Chapter 10: Midgard (Part 2)
[Chapter 10]
Edit: 23/3/2020: Renamed Chapter 9 part 2 to Chapter 10 for consistency.
Izuku was tired, exhausted as he dragged his feet towards the school entrance. His body still ached from the strenuous training from yesterday, his mind was reeling to keep up with everything that had happened today and Ectoplasm's math class. That was the price to pay for being in one of Japan's most prestigious academies.
If he didn't know any better he could have sworn that this was divine retribution for blasting Ectoplasm into pieces. Well, his clones, but it sort of counted too. Despite his intimidating appearance Ectoplasm was actually one of the most caring and friendly teachers around, and every time Izuku was near he felt a small pang of guilt for deceiving the man. Slowly but surely the boy dragged himself to the U.A barrier, only to find someone waiting for him.
"Sup, aniki."
His gaze rose to find a teenage girl his age looking up at him from her phone, her eyes a window into lush forests. Long locks of curly alabaster hair hid the minute, ivory horns that occasionally peeked out from her temples. Whereas Kiri had a stoic, cold look as her default expression this girl's face seemed to be locked in a perpetual scowl until she smiled, the negativity in her features melting away to reveal a hidden beauty beneath.
She was dressed in a dark grey jacket paired with a simple pair of denim jeans; the masculine outfit heavily contrasting that pretty, girlish face of hers. Izuku quickly realized those were his clothes she was wearing; or at least, copies of them. If he wore that he'd look like a dork but somehow she made it work, exuding an air of attractive confidence. In fact, she reminded him of those popular delinquent girls that were always at the top of the social food chain. A far cry from a bottom-feeder like him.
"Hi, Mimi…" he began slowly, a bit cautious. "That is you, right?"
"The one and only. Now you're the one who's nervous around me, eh aniki?" She smirked and put her hands on her hips proudly. "Ha-ha! How the turns have tabled! Turn… tables… tableturn..."
The girl paused, blinking for a moment then sulking at her verbal fumble.
"I'm not very good at this, am I?" she admitted.
"Well, I like you just the way you are." Izuku stifled a giggle.
"Flattery will get you nowhere, dear brother." Mimi grinned, giving him a light punch on the shoulder. "But enough about me, how are you? Expecting another happy misunderstanding?"
"Don't remind me." Izuku groaned, before smiling softly. "I'm actually glad to see you."
"Hah! Rough day at school, I see."
"Like you wouldn't believe. Did anything interesting happen during your patrols?"
"Y'know." She shrugged nonchalantly. "The usual."
They walked together, with her asking him about his day and giggling at the 'meeting' he had with the 1-B girls. She had made a few sly remarks about his supposed popularity that sent him blushing up a storm, teasing that he was trying to form a harem of sorts. The topic soon turned to her new teenage form, Izuku noting that she was the same height as Kiri's teenage form.
"It's not bad. Don't get any loss of control or power despite the size." she muttered, demonstrating by allowing thin ribbons of flame to curl between her fingers. "This new form is my own body and not a projection that I puppet, but it still feels a bit strange when I look in the mirror."
"You look great—" he tried.
"That wasn't what I meant." She sent a wry smile his way and tossed her hair back. "See the resemblance?"
Of course she had already realised it. She had done her homework, after all. Those horns and that long, curly hairstyle. His sister looked like a younger, teenage version of—
"Mt. Lady." Izuku admitted, voice almost a whisper.
"Yes." Mimi nodded. "To be precise… Yuu Takeyama. This world's version, anyways. Was a little surprised at first, but, eh. I kinda like it."
"You do?"
"Yeah. I mean it's kinda symbolic, I guess." She skipped towards him, those familiar red shoes tapping lightly against the ground. "Somehow, someway, Yuu's legacy lives on through me. I would call it her spirit haunting me but that's a bit too dark. A meta-echo, perhaps? It would explain why Kiri looks like her, and why we get along so well. Like pieces of a puzzle."
"A meta-echo." he repeated, tilting his head.
"Some sort of dimensional black magic fuckery that's going on. A sort of zeitgeist, constants and variables yet again." Her eyes turned serious for a moment before she shrugged. "It is possible that there is always a 'Midoriya Izuku', and there is always a 'partner'. The names and faces might change, but the general idea, the concept of such individuals existing throughout different timelines and worlds is true. Mei was able to tell me that much."
"Fascinating." Izuku mumbled, suddenly nose-deep in one of his notebooks and scribbling wildly. "The theory that a concept can stretch along different universes, alternate versions and realities that are similar, yet vastly different… You're your own person and not a substitute, yes; but some of the original Takeyama's traits and features have carried over to both you and Kiri. Hmmm. I wonder if..."
Alternate. His thoughts soon turned to the endless expanse that must exist beyond their universe. Hundreds of millions of realities, each with their own stories to tell, their own histories that diverted from the one he knew. He found himself mumbling incoherently again, contemplating what-ifs and if-onlys until Mimi giggled.
"You're doing it again, aniki."
"R-right." Izuku snapped the book shut, returning his full attention to her. "Wanna get something to eat?"
"Baa-chan already cooked something up." she smiled, slipping her hand onto his like it was the most natural thing in the world. "Your favorite."
"Katsudon?" he asked, eyes lighting up to her amusement. "Awesome."
"Mm. You're such a dork, daddy…" she said slyly, her expression melting into a warm smile. "But that's the part about you I like the most."
Together the two siblings began to walk home hand-in-hand, the feeling reminding Izuku of all the times he'd held his mother's hand as a child. Warm nostalgia flooded through him until a needle-thin spike of poisonous fury lanced over his mental connection, Mimi looking over her shoulder with a somewhat irritated expression. Her palm crackled, tiny green embers manifesting upon her fingertips.
"What's wrong?" he asked worriedly, nearly turning his head back until she squeezed his hand tighter.
That white-hot flash of anger faded away almost instantly, replaced by the familial love she had for him twofold. Her arms wound themselves around his protectively and hugged him tighter, those mysterious flames extinguished within a second.
"Nothing. Just saw something I really didn't like."
"Huh?"
"In other news, wanna guess what Kiri-chan did with baa-chan today? They were looking through old photos of you as a kid." she said, changing the topic effortlessly. "You were so cute in your little All Might hoodie~"
"H-hey! I thought mom said that she wouldn't show anyone…"
"Was it All Might Junior, Mighty Boy, or Captain Might?"
"It's all three of those, actually." he admitted, cheeks spontaneously combusting. "Wait a minute, she showed you that too—"
"The whole collection, aniki." she smirked, voice teasing. "Including that embarrassing snapshot of you at the Christmas party—"
"Gah…"
While the two siblings slowly disappeared from view a trio of figures finally peeked out from behind a wall, still startled from how Mimi had managed to spot them behind their near-perfect cover. Ochaco, Jiro and Momo looked around nervously, letting out small sighs of relief until they realized what had just happened. Slowly, they edged around and scouted the area, making sure their targets were long gone before deciding to speak.
"I do believe we are in quite the predicament."
"No shit."
"She caught us… spying on them." Ochaco squeezed her hands together worriedly, eyes wide and frantic. "We weren't supposed to be seen! W-what are we gonna do?!"
"Calm down, everyone." Momo tried.
"Calm down? Did you see that glare she gave us?" Jiro scoffed, folding her arms. "Geez. Her expression practically said 'back off'. That girl looked like a delinquent, for crying out loud."
"A d-delinquent?" Ochaco stammered. She had only heard of such mythical figures in anime and manga, never having expected to see one in real life.
That pale girl had pretty much met all the criteria of being one, Ochaco still remembering the venomous glare that was sent their way. They weren't actually close enough to hear the pair's conversation but she had heard snippets of that girl's voice and more importantly, her tone. Deku's companion looked as soft and beautiful as an angel but spoke and articulated herself like a guy; she was a brutish tomboy that somehow looked more feminine than some of the cuter girls Ochaco knew. B-but what if Deku-kun was being bullied by her?! She considered the thought for a moment before quickly dismissing it. He looked fine, perfectly relaxed at that other girl's presence. Comfortable, even.
More comfortable than he is with you.
"Now now, Jiro-san. It's not nice to judge a book by its cover." Momo said sagely, head held high. "Sure, she might look and sound a tad… rough, but she seems to be very friendly with Midoriya-san if you ask me."
"Yeah, a little too friendly." Jiro said dryly. "It's like my image of him was wrong from the start."
"W-what if…" Ochaco began, her gaze nailed to the floor in guilt. "What if Deku-kun gets mad at us for spying on him and his… lady friend? Oh, I knew I shouldn't have b-but…"
"Hey, you're his friend so you're concerned about him too, right?" Jiro's ears circled around in the air lazily to point at the gravity-defying girl. "Chillax. Don't think of it as spying, you're just looking out for him. You know, especially with that meek personality of his. Who knows what trouble he might get into."
"Regardless, I believe we have seen quite enough." Momo coughed and clasped her hands together. "Does anyone want to go for some pancakes?"
"Count me in." Jiro shrugged.
Ochaco simply nodded and followed closely behind them, her mind still reeling from everything she had witnessed. Perhaps the Deku-kun she knew wasn't his true self? Maybe he was hiding the real him from both her and Iida-kun? All these questions and uncertainties piled up within the girl, and she found herself wondering why there was a tightness in her chest. There was also an undeniable feeling of guilt, like she was betraying her friend's trust by doing this. All she wanted was for him to be alright, so why… why did she feel like…
The girl shook her head. Deku-kun was her friend! And friends have to look out for each other, especially if they were in trouble. She doubted that he was a playboy who messed around with the feelings of others, but still… Ice, now fire. It seems there was more than meets the eye with her green-haired classmate. She would get to the bottom of this mystery eventually.
Fire Queen. Ochaco thought, giving the other unnamed girl a formidable title that fit her status. I'll remember you.
[x]
"Come on, kid! Up, up, up!"
"Down, down, down!"
"Lower! Is that the best you got?! Move it or lose it!"
"Step it up, speedbump! Faster, faster!"
Those were some of the tamer things that Izuku heard while training under Johnny and Misha, the latter of which opted to simply observe for now. Johnny, on the other hand…
"Sing, boy! Sing!" Johnny screeched, easily keeping pace with the jogging teen by flying alongside him like some sort of demonic harpy. "I-wanna-be-a-rescue-ranger, I-wanna-lead-a-life-of-danger~"
Izuku's only response was to let out another wheezing breath. The circuit training that the two men were currently putting him through was carefully designed not to overwork him, but to push him to the limits. The boy's chest burned, the muscles in his legs screaming for help. It was after thirty minutes of yelling and wheezing when they finally took a break, the lankier man attempting to give Izuku a pat on the back.
"Attaboy. For a runt, you're doing great! After this we'll have a few more circuits, then big red over there will take over. C'mon kid, you can do this."
"A-alright. Yeah! I can do this, I'll win." the boy said tired between breaths, until his eyes lit up. "Just like Kacchan."
Johnny's smile vanished off his face, replaced by a rapidly deepening frown.
"Kacchan… You mean 'ol explody boy? You wanna be just like him, right?"
"U-um, yeah?" Izuku said, as if it was obvious. "W-when I think of 'victory', he's the image that comes to mind."
"Wrong answer!" Johnny snarled and sent a palm through the back of Izuku's head, causing the boy to flinch.
"W-what was that for?" Izuku asked, blinking and momentarily stunned. "You could have hit me with that if you were corporeal."
"I would have smacked you. If I hit you, you'd be broken." the man said curtly. "That kid, need I remind you, is a bully. If you ask me, he's a punk with a power complex and an inflated ego, thinking he's better than everyone else. He ain't no image of victory or whatever, don't look up to him."
"That's not true!" Izuku exclaimed. "Kacchan's a little rough around the edges, but that's just his personality! He's amazing, he's always so strong and he always wins—"
"And he always treats you like trash. Is that what your image of a hero; of a symbol of victory is supposed to be? Someone who only cares about winning? Someone who tells others to dive off rooftops?"
Izuku's heart sank at the memory.
"H-how did you—"
"How did you think. Your sister, she can feel everything you feel if the emotions are strong enough. How did you think she felt that day?"
There was a pit of emptiness in his stomach as he realized that. All this time, whenever he'd felt humiliated or inferior… Kiri had felt what he felt. A part of him was suddenly filled with regret at how he had let it happen unknowingly. Sure, she was an emotion-eater, but still… there must have been times where she had been upset.
"Look, young Midoriya. I know you two might have known each other as kids, but those times are over. That guy doesn't like you; in fact, he hates you." Johnny sighed, bending down a bit to meet his eyes. "I mean, this is the same guy who accused you of latching onto him when he was the one who kept messing with you. I've seen it through your memories, and I'm not sorry for it."
"B-but Kacchan's my friend…"
"He constantly reminds you of your inferiority, came up with an insulting nickname, and found your misfortune when everyone thought you were Quirkless amusing. This guy bullied you through the course of your entire school life, was the direct cause of you not having any friends, never hangs out with you ever since you were kids, and still talks trash to you even now. You're delusional if you think he's your friend. In fact, your obsession with him is pretty damn creepy, boy. I don't know how you do things here but in my home state bullying the Quirkless and disabled is looked down upon. If anything, he sees you as a punching bag. Did you forget how he nearly killed you during that training battle?"
"I think you're overreacting—" the boy tried.
"You know what I think? I think you need to stop being such a little bitch. He ain't your friend, stop putting him on a goddamn pedestal!" Johnny fumed, the volume of his voice increasing with every word. "Why in the world would you idolize someone who has bullied you for ten years, the hell is wrong with you? No male role model in your life, is that it?!"
The man did not mince or sugarcoat his words, each accusation stabbing into Izuku like a flaming arrow. Deep down a part of him knew this was a well-deserved scolding, but that didn't stop him from being bitter. They didn't understand, Kacchan was his friend, Kacchan always wins, he was the very image of victory—
"I-I've known Kacchan all my life! You don't know anything about him, so—"
"I don't need to know anything about him. I was him." Johnny interrupted the boy, who just looked confused. "I used to be just like that, I loved the validation of being at the top. The praise and glory that came with it. But deep down I was insecure, and I knew that praise was the only thing keeping my ego afloat. Real kick in the head when you get out in the real world and find out that you're not special, just mediocre. Only managed to figure out what a scumbag I was when my best friend gave me the talk."
Izuku blinked, grimacing and unsure of what the man was trying to say. That didn't sound like Bakugo at all! He suspected Johnny was having one of his episodes, but his words began to reveal an ugly truth Izuku didn't want to see.
"Being a hero is more than just beating up villains and winning the day. Here's a tip: winning ain't everything. Tell me, young Midoriya. Why did you want to be a hero? This isn't a game anymore, not when you hold the power of eight generations within you. If you can't overcome this, you won't be able to meet the future head on. Why are you like this?"
The boy tried to answer, but the words simply couldn't leave his mouth. He didn't care for fame and glory, he wanted to be just like All Might because—he admired Kacchan because… no that wasn't right. Kacchan was… an amazing person that was closer to him than All Might—
Izuku paused. He'd been comparing Bakugo to All Might? Why? All Might would never torment those weaker than him. All Might would never be so cruel as to humiliate someone he once called a friend.
Were he and Bakugo ever friends? There was a flash of clarity and a memory of him as a kindergartener resurfaced, following the blonde like a lovesick puppy. Too blind to see what was coming next. They had been innocent once. Perhaps back then they had been friends.
Middle school memories followed shortly. There was no escape as Bakugo followed him now, bullying him through every step of their adolescence. Cruel laughter rang in his ears. Mocking insults and disgusted glares. Teeth gritting in pain as Inko applied ointment to his burns. His notebook floating in the water, nibbled at by hungry carp.
And Izuku had took it all like a fool.
"Answer me."
Izuku did not.
"Bakugo is not your friend, get that through your head. He bullies you, belittles you, hates you. Be a man for once and tell him to fuck off."
"I-I don't think you understand—"
"You're the one who doesn't understand." the older man interrupted and towered over him. "You need to get over your unhealthy obsession with the Bakugo boy, along with this asinine idea of 'victory'. Have you ever wondered why all this time Kiri-chan never did anything about the bullying? Mimi really wasn't happy when she learned about it, y'know. Still, she doesn't dare to say it to you, so I'm going to do her a favor and open your bloody eyes."
"H-huh?" the anger and indignation Izuku felt was suddenly washed away by concern for his siblings. "What are you… I don't…"
"It was you." Johnny whispered, his voice cutting like a knife. "Kiri-chan is being influenced by you. You're the one who's holding her back, and it's clear she biased towards you. She has inherited your ideals, your traits; both the good and the bad. She doesn't see anything wrong with what Bakugo is doing because you think the same!"
Izuku's heart sank like a rock. He had influenced her so much, to the point where she was beginning to think flaunting power over the powerless was okay? To belittle and humiliate someone who was weaker? Dread flooded into his chest, thinking of Kiri growing up to have a personality like that. Cruel, full of arrogance and hubris. A bully. He didn't care what happened to him, but if his sister became that because of him, he would never forgive himself.
With that realization came another, one accompanied by the faded memory of a grown woman sobbing at their kitchen table, face buried in her hands. Izuku's heart twisted in his chest. He had been making excuses for Bakugo…
The same way his mother had made excuses for his father.
"I'm gonna nip this thing in the bud." a deep, growling voice snarled. "Out by the roots."
It seemed that Johnny was truly pissed, seeing as his wings had slithered out of his back like a pair of giant, feathery anacondas. Izuku watched while they twisted and writhed, shifting into birdlike heads. One had pupils like a goat, two diagonal blocks of white rolling down to stare into him. The other had stars for eyes, and looking into them he could have sworn he saw a glimpse of the cosmos.
And then they spoke, voices harsh and distorted.
"You're supposed to be All Might's successor? Give me a break. What kind of example are you trying to set? I refuse to let the future generation look up to someone who worships his bully; it's disgusting. Admiration is one thing, but the worship of someone who vilifies you is just pathetic. He thinks nothing of you." the red one hissed, its beak inches away from his nose. "Are you still going to be the cretin who grovels at his feet, who sings him praises? Wow, Kacchan's soooo amazing at everything he does. You sicken me. No respect for yourself or the people that care about you. No guts, no gumption. You are delusional."
"Stop it. It's not healthy." the blue one said sadly, tone thin and reedy. "You remind me of a battered housewife who just keeps crawling back to her abuser. It's painful to watch. You are setting a bad example for your siblings; if this keeps up they'll think that kind of behavior is acceptable. It is not, not to anyone. Understand that not everyone is going to like you, and not everyone is going to be your friend. You defy comprehension, with your worship of someone who treats you like human garbage. One who looks down on the disenfranchised and the disabled with contempt… or perhaps he just hates to see you in particular succeed. Either way, it's… sad. You are obsessed."
"See, now I've got all three of me reprimanding you." Johnny grunted. "Look, I'm not ragging on you for no reason. You have to get out of that sick mindset of yours now, or it'll lead to really big problems down the line. Have a little self-respect! You want to be the number one hero but no one will accept a number one who's a goddamn bootlicker, especially one who lets himself get pushed around!"
"You're wrong! You don't understand how Kacchan feels—"
"Why should I give a damn about how he feels?! Why should you?! I don't care about him, I care about you! I'm here because I want to help train you into the next symbol, I want you to be better, not worse! Again, Mimi doesn't dare to say this to ya for some godforsaken reason so I'm gonna do it. Hate me all you want, I don't give a shit. If it means helping you in the long run, then think whatever the hell you want to think about me, boy!"
"Kacchan's—"
All three pairs of the man's eyes narrowed dangerously.
"Kacchan, Kacchan, Kacchan. What, is he your fucking boyfriend or something?"
"N-no."
"Then stop with the bloody pet name, alright! Stop chasing after the respect and approval of someone who doesn't give a rat's ass about you, who never will!" Johnny roared, three voices united as one. "Stop being such a wimp! Bloody Hell, Misha, say something!"
"I do not think boy is worthy of One For All."
Izuku could take all of Johnny's yelling and accusations, but that single line from Misha cut through the air and shattered his ego into a thousand pieces. The boy seemed to deflate, knowing that was partly the truth. How many young candidates with amazing Quirks, talents and personalities had been considered by All Might? And yet, he had been chosen. Him, Deku.
"Dude. That's going a bit too far." Johnny sighed, wing-serpents retreating into his back.
"He needs to hear this now. Even though he has dream of going to hero school, he never trained. Never tried. Got lucky, and ultimate power fell into his lap." the big man rumbled, stepping forward. "Like wish fulfillment fantasy."
The words cut into Izuku like red-hot knives.
"Others train from child, where he only hold lofty dream. I tell you why. Because he scared. Because ego shattered. Because he weak. Bullied. Broken child. Because it is proven fact that Quirkless is weaker than those with Quirk, no matter what. No self-esteem or father figure, so he look to male friend, look to All Might. Unrealistic. Everyone tells him he can't do it; that he Quirkless, he useless, so he really believe that."
Izuku could have sworn he felt tears at the edge of his vision until Misha stepped right in front of him.
"You are not them. And you will never be them." the man said softly. "So start being you."
"I…" It was like something inside broke and Izuku felt his knees give, confronted with all his fears and insecurities. The words in his mouth tasted like bitter resentment. "I know I'm weak…"
"So was I." Misha said simply.
Izuku looked up in confusion.
"Being weak is no shame." the gentle giant poked a finger at the boy's chest. "Staying weak is. I wasn't worthy successor either. Maybe am still not. Maybe will never be. And that's okay."
Izuku's eyes widened, looking up at the large man.
"You different from All Might. No talent. But you are also not All Might. You are child. And child…" the elderly man's purple eyes softened. "Can grow. Learn. Change. Become better, stronger. Like seed into plant you must grow, not remain inert. Change. Like difference between rotting and ripening."
"And what if he doesn't?" The other man grumbled.
"Then he will die." Misha said simply, as if stating what day of the week it was. "As each and every wielder has before him."
"Not All Might." Izuku whispered.
"No." the man nodded, a hint of sorrow in his gaze. "Not All Might."
"I'm with the big guy on this one. You gotta change, kid. Cut that boy out of your life and move on. Stop that unhealthy way of looking up to someone who hates you, and think of all the people who love you. Your friends. Your family. You have to work harder than ever, both for your sake and theirs."
That last part caused Izuku's lip to quiver. Everyone who cared about him and loved him was already right here. Iida. Uraraka. All Might. Kiri. Mimi. Mom. Even everyone from One For All. He should have been thinking of them as inspirations, not someone who hated his guts. Not someone who was the direct cause of him being friendless for the last ten years. Not someone who humiliated him day after day even now. Not someone who trashed his hard work and threw it out the window. Not someone who told others to kill themselves.
Not someone like Bakugo Katsuki.
Izuku felt something in his chest clench, his breathing turning labored and tight. Though he didn't want to accept it Johnny was right, it wasn't healthy to be like this. As painful as it was, he had to change. He had to change if he wanted to show everyone a brighter future, for no one would look up to a man who idolizes someone who humiliates him. He didn't feel any need for revenge, no; all he felt was his image of victory shattering and revealing something ugly underneath, someone who hated every fiber of his being and thought of him as nothing more than a pebble in their path.
A strange, tranquil emptiness grew within him, and he felt confused. He didn't know how to feel, really. Half of him still couldn't fully accept their words, though it was undeniably the truth. He did have an unhealthy obsession with Bakugo. He did need to change.
Starting today. Right here, right now.
"I…" Izuku began hesitantly.
"Do not cry. Crying won't solve anything." Misha warned.
"I will try." Izuku promised and sniffed, heart thumping in his chest. "To change."
There was a long moment where the goliath stared down at him, piercing eyes almost looking into his soul. Misha finally smiled after a nod, showing pearly white teeth.
"Good." he said.
"Attaboy, that's the spirit!" Johnny howled with approval. "Show me some resolve, boy! Show me your war face!"
"H-huh?" Izuku mumbled, taken aback.
"Don't 'huh' me, now's the perfect time to man up! You got a war face?" the old hero leaned in close, a roar erupting from his throat. "AAAAAHHHHHHHHH! That's a war face, now lemme see your war face!"
"A-ahhhhhh!"
"Bullshit, lemme see your real war face!"
"AAAHHHHHHHH!"
"You don't scare me, work on it!"
Their yelling resounded from the beach they'd been training on, turning the heads of a few bystanders. Amongst one of those bystanders a girl with earphone jacks took a quick snapshot, face scrunched up in confusion.
[X]
A light tinkling filled the air when Mina swung a rustic wooden door open, eyeing the cafe they had found themselves in. The four girls behind her peeked in curiously while the pink teenager strode forward, a greeting already upon her lips.
"Yo, Kyoka-chan! How's work?"
The girl with earphone jacks looked up with a flat expression, dressed in the rather professional-looking vest and slacks that her part-time job provided.
"Business as usual. Paying customers only." She acknowledged them with a nod.
A chorus of greetings echoed from the other girls behind Mina, reveling in the cosy atmosphere of the cafe while Jiro led them over to a large table and slid five menus over. Ochaco looked around, appreciating the surroundings. Fancy. She hoped the food wouldn't be too expensive, especially since she was already on a shoestring budget. Much to the girl's relief, a brief look at the menu dissolved her worries.
"Ehehe. Hope you don't mind us." the gravity-defying brunette said shyly.
"Nah. Business is a little slow these days, so we'll take what we can get." Jiro nodded towards the menus, producing an electronic notepad from nowhere. "Welcome to the Little Song. I recommend the Panna Cotta if you're looking for something sweet. We serve set meals as well, on page five."
"Oooooh." Hagakure's voice thrummed with delight. "I'll have that and a glass of orange juice. And, uh, a number twelve."
"A number seven and an ice water, please." Ochaco said politely.
"A number nine and ice water as well, kero."
"Can I have uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh—"
"Take your time, Mina-chan." Jiro nodded, stylus twirling between her fingers expertly. "What about you, Yaomomo?"
"Let's see. Alright, I'll have two number nines…"
Ochaco took this time to think about everything that had happened in the past week. With the announcement of the sports festival everyone was training hard. She had been working on improving her Zero Gravity as well, even managing to lessen the nauseating feeling of applying it on herself.
"—a number nine large, a number six with extra dip,"
She wondered what events they would have this year. Last year's gamemode of capture the flag had been amazing to watch, culminating in the grand finale of a king-of-the-hill style battle that was still talked about.
"—a number seven, two number forty-fives; one with cheese—"
Ochaco blinked, drifting out of her thoughts. Momo still wasn't done with her order? The other girls slowly looked away from their phones and turned to the taller teen with some amazement. How in the world was she going to finish all that food?
"—and a large iced tea." Momo finished politely, looking up from her menu to see five pairs of worried eyes. "O-oh! Don't mind me, I did a ton of training over the week so I have to restock the lipids in my body."
The lithe girl was a bright pink as she blushed, but Jiro managed to draw attention away from her by looking towards the actual pinky among their friends.
"You decided yet, Mina-chan?"
"A number thirty, don't forget the dip!" Mina said cheerfully. "And a lemonade."
"Right." Jiro nodded, swiping to send in their order. "So, why the sudden visit?"
"We just wanted to drop by and say hi!" Hagakure drummed her fingers across the mahogany table. "Nice place you've got. Heard it turns into a bar after dark?"
"Jiro-chan, you can't drink!" Ochaco gasped. "That's for adults!"
"I don't. Another girl, Hitomi-chan, works the night shift with the boss." Jiro explained with a wave of her hand. "Ironically, she looks even younger than me."
"It's amazing how you can work and train for the sports festival at the same time, kero."
"The job isn't too demanding and I need money for my music equipment anyways." the girl's earphone jacks shrugged like she did. "Pay's decent."
"A bar, hmmm. How mature." Mina teased. "Do they make the waitresses wear maid outfits as well?"
"What kind of establishment do you think this is?" Jiro frowned, raising an eyebrow. "That's on Tuesdays."
The waitress managed to maintain that serious facade for a few more seconds before they all burst into giggles, releasing the tension that was a result of training for the sports festival. After a short while the food was ready, Jiro sitting down alongside her friends for a chat. They found out that the business was usually slow during the day, and better at night when the place turned into a bar. Jiro had even shown them a picture of business at night, with many more customers compared to the empty space they found themselves in. They even got to see a snapshot of Jiro's coworker who worked as a bartender, a girl that ironically looked young enough to be a middle schooler.
"Tea, Lady Hagakure?"
"Why thank you, Lady Ashido."
"You guys are still going on about that?"
Hagakure and Mina turned to find Jiro giving them a mildly amused look, her fingers twirling one of her earjacks about idly. Today they appeared to be indulging in the fantasies of being so-called "sophisticated" ladies. Naturally, Momo was naturally exempt from this.
"Of course, Lady Jiro. One must always address their associates while holding the highest regards for etiquette." Mina said in a fancy tone, pinky extending from her cup. "Come, let us commune over a crumpet or two."
"You want some, Kyoka-chan? They're really good!" Ochaco said happily between bites.
"Simply exquisite." Hagakure added haughtily, nose upturned.
"I'll pass, I already ate. Besides, I've got some new information on Midoriya-kun that I managed to gather over the past two weeks."
"You did, kero?" Tsuyu echoed, gulping down her glass of water. "I thought you were too busy between training for the sports festival and your job."
"I was, and I just happened to see him while jogging the other day." Her slim fingers flew across the phone's keypad. "Take a look."
A chorus of notification alerts and buzzes echoed through the room, each teenager reaching for their own phones.
"Oh, it's Midoriya-kun." Momo blinked. "And he's being coached by two older ladies?"
"What? Lemme see!" Mina exclaimed, abandoning all semblance of sophistication. "Woah, they're hot as well! The tall one's got kind of a motherly feel to her."
"The other one looks like she's struggling to stay awake." Tsuyu pointed out.
"Hmm, she looks a little familiar." Momo tapped her chin thoughtfully. "I wonder why…"
"Wow. Hey, perhaps Midoriya-kun likes older women?" Hagakure suggested.
"He does look a bit like the type that cougars would prey on." Mina put a hand to her chin. "A tasty little morsel."
"Maybe. Just the other day Midnight-sensei called him to stay behind after class. Think they had a little fun in private?" Jiro teased.
"J-Jiro-chan!"
"Relax, Uraraka-chan. I'm kidding. Mostly."
Ochaco's face had turned warm, all sorts of horrible, naughty thoughts running through her mind for a moment before she quickly shut them down. Deku did however spend an awful lot of time with Midnight the other day, to the point where he missed lunch with her and Iida...
"I-I don't think Deku-kun has that kind of interest." she mumbled. "I mean, he seems pretty normal to me."
"Wait, you sent over two photos! What's the second one?" Mina thumbed her phone, eyes widening. "Whoa!"
The second image was of Izuku training on the beach again, this time with two older men instead. They made for strange companions, their height and sheer size dwarfing Izuku's small frame. The burly, macho men seemed to be yelling, or perhaps encouraging him while flexing. Some sort of attempt to get the boy to be more manly, perhaps? But what really drew Ochaco's attention was how her friend was shirtless, the high-quality camera of Jiro's phone capturing the hard lines of Izuku's impressive physique. Wide eyes were drawn to sweat-slicked skin illuminated by the morning sun, taking in the angular definition of the boy's torso. Her shy friend was all hard muscle underneath, heavily contrasting his soft facial features. Ochaco was never one to care about muscles and yet she felt her heart rate spike momentarily upon seeing that picture of Izuku, wondering why the room suddenly felt much warmer. Still, she had to admit that he was rather… nice to look at.
"Ooooh, didn't know he was hiding a body like that." Mina nodded in appreciation, a little pinker than usual. "Niiccceee."
"These two are as big as All Might." Tsuyu observed.
"Maybe he swings the other way?" Hagakure guessed.
"Batting for the other team." Jiro took a swig of her beverage like a tired alcoholic. "Why is it always the cute ones?"
"Huh?" Momo asked, not really understanding what they were implying. "Why are we talking about baseball again?"
The naughty thoughts returned and Ochaco suddenly found herself standing, a pained wail escaping her lips.
"Noooooooo!"
Everyone turned to look at her with stunned looks, the brunette suddenly wearing a sheepish expression before quickly sitting back down.
"I apologize, Uraraka-chan. I did not realize you had such a strong dislike of the sport." Momo bowed her head respectfully.
"Wha—no, I mean, that wasn't what I meant Yaomomo, don't worry about it. A-anyway, I'm pretty sure Deku-kun likes girls." Ochaco touched her fingertips together nervously. "No, I'm definitely sure he likes girls, or else he wouldn't be so nervous around them!"
"I agree with Uraraka-chan on this one. Plus, there was that thing that happened during lunch the other day—"
Hagakure's voice was cut off when invisible hands flew up to cover her mouth, clothes seeming to tense. Mina and Tsuyu grimaced. They hadn't actually told the others of their confrontation with the 1-B girls yet, wanting to slowly reveal what happened bit by bit.
Jiro, Momo and Ochaco gazes slowly traversed to face their transparent classmate.
"You didn't hear anything from me." Hagakure peeped.
"Too late. Cat's out of the bag, spill the beans!" Jiro demanded.
"U-um, well… just the other day we saw Midoriya-kun," Hagakure began nervously. "Being spirited away by a group of girls from the other class…"
[X]
While the girls were having their sharing session Izuku was back at Musutafu beach, being 'trained' by Hiro this time. Now he had finally met everyone who used to wield One For All, but this man was a little different compared to the others.
He had introduced himself as a humble civilian, a non-combatant who could only give him advice in matters unrelated to fighting. It was only a while later in their conversation when Izuku finally found out that this man was the first wielder of One For All. At first he had been all amazed and honored to meet the progenitor of All Might's Quirk, but Hiro had been humble calming him down and reassuring Izuku that he was just a normal guy. So far, that seemed to be true. The man had even admitted that 'Ichikawa Hiro' wasn't his real name, but something he came up with waking up as a phantom within One For All. He still remembered his past and family, but his own name had become a lost memory. It was a shame, but he didn't seem too discouraged by the loss.
"Let's get started with your training, young Midoriya. But first..." Hiro coughed, waving his hand. "It's time to see things from a different point of view."
A stream of scarlet petals erupted from Izuku's forehead, the boy stumbling back a little. He would never get used to that weird sensation. Those embers curled and twisted against each other, melding together to become…
Koko, who was curled up in a tight ball and sound asleep in her canine form. She looked awfully relaxed, the gradual rise and fall of her chest pressing against the soft velvet pillow she was resting on.
Hiro smiled and made his way over, careful not to shock her awake.
"Koko? Wake up, little one." the man whispered, prodding her side gently.
"Hmmm?" One of Koko's ears lifted up, her nose twitching cutely. "Hiroooo, you smell funny. Is it time for dinner already?"
"No, I'm afraid not—"
"Then let me sleep, please. Koko was having dreams of moon cheese again." the large animal curled into herself, snuggling against her own tail lazily. "One day I'll eat that big cheese ball…"
"Now, now. I can make some cheese for you later." Hiro lightly nudged her again. "Come on, we need some of your wisdom."
"World hard and cold. Pillow soft and warm." the dog said with a contented sigh, sinking deeper into the plush velvet. "There, that is Koko's wisdom."
"Does she really think the moon is made of cheese?" Izuku asked, slightly amused.
"No, but this one time I made a cheese replica for her and she loved it so much—"
Koko's eyes shot open at the sound of Izuku's voice, looking around blearily until her crimson eyes focused onto his face. A delighted yelp escaped from her upon seeing him, the large canine pouncing forward only to phase through the stunned boy. She then started pacing around him, front paws tapping against the ground excitedly and unperturbed by her apparent intangibility.
"New master, new master, new master! Yahallo!"
The massive brown dog trotted up to him, her voice as clear and bright as the sunlit sky. She paced around him happily, tail wagging so fast it became a blur.
"Hi, Koko-chan." Izuku began, smiling lightly. "I'm very happy to see you too."
"She seems to like you a lot, doesn't she."
"We're outside!" Koko gasped, looking around at the ocean waves and the seagulls high above. "Outsideoutsideoutside—"
"I think she's just happy to outside, Hiro-san." Izuku smiled while watching the dog bound across pristine white sands, now full of energy. "Still, I wonder what I can learn from her."
"You'd be surprised. She may not look like it, but she's an excellent fighter."
"Hiro!" Koko ran and plopped down before them like a fluffy pillow, wiggling her paws. "I wanna go swimming."
"By all means. You don't have to ask me, you know." the thin man nodded.
The two watched as Koko tried to dive into the waves, only to come back almost immediately once she realized the water passed straight through her.
"Izu-master, Hiro!" she whined, ears drooping and disappointed. "The water's invincibubble!"
"Intangible." Izuku corrected her gently.
"Intangibubble!"
"Hmm. I thought you liked beaches." the man smiled.
"A beach with no water is just sand." Koko chuffed, putting her front paws on his back and shoulders, rocking back and forth playfully. Even as a dog, she dwarfed him when standing on her hind legs. "Koko no like sand. It's coarse, it's rough, it's irritating, and it gets all over the place!"
"You don't say." Hiro said patiently as Koko got all over him. "Either way, let's get to work. Would you do the honors?"
"Okay! Don't worry Izu-master, I is professional teacher."
"I thought you were a 'professional food taster'." her comrade remarked.
"Koko has many talents, ja." the dog-girl said shamelessly.
There was a blur of movement when the phantom shifted into human from. This time she was dressed in a sporty outfit consisting of a tanktop and shorts, the tall girl doing a few stretches before they started. She held out a hand to her side with fingers outstretched.
"Starstripe!" she declared proudly.
Izuku waited for something to happen, and… nothing did. Koko blinked and started waving her hand around before finally realizing whatever she was trying to do wasn't working.
"Awww." she sighed, before instantly brightening. "Oh well! Come on, new master! Use One for All!"
"Um, I-I'd like to, but then my bones would break. All might said I wasn't a strong enough 'vessel' yet?"
"Not yet." Hiro agreed. "But even a fragile glass can hold water, yes? A small part, but a part nonetheless."
None of the wielders had actually given him a straight answer for how to utilize One For All, wanting him to think for himself. That, and the power that All Might held was vastly different from the previous versions of One For All, making it difficult for them to help.
Izuku thought for a while, trying to decipher the meaning behind those words. Nothing about All Might was small. One For All was absolute, power overwhelming—
Izuku paused. Wait. Overwhelming. But All Might held all that power naturally without calling upon it? All the time? He thought back to when they had first met, and remembered the number one hero's explanation for his muscle form and his weakened one. It was like a fat man who sucked in his belly at the pool, he had said. That was a metaphor for One For All, wasn't it? That meant that before his injury All Might was keeping the legendary Quirk active all the time, 24/7. Was that even possible for him?
"You're doing that infamous muttering of yours again. But yes, I suppose you're on to something." Hiro smiled. "All Might was the strongest of us, and so was his version of One For All. He was able to use a hundred percent of Nana's power the moment he got it, you see. A natural born genius. Asking you to start with all that power is just unreasonable. Why don't you walk before you fly?"
So he was supposed to start out small? That made sense. Izuku's thoughts drifted back to the first day of class and the baseball in his grip. All that power focused into one fingertip. He recreated that feeling, focusing on the metaphor he had been chosen. The egg in the microwave.
Don't let the egg explode…
The inferno that was One For All surged into his fingertip, the boy wincing in response. He focused further, remembering what Hiro had said. A portion, a fraction, a fragment of power. Pain and lightning raced across his arm as he tried to hold back the river of power, feeling it thunder through his flesh and bones like an alternating current. In the end, it was only ever about power and control. They were inversely proportional; more power resulted in less control… so the opposite must be true as well. All he had to do was turn down the heat.
Listen to me.
One For All bucked against his control like a raging bull, a pressure cooker threatening to burst. It was almost like the Quirk itself was testing his worthiness, crackling energy flooding through his body. This power he held within him was simultaneously fire and lightning, everything that the eight previous wielders were, everything that they could have been, coalescing into a single shape. Luminous arcs of green lighting spilled from his arm, excess power with nowhere to go.
"You can do it, Izu-master!" Koko cheered. "Go, go!"
"It's a part of you, young Midoriya. Stay strong."
Izuku nodded through clenched teeth, ignoring the building pain in his hand. He started to lower the power bit by bit, like turning the knob of a faucet until the energy trickled into his muscles instead of exploding outward. His focus being sapped by the second, struggling to rein in the lightning. He was Phaethon, trying in vain to control Helios' chariot. The moment he lost focus he would slip and set the world on fire—
No.
Izuku pushed down the fear, the self-doubt, the insecurity. All Might had chosen him. He had to live up to everyone's expectations… and his own. Reaching inward, he willed the legendary Quirk to slow. To stop, and be still.
You listen to me now.
The lightning diffused with a quiet whine, and Izuku found himself with control over a tiny percentage of its power. It wasn't five percent, nor three. It was barely even one. But judging by their reactions, it was enough. Koko had a wide, toothy grin on her face while Hiro smiled warmly.
"Marvelous." the thin man nodded. "A tiny bit of the power that you can control. Your body isn't strong enough to withstand a 100%, but 1% will suffice for now. Now take that 1%..."
"And let it flow, wan!" Koko said happily, jagged arcs of crimson lightning erupting from her arms.
Izuku nodded in understanding. If One For All was like a flame, it would be apt to use a cooking metaphor. For food to be evenly cooked the heat had to be spread out instead of being focused in one spot. Like… like a Taiyaki rotating in a microwave! Heat, spreading out evenly across the surface and within. He let that 1% slowly flow through his hand, then his arm, then his body…
"Wow." Izuku breathed.
A thin veil of emerald lightning shrouded him for a moment, the flame of legend warming his skin. It was a heat, a current that connected him to something deeper, something primal. The power of eight souls, united as one. Koko nodded excitedly, letting her own version of the Quirk spark to life again.
"That's it, that's it! Move like me, move like me! Jump like me, jump like me!" she demonstrated, showing Izuku how the red lightning danced across her entire body with every movement. "Wan, Wan, Wan for All!"
"I don't think he's quite ready for that yet, Koko. But well done, Midoriya-kun. That's a good start." Hiro smiled. "Take it step by step, and one day you'll be at a 100%."
"L-like All Might?"
"Perhaps. You have to understand; like I said before, All Might was a one-in-a-million genius who could use 100% the moment he received the power. His control over it was impeccable, keeping it on all the time. Eating, resting, working…"
"Sleeping." Koko added helpfully.
"Yes, even that. But here's a tip, young Midoriya." Hiro leaned in a little closer. "When he was younger, All Might worked out while having One For All active. Layering strength atop strength, having it on as his muscles recovered. Like the Greek myth of Milo of Croton, who lifted a calf every day. In this case, One for All is the calf. You must grow with it, and become stronger as we all have."
"I see… so that's why he returns to his skinny form now that he's injured?" Izuku guessed, still mostly focused on maintaining his charged state.
"I suppose so. My version barely even has any power, so I can't really say." Hiro chuckled, a tiny crackle of white lightning escaping his palm. "But know that the moment you became All Might's successor the power grew. All Might's strength atop your own. And it will only grow stronger from here on out."
"Wanderbar! More power, more fun!"
"That remains to be seen. So, young Midoriya… are you up for a test run?"
Izuku nodded and Koko bared her teeth into a savage grin, making the boy nearly regret his decision.
"Good. Koko will test your reaction time and control. Do try to dodge, especially when she could punch a hole through you if she were tangible."
"The one with the sharper fangs win, Izu-master!"
A bead of sweat rolled down Izuku's temple as the dog-girl cracked her knuckles happily. It looked like he was in for a long day ahead.
[X]
"Do you think all the training we did with him helped?"
There was a soft rustle of paper on wood when Nana slapped a card onto the table as a punctuation to her question. The three other children sitting around her stared at their own cards in turn, contemplating their next moves. Toshinori had been playing earlier but he kept winning and eventually got bored, deciding to practice his cooking in the strange mental world they lived in. Hiro and Koko offered to help.
"Maybe. We tried to teach his as much as possible but there's no way he'll be able to remember everything." Chen frowned at her full hand of cards, brows furrowed. "Not enough time."
"Hope he does well for the festival. It would do wonders for his self-confidence." Nana placed another card onto the table.
Beside her, Misha was glaring at his cards as if they were a cheating wife. Even as a child he was a bit taller and chubbier than the rest of them.
"Heh. Gonna beat you this time, tubby." Johnny snickered, a roguish grin decorating his young features.
"In your dreams, birdbrain."
"Are you guys even listening?" Nana asked.
"UNO!" the blonde boy yelled, slamming his a card down onto the table.
"Пиздец." Misha cursed, sighing.
"Why do I even bother…"
Before the larger boy could retort a ball of warm fluff and love appeared out of nowhere, landing on their table with a soft fwwuumph.
"Hallo, hallo. Guten Tag. Koko comes bearing gifts, made by friend Toshinori. Here, try, try!" the little creature said happily, dropping the basket she had been carrying in her mouth.
"König, you mutt! Get your dirty paws off the table!" the blonde boy screeched.
"Rude! Koko is certified pear-dee-gree. And very clean!" the third wielder chuffed and started handing out a quartet of neatly packed cookies. "One for you, one for you, one for you… and even one for you, meaniepants!"
"Hmph. Thanks…" Johnny grumbled, accepting the treat.
"Do you even know what the word 'pedigree' means?" Chen asked, taking a cookie.
"Of coursh!" Koko said, voice muffled by the treats already in her mouth until she gulped. "Means I know everything about pears. But to be honest they're not really tasty."
Misha squinted at the strange creature on their table, looking confused.
"Explain your smallness." he said.
"Am pupper!" the little puppy beamed at him.
"Toshinori made these?" Nana took a bite. "Hmm. He's getting better."
"Friend Toshinori went through twelve tries before they became good, wan!" Koko said happily, ears flopping around when she moved. "You'll never know what happened to the rest."
"Let me guess, you ate them." Chen said flatly.
Shock and surprise decorated the puppy's features, turning into awe a moment later.
"How did you know?! Amazing, wan!"