nighteye continues.
"Togata Mirio. He is the superior candidate. He should be the one to use One For All."
"You want me to give it to him?" Izuku says slowly. Did Nighteye not know? Izuku doesn't even have the damn Quirk!
"The sooner the better," the Hero says. "He needs to master it as quickly as—"
"Fuck you."
"…I beg your pardon?" Nighteye adjusts his tie, glaring down at Izuku's trembling form.
Izuku spent ten years in Aldera. Ten years being told he was an unevolved dying breed, not worth the trees cut down to make the paper in his notebooks. And he took it. He took it and said nothing. But that was then. His teachers were wrong. They were wrong, and they were arrested. And Izuku is done. He spent ten years being quiet. He's not going to turn the other cheek. Not this time.
"I'm sorry, was your head so far up your ass you couldn't hear me? I told you to go fuck yourself." Izuku clenches his fists so tightly it hurts. His throat burns, tears sting his eyes. "You sound just like them. And I'm sick of taking that shit."
"'Them?' Who's 'them?'"
"My teachers," Izuku spits, "From Aldera." Nighteye flinches. "Yeah, maybe you've heard of them. The ones who were arrested for being in a Quirk Supremist cult? You sound just like them. Telling me I'm not worth the air I breathe because I'm not the expectation you had."
"How dare you accuse me of—"
"Of what?" Izuku yells. "Telling me I'm worthless? Trying to tear me down? I threw myself into training to be a Hero. All I want is to help people!" He thrusts a finger at Nighteye. "And people like you, like them, come along and tell me I'm wrong to try! Nedzu, Eraserhead, All Might, they all said I can do it, I don't need you." He takes a deep breath. "I admired you. You were proof that you didn't need a physical Quirk to be a great Hero. The All Might's sidekick didn't have a flashy Quirk. If you could do it, so could I!" Izuku clicks his tongue. "But if this is how controlling you are, I can see why All Might stopped working with you." Izuku spins on his heel and storms to the door. "One more thing, Sir."
Nighteye says nothing, his expression somewhere between confusion and horror.
"I don't have One For All. I turned it down."
The door slams behind him.
Izuku wipes his eyes with his sleeve. Damn. I'll have to talk to Mr. Inui about this.
Nedzu makes himself known before Sasaki has a chance to collect himself.
"Good afternoon, Sasaki!" he says cheerfully, dropping from his hiding place in the vents. "I certainly hope you had a good reason to verbally abuse a traumatized child!" Sasaki flinches.
"He—I—Mirio should have—"
"Oh? And what gives you the right to decide who gets One For All?" Nedzu's false cheer doesn't so much as waver.
"As his sidekick and strategist, I know what the next Symbol of Peace needs to be."
"So, the decision of who inherits the Quirk, a Quirk you have never had yourself, falls to you? And in pursuit of that goal, you would discard a child based on your own assumptions? You didn't give him a chance to prove himself to you. You never even confirmed he possessed the Quirk."
"I… I have no excuse," Sasaki says. Good. There's still hope for him. "But, the next Symbol of Peace, they cannot be chosen on a whim. They must have the right characteristics."
"And Young Togata has these qualities?"
"Of course!"
"But Midoriya doesn't?" Silence. "You know, Yagi came to me in April saying he found a heroic child who wanted to save people for the sake of saving people. And this boy, he said, was a cunning analyst for his age. I met with him and was impressed. More so when I learned what his school did to him. The fact that he still wants to be a Hero speaks to a strength of will I have never seen before."
"I… I see."
"How did you discern that Togata was the best candidate?" Nedzu asks, clambering up onto the counter to reach the tea pot.
"He's my intern."
"Indeed. And he has grown much under your care. I'm grateful." Nedzu pours tea into a cup. "But why did you choose to send him an internship offer? He didn't even reach the final event of this year's Sports Festival, and his grades have never been much higher than average. Before you started teaching him, his control of his Quirk was… subpar. Bluntly, there were better candidates for you to choose." Nedzu sips his tea while Sasaki searches for the words.
"It's clear he'd good natured. He's kind and optimistic. He can inspire people!" Nedzu nods.
"All of that is true. And that is why you offered him an internship?"
"Yes."
"You've never offered internships before."
"I haven't."
"And you're sure this internship offer you gave him was not just because All Might told he planned to offer One For All to a Quirkless middle schooler around that same time?" Sasaki steps back. "You're certain you didn't choose Togata because of his obvious physical similarities to All Might? Because he reminds you of the persona Yagi uses as a Hero?"
"I…"
"Tell me, Sasaki Mirai: Did you reach out to one of my students with the sole intent of grooming him to receive One For All? It would be a shame to have to mark your agency as one we will not accept internship or work study offers from."
"Of course I didn't!" Sasaki towers over Nedzu, but it has been a long time since a human intimidated him.
"Then why are you so adamant he receives the Quirk? I'm not suggesting you're wrong; Togata is an excellent candidate. But why are you invested to the point of demanding Midoriya give up the Quirk?"
"He is the one who will be the next Symbol of Peace."
"Oh?" Nedzu takes another sip from his tea. "I don't need Foresight to know that you're wrong about that, Sasaki."
"Excuse me?"
"All Might will retire long before Togata reaches the level of influence he wields." Sasaki flinches at the word 'retire.' Interesting. One of his prophecies, perhaps? "And when he does, Japan will be left with Endeavor as the Number One Hero, and with no Symbol of Peace. Yagi is a pillar, and even he cannot bear the weight. When he collapses…"
"What are you suggesting, Nedzu?"
"Japan will have to change how we handle our Heroics industry, or die," he answers easily. He's given it much thought, lately, after Yagi confessed to how close the last-ditch attack from the Meta Liberation Army came to seriously injuring or even killing him. Sasaki paces, arms folded behind his back. Contemplation clear on his face.
"You're saying All Might will be the only Symbol of Peace."
"The only individual to bear that title, yes." Sasaki blanches, turning to look out the window. He does not move for several minutes.
Eventually, Sasaki excuses himself to return to his agency. Nedzu calls out, one last thing to say.
"In the future, when you question whether someone is worthy to uphold the legacy Yagi created, remember he too was once a Quirkless middle schooler." Sasaki freezes.
"I… I will keep that in mind."
And Sasaki is gone.
Chapter 20: ________ Himiko's Birthday/Sixteen Years Old
It's strange. Despite being a ward of UA for several months, this is Himiko's first time actually visiting the school. The four buildings tower overhead. Izuku nudges her gently.
"You get used to it," he says, grinning cheekily. She nudges him back.
"You'd know! With how much time you spend here, I'm surprised Nedzu hasn't adopted you yet!"
"If I did, he'd likely end up still living with you two, seeing as the dorm renovations aren't yet complete!" Himiko shrieks as Nedzu appears on top of the outer wall by the gate. The principal laughs warmly, and Izuku and his mother join in, the traitors. "It's a pleasure you see you again, Himiko. Happy Birthday!" She nods, and Nedzu slips back down on the other side of the wall. Izuku scans his pass and moves through the gate with practiced ease. His mother and Himiko both take a few swipes to get the card to read.
Izuku and the principal are standing side by side in the courtyard, waiting. Himiko jogs lightly over to them.
"We'll be celebrating in the cafeteria today," Nedzu says, taking the lead into the building. "The staff, alongside Yagi, are already there. The Shields send their regards but weren't able to finish your present before they had to return to I-Island. I've been assured Melissa is enthusiastic about completing the project for you."
"Project?" Himiko asks.
"I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise." She can't see Nedzu's face from behind him, but she just knows he's grinning. "But I suppose I could describe it as 'a machine which produces items to support your Quirk' without giving anything away." Naturally, Izuku immediately puts a thumb to his lip and begins muttering about possible support items for Transform.
"Careful, Sunshine," mom his mom says. "You're probably going to figure it out." Izuku jumps, then sheepishly rubs the back of his neck.
Izuku had never told Himiko what the cafeteria looked like. The room stretched, fitting a dozen rows of tables, separated by small walls with foliage on top. The kitchen connected directly to the cafeteria, with a counter separating the servers from students. Seeing such a large room empty except for maybe a dozen people was surreal. UA after hours felt deserted.
Izuku waves as their small group approaches the assembled teachers. A blonde man waves back while another man in dark baggy clothes rolls his eyes.
"Good to see everyone is here!" Nedzu says, scampering up onto the shoulders of the man in dark clothes. "This, as you no doubt know, is Himiko! Would those of you who have not yet made her acquaintance introduce yourselves?"
"Sure thing! I'm Yamada Hizashi," the blonde man says. His voice is familiar.
"Present Mic?" Himiko asks.
"Ah, a listener?" he winks.
"I'm Ishiyama Ken," says a man with a flat, gray face.
"Aizawa Shouta," the black-clad man drawls.
"Hey, kid! I'm glad to see you've got some meat on your bones again. Call me Kayama," says the woman Himiko vaguely remembers. Himiko nods.
"She does look much healthier," says a short woman. "Call me Chiyo, dear."
"A pleasure to make your acquaintance," says the cowboy(?). "I'm Snipe."
"I am Ectoplasm, a pleasure." Says the ghost man.
"Maijima," says the man with red hair covering his face. "I teach the support kids."
"Call me Inui," barks the dog man. UA has a dog man? Wait, didn't Izuku says one of the Heroes here was called Hound Dog? Was that literal?
"And I'm Thirteen," said the astronaut. UA sure had a diverse staff.
"And you already know Yagi, Kan, and me!" Nedzu claps his paws together. "Well then! I do believe it is almost time for Himiko's special dinner! Have you ever had gyukatsu before?" She shakes her head. "Ah! It's an interesting dish. It's a beef cutlet, covered in a breadcrumb batter and fried quickly. This leaves the inside of the cutlet rare, so that you can cook it to your liking on a hot plate." Himiko made sure her mouth was still closed. It would've been embarrassing if anyone saw her drooling.
A man dressed in a full chef's outfit, but with the hat and—is that a respirator? —covering his face emerges from the kitchen pushing a cart covered in stone hot plates, bowls of rice and vegetables, and plates of breaded beef.
"Let me," Mrs. Kayama says, helping set the dishes out at the table. Himiko slid into her chair, Izuku next to her and mom Izuku's mom across from her. Soon, everyone was seated, delicately lifting the slices of meat onto the hot plates. Himiko cautiously picked up one of her slices and took a bite. Oh, oh that was good. Lunch Rush wasn't a food-themed Hero for nothing, it seems.
"You like rare meat?" Mr. Yamada asks. Himiko grins, showing off her fangs. "Right, should've guessed!" he laughs.
"I'm glad you're enjoying the meal," Nedzu says. Himiko notes that he's also eating his cutlets rare. "I rather thought it would be to your tastes."
"It's so good!"
"Alright! I think it's time Present Mic got the little listener's presents!" Mr. Yamada cheers. Mr. Aizawa winces from the noise.
"That pun was awful," he says.
"But you love me!"
"Unfortunately." Mr. Aizawa sighs, pushing off against the table and rising to his feet. "I'll help. You couldn't carry them all yourself."
Mrs. Kayama and the chef clear the dishes away as the table turns to idle chatter. Eventually the two return with stacks of boxes.
Mr. Yamada sets his pile on the table in front of Mrs. Midoriya, just across from Himiko. Mr. Aizawa slides another set of boxes next to them.
"You guys all really went 'Plus Ultra' for her, huh?" he drawls.
"It's her first birthday in our care instead of her… previous guardians," Nedzu give a chipper reply. "It has to be special." Mr. Aizawa's mouth stretches into a wide grin.
"You're right," he says, "It's only logical." He pulls a final box out from behind him and sets it on the table. Himiko glances over to Izuku, who rolls his eyes. Right, Izuku told her that Mr. Aizawa was secretly a softy.
"I believe it would be best to start with mine, for reasons I will explain," Nedzu says, taking a smaller box from the pile and passing it to Himiko. She unwraps the package and slides the lid up and off the box.
Inside rests a long knife. Himiko gingerly removes the weapon, examining it. The blade is covered in a strange pattern almost like rippling water.
"I'm afraid you won't be allowed to take that off campus," Nedzu says. "But with your Quirk, having a bladed weapon is exceptionally useful." She nods.
"Isn't that—" Mr. Aizawa starts.
"Neo-Damascus Steel, yes." Nedzu says. Izuku perks up.
"That's the really durable metal made from Quirks and based on that really old special steel, right?"
"Indeed!" Nedzu laughs. "That knife is the closest thing to indestructible humans have even made, with weaponry, at least. It's incredibly sharp—do be careful—and it's hard to dull."
"Wow," Himiko breathes. "Can I have this in Class Z?" Nedzu smiles softly.
"Of course! Maijima?"
"I'll have something for it in the costume design by the time her second year starts," the engineer says.
"Ooh! Me next!" Mrs. Kayama calls, gesturing to one of the boxes, a rectangular box five centimeters tall. Himiko snorts and takes the box, pulling of the wrapping paper. Inside is a cardboard box with the Fralideja department store logo. Clothes?
She opens it.
Clothes!
Cute clothes! In the same 'red shirt, dark blue overshirt' style she loves! Jiro really knew what she was talking about.
"These are adorable!" Himiko says.
"Oh, dear. It seems we had the same idea," Mrs. Chiyo says. "I suppose you should open mine next then; keep on theme."
Himiko carefully closes the magnetically clasped box again and sets it off to the side. Nedzu hands Mrs. Midoriya several large gift bags and the woman starts placing her opened gifts inside.
Himiko takes the gift from Mrs. Chiyo, another box from Fralideja.
"Oh!" Himiko says, "I didn't think to get winter clothes yet!"
The box contained several sweaters of various patterns, all adorable. Himiko loves them.
The next gift turns out to be from Mr. Maijima. It's a series of reference images and pictures of Pro Heroes with unorthodox Quirks, as well as some vampire concept art.
"You do need to submit a costume for Class Z," he reminds her. She nods.
Mr. Yamada got her a signed album from one of the musical guests on his show. That guest had been one of her favorites.
Mr. Inui got her a cookbook he'd apparently assembled, compiling various recipes from around the world. The book is filled with blood sausages, blood soups, and blood curds among other similar meals, none of which she'd heard of before she lived with Mrs. Midoriya.
"We'll have to try these!" Mrs. Midoriya says.
Eventually, Himiko makes her way through the pile of gifts. Mr. Aizawa is the only staff member whose gift she hasn't yet opened. She tears the wrapping paper off to find a plastic-sealed cardboard box, covered in brand names and numbers she doesn't really get, but the large central picture of a laptop certainly makes sense to her.
"Uh," Izuku starts, "Isn't that the Inspiration 4750? The best computer currently on the market?"
"It's only logical," he says. "It will help her study, as well as socialize more." He's grinning the whole time.
"Ah, of course. Your only reasons, I'm sure." Izuku says.
"Careful, brat. I still help determine whether you pass the entrance exams."
"And it would look bad if you trained me for almost a year and I still didn't get in," Izuku replies without hesitating, wearing a shit-eating grin. "Besides, it would make Himi sad." Mr. Aizawa barked out a short laugh, and Himiko grinned.
Finally, only the Midoriyas are left.
Izuku hands a cardboard tube to her.
"Here," he says. She takes it from him and pulls the cap off. Inside is a rolled-up piece of paper. It feels glossy like a poster under her fingers. She gingerly pulls it out. Oh! Oh, she recognizes this style!
The poster is an illustration of a cloaked figure standing over an ominous castle. It's the same artist who drew the posters she got for her room way back when.
"You remembered!" she says. Izuku rubs the back of his neck.
"I thought, since you like the ones you had so much, I could expand your collection." She pulls him into a quick hug.
"Thank you, Izu!"
"Happy birthday, Himi!"
Mrs. Midoriya stands and moves around the table to stand next to her. She opens her purse and retrieves a large manilla envelope, which she hands carefully to Himiko. She can see Mrs. Midoriya is already close to tears.
Cautiously, Himiko opens the envelope, pulling out a small stack of papers. Himiko skims over the text. Paperwork? Why would Mrs. Midoriya get her paperwork as a present? What's this first heading?
'Consent to Adoption?'
What?
Wait.
Wait.
"Are these," Himiko chokes out. "Is, is this what I think it is?"
"We've already signed everything we need to," Nedzu says.
"Give the word, and you'll officially be part of the family," Izuku says, wiping the corner of his eyes.
"You… you really want me?" she whispers. Mrs. Midoriya pulls her into a tight embrace.
"Of course, we do, dear. I told you we wouldn't throw you away. Over these past few months, I've been delighted to watch you come out of your shell."
"What about your husband? Hisashi?"
"We already asked him," Mrs. Midoriya says. "We always wanted a larger family, but his job meant we never really got the chance. He's sorry he couldn't be here for this."
"Can," Himiko starts, barely audible. "Can I have your family name?"
"Of course, dear."
Himiko sobs loudly, crying into Mrs. Midoriya mom'sshirt. She feels Izuku—her brother—rubbing her back.
Once they've calmed down enough, Nedzu helps mom fill out the rest of the paperwork. Once she's done, he takes the papers from her, promising to get everything filed.
"Congratulations, Himiko," Nedzu pauses, grinning impishly, "Or should I say, Midoriya?"
Midoriya Himiko.
It rings like music in her ears.
The staff bow and wish her well, and Himiko follows her family, her brother her mom back to their—her—apartment.
This is it. The rest of her life will forever be downhill. Because this has to be the best day of her life.
Chapter 21: The New Kids/Midoriya Himiko: Origin
Himiko walks through the UA gate, her brother right beside her. It's the start of September, and with it the second term. That means it's finally her first day in Class Z.
She glances over at Izuku. Nedzu had informed them that he would be preoccupied during the week for a while, and that Izuku would be completing his middle school lessons through self-study, with Nedzu supervising when possible. Himiko wonders what Nedzu's doing instead. Given how rare it was for him to take a personal student–or so she'd been told—it seemed weird that something would distract him from that.
"Have a good day at class, Himi!" Izuku hugs her before they have to split ways. "Don't forget to tell me about their Quirks!"
"As if I could forget!" she laughs.
Class Z is in a spare classroom. Izuku was right, Nedzu does have more money than I could possibly spend. Himiko stares at the door, which has to be at least six meters tall. A red letter 'Z' has been painted onto the door, so there's no way it's the wrong room. Are there Quirks that need doors like this? Izu would know. Himiko takes a deep breath and slides the door open.
A boy looks up from rearranging his pencils to look at Himiko with dusty red eyes. He gives a small smile and waves slightly. Himiko grins and returns the gesture.
"Heyo!" A light voice cheers. Himiko turns to see someone unwrap and reform themselves in front of her. "I'm Ekitai Nagare!" they say. Their long, pastel blue hair elongates in front of Himiko's eyes. "I'm using female pronouns right now. Nice to meet ya!" Ekitai sticks out a hand and Himiko takes it. The hand feels almost like thick pudding, but she chooses not to comment. Presumably, it's part of her Quirk.
"Midoriya Himiko, right back at you!" she says. Ekitai grins.
"I'm so pumped! I can't believe I got into UA! Didn't even have to take the entrance exam!"
"None of us did," comes a somewhat gruff voice. Himiko follows it to where a tall girl is leaning back on her desk. The green-black scales are the first thing Himiko notices; her skin is covered in them. "We all got recommended for this class because of the MLA, remember?" There's no malice in her voice, just a subtle softness suggesting the question is genuine. A tail flicks behind the girl. "'Sup. I'm Wani Numachi." She grins, and Himiko notices for the first time that Wani has a short snout. And also, many sharp fangs.
"Well, yeah," Ekitai whines, "but we still get to be here!"
"True enough."
Before any more conversation can follow, the warning bell rings and Himiko quickly moves over to her seat.
"Who do you think is our homeroom teacher?" she whisper-shouts at the kid in front of her desk, a tan girl with bright turquoise hair.
"Probably someone cool," she says wistfully.
"I'd like to think so!"
Himiko knew that voice. That faux cheer, that pitch. That little suit-wearing animal who she swears wasn't on the teacher's podium a few seconds ago.
"Am I a dog, a mouse, or a bear? It doesn't matter, what's important is that I'm the Principal!" Nedzu cheers. "And the homeroom teacher of Class Z!"
"This is why you aren't with Izu?" Himiko can't stop herself from gawking.
"Indeed, Himiko! Or would you prefer Midoriya?"
"Himiko's fine," she says, still stunned. The girl in front of her mouths 'Izu?' at Himiko, but she doesn't have time to answer.
"Well, students, I'm glad to see you all networking! In any industry, having connections is vital. However, we are attempting to cram four Year 1 Courses into two terms, and therefore have little time to dawdle. Onward! Go get changed into your Gym Uniforms! To the P.E. Field!" Nedzu hops down from the desk and marches out of the room cackling.
"So, who's this 'Izu?'" the girl who sits in front of Himiko—she introduced herself as Inazuma Rakurai—asks, unbuttoning the last button on her normal uniform. Ekitai had chosen to change in a gender-neutral changing room, so it's just Himiko, Inazuma, Wani, and the other girls she hadn't spoken with yet.
"My brother," Himiko says, pulling a gym uniform over her head. "He loves Quirks; analyzes them all the time! Nedzu was impressed by his work and he's been tutoring him since April."
"Impressive," Inazuma replies.
"Ah, that's why he was so familiar with you," another girl said, as her blonde hair forms together into a hand and places her normal uniform in her locker. "I'm Heakiru San, it's my pleasure."
"Well, that and he was my legal guardian for a while," Himiko replies. "UA took temporary custody of me before I was adopted. I've been a Midoriya for less than a month."
"You lived with the Principal?" Wani says, adjusting her custom gym pants to accommodate her tail.
"Nope! The dorms for kids in UA custody are being renovated. I stayed with the people who ended up adopting me!"
"I'm glad things worked out for you," Inazuma says. "But let's shelve this conversation for now. We shouldn't keep the principal waiting."
"We'll be starting with a series of physical assessments," Nedzu says. "However, you are allowed and encouraged to use your Quirks to improve your scores. A Quirk Apprehension Test, if you will."
A Quirk Apprehension Test? That seems a bit much. They've barely started the day.
"It's important to understand everyone's baseline physical fitness and Quirk control. I am aware that many of you may not wish to enter the Hero course, but these tests are about creativity and control. Useful no matter your chosen course," Nedzu explains.
Okay, this is fine. Himiko can just transform into whoever does the best in each test. Izuku theorized she might be able to use people's Quirks while transformed, seems like as good a time as any to find out.
She stills.
She doesn't have anyone's blood.
She needs to drink blood directly to transform.
She's safe from her classmate's opinions; Nedzu wouldn't let anything like the Togas happen to her here. But last time she took blood directly, she ended up freaking out on the floor of her bathroom.
She shakes her head. Izuku told her that she has an anesthetic effect. She wouldn't—couldn't— hurt anyone. She'd had some blood today with breakfast. Things were different now.
Himiko assumed the 50-meter dash would be easy. One of these people had to have a speed Quirk, right? Well, sort of. Ekitai's Quirk apparently lets her turn into water or something, and she surges ahead of her paired partner, Ikegi Narimei. He isn't too upset about it though.
"Having a better sense of smell wasn't going to help me anyways," he says, walking off the track.
Himiko decides that testing if her shapeshifting can mimic another shapeshifting Quirk is a test for another day. She runs the dash as herself.
Nedzu announces the second test is Grip Strength. She's practically spoiled for choice here. Most of her classmates are visibly muscular. She'll just see which of them is strongest and then—
A faint light catches her eye. A pale boy with wavy blue hair produces a needle and thread from seemingly nowhere and starts stitching his grip device closed. Izu would love that Quirk.
"Hey, this is a bit awkward to ask," she says, walking up to the boy. "But can I have some of your blood?" He eyes her. Which, fair. "My Quirk lets me become other people if I have their blood. Izu—my brother—thinks I might be able to mimic Quirks like that, and your idea looks good so—" The boy suddenly pricks his arm with the needle.
"That enough?" he looks at her expectantly.
"I, uh," she wasn't expecting that. "I have to drink it." The boy nods.
"Get me one of those water bottles," he says. Himiko runs over to where Nedzu has a box of disposable water bottles for them and quickly brings one back. The boy unscrews the and sets it under the puncture wound so the blood drips into the bottle. After a few seconds, he hands it to her.
Blood watered down tastes awful, Himiko decides, but she also isn't freaking out on the floor, so there's that going for her. Is it because I didn't bite him or because he watered it down? Questions for later. Her gray slime wraps around her body, molding into a perfect duplicate of the boy, complete with his uniform.
"That is not how I expected that to look," the boy says. "Hari Nuime, by the way. Midoriya, right?"
"Himiko's fine," she says in Hari's voice. He blinks. "How does your Quirk work?"
"I feel this energy in the air, and I mold it into the needle and thread. I'm betting it feels a lot like your Quirk, but I'm limited to the needle and thread. They're unbreakable though." Himiko nods, focusing on the air on her skin. She can feel something. A sort of faint static buzzing at the edge of her awareness. She concentrates on molding it, like she does with her slime, but nothing happens.
"It's weird," she says. "I can feel the energy—at least I think I can—but I can't manipulate it."
"If you could feel it, you would know," Hari says, finishing stitching his measuring device closed as the device reads 800kg. "It's not subtle."
"Huh," she says. "Well, at least you're stronger than me." She flexes her arm, showing off Hari's muscles. He snorts.
Himiko wasn't sure what she expected people to do on the Standing Long Jump, but she wasn't expecting a rose-haired boy to summon medieval shields under his feet to jump off of and keep going. Nedzu called him Utsuwa, and he easily gets the best score on that event.
Himiko recognizes the boy stepping up to the lines marking the Repeated Side Steps as the one who waved at her when she first entered the classroom. Nedzu calls him Ido. He brushes the wavy brown hair out of his face and takes a deep breath. He jumps to the side and blurs. Himiko can't tell what's happening; it's like he's vibrating in place for a moment, then he touches the ground and springs off again into another blur. The principal calls 'time' and marks down 1,652 jumps.
"He what." Wani says. Himiko gulps.
She's still wary of drinking blood again. She was fine after drinking Hari's, but, well, she doesn't know whyshe was fine. She's not willing to push herself further. Not here in front of everyone.
"At least it isn't a competition?" she says weakly.
The Distance Run is an endurance challenge. Himiko isn't planning on using her Quirk any more for these tests, but she probably wouldn't want to on this one anyway. She doesn't know where anyone else stands endurance-wise.
It isn't until Wani outlasts everyone else that Himiko realizes she was the obvious choice. At least Himiko does the best at the Seated Toe Touch. She's always been flexible.
The more muscular members of Class Z soon turn the Sit Ups into a contest. Inazuma, Wani, Utsuwa, and surprisingly Ekitai—who used her Quirk to quickly reposition her body—lasted the longest. Eventually, Ekitai's Quirk pushed her ahead of the others.
Himiko assumes the final test, the Ball Throw, will be dominated by Utsuwa the same way he did the Standing Long Jump. She's surprised when he instead fires a dagger out of his palm at high speed, the ball stabbed into the end. Nedzu holds up a 134 Meter score.
The next student the principal calls, Haguruma, doesn't look physically impressive to Himiko. She's reminded a little of mom, actually. Then the ball rises from Haguruma's hand and launches. Himiko's mouth gapes until Nedzu shows her score, 488 Meters, and she regains her composure.
"Well, that was exciting!" Nedzu says once everyone finishes the Ball Throw. "I saw a lot of creative Quirk use today, and I want you all to continue cultivating that! I know I said it before, but it bears repeating: even those of you aiming for courses outside of our Hero track will find a deep understanding of your Quirk vital. This should conclude our first period, which means we're moving to our Support lessons! Don't bother showering or changing just yet; there will be oil and grease where we're going!"
By the end of the day, Himiko is exhausted. Mentally and physically. Before dismissing the class, Nedzu has one last announcement. He gestures to a grid of 20 boxes he's drawn on the classroom whiteboard.
"Everyone, please write your name and what your course of choice is here. No judgement! We do not tolerate that here. And don't forget to look into our clubs and extracurriculars if you want more time with your future course!" Nedzu places a box of dry-erase markers on the table. A pause. Then students scramble to the front of the room.
Eventually, Himiko snags a marker and gleefully adds her own entry to the table.
MIDORIYA HIMIKO: HERO
She smiles.
As Himiko leaves, Ekitai and Heakiru run up to her and Inazuma.
"Wanna walk to the station together?" asks Ekitai.
"Sorry, I have to go grab my brother first!" Himiko says.
"I have an appointment with Hound Dog," Inazuma admits. Ekitai jokingly pouts while Heakiru nods. The two set off, and Himiko falls in step behind Inazuma.
"You're heading to Mr. Inui's office, right?" Himiko says.
"Yeah." Inazuma sighs. "Everyone heard about Aldera, raising good MLA soldiers for UA, but Tasnia, the school by Shiketsu, it didn't get much national coverage." Himiko winces.
"Your school was MLA?" she says. Inazuma nods, clenching her fists. "Like, run by actual MLA sympathizers?" she nods again. Himiko swallows.
"I think," she starts, voice raw, "I think the worst part is that I have a strong Quirk. They didn't hurt me—not like they hurt everyone else in Class Z." Inazuma shudders. "They—they wanted me to be a Hero and spread their stupid mantra. I ended up at the district high school; decided Shiketsu wasn't a good fit for me so I'd go through a mentorship program." She looks at Himiko with wet eyes. "But I don't know how much of that was me and how much of that was them."
Himiko doesn't know what to do. She never had to comfort anyone before—not without her Normal mask. What would mom do? She cautiously wraps a hand around Inazuma's shoulder and pulls the girl in.
"So, you have appointments with Mr. Inui about what you went through?" she whispers. Inazuma nods.
"I want to unlearn whatever they taught me. How can I save people if I act like they do? Like some people aren't worth saving?" Himiko thinks to Inazuma's name scrawled on the whiteboard next to the word 'HERO.' She nods.
"I think you're doing better than you think," Himiko says at last. "You're scared of yourself, but you're facing it." It's what mom told her all those months ago. Inazuma nods but doesn't get the chance to say more before they arrive at Mr. Inui's office.
"Goodbye, Mr. Inui!" she hears Izuku say as the door opens. "See you next week!"
"Hey Izu!" she calls. Her brother turns to her and beams.
"Hey Himi! Making friends already?" Inazuma bows.
"My name is Inazuma Rakurai. It's a pleasure to meet you! Himiko told us a lot about you." Izuku laughs.
"Did she now?"
"Ah, Inazuma! Come in!" Hound Dog calls. He must've heard them talking. Inazuma smiles at the siblings and slips into the office. Izuku takes the lead and Himiko happily follows him to the front entrance.
"So, did you see any cool Quirks?" Izuku asks. She nudges him.
"You think all Quirks are cool. But yes."
Chapter 22: Extra Credit Opportunity/Weapon Training Practice
"Today I'll be discussing an interesting opportunity for you all," Nedzu says at the start of homeroom. "You see, there is a middle school student on campus most days of the week being tutored on account of his previous school being meticulously obliterated because of a freak accident."
That's one way to put it. Though her classmates seem more than a little confused about what he's getting at. Why he didn't just tell them that Izuku went to Aldera is anyone's guess. Actually, now that she's thinking about it, it's probably to avoid discussing his Quirk. Kakubyoga raises their hand.
"How does this student relate to an extra credit opportunity?" they ask. Kakubyoga is going into management, and has one of the most interesting Quirks in Class Z. They can literally write or draw on thin air with their finger, leaving lines of light behind.
"During your 6th period free study, you may choose to spar with this student," Nedzu explains. "You receive a number of points determined by Aizawa or myself based on your performance, and there is a limit to how many times you may receive points for doing this per month."
"Ugh! We're already so busy in 6th period keeping up with four courses worth of work!" Ekitai groans.
"Who's the kid?" Wani asks, her head tilted. Nedzu chuckles and Himiko realizes suddenly that she is about to be the center of attention. She hides a snicker behind her hand.
"His name is Midoriya Izuku. He may also join you for Practical Hero lessons occasionally. In fact, I believe today is such a day!"
The entire class turns to look at Himiko. Considering how she mostly goes by her first name now—a habit from after her parents were arrested—she's almost impressed they made the connection. Almost. She talks about Izuku enough. Himiko leans back in her seat, not bothering to hide her sassy grin.
"Nedzu and Mr. Aizawa gives extra credit to anyone in the Hero Course who spars with him," she says. "Apparently, he's quite popular with some of the second years."
From the look on her classmate's faces, Himiko can already tell several of them are planning on fighting Izuku this afternoon. Her smile widens. She sits up towards her desk, resting her chin in her hands.
"Are we allowed to use Quirks?" Utsuwa asks, fingers lightly drumming on his desk. Nedzu smiles unkindly.
"Not only are you allowed, I have yet to see him lose to a student who held back against him," Nedzu says. The principal places a paw against his chin. "Except perhaps the Third Years. The difference in experience is simply too great."
Himiko spots it instantly. The furrowed brows; the narrowed lips. Disbelief. They don't think Izuku is as good as Nedzu claims. That's fine. She knows Izuku will prove them wrong. Besides, some of her classmates see Nedzu's words for the challenge they are. Heakiru and Wani fidget in their seats, excitement mounting.
The Support classes are some of Himiko's favorites. Ironic, considering she's planning on being a Hero, but it's true.
Don't get her wrong; the Hero classes are great! She loves them! Management and General Education have a lot of overlap outside of the economics, and, well, managing people. But there's just something meditative about tinkering with Support Items, even if what they're making is still relatively simplistic. And Himiko couldn't picture herself making something like the Cat's Cradle Izuku uses. Maybe his Jet Boots.
Hari and Haguruma, of course, are both far ahead of anyone else in class with Support Items. No big surprise, they were the two who declared their intent to go into Support. Hari's needle Quirk could sew things together that were otherwise impossible to attach. Haguruma's Quirk only let them control small amounts of metal, but that's perfect for making minute interior adjustments.
Himiko quietly hums mom's lullaby to herself, fiddling with a screwdriver. She's working on a Bo staff with additional functions. Mr. Maijima mentioned earlier that these are one of the most common projects in Support, but Himiko doesn't mind. Integrating a taser into the ends of the staff was easy, but she finds her current modification, making the Bo staff separate into escrima sticks with a magnetic lock, much harder.
Leaning back and wiping the sweat from her forehead, Himiko takes a quick glance at her classmates' projects. Hari threads his needle with a special thread he'd requested from Mr. Maijima. He's working on a prototype fabric that mimics the mutation Quirk of whoever wears it. Haguruma fiddles with the circuitry on her visor. She hopes it will be able to instantly map the surrounding area even as the terrain changes from combat. Most of the Hero kids build equipment that compliments their Quirks. Personally, Himiko is impressed by Inazuma's miniature capacitors. Fumen's amplifiers aren't shabby either.
"Takin' a break?" Ekitai asks, leaning onto the workbench. Himiko glances up and notices they shapeshifted their hair shorter. Ekitai had told her about this. A visual indicator, so to speak.
"Yup!" Himiko chimes. "Male pronouns right now, right?" Ekitai winks with a grin, and Himiko can't help grinning too. "Can't get the mag-locks to work. How's your project?" Ekitai shrugs.
"Something in the formula isn't working right. The foam doesn't expand properly. Right now, it won't capture anyone taller than, say, 30 centimeters," he says. "Gotta say, I really dig Wani's claw guards though!"
It was a project Nedzu suggested to her. Heroes with mutation Quirks frequently use Support Items to protect the parts of their body they use most frequently in combat. Wani's working on guards that not only maintain the sharpness of her real claws but are thinner than any other guard on the market without compromising durability.
Across the room, Wani slips. One of the guards hits the ground and cracks.
"Fuck!"
That last part was still a work in progress.
"Ah, Himiko!" Mr. Maijima calls, putting his phone away. "Recovery Girl wants to see you in her office!"
"Roger that, sir!"
Himiko opens the door to Recovery Girl's office and steps inside. Mrs. Chiyo sits in her chair, typing away on her computer. Himiko raps her knuckles against the door behind her, and Mrs. Chiyo looks up.
"Ah, Himiko dear! A pleasure to see you." The woman hops down from her chair, grabbing her needle-cane and coming over to Himiko. "I'm sure Nedzu told you back on your birthday that the Shields were working on something for you?" Himiko nods, and Mrs. Chiyo gestures for her to follows.
The woman leads her to a strange device, about the size of a coffee machine, sitting out on one of the tables. There are cylindrical slots on the top, and the front has a slope leading into a small tray.
"What's this?" Himiko asks. Mrs. Chiyo retrieves a vial of blood from her coat pocket and places it into one of the slots. The woman turns it on and the blood drains from the vial. The machine shakes in place, and Himiko takes an instinctive step back. Then the machine dings, and a small red pill falls into the tray.
"Um," she says. Mrs. Chiyo picks up the red pill and hands it to Himiko.
"Try it, dear."
Himiko eyes the pill warily. It is Mrs. Chiyo telling me to take it. The nurse should be trustworthy about my health. Himiko slips the pill into her mouth and swallows.
Oh, that was the blood.
That was so much blood!
Himiko doesn't even notice the clay-like slime coat her body and reshaping it around her. That was so much blood at once! It was heavenly!
"A blood condenser—" she cuts off, realizing she's speaking in Mrs. Kayama's voice, and takes a look at herself. "Oh, I didn't realize…" Mrs. Chiyo chuckles.
"Perhaps you should work on not getting so caught up in the taste, then. Yes, that's enough blood for a whole hour of your Quirk's use, condensed into a small, easily transported pill. Taking blood from your enemies on the battlefield will still be tricky, but you can use this to have your allies' forms on hand."
"The Shields made this for me?" she says. Mrs. Chiyo nods.
"Yes. I hear Melissa was particularly excited to design this. Perhaps you made a good impression on her?" Himiko feels her face heat up. Remembering that she's still one of her teachers only makes her blush harder. Mrs. Chiyo has to hold herself up with her cane, she's laughing so hard.
"It's not that funny," Himiko mutters.
"No, dear," Mrs. Chiyo says, wheezing, "It's that Kayama hasn't looked flustered in her life. Seeing her face like that…" And Himiko snorts, then joins Mrs. Chiyo's laughter.
Once they've recovered, Mrs. Chiyo concludes her explanation of the new device.
"So, to reiterate: You can ask your friends to donate a blood sample here and carry it around for easy use." The woman reaches around behind the device. Himiko hears a soft click and Mrs. Chiyo pulls back with a small clear box. Himiko can see places for her to place up to 20 of the compressed blood capsules. "Carry this on your costume, and you'll find yourself with many more options."
"I might just keep this on me normally. How long does the blood last?" Himiko asks. She hadn't been aware that blood spoiled before her new life. Blood was a taboo in her old house.
"Those Shields are truly something else. The compressor uses some crazy method of preserving the blood." Mrs. Chiyo rubs her chin. "I believe they said the blood remains safely usable for three months. Of course, that's assuming you need the nitric oxide in the blood for your Quirk."
Himiko had never tried drinking blood that wasn't fresh, something she considered wise. She bets Izuku would love to know how important that is.
Mrs. Chiyo makes a shooing motion with her hand.
"I won't take up any more of your time, go back to class dear."
Himiko forgets to release her transformation until she walks by an amused Mrs. Kayama on the way to the labs.
"Today's practical Hero lesson will be rather exciting!" Nedzu says, clapping his paws together, Izuku standing awkwardly next to him. Nedzu set up their lesson at the P.E. grounds. "This will be your introduction to the use of weapons! Ah, Utsuwa excepted of course." The boy snorts, spinning one of his created daggers between his fingers.
Nedzu gestures to a table, on which rest a variety of training melee weapons. Bo staffs, tonfas, nunchucks, escrima sticks, and of course, swords and knives. None of them could actually seriously injure someone; UA didn't hand out real weapons to untrained high schoolers.
"You will each choose a weapon and perform a basic stance and a few attacks with it," says Nedzu. "If you are not satisfied, come back and choose another."
Given her Support project, Himiko is tempted by the staff and escrima sticks, but decides to go with a knife. It would be rude of me to not learn how to use that wonderful knife Nedzu got me! She takes one of the blades of the table, experimenting with how she wants to hold it.
"Ah, excellent choice, you two," Nedzu says. Himiko starts, only just realizing Izuku is beside her, having picked up a knife as well. "There are a number of grip variants for knives, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. First, do you prefer the forward grip or the reverse grip?"
Himiko and Izuku step over to the training dummies and start trying the different stances Nedzu walks them through. Himiko starts with a reverse grip, keeping the blade facing out, and slashes at the dummy. It just doesn't feel right. She rotates the blade into a forward blade and tries again. This time, she finds her footwork more natural, the movements almost instinctual.
"Bravo, you two! I see you've taken to knives like a fish to water." Himiko looks up, blinking, and sees Izuku moving gracefully around his own training dummy, knife held in the reverse grip Himiko decided against. Izuku relaxes his stance, flicking his eyes over to Himiko.
"Oh, wow, forward grip? I couldn't get the hang of it!" he says, scratching the back of his neck with his free hand.
"Well don't simply watch them," Nedzu laughs, "You all have your own weapons to try!"
Himiko begins her stretches on the field with several of her classmates. It's sixth period—free study to catch up on any subject, from core subjects to specialized course loads—which means it's their first chance to spar with Izuku. Himiko can't help but grin. She gets to see her brother in action!
"Ah, quite the selection today!" Nedzu calls, approaching the group with Mr. Yagi behind him. "Himiko, Wani, Heakiru, and Utsuwa! You've chosen to test yourselves against Midoriya here! A brave choice!"
"Who's the stick?" Wani asks.
"Hello, Young Wani. I am Yagi Toshinori," Mr. Yagi says. "I'll be observing classes from time to time." He moves over to the bleachers to sit while Nedzu finishes setting up the sparring ring.
"I would like to go first," Heakiru says, eyes gleaming with determination. Izuku steps into the ring, stretching his arms.
"The rules are simple," Nedzu says. "If a combatant is incapacitated, surrenders, or leaves the circle, they lose. Quirk use is allowed, but I will call the match if I see excessive force." Izuku and Heakiru both nod as the blonde girl steps into the ring across from Izuku.
Nedzu counts down; the moment he says "Begin," Heakiru moves. She directs a punch straight at Izuku's face. He sidesteps at the last moment, grabbing her wrist and pulling her further. Heakiru barely stops her momentum from carrying her out of the ring. Her hair writhes into a fist, striking out at Izuku again, but he dodges. With a simple kick, he forces her out of bounds. Nedzu blows his whistle, pointing to Izuku.
"Not bad," Utsuwa murmurs next to Himiko.
"You should have moved once you recovered," Izuku says. "Staying still was just asking to get hit." He offers his hand to the downed girl.
"You… were you aware of my Quirk?" Heakiru asks, accepting it and letting him help her up. Izuku scratches the back of his neck with his free hand.
"Yeah, uh, Himiko told me all about everyone's Quirks." His eyes gleam. "I have so many questions! Are you controlling your individual hairs? Do they have to make a hand like that? Can you control your hair once it's been cut? Do you have to wash it in a special way?"
"Oh, uh," Heakiru says.
"Damn, I guess being smart and cute are just Midoriya family traits," Wani says nonchalantly, ignoring how both Izuku and Himiko turn bright red.
(Izuku would deny making a noise like a tea kettle.
Himiko would not.)
The alligator girl stretches her arms above her head and steps into the ring.
"Alright, pipsqueak. Show me what you're made of," she says, grinning.
He obliges.
Himiko swells with pride when in the end none of them manage to beat Izuku.