Chapter 17
"What'd Sensei tell you?" Ochako asked as soon as the door shut behind the trio, Himiko already flopped face down on her bed as Izuku gingerly took a seat on the edge of the bed.
Izuku shrugged. "Telling me Kacchan got detention and anger management. Asked me if I wanted a harsher punishment."
"And you said yes, right?" Himiko asked, but the tone in her voice, muffled as it was with her face buried in a pillow, made it clear she already knew the answer.
Izuku gave the blonde a blank stare before sighing. "I said no. It's fine."
"Izu," Ochako sighed, tiredly laying across her own bed behind the green-haired teen. "You know he's lucky he didn't get expelled for attacking you, right?"
"It really wasn't that big a deal, I don't get why everyone is making it into one," Izuku muttered, refusing to meet her gaze.
"...you know, I want to snap at you but I know that won't work. So I'm just gonna cheat," Himiko said, rolling over on her back and looking sidelong at Izuku. "If Bakugo had attacked me, would you be so blasé about it?"
Izuku's shoulders hunched, the teenager refusing to turn around and look at Himiko. The blonde shared a significant look with Ochako, the other girl rolling her eyes. Ochako reached out with one hand to grab Izuku's tail, causing them to jump in startled shock as she began to gently stroke it. "What about if it was me? Would you say his punishment was too harsh?"
She could see Izuku's fist clench, the feeling of an instinctual rejection to the thought followed by annoyance at how she was twisting things back on them coming across the bond very clearly, but honestly, she didn't care much. Izuku was very important to her, but she wasn't going to just let them keep doing this weird hero worship of the guy who told them to jump off a fucking roof. And she wasn't going to hide it from them, making sure her feelings were loud and clear across the bond…which apparently was too much for Izuku to ignore anymore, as they spun about to glare at the two of them.
"I thought we were trying to be respectful of each other's personal stuff," Izuku hissed.
"We are. But nothing you say or do is gonna make me respect that asshole," Himiko retorted.
"He's not that bad! He really isn't! I told you, it's not a big deal, I'm not import-"
"Izu, you promised," Ochako cut them off, making Izuku's mouth snap shut with an audible click as their fangs clinked off one another. She sighed, her fingers still gently stroking the fur on their tail. "Please, Izu…I know it's hard, but please. Try to see where we're coming from. Maybe you don't think you're important, but you are to us. Don't our feelings matter?"
"O-of course they do, it's just…it…" Izuku visibly struggled, before they fell backwards onto the bed, barely missing landing on Ochako as they sprawled out on the bed. They rubbed their face with their hands. "...I don't know," they managed to mutter.
Himiko rolled once, twice, too lazy to actually get up but wanting to be close enough to reach out and touch Izuku, her hands now rubbing Izuku's ears and making the green-haired teenager relax into the bed, humming softly. "Okay. Just as long as you try, okay?"
"...yeah," Izuku breathed out, eyes closed as they enjoyed the feeling of Himiko's hands on their ears.
Ochako snorted, having moved her hand away from the falling Izuku so as not to get trapped by them laying back. "This whole cat thing has its upsides too, I guess." She couldn't help but grin as Izuku shuffled slightly, pressing their head further into Himiko's hand, the blonde giggling. Izuku grumbled, but didn't disagree, still happy to let Himiko gently pet their ears.
Ochako closed her eyes to relax for a moment, only to get startled by a hand now on her head, rubbing her ears and making her melt back into the bed. Idly she realized that must be Himiko, as Izuku was in no position to focus on it, but those thoughts vanished moments later as she felt the gentle scritches at the base of her ear, sending tingles down her spine. No need for thoughts, just a nice, relaxing moment where she could pretend like today didn't suck.
"...kinda jealous of cats now," Ochako managed to mumble, hearing the agreeing hum from Izuku. Himiko giggled at them, still gently running her fingers through the other two teens' hair as she continued her ministrations. There was a brief pause in the pets, making Ochako whine unwillingly, before Himiko continued.
"Izu?" Himiko asked softly, not stopping the motion of her hands, but even in the daze she was under, Ochako noted a sound of nervousness in Himiko's voice that made her open half-lidded eyes to look up at her friend.
"Hmm?" Izuku responded, their own eyes flickering open slightly.
Himiko took a deep breath. "C-can I ask a um…personal question?" Izuku tilted their head to the side, but nodded silently, their full attention on the blonde now. Ochako had given hers as well, curious what Himiko had to ask. Himiko squirmed in place, before speaking. "I've um, been wondering this since the other day, and it's okay if you don't wanna answer, but…um…is the reason you've got so much first aid stuff and know how to use it so well um, cause of-"
"Yeah," Izuku cut her off with a gentle smile that didn't reach their eyes. They sighed, sitting upright and gently shaking Himiko's hand off their head before turning to face her fully. With their legs crossed on the bed, leaning forward on their elbows, they shrugged. "I um…I didn't wanna bother Mom, so…I figured out how to patch myself up after things. Mom always had a lot of medical stuff from her work, you know, she's still a nurse, so…it wasn't that hard to get a hold of things. And um, I was able to find the other stuff I needed when it was uh…bad."
Ochako rolled over to face them, looking up at them in concern. "How bad is bad?"
"...I had to figure out how to do stitches on myself a couple times. It's uh, not easy heh," Izuku shrugged, letting out a humorless breathy laugh.
It took a lot of effort for Ochako not to snap at how casually Izuku just…said that. Even under the calming effect of Himiko's ministrations, she just hated how they offhandedly laughed at the thought of them actually stitching themselves up on their own…especially with a nurse as a mother! She slammed the anger down, knowing they could feel the surge of it within her as the other two flinched, taking a deep breath to calm herself. She wasn't mad atIzuku, she was mad at the very world itself that put them in the situation where they couldn't even reach out to their own mother. But her being mad at the world still meant she was mad and they had to suffer her emotional whiplash, so she did her best to reel it in.
"Long as we're here, you're gonna go to Recovery Girl for stuff like that from now on, right?" Ochako asked, managing to keep her voice level.
Izuku paused for a moment as if considering, before nodding. "Y-yeah. I will. I…I know."
"You know what?" Himiko asked.
They sighed. "I know I shouldn't be doing that myself," they grumbled, refusing to meet either of the girls' eyes.
Himiko nodded. "Okay. So long as you know." She paused for a moment, before gently rubbing Izuku's ears once more, modulating her tone to a softer one. "I'm not trying to be mean about it, you know that, right?"
"...yeah Himi, I know. It's just…difficult, for me, sometimes," Izuku replied quietly.
"That's why we're here, to help with that," Himiko said with a soft smile, her fangs peeking through her lips.
"What she said,'' Ochako added, reaching next to her to grab Izuku's hand and squeeze it. Izuku turned their head and gave her a half smile, squeezing her hand back. The room lapsed into silence after that, Himiko gently running her fingers through Ochako and Izuku's hair as she stroked her fingers across their ears, the duo relaxing into the bed. This was the most comfortable they had felt the entire day, for once feeling slightly relieved.
The relaxed feeling vanished as a gentle, almost timid knock resounded on the door, making the trio all glance up. Izuku sat up swiftly, the fur on their ears sticking up as the ears laid back instinctively. Himiko clambered off the bed, eyes narrowed as she approached the door, opening it just a crack to see the tall teen they had met earlier, Yaoyorozu standing there with a sheepish smile. "Yeah?" Himiko asked, confused why she was there.
"Forgive me for disturbing you, but we've, well, Sato, has just finished cooking dinner for the class and we wanted to ask if you, Midoriya, and Uraraka will be joining us? I wasn't able to find Midoriya though…" Yaoyorozu mused, looking off to the side as if she was contemplating something.
Himiko giggled, covering her mouth after a moment. She turned around to look at the other two, getting a nod from both, before she opened the door fully and revealed the other two sitting in the bed, their heads tilted to the side as they looked at the taller dark-haired teenager.
"O-oh, there you are! Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt anything, I just-"
"We heard you," Ochako cut her off, the smile on her face telling Yaoyorozu it was fine.
Izuku offered their own smile, nodding at her. "Thanks for letting us know. We'll um, be down in a bit."
"Wonderful! I was hoping we could get to know one another a little bit better during dinner, so this is perfect! I'll see you three downstairs shortly!" Yaoyoruzu's grin was blinding as she clasped her hands together, turning about and heading down the hallway with a spring in her step. Himiko giggled again, before closing the door and turning about to the other two, already aware of what they needed to do due to the feelings that had roared across the bond as soon as Izuku had confirmed them going.
"'Chako-" Himiko began, cut off by the brunette raising her slightly shaking hand.
"I-I know. I remember the deal. I just…it's really…I don't want them to see anything," she whispered, curling in on herself.
"Sit between us, and we'll make sure your portions are small, okay?" Izuku offered, immediately reaching out to grab Ochako's hand and rubbing their thumb across the back of her knuckles.
"They'll be too easy chattering to notice, and we can just say you're not hungry if it comes up," Himiko added, crossing the room to sit on Ochako's other side, wrapping her arms around the brunette's waist and hugging her tightly from the side.
"Are you sure they won't realize it? You said it yourself, people will notice-"
"If you eat nothing," Izuku interrupted. They reached out, their free hand touching the bottom of her chin and lifting it so she would meet their gaze. "We know how hard this is for you. Gotta start small and work our way up. It's okay. We'll keep the attention off you and be with you the whole time. No one will suspect a thing, we'll make sure of that."
"...you promise?"
Himiko nodded gravely. "We promise, right Izu?"
"Yes. We promise. We got your back, 'Chako, no matter what."
Ochako swallowed thickly, her mouth feeling dry as a desert, but knowing she had to confront this. She could do this. She was Ochako Uraraka, a hero student, she could do this…for them. "Okay. Let's go downstairs."
She couldn't do this. She couldn't possibly keep this up. She felt so sick, so nauseous, her entire stomach kept roiling over and over again, making her feel like she was one step away from vomiting all over the table in front of everyone. The room was beginning to feel too hot, the perpetual cold she was accustomed to beginning to be burned away by a sudden painful flush under her skin, sweat dripping down her back as she bit her lip and clenched her fingers around her chopsticks.
It had started out fine. They had taken a few moments to go around the table, introducing themselves one by one. Izuku had made sure that Ochako went early, so when they left to get her plate, no one was paying attention to it, or to the fact Izuku had put less than half the amount anyone else was doing. A simple meal of curry, covering a small bit of rice, something she should be okay eating. And she'd felt so cared for when she noticed the single mochi Himiko had snuck onto her plate, the fact Himiko remembered her favorite dessert.
But every bite tasted of ashes, and every time she picked up another morsel it had been heavy, as if she'd applied her increased gravity to her utensils. She didn't even get why she was reacting so badly, she'd had breakfast this morning just fine! It had been a bit of a struggle but it was nowhere near as bad as now. She was going to be sick, they were all going to notice and they'd know and they'd judge her and-
"Chako?" Izuku whispered in her ear, drawing her gaze up to theirs. They were blurry in her vision, her hands trembling, the worry alight in the green making her feel even worse. She wanted to swallow to clear her throat, or reply somehow, but she feared if she even twitched the wrong way she'd lose control. "Chako…your Quirk," Izuku said softly, one hand gesturing to the tabletop. She glanced down to where Izuku's hand was pointing and eyes went wide…the plates were hovering an inch over the table. She let her gaze sweep over the rest of the room, seeing that the other plates were just barely hovering, any empty one slightly higher than the other. No one seemed to have noticed yet, too busy enthralled by a story Ashido was enthusiastically retelling, but she was so afraid.
It hit her like a bolt of lightning, stealing her air and making her feel the food, heavy and painful in her stomach, begin to bubble back up. She slammed her hands to the table and leapt to her feet, tapping her fingers together instinctively as she ran, fleeing to the bathroom and ignoring the sudden confused noises behind her. As she went, she felt more than saw Himiko bolt after her, heard Izuku leap to their feet and begin to explain she sometimes got sick thanks to her Quirk and that it was fine, no need to worry, their voice calming and soft as they pulled the class's attention to them.
She lost the sound of their voice and the others as she burst through the doors of the shared bathroom on the first floor, stumbling into a stall and falling to her knees. Bile burned her throat, escaping it as soon as she managed to lift the seat, feeling as if her entire body was trying to turn itself inside out as she lost control, tears streaming down her face; whether they were from pain or shame she wasn't even sure anymore, hating every second, every single moment where her body revolted against her.
"It's okay, 'Chako, it's okay. Just let it out, it's fine, you're gonna be okay," Himiko whispered, kneeling beside her, one hand pulling her hair back, the other gently stroking along her back as she felt as she continued to vomit. Her mouth and throat hurt, she could barely breathe, she couldn't see, everything was going wrong. God why did she think she could do this, she was so pathetic, she couldn't even eat a damned dinner!
She lost track of how long she was slumped over the toilet, nothing but the sound of her emptying stomach in the toilet and murmured reassurances from Himiko, until she felt like she'd expelled everything within her, exhaustion overtaking her form as she slumped against the porcelain. Even as she felt herself slipping, Himiko's arms reached around her and pulled her up, closing the lid and flushing the toilet as she pulled Ochako against her, leaning her against her body as she sat atop the toilet seat to keep them both off the floor.
Ochako felt wrung out, hurting, her entire body aching but that was less important. She heard the door open once more, the sound of footsteps making her flinch, worried about who was coming in, only to catch the feeling upon the air of Izuku's presence. They stepped to the doorway of the stall, looking down at the duo. Ochako was worried about how awful she must look right now. Izuku said nothing, just held out a bottle of water to her, the cap removed already, reminding Ochako of how painful her mouth felt and how horrible the taste was. She grabbed at it with shaking hands, draining it swiftly, tears coming down more as she felt so goddamned worthless, unable to handle even eating a single meal while the other two dealt with so much worse.
"I'm so sorry," she whispered, pleading, begging internally for them to not hate her for her weakness. "I'm trying, I'm trying, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to break our deal, please, I'm sorry-"
Izuku knelt before her swiftly, hands reaching out to grasp hers as Himiko's arms around her waist tightened. "We know, please, don't say sorry, we know it's not easy, you didn't break anything!"
"I'm sorry!" She sobbed, covering her face with her hands.
"Chako, it's okay, it's okay, you're okay,'' Himiko tried to reassure her, nuzzling her cheek with her own, the soft fur of Himiko's ears brushing against Ochako's face, but Ochako just kept repeating her apology. She couldn't help it…she had failed on the very first day. She was just so bad at this, so bad at all this, why was she so pathetic?
"Did we give her too much?" Himiko asked Izuku over Ochako's bowed head, realizing Ochako wasn't really listening to them.
"I-I don't know? I did some research, but I'm no expert. I thought we had to start small, but I thought that was small enough?" Izuku shrugged helplessly.
"Do…do we ask someone else?" Himiko asked hesitantly, glancing down at Ochako's shuddering form.
"Not without her permission," Izuku replied firmly, even though there was a note of doubt across the connection as they said that. Ochako almost let out a hysterical giggle at that…they couldn't lie to her even for her own sake, could they?
She managed to swallow down her own tears long enough to focus on the feelings they had…the sheer worry and fear within them both, swirling around them as if it was surrounding her and inundating the very air in her lungs. It was like a wake up call, like the bite of winter air in her lungs, a sharp pain that brought some form of clarity. They didn't know what to do to help her, and she didn't know what she needed either, but…someone else did. She just had to find the will to actually reach out to her; and for Izuku or Himiko, she would try.
She tried to reach into her pocket, but her hands were shaking so badly she wasn't sure she could successfully get her phone out. "...can you get me my phone?" she asked softly, hating how weak she felt but wanting to take this one damned step on her own. Izuku looked confused for a moment, but nodded, reaching down into her pocket where they knew Ochako kept her phone and pulling it out. They flipped it open for her, handing it to her while Himiko cupped her hands beneath Ochako's just in case she dropped it.
Hands shaking, she managed to navigate her contacts enough to find the number she needed and pressed on it, lifting the phone to her ear even as she felt new tears beginning to stream down her face. Tears of shame, of fear, of sheer self-loathing…but she wanted to try, because she didn't want to hurt Himiko or Izuku anymore. The line clicked on.
"Uraraka? Is something the matter?"
Ochako took a deep breath. "Miss Kayama? I need your help."
Chapter 18
Getting Ochako out of the dorms without arousing suspicion should have been difficult, or so Himiko originally thought…but then Izuku stepped in. And she was treated to suddenly understanding how Izuku kept their injuries hidden for all these years. Her friend, the emotional, prone to crying at the drop of a hat, muttering hero fan…could lie. They could lie like a professional. It…was concerning, how easily Izuku had put on this smiling, cheerful face, how they quickly were able to explain that the trio was just going to Recovery Girl for some anti-nausea medication, oh no, they didn't need any help, it was a simple trip and they'd be back soon…
Honestly? It hurt to hear that tone of voice from Izuku. Without the emotions filtering across the bond, Himiko wasn't even sure if she would have been able to tell Izuku was being this incredibly fake…but being able to feel how they felt was more than enough. And she hated it. How many years had Izuku practiced this? How much effort did it take to perfect this, this…this lie that wasn't her Izu?
She didn't have enough time to ponder it though…getting Ochako to the nurses office took priority right now, because Ochako was broken. Across the bond, Himiko could feel it…Ochako felt like she'd failed at their promise already, and it was killing her. It was strange for Himiko to be able to feel someone else spiraling from the outside, making her wonder if that was how she felt when she had her own episodes in the past? Was it that different, or was it the same for everyone?
Izuku was a rock right now, and that was the best thing they could be. Izuku's emotions were the same as Himiko's…worry, fear, hurt, guilt, but all of those were buried under a steely determination that almost took Himiko's breath away, a sheer force of will that said they would get Ochako to help and would save her. Himiko had never doubted Toshinori's choice of Izuku…but this just reinforced it, and she took comfort in the strength and firm hand Izuku had given Ochako, half-carrying her between the duo but making it look like they were just giving a friend a helping hand. Not that it helped much with Ochako's unadulterated shame filtering across the bond, but it was the best they could do.
They made it to the nurses office without any real issue, too many students settling into their dorms to notice what they were doing. Without any fanfare, the door opened and revealed a solemn looking Recovery Girl and Midnight, the pro heroines immediately taking Ochako and helping her to a seat on the bed, leaving Izuku and Himiko standing there awkwardly…for all of three seconds before Ochako's hands reached out to grasp them by the arm and pull them to her side, desperately seeking comfort from the other two.
Midnight knelt down in front of the trio, one hand gently placed on Ochako's knee and spoke softly. "Can you tell us what happened?"
"I'm so sorry," Ochako whispered, refusing to lift her gaze from the floor.
"'Chako, please don't apologize, it's okay," Izuku tried to reassure her, but she seemed not to notice, her grip on their hands tightening.
"Hold on a second, Midoriya, okay?" Midnight made sure to smile gently at Izuku to take away any sting from her words, turning back to focus on Ochako. "Uraraka, apologies are important, but what's more important is you called me for help. I want to help you, and I will, but it will help if you tell me what happened. Can you do that for me?"
The room was silent for a good half minute, eventually broken by Ochako's stuttering attempts. "I-I tried, I really did! I had breakfast a-and I was fine! And we had dinner and it was nice and Himi got me mochi and I love mochi but I couldn't taste anything and I felt sick and it hurt and then I used my Quirk on accident but no one noticed but I-I couldn't help it, I felt so sick and I lost it and everyone's going to look at me weird and I ruined everything and I broke my promise and-"
"Uraraka, please, you need to breathe," Midnight cut her off, Ochako's frantic words freezing as she finally took a deep breath in, her face pale and drawn. Midnight gently squeezed Ochako's knee once more. "Recovery isn't a straight road, Uraraka. It's a journey and sometimes you stumble and fall, sometimes you have to take a detour, sometimes you have to forge a new path. Can you explain what you meant by this promise?"
Ochako froze. Izuku froze. Himiko carefully made no reaction but she didn't think that fooled the perceptive gaze of either Midnight or Recovery Girl…and she could already see the wheels turning in the other two's heads. Ochako would never break Izuku's trust, but Izuku was already considering explaining it for Ochako's sake, no matter how afraid they were…and Himiko wouldn't let them. Everyone already knew about her issues anyway, she'd take the attention off the other two.
"It's to me. 'Chako promised me she'd try to eat more if I was less critical of myself," Himiko explained matter of factly, ignoring the sudden searing gaze coming from Izuku. She had a feeling she'd be getting an earful about it later…but if it kept Izuku's emotions safe, she had no problem stepping forward.
Midnight met her gaze, Himiko's expression perfectly blank as Midnight seemed to be searching for something in her face, but after a moment she seemed to accept her word. "Alright. I understand. Well, let's ask her then. Himiko, do you believe Uraraka broke her promise?"
"Not in the slightest!"
"And since you two are bonded as you are, you couldn't lie to her if you tried, right?"
"Yep."
Midnight gestured to Himiko with her free hand. "There you go. She has made her position clear, and as the one who you made the promise to, she's the authority on the matter, isn't she?" Ochako didn't respond, but the squeeze of Himiko's hand made it clear she was still listening. Midnight continued. "Now, that said…it's not easy, Uraraka. You see, the thing about this illness-" Midnight held up a hand, cutting off the immediate protest Ochako started, "let me finish, please." Ochako sighed, nodding silently.
Midnight continued. "Let me tell you what I learned the hard way. Eating disorders are insidious, because by keeping you from eating, it throws your hormones and chemical balances so far off that it makes changing your mindset around food nearly impossible. You can't get a healthy mindset when your mind and body aren't healthy to begin with, after all. So the problem is…we have to start with one of the hardest parts. Your diet. As in, a diet plan."
"...but…I don't want them to see," Ochako whispered, her hands shaking.
"We can come up with any number of reasons why you're on a restrictive diet, Uraraka. No one else has to know your business if you don't want them to," Midnight reassured, her voice gentle. "Well, except these two, I assume?"
"We'll be here every step of the way, 'Chako," Izuku added, Himiko nodding rapidly as she pressed her arm up against Ochako's, trying to show some form of comfort.
Ochako was silent for a moment. "I wish I wasn't so pathetic," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.
"You're not. The fact you asked for help means you're strong," Midnight insisted. "It takes real strength to accept help, to fight against that part of you that says you should suffer silently and ashamed. It's a fight, a struggle, and it's one you can do, I promise you. I know it's hard to believe in yourself, but give it a try, just a little bit. You can do this, Uraraka. I swear to you, if you try, you can do this. You called me for help, so let me help you, and stop listening to that part of you that wants you to stay in the dark. Will you let me help you?"
The room was silent for a minute, Himiko desperately trying to ignore the emotions swirling in her breast, the ones she knew weren't her own…Only Ochako could take this first step, only she could make this call, and Himiko didn't want to let her own feelings interfere. Ochako needed to make this choice of her own free will, and meeting Izuku's eyes over Ochako's hunched form she could see the same thought percolating through their mind. They could only be there for her, and see what she chose in the end.
Ochako, her hands clasped tightly around Izuku and Himiko's hands, her hair falling in her face, shivering from cold and pain and shame…managed to lift her head, looking as if it was the effort of Atlas himself, the weight of the world on her shoulders. Tears in her eyes, she managed to look Midnight in the eye and with a sob, nodded silently.
Midnight reached forward and gently, moving slowly so Ochako could back off if she needed, wrapped her arms about her student. "Alright," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "Let's start down this path together, okay?"
"...okay," Ochako whispered.
It took another hour to have the difficult discussion with Recovery Girl and Midnight, but by the end of it, they had a diet plan laid out for Ochako that would hopefully get her body and mind back in balance, so they could address the underlying issues. She'd even been convinced to schedule an appointment with Hound Dog, the university's resident counselor, to begin working on her mindset.
But then they ran into a sticking point Ochako was refusing to back down on…training. While Midnight wanted her to hold off any further training, Ochako had insisted she had to at least perform with the rest of the class, else they'd suspect too much of her and she didn't think she could handle it if they knew. Himiko and Izuku both tried to point out that they had a ready made excuse in the Quirk accident and the fact it caused her nausea, but she retorted that if she was the only one suffering that, everyone else would still suspect something was wrong.
Recovery Girl was less gentle about it, and told Ochako that any of her teachers could and would remove her from training if they thought she was in any danger, and that she herself could as well. Himiko was worried Ochako would snap, her emotions were teetering on the edge, but Recovery Girl let out a sigh and said she would allow Ochako to take part in training for now, but only under the condition that if she had any issues, she'd take a break from further training until she was back on a better stable ground.
Himiko hadn't really expected that response, but Midnight explained that further mental stress would likely cause Ochako to regress further backwards, and that mental stress was her best theory for why the issue at dinner happened when she'd been fine that morning. Dealing with the 'Bakugo Incident' as it was apparently being called amongst the staff (seeing Izuku flinch hurt Himiko's heart), and the resulting stress and fear coming over the bond probably exacerbated her own issues. Midnight was very quick to turn to Izuku and force them to meet her gaze as she reiterated, multiple times, that none of that was their fault either, and she didn't need to have an emotional connection to them to know Izuku was already feeling blame. Internally, Himiko smirked and decided she really liked Midnight a lot, seeing her firm hand in dealing with Izuku while also gently encouraging Ochako.
But with all that dealt with, they finally had to head back to the dorms. Ochako was drained, emotionally, physically, and in every possible way, leaning heavily on Himiko on the way back. Izuku was on her other side, helping to keep her balanced, but Himiko still could feel the dregs of guilt inside them…but at least Izuku appeared to be fighting back against it too. Himiko would take that. She needed these two to be okay, and since she was fine totally fine she'd just be the rock they needed.
Once again, Izuku's ability to fake their way through anything got them passed the rest of the class, explaining it was just a Quirk-related drawback that got exacerbated, and while the class seemed concerned, they accepted Izuku's explanation and no one bothered them as they managed to make it to Ochako's room. Izuku left quickly to change into their pajamas, Himiko trading off with them once they returned as Ochako changed in her bedroom, the three having silently agreed they would be together this evening.
That same pulsing need in their chest from weeks ago was there once more, that desperate desire, and even if it was a bad idea to indulge it Himiko didn't care. All she cared about was them, and taking care of them, making sure they were okay, they were safe, cared for, loved, whatever they needed she'd do it. She had to. She needed to.
The park, her favorite place as a kid, where she could see her super cute best friends Izu and Chako! She was so excited, she was going to the park to see them, going to have fun! As she ran across the grass, mouth stretched wide in a grin, she could see them, right beneath their favorite climbing tree, just to the left of the swings. She was so happy, they were right there! Chako, with her big grin and stamping her feet in excitement, wearing a cute pink and red sundress and chatting with Izu. Izu, babbling about something exciting she was sure, in a pair of shorts and a shirt that was slightly too big, giggling and hopping in place in excitement.
There they were, and she wanted to raise her voice and call to them, but for some reason she couldn't speak the words. Instead she found herself slowing down, no longer running to them but walking, stumbling, feeling off balance as she found it harder to move forward. They seemed so much…smaller than before, she felt taller, and taller, and taller, the ground getting further and further away.
Was it always this dark? This dim? The sunlight that had been in the sky was gone, now just clouds, overcast and dreary. As she looked down, the lovely green grass was wilting, dying, turning blackened and brittle as she took her steps, one by one. She approached the two of them and they turned to her, eyes going wide and fearful and full of terror, her body looming over them.
She could see it, the blood pulsing in their veins beneath the skin, the drip drop red, that warm, metallic liquid she wanted, she desired, she needed, all of it right there before her as she loomed over them. Lightning flashed in the skies above, darkness falling around them, the tree vanished, the swings disappearing in the flash, and instead she saw long, spindly claws where her fingers should be, her arms and hands made up of veins and strings, no more skin. She wanted to scream, to cry, to stop herself, but those claws reached out, moving ever closer and closer to her Chako and Izu.
Another lightning flash and she could see it, the ground beneath Izu and Chako suddenly turned to a crystal clear lake, their purity and goodness visible in their reflections…as she saw her own, a monstrous, disgusting, disfigured hag, veins and strings and twisted flesh amalgamated into a monster, the monster…the one she always knew she was.
Claws moments away from grasping them, from losing what she was, she wanted to scream, to cry, to beg, to be anywhere but there, away away away away away away AWAY AWAY AWAY
"Himi! Wake up!" The shout and the sudden squeeze on her shoulder made her jolt upright, desperately seeking breath to scream, cut off by arms wrapping around her, squeezing her tightly as she sobbed. She struggled to break free, she needed to escape, to get away, to be away from them before she hurt someone, before-
"Himi! Himi, please, please, calm down, it's okay, it's okay, it's just a nightmare," she knew that voice, even in her panic she knew it, her…Chako? Ochako?
"Yes, yes, it's me Himi, it's me, and Izu's here too, we're here," Ochako whispered in her ear. Himiko's mind finally clicked into place, where she was, in Ochako's bed next to her friend (was this what friends did), Ochako's arms wrapped about her tightly as she now could feel another hand stroking her back gently, one more holding her hand as she squeezed it with a bruising grip. Hands shaking, she managed to unclench fingers, to let go of what she now realized was Izuku's hand. It had to have been them but they made no noise of discontent or discomfort, instead gently pulling her head into their shoulder and softly shushing her, holding her as tightly as Ochako was. But she couldn't be here! She had to go, had to escape, she was a monster and she needed-
"No, Himi, you're not, it was a dream, you're just Himi, our Himi, it's okay, it'll be okay," Ochako kept repeating it like a mantra. Was…was she talking out loud? How did they know what she was thinking?
"I think my muttering is rubbing off on you," Izuku said with a dry amusement in their tone. Himiko didn't want to laugh…she didn't deserve to, but the idea made her giggle for a brief moment, her emotions so wrung out and twisted she wasn't even sure what was funny or sad anymore, all she knew was a monster.
"...I think we messed up," Izuku murmured. Himiko wanted to try and argue but couldn't find it in her to do so. Izuku's hand rode up her back slowly, up the back of her neck and into her hair as they brushed their fingers through it softly, Himiko feeling tingles from the trace of their fingertips as they relaxed into the touch, eyes fluttering closed. Izuku's hand rested between her ears and began to softly stroke them, as Ochako shifted slightly, her arms still wrapped about Himiko tightly.
"How so?" Ochako asked.
Izuku was silent for a moment, before sighing deeply. "We…we kinda ignored Himi's problems."
"N-no! You didn't!" Himiko managed to find her voice enough to protest that, eyes flitting open as she twisted in Ochako's grasp to face Izuku. Even through her tear-blurred vision, she still could clearly see the self-deprecating half-smile forming on their face as they faced her.
"We did, Himi. I think…I think because we all knew what was wrong, and Toshi was going to deal with your parents, we kind of just…assumed it'd be okay. But…I don't think you're okay, Himi. I think you've been so focused on us you're not taking care of yourself. It's not like we can't tell you still feel like you're a bad person, you know."
"...we shoulda said somethin'," Ochako sighed. "'m sorry Himi. We shouldna ignored you too."
"But you didn't! It's…it's a bad dream, that's all it is, it was a bad dream a-and I'm fine, I'll be fine, you didn't do anything wrong!"
"You can't lie to us, Himi, you're not fine. And maybe we didn't do something wrong…but we could have done more," Izuku replied softly.
Himiko shook her head rapidly, swallowing. "N-no. I don't think…I um…I don't think you could've. I-I don't know how to not think this way. I can't. I'm…I'm a monster, I'm always going to be one, I-I hurt you, I was gonna hurt you so badly, I…I just…" she lost control of her voice, slumping into Ochako's arms as she began to sob once more, every scene from her dream replaying in her mind in perfect detail.
"Himi, you promised us you'd try, and I know you don't break promises. You can do it, Himi. You can do this," Izuku whispered.
"Ifn it's too hard to believe yourself…jus' believe us. We dun lie to ye. We never lied to ye and we ain't about to start now. You trust us, right?" Ochako asked, her own voice gentle and soft as her accent slipped through.
"Of course I do!" Himiko replied, choking the words out.
"Then trust us now. Yer no monster, yer our Himi. And our Himi ain't no monster, only the ones who made her think that way are."
Himiko couldn't just…stop thinking that way, but she was so tired. She felt so wrung out, so exhausted, she didn't want to argue right now, and if she was being honest she really couldn't…she did promise after all. "...I can't just…not…feel that way," she managed to mumble out, slumping into Ochako's grasp and feeling Izuku's hand begin to comb through her hair once more.
"We know, Himi. If anyone knows, we do," Izuku said. "All we ask is you try."
"...I'll try. For you guys, I'll try," she whispered.
"Thank you, Himi," Ochako whispered back. She felt the most featherlight soft pressure against the side of her head where Ochako was, an unfamiliar sensation she couldn't place. She knew it wasn't her hand, since Ochako was still hugging her tightly, so what was it? She decided to ignore it, too tired to ask or try to puzzle it out. There were warm arms around her, a hand gently rubbing her ears and combing her hair, another one gently running thumbs over her knuckles, and all she could feel was warmth and comfort and love…and that's all she could want. She felt herself drift back off to sleep, and in the arms of her best friends (friends?) she drifted back into a dreamless sleep.
Chapter 19
The trio managed to stumble out of Ochako's room together, yawning and half-asleep in Ochako and Himiko's case (Izuku was clearly superhuman, they were perfectly fine and Himiko was reminded how frustrating morning people were sometimes). Making their way down to breakfast, they ran into Ashido, Yaoyorozu, and Sero in the elevator…which from the way Ashido was suddenly giggling Himiko really did wonder what she found so funny, but decided to ignore it in favor of food.
Of course, now she remembered that she hadn't had any blood in a couple days, which meant she'd have to actually use some of the blood bags in the fridge…which made her realize that she wasn't sure if any of her classmates had noticed the special small fridge for the trio's spare blood packs and she was now very worried about their reactions.
Izuku didn't seem to care though…they sat Ochako and Himiko down firmly, and were already at the coffee machine brewing some for the duo. Himiko couldn't stop the smile on her face, even as she buried her face in her arms and watched Izuku with a sleepy gaze. Izuku wasn't a big fan of coffee, preferring tea, but they were making coffee for Ochako and Himiko because the girls preferred the kick in the morning…and then she flinched as Izuku walked to the small, locked fridge next to the main one and pressed their fingertip to the scanner, the fridge opening quickly and revealing a half dozen blood packs in their.
Himiko watched and waited with bated breath, to see what her classmates did and how they reacted to Izuku pulling three packs of what was clearly blood out of the fridge and tossing them in the microwave to warm. Not all of the class was there, but enough were that it couldn't be missed. Himiko was ready, for the judgment, the fear, the sudden visceral hatred, her chest tight and shoulders tensed, ready to flee…but nothing was happening.
"That your blood?" Sero asked, tilting his head to the side in question.
Izuku nodded absently as they bustled around the kitchen, tossing together a small breakfast for the trio (the same food Ochako was set to eat they were making, figuring if all three were eating it it'd make selling the diet easier if asked). "Yeah, with classes starting up now it's not a great idea to drink each others, so we have donor blood that Recovery Girl restocks for us."
"Makes sense," Sero replied, turning away and hunching over as he opened the fridge, looking for something.
"Is it okay to ask about like, what it's like?" Ashido asked quietly.
Izuku hummed. "I don't mind, but I can't speak for 'Chako or Himi."
"No questions till coffee," Ochako muttered, facedown on the table.
Izuku let out an indelicate snort. "Just a minute longer, 'Chako." The brunette didn't bother replying beyond a grunt of acknowledgement, but Himiko was…finding it difficult to respond. The class hadn't reacted at all, but still…Her winding thoughts were cut off by a mug being slid into her hand, the scent of coffee making her glance up to meet Izuku's eyes. They leaned down and whispered softly in her ear "Remember…we're here for you." They straightened up as they placed her plate before her, Himiko watching silently as Ochako managed to raise her head from where it was planted on the table and taking a deep drink of her coffee, shoulders relaxing as she hummed happily.
Himiko clenched one fist beneath the table, but…she was tired of being so afraid. She'd made a promise to try not to be, to try to stop letting herself be defined by her parents fears, and maybe her best chance was with this class…so far, other than Bakubrat, everyone had been really kind…so she'd give them a chance. "You can ask stuff if you want."
"I was just kinda curious about like, what's it like? Does it taste icky?" Ashido shrugged as she asked.
Himiko paused for a moment, idly realizing Izuku had set another glass in front of her, one that contained the blood they'd heated up in the microwave. She felt the familiar fear running through her once more, but she shoved that down and picked the glass up, taking a sip from it while watching the reaction from Ashido. The pink-skinned teen just watched her with what looked like idle curiosity, making Himiko feel so much better. After a moment, she drained more of the blood, setting it down and shrugging. "The bagged stuff is kinda bland. Fresh tastes good though. We're pretty sure it's entirely cause of my Quirk…before the accident these two tried it when we were kids and said it tasted awful, but now they say it's delicious."
"Mmmhmm," Ochako hummed in agreement, sipping at her own glass. Himiko was choosing to ignore the way Ochako's hands were shaking as she slowly picked at her food, understanding how difficult it was for her and that she didn't want attention drawn to it. "It also tastes different depending on who it's from," Ochako added, yawning as she spoke.
"That's rather intriguing. I wonder why that would occur," Yaoyorozu murmured, seemingly interested as much as Ashido.
"From our experiments so far, my best guess has been it is a combination of who the person is and their genetics, since the flavors we get seem to at least partly match an individual's personality. Of course, it could be entirely psychological. Truthfully, it's difficult to tell, butIvedonesomestudyingonitand-" Izuku began to speak more and more rapidly, devolving into near incomprehensible muttering as Yaoyorozu blinked at them.
Himiko waved dismissively. "They do that, it's okay. They'll snap out of it in a sec."
"Ah, good morning everyone! Are we ready for our first full day of classes?!" A voice called out from the stairs, Ida striding forward with a wide smile.
Ochako grumbled in his general direction, draining the rest of her coffee. Himiko giggled, gently pushing her half-full mug towards Ochako…she had enough caffeine for now, plus the blood was what really woke her up. Ochako hummed happily, sipping at Himiko's mug as Izuku rolled their eyes, preparing another cup for Ochako. Ida tilted his head to the side in confusion. "Did you not sleep well, Uraraka?" Himiko felt her spine stiffen as she remembered the nightmare once more…it was her fault the other two were tired and-
"She's always like this in the morning, it's okay," Izuku replied, pulling attention to themselves. "We all slept fine, no one really moved at all."
The room went silent for a moment, the sudden lack of noise making Himiko glance up at her classmates in confusion, seeing confused faces staring at Izuku and then back at the trio. Yaoyorozu cleared her throat. "You mean you assume no one moved?"
Izuku looked as confused as the rest now. "No?"
"Wait, how do you know whether anyone moved?" Ashido asked.
"...cause we were in the same bed? Kinda hard to miss?" Izuku replied, shrugging as they placed Ochako's new mug before her and sat down with their own plate.
"You shared a bed?!" Ida practically shouted, eyes wide as he slammed his hands onto the table.
Himiko could already see where this was going, and she had no desire to have this argument, so she was going to cut it off now. "Yeah, we did. We're adults, there is no regulation against it, and in case you forgot, we share our emotions. Izu's not being entirely honest, I had a bad dream. And when someone has a bad dream but you share emotions, it means they feel all that shit too. And then cause they are feeling it, it comes right back to me. It's a loop and it sucks and holding each other helps, you got a problem with that?" She hadn't even realized it until Ochako's hand was on her shoulder, gently pushing her back down, but she'd risen to her feet and was practically hissing at Ida at this point.
Ida looked taken aback, before letting out a deep breath and bowing towards her. "You are correct, I am being far too judgmental, nor is it my business. My apologies. Are…are you alright now, though? I do hope whatever dream you had is not too upsetting."
Himiko was now the one taken aback by Ida's immediate concern for her…she was pretty sure the teen couldn't lie to save his life, so she was rather sure he was being genuine, and something in her chest loosened from the moment he'd seemed so accusatory. As she glanced back at Izuku and Ochako, the other two looking at her with their own concern, she felt the faintest glimmer of joy in her chest as she drained her glass of blood, grinning back at Ida. "I've got them…I'm doing much better. But thanks for asking." Ida nodded, accepting her answer, as she made certain to send her feelings of gratitude across the bond…and enjoying the internal squirming from the other two when they were forced to accept her genuine feelings. This was kinda fun…maybe she'd have to push positive feelings across more often.
Izuku and Ochako were a bit concerned by the sudden surge of what the two of them could only label Himiko's inner 'gremlin' joy coming across the bond, wondering what dastardly plan she had now…and honestly? Looking forward to it. She sure made sure things were interesting, that could not be denied.
Izuku wasn't entirely surprised by how normal classes felt…what was really surprising was how rigid it was. Most universities Izuku knew of allowed students more freedom in choosing their classes, but the UA Hero course apparently followed High School conventions more than they'd realized. Their classes were all decided for them initially; Aizawa had informed them that in the third and fourth years they'd get more freedom in choosing specific classes…but for the first couple years, all Hero students got the same course.
Lunch was an…interesting affair. Ochako's diet had been communicated to Lunch Rush, the pro already ready with her smaller portion, which with some clever finangling, Izuku blocked anyone else from seeing what she had and made sure no one noticed, and with smiles and easy communication, made sure no one noticed Ochako's hands shaking, or Himiko's gentle, quiet encouragement towards her from the other side. It helped that all Izuku had to really distract was Ida and Yaoyorozu…Ashido had drawn a tonof attention to her with her bombastic personality, so it was pretty easy to engage the two who weren't distracted by Ashido into a quick discussion about their Quirks.
And then…hero foundationals, with Toshinori himself. Izuku had to bite their lip to not let it slip that they'd already known he was the teacher, but they pulled it off without issue, leading to them needing to get changed and Izuku's first real challenge of the day…not letting anyone else see the scarring. Luckily, they'd prepared for this, wearing a skintight undershirt they claimed that helped with their Quirk and no one bothered asking beyond that. The scarring on their legs was high enough up that it was covered by their boxers, so that wasn't going to be an issue either hopefully.
The costume though…that was a bit of a pain, as this was the first time Izuku had to deal with getting their damned tail through it, and since it was considered a failure point, apparently the costume had a whole specialized fabric for that region and it was not stretchy. Still…they managed, with as little embarrassment as possible, and managed to catch a glimpse of themselves in a mirror.
A dark green jumpsuit, with black accents along the sides. Slim but steel-toed boots, a red harness that held various bandages and first aid equipment, and gloves that could retract to expose their fingertips for use of Zero Gravity. They'd originally had a respirator and hood, but they had to keep their costume simple if they intended on using Transform at all, so the entire thing was made of a specialized DNA infused material that would allow it to stretch with their body changes…to a point. If they grew too large or shrunk too small it would fail, but it should handle most moments they needed to transform.
They joined back with everyone else, taking a quick note of everyone's costume…Ochako's was a fitted jumpsuit not unlike theirs, but black and pink as the color combination instead. Pink bracelets on her wrist to put pressure on her, a similar neck structure, to help reduce the nausea from her Quirk. She had larger boots than Izuku's, since she didn't intend on fighting with kicks as often, she went for ones better suited for her landings as she liked floating herself for attacks from the air, as well as small air jets in her boots to propel her further.
Himiko skipped over to them, clad in a matching red and black jumpsuit to the other two, but covering it with a long, dark red coat where she was storing her knives, since she still preferred fighting with those than Izuku's more kick focused style or Ochako's heavy grapple preference. All three of them had small plastic vials hidden in various pouches on their person, holding a few vials of donated blood from their various teachers for use. They'd considered asking their classmates at one point, but decided against it for now.
Idly, Izuku noted some of the other costumes…Ida, in a full set of armor that Izuku wondered what it was made of considering how easily Ida was moving about. Yaoyorozu, a jumpsuit very similar to theirs, save her arms were entirely bare and she had a visor wrapped about her head. They…had no clue what Hagakure had on, because she was completely invisible, but whatever it was it seemed to work with her Quirk. Kirishima had a red harness around a nearly skin tight black vest beneath it, another DNA costume as far as Izuku had heard, and…what the hell was Todoroki wearing? They couldn't help but blink at the weird ice(?) covering that was over their left side.
Their musings were interrupted by Toshinori, the bombastic hero drawing everyone's attention to him with some comments about how they looked in their costumes…Izuku couldn't help preening slightly as their hero complimented everyone…only to suddenly be wracked with nerves as they, along with Himiko and Ochako, were called forward.
"Now, as you are all aware, these three had a Quirk accident and it allows them access to each other's Quirks as well. But it also had one other side effect, and as you're all going to be classmates together, it's important you all learn how to deal with it. Midoriya, please activate your Quirk for me." Toshinori asked, making Izuku realize what he intended on having the trio do.
Izuku bit their lip, unsure about causing panic first thing, but did as was asked, activating Full Cowling at 20%. Not their cap, but more than enough for this demonstration and yeah, it was obvious right then and there. All but three people flinched as the lightning sparked around Izuku…Todoroki, Tsuyu, and Tokoyami all seemed unaffected…but then Ochako lit up at Toshinori's insistence, and both Todoroki and Tokoyami flinched, while the rest of the class seemed even more unsettled. Ashido was now trying not to look like she was hiding behind Kirishima, who had subconsciously moved in front of her and Aoyama. They couldn't see it, but they heard Hagakure let out a squeak and a shuffle of noise as she clearly stepped back.
Toshinori waited for a moment to see if they could calm themselves, waiting until everyone seemed to slowly get back to a more stable position, before speaking softly. "The effect multiplies as each one of them activates their power. Now, in a moment, I will have young Himiko activate hers. This will frighten you. But it is important to learn how to manage this fear. Many other people have Quirks that can cause similar effects, and with a strong enough will, you can defeat some of them. Some cannot be so easily dealt with, but it still will be good practice. Now, is everyone ready?" Toshinori waited for the rather hesitant acknowledgements, before turning to Himiko and giving her a nod.
As the golden strands lifted off her skin and the blood-red threads intertwined amongst them, Izuku themselves flinched as fully half the class took multiple steps back…Aoyama fell backwards onto his rear, Sato almost tripped trying to backpedal, a half-hearted wall of ice began to grow up from Todoroki's feet as he reacted to the surge of power. And yet, Izuku's eyes were stuck on the one person who had yet to flinch or react poorly…Tsuyu, still standing there, a placid expression on her face as she reached down to help lift Aoyama to his feet.
Toshinori was apparently as surprised as Izuku, tilting his head at her. "I'm impressed, young Asui! Are you unaffected, or is it something else?"
"I've got some animal instincts myself, ribbit. And mine say they are predators, but not ones that are going to hurt me. Honestly, I feel safer when they do that, ribbit. It reminds me of how you feel to be around," she replied with a shrug.
Toshinori barely held back a cough, Izuku's eyes widening as they glanced to the side, Himiko's barely audible giggle making them elbow her gently in the side, Himiko turning around and sticking her tongue out at Izuku in response. And that little moment of levity seemed to break some of the tension in the room, the others finally seeming to get themselves under better control, though it was clear they were still hesitant.
Toshinori clapped his hands. "Well then, now that we're all established this will occur, it's time for some training! Now, I imagine most of you have not had a ton of combat training, and that's fine. We're going to start today by figuring out your baseline, with one on one sparring! It's alright to win or lose, what matters is figuring out where you are at and we'll be able to work from there. How many of you have had actual combat training?"
The trio raised their hands, as well as Yaoyorozu, Todoroki, Ida, Kendo, Shinso, and Ashido. Toshinori nods. "Nine of you, not bad, we can-"
"Ten!" Hagakure's voice calls out. "I raised my hand too!" There was a beat of silence in the room as everyone contemplated that, and then they heard a sheepish giggle from her. "...right. Forgot I wasn't in my uniform. Um, yeah, sorry. I took mixed martial arts classes growing up. Mom said beating people up while invisible would be really useful if I wanted to be a hero!"
"Well…she wasn't wrong," Toshinori replied with a hearty guffaw. "Still, this is excellent then! Ten of you means we'll pair you up, and we'll have the rest of you pair off with one another! So let's see…"
Todoroki raised his hand. "May I request a spar?"
"By all means, do you have someone you'd like to challenge specifically?" Toshinori asked. Todoroki silently pointed towards Izuku. Izuku blinked, taken aback, a bit confused as to why he would challenge them right off the bat. But…well, they may as well see how well they did against them. Toshinori clapped his hands together. "That works for me! Let's see…we'll have you two go last, in fact, as I want to test each of those without training first. Let's have…hmm…Kirishima, you and Sato first up. Let's see how you do!"
The spars had gone fairly well, Izuku felt. They'd really enjoyed getting to watch everyone's Quirk's in action too! Kirishima managed to outlast Sato, but Sato could reallypump out some hits apparently, nearly wrecking an office building next to their sparring location in the Battle Ground B they were at. Sero was…pretty much destroyed by Tokoyami, Dark Shadow apparently being utterly overpowering with how quickly it wrecked the entire area. Aoyama gamely held his own versus Tsuyu, but she quickly outpaced his ability to fire multiple shots.
Koda…really couldn't do much versus Jiro, the shorter teenager able to drown out his calls for help with her Quirk. Shoji was able to resist the big blast from Kaminari, just barely managing to stay standing when he captured the electric blonde.
When it came to the ones with combat training, it was much more even so far. Ida took on Yaoyorozu, and though he was able to outspeed her, she managed to catch him up with a clever trap she laid while defending herself from his incessant attacks. Ashido took on Hagakure, and to say the match was a close one would be underselling it. Ashido had spun about, flinging as many droplets of her Quirk out as possible to try and catch Hagakure, and just enough landed that she negated Hagakure's main advantage…but the invisible teen had not been lying about her training.
Izuku was able to piece together that Ashido had trained in some sort of fighting style that was heavy on mobility and almost dancelike motions, but Hagakure had focused on something fast paced and direct, maybe a style of kung fu? They weren't sure, they never really studied specific disciplines closely, but it was super interesting to watch the two of them duking it out! They were so fast and fluid it was hard to tell who was winning, but eventually, Hagakure managed to catch Ashido just as she stumbled slightly over an upturned brick in the road and pin her, winning the match.
Shinso versus Kendo was one of the most interesting ones to Izuku, because it wasn't until the last few seconds that Shinso actually used his Quirk. Kendo, to be blunt, had been trouncing the purple haired boy…he had some moves, but Kendo had previously mentioned she'd been training since childhood and it showed. Of everyone there, she probably seemed the most comfortable with martial arts, but near the end Shinso made some comment, Kendo replied, and that was it…they all got treated to how Shinso's Quirk worked and gosh Izuku wanted to ask a thousand questions about it!
And then…Himiko vs Ochako. All three of the trio had sparred together multiple times, but Toshinori had pulled them both aside and quietly asked them to really go in. He wanted to show the rest of the class what they could do after some more training, and this was a golden opportunity…so the girls did not disappoint. As they both lit up and half the class shuddered while the rest tried not to look impacted, Izuku could only grin at watching them go at it. It being a simple sparring match, they weren't going all out, but still…
Seven minutes later, a third of the battleground lay in ruins, both of them panting, sweat dripping down their brow as they slugged it out. The air around them was wavering under Ochako's Quirk pressure, as Himiko kept flipping Aizawa's Erasure on and off (to conserve her blood supplies) as she canceled out the effects. Idly, Izuku couldn't help but think that their friends looked amazing out there, so strong, so skilled, so powerful (so beautiful). The girls would have continued on, but Toshinori called the fight so they had time for Izuku's bout vs Todoroki…and so they had some of the training ground left, he muttered beneath his breath to Izuku, making the teenager have to hide their snort at the comment, carefully making their face blank as Himiko and Ochako returned back, the feeling of their adrenaline rushes still filtering across the bond to Izuku. It had been breathlessly exciting for them, feeling the other two's determination, joy, and a bit of cockiness in both of them as they taunted each other in a friendly fashion. Always so competitive, Izuku mused to themselves.
Still, that left time for one more fight, and Izuku had spent the entire time wondering why Todoroki had been so determined to fight them. The entire class, Todoroki had spent staring at Izuku, the one visible eye narrowed as if he were mad, but no anger seemed to be coming off him. Izuku was concerned…but decided not to let it impact them. Ochako and Himiko had shown off what they could do, and now…it was their turn. Toshinori sent the two teens off to the training grounds, the duo walking in silence as they reached the spot where the match was to take place. As they turned to face one another, waiting for the indicator to start, Izuku focused on their opponent. They didn't know why Todoroki wanted this fight, but if he wanted one…he was gonna get it. Time to see what Todoroki was made of.