Chapter 7: Rage, You Damn Nerd!
The class was still standing out on the field in awe of the throw Izuku just made.
"He threw it over 700 meters!" Kaminari noticed.
Ochaco cheered, "Nice, he's finally showing us his true power!"
"But his finger appears to be broken," Tenya noted. "Just like in the exam. His Quirk is very odd."
"It wasn't a very pretty throw," Aoyama added, which made Danny glare at him.
Katsuki was standing there in shock, wondering how Izuku could have done that, as he knew that Izuku didn't have a Quirk growing up, or at least he thought he didn't. His hands started to spark and he charged in at Izuku, "Hey! Deku, you bastard! Tell me how you did it, or you're dead!"
Danny turned into Phantom and flew right in front of Izuku and put up a ghost shield just as Aizawa used his scarf to restrain Katsuki and used his Erasure Quirk to stop him.
"Damn it!" Katsuki growled. "Why is this damn scarf so strong?"
"Because it's a capture weapon," Aizawa answered. "Made out of carbon fiber and a special metal alloy. Stand down. It'd be wise to avoid making me use my Quirk so much. It gives me serious dry eye."
"Too bad. That power is amazing." Class 1-A said.
He let Katsuki go, "You're wasting my time now. Whoever's next can step up. Oh, and Fenton, quick thinking on your part to defend a student. Good job. Everyone else, take notes."
Danny released the shield and transformed back to normal. He walked back to the group and Izuku followed behind him. Katsuki just stood there in anger, wanting more than ever to squash Izuku like a bug.
Izuku had to fight through the pain to finish the rest of the tests. Danny actually created some goo out of ecto energy and put it on Izuku's fingers to use as a cast to make sure Izuku didn't injure it further.
After all the tests were done, Aizawa gathered everyone together, "All right. Time to give you your results. I've ranked you all from best to worst. You should probably already have a good idea of your standing already. I'll just pull up the whole list. It's not worth going over each individual's score.
Aizawa showed all the scores and Izuku realized he was in last place. Danny, of course, got first place, much to Katsuki's irritation.
Aizawa then said, "And I was lying, no one is going home. That was just a rational deception to make sure you gave it your all in the tests."
The class gasped, except for Danny and Momo, who said, "I'm surprised the rest of you didn't figure that out. I'm sorry. I guess I probably should have said something."
"Ya, you should have," the rest of Class 1-A thought.
Danny chuckled, "I had a hunch he wouldn't be that harsh to expel someone on the first day, but I wasn't fully sure. He's just crafty."
"All right," Aizawa said. "Class is done for the day. Pick up a syllabus from the classroom before you leave." He handed a note to Izuku, "Take this and go have the old lady fix you up. Things are going to be tougher tomorrow when your actual training begins. Make sure you're prepared."
He walked away as Izuku sighed, "Not great that I'm starting at the bottom. I've got a long road ahead of me if I want to achieve my dream."
Danny put his arm around Izuku, "Come on, I'll walk with you to the nurse's office."
Back in the teacher's lounge, All Might, in his hero form, confronted Aizawa, "Aizawa, that was a rotten move."
Aizawa noted, "So you were watching. No talk shows today?"
All Might continued. "A rational deception. That's cute, but you're not exactly known for being lighthearted. I read your file. Last year you expelled an entire class of freshmen students. You have no problems kicking students out. Anyone you deem unworthy. You were planning to send the last place home. So that can only mean you see the same kind of potential in young Midoriya that I do."
"What is this about?" Aizawa asked. "It almost sounds like you've been in his corner the whole time. Isn't it a little early for you to be playing favorites? He doesn't have zero potential, I admit. If that were the case, I would have sent him straight home after class without hesitation. It's cruel to let a kid keep dreaming of something that will never come true. But if any of those students have the true potential to become a hero, it's Fenton."
He walked away as All Might muttered, "In your own strange way, you're a kind man, Aizawa. I know that. But clearly, we are going to have us a problem."
Later, Izuku and Danny were walking out of the school to head home.
Izuku groaned, "I'm so tired."
Danny chuckled, "Well, that's what a day full of physical tests can do to you. Plus, Recovery Girl's Quirk made you feel tired. Remember, she went into this whole thing about her Quirk stimulates your body to heal, but healing takes energy. Hence why you're tired."
Someone put a hand on Izuku's shoulders. Izuku turned to see Tenya, "Hey there, Iida!"
"How's the broken finger doing?" Tenya asked.
"Oh," Izuku answered. "It's doing fine, thanks to Recovery Girl."
Danny cringed, "Yeah, that's a sight I can't unsee." He was thinking about how Recovery Girl's lips puckered out and kissed Izuku's finger. It was gross to watch.
They continued walking and Tenya walked with them, "I was a bit concerned by Mr. Aizawa's approach to class. But I trust the school's judgment. UA is the top program. Even so, lying is downright immoral."
"So serious this guy is," Danny muttered. Izuku thought the same thing.
Ochaco ran up from behind them, "Hey! Wait up, you guys! Are you going to the station? I'll join you guys."
Tenya turned to her, "You're the infinity girl."
Ochaco introduced herself, "I'm Ochaco Uraraka. Let's see, you're Tenya Iida. And you are Deku? That's what Bakugo calls you."
Izuku corrected, "Well, actually my name is Izuku, Deku's what Kacchan calls me to make fun of me."
"That's unsportsmanlike," Tenya commented.
"Ya think?" Danny jabbed.
Ochaco suddenly felt guilty, "Oh, I didn't realize that! I'm sorry. But you know what? I like Deku. It could make a great superhero name. Plus, I think it sounds kinda cute."
Izuku blushed, "Deku it is."
Tenya was confused, "Just like that? Weren't you saying that it was an insult?"
Izuku hid his face with his hands, "Paradigm shift! My whole world is upside down!"
Ochaco then turned to Danny, "And you're Danny Fenton, right?"
Danny nodded, "The one and only."
Tenya noted, "You're American, aren't you? I can tell by the accent."
Danny answered, "Yeah. Moved here a year ago."
"I must say," Ochaco added. "You were so amazing at the physical tests today. No wonder you got first place in the practical exam."
Danny shrugged, "It was nothing. But being #1 isn't the most important thing about being a hero. Hopefully all of our classmates can learn that."
They all then walked down to the station as their first day of school ended.
Danny was surprised by the curriculum of the hero course. There were normal classes in the morning, like English, taught by Present Mic. Danny was made the guinea pig in that class since he was American and could speak English very well. So he was forced to demonstrate how to say certain words in English.
There was a massive amount of food offered in the cafeteria for lunch, at relatively cheap prices.
Finally, in the afternoon, is Hero Basic Training. Class 1-A was waiting patiently for their teacher to arrive.
Suddenly the door burst open and All Might walked in, in his hero form and wearing his Silver Age suit, "I am here! Coming through the door like a hero!"
The class gasped in excitement, minus Danny, "Still being a show off. I guess it's all part of his secret identity."
All Might walked up to the front of the class, "Welcome to the most important class at UA High. Think of it as "Hero-ing 101". Here, you will learn the basics of being a pro. And what it means to fight in the name of good! Let's get into it! Today's lesson will pull no punches!" He pulled out a card that said, "Battle."
Katsuki got excited, "Fight training."
Izuku got nervous, "Real combat?"
Danny shrugged, "Figured."
All Might continued, "But one of the keys to being a hero is looking good." He pointed to the wall where compartments started to open up. "These were designed for you based on your Quirk registration forms and the requests you sent in before school started. Get yourselves suited up. And then meet me at Training Ground Beta!"
"Yes, sir!" Class 1-A replied.
Over at Training Ground Beta, All Might was standing near the entrance waiting for the class to show up. When they did, they were all decked out in their costumes.
"They saw the clothes make the pros," All Might commented. "And now, young ladies and gentlemen, behold, you are the proof! Take this to heart. From now on you are all heroes in training!" He looked at everyone, "This is getting me all revved up! You look so cool! Now. Shall we get started, you buncha newbies?"
Izuku came running out of the tunnel to the entrance as his costume took a little longer to put on. His mom had surprised him and made a costume for him based on a drawing she saw in his notebook. It was teal in color, with a mask covering his face, except for his mouth, which was covered by a clear material with what looked like painted on teeth shaped like a smile. The mask had points on the head part that looked like All Might's hair.
Ochaco turned to Izuku, "Hey, Deku! Love your costume! Not too flashy, ya know? I should have been more specific about what I wanted. This bodysuit is skintight. Not really my style." Izuku blushed.
All Might noticed the similarities between himself and Izuku's costume. "You're so obvious."
"Sorry I'm late, teach." Everyone heard the voice coming from the tunnel. They turned to see Danny, in his Phantom form, floating toward them.
For you see, he decided he wanted to update the jumpsuit he originally was in and needed time to infuse enough ecto energy into it so that it appeared when he transformed rather than his old jumpsuit. The torso had white and black stripes going down vertically to the beltline where a green oval was. Then the pants part was completely black until the boots which had green and black stripes on the top part and all white on the bottom. The neck part had white with thin black stripes. The glove part was exactly like the design of his boots: green and black stripes at the top, white everywhere else. The emblem that Sam originally designed for him was right at his chest area, but green instead of white. Finally, he wore a cap that had a hood attached to it, very similar in design to Clockwork's. It was white on the outside and black on the inside.
The class stared in awe as Izuku said, "Wow, Danny. I thought you already had a costume in this form."
Danny shrugged, "I decided I wanted a change. My costume needed an update anyway."
Even All Might was impressed by Phantom's new look. He then cleared his throat, "Now that you're ready, it's time for combat training."
Tenya raised his hand, "Sir. This is the fake city from our entrance exam. Does that mean we'll be conducting urban battles again?"
All Might shook his head, "Not quite. I'm going to move you two steps ahead. Most of the villain fights you see on the news take place outside. However, statistically speaking, run-ins with the most dangerous evildoers take place indoors. Think about it. Backroom deals, home invasions, secret underground lairs. Truly intelligent criminals stay hidden in the shadows. For this training exercise, you'll be split into teams of good guys and bad guys and fight two-on-two indoor battles."
One girl, named Tsuya Asui, asked, "Isn't this a little advanced?"
All Might answered, "This best training is what you get on the battlefield! But remember, you can't just punch a robot this time. You're dealing with actual people now."
Momo then asked, "Sir, will you be the one deciding who wins?"
"How much can we hurt the other team?" Katsuki asked.
"Do we need to worry about the losers getting expelled like earlier?" Ochaco asked.
"Will you be splitting us up based on chance or cooperative skill?" Tenya asked.
"Is this cape tres chic?" Yuga asked, which made Danny groan with annoyance.
All Might growled, "I wasn't finished talking!" He pulled out a script, "Listen up. The situation is this. The villains have hidden a nuclear missile somewhere in their hideout. The heroes must try to foil their plans. To do that, the good guys either have to catch the evildoers or receiver the weapon. Likewise, the bad guys succeed if they protect their payload or capture the heroes."
"Sounds like a classic action movie set up," Izuku thought.
"Sounds like a piece of cake," Phantom thought.
All Might then held up a box, "Time's limited, and we'll choose teams by drawing lots!"
"Isn't there a better way?" Tenya asked.
"Think about it," Izuku replied. "Pros often have to team up with heroes from other agencies on the spot, so maybe that's the reason we're seeing that here."
Tenya accepted that explanation, "Yes, I see. Life is a random series of events." He then bowed to All Might, "Excuse my rudeness."
All Might smirked, "No sweat. Let's draw!"
The teams were as followed: Team A (Ocacho and Izuku), Team B (Mezo Shoji and Shoto Todoroki), Team C (Danny and Momo), Team D (Katsuki and Tenya), Team E (Yuga and Mina), Team F (Koji Koda and Rikido Sato), Team G (Denki and Kyoka Jiro), Team H (Tsuya and Fumikage Tokoyami), Team I (Mashirao and Toru Hagakure), and Team J (Hanta Sero and Eijiro Kirishima).
Ochaco was excited, "Wow, what are the chances? We're a team!"
Izuku thought, "Oh my gosh! I have to make a good first impression on her."
Danny looked over at Momo, "Looks like we're teammates. Glad to have ya."
Momo smiled a little, "Same here. And about yesterday…."
Danny knew she was referring to the gauntlets, "Stop. It's OK. You didn't know I would react like that. Past is past. Let's make sure we win today. Sound good?"
Momo blushed a little, then nodded.
All Might put his hands into two boxes, one saying "hero" and the other saying "villain", "I declare that the first teams to fight will be these guys!" He pulled A out of the hero box and D out of the villain box. "A will be the heroes and D will be the villains. Everyone else can head to the monitoring room to watch."
The other groups walked to the monitoring room, and Danny gave Izuku a pat on his shoulder, "Good luck, Izuku."
Izuku looked over at Katsuki, who was glaring at him. That startled Izuku, but then he took a deep breath, got some confidence, and glared right back at Katsuki, startling him.
All Might said to Team D, "Bad guys, you can go on in and get set up. In five minutes, the good guys will be let loose and the battle will start! The key to beating this challenge is to embody villainy. Think from the perspective of a villain. If things go too far, I'll step in." Katsuki and Tenya walked to the building where the battle will take place. All Might turned to Team A, "We'll give them five minutes, then the battle will start and you can go after them!"
Tenya was setting up next to the weapon, "Even though this is training, it pains me to be aligned with criminal behavior. So this is the weapon we need to protect. Fake of course."
"Hey!" Bakugo shouted to get Tenya's attention. "Do you really think Deku has a Quirk?"
Tenya was confused, "You saw how he threw that ball. Though I think his power hurts his body. Why is it that you seem to be especially angry when it comes to Midoriya?"
Katsuki felt anger boiling inside himself, "Was he seriously just tricking me all these years? I'm gonna roast that damn nerd today!"
Izuku and Ochaco were waiting outside, with Ochaco saying, "Do you think they expect us to memorize this building's floor plans? It's so big. You know. All Might's just as cool in person as he is on TV. I'm glad he's not threatening us with some kind of punishment like Mr. Aizawa. We can relax…." She looked over and noticed, "Ah! You're sweating through your costume!"
Izuku gulped, "It's just because we're up against Kacchan. Plus there's Iida, too. We should be on our guard, who knows what they'll pull."
"Oh, right, Bakugo," Ochaco replied. "He's the one who's always making fun of you."
Izuku sighed, "And he's amazing. He can be a real pain, sure. But his strength and confidence and his ambition, not to mention his Quirk. They're all so much greater than mine. But that just means I have to do better. I refuse to lose today."
Ochaco smiled at that, "So it's a fated battle between rivals?"
Izuku backtracked, "Oh, not that I'm trying to get you wrapped up in my fight or anything!"
Ochaco smiled, "Are you kidding? We're a team, right? Let's win this!"
All Might's voice boomed over the loudspeaker, "All right! Let's begin the indoor training combat! Team A and Team D, your time starts now!"
Over in the monitoring room, All Might addressed the class, "Pay attention, kids. Think about what you can do."
He then thought to himself, "Young Midoriya. In this class you're just another student. I'll grade you as I would anyone else. Without playing favorites."
Danny looked up at the monitors, "You've got this, Izuku."
Izuku and Ochaco climbed through one of the windows. "And just like that, we're in," Ochaco commented.
Izuku looked around, "Careful, there are a lot of blindspots." He and Ochaco walked carefully, pausing at every corner to see the hall ahead of them.
Suddenly, Bakugo jumped out of nowhere and tried to blast Izuku, but the green haired boy shoved himself and Ochaco out of the way.
Izuku asked, "Uraraka, are you OK?"
Ochaco nodded, "I'm fine, thanks."
She noticed that part of Izuku's mask was gone, now only half of his face was covered.
Katsuki started to walk towards them, "What's the matter, Deku? Afraid to stand up and fight me? Now that your little ghost bodyguard isn't here to protect you?"
Izuku stood up, "I knew you would come at me first. And figured you'd try and catch me by surprise.
Class 1-A saw all of this go down from the monitor room. "Sneak attack, Bakugo?" Eijiro commented. "What kinda man pulls cheap crap like that?"
"It's a viable strategy," All Might answered. "He's playing the part. Acting like a true villain would."
"It didn't work," Mina pointed out. "Midoriya dodged him."
Momo turned to Phantom, "Bakugo just referred to you,didn't he? You're the ghost bodyguard?"
Phantom nodded, "Yeah, we all came from the same junior high. Bakugo liked to pick on Izuku so I had to step in and stop them. But Izuku's gotten more confident with himself. And here is where he will prove it to Bakugo."
"Look, there he goes!" Denki commented as he saw Bakugo charging at Izuku.
Katsuki grinned as he charged at Izuku, "I won't hurt you so bad they'll have to stop the fight. Just close!"
But then Izuku stopped him and held him back. Ochaco was impressed, "Wow, look at those moves!"
Izuku then used a wrestling move and threw Katsuki to the ground. Bakugo was stunned, "Impossible! How did you know? You're not that good!"
Izuku answered, "Kacchan. You always use a big right hook to start a fight. I know because I've watched you for years. I analyzed every amazing hero, even you. I wanted to learn everything I could about them. It was all in the notebook you burned and threw away. You can call me Deku, but I'm not the same helpless, defenseless kid anymore! You hear me? I've changed! From now on, Deku is the name of a hero!"
Katsuki stood up as Izuku was shaking slightly, keeping his fighting stance. Katsuki smirked, "Deku. You're shaking in your boots, you're so scared. But you wanna fight me anyway. That's why I hate you!"
Chapter 8: Deku vs Kacchan
Tenya voice's came over the radio, "Bakugo! Come in! Give me a status report! Where are you?"
Bakugo answered, "Just shut up and defend the weapon! I've got more important things to worry about."
Tenya answered back, "Are you forgetting what our mission is? Hello? He hung up on me! This isn't the time for radio silence! We're supposed to be partners!"
Over in the monitoring room, Eijiro Kirishima asked, "Hey, who's Bakugo talking to? I'm not hearing anything. Can we get any sound with this video?"
All Might pointed to a earpiece that he had, "He's got a radio in his ear so he can talk to his partner. I gave it to him before the match started. Along with a map of the building. Also, this. A roll of capture tape! Wrapping this around your opponent means you've apprehended them, and they're out for the rest of the game."
Mina commented, "So there's a 15 minute time limit, and the good guys have no idea what floor the nuclear weapon is hidden on, right?"
"Correct!" All Might answered.
"Then the heroes are clearly at a disadvantage here," Mina noted. "A big one!"
All Might countered, "Real pros have to outwit villains on a daily basis. That's life. Even when the odds aren't in our favor, we fight!"
The class gasped at that, but Danny thought, "He's right. I've been through stuff like that many times. The Ghost King being the top of that list."
All Might raised his fist in the air, "All together!"
"Let's hear a Plus Ultra!" Class 1-A shouted.
"All Might," Danny said. "Bakugo's on the move."
All Might turned to the screen and saw that Bakugo was charging up his hands.
Izuku shouted to Ochaco, "Uraraka! Go!"
Ochaco ran just as Bakugo launched his attack, which Izuku blocked.
Katsuki scoffed, "Ballsy move. Think you can take me alone?" But then he noticed Izuku was putting capture tape around his leg.
Izuku remembered the capture move that Mr. Aizawa used. He then predicted how Katsuki would get out of it, and he was right. Just as Katsuki threw a kick, Izuku jumped out of the way.
Class 1-A was watching intensely. "That little guy's really good," Rikido said.
Sero added, "He's holding his own and he hasn't even used his Quirk yet!"
"Not surprising," All Might thought. "He's always been pretty good at taking action in crisis situations. Plus, he spent years taking notes on different heroes. He internalized everything that he learned. Those lessons are in his blood now. That fanboy knowledge is paying off! And driving him forward!"
Danny smiled, "Look at him, holding his own. Way to go, fanboy."
Izuku took some deep breaths, "He kicked first this time. He's switching things up so I can't predict his moves. Does that mean he's worried?"
Katsuki charged up for an attack, but Izuku turned and ran away in the opposite direction.
"Get back here, Deku!" Bakugo shouted as he fired his Quirk and went after Izuku.
Izuku kept his guard up as he was running, "I'm not going to be able to fight him at close range now. I need some kind of plan!"
Bakugo ran all around trying to find Izuku, but was failing, "Dammit! You were tricking me for years by acting weak. Bet you've been laughing behind my back, huh? So where's that flashy power of yours now? Let's see how it compares to mine! Quirk or no, you'll never beat me, Deku!"
Back in the monitoring room, Denki Kaminari commented, "That guy has some real anger issues. Kinda scary…"
"You have no idea," Phantom thought.
All Might looked at the screen, "Midoriya told me that young Bakugo thinks very highly of himself. The ghost boy backed him up. But this level of pride is something else. It may end up being his demise."
Meanwhile, Izuku was hiding behind a corner, "Good. He's completely forgotten about my partner. Just like I thought. If they wanted to send someone out to stop us here, it should've been Iida. He's way faster, after all. That probably means Kacchan's gone rogue. The two of them aren't working together as a team. If we had to take on those two head-to-head, our chances of winning would be pretty low. They've got such strong Quirks. I can't go after the weapon right now or Kacchan will follow me. And if we both try to take him down, we'd probably run out of time. So we stay split up for now. I have to trust Uraraka. She'll find the weapon and Iida, and then I'll join her in a two-on-one fight. That's how we'll win. I'll just have to capture Kacchan down here. On my own. I can do it. As long as I don't get too close to his hands."
Katsuki's voice stopped Izuku's thoughts, "Stop hiding! Come out and face me, you coward!" Izuku took a deep breath and started to run.
Bakugo was still walking around trying to find Izuku, "He's just a little bug. A worthless bug for me to smash!"
Meanwhile, Ochaco located the weapon, "Found it. Now I just have to tell Deku. And try my best to stay outta sight until he gets up here."
She noticed that Tenya was talking to himself, "Bakugo definitely has a villainous side. And that's exactly what we need to succeed in this mission. I need to temporarily devote myself to criminal intent. Yes. I won't fail this trial and risk bringing shame to the Iida family name. That means I must now embrace evil to become a hero! Behold! I am the personification of villainy!"
Ochacho giggled, "He's so serious."
Unfortunately, Tenya heard the giggle, "Uraraka, is that you?" Ochaco reluctantly came out of her hiding spot. "I knew you would come here alone the instant that Bakugo ran off by himself and engaged with Midoriya. Your Quirk allows you to float anything that you touch, but I've prepared for that! By hiding every object in this room so you have nothing to use against me, do-gooder! My dastardly tricks have rendered you helpless! You've blundered, hero!" He then started to laugh evilly.
"He really is playing the part," Ochaco noticed. She radioed Izuku, "Hey, Deku?"
Izuku answered back, "I'm here. How's it going?"
Ochaco apologized, "I'm sorry. Iida knows that I'm here. Right now he's monologuing."
"Where are you?" Izuku asked.
Ochaco answered, "Near the middle of the fifth floor."
Izuku realized, "Right above me. We probably don't have much time left now. We have to finish this fact, or they win. I won't give up yet. I can capture Kacchan. I won't lose!"
Suddenly he heard a noise. He turned around and saw Katsuki standing a few feet away from him, his grenade gauntlet glowing, "I'm all loaded up."
"What does that mean?" Izuku asked.
"Why aren't you using your fancy Quirk?" Katsuki asked back. "Don't tell me you're underestimating me, Deku. Get over here and show me what you're really made of."
Izuku held the capture tape taught in his fists, "Kacchan. I'm not scared of you anymore."
Katsuki chuckled, "Since you're such a stalker, by now you probably know how my Quirk, Explosion, works. I secrete nitroglycerin like sweat from my hands and I make it blow up. Imagine what I can do if I had a lot of it." He released a lever on his gauntlet, "That's right, these gauntlets aren't just for show. They've been storing up my sweat inside for one monster blast."
All Might realized Katsuki was going too far and shouted into the radio, "Young Bakugo! Don't do it! You'll kill him!" Danny's eyes glowed green with anger and was one step away from interfering with the fight.
"He'll be fine as long as he dodges!" Bakugo countered. He fired his attack, and Phantom quickly made a duplicate that then turned invisible and flew off to where the fight was happening, barely making it in time and put a shield around Izuku, but not before some of the blast destroyed the rest of his mask.
Class 1-A was shocked. Phantom felt his duplicate come back and he reabsorbed it without anyone noticing. Meaning Izuku was unharmed.
All Might called out on the radio, "Come in! Come in! Midoriya!"
Izuku was lying on the ground where Phantom's duplicate put him after shielding the attack. He didn't realize that he was saved at the last minute. He sat up, "Is that even allowed?"
Katsuki walked through the smoke laughing, "These are awesome! The more nitro sweat that's stored in these gauntlets, the stronger the explosion is. Go ahead. Use your stupid Quirk on me, Deku. Even if you give me everything you got, you'll never beat me."
Tenya was trying to radio Katsuki, "Bakugo, answer me. What is going on down there? Did you cause that blast?"
Ochaoc realized with Tenya distracted, she could try to get to the weapon, "Now's my chance. If I can claim the weapon, that means we win!"
She charged towards the weapon, but Tenya noticed and charged at her, "Not so fast, hero."
But Ochaco touched her hands together, and jumped through the air, as her Quirk made her lighter, "I just have to touch the weapon. In one move, this'll be all over."
"Since when can she make herself float?" Tenya asked himself. He charged up his engines on his shins.
"Release!" Ochaco touched her hands together and released her Quirk. "This special move is hard, but it's worth it."
But Tenya sped in and took the weapon out of her reach, making her fall and tumble onto the floor.
"Admirable attempt," Tenya said. "But that Quirk's no threat if you can't touch anything. I can easily keep this weapon out of your reach until time runs out." Then he laughs evilly.
Ochaco just glared at him, "It's not over. I won't let Deku down."
Back with Izuku and Katsuki, the crazy teen said, "What's the matter? You look scared. You dodged the attack, so you can still fight, can't you? Come and get me."
Izuku thought, "The gauntlets make it so he can use his powers at long range. I'm not safe, even if I stay away from him. So what do I do?" He then radioed Ochaco, "Come in, what's the situation?"
"It's not good," Ochaco radioed back.
Katsuki started to get pissed off, "Are you ignoring me again? I'll get your attention."
Back at the monitoring tower, Phantom stepped forward and said to All Might, "This fight is getting out of hand. Bakugo is acting too irrational. He's gone crazy. Izuku may have dodged that attack, but he might not get so lucky if Bakugo does it again. He could kill him. " He didn't mention that he stepped in to help Izuku dodge, even with just a duplicate.
All Might heard what Phantom said and thought, "Despite his fierce posturing, Bakugo's not actually trying to kill Midoriya. But still, ghost boy has a point."
He then radioed, "Bakugo. Use that stored up power again and I'll stop this fight. Your team will lose. To employ such a strong attack indoors is inviting the destruction of the stronghold you should be protecting. That's a poor strategy, whether you're a hero or a villain. The penalty will be a massive loss of points." Bakugo groaned in annoyance, but accepted it.
What Bakugo didn't realize was that while he was distracted by All Might, Izuku was talking to Ochaco over their radio and telling her a plan, ending with, "The pillar by the window. Get there now!"
Katsuki then charged in, "Fine then! We'll fight hand to hand." Izuku prepared to counterattack as he knew he couldn't dodge again, but Bakugo surprised him by jumping behind him, then attacking his back.
Class 1-A gasped at the sight. "What was that move?" Kirishima asked.
Shoto Todoroki commented, "He doesn't come off as a guy with a strategy. But he's actually quite intelligent." Some classmates questioned this, so Shoto explained, "He changed his trajectory while in midair using a blast that doubled as a smokescreen. Very clever."
Momo added, "A feint attack like that requires an extreme amount of precision. He had to calculate the physics and demonstrate control over his Quirk."
"Plus, he wants to show Izuku how he's better than him, like always," Phantom added.
Denki groaned, "Ugh, Bakugo is uber talented. I hate it."
Katsuki shouted, "Here it comes, nerd! The famous right hook you were whining about."
He charged and slammed his fist into Izuku's back, then flipped him to the ground, "Deku! Don't you ever forget what you are! You're a weakling!"
Izuku groaned from the ground, "He's not giving me any time to form a strategy. I can't beat him without a Quirk after all. He's too good. I have no choice. I have to use it."
Back at the monitoring tower, Mina cried, "This is hard to watch. All he has to do is wrap tape around him, not kill him."
Fumikage Tokoyami added, "Bakugo's certainly acting like a villain."
"I've met worse," Phantom muttered, but Momo heard it.
Kaminari added, "I thought Midoriya was pretty amazing at the start of the fight, but he's completely outmatched in terms of combat power. Not to mention, Bakugo seems like a natural at all this stuff."
All Might wanted to end the fight, but he also wanted it to go on for Izuku's sake.
The class saw Izuku get up and run away, and Kirishima commented, "Not very manly, but he doesn't have a choice. He's outgunned. Unless he's got some kind of plan."
Phantom noticed a look in Izuku's eyes and said, "He's got a plan." That shocked the class, so he added, "Just wait and watch. He may surprise you."
Izuku ran to one of the windows and turned back to Bakugo, who asked, "Why won't you use your damn Quirk against me? Still think you can stop me without it?"
Izuku lowered his head, "That's not it."
Katsuki walked toward Izuku, "You've been hiding your true power for years. What's the deal, Deku? Did you think you were better than me this entire time?"
"That's what you think?" Izuku responded. "You idiot. You've always been stronger, Kacchan. I know that you're better than me. Can't you see? That's why I wanna beat you. Because you're amazing!"
Katsuki scoffed, "You're even more of an idiot than I realized. Come at me!"
They then charged at each other, full force, Bakugo had his hand sparking and Izuku had his arm thrown back charging his Quirk for a punch.
All Might couldn't hold back anymore and shouted, "Both of you, stop!"
But then Izuku shouted, "Uraraka, now!"
Ochaco grabbed onto a pillar in the room she was in and just when Bakugo was about to land a hit, Izuku used One For All and sent the punch upwards, causing massive amounts of wind to destroy the floors above him, causing debris to fly everywhere.
Tenya gasped, "What's happening?"
Ochaco activated her Quirk on the pillar she was holding as it came free from Izuku's attack, "Sorry, Iida. This is it! Improvised Special Move: The Comet Home Run!" She swung the pillar like a baseball bat and sent debris flying at Tenya. He held up his hands to protect himself, but Ochaco used that distraction to float herself to the weapon and she landed on it, "I got it!"
Tenya gasped, "No, the weapon!"
Down below, Katsuki growled, "This was your big plan from the very beginning, wasn't it? You were playing me this entire time, you bastard."
Izuku groaned from his spot on the ground as he was injured from using One For All, "I wasn't going to use it. Because I can't control it. My body just can't handle the backlash of my power yet. Mr. Aizawa said I'd be useless. But this was all that I could think of. This is the only way I had any chance at winning." He held up his two injured arms, one broken from using One For All, and one burnt from Bakugo's attack. He then fell unconscious.
Bakugo stood there in shock, unable to say anything.
All Might shouted, "You did it. The hero team wins!"
Phantom looked at the monitors, "Way to go, Izuku. You were against the odds, but you pulled through. You reminded me of myself."
Chapter 9: Bakugo's Start Line
Ochaco slid down from the weapon and groaned.
Tenya asked, "Are you OK?"
Class 1-A looked at the monitors in shock at what they saw.
"What a weird way for this to end," Kaminari commented. "The losers are practically untouched, and the winners are both on the ground."
Tokoyami added, "How does the old saying go? They may have lost the battle, but they won the war."
"This class is intense," Tsuya added.
"That's how life works, unfortunately," Phantom commented. "Real life battles can be intense. You may win, but you don't always come out of them unscathed."
All Might called for helper robots to wheel Izuku away to Recovery Girl. He looked over at Bakugo, who was still standing there in shock, "My attacks, Deku predicted them. He made me look like an idiot. And somehow managed to win the exercise. Does this mean that if we really fought if we didn't hold back at all, Deku would beat me with his Quirk?"
All Might walked over and put his hand on the boy's shoulder, "Young Bakugo. Cool your jets. Let's go review your work. Whether you win or lose, you can always take something away from an experience like this. As long as you're open to learning."
After Izuku was taken to the nurse and the rest of the students came back from the exercise, All Might gathered everyone in the monitor room, "Despite the results, the MVP of this exercise is Young Iida!"
The class was shocked at that, particularly Tenya himself.
Tsuya asked, "Shouldn't it be one of the heroes instead, since they're the winners?"
"Valid question," All Might answered. "Why didn't I choose one of the winners? Who has a guess?"
Momo raised her hand, "Sir, I can tell you why. Iida embraced this challenge. He was the only one who truly adapted to his assigned role. I'll explain. Bakugo's judgment was clouded by a personal grudge against Midoriya. As you pointed out earlier, launching a large-scale attack indoors was a foolish move. It could have been disastrous. Similarly, Midoriya's plan was also poorly thought out, considering the amount of damage that he received. He rendered himself helpless. Not smart. As for Uraraka, she let her guard down mid-battle, and her final attack was far too reckless given the hypothetical stakes. If she treated the fake weapon as though it were real, she never would've risked using such an imprecise move. Iida was fully prepared for his opponent's arrival. He had a strategy, and never lost sight of his mission to protect the dummy weapon, even if he was foiled in the end. Technically, the hero team won, yes, but they took advantage of the fact that this was training. They didn't respect the spirit of the trial."
Everyone was stunned to silence. "This girl really has a good eye on her," All Might thought.
"Impressive," Phantom thought. "It'll be interesting to see how she does when it's our turn."
All Might cleared his throat, "Yes, well, you overlooked a few things. Young Iida could have relaxed a little bit in the exercise, but otherwise, you nailed it!"
Momo added, "One should always start with the basics and devote themselves wholeheartedly to learning. That's the only real way to become a top hero."
"No wonder she got into this course through a recommendation," Phantom thought.
All Might then said, "Now then. Time to blow this joint. Let's move onto the next match! Think about everything we saw and discussed as you tackle this training for yourself."
"Yes, sir!" Class 1-A answered, minus Bakugo as he just stood there engulfed in his thoughts.
"Match two!" All Might shouted. "Team B will be our heroes! And Team I will be our villains!"
Team I, consisting of Oijiro and Turo, were getting prepared for the trial. Toru said, "Hey, Oijiro. Let's get serious. I'm gonna take off all my clothes and totally disappear."
"Yeah, cool," Ojiro replied. But he also thought, "Hagakure's using her Quirk to our advantage, but it's kinda weird to know there's a naked girl standing by me. What exactly am I supposed to do here?"
Toru seemed to know what he was thinking, "Uh, just don't look, OK?"
"What's the difference?" Oijiro asked.
Back in the monitor room, Phantom kept his eyes off the monitor screen as his ghost vision could still make out Toru, so he looked away in order to not be a perv. Momo noticed Phantom's slight discomfort, "Fenton, are you OK?"
Phantom nodded, "Yeah, it's just I'm trying to be a gentleman. Since becoming invisible is one of my powers, that also means I can see things that are invisible. Including Toru. So I'm keeping my eyes off of her out of respect. Like I'm trying not to stare at you due to your….costume. Don't get me wrong, you look great in it, but I don't want to disrespect you."
Momo was surprised by Phantom's honesty. She knows that she's already gotten looks from some of her male classmates when she changed into her costume, and Phantom admitted he did too, but he's also showing her that he respects her as a person. She found that admirable. "Thank you, Fenton. That means a lot."
All Might shouted, "Look alive, kids! Show us you're the embodiment of good! Or evil! Let's go!"
The hero team, Shoji and Shoto, stood just outside the building. Shoji entered first and used his Quirk, Dupli-Arms, to create ears to listen for the villain team. He told Shoto, "One's in the hall on the north side of the fourth floor. And I think the other's on the same floor somewhere. Both are barefoot. I bet the invisible one plans to sneak up and surprise us."
Shoto walked in front of Shoji, "For your own safety, go outside. I'm sure our opponents intend to fight a defensive battle. But we've already won."
Just as Shoji exited the building, Shoto used his Quirk: Half-Hot, Half-Cold, to freeze the entire building.
Toru's feet got stuck to the ice, along with Oijiro.
Shoto walked into the room where Oijiro was guarding the weapon. Oijiro braced himself, but Shoto said, "Pry yourself up if you want, but it might be hard to fight me with no skin on the bottom of your feet."
The cold seemed to reach the monitor room, and everyone was freezing, minus Phantom, as his ice ghost core made him invulnerable to the cold. All Might shuttered, "He incapacitated them without compromising the weapon or his teammate. Take close notes of this technique, students. The hero team wins!"
Shoto put his hand on the weapon, then activated his fire ability to melt the ice, "It's not your fault. We're just playing on different levels."
"Holy crap!" Rikido gasped.
"That guy's kind of intimidating," Kaminari commented.
Tsuya added, "He got in on a recommendation, so he must be good."
"He may be good," Phantom said. "But he can't let his power get to his head. Otherwise he'll become cocky."
"Moving on," All Might said to the class. "Time to gather 'round for a review of the second match. After that, we'll jet on over to our next match."
"Yes, sir," Class 1-A shouted, again except Bakugo.
Match C was Team J, Sero and Kirishima, as the villains, and Team H, Tokoyami and Tsuya, as the heroes. Tokoyami took advantage of the dark building and used his Quirk: Dark Shadow, to find where the villains were hiding, and Tsuya used her Frog Quirk to leap over the tape Sero set up to reclaim the weapon.
The next match saw Team G, Jiro and Kaminari, as the heroes. Phantom and Momo, Team C, was chosen as the villain team. Momo turned to Phantom, "I can create metal bars that will help barricade the door. This specific alloy can't conduct electricity so Kaminari won't be able to get through using his Quirk. Jiro will probably use her Quirk to listen in and figure out where our location is."
Phantom turned to her, "Barricading the door is a good plan, but that will only be a precaution. You should be the one to protect the weapon. I can sneak through the building and capture Kaminari and Jiro before they make it up here. I can be quick and efficient, but I want to have a little fun with them."
"Why?" Momo asked. "If you capture them quickly, then that would be more successful for us."
"True," Phantom countered. "But you said earlier we need to respect the spirit of the trial. We're supposed to be the villains, right? Villains like to have fun with the heroes sometimes. To test their resolve. I would like to do the same. Don't worry, I'll still be quick and efficient, but I want to have a little fun with this."
Momo thought about it, then nodded in agreement.
Phantom's eyes glowed, "Good. Now, can you create some night vision goggles?"
Down on the first floor, Jiro put one of her ear jacks into the wall. She heard noise from two floors above them.
"I've got something," Jiro told Kaminari. "I'm hearing shifting and something heavy being placed in one spot. They must be barricading themselves in the room where the weapon is."
Kaminari's hands lit up with electricity, "Then let's go kick their butts!"
Suddenly the lights in the building went out. Momo quickly put on the night goggles she created and quickly worked to finish barricading the door. Phantom had phased through the building into the basement, found the circuit breaker, and cut the power.
Class 1-A couldn't see anything on the monitors, but then All Might pressed a button and the night vision activated on the cameras, "It seems that the ghost boy wants to take away the heroes' sight. Interesting strategy."
"Great," Jiro muttered. "Looks like I can only rely on sound. Kaminari, you go on ahead. I'll stay here and listen in for any movement. Keep your radio on."
Kaminari used his Quirk to electrify his hands to use as a light, "Stay safe." He then walked ahead, leaving Jiro alone in the dark, only a little light coming from a nearby window.
She didn't hear Phantom floating up behind her, his eyes glowing ghostly green, "What's a hero like you doing here all alone?"
Jiro turned around and was about to say something on the radio to Kaminari, but Phantom threw some ecto goo over her mouth so she couldn't speak. She put her jacks into the arms of her costume to create a soundwave attack, but Phantom noticed this and created a ghost reflective shield in front of himself and reflected the soundwave back at Jiro, knocking her to the ground. "Nice try. If you continued that attack, you would have damaged the building. Not a smart move given that you can't see very well. Plus, as someone who has a sound attack of their own, using it in a building isn't smart either."
He quickly tied her up with the capture tape and glued her to the wall with his ecto goo. He then floated away looking for Kaminari, who was trying to get a hold of Jiro, but couldn't.
"Damn it!" Kaminari cursed. "Why isn't she answering? Did someone get to her? My guess is Fenton."
"And you would be correct." Kaminari spun around and saw Phantom floating there, his hood over his head so Kaminari only saw glowing green eyes staring back at him.
Kaminari backed away in fear, "Geez, man! You're acting really creepy, you know that?"
"Why can't I?" Phantom countered. "I'm a villain here, remember? And I'm here to stop you."
Kaminari fired electrical shots at Phantom, but he dodged all of them and charged at Kaminari, grabbing him by the collar and holding him on the floor. "Do you surrender?"
"Never!" Kaminari took Phantom by surprise by gripping Phantom's costume by the chest and sending some electricity into the ghost hero. Phantom let go of Kaminari and screamed loudly in pain, as the electricity reminded him of when he was electrocuted almost to death in his parents' ghost portal, when he first became half-ghost. His scream was loud and painful, almost like a banshee wailing.
Momo heard it from the room she was in, "What is that? Is that Danny?"
Class 1-A heard it and many were covering their ears from the sound. All Might looked at the cameras, "I've never seen him like this. It's almost like….he's reliving a painful memory."
Phantom took a moment to collect himself, then glared evilly at Kaminari, who now was even more frightened of the ghost hero.
"How dare you!" Phantom shouted. "You will pay for that!" He charged an ecto blast and sent it towards Kaminari, who didn't dodge it in time and was thrown to the opposite wall. Phantom walked up to Kaminari and pulled out the capture tape and tied Kaminari up.
"The villain team wins!" All Might's voice came over the loudspeakers. Phantom took a deep breath and calmed himself down. He looked down at Kaminari and cut him loose.
Kaminari looked up, "What the heck, man? What was that?"
Phantom sighed, "I'm sorry. When you used your electricity on me, it brought back…..a painful memory. Let's just say I almost died from electrocution."
Kaminari paled, "Oh, man. I'm sorry."
Phantom shook his head, "You didn't know. I should be the one apologizing. I wasn't expecting that type of reaction. And sorry for attacking you like that. I put too much power into that blast."
He reached his hand down and helped Kaminari to stand. He then phased down to where Jiro was and untied her. Then he phased back up to where Momo was, who asked, "Are you OK? What was that scream?"
"It was me," Phantom explained. "Kaminari shocked me pretty badly and I reacted poorly. Brought back bad memories for me. I apologize."
Momo put her hand on Phantom's shoulder, "It's OK. You still respected the spirit of this trial and we won. All is forgiven."
Phantom started to blush and Momo pulled her hand away and blushed too.
The two teams made it back to the monitor room and All Might said, "Congrats Team C. You were remarkable. But Team G also did a good job."
Phantom bowed his head, "I apologize for the scream earlier. I was unprepared for that kind of reaction."
"No worries, man," Kirishima replied. "Everyone gets caught off guard once in a while."
"But still," Mina said. "You were amazing. Scary, but still awesome."
"You acted like a true villain," Tenya pointed out. "Just like I did."
The final match between Team E, Yuga and Mina, as the heroes, and Team F, Koji and Rikido, as the villains, took place shortly after. Team E came out on top, making Phantom and Momo the only villain team to win that day.
All Might gathered Class 1-A in front of the entrance, "That's a wrap! Super work. You really stepped up to the plate. And, we didn't have any major injuries, minus Midoriya. You should be proud. Excellent first day of training, all 'round."
Tsuya spoke up, "It's nice to hear some encouraging words after our homeroom class. Mr. Aizawa was kind of a buzzkill." The class nodded in agreement.
All Might smiled, "I'm happy to bring such staggering positivity to my alma mater! That's all for now, folks. I should go and check on young Midoriya's progress. Now, watch how a pro exits. Like he's got somewhere to be!"
He then sped off with superhuman speed down the tunnel, leaving the class in awe, minus Phantom who just thought All Might was showing off again.
"Ok you guys, that is a true hero," Kaminari said.
Oijiro sighed, "Aww, I'll never be able to run that fast."
As All Might was running, he looked back and saw Bakugo with his head down, "Young Bakugo really is overflowing with pride. His ego may be justified, but a school like UA is bound to shatter it. Also, I need to talk to Young Fenton, as that reaction wasn't human. As their teacher, it's my sworn duty to counsel them well. But it'll have to wait."
He reached the end of the tunnel as steam started to rise over his body and he suddenly transformed back into his normal self. He took some deep breaths to regain his breathing, "I barely have enough time to teach a class. Shit!"
All Might made his way to the nurse's station, where Recovery Girl was waiting for him, "His second day of school and he's already a regular patient. Why didn't you stop him, All Might?"
All Might bowed his head, "You're right, Recovery Girl. I'm sorry."
Recovery Girl pressed on, "It's no good apologizing to me! He's too exhausted from his classes for my Quirk. I can't treat all his injuries at once. I did some first aid, but once the IV's finished, we'll have to wait for his body to heal overnight. Come on, All Might. I know you passed your powers onto this boy, but you can't spoil him."
All Might sighed, "I'm trying not to play favorites. I wanted to consider his feelings, though. He needed to see that he was capable of winning the exercise. Oh, yeah, also. Will you please not talk so loudly about One For All when anyone around can hear you?"
"Yeah, yeah, I know," Recovery Girl replied. "Mr. Natural Born Hero. Mr. Symbol of Peace."
All Might sighed, "Several people know of my injury and this weak form, like the UA faculty and a certain group of pro heroes, for example. However, only a select few people know the secret of One For All. There's you, the principal, and a very close friend of mine. Young Midoriya, too, as well as Young Fenton. But no one else knows the truth about my powers."
Recovery Girl said, "You're the number one hero in the world, All Might. Does it really matter if you were born with your Quirk or not? Do you have to be the Symbol of Peace? Is it that important?"
All Might, "If they knew I wasn't, the temptation of this power could corrupt our society. This Quirk, those who wield it are responsible for mankind's safety."
Recovery Girl sighed, "Well, if that's the case, it's even more important for you to be a good guide."
All Might sighed, "You're right. And I know Young Fenton is being one for Midoriya too. I should take some pointers from him."
"Aww, you do care." All Might and Recovery Girl turned as Danny made himself visible to the two heroes.
Recovery girl glared, "Young man, you can't just sneak up and listen in on private conversations like that. It's rude."
"My apologies," Danny replied. "But like All Might said, I'm one of the chosen few who know about, you know what. Plus, I wanted to see how Izuku was doing. And don't worry, All Might, you've been a great role model so far. Just pick it up a bit."
Later Izuku opened his eyes and noticed he was hooked to an IV and saw that it was late afternoon.
Recovery Girl sat next to him, "Rise and shine, sonny. Now, that's all of today's treatment. Come back tomorrow, OK? Oh, and your friend is waiting for you to walk you home."
Izuku looked over and saw Danny there smiling at him.
Izuku got fitted for a sling and he and Danny walked out of the nurse's office. Izuku sighed, "I missed all my afternoon classes."
"Don't worry," Danny said. "I took notes. I'll let you look at them later."
Izuku and Danny made it back to the 1-A room. When they opened the door, Kirishima said, "Hey, it's Midoriya! Good to see you back, super! Man, I don't know what you were saying during that match, but you were all fired up, huh?"
Several classmates gathered around Izuku, shocking him. Sero said, "I can't believe you held your own against Bakugo, he's super strong!"
"You did a great job dodging!" Mina added. Danny kept the fact that he secretly helped Izuku dodge to himself.
Rikido commented, "You guys really turned up in the first match, so none of us held back in our rounds, either!"
Yuga added, "You were far from elegant, but I suppose…" Danny gave Yuga a green glowed glare that made Yuga shut up.
Kirishima introduced himself, "I'm Eijiro Kirishima. We've been going over training results while you were in recovery."
"Hi, I'm Hanta Sero," Sero introduced himself.
"More importantly, I'm Yuga Ao…" Yuga started to introduce himself, but Mina interrupted, "I'm Mina Ashido! And I just gotta say, your dodging was awesome!"
Tsuya popped up from behind Mina, "Tsuya Asui. But please call me Tsu."
Rikido introduced himself, "Hey, Sato."
"Hey, guys," Izuku meekly greeted.
Kirishima looked over at Danny, "And you were amazing in your battle as well, Fenton. For an American, you're pretty cool."
Danny nodded his head in thanks.
Tokoyami sat in the back of the class, "Ugh. So noisy."
Tenya walked over to him, "Tokoyami. Stop using the desk as a chair! Get off of it this instant!"
Jiro said, "Dude, you need to chill."
Oijiro added, "You're carrying a lot of tension."
"No one understands," Tenya replied. "I cannot condone actions that disrespect these desks. Not when great men and women, our upperclassmen, once used them!"
"Also noisy," Tokoyami commented.
The door opened and Kaminari and Ochaco walked in carrying books. Denki tried asking Ochaco out, but then she saw Izuku and ran straight to him, "Hey, didn't she heal your injuries?"
Izuku answered, "Well, it has to do with how much stamina I'm using."
Danny noticed Katsuki was missing, "Hey, where's Bakugo?"
"He left for the day," Ochaco answered. "We tried to stop him from leaving, but he wouldn't listen. You just missed him."
Izuku immediately ran for the entrance to see if he could catch up to Katsuki. He got to the entrance and saw Katsuki walking away. "Kacchan! Wait up!"
Katsuki stopped and looked back at Izuku, "What?"
Izuku stopped and suddenly made a decision, "I have to tell you something. Maybe then, you'll understand what's been going on. I wasn't hiding my Quirk from you. It was given to me by someone else. Recently. But I can't tell you who I got it from, so don't ask. Sounds crazy, I know. It's like something out of a comic book. Only, it's real. The thing is, I don't really have any control over this power yet. I haven't figured out how to make it my own, but I'm trying. That's why I didn't want to use it on you during the exercise. But in the end, it was the only way that I had a chance at winning. I've still got a lot to learn. I know that. That's why I'm here. You'll see. I'll work until I have full control of this borrowed Quirk. And I'll finally beat you with my own power!"
Katsuki didn't believe him, "How dumb do you think I am? Borrowed power? Don't talk to me like I'm an idiot. You already made a fool outta me in that damn training exercise. So? Did you come here to rub it in? I lost. And to make matters worse, it was to you. I came in second place during the exam, so I wanted to prove myself that I'm better, but it wasn't enough. When I was watching that ice guy, I realized that I couldn't beat him in a head-to-head fight. Heck, I watched Fenton and I couldn't fight him head-to-head either! Crap! I even agree with what that girl said! My attack was so stupid! Damn it! Enjoy that win, Deku. You won't get another! I'm just getting started! Got that? I'm gonna end up being the number one hero, no matter what! You'll never beat me again, you bastard. Don't even try."
Bakugo walked away and Izuku sighed. Suddenly All Might, in his hero form, ran past Izuku straight to Katsuki, "There you are! Bakugo! I found you!" He stopped Bakugo, "Just so you know, pride is an important attribute to have. But while you certainly have the abilities to become a pro hero, there's still plenty you have to learn!"
"Let go of me, All Might, right now!" Bakugo looked back at All Might. "Save your speeches. I'll be more famous than you, and I'll do it without your help."
All Might reluctantly let go and Bakugo walked away. All Might sighed, "I guess he's already over it. Man, being a teacher is hard."
Class 1-A watched the interaction from inside the building. "Man," Mina said. "I wonder what that was all about."
"The fated battle between rivals," Ochaco added.
Tsuya then said, "Whatever Midoriya said, it looked like Bakugo wanted to punch him."
"Childhood friends turned enemies," Ochaco doubled down.
Danny turned visible next to Izuku, "Smooth. Now you've pissed him off more."
All Might stood next to Izuku, "Midoriya, what were you saying to Bakugo before I heroically arrived?"
Izuku freaked out, "Nothing special."
All Might pressed him, "Hmm. I'm so curious. Why don't you tell me all the juicy details?"
"Um, actually, I forgot?" Izuku lied.
"Oh, Izuku," Danny thought. "You're not good at lying."
Somewhere in the city nearby, a villain known as Tomura Shigaraki was sitting looking at a news article about All Might's new position at UA High, "Did you see this joke? It says he's a teacher now." He looked over at his right hand man, Kurogiri, and asked, "What do you think will happen when the mighty Symbol of Peace is finally killed by the villains?"