Chapter 2
"Yes mother," Himiko demurred, keeping her head bowed as she listened to her mother's rants at her for 'improper' behavior. Not that she was even sure what she'd done wrong this time, but to be fair, it didn't matter what she did, to them, it was never good enough. She was always and forever going to be the black sheep of the family and she'd long ago accepted that they'd never love her (probably no one ever would.) She just has to bite the bullet and deal with it until the day she could get out of there.
Although…her dreams had been super weird lately and not very cute. It was making it hard for her to sleep, with how weird they had been. Every night, the same dream…a green/black blob and a pink/brown one approaching her. They always smelled so good, so familiar, so right, like she just should be around them…but she knew that was just some wish fulfillment her mind was inventing because she was a danger to those around her no matter what she did.
And the energy she had lately, she always felt so amped, so energetic, so hyper at times, like she was full of a roaring, running river that made her feel so much faster and stronger. Ever since the dreams had started this had happened and she just did not get it. And she felt so powerful sometimes, just this flame was burning inside her that just wanted out…and it scared her.
She knew she'd never be what her parents wanted. Every time she had to sneak out at night and hunt another alley rat reminded her that she was dirty, unclean, a demon as her parents used to put it before she learned to hide who she was. She was always going to be no good, to be a monster, and even though her promise kept her going she was terrified of what Izu and 'Chako would think of her if they could see her. Deep down…she hoped she wouldn't run into them again, because she knew she didn't deserve to be near them.
But she couldn't help but miss them, every single day, every single moment. She had 'friends' at school…but it was all an act and everyone involved knew it. She had to be the perfect daughter for her parents, to make sure they let her apply to UA after all. So she did what she had to do…she was part of the 'in' crowd at school, always getting good grades, always soft and demure, always smiling without showing her teeth and using contacts to hide her slitted eyes.
She never let the mask slip, never let the face fall, to the point she felt like she was suffocating every single day. Some days she just wanted to snap, to lash out and bare her teeth, to show the monster inside her that her parents claimed she was. She just wanted to latch onto someone's throat and drink them dry, ripping and tearing, becoming the monster…but she had a promise to keep. A very very small part of her had just enough hope, just enough belief that the other two would keep their promise, that she might even find them once again.
Every day was worse and worse, ever since the dreams began she always felt such a longing, a desire to see 'Chako's cute smile and hear her giggle, to watch Izu as he gushed about a new hero he'd seen, his eyes lit up and glimmering. Sometimes she hugged herself at night, pretending it was their arms, their friendship and affection that she so sorely missed.
But it had been a decade…she was sure they had forgotten a silly promise made to a monster like her. Still…she had just enough hope left in her to keep a single candle lit, just in case, just one tiny flickering flame in the dark…she didn't want to think about what she would become if that flame went out.
Two months of training taught Izuku three things…one, All Might was an awful teacher (and too nice to a fuckup like him). Two, Gran Torino was terrifying and yet helpful enough so Izuku stopped breaking his arm every time he threw a punch. And three, his dreams are really weird. Ever since he got One For All, every night was the same dream…he'd see the pink and brown blob and the golden and red blob and they'd come closer and closer and ever so slightly they'd be more and more visible, more and more clear, and yet he still didn't get it!
He'd tried talking to All Might about it, but the pro had no insights into a repetitive dream featuring two multicolored vaguely humanoid blobs. He'd suggested they try talking to Nezu about it, but Izuku had been quick to demur from that, saying Nezu was probably far too busy (and Izuku didn't deserve taking up any more time). He felt bad enough about the time All Might was spending with him, no matter how often the older pro reassured him with gentle smiles and soft words, Izuku knew he was just wasting All Might's time. He should have picked up on how to use One For All much faster, two months in and the best he could do was fifteen percent and still that wasn't enough. He wasn't enough.
But…could he tell All Might that? He was already afraid of disappointing the man who'd become more of a father to him than his actual father ever was. Could he tell him how bad a choice he'd made? Maybe…maybe he should ask his mentor to take the Quirk back and give it to someone more deserving.
'No!' he hissed internally, focusing as he jogged down the path, breathing slow and steady. He had been given this chance and he wouldn't squander it, he had to pay All Might back for giving a worthless Deku like him a chance to stand in the ring…a chance to keep his promise. Unbidden, he thought of them again…cheerful blonde hair, glinting teeth, a playful smile and teasing joke…chocolate brown eyes and pink blushing cheeks, happy giggles and playful touches to lift things into the air for him to examine. Everything he was doing was part and parcel of keeping his promise.
Though…he was certain they'd be disappointed in him, once they knew the real him. The boy who had given up, who'd become nothing but a doormat, a punching bag for others to take out their pain and aggression on. He was weak, had been weak, and would always be weak.
But he supposed…somewhere deep inside, he hadn't fully given up. He couldn't. He owed it to them, to All Might, to his mother for all her support. He had to make up for his mistakes, his failings, his weakness, and he would bend and break and shatter himself no matter what it took to prove himself, to make up for what he'd done wrong. He'd keep his promise, no matter what.
If he couldn't…
Another day, another task done for the sake of finding some food to put on the table. Not that it seemed to help…she could barely sleep thanks to her dreams anymore, and the energy she felt so constantly filled with was getting to be too much for her. Ochako was getting sick of being so damned hungry all the time because she kept having to go training just to bleed off some of this excess energy!
It was nice that her Quirk seemed to be getting stronger though…even if it was causing her more headaches. She hadn't figured out what her upper limit was anymore, but she'd also accidentally crushed something when she somehow added gravity to it? Or so she thought. The boulder had simply crushed itself beneath her touch, and she was pretty sure that it was because she'd somehow made it heavier. And…she felt stronger. Not a ton at first, but she kept getting stronger. Sometimes she swore she saw glimmers of light on her skin, but they'd be gone the second she looked at them closely.
But she didn't really care that much. She was so focused on working as hard as she could for her parents, she didn't have time to focus on that. She had work to do. As she strode confidently towards the busted warehouse down the street, where she always managed to find someone who needed someone to lift and carry stuff for them, she found herself stumbling and almost falling over, only managing to avoid it by catching herself against a wall.
Her stomach ached, another pang of hunger shooting through her for the hundredth time, and once more, she dismissed it. She'd find something to eat later. If she managed another day like the day before, she could come home with a whole five sandwiches! That's enough for her parents to get two and she could have one and be set for the day! She just had to knuckle down and focus. Hard work pays off, her papa always said, and she was going to live up to that.
Her vision swam for a moment, making her realize she'd yet to stand up straight from where she was leaning against the wall of the corner store near her house. She swallowed, taking a few deep breaths to focus. After a moment, she managed to straighten up, gently dusting her hand off as she took another second to center herself.
Eyes closed, deep breath, count to five. Okay. She could do this. She could manage this. One foot in front of the other. The dizzy spells were nothing she hadn't dealt with. She was fine. All she had to do was keep at it for another couple months, and she'd be at UA! She'd pass the exam no matter what, and get into the school, and be able to provide for her parents.
Her mama had taught her, set one long-term goal, and then a bunch of short-term ones that'd lead to that. Long-term, become a pro hero and support her parents. Short-term: Train her Quirk, keep up her workouts and exercises, provide what she could for the family. Get into UA and start her classes. Once she moved into the dorms, she'd be able to work even harder in the training gyms too! She heard UA had dozens of Quirk training places and it was all legal! And with other hero students there, she could maybe study with them!
…especially if she found Himi and Izu. Not that she really expected to. She was sure they'd move onto bigger and better things, or even if they were there, they wouldn't care about some poor country hick. She was a dumb kid back when she made her promise, and those two were bright, shining stars she knew would be so much better than she was. But that was okay. Ochako Uraraka would never break a promise, no matter what…she was going to become a hero. No matter what it took.
Toshinori Yagi was vexed. Exceedingly so. He couldn't help it, sitting in his office in Might Tower, staring down at the papers in front of him where he'd been marking down Izuku's training regiment and progress. Izuku was proceeding extremely well in Toshinori's eyes, he was so proud of the boy, but the boy didn't see it and it was so very frustrating!
The boy thought he was slick, and to be honest, he was good at hiding how he really felt. It took a while for Toshinori to catch on, but he finally did and realized that Izuku had one of the best poker faces he'd ever seen, for all the fact the young man was often very emotional. Even with his moments of anxiety and the times he cried, a lot of those were surface level only…the true emotions he kept hidden, locked away, only visible to someone who was looking for them.
For a while, he worried about Izuku's home life…especially when he asked the boy what his mother thought of him getting One For All and Izuku saying he hadn't told her. That worried Toshinori, and he insisted they tell her as soon as possible, even against the boy's protests. But his worries about Inko were unfounded…the woman was as anxiety ridden as her son, sure, but the love and affection the two shared was not faked, no. It was clear she loved her son deeply, and he certainly seemed to reciprocate…but Izuku still lied to her.
He told her about One For All and his true identity, and his choice of Izuku as successor. She was, understandably, concerned and worried, but Izuku was effusive in his praise of Toshinori as a mentor and nearly burst into tears as he expressed his gratitude over and over again. Toshinori really really needed to get Izuku to understand the one who should be expressing gratitude was him, since the boy had given him such a great successor with a huge heart…but for now, he just wanted to get through this talk.
And get through it they did…at least, for a while. Toshinori kept some of his suspicions secret, not wanting to air them in front of Izuku, but after sharing his number with Inko and a look, he prepared for a future conversation the two would need to have.
One day unbeknownst to Izuku, while the boy was out training, he managed to get a sit-down with Inko and ask her if she noticed what he did. To his consternation and further concern, she had. She knew Izuku was hiding things from her for many years now, but nothing she did would ever get him to admit to it.
She told Toshinori her suspicions…about the school and how it mistreated her Quirkless son, about the burns he'd come home with or the ripped and torn uniforms, about how when she confronted him about it years ago he suddenly never came home with burned clothes again (but he hadbought multiple new uniforms and she suspected he was just changing before coming home). But still, he wouldn't open up to her. He would not admit to anything…and thus Toshinori was now here, sitting in his lonely tower, vexed.
In the privacy of his tower, he could admit the truth…Izuku had truly become close to him, the closest thing to a son he'd ever had in his many, many years of life, and yet he felt like he wasn't doing enough for the young man. His successor was everything he could have wanted…determined, far more intelligent than he himself was, and had the biggest heart Toshinori had ever seen in all his years.
And yet…the boy was hurting. He was hurting and refusing to show it and Toshinori simply did not know how to get through to him. The Quirkless were not treated well when he was young, and he did not imagine it got better. He could only imagine how poorly he'd been treated. And knowing that his father walked out on him just for being Quirkless? Toshinori's blood boiled at the thought that he could just abandon his wife and child for that…but that was neither here nor there.
He shook his head to clear it. That wasn't important. No, what was important was figuring out how to help his successor. He'd tried gently suggesting some help therapy but Izuku had been incredibly resistant to the idea and Toshinori didn't want to push. Not yet, anyway. Gran Torino had little advice either, but he'd noticed the same things Toshinori had. Gran's only real advice was, for once, notdelivered with trademark snark or a kick to the back of his head. He'd simply said being there and being a positive influence, showing his encouragement and his belief, was the best Toshinori could do for the boy.
Which he was trying his damndest to do. He made sure Izuku knew how proud he was of him, every single day he managed to get over and help train him. He was even more proud the boy had unlocked that 'Full Cowling' technique within only a day of Gran's training! So much progress in so little time, why, he would ace the entrance exam for sure…and Toshinori would make sure Izuku knew he had full faith in him.
With a sigh, Toshinori set his pen down and rubbed at his eyes tiredly. He glanced over at the clock and let out an even more annoyed sigh as he saw it was nearly three in the morning. Once again, he'd worked too late. Oh well…time for a quick power nap, before he got up to prepare to meet Izuku at the beach and work some more. Maybe after they finished training for the day…he'd take the boy out for lunch. Yeah, some time away from training would do him good. Toshinori nodded, shuffling out of his office and flipping the lights off as he went, preparing to head home and get a little bit of sleep. Tomorrow was a new day, and he would be sure to do his best to help his successor.
Chapter 3
Okay. This…this was less than ideal, Izuku mused. And here he thought his day would have gone better, finally getting his chance to take the UA Entrance Exam! Sure, he'd stumbled into Kacchan at the entrance and gotten shoved around a bit, and sure, he almost face planted but was saved by a nice green-haired girl with big eyes, but it was fine! A brief moment of worry during the speech by Present Mic, with that blue-haired boy lambasting him for muttering but it was okay, he could handle it just fine, he wasn't that nervous (even if he felt like he was going to puke).
And then, the written exam!...which honestly, he felt like that was one thing even his dumb Deku self could handle. Scholastic things were one thing he did fine at (and he made sure to mark the requisite number of answers wrong so he didn't get in trouble).
But there it was, the practical exam! Which was…robots? Weird choice, but okay. For all of his worries, his training with Gran kicked into high gear, and he flew through the streets, bouncing off walls and villain bots with speed and precision. They seemed to be designed to fall, so it would only take one or two quick strikes to bring the bots down. That said, a lot of the examinees kept getting so close to getting hurt, he had to keep slowing down to help them out. Luckily One For All made him pretty durable, so it was okay if he got hit by a stray rocket or two, right? He was fine (he said to himself as he grinned through the pain).
And then the Zero pointer was unleashed. He could only gape in sheer, unadulterated terror at the fact the school unleashed something like that on a bunch of prospective students! He had to get out of there as quickly as poss-a cry of pain had interrupted his thoughts, and he saw the nice, green-haired girl who'd helped him before, stuck beneath a piece of rubble as the zero pointer began to approach, an inexorable tide of metal and power and terror all rolled into one…and he moved, a body covered in green lightning and radiating an eldritch energy that made others recoil as if they felt the icy chill of death breathing upon their necks.
The next thing he knew, the Zero Pointer was falling backwards, explosions coming from it, as he fell backwards towards the ground, one arm shattered, both legs broken, adrenaline only partly blocking out the pain as he realized what was going to happen. Well…at least the girl was safe, right, he mused to himself. Gosh, he needed to apologize to All Might though…his mentor had done so much for him, and he was about to die and fail (like he knew he would) and he could only pray All Might could recollect One For All before he fully died. Maybe to give to someone more worthy, more-
Any further thoughts had been cut off by a sudden yank to the side, a desperate grab from the now freed green-haired girl's tongue (idly he thought that was such a cool Quirk), pulling him off his trajectory and saving him from death…but his mind still wasn't able to keep up, and he lost consciousness.
Ochako had to accept that okay, maybe she went a bit overboard. But that giant robot was going to hurt a bunch of students if she didn't do something! Not that she knew whatshe was doing, when she rushed at it. Not that she truly understood why power flooded into her veins, why her body glowed with pink and white sparkles, why her eyes became deep wells of blackness, the darkness of her iris expanding to fill her entire eyes and making others shiver in fear as they passed her.
She saw none of this though, no handy mirror nearby to show her what she looked like. She brought her hands forward, trusting in her Quirk and the sudden thoughts in her mind that just…told her what she needed to do. As she planted her feet firmly in the ground, she could feel the very earth tremble and crack and quake beneath her, felt the air shiver and shake, a spot of pure, inky darkness forming between her fingers, barely visible in the midday sun. And yet, she focused further, her shoulders shaking, her entire body vibrating as she tried to contain the force, before she let out a shout and sent her hand forward, pointing the black dot at the Zero Pointer.
The black dot flew at it, seeming to vanish into its chestplate, the massive machine continuing its inexorable march towards them…and then it froze in place. Its servos whined, its form shook, the machine tried desperately to free itself from whatever trap she'd put it in…and then it began to crack. The metal screamed, electricity sparked, as bits and pieces of it began to crumble off, began to fall inward, the entirety of the machine imploding into itself, slowly being drawn into the single black dot that Ochako had somehow created.
She grit her teeth, her body aching as she felt the pain well up from within, the lights around her becoming more and more extreme, white starbursts and pink energy racing up and down her limbs. She felt darkness creeping into her vision, realizing she was losing control, and at the last moment released her Quirk, the black dot vanishing into the ether as she fell to the ground like a puppet with her strings cut.
She lay there, losing the fight against passing out with a smile, as even though she didn't completely destroy the Zero Pointer, she could see it collapsing in on itself, the center of it gone, and thus falling to pieces. People were safe then…that was good.
Himiko woke up to bright, eye-searing lights that made her hiss and swat at the air instinctively. She was very confused, trying to remember what had happened. Last she knew, it was the UA entrance exam…she'd hoped to see Izu or Chako, but neither one was there (and her heart shattered), but she'd still been determined to do her best, to keep her promise. Written exam wasn't too hard…she rode the bus, thought the city was too big, ran around breaking some bots, but…what else happened?
"Well, it seems you're awake dearie, how are you feeling?" a soft, grandmotherly voice came from her left, making her blink bleary eyes over there, seeing a short, gray-haired woman in a nurses outfit, her lips curled in a gentle smile.
"W-where am I?" Himiko managed to stutter out, still trying to puzzle out the blanks in her memory.
The older lady let out an indignant huff. "You're in the nurse's office at UA. You, and a couple other foolish children, nearly killed yourself trying to stop the Zero Pointer. One of you almost pancaked yourself, another one nearly gave herself an aneurysm, and you somehow climbed inside it and started ripping random wires apart! You realize how dangerous that is, you could have been crushed!"
That jogged Himiko's memory…a sudden surge of strength letting her scrabble up its back, where she managed to pry some sort of access panel open and started breaking things from within. Which, in hindsight, maybe wasn't her best plan since it started falling over once she grabbed that one weird shaped handle that said something about stabilizers or something, she wasn't really paying attention when she ripped it out.
Another sigh brought her attention back to the older woman before her. "Well, you're as healed up as you're going to get. I can't believe I had three of you. You should be good to go, just be sure to take it easy. I'm just going to check on the other two."
Himiko nodded as the woman moved away, sitting up and wincing as she felt a wave of exhaustion pass over her. Luckily, she still had her clothes so she only really needed to get her shoes on, idly noticing a strange scent that felt oddly familiar but dismissing it a moment later. She wasn't really listening as she heard the woman speak to who she assumed was another patient, idly tying her shoes, but then she heard it and froze.
"-Miss Urakaka," the older woman had barely finished saying what she said before a blur of blonde ripped the curtains away between the two, amber eyes wide as she saw her.
"...Chako?" Himiko managed to stutter out, her entire body ablaze with a million emotions, seeing chocolate brown eyes staring back at her, a subtle pink glow visible as the brunette girl began to shake.
"Himi?" Ochako replied, her voice quavering. Himiko nodded, tears filling her eyes, the nurse blinking at the two of them in confusion and taking a step back, just in time, as Himiko launched herself across the distance and tackled the brunette over into her bed, her sobs audible in the now silent room, mirrored tears being released by the brunette as she subconsciously wrapped her arms around Himiko, squeezing her tightly.
"...I am assuming you two know each other," the nurse drawled, arching an eyebrow at the two young adults who were apparently in a world of their own. One which suddenly got bigger as the curtain on the other side was nearly ripped down, green hair and bleary eyes stumbling awkwardly into the curtain and nearly falling over.
"Himi? Chako?" Izuku mumbled, his eyes half closed and body language exhausted, but his voice making the two girls break their hug long enough to look up and see him. He was given no time to react, letting out an 'eep', as Himiko's hand grabbed his and pulled over into the two of them, the three now an awkward tangle of limbs and tears, Izuku half off the bed while Himiko nearly hung off the railing, and not a single one cared.
Izuku's eyes were full in moments, tears streaming down his face as Himiko sobbed loudly, mirroring the green-haired boy's tears. None of them had expected this, none of them had even considered this possibility, none of them ever hoped for this, and yet here they were. Ten years of shoved down, pent up, frozen emotions were let free into the world, pain and fear and worry all seeping out and making Himiko only squeeze the two of them tighter. She…she saw them. She kept her promise. They all kept their promise. They were here!
"...I'll leave you three alone for a bit, dearies," the nurse said, understanding enough of what was going on to see that she wasn't needed. She took a few steps away, opening the door and closing it shut silently behind her, making sure to flip the sign saying she wasn't in, as she headed to the conference room where they were judging the students' performances.
Izuku's tears came with a hiccuping noise, Himiko's were full blown sobbing, but if it weren't for the wetness on her cheeks, Ochako wouldn't even be sure she was crying herself. The sheer joy in her heart she felt, the way it felt right to be able to hold her childhood friends, to know not only that she kept her promise but they did too…she didn't think she could express her feelings in words, not in a thousand years. She found them! There was nothing in this world that could ruin that for her, not now, not ever.
"Izu, Himi, I-I missed you!" she said, her voice watery and fragile, her arms gripping Himiko's back tightly, the other wound around the back of Izuku's neck from where he was hanging half off the bed.
"You're here, you're really here," Himiko repeated, still sobbing as she clutched at the both of them like she was afraid if she let go they'd vanish.
"...I am here. I promised, Himi, 'Chako. I promised and I made it! We're all here! We're here, oh my gosh we're here!" Izuku tried to sound strong, lifting his head to give the two of them a brilliant if shaky smile, but his voice cracked on the last few words as fresh tears fell from his eyes once more. He scrabbled on the bed for purchase, managing to finally clamber up onto it, making the trio suddenly realize exactly how small the bed was even for three shorter teenagers, barely able to fit…yet Ochako couldn't complain. The warmth, the sheer, bloody warmth she felt from the two of them, as if some hole in her heart that had been missing was suddenly full, meant all she could feel was happiness.
"I never thought I'd see you guys again," Himiko muttered, her entire body shaking.
Izuku took the arm around her back and squeezed her tighter, burying his face in Ochako's hair as she lay back, the two others half-collapsed atop of her. Izuku's voice was muffled, but clear as he said "Me too, Himi…but I'm glad I was wrong."
Ochako let out a huffed laugh, her voice watery with tears and emotion, but didn't bother replying. She had her people back…and she wasn't letting go again.
"Well, it seems we've calculated all the numbers and know our top scorers. Any particular business we should discuss before we start sorting the students?" Nezu asked, straightening the papers before him.
"I want to speak about the three top scorers. Midoriya, Uraraka, and Toga. All three of them nearly killed themselves in the exam. That's a dangerous attitude to have and I am not sure we should be awarding them with as many rescue points as we did, considering the precedent that sets," Aizawa replied, tapping on the three papers he had that were the student dossiers before him. "Also, I want to know how they did that. Nothing in their Quirk registries put that sort of power in their hands. Uraraka has a listed limit of three tons, not the ability to create a gravitational singularity while glowing with pink and white lights. Toga has a minor cat mutation listed, not some sort of strange golden and red energy that lets her rip open the Zero Pointers welded shut access port. And do I even need to mention what Midoriya did? Nothing about their Quirks makes sense."
Toshinori cleared his throat, getting the attention of the room at large. "I cannot speak to the other two, but young Midoriya I can explain…though it will be difficult for you to believe."
Nemuri blinked at him, confused. "What do you mean?"
Toshinori took a sip of his water to wet his throat. "I mean that Izuku Midoriya is Quirkless. Or well, he was."
The room was silent for a brief moment, before a half-dozen voices rang out in disbelief and confusion, only to be silenced a moment later by Nezu's paw tapping on the table, the click-clack making all of the teachers fall silent. "Please, allow Yagi to explain, it will make more sense if you wait until he's finished."
Toshinori nodded at Nezu. "Thank you. To explain, we must go back to the Dawn of Quirks, and a tale of two brothers…"
"...setting aside my many, many issues with everything you just said, the fact Midoriya was Quirkless most of his life isconcerning. That said, people aren't statistics, and it's possible he lived a fine, happy life, even if the numbers are not on his side. Do you have any insight into that, Yagi?" Inui asked, his voice a barely rumbled growl.
Toshinori winced. "Unfortunately…I think he fell more on the lines of the bad side of those numbers. Thing is, we don't actually know how bad it is…he won't even tell his mother. Yes, she is aware of his inheriting One For All, I speak to her often about his training and how he's doing. I do know his father walked out on him when he was diagnosed Quirkless, and…well, he's hiding something from his mother and from me. We just can't tell what. Miss Midoriya has told me he used to come home with burned and ripped uniforms, but after she spoke up about it he went out and bought more, claiming they were just in case…but she's quite certain he just changes before coming home."
Inui tapped his claws against his muzzle. "That is…concerning behavior. Added onto his clear instincts to sacrifice himself to save others as his first instinct. Speaks to a lack of self-value." He turned to Toshinori. "What kind of person is he? You chose him for your Quirk, so his heroic attitude cannot be understated. But what else can you tell us about him?"
Toshinori paused for a moment, thinking. "He is…skittish. Anxious. Incredibly so. Inko, uh, I mean Miss Midoriya believes he has an anxiety disorder but he also refuses any talk of therapy or counseling. He's self-effacing to a fault, and the number of times he thanked me for giving him a 'chance' is astronomical. I have tried, repeatedly, to make him understand I am the thankful one, but unfortunately, it's not gone well. He can and will overwork himself if you don't keep a strict eye on him, believing he somehow has to 'make up' for who he is. To be blunt…his self-esteem is shit. And it infuriates me," Toshinori's voice dropped to a growl at the last few words, his hands clenching at nothing as he took a deep, bracing breath.
"He's one of the kindest young men I've ever met. His knack for analysis is incredible. He's brave and intelligent and has a wonderful heart…and nothing I nor his mother say to him make him see that. Truthfully, I worry about what happened at that school, but he would not tell us a thing, and when his mother tried contacting the school they always claimed he's the troublemaker. Which anyone could see is bullshit, but…I have little to go off of."
Nezu's claws clacked at his keyboard for a moment, his beady eyes narrowed as he scanned over something. "Hmm. Midoriya has hundreds of citations on his record, claiming he starts fights, comes to class late, etc."
Toshinori slammed his fist on the table. "That! Yes, that! It is absolutely impossible! The boy would never start fights, and I've never met someone more punctual in my life!"
"Calm yourself, Yagi," Nezu cautioned. "I did not say I believed these records…many of these infractions simply don't add up. But it does paint a picture of what sort of environment he dealt with."
"Hmm…did anyone else notice that Bakugo, the fourth place scorer, came from the same school?" Nemuri asked, one finger tapping against her chin as she scanned over another piece of paper before her.
Nezu's claws clacked upon his keyboard once more. "Hehas a spotless record. Although…some of Midoriya's complaints claim he started altercations with this Bakugo. He was the one with zero rescue points, yes?"
"Yeah. Very aggressive, but he didn't go out of his way to hurt or hinder other applicants. He pretty much ignored them," Hizashi said.
"I don't want to judge before we've seen any of them personally, but…that does not bode well," Nemuri mused.
"It's probably best that both boys go into my class then. I can work that idiotic martyr complex out of Midoriya, and if Bakugo starts problems I will not hesitate to deal with it," Aizawa said, Vlad nodding along.
"Also means you can shut down any attempts at using their powers as well," Vlad added.
"I agree. Seems settled then. Let's move onto Uraraka. Do you have knowledge about her, Yagi?" Aizawa asked, narrowing his eyes at the hero across the table from him.
Before Toshinori could reply, the door hissed open, Recovery Girl making her way to her seat. After situating herself, she let out a deep sigh. "I miss anything important?"
"Other than Yagi revealing Midoriya's secret to his power, no," Nezu replied cheerfully.
"Is young Midoriya all right?" Toshinori asked, unable to wait any longer.
Shuzenji waved dismissively. "Oh, he's fine. Especially now. I left him and the other two to catch up, it appears they knew one another."
"Wait…he knew Uraraka and Toga?" Aizawa asked, confused.
Shuzenji snorted. "The three of them burst into tears and tackled one another into hugs the second they saw one another. I admit I am concerned about that reaction, but I decided to leave them be. They pretty much forgot I existed the second they saw one another."
Toshinori was a bit taken aback, as Izuku had never mentioned anyone in his life as a frie-Wait! "Oh, oh wow, I-I can't believe it. Inko mentioned young Midoriya had a pair of childhood friends, a 'Himi' and 'Chako', that he made some sort of promise with to all become heroes together before they were separated. It was practically his mantra, he'd mutter about how he would keep his promise whenever the training got too difficult for him. I doubt he even noticed he was doing it. Huh. Reunited at UA, that's…huh."
"...Hmm. This continues to concern me then. The fact he's emotionally unstable we expected, due to the revelations of his past. The other two acting in a similar fashion worries me," Inui mused, shuffling his papers to peer down at the girls dossiers more closely.
"Well, I do not have many details, but in my cursory examination I detected some abnormalities in all three of them," Shuzenji added, adjusting her glasses as the room turned to give her their attention. "I'll speak towards Uraraka first. She is absolutely malnourished. The scanner only gives basic details, and I didn't run any bloodwork as I didn't think it was necessary, but there is no way her numbers should be that low if she wasn't."
"Records indicate she has applied to a number of our student support programs for tuition as well as her dorm costs. I suspect she's not from the most solvent background," Nezu replied.
"Hmm. We'll have to keep an eye on her then, make certain whatever issues she may have were external and that she is able to manage once she's in a more secure location" Inui remarked, making a note on his pad.
"As for Miss Toga…yeah, just gonna come out and say it, her Quirk's marked wrong. No way it's just a minor cat mutation. While she was out cold, her face literally shifted into another one for a brief moment before melting back into her own. She's some kind of shapeshifter or mimic, and it isn't marked. And her nutrient balance is all out of whack. Very similar to when people with Quirk requirements don't get their requirements," Shuzenji said.
"...and you said that she and Uraraka are basically attached to Midoriya right now?" Aizawa said with a groan.
"Yep. Probably not going to stop hugging for a while, from what I saw."
"Well, it seems only fitting to put all three of them in one class then! Especially with that strange power up they seemed to get!" Nezu interjected, his teeth bared in a 'friendly' smile.
"I can already tell this is going to be a mess. Did you haveto put Todoroki in my class as well?" Aizawa says, glaring at Nezu.
"You are best suited to handle any accidental Quirk use!"
Aizawa sighed, closing his eyes as he rubbed at his temples. "Fine. Whatever. We still don't have a full plan for how to deal with those three, and we still don't know why Uraraka or Toga had those extra abilities. Or what Toga's actual Quirk is, going by what Shuzenji said."
"I believe a small discussion with them after they move in would do wonders. Perhaps after your first class, you only do a half-day on day one anyways. Why not ask the three to stay back and discuss with them then?" Nezu offered.
"I suppose. Will you want to be part of that discussion, Yagi, since it partly involves your successor?" Aizawa asked, turning to the newest teacher in the room.
"If it would not be an imposition, yes, I would appreciate it," Toshinori replied, taken aback that he'd been offered that but not about to skip on the chance.
"Very well. Seems we've established our plan for those three as well as Bakugo, so let's move onto the next students," Nezu said, shuffling his papers and pulling up the next one to review. They had many to get through, and little time. Toshinori made a note to speak to Izuku as soon as he could, although he knew he would be busy the following week. But he was sure his boy knew he did wonderfully and would make it into UA, so he wasn't worried about Izuku being too anxious. No way the boy didn't see how well he did! Toshinori smiled to himself as he shuffled to the next name in the list, ready to continue learning from his fellow educators on how they handled the classes, proud of his boy's success and ready for the next step!
Himiko couldn't remember the last time she was this happy, and she didn't want it to ever end. However, after more time than she even considered had passed, the nurse had returned and gently shooed them out of her office, giving them all a grandmotherly smile as she did so (although Himiko thought it odd how sharp her gaze seemed to be, like she was examining them even as they left). Still…she didn't care, because she'd found them! Her people, her Izu and Chako! She could barely hold in a squeal of joy at the thought.
Izuku has been insistent they trade numbers and she was all on board with it, not caring if her parents disapproved anymore. She took the test, she thought she did well, and regardless of whether she made it in or not, she was getting out of that house. She'd find a way to be free (even if she feared Izu and Chako learning of what her freedom meant). As the trio were walking out of UA's gates, still trying to catch up on a decade of separation, they realized what it meant to be there, outside the gates.
An awkward silence fell over them, none of them wanting to say the dreaded words, as the sun dipped lower on the horizon. But a twinge in her mind made her glance up from where her gaze had fallen, seeing Ochako doing the same as they both turned to look at the green-haired teenager, his fists loosely clenched as he seemed to settle on something. He cleared his throat. "Um…are you two, uh…headed home then?"
"My house is really far, so I uh…got a room for the night at a hotel?" Ochako replied sheepishly.
"Me too! Long train ride so…yeah, was gonna spend the night out here then head home," Himiko added.
Izuku nodded. "Thought so, since you're so far away. Um…then…come home with me!" he practically shouted, his eyes going wide a moment later as he realized how that sounded. He quickly backpedaled. "N-n-not like that! I uh, I mean, Mom would love to see you two, a-and she'd love to have you over for dinner, and it'd be a really nice dinner because she's making a lot to celebrate the exams, and we can spend more time together since you don't have to go home yet!"
Himiko's eyes went wide, before her mind fell right into calculations. It wasn't like her parents had a way to tell if she'd used the room, and she had brought everything with her to the exam so she didn't need to go back other than dropping the key off in the morning and checking out…and she really did not want to leave them. "Yeah! I could come! It'd be super fun!" she said, smiling widely (without her teeth visible).
Ochako looked conflicted, her expression severe at first. After a moment, she chuckled nervously. "I-I dunno, I'm not really hung-" her words were interrupted by a loud, annoyed growl from her stomach that made her flush and instantly curl her arms around her abdomen, the other two stifling giggles as she looked down at the ground, her hair covering her eyes and blocking their sight of her for a moment. After a few seconds, she sighed. "Yeah, okay. I'll go too. I…I do want to catch up with you guys."
"Great! Lemme tell Mom, we can start walking now! It's not far, it's just this way!" Izuku said, phone in hand as he smiled widely at the two girls, already leading them towards home.
Ochako had been hugged within an inch of her life by Inko, nearly being suffocated from the hug she was subjected to. Himiko had not fared much better, barely able to squeak out a 'save me' to Izuku which was promptly ignored by the green-haired teen, the boy too excited to interfere.
Dinner…had been another matter. Ochako knew it was okay to eat the food. She knew if she didn't, they'd notice, and she didn't want that. But…but she also didn't want to. She, she couldn't. She couldn't eat that, that was way too much, it cost too much, it took too much time, she couldn't eat this! But she also didn't miss Inko's eyes, seeking, searching, a dark green gaze studying her as she picked at her plate, taking the occasional bite as she tried to make it look like she was eating it.
Her fear of being noticed was greater than her fear of the food for now and she managed to choke the one plate down, the rice and fried pork sitting heavy in her stomach and making her feel nauseous. She tried to cover it up with smiles that didn't reach her eyes and kept her shaking hands beneath the table, but she worried Inko noticed something. Himiko and Izuku were too happy it seemed, to really notice (although Himi looked woozy and Izu's smile kept falling why were they doing that)but she had to focus on keeping her cool, making sure nothing got noticed.
When Izuku asked them if they wanted to watch a movie, Ochako practically leapt on the chance to escape the kitchen, and Himiko was just as quick to agree. The trio quickly made their way to the living room, arguing over a movie for a few minutes before settling one of their favorites from childhood, the nostalgia making the food in Ochako's belly settle slightly, relaxing her shoulders as she focused on the fact she was with them more than the food, than her guilt. Inko had smiled at the trio and said she was going to bed early, and told them they were free to stay up as late as they wanted, she'd wake them up in the morning if she had to so Himiko and Ochako could get to their trains.
They got through a movie and a half before Ochako decided to ask a question that had been burning inside her the entire time. Izuku…had been in the nurse's office too. And she'd heard the nurse say something about having fought the Zero Pointer as well (not that she knew how she stopped it to begin with). But…Izuku…
"Hey um…Izu?" she began, feeling worried that she was asking, afraid she'd offend or hurt him, but she just couldn't quell her curiosity anymore.
"Hmm?" he asked, his gaze leaving the screen to look at hers, having long ago memorized the movie.
"How'd you end up in the nurse's office, anyways?"
Himiko gasped, turning to look at Izuku as well. "Oh yeah! What happened to put you in there? The nurse said you got hurt against the big robot too! How'd that happen?"
Izuku's eyes widened in shock, as he remembered that Ochako and Himiko had been there for his diagnosis, had known about it from day one. They'd supported and protected him when they were little, saying it didn't matter that he was Quirkless (they were wrong but he still appreciated it), but it meant they knew.
He could lie, he supposed. Tell them the cover story All Might had come up with. He knew he should. But the thought of lying to them?! It made him feel sick, like his insides were twisted into a pretzel. The very idea of hiding something from 'Chako and Himi? From them? He didn't think he could. It wasn't even just his normal anxiety or guilt, there was something pulsing at him, pressing on him, from deep within that just…demanded he tell them the truth. He didn't know what it was, but he could feel One For All churning within his chest, as if it itself were trying to tell him something.
Part of him wished he could ask All Might, here and now, but the hero had already told him he'd be away for the week and wouldn't be able to respond to him for at least a few days. He wanted permission to tell them, permission to explain everything, because he didn't think he could violate All Might's trust either. But whatever he did, he was violating someone's trust! Oh gods did the idea hurt. All Might was his mentor, his Hero, the man who saved him and gave him everything, gave him a chance to even findthese two again, but…Himi and 'Chako were his people. He felt so close to them, even after a decade apart, felt this…this longing to stay by their side that he couldn't explain.
He didn't know what to do! And it seemed like he wasn't going to be given a chance to answer. His heart rate had been spiking, his breathing growing quicker, the very air around him felt heavy, like a pressure was being exerted on his chest and making it that much harder to breathe, to think, to feel. It was like he was being pulled under, dragged into darkness, and a second later his blurry eyes could spot it…pink and white sparks from Ochako's skin as she swayed, her head bobbing out of her control, eyes gleaming with a pink glow…golden threads of energy entwined with blood-red splatters of energy around Himiko, her eyes narrowed into slits and glowing a piercing amber.
Himiko fell backwards first, mercifully caught by the couch as her eyes rolled back up in her head. Izuku wanted to reach out and catch her, but his limbs felt like they were moving through molasses, too slow for him to stop her, or stop Ochako from collapsing sideways onto the armchair, her eyes fluttering closed. Izuku had no chance to even cry for help from his mother, before darkness took hold of him as well, dragging him down into the depths…
He was used to this, at this point. The blackness of dreams, the pink/brown blob and the red/golden one, but…that…that wasn't the blobs. Wait. He knew those faces.
"...Himi? Chako?" Izuku asked, finding his voice echoing in the darkness, a surreal quality to his tone.
"What? Wait, how are you guys in my dream?" Ochako asked, confused.
"Your dream? This is my dream!" Himiko exclaimed.
"Woah woah woah, hold up. You've had this dream too?" Izuku asked, eyes wide.
"Yeah? I've been having it for months! Every time I just kept seeing this green and black blob and this golden and red one…" Ochako said, trailing off, her expression becoming thoughtful.
"...I didn't see a gold and red one, but I saw the green black blob and a pink brown one," Himiko said softly, the wheels visibly turning in her head.
"...and I saw the gold red and pink brown blobs…which…you're kinda glowing those colors," Izuku murmured. After a moment, he glanced down and noticed his own body was softly glowing with a green light, tinged with black.
"This is really weird. W-when did it start for you?" Ochako asked.
"A few months ago," Himiko said, looking over to see Izuku nod in agreement. She shook her head for a moment to try and clear it. "So, wait…have we been having the same dream for months now?!"
"I-I don't want to assume, but the implication is there…" Izuku said, trailing off at the end.
"How?!"
"Well, that'd be because of your Quirks, kid," a voice drawled from behind Izuku. He spun about in shock, idly noticing Himiko and Ochako quickly focused on the sound, seeing a tall, beautiful, muscular woman with a white cape, yellow gloves, and a soft expression on her face standing there, her hands on her hips.
"Okay, one, who the hell are you, and two, what the fuck are you talking about?" Ochako said, glaring at the strange woman.
"...Chako?" Izuku blinked, a bit shocked by how aggressive she sounded.
"I'm the child of construction workers, Izu," she deadpanned.
"Yep, right. Objection withdrawn."
"Ehem," the woman said, coughing lightly to get their attention. "Before you three try to lynch me, let me introduce myself. I'm Nana Shimura, the seventh wielder of One For All, and Toshi's mentor."
"The hells One For All?" Ochako asked.
"Wielder?" was Himiko's question.
"Toshi?" Izuku gaped.
"Okay, one question at a time! First, Toshi is Toshinori. You know, All Might?" Nana said, arching an eyebrow at the trio.
"All Might?!" came the cry from three different teenagers, but for very different reasons.
Nana sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Okay. Let me explain."
"...okay, I 'ave many questions, but the big one is…what in the hell does this Quirk 'ave ta do with me and Himi?!" Ochako demanded, waving her hands dramatically, her accent slipping slightly.
"Well, you see…do you remember that childhood promise you made?" Nana asked.
"Duh? It was the most important thing to keep me going no matter what my-um…no matter what happened," Himiko started, cutting herself off midway through to change tracks and hoping Izuku and Ochako didn't catch it.
Nana nodded, but the narrowed side-eye she gave her had Himiko worried for what she'd picked up on. "Well…understand what I'm about to say isn't from a Quirk scientist or whatever, but it's the best we could figure out. See, Himiko, your Quirk requires your DNA to partially change at a whim, to do your transformations. Well…the fact you three shared blood uh…did something. We're not entirely sure how, but instead of your blood being absorbed into the stomach acid from your guys drinking it, it just…kinda stuck around," Nana shrugged.
Izuku opened his mouth, but Nana cut him off. "Hold on kid, before you go off into a million Quirk questions, I got more to say." Seeing him shut his mouth and flush, she nodded once more. "Anyways, thing is, One For All is pretty fucking weird. The fact it holds onto us says something. So, far as we can tell, and this is really weird…it kinda grabbed onto Himiko's Quirk factor and fused with it too, as well as Ochako and Izuku's blood that was in the mix too. This connected the three of you somehow and…yeah. Uh…you all have One For All. And each other's Quirks too, we think."
The trio was silent for a good thirty seconds, all three staring blankly at the ghost in front of them…and then Izuku just sat, his legs collapsing beneath him as he fell to the floor, staring forward blankly. Ochako and Himiko both started, rushing over to his side and kneeling next to him, worried about his response.
"Izu? Izu, hey, Izu, what's wrong?" Himiko asked, eyes wide with worry.
Izuku's head dropped down to his chest, his hands coming up to cover his face. In a muffled, cracking tone of voice, he replied quietly. "I-I'm so sorry! I totally messed things up for you two! I never wanted to take anything from you or force you-"
Izuku's slowly escalating frantic apologies were cut off by Ochako's hand gripping his chin, squishing his cheeks and yanking his hands off his face. He blinked, looking up at her as she glared at him. "Shuddap, ya idiot. You didn't mess nothin' up!"
"...she's right. I did. It's my blood that-'' Himiko found herself cut off in a similar way as Ochako's free hand ended up grabbing and squishing her cheek.
"Nope, not you either! Both of you need to stop. First off, we all came up with the idea, so stop that self-blame stuff, we're all responsible. Second," Ochako's voice trailed off, losing its edge and becoming more flustered and shy. "…I-I don't mind, you know. Um, being um, c-connected to you two, you know? It's…it's why we did what we did to begin with, you know?"
"I don't think we had this in mind!" Izuku managed to get out, her grip on his face loosening as she got more flustered.
"Maybe not but…I'm okay with it, if you two are," Ochako replied, releasing the other two and looking away from them. She wrapped one arm around her abdomen, her hand gripping her other arm tightly as she sat there.
Himiko thought about it for a moment. It…it wasn't what she'd expected to happen, way back when they did that little promise as kids. And she wasn't sure how she felt about her Quirk curse being given to the other two, but…the connection was nice. Although she wasn't actually sure what 'connection' even meant, to be honest. She turned to the one who seemed to have the answers. "What does this connection even mean for us?" she asked Nana.
Nana winced. "Well uh…we're not really sure?" As she saw the trio begin to panic once more, she quickly interjected. "We know some of it! It's just the little details we don't, not yet. Like…we know that while your Quirk's are being shared, it's still always stronger with the actual holder of it. Zero Gravity is going to be stronger in Ochako's hands than either of yours, and that includes the enhancements One For All is giving it. And because Izuku is the actual holder of One For All, it's going to be stronger with him. Like…he'll use 40%, and you two would use 30% each. Those aren't exactly how it works, but that's the best way to explain it."
"So…I can't be like All Might then?" Izuku managed to say, his eyes wide and fearful.
Nana sighed. "Kid, for one, you shouldn't want to be like Toshi. His life sucked. My life sucked. You really need to try not to emulate any of us. But I know what you really mean is being as strong as him…and that's where you're wrong. You're forgetting that the transfer to you made it stronger to begin with, and as you hold onto it, it'll keep growing. Your 40% is more like his 80%, and you will end up at his 100% and beyond someday. Not that you should ever need that much power, not with that bastard dead," she muttered the last few words, her face twisting into a snarl.
Izuku blinked, Himiko suppressing a giggle at the poleaxed look on his face. She could see the wheels turning in his head, practically hear the muttering…wait, nope, he was actually muttering already. For all the distressing revelations, for all the confusion and emotional moments of the day, this felt like the most normal thing she could remember. A smile crossed her face, her lips peeling back slightly and showing the tiniest hint of her fangs as she met Ochako's warm gaze, the brunette teenager looking like she also was trying to suppress a giggle, one hand over her mouth and eyes twinkling with delight.
Himiko didn't want him to get too into the weeds yet, and gently pinched his arm like she used to. Izuku startled, nearly falling over from his seated position, glancing up to meet her amused gaze. As he looked at her, the realization dawned on him and she saw him tense up for a moment, fear flooding his gaze…until he suddenly relaxed, as if he felt safe. That…that worried her. That wasn't like her Izu, to get so afraid just because she interrupted his muttering. She really, really wanted to dig into that, but now might not be the time, especially with the weird ghost lady here.
The black, blank space they were in shook for a moment, startling the three teens and making them almost fall over. Nana rolled her eyes and sighed. "Dammit, we're out of time. I think we covered the pertinent info though, so you should be good to go for a bit. I won't be able to talk to you for a little while, not till you get more mastery over it, but you guys will share these dreams more often. That said, you got some time before you get back your test results, so I suggest working on controlling the powers you got."
"You mean…each other's Quirks?" Ochako asked.
Nana nodded. "Yup! I-" her words were cut off by another sudden shake, a loud crack resounding throughout the space. "Ugh, fine, I got it!" she yelled to seemingly nothing. "Go on and wake up, kids. You'll be okay. And Izuku?" Izuku glanced up at her, a bit worried at what she would say, but found a strange comfort in the smile she gave him. "I think Toshi picked well. And if anyone was gonna share this power, I at least am glad it's you, and these two lovely ladies. I'll see you three again."
As if her words were the catalyst, a sudden burst of light exploded between the trio, all three of them shielding their eyes as they felt themselves kicked out of the dreamspace, and back into the waking world. Himiko blinked her eyes slowly, trying to clear the spots in her vision, sitting up and holding her now aching head. She saw Ochako doing similar, Izuku already leaned forward and breathing heavily, before he turned his head to meet her gaze, Ochako doing the same.
Himiko swallowed. "Um…guess we have a lot to talk about."
Chapter 5
The room was silent for a good five minutes as the trio looked everywhere but at one another. After a few moments, Izuku took a deep, bracing breath and lifted his head up. He knew he had to actually say something, because deep down, he knew this all because of him and he didn't want them to get hurt by One For All.
"Okay, um…well, we have to get you guys practice with One For All so you don't hurt yourselves. I-I'm still so sosorry about-"
"Izu, enough," Ochako cut him off, her eyes narrowed. A moment later, she turned to look at Himiko, the blonde still refusing to meet her eyes. "You too, Himi. I dunno why yer being so weird about this, but it's fine. We're fine. It's okay."
Himiko shuddered for a moment, her entire body looking tense, as if she would snap like a rubber band at any second. "But…but what if you um, you got my cu-Quirk. My Quirk, and the whole…um…"
"The need to drink blood?" Izuku asked, tilting his head to the side at how hesitant Himiko was. Himiko jolted at his words, as if she was shocked he'd just said it outright. Izuku…was confused. They knew about her Quirk since they were kids, did she think they forgot how it worked? He'd have to reassure her that he still had his notes from back then. "I remember what it does, Himi! It's fine. I still have my notebook for it too, should I go get it? Oh, I can get Chako's too if so!"
"Maybe hol' off on that, Izu," Ochako said softly. She tilted her head curiously at Himiko, but seemed to decide on something before turning back to Izuku. "I agree about not hurting ourselves with your uh…Quirk, but um, maybe we should address the whole you getting All Might's Quirk first?!" she hissed.
Izuku flushed, looking away sheepishly as he rubbed at the back of his neck. Even now, he had trouble believing it, even with having held it for a few months already. "I…uh…yeah. Um, I mean, Nana told you the story in the dream, so…"
Ochako shook her head and sighed. "Ya know…somehow, it don't shock me you impressed All Might with being all heroic and stuff. It's very you."
Himiko let out a small half-smile at that, a little giggle escaping her. "Y-yeah, it's up your alley Izu, that's for sure."
Izuku kept his smile plastered on his face, but didn't want to actually reply because he knew they were wrong. All Might chose wrong, he just couldn't bring himself to tell his mentor that, not when it finally gave him a shot at his dream. God, he was so selfish…but that didn't matter. What did was making sure Himiko and Ochako didn't get hurt. He swallowed to clear his throat, idly reaching for his arm to scratch it for a second…but for some he was suddenly disoriented, his head swimming. He opened his mouth to say something, but a sudden surge of nausea made him quickly close his mouth.
He glanced over to see both Himiko and Ochako staring at him, Himiko's mouth wide in shock as Ochako just blinked rapidly. Himiko leapt up to try and help him, but as she did, she brushed her hand against her leg and suddenly he could see her face tinge green, her own body…floating? He finally glanced down and realized he was floating too, the vertigo making his stomach ache even more.
Ochako slapped her forehead, her pinky extended. She stood up quickly and reached her hands up to grab the two floating teens, firstly grasping Izuku's hands and pressing the fingertips together. Izuku felt his gravity returning, realizing belatedly that somehow, he'd used Ochako'sQuirk, falling down onto the couch with an escape of breath. A second later, she'd done the same to Himiko, the blonde falling as he did. Himiko reached down to rub her stomach, but Ochako snapped her hand out and stopped her.
After Himiko froze from the sudden grasp on her hand, Ochako pointed at the duo. "Sit and don't move," she ordered, moving to her backpack. She rummaged around in it for a moment, Izuku and Himiko sharing a concerned glance, before she returned with a couple pairs of artists gloves. She held them out to the duo, making them put the gloves on before relaxing slightly and sitting back on her haunches. "Well…guess that proves you got my Quirk," she murmured.
Izuku quickly flipped his hand over, looking at the visible fingertips and gawking as he saw that they had changed. As in, he had the same 'beans' he remembered Ochako had when they were children, the ones they gleefully called 'toe-beans' and said made her like a cat just like Himiko's eyes and fangs made her like one (not that he felt left out of the cat thing, oh no, he definitely didn't feel that way.) He smiled sheepishly, clearing the expression off his face and held his hand out to Ochako. "Um…guess we did."
She blinked again, before snatching his hand and carefully tapping on the pads on the end of his fingertips, a look of wonder on her face. Izuku flushed, the feel of her gentle hands carefully examining the strange new growths on his fingers was…weird. Yes, weird was the word he was going to use (and no other word! Nothing else!) After a second, Ochako turned to Himiko expectantly, reaching out for the blonde's hand, which Himiko gave over after only a moment of hesitance. Izuku leaned forward to see, now able to see the same pads on Himiko's fingertips, all three staring at her hand with similar expressions.
"But…when did that happen?" Ochako asked, confused. She turned her gaze to Izuku as if he had the answers, which he was about to explain he didn't when he noticed something. His eyes went wide, staring blankly at her for a moment, before swallowing thickly. "Um…Chako? Your uh…your eyes, they um, they're different."
Ochako blinked, taken aback, before suddenly leaning in and pointing at Izuku, gasping. He leaned back, the closeness making him feel more flustered, as Himiko scrambled to get closer and look at them. Himiko's jaw dropped as she sputtered, Ochako nodding absently. "Yours did too! Just like Himi's!"
"Okay, okay, then, if that happened…" Izuku quickly began to swipe his tongue across his teeth, and owch! He hissed in pain, covering his mouth with his hand as he looked over at Himi. A little bit muffled, he managed to say "How do you not cut your tongue on your teeth all the time?!"
Himiko stared at him for a moment, before his words filtered into her mind and she let out a shocked giggle, the sound fading quickly as she looked pensive. She shook her head, smiling brightly at him (which triggered a dozen sirens in his mind because it looked so unlike her but maybe he didn't know her anymore). She cleared her throat and waved dismissively. "You get used to it. It's not that hard, really. But um…does that…does that mean you gotta drink, um-"
"Drink blood? Don't know for sure," he mused.
Ochako let out an annoyed huff. "Well, if we do, I hope we also got Himi's taste buds or whatever. Cause it was nastylast time."
Himiko paused for a moment, seeming to war within herself before she came to a decision. She brought her index fingers up to her mouth and quickly nipped at them with her teeth, the sharp fangs opening small tears and making them bleed. With a slow motion, she held her hands out to Izuku and Ochako, her face turned away from the duo as she did. Izuku caught on quickly, his inner Quirk curiosity and slowly growing excitement inside taking over as he grabbed her wrist gently and licked at the blood, trying to get the tiniest taste and holy woah!
He stared at her hand in consternation. "Oh my gosh, that tasted incredible!" Without thinking it through, he stuck her finger in his mouth, sucking at the blood and letting out a pleased hum.
Ochako looked taken aback, but her own curiosity seemed to win out as she grabbed Himiko's hand and took a tentative lick. Her eyes lit up, quickly following Izuku's example as she shoved the finger into her mouth, nearly pulling Himiko off the couch at the sudden yank.
For Himiko's part, she felt every single nerve in her body on fire, her face turning beet red, the extremely strange sensation of them sucking on her blood making her feel weird. The anesthetic properties of her saliva seemed to be there for them too, the cuts not even aching, but it was replaced with an odd, tingly sensation, that was exacerbated by the warmth of their mouths and the feel of their tongues swiping over her fingertips…and the soft brushes of their new fangs.
She swallowed thickly, gently pulling on her hands to try and get them to let go…which seemed to work, as Izuku and Ochako suddenly came to realize what they had done. The duo's faces turned so red she was worried they were about to pass out from how quickly blood rushed to their faces.
Izuku cleared his throat, his face burning but trying to change the subject as quickly as possible. "Well um, seems we have all the mutations in us then, yeah. Um, I think we should focus on um, making sure we can handle them before we go to bed, you know, just so no one gets hurt." Izuku suddenly brightened up, scrambling up from where he was half-sprawled to rush to his bedroom, the two girls watching him move, confused.
A moment later, he rushed back into the room, a bunch of notebooks in hand. With a flourish, he slammed down two on the table and opened a third, beginning to scribble rapidly as he went, cross-referencing something in the open two. Ochako leaned in to see what was going on, her cheeks pinking slightly as she saw something she barely remembered from over a decade ago. She giggled, reaching out to grab the notebook, Izuku letting it go without protest. "You still have these?" she asked, flipping through the book labeled "Uravity Analysis: Vol I."
Izuku scrunched his shoulders in embarrassment, but didn't stop writing as he replied. "Um, yeah. I thought what I could do is copy my notes on you guys, a-and add my notes about One For All, and you guys could add stuff I don't know, and then you guys can take them home for um, practice and stuff."
Himiko scooted forward, plopping down on the opposite side of the coffee table as Izuku. She reached out and grabbed one of the blank notebooks Izuku had brought out, snatching a pen from the pile before him and leaning forward. She glanced up, seeing the duo looking at her weirdly, before shrugging. "I mean…Izu's the smart one, it makes sense. I'll write down what I know about my cu-Quirk. My Quirk. Um. I don't know a lot, really, and I don't think you guys should try using it um, not when I'm not here, but…the b-blood requirements and stuff are important."
"How do you get your blood, then? We can use the same method!" Izuku asked, his bright smile fading as he saw Himiko freeze, the blood draining from her face, making her already pale skin look ghostlike. After a moment, she seemed to come back to her senses and shifted in place, her expression smoothing over as if she hadn't just looked like she saw the specter of death itself behind Izuku. Part of him wanted to dig, to drag it out of her, to find out why she reacted that way (and the only reason he noticed the subtle expression was his years of watching his teachers and bullies for threats), but he was worried about driving her away after having just found her again. Now wasn't the time to push…but he still needed an answer.
She swallowed. "I-I don't think my way would work for you guys. Um…but uh, if it's just for the week, if we drink from each other we should be okay? I think?"
"Doesn't that defeat the purpose?" Ochako asked, confused. "I mean…if we need to drink it, doesn't losing it mean we need to drink more?"
"Not really. Consuming it is different from the way our body uses blood. We can regenerate blood just by eating right and resting. So it makes sense, the dietary requirement is based around a Quirk mutation after all. So we simply drink from one another, and then once we find out what happened with UA, we can go from there. Maybe…maybe after I talk to All Might, he can h-help," Izuku stuttered a bit at the thought, still afraid of telling him what had happened. All Might never got angry with him, but part of him was terrified this would be the straw that broke the camel's back. Izuku somehow broke One For All, after all.
But he didn't have a choice. All Might needed to know, and they would probably need his help to figure things out. Although, if All Might wanted it back…well, he wasn't sure how that would work with the girls, but he'd do what he had to. Maybe he could convince All Might to let him pass it onto one of the girls instead? Then they'd be okay and have the bond still if they wanted it and he…could go back to what he had.
No! He shook his head to clear it. All Might wasn't like that, he wouldn't do that so he thought. He just had to work around this. Once All Might was available, he'd tell him. Yeah. He could trust him, he had to trust him, (he had no choice).
"You think he could help?" Ochako asked, breaking Izuku out of his spiraling thoughts.
Izuku started, nodding after a brief moment as he managed to understand what she was asking. "Um, yeah. I figure he can help us out, whatever happens."
"...do you think we'll get in?" Ochako asked softly, looking down at the notebook she'd been skimming through.
Himiko shifted in place again. "I mean…were you guys tracking your points? I got 43 villain points, that sounded like it was on the better end in my zone."
"38 here," Izuku murmured.
"41 for me," Ochako added. "Which did seem higher than most of the others counts…if they were being honest, I guess."
"It's not a bad score I don't think. There were only so many bots around. But I just don't know what the curve is," Izuku muttered.
"Worrying over it will do none of you any good, you know that?" A fourth voice made the three gathered teens jump, all three turning about to see Inko standing in the doorway to the hall, a worried frown on her face.
"M-mom! W-when did you get here?!" Izuku asked, eyes wide.
"Just a bit ago. What did you need from Toshinori?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.
"...who?" Ochako asked.
Inko arched an eyebrow at her son, before turning her gaze to meet Ochako's. "All Might's first name. He told me to call him that when he came to tell me about One For All, which I gather you know about now too."
"It's not Izu's fault!" Himiko protested, looking weirdly fearful at Inko. "I-its mine, all my fault, don't get mad at-"
"Why would I be mad?" Inko asked, cutting her off with a gentle tone. She tilted her head to the side at Himiko's suddenly fearful demeanor, taking a step closer and uncrossing her arms. "Toshi was quite clear about it, it's Izuku's Quirk now and his secret to share. He told Izuku that a dozen times, didn't he, Izuku?" Inko's lips curved into a knowing smile, putting her son on the spot.
Izuku squirmed in place. "W-well yeah, but I thought I should speak to him about it first anyways, but um, I didn't actually tell them, it was…a thing happened, and i-it doesn't make a lot of sense, and-"
"And it is late, and these two young ladies need to catch early morning trains back home. You can tell me in the morning, and we'll call Toshi together and figure out whatever we have to, okay? It'll be fine, Izuku, I'm sure everything will be okay." Inko's smirk had faded to a soft smile, the love and affection in her tone making Izuku squirm once more. She took a step forward and bent down, giving Izuku a quick kiss on the head and ruffling his hair. "Whatever happened, I promise you three, it'll be okay. You're all adults and I won't force you to go to bed now, but you should go soon, okay?"
"...yeah, okay Mom. Let me just finish these um, notes and we'll go to bed, okay?" Izuku said, smiling nervously up at his mother.
She gave him another pat on the head where he sat, turning to look at the two girls. "And you two? Are you doing alright? If you need something, I can try to help, and if it's a big deal I can get a hold of Toshi now."
"N-no, we're okay," Ochako reassured her. Himiko just nodded, only half-looking up at Inko, keeping her gaze affixed away from the others as she tried to scribble more in the notebook.
Inko clicked her tongue but nodded. "Okay. I'll be heading back to bed then. I'll see you three in the morning. Goodnight kids!" With that, she turned around and went back down the hallway, leaving the trio alone once more.
Izuku took a deep breath, turning back to his notebook and ignoring the trembling in his hands. He was not scared of his mother, he could never be…but he was still worried about what'd happen when they told All Might. Still…it was important to get this information down, so he focused on it once more as he began to speak. "Okay, so, to use Full Cowling…"
Toshinori had not expected to hear or see his protege for the week leading up to the letters going out…between the paperwork he had to do, the classes he was taking to get up to speed on teaching, and the fact he didn't want to spoil anything for the boy, he had assumed it'd be fine. And thenInko reached out to him in the early morning and the tale she told was…to be blunt, insane. Then again, One For All was, at its core, fairly maddening. More than once he'd been told by close friends, especially back when he was young, that when he went to the upper echelons of his strength, that it would send shivers down peoples spines and instinctively activate their fight or flight instincts.
It was part of why he cultivated his rather ridiculous persona, all boisterous bravado and wide smiles, to help reassure and mitigate that effect. It was just a more extreme version of who he was as a person…being excitable and active wasn't hard for him, it was part of who he liked to be, so he just would crank it up while doing hero work. But still, those closest to him never could quite hide the shivers they would do when he called upon the strength of One For All.
Keeping that in mind was enough to make him consider what Inko had just told him, about the Quirk somehow splitting itself, and that his young protege now also had access to two more Quirks. Even taking that into account, and taking into account how much he trusted both Midoriya's, he still was surprised when he arrived at the Midoriya household to see Izuku with green-slitted eyes, sharpened fangs, and small pads on his fingertips.
He was also shocked once he realized Izuku was actually terrified of him. He…he scared his successor son? What did he do wrong?! Decades of hero work meant he was able to easily control his expression and reaction, but inside he was truly wondering what mistake he had made that Izuku had been so afraid of him being mad at him.
Yet when he discussed it with Inko, she had no idea either. Izuku hadn't explained why he'd been afraid to her, (and he actually hadn't even told Toshinori himself), Inko had told him quietly when Izuku was in his room. He considered this internally, remembering the staff meeting just the day before where they discussed the extreme dichotomy in the boys' school records versus how he acted. A suspicion he'd been having for a while felt more and more likely, and he decided then and there he'd get Tsukauchi to look into Aldera as soon as possible.
He had some serious suspicions, but he also had enough experience to know that what seemed obvious at first glance might not be the full truth. He'd hold off on any rash actions until he could get a better picture. For now, he was taking these two out to dinner and making certain to reassure the boy that he was entirely fine and Toshinori was not remotely angry. He did want to meet these two young ladies, sooner rather than later, but if Izuku said they could be trusted, then Toshi would too.
For all of the boys terror and fear and anxiety…the happiesthe'd ever sounded was when he spoke of those two young ladies. He lit up like a sun, happily gushing about how heroic they were, how kind and sweet, etc, etc, to the point Toshi could only smile indulgently and share a similar grin with Inko. Seeing Izuku be that happy, even if it was only for a moment, was enough for Toshinori to be willing to wait and see. Besides, if they truly were as amazing as his successor said they were, why…all it meant was that he had three successors, and that sounded pretty good to him.