A brief check in with the students training as we approach the Sports Festival. A few more interactions to go, and boy does that list seem to be growing, before we can get into the tournament arc and it's periphery.
Last chapter we had:
-Names
-A conversation with Koda
-More Names
-A scene with Setsuna
-Hawks holding back a heart attack
Enjoy!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Midoriya drummed his fingers against his lap as he waited for the class to arrive. Setsuna sat beside him, reading something or other on her phone. He could feel the impatience burning through him as his thoughts raced. It, of course, took time to sequence a person's genome. He'd had it practically down to an art before he had come back to Japan. Yet still, it would have taken him half a day to perform the deed. That was also before the added complication of sequencing quirks, and if what I suspect is true, the recombinant…
A finger poking him had Midoriya snapping from his thoughts, his hand finding the knife sheathed on his armor. He sucked in a deep breath, acknowledging the look of shock on Yaoyorozu's face with a weary expression of his own. "Sorry. You startled me." Midoriya let his hand slip away from the blade and back to his lap as he took in the woman. "I see you've chosen to forsake the armor plates."
Yaoyorozu glanced down at her gear before frowning and giving a nod. "I kept the boots, but the armor plates weren't quite working out how I wanted them to. Blocking creation in a few places. The visor worked really well, though. I requested a sleeker version from Hatsume."
Midoriya gave a nod. Could just replace your eyes. "I was worried about that. It would be so much easier if I could put you all in the same armor as me and let you build on that, but it doesn't work for most of your quirks."
"I don't think that aside from maybe Kiri, any of us could even wear your gear, Midori."
The snort from Midoriya's right had him glancing over and immediately regretting every life decision that had brought him to that point. Gack. "Fucking- what the hell are you wearing, Mina?" Standing in what appeared to be a new bodysuit and combat boots, Ashido sported a new color pattern that Midoriya thought might be the result of a nuclear reactor throwing up onto an outfit. "Why the hell does it have neon yellow now?"
Ashido gave a slow smirk as she shuffled closer, and Midoriya squinted as if needing sunglasses to protect his retinas from the eye-searing combination of colors assaulting his eyes. "I wanted to try out a new color pattern. Do you like it~" Ashido shuffled closer, only for Midoriya to throw up his hands to ward the woman off.
"Only in that it may as well be a weapon itself." Midoriya glanced away to protect his eyes as much as to observe the gathering class. "No, obviously my armor wouldn't work for everyone. I meant the undersuit. It's a titanium kevlar nano weave with a gel layer for temperature regulation and pressurization in high-velocity impacts. As it is, we've had to personalize it for most of the quirks in class. Himiko and Setsuna's had to be DNA bound to them." If only it were so simple for Momo's. "Tsu's had to be rated as a dive suit, and Uraraka's re-engineered for rapid acceleration and high to low-g environments."
"Wait, wait." Ashido looked around at her classmates in confusion. "Just how many of us are wearing these undersuits?" On top of the previously mentioned students, Ashido saw Yaoyorozu pull the edge of her crop top up to reveal a partial undersuit. Turning, she watched as Jiro, Ojiro, and Shinso also pulled down the collars of their hero gear to reveal the sleek black bodysuits that underpinned Midoriya's own armor. Ashido puffed out her cheeks. "Oh, I don't get offered the fancy bodysuit. I see how it is, Midoriya."
The playful huff had Midoriya chuckling as he shook his head. "Mina, we first need to get you trained well enough that you don't melt the fancy bodysuit. Then we have to come up with a 'fancy bodysuit' that works with whatever gear we give you and, you know, doesn't melt."
Midoriya glanced around the class, stretching as he pushed any other thoughts out of his mind. "Alright, everyone, gather up. I'll tell you all what you're doing, so listen for your groups and split up."
Midoriya waited a moment for everyone's attention to focus on him and for the idle chatter to die down before he looked down at the class list. "Tsunotori, Group B, blunt horns, please. Focus on fight performance while splitting your attention between your quirk and the fight. Our goal here is that using both should be muscle memory." Midoriya watched as the woman gave him a thumbs-up before stepping off to one side.
"Ashido, Group C. Stand by for a moment." Mina puffed up her cheeks again but moved to sit down in the middle of the training field without complaint or question. They all knew what Midoriya's Group C was. It meant that there was a conversation to be had before you got assigned your training.
"Asui, Group A. You've already been using your quirk so we're going to get you started on some mobility training. You'll be heading to Gym Theta after warmups for the new mobility course before coming back for more combat training." A quick ribbit and Asui stepped to the side opposite Tsunotori.
"Iida, you've got a choice. Want combat integration training or endurance training today?"
"Could I try the mobility training?" Midoriya quirked an eyebrow but nodded and noted it down.
"You're welcome to try, but since it'll be tuned for a select few today, you're probably going to suffer with it until they come back for combat training."
Iida chopped one of his arms through the air with a grin. "More of a challenge, then." Midoriya shook his head, gesturing for him to join Asui.
"Uraraka, Group C. Stand by for a moment." The woman clearly had no worries about grass stains as she buckled her legs and plonked down next to Ashido.
"Ojiro, you can try the mobility training if you'd like, or you can go with group B for more hand-to-hand training."
Ojiro shrugged. "I'll give the mobility course a go before coming back." Midoriya nodded, noting down the decision.
"Kaminari, Group C. Stand by for a moment." The man winced, his shoulders hunching. His body curled in on itself as he moved forward to join the others.. Ashido tugged on his arm when he walked over to their group, dragging him down to sit between herself and Uraraka before slinging her arm over his shoulder.
"Kirishima."
"Woop!" Midoriya chuckled.
"Yeah, yeah. You remember what I taught you earlier about armor?"
Kirishima shot Midoriya a big grin and two thumbs up. "I do, Midoribro."
Midoriya raised his eyebrow even as he checked his paperwork. "Two options for you today. Impact testing with some endurance training, or you can go with Group B and try out what I taught you."
In lieu of a response, Kirishima stepped over to stand beside Tsunotori. Midoriya noted the choice before moving on. "Toga, Group B. No weapons yet, but you can use your quirk if you get the opening." Toga's eyes got large and sparkly as she jumped at Kirishima, fangs bared, before whispering something in his ear that had the man blushing, his quirk activating seemingly without thought.
"Do try to keep things PG outside of combat, please, Himiko." The whine that Midoriya received in response had him huffing before moving on. "Jiro, you know how to use your quirk on people, but make sure to keep focus. Group B."
Jiro threw her hands into the air as she yelled back at him. "It was one time."
"Next up is Sero."
"Mobility training?"
"For the first half of class." Midoriya pointed down the field to where several of the physical education assistants were setting up a battery of projectiles. "Second half, you'll be training precision over there."
"Tokoyami, Group C. Stand by." The man visibly stiffened, a frown barely tugging at his carefully neutral expression.
"Todoroki, Group B." A chunk of the class blinked at the short orders. No explanation was forthcoming as to what Todoroki should focus on. Midoriya narrowed his eyes. He hid his grimace as the man silently dipped his head before trudging over to where the rest of Group B was standing. Midoriya very much wanted to take him aside now, but that would require relying on too many assumptions at this point. Todoroki hadn't had the opportunity to show that he was still half functional. I need to know just how deep this rabbit hole goes first.
"Tokage. Group B. The moment you feel control slipping, you step out of the spar and get control back. Am I understood?" A toothy grin and a thumbs up had Setsuna sauntering over to Group B. Sliding up to her side, she bent to whisper something into Toga's ear. Considering the sudden grin on Toga's face, Midoriya thought it better that he didn't know.
"Yaoyorozu, Group C. Stand by for a moment."
"Shinso. Group B. Try various activation methods for your quirk. Compliments, insults, taunts, obscenities, bigotry, racism. Nothing's off the table when it comes to getting a response in a fight. Just be careful if there are civilians around." A thumbs up and he was moving across the field to join his group. Midoriya let out a breath, setting the clipboard down. "Alright, everyone, you've got your marching orders. Stretch out, do your warm-up run, and get to your positions."
Midoriya rolled his back as he looked at the group still with him. He waited another moment before going through them each, one at a time. "Momo," he started, "you don't have to train with us for the next couple of weeks."
"What? I'm sorry, but I don't understand." Yaoyorozu felt that little seed of anxiety begin to grow in her chest again. She knew that she hadn't been as useful as the others during the USJ, and she wasn't the best in the training so far but still, she wasn't the-
Yaoyorozu blinked again as Midoriya thumped her on the forehead, an obvious frown marring his expression. She rubbed the spot with a wince and a choking feeling. "Stop that. I know that look quite well. The reason is that I don't have the time to give you the attention that you need before the Sports Festival."
Yaoyorozu felt herself suck in a breath just as another thump came, hitting her square and without mercy. "I said stop that. Momo, you have the potential to be the single most dangerous individual in the country and one of the most dangerous in the world. The fact of the matter is that if you hadn't been born to two wildly influential and powerful parents, then the government would likely have taken you away from them not long after your quirk came in."
Yaoyorozu's eyes went wide, her mouth dropping open. "Wha- how? The government wouldn't… no. They wouldn't?" Midoriya sighed and shook his head.
"They damn well would, and I wouldn't blame them at all." Shock was the only reaction that he could see in the students standing around him. That is, before they began to clamor. Midoriya put his hand up and continued. "Momo, what would the results be if you decided one day to walk through a mall spewing Sarin from your skin?"
Yaoyorozu jerked back, looking appalled. "That would kill me, as well, Midoriya, and I don't even know the chemical formula for… sarin…" She trailed off as her own brain processed the scenario almost against her will. She was a smart woman. She would rapidly reach the same conclusions he had.
"C4H10FO2P. You can find it and its structure through an internet search. That's it. You could produce the atropine and pralidoxime chloride in yourself, even while you produced the gas."
"I- I'd never."
"And if you were ever pressed into a corner? How many kilograms of plutonium do you think your quirk could split before eradicating one of the seaboards, Momo?"
The woman looked ashen at the thought. "The energy required to do that would kill me, Midoriya." He gave her a pitying look.
"And? A little study of how the bombs work? You could do it. If you are going to die, anyway? Why not take the bastards with you?" Yaoyorozu could feel the panic creeping up her airway, tightening it and her lungs at the very thought.
Midoriya took a deep breath, moving a hand to Yaoyorozu's shoulder. "I'm not saying this because I or anyone else thinks that you would do such a thing, but because I need to impress upon you the threat that you present to the world, how they will view you after the events at the USJ. I need to know that you understand how utterly terrifyingly devastating your quirk has the potential to be so that you can train and never let it happen. You can create anything out of any material that you want. Any element. Hell, put on specialized equipment or make it and you could even replicate a vast majority of emitter quirks."
"I- what. I- I knew that my quirk was good, but. For hero work? I was never sure that-"
"Momo, you have one of the best quirks for heroics that you could possibly hope for. With proper training and effort, you could influence the direction of the entire country, if not the world. The head of the chemistry department has a doctorate in inorganic chemistry. They've agreed to help you cram during the mornings leading up to the Sports Festival."
"I- I'm honored, but what about actual training?"
"Due to the nature of your quirk, Momo, Snipe has agreed to give you a three-week crash course on weaponry and restraint. Everything from late medieval weaponry to modern firearms. With the understanding, of course, that any ammunition that you create is the same non-lethal ammunition that the third years are training on."
"Holy shit. Holy shit, Momo!" Ashido's laugh turned into panic as Yaoyorozu's legs gave out on her. The anxiety quickly developed into a full-blown panic attack as her own insecurities reared their heads.
"I- I can't. It's too much, I- I'm just going to let them down if I- The class down-" Midoriya kneeled down slowly as he pulled Yaoyorozu's hand up in front of her eyes. His other hand tapped a slow rhythm on the back of the hand he held.
"Hey, focus on breathing. Focus on me now." A long moment passed before some of the color returned to Yaoyorozu's cheeks.
"I'm sorry."
"There is nothing to apologize for. If you feel uncomfortable with taking the opportunity, then you don't have to. I apologize if I made you think that this was set in stone. I should have phrased all of this better. Momo, let me make something clear. Not one single being is perfect. No one expects you to be. I've made more mistakes in my life than I can count. The only thing that anyone here at U.A. asks of you is that you try your best. What that is, is purely up to you. No one else."
"I- I think I'd like some time to think about this. To talk to the other two professors." Midoriya gave her a small, comforting smile.
"Then do that. For now, go sit down somewhere a little more comfortable." Ashido and Uraraka helped their classmate to her feet before she bowed stiffly and made her way off the training field.
"You should have gone about that better. What the hell was that about? You know she'd never hurt anyone, so why make her think like that? Sure, you might have a point, but right now? Seriously, Midoriya?" Midoriya dipped his head towards Uraraka's admonishments, even if he personally disagreed.
She needed to have a healthy respect for what she could do, even if she would never do it. She was their leader, but he hadn't accounted for her mentality. He hadn't planned for Yaoyorozu's anxiety to be that bad. That had been both a mistake and an oversight on his part. But if nothing else, it would certainly be a useful tool to bind her to her classmates and them to her.
"Uraraka, you get to join them at the mobility training. Focus on learning your movement with the new gear, especially the legs. When you are finished, try training your gravitic manipulation during full-speed sparring." Uraraka stiffened, and Midoriya sighed. "Try not to overdo the training, okay? Even if you can physically take it, your brain needs to rest."
"I understand." She doesn't. "I'll cut back on the extra training and rest." She won't. Midoriya sighed again. "You know where I am if you need me." Uraraka set off in a jog in the direction Group A had gone and left Midoriya shaking his head.
Reaching down, Midoriya grabbed a paper from his stack before handing it to Kaminari. "Powerloader has a battery of tests for you to do. They'll give an idea of your limits and electrical performance. He also has several lessons he wants to go over with you today and tomorrow regarding the basics. It's not a substitute for the classes we'll need to get added to your schedule, but it should give you a starting point."
"I didn't mean to do it."
Midoriya felt that one when he winced. How often had he heard those exact words?
"No one thinks you did, Kaminari. No one blames you, either. This is just so you can use your quirk safely. These lessons would have been provided to you regardless of what happened at the USJ." Kaminari ducked his head and began making his way off with a small muttered thanks.
"And then there were two. Mina, it'll be you and me today. You are going to learn to integrate your acid into the hand-to-hand we've been teaching you. With some luck, it'll come naturally." The sickened expression stated her reluctance plainly, even as Ashido sighed and cringed away.
"Must we?"
"We must. Don't worry, you know your levels well now. This should be easy for you." Ashido deflated before throwing her hands up and scrubbing them through her hair.
"Fine, fine." Midoriya gave her a pained smile.
"I'll meet you over there. I have something I need to talk to Tokoyami about real quick, alright?" Always the drama queen, Ashido threw her entire body into a slump as she groaned, but when she bounced back, it was with a rather forced smile. She could do this. She would.
Midoriya waited a long moment for the girl to find her pep again, watching her dance away with a renewed energy, before he turned to Tokoyami. "Powerloader and Mei have forwarded your request for the new support items."
Tokoyami kept his facial expressions neutral as he challenged Midoriya with his gaze. "So? I can request what I'd like with my costume."
"You can, yes." Midoriya dragged the words out slowly and focused on the lack of expression or response that he was being given in return. Midoriya sighed and tried another approach. "How do you feel about this, Dark Shadow?"
That got a response from Tokoyami in the form of a snarl. "The demon doesn't get input-"
"Toki is being a fucking asshole-"
"You do not speak for me you-"
"And you don't listen for me to-"
"Stop." Midoriya threw both his hands up. He looked between Dark Shadow, snarling at Tokoyami from his abdomen, and took another look at the hostile expression on Tokoyami's face before shaking his head in disappointment. "Tokoyami, until this gets sorted, you are both banned from participating in any form of training."
Notes:
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