Chapter 20
As the two waited for Toshinori to call the start of the match, standing across from one another, Izuku couldn't help but wonder why Todoroki challenged them. Awkwardly, they offered a nervous grin. "Um…so…uh, why'd you wanna fight me?"
Todoroki, expression still uncannily placid, tilted his head to the side. After a brief moment of silence, he spoke. "My father informed me that I should challenge the strongest in the class, and defeat them, to establish the 'pecking order'. I was not entirely sure whether you, Uraraka, or Himiko were the most powerful, but you scored highest on the Entrance Exam, so I have chosen you first. I shall defeat the other two later to be certain."
Izuku…was a bit, okay, no, a lot confused by the statement. Pecking order? Defeating the strongest? They were classmates just starting out for school. And unless Izuku was misremembering, Todoroki's father was the number two hero Endeavor, wasn't he? Why would he tell Todoroki to do that? Okay, no, one question at a time. "Uh…Ochako scored the highest, not me," Izuku began, but Todoroki's slow head shake in negation cut them off.
"She had the highest net total. You had the highest gross score. Neither was a perfect metric for deciding the strongest, but I had to pick a metric to work from. I chose this one. It is immaterial. I shall defeat each of you in turns and then I shall be the strongest. That is all that is required of me."
"...you're assuming you're going to win," Izuku replied slowly. There were a dozen red flags going off in their mind at Todoroki's attitude…they knew a mask when they saw one, and Todoroki's placid demeanor was slipping the more they spoke. Izuku knew what someone who was angry and hiding it looked like (that was how they felt for half their life).
"It is not an assumption. I have to win. So I will," Todoroki replied, their tone even and unwavering…and still somehow completely wrong.
Izuku wasn't a fan of this day now. First it gets messed up by Himiko's nightmare, and now they have to deal with whatever the hell was going on with Todoroki's messed up ideas. And of course, now was a great time for their new instincts to decide to rear their ugly head, a strange sense of fear fused with an intense…something, that Izuku couldn't readily identify. Izuku clenched their fists a couple times, rolling their shoulders as they stared back at Todoroki. Everything about this was making them feel uncomfortable…but they weren't going to make any of this easy on the other teenager.
The speakers crackled on. "Midoriya, Todoroki, are you two ready?" Both teens nodded silently, knowing the cameras would show the movement just fine. "Very well…begin!"
Izuku wasn't entirely certain of what Todoroki's power was, other than something to do with ice, but a sudden pain in the back of their head let them activate Full Cowling, and just in time, as now they were treated to a massive glacier of ice coming screaming at them at speeds they couldn't even comprehend at first. With a startled sound, they leapt up as high as they could, the concrete shattering beneath their feet at the accidental force, barely dodging the height of the ice. They fell back down onto it, nearly slipping and falling beneath it, but thankfully the whole cat tail thing helped balance them and they barely managed to catch themselves in a three-point landing, legs spread, one arm down and gripped into the ice, the other held to the side for more balance.
Izuku looked down with narrowed, slitted eyes, meeting Todoroki's only visible one that was widened in shock. Izuku smirked, feeling an unusual sense of pride filling their chest. "What, thought it'd be that easy?" they snarked, feeling strangely cocky. Which now that they thought about it, might be the confidence they could feel Ochako and Himiko sending them over the bond…interesting, they could affect how Izuku was acting from a distance, that was something to ponder-
Their thoughts were cut off by a loud snarl from Todoroki, the teen slamming his hand down onto the ice, the ice changing, spikes beginning to form…before they suddenly shot from the ground, firing towards Izuku. This time they felt themselves let out a panicked hiss, releasing their grip on the ice and rolling forward, sliding down the glacier swiftly, deciding now was the time to close the gap. With a burst of power to their legs, they launched themselves towards Todoroki, the other teen quickly leaping backwards and putting up a wall in Izuku's way.
"Not so fast!" Izuku snarled, planting their hands on the ice and flipping forward, crashing through the ice wall leg first, sending shards of ice towards Todoroki. Todoroki quickly formed ice beneath himself, sliding across it and away from Izuku, launching more spikes of ice at the other teenager. Izuku set their stance and grit their teeth, snapping their fingers with force and sending a bullet of wind pressure towards the other teenager, breaking the ice spikes but making their fingers hurt in the process.
Todoroki quickly launched more and more spikes towards Izuku, forcing Izuku to keep dodging, occasionally shattering one or two that got too close. They wanted to try and figure out the full details of how this Quirk worked before going for a win, so they didn't get blindsided, but it was hard to figure when all Todoroki had done was create the ice from their side and sometimes was able to launch it? It was surprising to Izuku…they could think of a lot of better ways to use what it appeared to be, like forming ice weapons and striking with those rather than trying to hide so far away…then again, Todoroki had liked figured out Izuku was a close combat specialist and was trying to keep them away.
The next barrage came towards Izuku but was…slower? Izuku sidestepped without much issue, eyes narrowed. Was Todoroki trying to be more judicious in his use? Quirks all had limits after all…their eyes locked onto Todoroki's form, noting the spreading patches of ice across his body, the slight shivers he was doing, the gasps of air escaping his mouth, and it clicked.
"Overuse of your Quirk causes you to freeze, huh?" Izuku mused. Todoroki's sudden glare confirmed it for them. "No way to mitigate that?" Izuku pondered aloud, which was apparently the wrong thing to say from Todoroki's sudden growl.
"Shut up! I can beat anyone with just my ice!" he snarled at Izuku, more mist rising off his side.
Izuku blinked, confused. "Just your ice? So…do you have more than ice? Can you make liquid water or water vapor too or something?"
"No, I make ice!" Todoroki hissed. "And that's all I need to be the best here!"
Izuku shrugged. "It's an admirable goal, to be the best, sure. I think everyone wants to do their best though. So I can't just give up and let you win just because you want to. It's pretty clear your Quirk is hurting you, and I'm still fine."
"Are you mocking me now?" Todoroki clenched his fist, glaring at Izuku through one eye, the other still covered by that strange ice covering.
"No? Why would you think that? I'm just saying, if this is an endurance contest I'm going to win at this rate. And it's hurting you. Maybe you should surrender before you get frostbite or something?"
"Shut up! I said I will win and I will win!" Todoroki didn't wait for a reply, another massive surge of ice came rocketing towards Izuku, the green-haired teen having little time to react. Something about Todoroki was really rubbing Izuku the wrong way, though they couldn't quite tell what…but they were getting really annoyed at how stubborn the other teen was being. It reminded Izuku of someone else…this stupid, annoying attitude about being the top.
'Screw this,' Izuku thought internally. So far they'd only been using Full Cowling, but if Todoroki was going to be stubborn, they were going to end this with their full abilities…and that started with one of their teachers. One hand grabbing the vial and flipping it up to their mouth, draining the blood and quickly activating a transformation into one of the many heroes they had met and been taught by so far…specifically, Present Mic.
The transformation took only a second, enough time for them to take a massive breath and then scream, Mic's sonic Quirk shattering the glacier headed towards Izuku and sending the broken pieces back towards Todoroki. Izuku didn't give him a chance to respond, draining another vial and stomping forward in the form of Aizawa, eyes open and Quirk flared to stop Todoroki from responding. The other teen had no time to react, getting pummeled by the surge of ice slamming back into them, sending them sliding back and away.
Izuku dropped Aizawa's form quickly, not having a lot of blood to work from, but continued their steady march forward. They didn't know why, but Todoroki's attitude was starting to really tick them off. It was so condescending, so aggressive, and for what? It was their second day, who needs a stupid pecking order? Who needs to be the best of the best, enough to push other people down?! Who needs that?!
With a growl, they shifted into Ochako, her Quirk coming to Izuku's hands like magic, forcibly increasing the gravity over where Todoroki was laying down, forcing the teen further down to the ground. The ice beneath him cracked, the concrete below starting to show its own weaknesses as Izuku stomped forward, the pressure getting higher and higher.
"Gotta be the best, the top of the class, that right?" Izuku said, a mocking tone in their voice. "Gonna beat me, you said? And then 'Chako and Himi? Just to be the 'best'? Well, sure not doing a good job at that, are you?"
"S-shut up!" Todoroki snarled, struggling to stand but not able to get any lift against the press of gravity. "You don't know anything! I have to win!"
Izuku scoffed, standing over Todoroki's prone form now, glaring down with the slitted brown eyes of one of his best friends. "Have to win, huh? You know, I know a guy like that. Maybe you remember him, he tried to fucking attack me for daring to exist yesterday!"
Todoroki glared up at Izuku impotently, but the two were interrupted by the speakers crackling. "Todoroki, are you surrendering? It doesn't look like you can continue."
"I am not," Todoroki hissed, ice cracking by their feet as they tried to call on it.
"Young man, I feel like you should-"
"Nah. Let him continue, All Might. He wants to talk a big game, he can fight for it," Izuku interrupted, feeling the rage growing in their chest. All they could see right now was just another Bakugo, another jerk who thought their power let them do whatever they wanted, and Izuku was gonna show them that there is always a stronger person now! Izuku wouldn't be anyones stepping stone ever again!
"Young Midoriya, I don't think that is necessary. You've clearly won, and-"
"They have not won, I have not given up!" Todoroki shouted.
Izuku knew their blood supply for Ochako was running low, since it had been a while since they'd drank from her, so she took a step back. "It's fine, All Might, I gotta drop 'Chako anyways. Okay Todoroki…you want to continue? Fine." With that, Izuku let the transformation drop, the increased gravity going with it, letting the other teen struggle to his feet. Izuku hadn't pushed it hard enough to hurt the other teenager, but the ice patches were still growing over Todoroki and he looked like he was now shivering violently. Izuku shook their head. "Still freezing over though. Not sure how you expect to win in that condition."
"Because I must," Todoroki insisted, the icy part of their costume now cracked. With an annoyed grunt, he shoved it off, leaving himself in just the blue jumpsuit he'd had on before, glaring at Izuku with two narrowed eyes.
"Oh yeah? Why's that, huh? We're all trying to be heroes, why do you need to be the best of a first year class of heroes? What's that going to prove?"
"You wouldn't get it," Todoroki hissed back.
Izuku laughed, a bitter, broken sound. "Sure, Todoroki. Whatever reason you got I can't possibly understand, sure. Not like I didn't spend most of my life being beaten and bruised for an accident of birth, but I'm sure whatever your problem is I can't get. Whatever. I don't care. You can't win at this point, and we both know it. Just give it up."
"Shut…up!" Todoroki screamed, a cracking noise coming from his body as ice began to rocket towards Izuku, his entire leg becoming frosted over as he forced the ice to appear. Izuku just glared, forcing Full Cowling up and up and up, well over his cap, and spun about, kicking the wave of ice so hard they felt their own leg erupt into pain, but they didn't care. This was just another Bakugo and they were going to put him down! The ice was destroyed, leaving Todoroki gasping, eyes half-lidded, staring in desperation at the still standing Izuku, the green-haired teen gritting their teeth against the pain in their leg.
Izuku didn't bother waiting any longer, and bolted forward, ready to finally put Todoroki down as they cocked their fist back…and the fear in Todoroki's eyes grew exponentially, Izuku feeling a slight twinge of regret at how frightened the other boy looked, losing their footing for a brief second at the sudden terror…and then blinking in confusion as red flames flickered about Todoroki's left side, some of the ice covering him steaming away. Izuku skid to a stop, staring at the other teen in sheer confusion.
"...you…you can make fire? Wouldn't…but wouldn't that fix the freezing? Why? Why aren't you using it?" Izuku gaped, completely aghast…and feeling the rage in their chest building further from the sheer arrogance. "Am I not goodenough for your best? Is that it? You thought I wasn't worthy of it? The hells wrong with you?! Why are you-"
"It's not that!" Todoroki snarled, frantically wiping at their left as if they could just shoo the sparks away even as they faded into nothingness. "I told you, I'm going to win with just my ice! I won't use his powers! Not everything is about you, Midoriya!"
For the first time since Izuku started to get frustrated, a thought trickled into the back of their mind that maybe, just maybe, Todoroki had some issues in his past that was coloring his behavior. Unbidden, their eyes trailed over Todoroki's face, the revealed left side with its large scar over the teenager's eye, a scar Izuku knew (from personal experience) came from a burn…and wondered, the anger burning in their chest beginning to fade into something…something else.
"...maybe I'm wrong, and maybe it's not my business, but it doesn't change if you want to be the best, you have to use everything at your disposal. I didn't ask to have Himi's Transform or Chako's Zero Gravity, but I got them. And yeah, it's different for me, because while it's clear you have some problem with your fire side, I like having their powers with me, like having them with me…but I also don't like using them because it's not right that I took something from them," Izuku began softly. "I don't like the fact they got stuck connected to me, and all my stupid hangups and problems I put them through. I hate it. But, that said…I still use them, because any problems I have aren't as important as what I'm here to do, and that is to be a hero. To save people."
"Not all heroes help everyone," Todoroki muttered, his shoulders slumping as he looked away for a moment, all the fight seeming to drain from him.
Izuku nodded, more pieces falling into place as the other teenager spoke, not enough to know the full story, but enough to understand a little. "Yeah…I know. Some heroes are jerks and there are plenty out there who may as well be villains. But I'm not going to be one of those, and I'm not going to just sit by if I see one like that. But what are youhere for? Are you here to be a hero for yourself…or for someone else?"
Todoroki's head snapped around to glare at Izuku, but little heat was in the gaze. After a few moments, he opened his mouth to speak, but snapped his jaw shut and looked away, as if unsure what he could say right then. Izuku let out a rueful laugh and modulated their tone to a soft, beseeching one. "Todoroki…you're freezing. If you won't use your fire to warm up at least, then we can't continue. It's just a spar, Todoroki. You don't have to win right now. You can challenge me later too, you know. If it's that important to you, I'll have a rematch with you when you want."
"...why? You already proved you're better," Todoroki muttered.
"I proved I can win one fight, in a spar, when you're not at your best. That's all. And power isn't all that determines how good a hero you are, is it? Aren't there other things that matter?"
"Like what?" Todoroki scoffed.
Izuku shrugged, a smile crossing their lips. "Like compassion for the victims? When someone needs a hero, it's probably one of the worst days of their lives. I want to save people with a smile. I want to be like our teachers, like All Might, and Sensei, and all the other UA staff who go out of their way, risk themselves, to make others feel better. Those seem like important qualities too, don't you think?"
Todoroki paused for a moment, before letting out a sigh. He cleared his throat. "...All Might? I surrender."
The speakers crackled once more. "Very well. You seem a little bit worse for wear, young Todoroki, why don't you go to Recovery Girl? Young Midoriya, do you mind helping him?"
"Not at all!" Izuku smiled brightly at Todoroki, their grin fading slightly at the annoyed huff from Todoroki. Still, the other teen didn't stop Izuku from gently ushering them towards the nurses office, the sound of the rest of the class in the distance getting closing remarks from All Might as they walked.
"...why are you helping me?" Todoroki asked, his voice broken by the chill. Izuku did notice that the red sparks on Todoroki's left side appeared once more for a brief moment, heat radiating from him as the ice began to slowly melt off his skin.
"Because I think it's pretty important to help people, right? We are in the hero course after all, and we're classmates. We'll be so for the next four years. May as well get to know each other a bit, right?"
"...you're weird, Midoriya."
"You're not the first to tell me that."
Chapter 21
After Recovery Girl proceeded to read them both the riot act (as Izuku had apparently fractured their femur with the kickoff they did while at 40% of Full Cowling), the two teens sat silently in the office for a few minutes while Recovery Girl went off to finish the paperwork for their visit. The silence stretched uncomfortably, until Izuku couldn't help but wince.
"So uh…sorry for pushing you so much," Izuku said softly.
Todoroki shook his head slowly. "No, you…made some good points. I should not have been so stubborn. And…I suppose I came off as condescending."
Izuku blinked. "I didn't say you were?"
"You compared me to that blonde from yesterday. Considering what little you and your two friends have said of him, as well as how he acted, I can only assume it was an unfavorable comparison. Condescending is perhaps the nicest word I could use."
Izuku sighed, shoulders slumping as they looked at the floor. "...yeah, sorry, it wasn't fair to compare you to Kacchan."
Todoroki shrugged. "I was being arrogant and I paid for it. It was something I did need to learn, I think."
Izuku let the silence rest for a few moments before asking the question that was still burning beneath the surface, their voice soft. "If you don't want to explain that's fine, but um…do you mind if I ask why you don't use your fire? Or is it more limited than it looked?"
Todoroki stared blankly at Izuku for a good half a minute, seemingly frozen in place. Izuku was about to rescind the question, the awkwardness on the air too difficult to place, before Todoroki let a soft sigh escape his lips. "I…suppose I can explain. I only ask you keep this between us."
"O-of course. We all got our secrets, right?" Izuku replied with a nervous grin.
Todoroki scoffed. "Yes, that is certainly true." He took a moment to compose himself, before speaking. "I do not want to go into many details, but…do you know who my father is?"
"I have a guess?" Izuku replied, waiting for the nod from Todoroki to continue. "Well, considering you seem to have some type of fire Quirk and your last name is Todoroki, I assumed you were related to Endeavor?"
"Yes, he is my father. He has perpetually been the number two hero in the country, behind All Might…and he has never been able to get over that. So he desired a child who could defeat All Might. Let me ask you this, Midoriya…do you know what Quirk marriages are?"
Izuku blinked at Todoroki, a dawning horror crossing their face as Todoroki let a bitter half-smile cross his face, nodding at Izuku's expression. "Yes, it is as it seems. He married my mother for her Quirk, as while she herself was not a hero nor had she trained her Quirk, it was a rather powerful ice Quirk. Due to my father's overheating weakness, he desired a way to counterbalance it."
Todoroki took a moment to take in a deep breath, before continuing. "The first three children they had did not have the combined Quirk Father wanted. But then, I was born, and I was everything he wanted. Unfortunately, by this point, my mother was far too hurt by the entire situation and when I was young, she was boiling water for tea and speaking to her mother on the phone about how she couldn't stand to look at me, and, well…" he trailed off, gesturing vaguely towards the scar on his face, Izuku inhaling sharply at the realization.
Todoroki made a vaguely dismissive gesture. "I never blamed her for it. Only him. But he had her committed, and proceeded to train me alone. He still is enraged I will not use my fire, but at the very least I'm using my ice and that's enough to let him come here. I thought I'd escaped his influence finally but…I guess I was still thinking the way he wanted me to, with how focused I am on being the strongest in class. I just…I want to beat All Might, but do it solely without using his Quirk. That's…that's why I am so focused on it."
"...but it's not his Quirk, Todoroki." Izuku replied gently.
Todoroki blinked at them. "It is. I am quite certain he is my father and I inherited-"
"It's not his Quirk or her Quirk, Todoroki. It's your Quirk. No one else's. It's not two different Quirk's, it's a singular, fused thing that is its own life. We're not just fusions of our parents, you know. Each of us is an individual. We might come from them, but we're still our own people, you know? The same applies to Quirks. The flames may come from him, but they aren't his. They are yours and yours alone. And only you get to decide what to do with them. If you never want to use them, that's your call, but objectively, you'll be a weaker hero for it. But at the very least you should use the fire to mitigate your freezing. You're just hurting yourself for no reason. And…and you shouldn't hurt yourself, Todoroki. It's not…healthy," Izuku's words faltered near the end, feeling shame welling up inside them as they realized how hypocritical they sounded.
"...That was an odd way to say that last part, Midoriya," Todoroki said in a flat tone. He stared at the other teenager for a moment, before sighing, shoulders slumping. "I-I suppose you have a point, but I am not certain I can just…It's been years. So many years. I'm not…I can't. Not yet."
Izuku shoved their own feelings down into the pit once more, mentally jumping on the lid they hastily threw over it to push them down further as they swallowed. "I know. Not saying just go off and change everything right now. Just…something to think about, right? You'd want to train before using it for anything besides warming yourself anyways."
"Yes, that is a good point too. But…for now, I…yeah." Todoroki fell silent, the room collapsing into awkwardness once more. After a moment, Todoroki worked his jaw and spoke up. "Yesterday…Himiko requested we not call her by her last name because she did not like it, yes?"
"...yeah?" Izuku asked, somewhat suspicious at the random non-sequitur and worried the split-haired teen would ask something Izuku had no right to explain.
"Would…would you do the same for me? I-I do not like my last name either. If it wouldn't be an imposition, that is."
Izuku blinked in confusion for a brief moment before it clicked. "O-oh, yeah, that's no problem. You can call me Izuku then, we'll just be on first name terms!"
Todoroki, no, Shoto, gave a half-hearted smile. "Very well then. Thank you, Izuku."
Izuku rubbed the back of their neck nervously. "Do you want to ask the whole class to do so? They did it for Himiko and Tsu too without an issue, so shouldn't be a problem."
Shoto paused for a moment, looking up contemplatively. "I…I think so, yes. I would really rather not associate myself with Endeavor as much as possible."
"Well, then when we get back we'll just have to do that then!"
Shoto arched an eyebrow at Izuku's enthusiasm. "You seem excited."
Izuku shrugged, smiling sheepishly. "Well, not every day you get a new friend the second day of school."
Shoto stared at Izuku blankly for a brief moment, his voice soft and almost shaking as he replied. "We-we're friends?"
Izuku let their smile turn to a more gentle one. "If you want to be."
"...I would like that very much, yes."
"Cool. That's cool, then."
"Half-correct. My right side is the cool one."
Izuku snorted. "Dad jokes now? Really?"
Shoto blinked blankly. "I do not understand. Whose dad is making jokes? Mine never does."
Izuku snorted again, a giggle escaping them. "Oh geez, you're really funny Shoto!"
"What? How am I funny? I didn't make any jokes! I am only being clear on how cool I am!"
Izuku couldn't help it, feeling the giggles bubbling up within them further at the stricken, almost offended look on Shoto's face. He managed to squeak out "Yep, you're very cool, very cool."
"Once again, only my right side is. Are you certain you are alright? Did you get a head injury? You seem to be having memory issues. We should ask Recovery Girl to check you for a concussion."
Izuku gave up, laughter escaping them as they fell back onto the bed and clutched at their stomach, Across the bond they could feel the confusion from the other two, and could only giggle more at their feelings of utter disbelief at Izuku's sudden surge of humor and joy…and the affectionate warmth that came across as a response to Izuku actually feeling happier.
"Izuku? Izuku, are you certain you are alright? I-I must fetch the nurse at once! Recovery Girl, please, I believe Izuku is in trouble!" Izuku just laughed as Shoto scrambled to reach Recovery Girl's office door.
"O-only you, Shoto, only you," Izuku snickered as Shoto turned back around, confused.
"Yes, I am only me?"
"N-nevermind. I'm fine, Shoto, I'm f-fine," Izuku managed to sputter out.
"You are very strange, Izuku."
"You're still not the first to tell me that."
Why did every day have to be so complicated, Ochako wondered. It should have just been a normal, easy, first full day of school. Classes were nice and simple, and then they got to match up for sparring under Toshinori's watchful eye and honestly? She had a blast! Okay, terrifying her classmates wasn't exactly on her bucket list, but that girl Tsu was actually really sweet to them about it, and then sparring with Himiko, no holds barred, in front of everyone was fun. Maybe it was a bit cocky of her, but for all of Izuku and Himiko's fears about their shared Quirks…Ochako never shared those fears.
Probably because she never was afraid of her own power like Himiko, nor did she lack one like Izuku. It made her feel terrible sometimes, the knowledge that she actually enjoyedthe shared powers, enjoyed the strength One For All gave her, enjoyed the adaptability Transform gave, and she always loved her own Zero Gravity from the day she got it and realized how many people she could save with it.
But getting to put all of them to use against Himiko, matching her childhood friend move for move? That was fun! That was actually cool! She felt…she felt powerful. Strong. Like she could do anything, she could save anyone. When she picked up that storefront and launched it at Himiko, the blonde able to smash through it with a single punch and return fire, it was so incredible! Maybe it was arrogant…but she liked feeling that way.
But then came Izuku's match with Todoroki. At first, it seemed okay, and she was actually excited to see how strong Todoroki was, because there was someone else she could probably go all out against and enjoy it. Maybe that was why she missed it at first. Izuku's emotions at the start of the fight were…weird. Mostly confused, a bit panicked (which she chalked up to the surprise glacier opener from Todoroki), and in their calm, focused sparring mindset she often tried to emulate.
And then it changed. It felt slow to her, but with how quickly the match went, it really wasn't slow at all. Izuku became angry. Really, really, really angry. She could feel the sheer unadulterated rage taking over Izuku, and when Toshinori turned on the audio to tell Todoroki to surrender, Izuku's voice…it wasn't her Izuku. It was someone else. Someone cold, and callous, almost mocking in their tone. Not her gentle sweet Izuku with a heart of gold. It really bothered her, and she knew she wasn't the only one, meeting Himiko's now aghast expression with one of her own.
She had no idea what Todoroki had done to piss Izuku off so much, but as soon as it was there it faded seconds later, into shock, confusion, and concern…which that felt more like her Izuku. When she saw their expression change on the monitor, could see the stance Izuku would take when they were beseeching her to calm down or Himiko to take a breath, she could already imagine the comforting tone they'd use. But that led to one major question…why? Not only why was Izuku angry to begin with, but why were they suddenly concerned about Todoroki?
Not even twenty minutes later and she was still full of whiplash, barely paying attention as she had changed out of her costume and headed back to the dorms, because over the bond she could feel Izuku's emotions still…confusion, once more, followed by fear, disgust, and now even more anger, but this anger wasn't directed at Todoroki…it felt like it was for him? It was hard to parse it, but she could sense the anger was more distant now, less focused on someone Izuku knew, and she had no clue what in the world was happening…and then Izuku was happy? Laughing? Nearly exploding with joy, and she couldn't stop the mirrored smile from crossing her face.
Himiko let out a giggle as well, confusing their classmates who were walking with them as Himiko tried to quickly explain she'd just thought of something funny, her cheeks pinked with embarrassment, but even with that Ochako could feel Izuku's infectious joy within her heart making her want to laugh as well.
She finally had a chance to get her answers, when after they had settled into the dorms once more, the door opened to reveal Izuku, gesticulating wildly as they told some sort of story to a smiling Todoroki?! The blank-faced teen who had yet to smile once was now grinning and letting out short puffs of laughter, making half the class stare at the duo blankly. Izuku finally looked up and noticed everyone staring at them, and cocked their head to the side.
"Uh…hi?"
"...dude, did you like, replace Todoroki with a clone or something?" Kaminari asked, confused.
Todoroki tilted his head to the side in a mirror of Izuku. "I am no clone. Although I suppose if I were, and I had my memories, I would not know I was. Perhaps I should investigate the likelihood of me being a clone now. Is there evidence to the contrary?"
Kaminari stared blankly at him before shaking his head. "Uh…you know what, never mind. I ain't getting involved with this. Too much for my tiny brain."
"Your cranium is average sized, and you seem to operate as well as any other person. I am quite certain your brain is the correct size for your stature," Todoroki replied.
Izuku snorted, seeming to want to change the subject before Kaminari had an aneurysm. "Hey, just so everyone knows, Shoto wants to be known by his first name like Himi and Tsu do, if that's cool?" After a moment for everyone to parse it, the class collectively agreed, all giving Shoto greetings like normal, and were once again treated to a fleeting smile from the split-haired teen.
And that was more than enough for Ochako, she wanted answers from her best friend and was going to get them. She stepped up and grabbed Izuku's wrist, Himiko doing the same on their other side, and smiled up at Shoto. "Excuse us, we need to borrow Izu." Izuku's eyes went wide as the girls yanked them along, a high-pitched yelp leaving their lips as they vanished up the stairs so Ochako and Himiko could grill them about what the hell that fight was.
"The fact you called me to Nezu's office tells me something else happened with our Problem Trio today," Shouta drawled, annoyed as he drained the remains of his coffee.
Toshinori sighed. "Not…exactly. It would be simpler to show you the video, I believe." Shouta shrugged, exchanging a glance with Nezu who also shrugged, having not yet seen the video. Toshinori handed the paper which contained the file name to Nezu, the chimeric hero pulling it up and shuffling its display to one of the monitors on the far wall, allowing the video of Izuku and Todoroki's fight to play with the included audio.
Shouta's exasperation at the idea of something else being wrong with the trio of cats faded, only to be replaced by concern and worry for the ice-wielding teenager. He knew Todoroki had fire related powers, but he'd assumed he hadn't used them so far as they were weaker or unhelpful for the situation, but it was clear already there was another reason and considering Todoroki's father and the wording about not using 'his' power, it did not bode well. Not that he was a fan of assuming and making accusations off a single incident, but something was wrong with the boy, and that was obvious already.
Shouta sighed, facepalming. "...well. I already have three traumatized teenagers in my homeroom class, I may as well have four. Do we have any reason to suspect anyone else in my class is mentally ill in some fashion?"
"At this moment, nothing to this extent. There are indicators of some of them having various learning disabilities or undiagnosed ADHD, but nothing we've not dealt with before. I suppose it would be of benefit to see if we can get them all an appointment with the counselor and see if Inui can intuit anything. But it's very early in the year to do so, I would need a reason to mandate it," Nezu remarked, flicking through some paperwork on his desk.
"Maybe we just encourage them to try it voluntarily? Or simply remind everyone Hound Dog is there? Some may choose of their own volition!" Toshinori replied.
Shouta affixed him with a look. "You've been watching over the cat trio for weeks now, and Izuku for even longer. Please tell me you're not that optimistic about teenagers still."
Toshinori let out a huffed chuckle with no humor in it. "You have a point. I just…perhaps I have been too distant from the average person since I became a hero, but it is distressing to see how many of these children seem to be suffering and not being able to just punch the problem away."
"If the problem is Endeavor, at least that one you can punch," Shouta muttered under his breath, but both Nezu and Toshinori still heard him."
"I advise caution before jumping to conclusions. We only have this one incident to go off of. That said, it may actually be slightly mitigated," Nezu mused, his eyes drawn to the monitor before him with a shrewd look. At the confused look from the other two heroes in the room, he chuckled, turning his screen around to show Izuku and Todoroki walking down the hallway towards their dorm, with the image of Todoroki actually laughing and smiling at Izuku's words. "It appears during their stay in the nurse's office, they have bonded enough for Todoroki to relax his guard. While not a fix for whatever is bothering him, perhaps a friend may be of assistance."
Shouta rolled his eyes, but the smirk on his face betrayed his real feelings. At Nezu's own smirk, he pulled his scarf up over his mouth to cover the look as he drawled "Well, at least they are getting along now."
"So…I suppose for now we need to simply keep an eye on Todoroki and perhaps a better eye on the class in general?" Toshinori asked, a smile on his face at seeing his successor manage to bring some cheer to another teenager.
"That seems the best course of action. Of course, I'll be discreetly checking into Todoroki's background, but for now we'll wait and see. Do try to subtly encourage your students to go see Hound Dog though. I shall ask the other teachers to do so as well. If any of our students are in some form of trouble, or even something simple as difficulty with some of our lessons, well…I pride myself on UA being the best school it could possibly be, for all of our students, hero, business, management, or general education. We shall do our level best for them all."
"You try this every year, less than ten percent of students bother taking us up on the offer though," Shouta pointed out.
"That's still a student who reaches out for help. I'll take that. If I can find a way to mandate it without the board giving me a dozen headaches, I shall do so. Of course, if the whole school did take us up on this offer, Inui would be overworked. Luckily, if I have my way, soon we'll have a few assistants for Inui as well," Nezu replied.
"Oh? More new hires?" Toshinori asked, curious.
Nezu nodded. "Assuming the paperwork goes through, I already have one in mind! Albeit he comes with his own assistant, but she'll be performing a different duty here. We do need better cybersecurity after all…I cannot handle it all myself." Nezu sipped his tea and hummed.
Shouta snorted, standing upright from where he'd been leaning against the wall. "Well, if that's all, I'm going to finish up preparations for the USJ trip at the end of the week. I'll keep an eye on Todoroki until we have something to work off of." The other two adults nodded, silently agreeing this was the best path forward for now. Shouta put it aside for now…right now, they could only work with what they had. He'd wait and see, and make sure Todoroki knew his, and every teacher's, door was open for him if he needed any assistance. Hopefully, the influence of the Problem Trio would make an impact on the class's willingness to reach out.
Chapter 22
Explaining what happened during the fight took Izuku a good half hour, mostly because they had trouble articulating why they got angry. On the surface, it was simple…it reminded Izuku of Bakugo. But, as Ochako pointed out…Izuku never got angry at Bakugo. Or at least, they never admitted it…and that was a wakeup call for Izuku, because it was true. They never really addressed it, but, somewhere deep inside, there was a well of brutally suppressed angertowards not just Bakugo, but their entire childhood.
They thought back to the fight they'd had with the girls, and how upset they got while they were whaling on the punching bag. How much they kept boiling internally, how much resentment was within them, all emotions they'd spent most of their life suppressing because they'd never been allowed to really admit to them. Not only would it not get them anywhere (who would care besides their Mom, and they wanted to avoid upsetting her as much as possible), but also…wasn't it wrong to be so angry? To hold such resentment? Heroes didn't do that.
…of course, heroes don't purchase a wife to forcibly create a designer baby to take the number one hero spot from All Might out of some envious obsession, so perhaps Izuku wasn't thinking that through as much as they should. That, they didn't tell the girls about…if Shoto wanted to reveal it, he would on his own time, all Izuku told them was the two bonded in the nurse's office, and now that Izuku knew why Shoto wasn't using his fire, they understood. They didn't condone it and they were trying to get Shoto to use his fire more, but they also understood why he wasn't willing to use it right now.
There…weren't many more things to talk about, really. The whole pushing emotions across the bond was something Izuku brought up hesitantly, as they wondered if it could be a help or hindrance, but truth be told none of them really knew what to do about that. Not yet. Himiko suggested they talk about it with one of their mentors next chance they got, which was the best plan any of them could think of. Although Izuku still began another section of their notebook dedicated to deciphering the pros and cons of the ability, once again leading both girls to silently ponder Izuku's hammerspace for notebooks power…but that was a question for another day.
Himiko went downstairs to get dinner for the trio, deciding to eat in Ochako's room…mostly so the brunette could avoid being seen with her smaller portion, and using the excuse that Izuku was still tired from Recovery Girl's healing. She couldn't help the smile that flickered across her face though, once she witnessed Shoto in a deep discussion with Yaoyorozu about…tea? Either way, she made sure to report that to Izuku, that Shoto was actually reaching out to his classmates, which she knew would make Izuku happier…and it did. It was fun to watch the smile cross Izuku's face while also feeling their emotions across the bond, like a lovely little visual indicator of what she already knew.
But that all took a seat in the back compared to the scene she saw upon entering the room, carrying a tray with three meals…and seeing a calmly humming Izuku gently brushing Ochako's hair, the brunette leaning back slightly with eyes closed and contentment written on her face. It made Himiko feel warm inside in ways she was both familiar with and not, a fluttering in her chest that just felt right. Those 'instincts' that they'd been warned about were getting more and more settled within them, and yet none of the three found it within them to complain when they all felt so comforting.
Instincts to cuddle, to brush one another's hair, to curl close and delve deeper into anything warm, all of those were no hassle for the trio, already able to feel each other's emotions and connection to one another. It was pure bliss for Himiko, true affection and care very clearly shoved in her face and all she could do was love every single second of it. She set the tray carefully upon the desk and slid onto the bed next to Izuku, reaching out to steal the comb from their hands, meeting the arched eyebrow of Izuku and squirming internally at the annoyed whine that escaped Ochako's lips, one eye opening to glare with no heat…but Himiko was going to be the responsible one for once, and make them eat first.
With grumbles (for once not over the concept of food but over her lost hair brushing session), Ochako grabbed her bowl and began to very carefully proceed to eat, only wincing a few times which made Himiko feel slightly better. Izuku sighed and picked up their own bowl, beginning to eat as Himiko took hers. She took a moment to look at her two best friends and pondered for a moment on the weirdness that was her life…but it was okay. Maybe they were all fucked up in the head, but hey, at least it wasn't boring?
"Alright. I know you've only known each other a few days, and this is unusual for a University, but we'll be electing a class rep as well as vice rep today. I know it's strange, but it allows us to give the students a bit more freedom, considering how strict your first couple of years of curriculum are. I don't care how you do it, you're adults, but voting is the normal way most hero courses choose. And no, you cannot do fights to the death," Aizawa drawled, narrowing his eyes at the class.
"...did someone actually suggest that?" Kaminari asked, jaw dropped.
"More than one person over the years," came Aizawa's dry reply.
"That seems inefficient," Shoto remarked, half the class turning to look at him. He blinked. "What? A duel to the death does not prove who is the better representative, and would leave the class weaker as they would be down a member then."
"Also murder is a bad thing," Izuku interjected as a friendly reminder to Shoto.
Shoto paused for a moment, before nodding. "Yes. That too."
Ida stood up, chopping his arm rapidly as he spoke. "Very true! However, let us not be distracted further! A vote seems the most democratic method!"
"Before we do so, should we determine who even wants the role?" Yaoyorozu asked.
"That's a good idea. I'm sure not everyone wants that responsibility," Izuku mused.
"Very well, everyone who desires the position of class representative, please raise your hand!" Ida said, holding his own up in the air. Surprisingly few followed him…Kendo, Yaoyorozu, and Shoto, but after a moment, Shoto put his hand back down and shook his head silently. The three in question shared a glance, unsure where to go, when Izuku piped up.
"Let's just vote on you three, and whoever gets second place is vice rep?" As a group, the class responded positively to the idea, and quickly scratched out votes on small pieces of paper they each had laying about…but when Ochako and Himiko both threw their votes at Izuku and commanded them to count while giving the teenager a pair of mischievous smirks, the rest of the class quickly joined in, throwing their votes at the green-haired teenager and making them glower at them all for a moment, before giggling and starting to count the votes quickly.
"Looks like…Yaoyorozu wins with 8 votes, Kendo got 7, and Ida got 5," Izuku reported after a few seconds.
Ida nodded. "Well, the votes have it!"
Yaoyorozu smiled brightly. "Thank you for the confidence in me!"
Kendo nodded, turning to Yaoyorozu. "I look forward to working with you."
"I am as well!" Yaoyorozu replied, her smile still bright as the sun and making Himiko grumble about sunshine children in the class.
Aizawa yawned, covering his mouth behind his palm as he did so. "Good. Quick and easy, well done. Yaoyorozu, Kendo, we'll have a discussion after class about what responsibilities you have, for now, everyone back in their seats, let's get class started."
School over the next couple days was…almost distressingly simple. The classes were still heavily scholastic focused, but Hero Basic Training was the one shining spot for most of the more active students, all of them excited for the new lessons. Granted, after the sparring match from day one, All Might had toned it down to a primer on basic fighting techniques, each student being matched with styles that would more complement their Quirks. While he himself was no martial arts master, he knew the basics of a great many disciplines, so he could help them pick one to focus on for better cohesion.
Granted, the first thing he had to do was make sure everyone understood the basics of fighting and especially falling down. Most fights meant people ended up on the floor, often many times, and knowing how to fall properly could avoid many injuries, especially during training where obstacle courses would begin to creep into their training as well. Rescue Training would also require being ready for environmental dangers, but he reassured the class Rescue would be a focus in the incoming weeks especially, for now, he wanted everyone on the same basic level first.
So three days of basic fighting training passed, which was rather boring for those in the class who had combat training, and somehow even more boring for the trio. Perhaps it was the cat instincts appearing at the worst time, or the sharing of the bored emotion, but they continued to get more and more antsy over time, until on the third day, Himiko snapped…and dive tackled Izuku and Ochako. Toshinori was taken aback and about to step in, when he noticed the trio now giggling and laughing as they rolled around on the ground, playfully swatting at one another…and let out a deep, frustrated sigh, yet could not stay angry at how cute it was. He noticed the expressions on the faces of the other trained students (save Hagakure but her annoyed whispers were enough for him to notice) and decided to try a new tack.
He allowed the ones with prior training some time to spar more, but he stated it had to be Quirkless sparring…which was more than enough for all of them to be happy, Kendo immediately challenging Himiko while Ochako excitedly dragged Shoto off for a bout (the split haired teen blinking in confusion), leaving Izuku to be nearly tackled by Ashido who wanted to try out a fight against one of the cats. More members of the trained section of class paired off, leaving Toshinori to nod happily. This was a better solution…while the rest got practice in safety, those who were slightly more advanced could get some of that energy out. He trusted them to fight carefully, and turned back to the rest of the class to continue the class.
"Wow," Izuku marveled, staring up at the massive dome that made up the ceiling of the USJ, Thirteen's personal Rescue training center. The Unforeseen Simulation Joint was insanely huge, with so many specialized rescue zones they could practically feel Ochako's vibrations of excitement as she hopped up and down next to Izuku. This was what she'd been so excited for this whole time, rescue was what she wanted to focus on, saving lives and making people smile, and she got to study under her favorite hero? She actually understood Izuku's hero obsession for once, she was so excited.
She was a bit sad that Toshinori was going to be unable to make it…he'd intended on being with the class, but as they were getting onto the bus an urgent request from the HPSC itself called for his help…a river had flooded way above its seasonal flooding limit and the resulting mudslide and flooding had nearly drowned an entire town, as many heroes as were available were being dispatched. Toshinori wasn't exactly close, but his speed meant he could reach the disaster zone in only a few minutes, so he was sent as well.
But that ended up fine for now. Thirteen proceeded to give a short but meaningful lecture about how dangerous their Quirks could be, before beginning the lesson, and what a lesson it was! Ochako was still excited, even an hour later, when she was battered, bruised, covered in ash and mud and was trying to pat dry her tail after three zones so far! Thirteen had split everyone into small groups and sent them into a couple of zones at a time, watching carefully as they tried the simulations. So far, none of the groups had actually succeeded at completing a zone, but her group (consisting of herself, Yaoyorozu, Sato, and Sero) had nearly completed the landslide zone, if they hadn't accidentally destabilized the last building.
She wasn't upset about it though. Thirteen had been clear, she expected everyone to fail the first time…they were brand new at this, after all. The point was to see how quickly rescues could go south and teach them how to react in such scenarios. But this was fine with Ochako, this was why she was here, to learn these things!
As she finished wiping her tail dry and began the arduous task of getting the mud out of her hair and especially the fur on her ears, she walked over to where Izuku and Himiko were currently quietly talking. "What's up?" she asked as she approached.
Izuku shrugged. "Not much. Just got out of the ruins zone. Had to remember that our eyesight is better than our classmates…it was so dark only I could see and I kept forgetting to warn people of obstacles."
"Flood zone sucked," Himiko whined, two different towels over her. Even with what was clearly a vigorous attempt at drying herself off, she still looked like…well, like a drowned cat. Ochako snickered at her, the amusement coming off her across the bond making Himiko glare back at her. "Haha, real funny miss mudman."
"I got it all, didn't I?" Ochako recoiled, patting at herself to see if she could feel any more mud stuck to her costume.
"A little bit on your back," Izuku took pity on her, stepping around her and taking her towel to wipe it away. After a moment, they nodded and handed the towel back. "All done!"
"Oh sure, give her the special treatment," Himiko groused, crossing her arms over her chest.
Ochako rolled her eyes. "Oh stop pouting. Gimme that!" She snatched the towel off Himiko's shoulders and began to run it over her head, ruffling the blonde's hair and ears as she tried to help dry her off. Himiko went to protest, but as Ochako's hand swept over her ears with gentle scratches, she felt all her thoughts vanish in a moment and let out a satisfied hum as she let the other girl towel her off.
Something twinged in Ochako's mind, something that made her slow down in her attempts to dry her friend off. She could see that the same feeling had crossed over Himiko and Izuku, the blonde's eyes snapping open as Izuku looked about in confusion.
"...did you two…feel that?" Izuku murmured, still looking around.
"Y-yeah? What was that?" Ochako stammered. The feeling was getting worse, a deep, unsettling sense of unease that settled in her chest like a lump of ice.
"I…I think we should tell Sensei," Himiko murmured, turning around to call out for their teachers, but the second she went to, a strange rip in space appeared right before her, black-purple clouds erupting barely a meter away from her. She jumped backwards in shock, the fur on her tail and ears now fluffed up as Ochako and Izuku immediately ran back with her and away from the strange growing black cloud.
"Back away!" Aizawa called out, rushing forward to get between the students and the black cloud, but before he could reach them a massive, sickly gray skinned creature with an exposed brain came rocketing out of the mist to slam into the teacher, flinging him away. He did a quick kip up from the ground, eyes already red, as a second creature burst out the clouds, green-gray skin with a number of arms not unlike Shoji, but instead of various hands or sensory organs, its hands were chainsaws?!
A yellow-skinned one with wings burst out of the clouds next, heading unerringly towards the Mountain zone, as two more black-skinned creatures stepped out, similar to one another albeit one lacked eyes and the other one had a toothy beak for a mouth. They stomped out of the clouds, before standing eerily still as the entire USJ seemed to go silent, the prior three creatures all stopping in place (the winged one now hovering). Yellow eyes appeared within the cloud, followed by a single, small box falling to the ground. A split second later, a loud, high pitched whine resounded from it, the lights in the USJ flickering before stabilizing, and a voice came from the box, the voice having a strange quaver in it.
"Hmm. It appears we arrived late. Drat. If only I could have gotten my hands on the schedule…Well, no matter, time to let the test proceed. Marking down the time…excellent. Now, let's see how well our Nomu do against these hero students? Kurogiri, close the portal. Nomu…kill them."
As one, the creatures, which Ochako was assuming were the aforementioned Nomu, all turned to face the students and teacher…and with a loud screech, charged.
Chapter 23
Izuku wasn't entirely sure what was happening, but the massive, black-skinned person trying to murder them was a clue this was bad. Aizawa had wrapped the flying one within his capture scarf and slammed it into the one with chainsaws for hands, but they simply shrugged off the impact and leapt back into action. The skinny, gray-skinned one was screeching at Thirteen, leaping around so fast she couldn't get a bead on it to use her Quirk (and it was clear she didn't want to, as it would kill), and the other black-skinned one was chasing after Himiko.
Ochako grabbed Izuku's arm and spun about, launching them out of the way as the big one smashed into the ground where they had been, throwing herself backwards at the same time. "The hell are these things Izu?!" she cried out, scrabbling away from it as it started stomping towards her, the ground cracking beneath her feet.
"I have no idea! Their quirks make no sense!" They yelled back, pushing Full Cowling up to 25% and rushing towards Ochako, grabbing her and pulling her along in turn as she had done to them.
"Just run!" Aizawa shouted, still dancing between the others. "Get the other kids and go!"
"But-" Himiko tried to argue, but he cut her off.
"No buts! Run and get help! Communication has been cut off! Leave this to me! Thirteen, get them out of here!"
"Don't be an idiot, Aizawa! You can't fight them all at once!" Thirteen snarled back, the angriest any of them had heard her since meeting her.
"Everyone, close your eyes and cover your ears!" a voice cried out from beyond (Yaoyorozu, Izuku's mind helpfully supplied), and at the shout they obeyed, praying everyone else did as they could somehow sense the object being thrown up and above them. They slammed their hands over their ears, already cringing, as the flashbang(?) erupted, the loud noise making them cry out in pain, feeling Ochako next to them also shake, though they couldn't hear her cries with how loud it was.
A paper-thin rope wrapped about Izuku and pulled them and Ochako back, Izuku going to struggle but belatedly recognizing the feeling of Sero's tape from prior practice. They skidded to a stop at the feet of what they assumed was Sero, but they still couldn't hear, even as they blinked their eyes rapidly to clear the bright lights out. Looking up, they saw Yaoyorozu saying something, but couldn't quite make it out even as sound began to slowly flicker back into their ears.
"-m sorry! I-make i-quieter!" was all Izuku could make out, but it was enough, as large hands gripped their arms and began to lift them up. They glanced up to see the worried expression of Sato, the muscular teen also holding Ochako up. It looked like the entire class had grouped together, having rushed to the central plaza from the various disaster zones to see what was going on. A few meters away, Izuku could see Shoto helping Himiko to her feet, flakes of frost coming off his skin as a line of ice speared off into the distance. Izuku followed it to see two of the creatures were now frozen in place, screeching angrily as they tried to escape the ice but to no avail. It looked like the other three had also been hit, but they broke out of the ice and were still fighting…except…where was the big one?
"Shit, Midoriya? Midoriya, can you hear me?" Jiro's voice brought Izuku's attention back, looking over at her woozily.
"Y-yeah. Kind of. Still dulled," Izuku muttered, rubbing their ears.
"I'm so sorry! I didn't want to hit you but I don't know how to just make a flash grenade! I should have studied more, I am so terribly sorry-" Yaoyorozu began babbling, bowing repeatedly towards Izuku, Ochako, and Himikol, but Ochako just groaned and held up a hand.
"Rather be deaf than dead, Yaoyorozu. It's fine," she muttered, still rubbing her ears.
"I don't think we have time to discuss this! We gotta get out of here! Ida already ran for the doors to get help, but campus is far enough away it's going to take time for any backup to get here. We have to move," Kendo said firmly, glancing about to do a quick headcount. "We're all here, let's get going, now."
"What about the teachers?" Ashido asked quietly, worried as she saw Aizawa dancing between two of them once more, his scarf flicking in and out as he tried to avoid any hits.
"We're just going to get in their way-" Kendo began, before a scream of pain resounded across the field. The class turned, wide-eyed, to see Thirteen's body ragdolling across the ground, having been punched by the biggest creature, sending her flying across the ground and skidding into the flood zone, falling into the water.
In a flash, Tsuyu was off, bolting towards the flood zone and diving in after her teacher. Sero and Shoji quickly went after her, but the rest of the class had no time as the big creature turned its eyes on them.
Izuku felt it before they saw the creature move, Ochako and Himiko stiffening at the same time they did. One moment, it was where it had punched Thirteen, the next, it was in front of them, fist raised to slam into Aoyama, the blonde teenager's eyes going wide with fear as he had no time to react.
Izuku didn't even notice the movement. They didn't even get a second to think, as massive black-green tendrils shotfrom their hands and wrapped about Aoyama, pulling him to their side in a flash as the creature's fist hit the ground, shattering the concrete and nearly knocking everyone off their feet. Even as they did that, Himiko blurred, darting forward faster than anyone had seen her move, moving so fast she vanished. She reappeared beyond the creature, stumbling and nearly tripping over her own two feet, turning back with wide eyes to stare at the monster in confusion, as it was suddenly moving slower.
"Fuck off!" Ochako screeched, her body alight with Galactic Shroud, her arms surrounded by a nimbus of glaring red energy. She thrust her palms forward, trusting her instincts, and the red rings of energy rocketed out and hit the creature…sending it careening into the air like a rocket. She blinked, confused, as the red rings faded but she could still feel it under her control, waving its limbs in the air and screeching angrily.
"...how are you doing that?" Ashido whispered, looking up in confusion.
"I-I don't know!" Ochako replied, as confused as she was. Her confusion was multiplied further by the same feeling of sheer what she could feel across the bond, Izuku staring at the now slowly twisting tendrils and Himiko still trying to figure out why her hands kept blurring. She had little time to react, as that same sensation of pain in the back of her mind triggered and she glanced over to see the other black-skinned monster stomping towards her.
Beyond it, she could see that one of the two frozen ones had been freed by the chainsaw creature and was now trying to free the third, and her teacher was still desperately trying to fight them both off at once and keep them away from the third. But if she moved, she was afraid she'd lose her hold over the one in the air…
She didn't have to worry. A blast of pure, white-hot heat shot past her and into the approaching creature, it roaring in agony and stumbling backward as Shoto stepped up next to her, his body ablaze. It faded a moment later, the split-haired teen's hands shaking, but he stood resolutely next to her and slammed his foot into the ground again, sending a train of ice towards the combatants and capturing them once more. Already, they were cracking out of the ice, but it bought them a few seconds of respite as Shoto looked over at the class.
"Does anyone have a plan? I…I am afraid I'm losing stamina rapidly. I cannot keep doing this," Shoto murmured.
"Perhaps…we can knock them unconscious? Kaminari, how well can you regulate your electricity?" Yaoyorozu asked, turning to the blonde.
He shrugged. "I know how to not kill people with it, but uh…these guys are built different. I dunno if I can hurt them, and it's a big blast around me. I'd catch you guys in it too, and then I'd be out of commission."
"Can you conduct it through a medium, like a wire?" Izuku asked faintly, quickly glancing between the monsters and the rest of their classmates.
"Yeah, I think so?" Kaminari replied, rubbing the back of their neck.
"Yaoyorozu?" Izuku asked, the tone in their voice all the indicator she needed. She nodded, quickly forming a loop of copper wire out of her arm. Kirishima grabbed it, his arms hardening as he glared at the creatures.
"I'll wrap 'em up, I can tank a couple hits! You just get ready, Kaminari!" Slamming his fists together, Kirishima ran forward into the midst of the frozen creatures, but a sudden crackle from the small yellow box stopped him in his tracks as the same voice from before spoke once more.
"Oh dear, that will simply not do. Kurogiri…fix this please. Target the three cat mutants. That should cause quite the commotion with the news." Without warning, the purple-black clouds reappeared, swarming over the trapped Nomu and making them vanish into the aether…and as Izuku, Ochako, and Himiko all winced at the pain in their heads, the clouds reappeared right next to them, the creatures diving out of them.
The massive black one was above Ochako, its fist cocked to slam into her. The winged one and chainsaw creature were on either side of Himiko, diving towards her. The gray-skinned creature and the slightly smaller black Nomu were both leaping towards Izuku, hands extended to crush the life from them.
Aizawa was running towards them, eyes wide as he tried to force his Quirk to cover all five. The rest of the class were all trying to react, but the suddenness of the teleportation left most of them unable to react in time. But Ochako did not care about any of this, nor the creature approaching her to crush her beneath its fist. She was well aware of the power behind its strikes, but she did not register it, because all she could see was Izuku and Himiko in danger. All she could feel was fear…nothing but a massive, choking, swirling mass of fear that was made up of the fused terror in each person's eyes as they witnessed the attack as if in slow motion.
Something…snapped. Pulled taut like a rubber band stretched to its limit, a single thought, single feeling, single declaration in each one of their souls as they saw certain death approaching their bonded companions. A single, simple sentence in their minds that echoed as time seemed to slow…'you cannot have them'.
The red rings around Ochako's arms appeared once more, crackling and screaming with energy as they snapped taut around her. Rings up and down each arm, across her shoulders, bands around her chest and legs, even one wrapped about her neck like a choker, each and every band spinning rapidly…then slowing down. The air shook, the ground quaked, gravity was twisted and warped, the very fabric of space tearing…space and time.
The sensation of seeing everything in slow motion was now actually in slow motion, as the world around Ochako slowed to a crawl. Her own wide eyes were met with Izuku and Himiko's confusion, with the expressions of shock crawling across her classmates' faces.
Yet at the same time, things were still moving, even if slowed. And Himiko's body, wreathed in golden and amber light, did not simply blur as if she was vanishing from senses, nor was she simply now moving faster. No, she blinked, from one location to another, her knives already in motion as she appeared above the winged Nomu, ever so slowly twisting midair as she reached out to cut through its wings.
Izuku's hands were outstretched towards Ochako, green lightning arcing off their fingertips, desperation in their gaze as the black Nomu's fist came ever closer to Ochako. She could feel the air pressure of its attack, could sense how close it was to her, the pain in her head screaming in desperation for her to move, but she was as slowed as everyone around her was. She closed her eyes and braced for the blow, unwilling to see the look in Izuku's eyes when she got hit…she knew how hard this thing hit. She knew the force it struck with. She was under no illusions about what would happen if she got hit…but the blow never came.
Carefully, the sound muted by the slowing of time, she opened her eyes, confused…only to see the Nomu's arm struggling, unable to move, as if it were fighting an invisible force that was restraining it. Izuku's face was twisted in a cross between terror, rage, and confusion, as the green lightning around their body had doubled in intensity. Ochako could glance about and now see, the other Nomu were not just slowed, they were frozen in place, unable to move as if struggling against something else.
It hit her, across the bond, the sudden surge of emotion as something seemed to click with Izuku, even as she felt her head and chest aching more and more as she held onto the slowed time. Belatedly she realized that this must be the side effect of this new power, the drawback…the sheer, agonizing pain in her chest, the rapid pulses of her heartbeat even under the slowed down influence of time. And from Izuku, she could feel it…a migraine forming for them as they somehow held the Nomu at bay. Himiko, her pain was centered in her limbs, each and every one of them feeling cold, numb.
But she knew Izuku could hold on for a little longer, and knew she was going to lose it quickly…so she shared a look with Izuku, preparing them for the moment she would lose it. Izuku's face became set in determination, no sound audible in the time dilation but still she could tell what they wanted to say. She glanced up to see Himiko, still suspended midair, looking down at her and giving her the same look of acknowledgement…and so she released it.
Sound rushed back into everyone's ears, people stumbling as they found their motions now proceeding as previously intended. Himiko finished her flip midair and with a scream of rage, ripped her blade through the winged creature's wings, her body vanishing in a spark of golden energy, reappearing next to Ochako. She wrapped her arms around Ochako, focusing, and vanished once more, Ochako with her, back by Izuku's side where the green-haired teen was gritting their teeth, focusing hard as the lightning continued sparking around them.
"...okay what the hell are we doing now?" Himiko demanded, her body shivering as shocks of pain flitted across her limbs.
"I have no fucking idea," Ochako gasped, one hand pressed to her chest as she tried to make her racing heart calm down. The girls both looked at Izuku, hoping they had an answer.
Izuku shook their head. "I've got some theories, but now's not the time. I uh…I think I've got telekinesis right now? But I don't know how long I'll have it, so please, someone figure out how to stop these things!"
Aizawa skidded to a stop by them, finally released from the time slowing, one eye watching the Nomu and the other focused on the students. "Are you alright? Are any of you hurt?" he asked hurriedly, trying to keep his gaze both on the creatures and scan over his students.
"Fascinating. Localized time dilation, short range teleportation, and what appears to be telekinesis. Yet they are not awakenings, no relation to their original Quirks. What fascinating specimens. Well, I see no reason to continue this farce, by my calculation more heroes shall arrive momentarily. Kurogiri, retrieve the Nomu's," that same quavering voice spoke from the box.
The purple-black smoke appeared once more, sweeping over the Nomu and taking them away in a flash of darkness. The box spoke once more. "Well, this was a successful test! The Nomu were weaker than I anticipated, but adjustments can be made. I appreciate your assistance with this test, and as a reward, I will not activate the bomb within this device! Thank you for your time."
The box sparked, shaking in place for a moment as Aizawa leapt in front of the trio, trying to shove them back behind him and into the rest of the students, clearly not trusting the words about it not exploding…but a single puff of smoke came hissing out of it, the device falling silent after a brief second.
Shoji and Sato, dripping wet, arrived, carrying Thirteen with them as Tsuyu followed behind, worry etched on her face. Thirteen's helmet was off, showing that she'd lost consciousness. Her breathing was labored and pained as she wheezed, Aizawa quickly making the two boys lay her down so he could begin checking her over. As he knelt next to her, he turned back to Izuku for a moment.
"You said you have telekinesis right now? Is it still working?"
Izuku paused for a moment, before nodding, biting their lip. "I-I think so?"
Aizawa pointed at the box. "Very carefully, move that as far away as you can. Preferably also out in the open so there is no shrapnel. I don't trust that voice, so until it can be examined I want it away from us and the entrance."
"Um…sure, okay," Izuku replied. They lifted their hand once more, emerald lightning wrapping about their limbs as they focused. After a brief moment, the box lifted in the air, steady and not wobbling, before very slowly drifting away. The further away it got, the clearer it became that Izuku was having difficulty, their eyes hazing over slightly as they began to pant, face twisted in a grimace of pain.
Aizawa narrowed his eyes. "That's enough, Midoriya, don't hurt yourself. It's fine. Good job kid." He looked like he was going to say more, but the doors to the USJ busted inward with a loud scream behind them, revealing multiple UA professors visible. Ida was there, gasping for air with his hands on his knees, standing upright with a proud smile that vanished a moment later as he saw the tableau before him; one teacher unconscious and bloody, another covered in blood, multiple teenagers all in various states of disarray, cracked and shattered concrete…and no sign of the villains.
Ochako felt like she could take a breath…they were safe. Finally, finally, they were safe. Her eyes fluttered slightly, the exhaustion catching up to her, her heartbeat audible in her ears as she wavered in place. As if in a mirror, she could barely see Izuku swaying in place as well, Himiko stumbling towards them with her eyes glazed over. Darkness began to creep into her vision, the sounds of her worried classmates now muted. She felt the panic in her rise at the sight of Izuku and Himiko both falling over, but before she could react she felt her own mind going blank…and lost her grip on the waking world.