Chapter 7: Izuku's Resolve
Meanwhile in the Teacher's Lounge:
All Might was sitting down as he stared at his Hero Costume, which was currently in his hands.
You don't have time to relax, young man. The real thing starts tomorrow.
That Night:
"My phone is ringing… I wonder who's calling me." Izuku said, before getting up. He was currently in his room, finishing a push-up set. "It's All Might!"
'Hello Young Midoriya, how was your first day at school?' All Might asked his protégé.
"It was cool. I got first place in the Quirk Assessment Test." Izuku replied while using a towel to wipe his sweat.
'That's my Successor for you! Anyways I want to meet you at Dagobah beach.'
"Right now?"
'Yes, it's about One for All.'
"Alright, I'll be there in a few minutes." Izuku ended the call and then went to take a shower and get ready to meet All Might.
Dagobah Beach:
"Toshinori-sensei!"
All Might looked at the voice's owner and was glad to see Izuku, who had made sure not to call him by his Hero name this time. "Young Midoriya!"
"Sorry if I made you wait."
"No, no, it's my fault for calling you on short notice."
"So, what is this all about?" Izuku asked.
"Well, I've watched your performance today in the Quirk Assessment Test. I even talked with Aizawa, and he thinks you're doing something wrong while using the new ability of your Quirk. One for All to be precise."
"Is it about me breaking my bones?" Izuku questioned, thinking that his teacher wasn't happy with what happened during the ball throw test. Not to mention how he hurt everyone present too.
"No, not exactly." All Might then looked around to make sure no one was around just in case and then powered up to his muscle form. "Young Midoriya, I want you to punch my hands two times. One with your right and the other with your left using One for All." All Might instructed to which Izuku nodded.
Izuku then proceeded to power up and charged the power of One for All at 8% in his right arm. The energy coursed through his veins before Izuku punched All Might's hand.
All Might was surprised to see his hand pushed back a little. He was holding back, but he should've had perfectly blocked the punch with the amount of strength he put in.
Something is definitely different about him… All Might thought before he quickly shrugged it off, waiting for Izuku's second punch that for some reason didn't come.
Izuku, who was still charging the power of One for All in his left arm was cut off by All Might. "Why are you taking so much time to punch my other hand?" All Might asked.
"I was charging the power of One for All in my left arm." Izuku replied, a bit confused by the question and why All Might stopped him.
Am I doing something wrong…? Wait, is he trying to tell me…? Izuku thought.
"He's using his Quirk as an on and off switch."
All Might remembered Aizawa's words. "You're using your Quirk like an on and off switch…"
"And not like an extension of my body!" Izuku continued as he figured out what was All Might trying to tell him.
"Wait! You knew?" All Might quickly replied, surprised by his Successor's words. He didn't expect Izuku to know the answer.
"All Might, do you remember when I told you how I'm able to faintly see a blue energy inside people's bodies?" Izuku asked.
"Yes, I do remember… You said something about how this energy is actually what makes people use their Quirks."All Might replied as he tried to remember Izuku's explanation from that day.
"Correct, by channeling this energy and using it, anyone can use his Quirk. Before I started to imagine the egg in the microwave, I used to observe with my Sharingan this energy and channel it, in a way that makes me able to safely use One for All without breaking my bones." Izuku explained as All Might paid attention to understand everything that Izuku was saying.
"Yes, but with practice, you were able to control the output, by getting used to the feeling and imagining the egg in the microwave." All Might explained, helping his student with the puzzle he was trying to complete. "However?"
"However, when I observed my classmates' Quirks during the Quirk Apprehension Test, I noticed something different."
"What is it?"
"They were channeling this energy in their entire body. For example, that blonde hair kid named Aoyama. The energy that is spread through his entire body concentrates in his stomach, allowing him to shoot his beams. The pink skinned girl named Mina. She spreads the energy in her entire body before she can shoot her acid from anywhere. The same thing with that girl named… Momo Yaoyorozu, except that her energy lets her create anything." Izuku replied.
"Let me guess, you channel it in one limb, right?"
"Yeah…" Izuku replied with a sheepish smile on his face.
All Might could only smirk at his protégé's words. The boy was a natural genius. "I see, your analysis skills are as sharp as always Young Midoriya. So, do you have any idea on how to improve?"
Izuku then shook his head and began to think out loud. "One for All and the Sharingan are really different. In order to use the Sharingan, all I have to do is activate it through my eyes, and then I can use its powers freely, but for One for All I have to activate it- Wait, the Sharingan is a Quirk which all I need to do to use it, is just activate it from the start and One for All is a Quirk like the Sharingan, so all I have to do is channel the energy in my entire body before I use it. No, I have to channel it and keep it spread out while controlling the output and making sure that I don't go over 8%. All Might! I figured it out!"
All Might just looked at Izuku with a puzzled expression and sweatdropped. He had to admit that Izuku's muttering was really helpful to the kid, no, a very weird powerful asset that could be considered a Quirk. "Then show me what you can do Young Midoriya."
"Yes Sir!" Izuku then concentrated and activated One for All. He also activated his Sharingan, to make sure that the blue energy was spreading through his entire body at 8%. However, he was surprised to see that it's cyan…
"Can you move?" All Might asked.
Izuku waved his right arm, trying to get the feeling of this new power. "I think I can, but there's something else I just noticed." He replied.
"What is it?"
"The energy's color changed to cyan… It's not blue anymore."
All Might was really surprised by this. He already had little to no info about this whole blue energy thing, but now Izuku was telling him that his energy went from blue to cyan. He was afraid that something bad might happen. However, the next thing that happened surprised him more, as green/cyan lightning began to swirl around Izuku's body.
"Is this normal?" Izuku asked, not knowing if All Might ever went through something like that.
"No, this isn't normal by any means…" All Might replied. Seeing that nothing else was happening, All Might decided to test Izuku's new form. "Try to throw those two punches again."
Izuku was able to perfectly land two consecutive punches at a high speed. All Might was surprised by this. He was glad that he put in more strength in his hand before the attack.
"Good job Young Midoriya, try two kicks now."
Izuku then landed two kicks without any delay. All Might was now sure that Izuku reached a whole new level of power.
"How do you feel?" He asked to make sure that his successor is okay.
"I feel like my body is much lighter and stronger now… " Izuku responded. He was in awe by this new power, as there was so much he could do now; the possibilities were endless.
All Might hummed in thought, trying to come up with some theory about Izuku's new form. "My theory is that since One for All gets stronger with each generation, it might have reached a new level, and could explain why your energy changed to cyan. I think it just took its time until it finally blended with your DNA. It could also explain why your ball throw was too powerful today."
Izuku nodded as he couldn't help but agree with everything All Might said. After all, it was the only reasonable explanation they had. However, little did Izuku and All Might both know that this wasn't a regular power-up, but something much bigger.
"I think I'll call this form, One for All: Full Cowl." Izuku pointed out and All Might nodded, having no problem with the name.
"Then it seems like we're done for today. Prepare yourself because we will start sparring together next Saturday. We need to gauge this new power after all."
"REALLY! SPARRING WITH YOU ALL MIGHT! THAT'S AMAZING!" Izuku shouted.
"HAHAHA! I like your spirit. You better go back home now. We don't want to worry your mother."
"See you tomorrow, All Might." Izuku exclaimed as he waved goodbye to his Hero.
All Might waved back at Izuku, and the latter went back home content with his progress.
The Next Day:
The first class in Class 1-A's curriculum was English, which was boring to everyone even though it was Present Mic who was teaching it. Lunch was at the main cafeteria, where students can buy gourmet food for reasonable prices. Of course, Izuku immediately started to fanboy once he met Lunch Rush: The Cook Hero in person. And then in the afternoon, Class 1-A had Hero Basic Training!
"I am…"
Izuku smirked as he knew exactly who it was.
"Coming through the door like a normal person!"
All Might burst through the door very dramatically which was not normal at all.
"It's All Might!" Kaminari said excitedly as he truly was hyped to be taught by none other than the Number One Hero.
"Wow, he really is a teacher!" Kirishima cheered, as he stood up.
"That's a costume from the Silver Age, isn't it?" Tsuyu said observantly.
"Its style is so different, it's giving me goosebumps." Ojiro stated as a bead of sweat rolled down his cheek.
All Might marched to the teacher's podium. "I teach Hero Basic Training. It is a subject where you train in different ways to learn the basics of being a Hero. You will take the most units of this subject. Let's get right into it! This is what we'll do today- Combat Training!"All Might exclaimed as he held a card that read the word BATTLE.
Bakugo smirked in anticipation, "COMBAT…"
"… Training." Izuku finished as he too was smirking. He had to admit, he was just so excited to try his Full Cowl and test it against someone.
"And to go with that are these!"
All Might pointed to the wall as from holes installed there, came out numbered boxes from 1 through 20.
"Costumes made based on your Quirk registrations and requests you sent in before school started."
The students cheered in delight as they couldn't wait to try their new costumes on.
"Costumes!" Izuku said to himself, eager to try his.
"After you change, gather in Ground Beta!"
"Yes, sir!"
At Ground Beta:
All Might stood at Ground Beta waiting for his students to arrive. After a couple of seconds, figures can be seen coming out through the tunnel.
"They say the clothes make the man, young men, and ladies. Be fully aware… From now on… you are Heroes!"
As he said that, students from Class 1-A all entered through the tunnel with their Hero costumes equipped. Every costume was unique and fitted each of the aspiring Heroes in training.
All Might smiled as he greatly approved of everybody's gear. "That's great everyone. You all look cool! Now, shall we begin, you zygotes?"
Flashback To Three Weeks Ago:
"I need to go to city hall to get my Quirk registration for the clothing allowance." Izuku said as he was sitting on his couch with papers spread all around the table. He got caught up with all of the training with All Might, that he forgot to send in his request for his costume. And he left it for the last minute.
"Oh wait, but I'm already registered as Quirkless… Oh crap, what should I do…?"
He decided to call All Might for help.
"Quirk registration? Oh yeah, you can update that." All Might said blatantly as he sat in the teacher's lounge.
"Wait, really?! Just like that?"
All Might chuckled. "Everyone is examined and registered all at once when they enter elementary school and junior high, right? But there are cases where people discover their Quirks are not what they thought they were. So, you're allowed to update it once or twice. They won't accept outrageous changes, but if you had none before, it's probably fine."
"I'm home!" Inko yelled from the front door.
Izuku got nervous, afraid that his mother could find out All Might and Izuku's secret, so he panicked and hung up by accident.
"Damn it, I hung up by mistake. I'll have to apologize to All Might later."
"Welcome back!" Izuku greeted his mother.
"Hey, Izuku—" Inko began as she pulled something out of her bag. "Congrats on getting into UA!" She added as she showed him the jumpsuit she bought for him. "I might have jumped to conclusions, though?"
"A jumpsuit?" Izuku repeated as he inspected it.
"It's not much as it is now, though. When you'd dozed off while studying, I happened to see your notebook."
"What?" Izuku blushed.
However, Inko's expression changed as she looked sad and bothered by something. "The terrible thing I said kept bothering me. I gave up back then. But you didn't give up. You kept chasing your dream, didn't you?" Inko said as she recalled the time when she couldn't tell Izuku that he can become a Hero. She began to tear up, but Izuku stopped her from going any further. His facial expression was now matching his mother's.
"Mom, please… We both know that's not true. I gave up… that day. And there has been a couple of times when I felt low and that I would never make it. So, don't blame yourself because you don't need to… You were just worried about me, and you have every right." Izuku then pulled his mother in a tight hug.
He noticed how she was shaking. Seems like she never got over that dreadful day, and it was definitely a mistake of him to bring it up.
"Thank you for being my mother and… sorry for all the trouble I caused you, especially when you had to raise me all alone." As he finished his little speech, his mother began to sob, and he tried his best to console her.
After a few minutes, she finally calmed down and looked at her son again. "Still Izuku, with everything that happened to you, you ought to be proud of yourself. No matter how much life put you down, you stood up again, you never gave up. And let me tell you this, this is something that many adults fail to do. What I've done back then, was still wrong, and I'm sorry. I'll support you openly with everything I've got from now on!" She exclaimed as she forced a smile and handed him his jumpsuit.
Seeing this, Izuku had a few tears in his eyes too. He was going to use this jumpsuit to come up with the best Hero Costume he can come up with. After all, these were his mother's feelings.
Back to the Present:
Izuku jogged through the tunnel as he was a little behind everyone else. It took him a little more time to get into his costume, so he had to hurry or else everybody will wonder where he's at. He finally entered Ground Beta as everybody had their eyes on his costume.
Izuku's costume consisted of a dark green jumpsuit like the one from costume Beta. He only changed the color to a darker green. A red belt in which he had some belt pouches to carry first-aid items like a roller gauze, medical tape, and some elastic bandages. He also had leg bracers and his red shoes, a pair of white gloves, with two blue stripes at the base, and elbow pads. On his face, he had a metal mask that he could move from his neck to his mouth and looked like All Might's smile. His ears had special green earpieces that looked like All Might's two bangs. Each one had a button that once Izuku pressed, would make a light green mask made of toughened glass appear over his eyes, to protect them from danger. In case the danger was too strong for the glass it would immediately go back to his earpieces so that no sharp glass shard could hurt Izuku's eyes. Finally, on his back was a symbol that looked like a fan the upper half was red and the lower one was white.
This is my costume! He said to himself.
"Oh, Deku-kun?" Ochaco said once she noticed that Izuku arrived at Ground Beta.
"Uraraka!" Izuku called her, but once he got a good look at Ochaco's costume, he began to blush.
"That looks so cool! Very original and unique. I should've written what I wanted… Mine ended up being a skintight bodysuit. It's embarrassing…"
"The Hero Course is the best." Mineta said as he gave Izuku a thumbs up.
"Oh, Midoriya you look cool." Ojiro complimented his friend. Izuku really wanted to return the compliment if Ojiro didn't just stick with his martial arts uniform… "Hahaha, don't worry, I know what you're thinking." He reassured the Sharingan user.
"What is that symbol?" Uraraka asked as she inspected the back of his costume. Ojiro was also interested to know more about it.
"I actually don't know, but I saw that symbol in my parents' room, it was a painting. I even saw it on some of my dad's old clothes. I kinda like it for some reason."
"I have to admit, it looks very stylish. I wonder if it's a brand…" Ochaco added making Izuku blush.
All Might saw Izuku's costume and couldn't help but chuckle at the similarities. So obvious. He thought.
All Might then noticed that everyone was here, so he began to give his instructions and explain the exercise. "Now, it's time for combat training!"
"Sir! This is a battle center from the Entrance Exam, so will we be conducting urban battles again?" Tenya asked and Izuku recognized him from his voice and hand movements. And that is because Tenya had a knight armor for a Hero Costume. Izuku had to admit that Tenya's costume looked cool and suited his personality.
"No, we're going to move ahead two steps. Most of the time, fighting villains takes place outside, but if you look at the total numbers, atrocious Villains appear indoors at a higher rate. Imprisonment, house arrest, backroom deals. In this society filled with Heroes, truly intelligent Villains hide in the shadows! For this class, you'll be split into Villains and Heroes, and fight 2-on-2 indoor battles."
"Without basic training?" Tsuyu asked, wondering if they were up to the task.
"This is a real battle to understand those basics! However, the key this time is that there's no robot you can just beat up."
"How will wins and losses be determined?" Momo questioned.
"Can we beat them up anyway?" Bakugo asked, hoping to blast whoever his opponent is.
"Will the punishment be expulsion like with Mr. Aizawa?" Ochaco asked as she didn't want to experience that kind of pressure again.
"How shall we be split up?" Tenya questioned.
"Isn't this cape crazy?" Aoyama said randomly.
All Might began to become overwhelmed as he wasn't used to being asked like 10 questions at once, he was a novice when it came to teaching. "I'll answer all of your questions! Now listen here." All Might brought out his teaching notes.
A script? Izuku thought with a sweat drop as he found amusement in his mentor's antics.
"The situation is that the Villains have hidden a nuclear weapon somewhere in their hideout. The Heroes are trying to dispose of that. The Heroes need to catch the Villains or get the nuclear weapon back in the allotted time. The Villains need to protect the nuclear weapon for the whole time or catch the Heroes." All Might explained.
"This situation feels very American." Izuku commented.
All Might brought out a yellow box. "Teams and opponents will be determined by drawing lots!"
"They're being decided so haphazardly?" Tenya asked. He thought the selection would be more organized.
"Pros often have to create makeshift teams with Heroes from other agencies. So maybe that's why. We need to always be prepared to team up with another Hero and work with them if the situation asks for it." Izuku pointed out and All Might was happy to see his successor's analytic mind already working.
Tenya nodded his head as he understood Izuku's point. "I see. The discernment to look ahead… Please excuse my rudeness!" Tenya said as he bowed.
"It's fine! Let's hurry up and do this quickly!" All Might bellowed as the students went and drew their lots to see who they were paired up with.
Team A- Izuku Midoriya and Ochaco Uraraka
Team B- Shoto Todoroki and Mezo Shoji
Team C- Momo Yaoyorozu and Minoru Mineta
Team D- Katsuki Bakugo and Tenya Iida
Team E- Mina Ashido and Yuga Aoyama
Team F- Rikido Sato and Koji Koda
Team G- Denki Kaminari and Kyoka Jiro
Team H- Fumikage Tokoyami and Tsuyu Asui
Team I- Hanta Sero and Toru Hagakure
Team J- Eijirou Kirishima and Mashirao Ojiro
"Wow, it must be fate! I'm counting on you!" Ochaco said cheerfully as she was excited over the fact that she and Izuku will be working together.
However, Izuku was nervous over the fact that he got paired with a girl. Seriously?! I have to speak properly, or else- Izuku's thoughts were cut off.
"Midoriya come with me for a second." A familiar voice said.
Everyone looked to see that it was Aizawa-sensei and were frightened, thinking that he's here to expel the losing teams or something.
"Don't worry, I won't expel anyone today." Aizawa said, much to the class's relief.
Izuku went with Aizawa to a corner, wondering what did Aizawa-sensei want from him.
"In the Quirk Assessment Test yesterday, you were using your new physical enhancement ability as-"
"As an on and off switch, yeah I know, I already fixed that problem." Izuku replied.
"Did you figure this on your own?" Aizawa asked while looking at a very nervous All Might. He felt like All Might was giving Izuku some favoritism.
"Yes Sir." Izuku lied to protect the secret of his relationship with All Might.
"Fine, we'll see what you can do today." The man replied, suspicious by how Izuku already figured out his problem and fixed it in one day.
All Might put his hands in two boxes, a white one labeled HERO and a black one labeled VILLAIN. "The first teams to fight will be… " All Might dramatically took his hands out and in his hands appeared a black ball labeled "D" and a white ball labeled "A"."… these guys! Team A will be the Heroes, and Team D will be the Villains!"
I'm sorry Young Midoriya but it seems that fate has other plans for you today. All Might thought as he had an idea on how bad the relationship between these two is.
Izuku and Bakugo both gasped. They didn't expect to be fighting each other so soon. Today is the day I show you that I've surpassed you, Kacchan. Izuku thought as his mind was already forming a plan.
PERFECT! I finally get to crush Deku with my own hands, and show him that he's just a pebble in my way!
"Everyone else, head toward the monitor room."
"Yes, sir!"
Besides the four students participating, the students of Class 1-A did as they were told and left to go to the monitor room, accompanied by Aizawa-sensei to watch the battle that was about to unfold.
Izuku looked towards Bakugo and saw that he was giving him a mean glare. At first, Izuku was taken aback by it, the years of countless beatings flashing in his mind. But then, he clenched his fists and smirked as he looked back at Bakugo. He was telling him "come and get me". Bakugo was taken aback by this gesture and the sight of Izuku's eyes as Izuku had activated his Sharingan to appear more intimidating and it seems to have worked. Bakugo then got even angrier as he silently growled.
"Villain team, go in first and set up! In five minutes, the Hero team will break in, and the battle will start!"
"Yes Sir!" The students minus Bakugo said as the Villain team began to make their way into the building.
"Young Iida, Young Bakugo, learn to think from the perspective of the Villains. This is pretty close to a real battle. Go all out. Don't be afraid to get hurt."
"Yes, sir!" Iida replied.
"If things go too far, I will stop it."
"Yes, sir!"
All the while, Bakugo looked towards Izuku, gritting his teeth in anger. He was utterly infuriated by him.
When the Villain team made it to the floor where the fake nuclear weapon was located, Tenya began to speak. "Even if this is training, it pains me to become a Villain. So, our job is to protect this?" He proceeded to knock on the fake weapon. "It's paper-mâché."
"Hey!"
Tenya turned around to see that Bakugo had his back turned towards him. "Deku has a pretty strong Quirk, doesn't he?"
As much as he hated to admit, Bakugo knew that Izuku had a strong Quirk, which was proven during the ball throw test. He didn't know what it was exactly as he was sure that his special eyes weren't for show but he knew that his super strength wasn't a joke.
"Well yes, he has increased perception, he can predict attacks, he can copy fighting styles and has increased physical ability-"
"Enough!" Bakugo said, cutting off Tenya.
Bakugo was shaking in anger as a certain thought came to his mind. Has he been tricking me all this time?! Playing me for a fool when in reality he had a strong Quirk all along! That damn nerd! His Quirk manifested a year ago, my ass! This is bullshit! No Quirk can be this strong in a year. I bet he was hiding it all along.
Meanwhile, the Hero team was still outside discussing their battle strategy.
"It's a lot of work to memorize the building's floor plan. But All Might is just the same as when he's on TV. Unlike Aizawa-sensei, it looks like there's no threat of expulsion. But even he said that there's no expulsion today, so we can relax and, -YOU'RE NOT RELAXED AT ALL!" Ochaco exclaimed as Izuku was visibly shaking. However, it wasn't because of nervousness, but it was because of excitement. This has been the moment he was waiting for.
"Well, it's because we're going up against Kacchan and there is something that I always wished I could do, for both me and him, even though he won't like it."
"I see. Bakugo's the one who makes fun of you, right?" Ochaco said as she remembered what Izuku told her yesterday about him giving the name Deku to Izuku as an insult.
Izuku sighed. "He's amazing."
"I'll definitely surpass All Might and become the Top Hero!" Bakugo's voice echoed in Izuku's head.
"It's true that he can be really annoying and a jerk, but his goal, his confidence, his physical strength, and his Quirk were way more amazing than mine." Izuku then stood up and tightly balled his fists. "But that's all in the past! Now, I have my own power, my own confidence, my own drive, and my own goal. So, now, I refuse to lose to him! I refuse to make him believe that he's superior to me." Izuku said as his Sharingan came to life.
Ochaco stood in awe at the sheer determination that was coming from Izuku. It made her feel motivated and inspired her to do her best. She smiled at him, "So it's a fated battle between rivals, huh?"
Izuku smiled sheepishly before saying "Oh, well, I guess you could say that."
Ochaco raised her fist high and cheered, "Alright then, let's do our best, we are a team right? So, let's work together and win!"
"Yes!" Izuku replied before grabbing the mask from his neck and adjusting it to his mouth. He then pushed the button on his earpiece that was also equipped with a communication device, for his second mask to appear.
Shortly after, All Might began to speak through the intercom speaker at Ground Beta. "Now, let's start the indoor person-to-person combat training with Team A and Team D!"
Izuku looked towards Ochaco and said, "Okay listen up Uraraka! Here's the plan… "
"Okay, everyone, you all should think as well." All Might told the class as they were all gathered in the monitor room. There were monitor screens all over the place that showed various shots of the building. This allowed All Might and the students to see exactly what was going on and assess their performance as such.
Young Midoriya! Here, you are no more than a single student. I'll grade you strictly, without playing favorites. So do your best, and remember our training together! All Might said mentally as he, Aizawa-sensei, and the rest of the students present stared at the monitors, waiting patiently for one of the teams to make a move.
At that moment, Izuku and Ochaco entered the building through an open window
"We've infiltrated successfully." Ochaco said as they landed on the floor.
"There are a lot of blind spots, so be careful to not get caught off guard." Izuku stated as the two began to walk through the hallways.
Izuku kept his guard up, looking around with his Sharingan. Iida should be on the top floor, guarding the nuclear weapon. Izuku thought. He then looked around again and saw Bakugo coming from behind the corner. Just as according to plan…
Izuku quickly grabbed Ochaco and moved out of the way the second Bakugo came around the corner and blasted an explosion aimed directly at Izuku, but it just hit the wall.
"Uraraka, are you alright?" Izuku asked with genuine concern in his voice.
"Yeah, thanks for the save." Ochaco responded as dusted herself off.
The smoke cleared as Bakugo swiped his arm through it. "COME DEKU, DON'T DODGE AND FIGHT ME LIKE A MAN!"
Izuku chuckled as he stood up straight. "I figured you would come for me first, Kacchan." Izuku's eyes narrowed, staring at Bakugo's form and trying to anticipate his next move.
"A surprise attack from the start?" A student questioned.
"Bakugo, that's cheating! A surprise attack isn't manly at all!" Kirishima, a red head guy said angrily as he threw a fist to his palm.
"A surprise attack is a strategy, too. They're in the middle of a real battle right now." All Might said as both he and Aizawa had their grading books in their hands.
"Midoriya avoided it!" Mina happily cheered for Izuku.
"There goes Bakugo!" Kaminari warned as through the monitors they could see Katsuki charging straight towards Izuku.
"I WON'T DO SO MUCH DAMAGE THAT THIS FIGHT GETS STOPPED, BUT I'M GONNA GET CLOSE!" Bakugo yelled as he aimed a right hook at Izuku.
*Music: Naruto OST -The Raising Fighting Spirit (Extended)*
But before Bakugo's right hook could connect, Izuku countered by grabbing his right arm. The Explosion teen gasped in shock as his feet were off the ground now. Izuku lifted him above his head and brought him down crashing to the ground with a strong force.
What the hell!? Did he read my moves with his Quirk?Bakugo thought in panic. He then felt the air in his lungs coming out immediately as soon as his back slammed to the ground, causing a loud thud.
"Wow, he's like a martial arts master!" Ochaco cheered as she was impressed by Izuku's amazing counter.
In the monitor room, everybody, except for Ojiro and All Might had their eyebrows raised as they weren't expecting Izuku to move so swiftly like that. They never knew that Izuku was a martial artist.
He has improved so much over the last year. His stance, his throw, his movements, they were all flawless! Very well executed! Aizawa noted, clearly amazed by Izuku's development.
I can't believe it! I did it! I managed to hit Kacchan, I still can't believe it! Izuku said in his mind as he never imagined that a day like this would ever come. A day when he would see Bakugo as just another teen like him.
"Kacchan… " Izuku began to speak as Bakugo began to pull himself up. "If you think I used my Quirk to predict that attack you're dead wrong. I know you usually start with a big right swing. How much do you think I've been watching you? I wrote an analysis for all of the Heroes I thought were amazing in my Hero Journals, including you. Yes, in that same notebook, you blew up and threw away last year!"
"WHAT!?" Bakugo shouted in bewilderment as he too remembered when he threw out Izuku's notebook from the window.
"The name Deku… the same one that you always use as an insult to call me useless and worthless. Well, guess what? The name Deku isn't going to mean useless or worthless or good for nothing anymore! Kacchan, from now on, Deku is a name that will mean, you can do it, it will mean never give up, it will inspire others! From this day forward, Deku is not the name of the frail kid you bullied, but the strong man in front of you who'll become the Greatest Hero! Deku is the name of the person who will bring you down today!" Izuku shouted as his Sharingan was violently spinning. They were full of determination due to the intense emotions that Izuku was feeling at the moment.
Ochaco's cheeks had a slight tinge of red as she remembered that those were the exact words that she used to describe the name Deku yesterday.
"Oh, is that right? I'm sorry, I didn't know. But Deku sounds like the Japanese word for -You can do it! It has some sort of never give up vibe, so I kinda like it!"
Bakugo now stood completely on his feet, Izuku's words were now engraved forever in his memory. "DEKU!" Bakugo angrily yelled.
"I-If you come any closer… I-I'll get angry!"
Bakugo remembered the day when Izuku first stood up to him. He was a weak, small child. He trembled and shook in fear as he stood in front of him, and defended the other little boy that Bakugo and his lackeys were bullying. Izuku's face was full of tears that day.
But now, 11 years later, it was a much different picture. The person who stood in front of him now was by no means a small, weak child. He was a strong, well-built young man. No tears could be seen on his intimidating eyes as he had an expression that screamed with an undying will and determination. His aura was full of power and bravery… Izuku Midoriya was no longer afraid of Katsuki Bakugo… Izuku was no longer inferior to Katsuki Bakugo or anyone else!
"DEKU, YOU BASTARD I'LL KILL YOU!" Bakugo rushed at Izuku, but the latter didn't wait and got closer to the ash-blonde hair boy. Bakugo released an explosion at Izuku, aiming for his chest, but Izuku immediately ducked under the attack. He had already seen this coming, thanks to his Sharingan.
"Lowest Round Kick!"
Izuku shouted before performing the attack, making Bakugo fall off of his feet. But before Bakugo could hit the ground, Izuku punched him in the guts, sending him flying to the other side of the corridor.
"Kacchan…" Izuku paused for a moment, as Uraraka and everyone from the monitor room were looking at him in awe. "FROM NOW ON… WE'RE EQUALS!
Chapter 8: The Fated Battle
"Kacchan…" Izuku paused for a moment, Uraraka and everyone from the monitor room were looking at him in awe. "FROM NOW ON… WE'RE EQUALS!"
Bakugo started to stand up again, his stomach was aching from the pain of that punch. "…YOU NEVER STOPPED GOING AFTER ME, TRYING TO CATCH UP TO ME, EVEN AFTER ALL THE TRAUMA I'VE PUT YOU THROUGH… YOU JUST KEPT STANDING UP AND MOVING AGAIN, ALWAYS LOOKING DOWN ON ME… AND NOW LOOK AT YOU, YOU'RE DECLARING THAT WE'RE EQUALS TO MY FACE. AND THAT YOU'LL BEAT ME! ME! YOU'RE JUST A PEBBLE, YOU DAMN NERD!"
Bakugo's hands ignited with small explosions, as his whole body and mind were consumed by his rage.
"THAT'S WHAT I HATE ABOUT YOU DEKU!" He shouted at the top of his lungs.
Because Kacchan and I lived in the same neighborhood, we've known each other since we were little. Izuku said in his mind, before some old memories came flashing through his head.
Flashback 11 Years Ago:
"Let's go kill the enemy!" Kid Bakugo said as he pointed towards a gate to a forest that read No Trespassing.
"Okay!" Bakugo's lackeys yelled as they were willing to follow the blonde Explosion Quirk user wherever he went.
"O-Okay…!" Kid Izuku added a little more hesitant than the others.
Kacchan was the type who could do anything he tried his hand at, a rascal who led the group of neighborhood kids. Good or bad, Kacchan was full of confidence, and I thought he was so cool. But… after his Quirk manifested, it accelerated him down the wrong path.
Back To The Present:
All men are not created equal. This was the harsh reality that I learned about society at the young age of four.
"Hey, Bakugo! Give me your status! What happened?" Tenya said through Kacchan's earpiece.
"JUST SHUT UP AND DEFEND. I'M REALLY ANGRY RIGHT NOW!" Bakugo replied.
"I'm not asking about how you feel! Hey!" But right before Tenya could say anything further, the connection was cut off. "He hung up… Going off on his own like that… What is wrong with him?! Jeez!"
The Monitor Room:
"What was Bakugo saying? Can't tell with just the cameras in a fixed position and no sound." Kirishima said, curious about what Izuku and Bakugo were saying.
"He's talking to his partner over the small wireless radio. You can bring that plus the building's floor plan, and this capture tape! Once you wrap this around your opponent, it shows that you've captured them." All Might replied.
"The time limit is 15 minutes, and the Heroes don't know where the nuclear weapon is located, right?" Mina asked.
"Yes!" All Might answered his student.
"The Heroes are clearly at a disadvantage here!" Mina pointed out, thinking that the situation was unfair for the heroes.
"Heroes should be able to turn the tables on whatever predicament they're in. Besides, didn't Aizawa-sensei tell you, too? You know- Here we go-"
"Plus Ultra!" The students of Class 1-A shouted their school's motto, with enthusiasm.
"Next time you forget that I'll expel you all." Aizawa added, which made the whole class flinch.
"Monsieur, Bakugo is-" Aoyama began.
All Might looked towards the monitors, at Aoyama's comment.
Back To The Battle:
Bakugo put his left hand behind his back as he began to ignite an explosion. Izuku saw what he was doing and yelled at Ochaco. "Uraraka, go!"
"Right!" Ochaco replied as she made her way towards the upper floors.
Bakugo fired an explosion to propel himself towards Izuku at high speeds. He aimed a roundhouse kick towards Izuku with his left leg, but Izuku managed to block the attack with his forearm just in time.
"LOOKING AWAY DURING A FIGHT? YOU MUST BE SURE OF YOURSELF!"
"Damn right I am!" Izuku shouted back. He then grabbed Bakugo's leg and began swinging him around before he threw him away. However, Bakugo managed to safely land on his feet by using his explosions.
He's being cautious now. I won't win against him in a small room like this. His Explosion Quirk is far too powerful in a small area, and I won't be able to dodge. I'm going to have to fight him in a larger room, but I need to make him come to me! Izuku thought as he carefully planned his next moves.
Bakugo stood up after Izuku's swing and placed both of his hands behind him, but then he noticed Izuku running around the corner.
"DAMN IT! DON'T YOU DARE RUN AWAY FROM ME, COME BACK HERE, DEKU!" Bakugo yelled as he chased after him.
After a few minutes of searching, Bakugo was growing impatient. "HEY! YOU TRICKED ME, DIDN'T YOU?! WAS IT FUN TRICKING ME ALL THIS TIME?! HUH?! YOU'VE GOT A FLASHY QUIRK THERE, DON'T YOU?! AWAKENED IT A YEAR AGO?! YEAH RIGHT, YOU THINK I'M A FOOL TO BELIEVE THIS BULLSHIT! COME OUT AND FACE ME! I'LL PROVE TO YOU THAT I'M BETTER THAN YOU!"
"Over here!" Bakugo turned his head around at Izuku's voice.
"Reverse Sweeping Kick!" Izuku shouted as he was spinning around. He then delivered a devastating kick in a wide arc to Bakugo's head. The kick sent Bakugo twirling around as he got knocked off his feet again.
"YOU DAMN NERD! I'LL KILL YOU!" Bakugo growled.
"By the way, I forgot to tell you something Kacchan. Right now, I'm not even using my full. This is my base physical strength and not the enhanced one." Izuku exclaimed, in an attempt to taunt Bakugo. Something that was part of his plan. He was going to use Bakugo's anger against him.
In The Monitor Room:
"Damn, Midoriya's Quirk is broken. Bakugo can't even land a single hit on him, despite being second to him in the Practical Exam." Kaminari commented.
"Man, He's so OP." Sero added.
"If you think that his strength is the result of his Quirk, you're dead wrong." Aizawa pointed out.
"What do you mean sensei? Can't you see how he's dominating this match?" Kirishima asked.
"When his Quirk first awakened a year ago, it was so unique that Recovery Girl was studying it and even called me and All Might for help. She asked me to fight him and honestly back then all what he was capable of, was dodging my attacks and copying them. Still, with the restriction of being able to keep up with my movements. If I moved faster, it was impossible for him to dodge my attacks at all. Not to mention that he sucked at fighting. But after 10 months of hellish training his physical strength went to a whole new level, he got better at using his Quirk, and he even learned two different fighting styles, as well as how to use weapons. So, don't say that his strength is the result of his Quirk because his strength is the result of his training." Aizawa explained.
Upon hearing this the whole Class 1-A were amazed at Izuku's achievements. Their respect for their classmate only grew more and more.
"I can vouch for that." Ojiro murmured to himself as he saw Izuku's growth with his own eyes. However, he was surprised to hear that Izuku met All Might and Aizawa-sensei before, and the fact that they were studying his Quirk.
Why did he never mention that? Ojiro thought, wondering why Izuku hid something like that from him.
I'm not going lie, when I heard he was the Number One freshman for this year, I thought he was just your usual arrogant kid who's blessed with a strong Quirk. However, it seems like he's entirely different. Momo thought as she couldn't help but admire the Sharingan user.
While I have to agree with you, Aizawa, I'm afraid that's not why Young Midoriya has the advantage. He was always good at reacting quickly in a crisis. He spent years writing his notes and internalizing them and his fanboy knowledge is helping him now… It's not that Young Bakugo is weak or anything, but Young Midoriya knows much more about Young Bakugo's Quirk than his own Quirks. He knows everything about Young Bakugo's movements. He's just reading him like a book, and his using Young Bakugo's anger issues against him. All Might thought as he stared at his successor through the monitor.
All Might's eyes then drifted to Bakugo. Meanwhile, Young Bakugo here has little to no info about Izuku's Quirks and abilities. And his judgement is clouded by his anger. He's in denial and can't accept the fact that someone might be stronger than him, especially if that someone was the same person who was considered the weakest of the weakest.
Back To The Battle:
"YOU'RE JUST A PEBBLE… " Bakugo said, before memories of him and Izuku as kids came back to his head.
"Wow, Kacchan!" Kid Izuku said as he was impressed by Kid Bakugo's display of skill of kicking a ball up and down.
"This is easy!"
But when Kid Izuku tried to emulate Kid Bakugo, he failed and busted his behind.
"Ow!"
"Izuku, you really can't do anything, can you? You can read the characters for Izuku as Deku, you know." Kid Bakugo pointed out.
"Kacchan, you can read?" One of Bakugo's lackeys asked.
"You can't? And Deku means someone who can't do anything! Someone who is useless!" Kid Bakugo said as this was the origin of the name Deku.
"Really?" Bakugo's lackeys began to make fun of Izuku for the new nickname that Bakugo came up with.
"Stop that… "Kid Izuku said as he did not like the way that Kid Bakugo and his lackeys were treating him. It made him feel sad and he didn't like that feeling at all…
'Why don't you know?' Kid Bakugo thought.
Kid Bakugo threw a stone across the river and made it skip a bunch of times. His lackeys and Kid Izuku were really impressed by his performance and wanted to be just like him.
"Kacchan, how many times did yours skip?" One of the lackeys asked
"Seven times!" Kid Bakugo said proudly.
"Wow!"
"That's Kacchan for ya!"
"What about you, Deku?" Kid Bakugo asked as he looked towards Kid Izuku.
Kid Izuku put his head down in shame and embarrassment, "Z-Zero times… " Kid Bakugo and his lackeys proceeded to laugh at Kid Izuku.
'Why can't you do it?' Kid Bakugo thought again.
Kid Bakugo was in the middle of the classroom as every student plus the teachers were watching intently as small explosive sparks lit up his hands. His Quirk has just manifested.
"Wow!"
"That's so cool!"
"Lucky!" Kid Izuku said.
"Wow, that's an amazing Quirk!" The male teacher of the class said.
"It really is! It is a flashy Quirk just right for a Pro Hero. Right, Katsuki? The female teacher replied.
'Oh, I see! I'm Amazing! No one is as Amazing as I am!' Kid Bakugo thought, as this was only the beginning of how his ego got bigger and bigger, which made him the arrogant person he is today.
"You're so lucky, your Quirk is so cool! I hope I get mine soon, too." Kid Izuku said as he and Kid Bakugo were walking through a forest, while Kid Bakugo had a fishing net in his hands.
"No matter what Quirk you get, you'll never beat me!"
"HE'S JUST A PEBBLE… " Bakugo said, as he was still lying on the floor.
"Hey, did you hear? Deku doesn't have a Quirk."
"What? Really?"
"Yeah, it's called being Quirkless."
"That's so lame."
"Too bad for him."
"He's so weird."
'Don't worry about it Izuku.' Kid Izuku remembered the words of his mother, telling him not to worry. But that was thrown out the window as soon as the news spread about him not having a Quirk. That is when the isolation for Izuku Midoriya began, and he was officially deemed a social outcast by his peers.
'You're the LEAST amazing, Deku.' Kid Bakugo thought.
"Forward march, members of the Bakugo Hero Agency!" Kid Bakugo sang as he, his lackeys and Izuku went across a huge log that acted as a bridge since it was above the river. However, as Kid Bakugo was singing, he tripped and fell off the log and went straight towards the river.
"Kacchan!" Izuku shouted, genuinely concerned about his friend's safety.
"Hey, are you okay?"
"He's fine. Kacchan's really strong! See?"
Kid Bakugo emerged from the water, completely unscathed.
"I WAS FINE!" Bakugo angrily said.
"Hurry up and get back up here!"
"Okay, no problem!" Kid Bakugo responded, as he put his hand behind his head and smiled sheepishly.
"NOTHING WAS WRONG!"
Kid Bakugo heard footsteps coming towards him. He turned his head to see Kid Izuku with his hand outstretched for Kid Bakugo to hold and use as support.
"Are you all right? Can you stand?" Kid Izuku asked sincerely as he was truly worried about his friend and wanted to help him in any way he can.
Kid Bakugo was speechless as his whole world was shaking upside down.
"It would've been bad if you hit your head."
As soon as those words left Kid Izuku's mouth, something snapped within Kid Bakugo.
"DON'T LOOK AT ME WITH THAT FACE!"
"You looked like you were asking for help…" Bakugo remembered Izuku's words from when he saved him from the Sludge Villain, even though he was losing consciousness.
"STOP IT… !"
"I'M… I'M BETTER THAN YOU DEKU!" Bakugo yelled with all his might as his voice could be heard throughout the entire building. He immediately got up, ignored whatever pain he was feeling, and used his explosions to propel himself forward to where Izuku was.
Found it. Ochaco said in her head as she peeked around and saw Tenya guarding the nuclear weapon. Now I just have to tell Deku and hide until he gets here.
Right before she was about to communicate to Izuku, she heard Tenya beginning to say something. "Bakugo is a natural at being bad, but that fits this training perfectly. Then, I must also devote myself to being a Villain. That's right. This is another trial to turn me into a man who will not bring shame to the Iida family. Become a Villain! Be dyed with evil in order to become a Hero! I am… extremely evil!"
Ochaco couldn't contain her laughter as she saw the scene unfolding in front of her. He's taking this so seriously!
However, that slip up cost her dearly as it announced to Tenya that she was hiding in the room. "Have you arrived, Uraraka?"
Oh no, my cover has been blown! Ochaco thought. Knowing that she has been caught, she came out of hiding and revealed herself.
"I knew you would come here alone the instant Bakugo ran off by himself. Your Quirk allows you to make the objects you touch float. That is why I put away all the things on this floor before you arrived! Now you cannot play your little tricks! You have blundered, Hero!" Tenya then laughed like an evil maniac, knowing that he managed to corner her.
"He's starting to look… like a Villain!" Uraraka said as she decided to communicate with Izuku. "Deku!"
Deku heard his name through his earpiece as he touched it to respond. "Uraraka! How's it going?"
"Iida found me. Sorry!"
"I'm evil!" Izuku heard someone talking dramatically through his earpiece, which confused him for a moment.
"Right now, he's…"
"Where are you?"
"The middle of the fifth floor."
"Almost directly above us! We probably don't have much time left, either. If we run out of time, our opponents win!" Izuku gripped the capture tape tightly. "I'll have to finish this fight now!"
Just then Bakugo made it to where Izuku was, blinded by rage and heavily panting. His right gauntlet glowed red.
Bakugo smirked. "THEY'RE LOADED."
"Kacchan… " Izuku said as he got into a fighting stance.
"WHY AREN'T YOU USING YOUR FULL POWER DEKU?!" Bakugo asked. He continued "ARE YOU SAYING THAT YOU CAN BEAT ME WITHOUT USING YOUR FULL POWER?! ARE YOU UNDERESTIMATING ME, DEKU?!"
"Yes, I can beat Kacchan, I will!" Izuku shot back with confidence.
FROM NOW ON… WE'RE EQUALS! Bakugo widened his eyes as he remembered the words that sprouted from Izuku's mouth. Equals? Like hell, we are! You are beneath me damn it! Bakugo thought, but then he calmed down a bit and raised his right arm.
"WITH ALL YOUR STALKING, YOU PROBABLY ALREADY KNOW, BUT MY QUIRK, EXPLOSION, LET ME SECRETE NITROGLYCERIN-LIKE SWEAT FROM THE SWEAT GLANDS ON THE PALM OF MY HAND AND MAKE IT EXPLODE. IF THEY MADE THIS THE WAY I ASKED, THEN THESE GAUNTLETS WILL STORE THE NITROGLYCERIN INSIDE THEM, AND… " Bakugo began to pull the firing pin on his grenade like gauntlet.
"Don't tell me that's… Young Bakugo, stop! Are you trying to kill him?!" All Might yelled through the earpiece.
"IF I DON'T HIT HIM, HE WON'T DIE!"
"You have to be kidding me!" Izuku shouted as he knew what was Bakugo was going to do. But he also knew that he couldn't stop him. His eyes widened in fear, he had no idea if he was going to survive this explosion.
At that moment, Bakugo pulled the firing pin as an explosion bigger than anything Izuku has ever seen Bakugo produce fired directly at him. Its attack potency was so strong that it rocked and made the entire building shake as Ochaco and Tenya were knocked off their feet in the top floor. The explosion was even so strong that everyone else in the monitor room could feel it.
"This is supposed to be a class!" Kirishima yelled, as the rest of Class 1-A were in complete shock of Bakugo's violent and brutal attack that could actually kill someone.
"Young man! Young Midoriya!" All Might yelled as he was worried about his Successor's safety.
The smoke cleared as Izuku could be seen under a pile of debris. He was lucky that he jumped and avoided the blast, but the power of the explosion's shockwave threw him into a wall with a crashing force.
"Is that even… even allowed!? This is insane!" Izuku exclaimed and blood could be seen dripping from his head and covering most of his face. He couldn't believe that Bakugo just pulled an attack like this. Luckily for him, his eye mask worked correctly and went back to his earpieces.
Bakugo made his way through the smoke. "WOW… THE MORE THAT'S STORED IN THESE GAUNTLETS, THE STRONGER THE BLAST!" Bakugo said, as his left gauntlet glowed red, signally that it was completely loaded up. "COME ON, SHOW ME YOUR FULL POWER, DEKU… I'LL FORCE YOU TO SURRENDER EVEN IF YOU'RE AT FULL STRENGTH!" Bakugo said as he made a smiling face that resembled that of a psychopath.
"You're fucking crazy!" Izuku replied. He usually wasn't the type to swear, but right now he couldn't help it.
"Bakugo, answer me! Did you do that? What in the world did you do? Explain yourself!" Tenya shouted through his earpiece, clearly curious about what the hell happened down there.
This is my chance, if we retrieve the weapon, we'll win!Ochaco thought as she decided to take advantage of the situation and reach the nuclear weapon.
Tenya saw what Ochaco was doing and was immediately on the defensive. "I won't let you, Hero!"
Ochaco used Zero Gravity on herself and jumped over Tenya as she floated above the air.
"Can she make herself float now, too?"
We need to touch the weapon itself for it to count as being retrieved. "Release!"
But before she even got a chance to reach the weapon, Tenya used his engine Quirk to dash towards the weapon and snatch it as then Ochaco landed hard on the ground.
"Your Quirk is not a threat if you cannot touch anything. I'll hold out until time runs out!" Tenya then did his evil laugh as he was really adapting the Villain persona.
Deku is trying so hard, though! Ochaco thought as she got back up to her feet.
Back To Izuku:
"HEY, HEY, WHAT'S WRONG DEKU! I DIDN'T HIT YOU, SO YOU CAN STILL MOVE, CAN'T YOU? DO YOU STILL THINK THAT YOU'LL BEAT ME!? COME AT ME WITH YOUR FULL POWER, YOU DAMN NERD!"
However, Izuku reached for his earpiece. "Uraraka, what's the situation?"
"Deku!" Ochaco responded as she was relieved to find out that he was alright.
Bakugo had an angry look on his face. "IGNORING ME AGAIN? I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS DAMN FUCKING NERD!
Meanwhile back in the monitor room, all of the spectators were watching the scene unfold.
"Sir, you should stop them! That Bakugo's really crazy! He's gonna kill him!" Kirishima pleaded to All Might, worried about Izuku's safety.
"Yes! All Might, I don't approve of this at all!" Ojiro added. He was genuinely concerned about Izuku being out there with a maniac like Bakugo.
"I agree with the kids. This has gone too far." Aizawa added.
"No… " All Might said as he looked at the monitor's screens. "Strangely enough, part of him is still sane. I don't know if its small-minded or what, but anyway…" All Might replied as he spoke through his microphone.
"Young Bakugo, the next time you use that, I'll stop the fight, and your team will lose."
"HUH?" Bakugo dumbly questioned, as if what he did was completely normal.
"To attack on such a large scale inside is inviting the destruction of the stronghold you should be protecting. That is a foolish plan for both Heroes and Villains! You will lose a lot of points for it!"
As a teacher, I should stop this. However…
"No!"
All Might gained a puzzled look on his face, once he heard Izuku's voice. He was surprised by Izuku's response.
"Don't you dare to stop this fight All Might! No matter what don't stop it! I'm going to finish this battle right now!" Izuku yelled as he stood up, taking his fighting stance.
"WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU SAY DEKU?!" Bakugo yelled, as he couldn't believe Izuku's words.
"I said that I'm going to win and surpass you! You bastard!"
All Might and Aizawa were speechless as they were surprised by Izuku's words. Young Midoriya… I believe in you. He knew that these were the first emotions Izuku showed, besides wanting to become a Hero.
At that moment, everyone could feel the rising tension, making them anxious as they had no idea what was going to happen now.
"FINE THEN! LET'S FIGHT IT OUT WITH OUR FISTS!" Bakugo angrily yelled, as he propelled himself with his explosions towards Izuku.
Izuku tried to land a solid punch to Bakugo's face, but the latter used an explosion to dodge and move around Izuku. Bakugo then caught Izuku's arm tightly.
"YOU'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE NOW, DEKU!" Bakugo shouted as his other arm ignited with explosions, showing that he was going to blast Izuku with it.
However, before he could, Izuku quickly slapped his wrist, causing the explosion to fire at the roof. Unfortunately for the two of them, the explosion was strong enough to make a small part of the roof come down on them.
Bakugo quickly let go of Izuku's arm and both teens managed to dodge the incoming debris. Dust filled the room they were in and no one was able to clearly see what's happening, including those who were in the monitor room.
Once the smoke somewhat cleared, Bakugo tried to look for Izuku but was surprised to see Izuku coming out of the smoke. Unfortunately for Bakugo, he had no time to dodge. Izuku managed to land a devastating roundhouse kick, slamming Bakugo in a nearby wall.
Izuku then tried to continue his assault, having no intention to show Bakugo any mercy. But unluckily for him, Bakugo shot an explosion from point-blank range at him. It was weaker than his previous explosions, but enough to knock him away.
"Deku… Hurry up and show me… show me your full strength, you bastard!" Bakugo exclaimed while heavily panting. He was near his limits.
"I don't need… to use my full power… to beat YOU!" Izuku shot back, causing Bakugo to become even more furious.
Both teens then stood up, covered in blood and bruises and stared at each other. Shortly after, Bakugo dashed over Izuku again with his explosions. He tried to punch Izuku using the built-up momentum he got. However, his fist was caught by Izuku. Bakugo then tried to kick Izuku in his head, but Izuku caught his leg too.
"I GOT YOU NOW, DEKU!" He said as he aimed to fire an explosion at Izuku with his free hand.
Seeing this, Izuku had to quickly think of something. He pulled Bakugo towards him and kneed him in the stomach. Unfortunately for Izuku, not using his Full Cowl costed him dearly as his attack wasn't powerful enough to stun Bakugo, who seized the opportunity to fire an explosion at Izuku.
"DIE DEKU!" Bakugo shouted.
"Oh, no…" Izuku murmured. His back slammed to the ground with a loud thud.
Bakugo then got on top of him and began to relentlessly punch his face.
He's not giving me the chance to take my breath, let alone think. I-I… Did I fail? After all that training, did I really fail…? Izuku questioned in his mind, as his face received one punch after the other without a moment to spare.
Monitor Room:
Everyone in the monitor room cringed at this sight. How is this supposed to be a Hero Course school, let alone the best? Allowing a student to injure another helpless student to this extent was so wrong.
"This is a lynching! He can capture him for this exercise by just wrapping the tape around him!" Mina cried out, unable to watch the match anymore.
"Those are not the actions of a Hero." The raven head kid, Tokoyami added.
"I thought Midoriya was pretty amazing, too, but in terms of combat power, Bakugo is definitely a ball of natural instincts." Denki commented.
"All Might, Aizawa-sensei! Please, stop this match… I-I… I CAME HERE TO LEARN HOW TO PROTECT OTHER PEOPLE, NOT MASSACRE THEM!" Ojiro shouted, unable to contain his anger. He was so angry over the fact that his friend was getting beaten and he couldn't help him. He was useless. Shortly after, other kids followed the previous kids' example and demanded the teachers to stop the match.
"That's it, the kids are right, All Might. I'm stopping this match, and I'm going to give Bakugo a serious talk about this." Aizawa pointed out, but All Might stopped him by putting his arm in front of him. Aizawa's eyes widened in surprised, this has to be the most irrational and stupid thing he ever saw. "What's the meaning of this, All Might?" Aizawa questioned.
I know I should stop them, but I don't want to stop them, for his sake! All Might thought, before looking at Izuku again. Seeing him taking hit after hit, he finally decided that this was the enough. I'm sorry Young Midoriya, you didn't use your Full Cowl and it costed you the match, please forgive me.
"I'll stop them myself, Aizawa." All Might pointed out. "Both of you st-" All Might began but was interrupted by Tsuyu.
"All Might, look, Midoriya-"
Meanwhile With Izuku:
With each punch coming down his face, Izuku began to remember some of his past childhood memories.
Flashback:
The situation wasn't any different. Kid Bakugo was on top of Kid Izuku relentlessly punching his face left and right. He was surrounded by his classmates who had formed a circle around them to make sure that Kid Izuku doesn't escape. It wasn't anything new to Kid Izuku though as this happened countless times before.
"OI, DEKU! HOW ARE YOU GOING TO BECOME A HERO WHEN YOU'RE SO WEAK, HUH?! YOU QUIRKLESS PIECE OF SHIT! YOU'RE EVEN WORSE THAN ANY EXTRA HERE!" Kid Bakugo continued his assault and the other children were cheering for him.
"TELL ME DEKU! DO YOU THINK THAT YOU CAN BECOME THE GREATEST HERO?! DO YOU THINK YOU CAN SURPASS ME?!" Teen Bakugo asked.
Normally, Kid Izuku would've protected his face with his hands, but they were pinned down by Tsubasa and Kid Bakugo's other lackey.
"I… will… become a… Hero!" Kid Izuku weakly said, before his face was met by another punch.
"I… will… become the… Greatest Hero and surpass YOU!" Teen Izuku replied.
"Sorry, I think I didn't hear you well. Can you repeat what you just said?" Kid Bakugo exclaimed with a cocky smirk.
Teen Bakugo growled in anger. Why can't this nerd ever give up?!
"…" Both versions of Bakugo were met with silence.
Kid Bakugo's hand ignited with an explosion, threatening Kid Izuku, before he got closer to his face to hear his answer.
Teen Bakugo pulled his fist back and shouted, "DON'T LOOK AT ME LIKE THAT, YOU DAMN NERD!"
*Music: My Hero Academia OST -You Say Run*
Izuku's Sharingan were now intensely spinning, he was filled with so many emotions. Disappointment, sadness, anger, fury and hatred, all caused by the memories he just saw. He then carefully observed Bakugo's incoming punch, reading his movements.
Bakugo's fist was so close to hitting Izuku's face now. However, he was surprised to see that Izuku managed to catch it with his hand.
Then the next scene showed both versions of Kid and Teen Izuku pulling their head back and giving both versions of Kid and Teen Bakugo one hell of a headbutt.
Bakugo shrieked and was pushed back a couple of feet. He put his hands on his forehead. It was aching so much from the pain.
"FUCK!" Bakugo yelled, both from the physical and mental damage. He, too, was just reminded by that day and how Izuku gave him that hellish headbutt. It was back at the time when Izuku still had some fight in him.
Izuku slowly stood up again, although with some effort. He was silent, watching Bakugo recovering from that last attack.
Bakugo then looked at Izuku with a very furious expression. His entire focus was on Izuku. To hell with this match, he was going to put Izuku through a whole world of pain.
"YOU'RE BELOW ME, DEKU!"
Bakugo jumped in the air and was ready to fire an explosion to go behind Izuku's back, but before he could Izuku jumped towards him and punched him in the face. Upon making contact, Izuku's fist knocked Bakugo a couple of feet away from him.
"DIE YOU DAMN NERD!" Bakugo yelled, as he fired more explosions towards Izuku.
Izuku just kept dodging the explosions quickly, jumping over the first one, then going to the right as he jumped on a wall and propelled himself, dodging the second explosion. Finally, as the distance between him and Bakugo grew shorter, he dodged the last explosion, by sliding underneath Bakugo's legs, going behind his back.
Bakugo turned around, but it was too late as Izuku was done preparing his next attack.
"Twin Strike!"
Izuku clenched both of his fists, pulled them back and punched Bakugo, with equal force and at the same time, disturbing the latter's balance. But before he could go flying away from the attack's force, Izuku grabbed the capture tape and used it the same way Aizawa showed him last year to capture Bakugo.
"Young Bakugo, you're out!" All Might spoke through his microphone, as Class 1-A cheered for Izuku's victory. Many students let out a breath they didn't know they were even holding, as this match was nerve wracking.
Izuku just stood there, dumbfounded. He just defeated Bakugo, and he was having a hard time believing it. However, he quickly snapped out of his gaze. There was almost no time left, and they still didn't seize the nuclear bomb. He gave Bakugo a quick look, and that latter looked shocked and… broken. Izuku couldn't help but sympathize with him and decided to give him a few words.
"It's true that I was a pebble compared to you a year ago, but now this pebble became a strong big rock. However even this strong rock knows that somewhere in this world there's a strong mountain, but that said rock won't stop becoming stronger." Izuku looked at Bakugo, who was still in shock from what had just happened. Izuku hoped that Bakugo finally learns his lesson. Yes, Izuku wanted to teach Bakugo a lesson, and that lesson was: Humility.
Izuku then knew that there was no time left, he powered up and activated his Full Cowl at 8%. The scent of ozone filled the air as he powered up.
One for All, Full Cowl: 8%! He said in his mind as green lighting surrounded his body.
Monitor Room:
"What's this, Midoriya looks different!" Kirishima voiced everyone's thoughts, as he and everyone present were gawking at Izuku's new form, except for All Might.
"He looks magnifique!" Aoyama commented, happy to have found a sparkling buddy.
So, this is what he meant by finding a new way to control his Quirk. Aizawa thought, clearly surprised by Izuku new form.
Hurry up, Young Midoriya. There's not much time left… All Might thought as only one minute was left.
Back To Izuku:
Izuku decided to stop wasting any more time. He had to go help Ochaco. So, without any delay, Izuku sprinted off towards the top floor.
Seeing his new form, Bakugo was even more shell shocked to see how much stronger did Izuku get. He lowered his head and gritted his teeth. Deku was in a whole different league than him, and he knew it was the truth.
Izuku quickly arrived to the fifth floor, thanks to his super speed. Tenya was about to attack Ochaco, but Izuku immediately dashed over Tenya and pulled his fist back.
"DETROIT SMASH!"
Izuku punched Tenya right in his guts, sending him flying and crashing into a wall.
Tenya was surprised, his mind couldn't even comprehend what just happened. He had no idea what just hit him, that is until he saw Izuku's new majestic form.
"I'm sorry Iida, but… I'M HERE!" Izuku said as he finally touched the nuclear weapon, getting the win for his team.
For a moment, everyone was silent. They were all in awe at Izuku Midoriya's extraordinary power. All Might then grabbed the microphone and shouted, "Hero team… Wins!" And shortly after, everyone began cheering, clearly hyped up by the conclusion of this epic battle.