Chapter Text
When Momo exited the limo in Korosanto Ward, she still couldn't believe the sight before her eyes as she gazed up at the structure. Smackdab in the middle of Tokyo in its most prolific ward outside of Shinjuku, was a castle that would look more at home in the Edo Period than in a modern city filled with skyscrapers. The black-haired beauty collected her belongings, wheeling them behind her as she made her way towards the entrance, which was a gate with walls surrounding the castle.
She had to stifle a laugh at the sight of a Starbucks right next door to it. And a donut store across from that.
She took a deep breath, calming herself as she reached the front gate. Her black pearl-like eyes spotted a camera on the side and she turned, giving a light bow.
"Yaoyorozu Momo I presume?" Asked a voice as a slot slid open in the door, and someone was gazing down from within.
"Yes. I am. I am here for my internship." She stated, bowing lightly again. The slot closed, and the sliding gate opened, revealing a bald man wearing a security suit.
"We have been expecting you." He smiled, bowing in return. "Please follow me Yaoyorozu-san. I am Niijima Tsuna. It is a pleasure to meet you."
"The honor is mine." She said as she pulled her bags behind her, the security man walking towards the great castle. The courtyard had gardens possessing intricate Bonsai Trees with swathes of pebbles modeled perfectly around them to simulate the sea, with some even featuring Koi fish ponds. "My compliments to your architect. Your Agency looks remarkable." Momo said with a smile.
"Thank you for your words. Musha has a saying that clothes make the pros, and that can carry over onto the clothes of one's home or business." Niijima said with a nod as they got to the front door, which slid open like an electronic glass door. Momo took note of that saying. Then again, Yoroi Musha was around during All Might's debut. Once they got inside… it was not like the interior of a castle.
Rather it looked like an office, with people at desks, cubicles, and computers, and some sidekicks talking amongst themselves. Momo could even smell… fresh donuts?
"Of course, we're not as labyrinthine as an Edo Period Castle." Niijima said, obviously catching her surprise, with a slight smile.
"Naturally." Momo mused as they crossed a wooden bridge that curved over the expanse of desks and cubicles. She looked around, taking note of the hollow exterior that took up about three to four floors. Around the edges she could see various old-fashioned doors, with some people walking to and fro.
"Of course, it is similar to an old castle at the topmost floors, where Musha-san has his office, meditation room, guest rooms, and his own personal dojo as well. Along with some specialized rooms." Niijima guided her to the elevator. "He is on the top floor. You'll find him there waiting for you." He stepped back and bowed. "We are honored to have a fine U.A. Student as yourself intern with the Yoroi Musha firm, Yaoyorozu-san."
Momo blushed and bowed in return as she pressed the button for the top floor. "Thank you for your kind words, Niijima-san. And thank you for your help." The bald man offered a light grin and stepped back.
"Just doing my job." The elevator doors closed and Momo had the elevator to herself as it rose up.
She was going to be working and learning under a Top Ten Hero! She unleashed a big grin, letting out a laugh at the thought. Who would have thought she would have gotten to this point after everything in U.A.? All those lessons and training had paid off, and her performance at the Sports Festival had been impressive as she looked down at her hands.
Her mother's harsh words resounded in her head as she narrowed her eyes.
"I'm a person, not furniture." She muttered to herself as she clenched her hands.
Momo shook her head. She was about to meet Yoroi Musha. Calm down. Focus!
The elevator stopped, and the door opened, revealing an authentic Japanese hallway with wood walls, floors, and various tables with minor decor such as vases with sakura flowers, miniature Bonsai trees, clay figurines and… a signed baseball?
The busty teen walked up to the door at the end of the hall, reaching a hand for-
"Come in." Said an old gravely voice, and the girl perked up. She slid the door open eagerly. Within was the office of Yoroi Musha, the Equip Hero.
Various suits of Samurai and Shogun armor were lined up on the left and right sides of the room, with sunlight pouring in from a glass roof up high. Before her, sitting at a desk was a broad and tall man donned in traditional white and red trim robes, with a set of Samurai armor and a Kabuto-esque helmet that featured a horn in the center hanging on a frame next to the wall. His eyes were dark, comparable to someone like Ashido, and his great white beard reached to his upper abdomen as he sat straight yet unflinchingly. His mane of white hair hung past his shoulders.
"Yaoyorozu-san. Welcome to my agency." Momo perked up, licking her lips as she bowed once again.
"It is an honor to be here and working under you, Yoroi Musha-san." She replied, doing her best to keep her voice calm. He exuded such authority and power! She looked to her sides, seeing that her suitcases were still with her. "Oh! Um, if I may? I wouldn't want to bring my luggage into your office, Musha-san."
"Your guest room is to your left. You can deposit your belongings there before we talk about your training. In your room you'll find your training haori." Musha rose up before he walked around his desk, and Momo realized he might be as tall as Shoji.
"Training haori?"
"Yes. We are going to begin your training. So once you settle your belongings, change into the haori and footwear we have provided, and meet me in the dojo opposite of your room." Musha growled as Momo stepped out of the way, allowing the Samurai to walk on through. "Bathroom is connected to your guest bedroom with a shower and bath attached." He got to the door, opening it without giving her a second glance. "I'll be waiting. When you enter here," He reached for a wooden carved figurine, and in a flash, it formed into a sword handle akin to a katana, minus the actual blade. "We will begin and I will teach you how to improve your Quirk and cover your weaknesses."
Momo perked up. She saw the old man turn around, and she could see his cheekbones rise with a smile. "I watch and record television you know." The girl turned, seeing a phrase posted above her door as well. It was in Hiragana and carved into a wood board. Followed by the english words ASK. Aku Soku Kiyomeru.
"Purge Evil Immediately?" She asked, and the man looked back at her.
"Yes. The initials, ASK, is the password." He added. Momo blinked.
"To what?"
"The wifi."
Momo blinked again, and Musha chuckled lightly.
"I'm old, not dead. Now go on." He nodded. "Get dressed."
"R-Right!" Momo blurted out, looking around as she got her suitcases inside. She was wasting one of the Top Ten's time! Mustn't keep him waiting! She spotted her white and dark blue haori, complete with shin-high socks and Japanese style sandals.
It was time to begin her training!
(X)
Izuku was nervous.
Now, this wasn't an entirely new feeling for him. He was nervous all the time really. Elevators made him nervous. Clowns terrified him, even the neighbor's far too large dog made him a little antsy when walking down the sidewalk.
But he felt relatively safe in stating that standing on the sidewalk in front of the Pro Hero Edgeshot's agency that the cold sweat he was breaking into now was a cut above his typical skittishness. The agency looked like a normal building, albeit with Japanese highlights like the rooftops and such. The train ride wasn't long from Musutafu to Kashiki Ward thankfully.
Sure he had the attention of and was the successor to All Might himself but somehow (though he'd never admit it aloud) This felt... more. Like he'd really earned it. That all the hard work and all the tears and all the pain and everything up to this point had amounted to something real, something tangible. That someone else, not just All Might, had seen his worth. The fifth highest ranked hero in the country no less. And he'd been the only one in his class to get an invitation from Edgeshot. That was absolutely amazing.
At least that's what he felt before his own self doubt started gnawing at his insides, sucking dry what little confidence he had.
Because clearly, this was a mistake. What interest would Edgeshot have in him?! Parker was the one who fought most like Edgeshot so surely the Hero had meant his sole invitation to be sent to his classmate and just got it mixed up. He was the kid that broke his bones whenever he flicked his finger too hard. Edgeshot was not only an extremely powerful hero but a master of Ninja arts and-
"The door doesn't bite." Someone said in a soft voice behind him.
"I know. I'm jus-GAH!"
His frightened scream could have awoken the dead. Whirling around he saw Edgeshot, steaming cup of either tea or coffee in hand who merely tilted his head, the crinkle of his visible eye showing a bemused amusement.
"E-ed-edgeshot-san!"
"Midoriya. Welcome to my agency." The masked hero smiled, nodding before gesturing inside. "Shall we? I'm sure you're eager to get started."
"W-wait so... it wasn't a mistake? You really want me to intern with you?"
The Shinobi hero offered an appraising eye before slowly nodding. "Of course. Come now. There is much we'll have to cover in this internship if my suspicions are correct."
The man started to move and it took a second or so for Izuku's feet to remember how to walk after him, his suitcases rolling behind him. "Suspicions?" About what? Wait... 'Don't tell me!'
"On the workings of your quirk of course. Its usage is what we're here to refine and train after all." That's a relief. He doesn't know about him and All Might.
"Ahh but-" He stepped into the building, which he realized now was more akin to a dojo, at least on the first floor. "I-well If I may ask sir, why'd you pick me?"
The Number Five Hero reached the other end of the dojo, removing a jacket and a pair of gloves as he answered. "Frankly, when I look at you, I see potential. Your quirk can clearly throw out a great deal of raw power. But you simply don't know how to refine that power without injuring yourself. You lack either restraint or precision. And I'm guessing it's the latter, given your fight during the Festival.."
Izuku opened his mouth and then clicked it shut.
That... was pretty accurate actually.
"But..." He hesitated again. He looked down, fiddling with his fingers. "Why just me? You didn't offer your internship place to anyone else? Why not Todoroki? Or Bakugo, or Parker-san? They're all just as good if not better."
Edgeshot finished removing the excess clothing and finally turned to look at him. "They are." The Shinobi hero admitted, and Izuku winced. Then again, he is right. Parker and Kacchan did round out the top two at the Festival... "If I cared about such I'd have offered them my time easily. But I don't care for the power or the speed of a quirk. Many heroes have power and speed. Even the refinement of fighting technique and strategic skill is something valued that many heroes have. You demonstrated a bit of all four but that doesn't matter. Training can do much Midoriya, but it's the will that separates the great heroes from the common ones."
Edgeshot stepped closer, staring him down with a placid calmness that made him all the more nervous but somehow... helped.
"I saw everything in that fight you had against Todoroki Shoto, Midoriya-san." He said pointedly, his cheekbones rising to form a soft smile. "Your body was breaking, you had every reason to finish your fight with the son of Endeavor quickly yet you didn't. You could have won so much sooner, yet you didn't. You had the courage to walk down a road few would have traveled, you tried to help your enemy. To save your classmate from a self-destructive road. Even at great personal risk to yourself." Izuku glanced up, his eyes wide.
"But how do you-"
"Shinobi." The man smiled again. "Espionage is a specialty of mine. With that specialty comes perks." His one eye closed in an amused curve. "Like lip reading." The green-haired boy's jaw dropped as he let out a gasp of awe.
"Y-You were able to read our entire conversation even in that crazy battle I- that's amazing!" As expected of a Top Ten Hero! Incredible!
"Camera's playing on loop also helped." His eye closed in clear amusement as Midoriya's amazement deflated somewhat. "And recording it at home."
"O-oh." T-That makes sense.
"That's why I sent my offer to you. Of all your classmates I can see that you are the one who is closest to the ideal of a true hero. Like All Might. Not Peter Parker, who the media covets, but you." Izuku felt his heart soar as he perked up, grinning widely as he felt his eyes water. "I'd like to help you reach that ideal. Now, would you like to get started?"
Izuku felt tears gather in his eyes even as he tried to swallow them down and not thoroughly embarrass himself on his first day. "O-of course!"
"Alright." Edgeshot nodded, and clapped his hands. Izuku felt a gust of wind and looked behind him, and his suitcases were gone! "My sidekicks will place your belongings in your room, which is on the top floor, with your name attached to a sign. For now, we are going to begin our first exercise." He turned around, gesturing for the boy to follow. Izuku did so, smile beaming bright.
'I get to train under Edgeshot! What sort of training method will he teach me? Will it involve fighting giant robotic dummy villains? Or perhaps learning how to meld into the shadows!' Izuku thought as he followed him through the agency, stopping at the last half of the dojo.
"We're going to see just how well you handle yourself before we move to the streets," They arrived in a garage of sorts, and before Izuku was the single biggest obstacle course that the boy had ever seen, well, outside of U.A. The garage was well illuminated, and it was bigger than even his own house. The green-haired boy could see two of the hero's sidekicks sprinting through a set of climbing rings. Someone jumped off a ledge to grab the edge of another platform with nothing but their fingertips. Some even contorted their body to move with a set of rotating pillars as they dodged and swerved to the other side.
Izuku remained silent, mouth still locked in a closed mouth grin. "Whoa."
"For now, I'll be looking at what you can do with my own eyes," Edgeshot gestured to a dark green t-shirt and basketball shorts as he tilted his head, eye curved as his cheekbones rose up, smiling. "I'm expecting much from you, Midoriya-san."
Izuku beamed bright before he wiped his eyes and smacked his cheeks. Giving a confident and determined smile, he nodded. "Right!"
(X)
"What."
Peter spoke out as he looked up at the massive building that was the address to the agency of one Usagiyama Rumi, the Rabbit Hero Mirko. The front looked like a normal small office of sorts, but right behind it was a friggin football stadium! It looked bigger than MetLife Field!
"This is the right place." Karen spoke in his ear.
"I guess so…" Peter mused. At least the view around Endo Ward was beautiful. He could make out Mt. Fuji far to the west, and there was plenty of lush forestry and greenery around the ward. It definitely had a laid back kind of feel, without the urban sprawl of Musutafu or inner Tokyo. "Well…" He took a deep breath, walking up to the door with his suitcases and opened it, walking into what appeared to be a front office. All around him were various plaques in addition to framed newspaper and magazine covers, all with the titular Mirko herself on them. There was a fancy all glass desk with a computer, and a head poked out behind it. One with auburn hair and raccoon ears?
"Hello?" Peter asked, waving meekly. The woman behind the desk beamed as she hopped out of her chair, and the very very short woman trotted up to him.
"Ah! You must be Peter Parker-san! A pleasure to meet you!" She stated as she walked up, bowing respectably. Peter quickly bowed deeply in turn. Goodness she was only up to his waist in height she was so tiny! Was she as tall as Nezu? She looked human, but had the ears of a raccoon, and the tail of one too! What was it that Japanese called them? Tanooki? Tanuki? "My name is Nakiri Shizune, I am Mirko-san's personal secretary and assistant here at the Mirko Firm!"
"A secretary huh? Well, it's nice to meet you too Nakiri-san." Peter rose back up, and offered his hand to the diminutive woman who shook it. "Is um, Mirko-san around?" He inquired as he looked around the office. He could see a long hallway behind Nakiri, presumably leading to that giant stadium.
"Oh, she should be doing her light training exercises! She's been on that ever since returning from her usual cross county patrols!" Nakiri replied as she spotted Peter's bags. "Would you like me to take your bags? We have your room set up and everything."
"Oh no it's fine, I can carry 'em myself." Peter smiled as he lugged his suitcases behind him. "I think setting my stuff down before seeing Mirko-san would be more, um, appropriate. And stuff." He added with a shrug as the tanuki girl nodded.
"Alrighty, just follow me Parker-san." Nakiri gestured with her tail wagging affectionately before she led the way down the hall. Peter followed, walking past some rooms. He could make out the signs on the doors, labeled as 'Bathroom', 'Kitchen' and 'Laundry' as he walked past. Did heroes normally live at their offices? He knew that Yu spent a lot of time there, but she had the time to return home and actually have a bed outside of work. It wasn't like she was a workaholic. Mirko must be the same then.
"So, does Mirko sleep here often?" Peter asked as they got to a room as Nakiri opened it, and the American noticed the label on the door titled 'Design Studio'.
Okay…?
"Both me and Mirko-san do, although when she's out patrolling she tends to go cross-country." Nakiri opened the door wide enough for Peter to enter and Peter's eyebrow quirked up. "When she's back here, she tends to either train, or work on her hobby, that being interior design but…" She paused, smiling awkwardly and for good reason.
Usually the bed would be as far away from the door as possible, but it was super close to the door. The desk was in the… middle of the room instead of against the wall. And the nightstand was on the far side of the room instead of right beside the bed.
"She's a very avid learner, albeit stubborn and with uhhh… room to improve." Nakiri stated with a grin, and Peter could only laugh and smile awkwardly back in turn. He had no room to operate in here!
"Okay then. I can, um, work with this. I appreciate Mirko-san g-going out of her way for me here." Peter set his bags in the corner, and made a mental note to shift around the furniture of the room. His ears perked up at the sound of a clanging noise, as did the very noticeable ears on Miss Nakiri.
"Ah! Mirko-san should be finishing up a set." Nakiri opened the door for him, and the taller boy walked towards the sound of the noise. He opened the door and his eyes widened.
Before him was a massive gym set underground like a basement, at least in terms of square feet, and all around the area were various pieces of weight lifting equipment with giant massive steel blocks, very much akin to the Quirk Gym he worked out at during his beginning days here in Japan. The bars had a number with a lowercase 't' attached and Peter recognized what that indicated.
One ton blocks, all the way up to… "Twenty tons?!" Peter gawked in English. His Quirk gym only got up to seven metric tons! The sound of the clanging was louder than ever as he winced. Feeling a tap he looked down, and saw the tanuki secretary handing him a pair of earmuffs.
"Thanks." Peter put them on and walked down the stairs with Nakiri, and he saw the source. Right under the stairs was a leg-curling machine. With two Four Ton steel slabs the size of SUVs being lifted up and down by the machinery. The powerful bronze muscular legs lifting them were attached to a white haired girl, red eyes focused as sweat gleamed all over her while she focused.
She let out a gasp, and let down the machine which fell with a clang, making the ground shake lightly. Yeah, definitely needed the earmuffs.
The woman stood up from the machine, dressed in a very tight-fitting sports bra which showed off her six pack abs. Said bra was very clingy to her modestly big chest as Peter's eyes began to roam downward towards those mighty thick muscular thighs, which were clad in basketball shorts. And in place of normal human feet were those of a white rabbit. White rabbit ears emerged from the sides of her head and poked straight up, covered by some unique kind of sock as she took a deep breath.
"Done." She muttered before she took off the sock-like cloth around her ears as they twitched. She turned, her ruby-red eyes looking back at Peter. She then smirked, showing a cocky and confident grin as she stepped down from the weight lifting machine, and Peter realized as he looked down at her…
She was short! But… man was she hot…
"So, this is Peter Parker?" The bronze-skinned woman drawled as she walked around the American as Peter took off his earmuffs, sizing him up.
"Hello there, Mirko-san." He bowed deep. "And yes, I am Peter Par-" He recoiled and stepped back, avoiding a finger flick as Peter looked at her oddly. "Excuse me?" He asked in English. What was that for?
"Don't bow too deep like that." She pointed at Peter as she held a hand out, and Nakiri trotted past her, grabbing a towel and handing it to the taller white-haired woman who spoke in Japanese. "I get that bowin' is important, you being American and all and you tryin' to fit in, but if you bow too deep you're practically brown-nosin' the other person. Give yourself some respect. You're not some salaryman, you're a hero in trainin'" She had began to wipe her face as she began to squat down, then rose back up in a manner of stretching. "So if you're gonna bow, do it modestly. I ain't gonna be teachin' a kiss-ass."
"Oh, uhh…" Peter bowed again, not as a deep ninety-degree angle he has done prior all the time, but at a forty-five degree one. "Like… this?" The Rabbit Hero rolled her eyes as she peeked over her cloth.
"...we'll work on it," Mirko said behind her towel. "Nakiri, he settled in?"
"His belongings are in his room!" She chirped as the bronze beauty walked over and bent down, her… bunny tail wagging as Peter's eyes rose up. Attached to a… big tight butt. He bit his lip, gulped, and looked away.
"Good, the bathroom has a bath and shower. We even bought some extra towels and clothes for you. They're the white ones, yellow are mine, pink are Nakiri's. We clear?" Mirko ran down as she finished drinking before she began to stretch her arms.
"Umm, yeah. Sure." Peter nodded. She was being very blunt as she turned around, her red eyes narrowed at him.
"When we're done with our first session, Nakiri's gonna give you a company credit card. You can use that to buy whatever food you want. There's a mall a block away as well as some food stores and a grocer. Or did ya not notice like most kids these days who're attached to their phones like fucking facehuggers?" Mirko mused as she walked past Peter, heading towards a weight lifting machine, this time some sort of assist squat machine. There was even a robot spotter with clamps too!
"I saw them, yes." Peter would have sighed but he perked up. She'd heard of Aliens too! "So, what's gonna be our first session? Or we going on a patrol?" She stopped, and the Rabbit Hero turned, displaying a dangerous smirk.
"Oh? So eager ain't ya?" She grinned before turning around, hands on her hips. "Let me get this clear to ya Parker. I'm not doing this for some charity, taking you in under my wing. But when I do something, I make sure to give it a hundred percent effort." She then pointed at the taller boy. "You'll be a better hero, Peter Parker. Know this, when I'm done with ya in these next few days. I'll have ya begging for mercy!"
Peter gulped, his hands going to his collared shirt as he began to unbutton. The bronze-skinned woman quirked an eyebrow. "What are you doing?"
"Don't I need to get undressed? Umm, I have workout clothes in my suitcase." Peter gestured up the stairs. "Are we gonna work together here? Spar?"
"Here?" Mirko gestured, before she scoffed and smirked. "Ah, that stuff comes later. I know you're super strong and all that, but for now, we need to get to the brass tacks of things that'll help you improve by leaps an' bounds." She walked past the weight lifting machine, opening up a fridge, reaching in and… pulling out a carrot stick.
Peter snorted, covering his mouth. 'This is too obvious!' Nakiri just smiled, hands folded in front of her. "W-What brass tacks?" He asked, doing his best to contain his mirth.
"Easy." She pointed a carrot at Peter. "We're watching films."
"Oh! Oh?" Peter's excitement turned to confusion. "Like, Alien? You mentioned Alien earlier with the facehuggers and stuff." Mirko quirked an eyebrow.
"Not those movies." She sighed, rolling her eyes. "For fuck's sake you really need to improve on your Japanese." She muttered under her breath as she looked to Nakiri. "Hey, Nakiri, help a girl out?"
"Right away Mirko-san!" Nakiri chirped as she pulled out her phone, typing it in. "We will be watching a tape." She spoke in heavily accented English
"Tape? Tape of what?" Peter asked as he heard a nibbling and a quick munching noise… turning around and seeing Mirko nibbling down the carrot rapidly.
Don't laugh again, she may notice this time. Oh god why was she so hot before now she's adorable stop stop stop. Peter bit his lower lip to prevent the snorting.
"The Sports Festival." Peter felt his blood turn cold at that memory, wincing. Mirko finished her carrot, tossing the green stem behind her into the trash can. She smirked, licking her lips. "Familiarize yourself with the machines here that we will be workin' on eventually. I'm gonna take a shower." She grabbed her towel and walked past her. "Nakiri, give Parker whatever he needs. I'll be out in ten." She leapt up over the two onto the balcony, and walked back into the agency.
Peter turned down towards the tanuki woman. "Ummm, I know Mirko doesn't take sidekicks or do team ups… is she always like that?"
"You'll warm up to her. She's being very nice to ya to start!" THAT was nice?
"Oookay then." Peter buttoned up his top buttons on his shirt. "I'm gonna go familiarize myself with the place."
"Will you need anything else, Parker-san?" Nakiri asked.
"I think I'm good. Thank you again, Nakiri-san." Peter smiled, bowing lightly as the tanuki girl giggled as she went up the stairs. The American took a deep breath, looking over the weight machines. He only ever got up to around two tons or so back at that Gym. Mirko was far beyond that, and that was only her legs!
Her legs though… "Talk about never skipping leg day." He muttered to himself in English as he began to walk around the Gym, inspecting the familiar machinery and their weights.
"For a hero that can leap over buildings in a single bound effortlessly," Karen spoke in his ear. "I can say that I am not surprised."
"Can't the Hulk do that and better? And Thor?" Peter mused as he walked around, inspecting the weights. "Ten tons… Jeez." He stretched his arms. "I think I'm gonna be looking like the Hulk when I'm done with her."
"Both Hulk and Thor have never been officially measured for their maximum capacity." Karen explained. "But judging by what Mirko said about the film of the Sports Festival, she must be evaluating your performance as a whole." Peter looked down at his hand. The same hand that had torn concrete, and was one Symbol of Peace away from…
"I guess so." He muttered under his breath. He pocketed his hands and turned around, leaving the gym to get his belongings sorted in his room.
(X)
One.
Step back to guard.
Two.
Step back to guard.
Three!
Every cycle made her arms burn, but she didn't even think about stopping. Her mentor, the Equip Hero Yoroi Musha sat cross-legged at the edge of the dojo, clad in his Samurai Kabuto Armor for whatever reason. Momo didn't know if the older gentleman was asleep, or simply watching everything under the shadow of his helmet. She assumed the latter.
So she didn't stop swinging the hollow Katana sword handle, not until she couldn't feel the grip of her quirk anymore.
That was the real challenge. Everytime that she swung, her mentor wanted her to fill the space with a real blade, smaller than even a Tanto or Wakizashi. More akin to a dagger if anything. Small to start out, faster, and simpler. Since the start of her training, the inner workings of the sword had grown by a few millimeters as her speed improved.
That was the true test, to make something the length of the bokken in the time that it took her to swing the training sword down. It seemed simple at first, but then the speed at which Musha forced her to go out threw all her calculations out of the window. Normally, she had time, she had some sort of estimation of what she was working with in order to make something. But with each swing, that window got faster, then slower, then faster again when Musha commented that she needed to speed up. And so she kept moving, kept swinging till she got to the diameter that she was currently struggling against. Around her feet, the metal remains of her many, many failed attempts littered the ground.
It was getting to the point where she would have to make a broom to take them out, and avoid them from touching the bags of fast food that Musha's assistants bought for her to keep up her training.
"Enough for now," the old samurai said with a raised arm, "Restore yourself."
Momo wanted to thank him, but her lungs screamed for air. She gently set the handle down, and on wobbling feet she took a seat next to him, grabbing an unwrapped burger on her way.
"You've improving," he commented, shaded eyes looking at the messy pile of blades that she'd created.
"It's not enough," she said as she tore into the triple cheeseburger, aiming to soothe her aching hunger.
"It will be," Musha assured her as he continued to sit. "You started sloppy, but over time, you acquired a decent form. You adapt well. "
The haori-wearing brunette scarfed down her burger before reaching down for some fries to eat. "You told me this would be vital. Creating a blade from the handle in the span of a swing."
"Yes." Musha mused as he reached to his side, picking up a clay cup filled with tea. That explained the aroma. "You can create anything so long as you know its molecular structure, but such a process takes time. This training is to lessen that weakness."
"I can see your reasoning." She said, finishing with a handful of fried potatoes before going for another. "But I do not see why I have to conjure while swinging a sword. I can see the physical and mental benefits from such training, but wouldn't something like a metronome be more efficient?" She saw the taller and broader Equip Hero turn his head, his dark eyes looking down at her.
"The purpose for this is as simple as the art of Kendo itself." The older man said as he began to sip his tea. "It is repetition. Our Quirks are like muscle fibers. The more we use them, the stronger they can become, so in a way, this training covers more than two facets." Momo looked to the side as she thought on his logic.
"So the sword swinging is for physical training, me creating up the blades inside the handle and increasing their length the mental… The swing itself is the timer, while the art of me using my Quirk over and over again aims to help me paint a picture in my head faster." Musha nodded, and she could see his cheekbones rise up in a small smile underneath his great white beard.
"Correct. Ensure that your mind is clear of any and all distractions. When you swing down your handle, focus on the art. Not even why you aim to become a Hero." Musha replied, eyes hard as Momo went about finishing her fries, and then sipping on a vanilla ice cream shake. "Or fighting for others. Have your mind as clear as can be, and have it be filled in those moments, only on the motion of your blade, and the item you will create in that span."
Momo dabbed at her lips with a napkin after finishing her drink, looking up at the wise old veteran as she nodded. To have her mind be clear of all distractions…
That achievement may be tough.
"I'll try my best sir." Momo assured, and the old hero nodded before he climbed to his feet, towering over her as he walked over to a table, carrying his cup of tea. He held the cup in his hands, and then in a flash, the cup was transformed into a kitchen timer. So that was Transmute, the Quirk of the fabled Yoroi Musha...
He turned it to the sixty minute mark and set it down.
"Continue your training for the next hour. Then, clean up this room and dispose of the blades in the workshop on the basement floor. They'll appreciate having scrap to work with." Musha said as he turned for the door. "Afterwards, go to the mess hall on the first floor. My cooks will prepare for you a recovery shake. Rest for several hours, then I will return from my patrol." He turned his head towards her. "And we will resume until dinner. Understood?"
Momo stood up straight, taking a respectful bow. "Yes."
"Hnn." The door slid shut and Momo grabbed her handle, looking down at it and taking a deep breath.
To clear her mind of distractions and any thoughts.
Yet how could she ignore why she became a hero? How she got here? Who she was aiming to help and fight for in the future? Her family? Her friends? After all, Musha-san was an incredible hero himself.
"A clear mind." Momo murmured to herself, pushing some of the blunt blades to the side of the room as she returned to the center. She got back into position, handle raised over her head. She would watch her sandal-covered feet when she conjured those blades. "A clear mind…"
One.
Step back to guard.
Two.
Step back to guard.
Yet the image of her mother's harsh glare, Peter at the Festival watching the Pony vs. Bakugo fight, and his own final bout against the ash blonde were not so easy to remove from her mind.
(X)
Izuku breathed as he leaped from post to post, yelping as he did his best to maintain balance. He continued jumping on top of each wooden log, the surface only about two feet in radius as they seem to be getting smaller. He glowed, conjuring One for All as he made several more strides and leapt for the platform, hands outreached.
He got to the top, seeing the buzzer at the end as he reached out…
The timer went off, and the thirty seconds were up as Izuku reached the buzzer. But he only felt disappointment swell within him.
"Alright." Edgeshot appeared beside Izuku, making the green-haired boy look up at the Pro Hero. "You have agility and speed, but your precision and timing needs work."
"Sorry, Edgeshot-san." Izuku panted as he got up. "Third time and I couldn't make it…" He winced, rubbing his arm that he had gotten a bruise on. This was his third attempt at the obstacle course the Pro Hero had set up. The first time he fell in the first ten seconds. Second time he got to the ledge, but the third time was the same old story! He couldn't seem to keep his balance when going at 5% speed. Or at any high speed.
"It's not something to sweat over, it's time we go over another facet of training. Perhaps this method can help you better understand Precision." Edgeshot said as he folded himself into some… string-like thing and swerved through the logs and out over the other side of the pit, shifting into his human form. He was fast! Practically a blink of an eye and he covered over thirty meters!
Izuku clambered to his feet and used the ladder to climb down from the platform. He trotted out of the training room and up the stairs towards the ground floor. He grabbed a spare towel to wipe the sweat from his face as he climbed up, still in the workout scrubs Edgeshot had given him. Returning to the dojo-esque environment, he smelled something.
"Rice?" He mused. That definitely smelled like a rice cooker as he followed the scent, walking through the wooden halls as he came upon a room filled with tatami mats, and kneeling down by a table was the Ninja Hero himself, with a rice cooker beside him and two bowls on the table. To the other side of him was a small stove with a pan on it that contained… sizzling fried eggs!
"We'll be having a little brunch." He said, his visible eye closed. "I assume since you arrived early this morning you didn't eat much for breakfast?"
"Well, I had some toast and a protein bar." Izuku mused as he walked inside, making sure to remove his shoes before he took his seat on a pillow, sitting across from the Ninja Hero. He had his hands in his lap, unsure of what to do.
"Being hungry will make you lose focus." Edgeshot stated as he raised a hand. His fingers contorted and folded in, becoming small sharp tendrils as they lifted up the pan and began to flip the eggs over without a spatula! Izuku stared in awe.
"Now then," Edgeshot turned, seeing the rice cooker beep as his other hand contorted into the same tendrils, courtesy of his Quirk Foldabody. The tendrils turned off the buttons, lifted the lid and began to use the spatula-spoon to lift the helpings of white rice into the bowls. Izuku's eyes were wide as he saw the tendrils, all as thin as paper, lift the presumably heavier grains without Edgeshot so much as straining. Then the hand handling the eggs grabbed another spatula as he served the two fried eggs with their yolks undamaged onto the rice within the bowls.
Wait, wouldn't it have been easier had he just used his hands?
"You're thinking of something, aren't you?" Edgeshot mused as his hands returned to normal. As he reached for the bowl, his hand exploded into folded tendrils that lifted the bowl up to chest level. His right hand, bowl-less, morphed into more tendrils as he grabbed some chopsticks and got the sticks into position.
"Um, yes! You're using your Quirk for… cooking and eating. A-And there's nothing wrong with that! It just seems like a lot of effort for something so mundane." Izuku mused as he cupped his chin. Edgeshot let out a soft chuckle.
"Well, why don't you try it Midoriya?" Izuku froze at Edgeshot's suggestion. "After all, how else am I able to use my Quirk so effectively? It's essentially a muscle of the body, so if I use it while doing normal tasks such as eating..."
"It would result in it getting stronger and its usage being easy!" Izuku beamed.
"I was going to say that it saved going to the store for extra chopsticks," Edgeshot said before he smiled, "But the thought is sound."
"Of course… I always limited my power to the times I needed it, but I've never considered the idea of using it while doing simple things!" Izuku smiled, looking down as he reached over. "Okay, focus my power throughout…" He glowed with red lines across his skin, before green energy sparked out of him. "And then…" He reached for the chopsticks and grabbed the bowl filled with rice and egg.
"Thanks for the-" Izuku gripped the bowl and brought the chopsticks down into the rice… and the bowl cracked in his hands as the chopsticks snapped in the middle. "Meal…"
Rice and egg landed on the table as he bit his lip, looking down at the mess he'd made. He saw another bowl and a spatula placed before him, courtesy of Edgeshot's finger tendrils.
He looked up, ready to apologize when he stopped, seeing Edgeshot smiling at him.
"How much power are you using right now, Izuku?"
"Ahh, I, five percent?"
The Shinobi nodded. "Good." He reached behind him, sliding open a closet panel to reveal rows upon rows of bowls and chopsticks.
Plucking out a set of each he held them out to Izuku.
"Let's go for seven." His smile got a little wider, planting the bowl and chopsticks on the table and sliding them closer. "You can leave when you finish your serving."
Izuku picked up the bowl, understanding the lesson now as he grasped the broken bowl, doing his best to keep the majority of the rice within before he deposited it in the new one. "This is what you're gonna use to help me train my control..."
"Yup." The hero chirped, unrepentant. "If you don't break a chopstick, you won't break your bones. And every day I want you to do this while pushing past the maximum you feel safe using your Quirk, and like any part of your body, strengthen with use. So, we'll be using it. The only time you're allowed to shut off your quirk is when you sleep."
Carefully now, Izuku reached down into the bowl, not breaking it this time but snapping the chopsticks like dry twigs when he tightened his grip.
He cringed.
Then a new set was in his hand as the old one was plucked away.
He looked up to see Edgeshot sliding a tall jar full of the eating utensils to the middle of the table with an oh-so pleased smile on his face.
"Careful now. I got them in bulk, and at a discount. So they probably break easy."
...
He was kidding... right?
(X)
Peter sat in front of the biggest personal tv that he'd ever seen in his life. The massive screen stretched out till it started resembling a home theater screen.
Though, considering who he was with, he really shouldn't be surprised that no expense was spared. She had an entire stadium as part of her agency after all.
The viewing room as his 'mentor' called it, was basically a personal theater but with only a single couch and a coffee table in front of it. Coasters for drinks lined the armrests, and Peter was pretty sure the dial on the side was both a remote for the theater screen and the massage functions in the couch.
All of this stuff, in a place that probably hadn't been used seriously for more than a month.
Wow, being in the Top Ten really did pay.
It made him wonder how much All Might walked around with on a daily basis, only for his thoughts to leave him as a shiver ran down his back. His hand snapped out, catching something inches before it passed over his shoulder.
A carrot?
"Huh, what do you know, you do have eyes in the back of your head."
Mirko hopped in, vaulting over the couch and sinking into the cushion. Peter squeezed up against his side on instinct, though it didn't look like she cared or saw him move with how she started attacking her own carrot.
"Thought I was seeing things when I was watching the tournament, but what do you know, I owe Edgeshot twenty grand."
And just like that Peter was sure that this woman didn't even have a concept of modesty in regards to money. And he remembered that twenty thousand yen was something modest, being close to two hundred and fifty American dollars.
"S-sorry to make you lose money."
"Eh, it wasn't doing anything useful anyway," Mirko shrugged, chopping on her carrot and tapping the dial on her side of the couch.
Instantly, the theater screen flashed to a view of a news report that looked more like a sports announcement for the Olympics. Course, that's only what it looked like, there was no sound.
"Everyone's saying the same thing," Mirko drawled, rolling her eyes as the video feed covered the students participating in the Sports Festival, with talking heads yammering on. "These kids are going to be amazing, they're the next generation of the Top Ten, one of them will definitely surpass All Might!"
"You don't sound like you believe any of that." The bronze-skinned heroine turned over at him with a dismissive glance.
"Cause I don't," Mirko said as the news reports began to cover the U.S.J. incident.
Ouch.
"You kids got attacked once, handled yourselves pretty well from what I've heard, but you haven't gotten into the thick of it yet."
She glanced his way, the edge of her eyes shining with a sharpness that sent a shiver down Peter's back as she smirked. The carefree confidence that all but exploded out of this woman made him feel like his namesake.
"But, I'll admit there are exceptions," she conceded, "You've got a bit more experience than the average kid, that much is obvious, but you've got a ways to go. Case in point."
She gestured to the screen, where the war showed a picture of him swinging away from Bakugo.
"Does the phrase 'Go for the gold' mean something different in America?" She asked, "Cause I'm watching an American literally piss on his chances of victory. Did you take notes from Endeavor? He's turned being unable to get number one into an art form after all."
Peter winced. That wasn't what he was doing.
"I was sure that my team could deal with Bakugo."
"And how'd that work out for you?" Mirko asked with a lazy glance towards him.
She clicked a button, and the video turned to the sight of everyone stuck together in the final melee. Everyone scrambling, yelling orders, Midoriya and Sato engaged against Todoroki. He and Momo fighting Bakugo while Kuroiro and Uraraka were running through the building, desperate for the last flag before Shinso appeared to earn his team the last point that it needed to tie everything up.
"We won though," Peter pointed out.
"In a tiebreaker you almost lost. By the skin of your teeth, all your facial hair…" Mirko stopped, frowning, "Whatever water is in that guy's tear ducts."
Who is she… oh, right, Midoriya.
"So," she said, resting her hands behind her head and crossing her legs, "First question of this little internship. If this war started up again, and everything was the same, what would you change?"
"Uh…" Peter started, quickly racking his brain.
What would he do? Well, if he had all of his gear like he did before, he'd probably do a little more to slow down Bakugo, or maybe left earlier to try and stop Todoroki from getting…
He took a long breath, trying in vain not to let that particular memory cloud his thoughts. Mirko didn't even so much as twitch, happily closing her eyes and singing a song to herself while Peter thought.
"I guess, I'd go after Todoroki sooner."
"EAAAAAH!" Mirko screamed, sounding like the world's smallest most toned buzzer as Peter jumped. "Wrong!"
Peter didn't have a response to that.
Wrong? What the hell was she talking about? Yeah she was a hero, but his opinion mattered, right?
"How is me being honest wr-"
"Wrong again!" Mirko declared, holding up a finger and making Peter flinch back in the same breath.
"But I didn't-"
"Wrong."
Another finger flew up.
"I-"
"Wrong~!" She said with a wide grin. It… was reminding him of Bakugo in some respects. The fact that they had similar eyes was not lost on him.
Peter felt a burning headache swell up, but he responded as calmly as he could.
"Is there anything that I can say that isn't wrong?" Peter said.
"It wasn't wrong per say, you just took too long to come up with it."
Peter blinked.
He...what?
He looked at her, confused.
She smirked, rolling her eyes.
"Way back in the day, I had a teacher, know what he said?" The question was rhetorical as she put her hands behind her head. "He would say, a smart guy making a late decision with hesitation will always lose to an idiot making a hasty decision with confidence."
He blinked... he... kinda got that?
"You had all the options available to ya in the war kid, every single one and instead of going for a clear objective and seeing it through you tried to do everything and did a whole lotta nothing. All you did was chase your teammates."
"So me helping my teammates is bad?" Peter asked, eyebrows raised and tone sharp. Mirko sighed.
"You don't get it do you?" She tapped on the remote. ""Let's tally." She pressed a button and the playback immediately rewound to a shot of him chasing Bakugo. "So, step one. Did ya stop the guy you were chasing?"
"He was stopped."
"Not by you." She sing-songed. "So no contribution there."
She slid her finger and a shot of him confronting Todoroki in the warehouse to help his trapped teammates appeared.
"You went to rescue your teammates. Were they rescued?"
He blinked. Of course they were. "I stopped Todoroki from eliminating them?"
"Were they able to contribute for the remainder of the war?"
His mouth opened and slowly closed as he saw her smirk widen. The clip of Asui carrying Shinso up the Red Tower with her tongue while Pony floated beside her confirmed her question.
"So no rescue."
A slide and another image of him circling around the perimeter fifty yards away from Shiozaki's vine barrier was featured. Sero's taped up section can be seen in the corner as Peter saw himelf taking off from there.
"So what did you do here?" She asked. "You left your teammates, you're not fighting anyone, not scouting, not threatening enough for them to divert resources and forces to you that can swing the fight."
"I took down Sero after this."
"Because that idiot chased you, not because you took the initiative." A clip of him fighting Kirishima, Tetsutetsu and Mina appeared as he subdued them. "Same with the three stooges, none of which were worth any points of their own."
She slid her finger. "And theeeen-"
Another still image of the scrambling, desperate last fight. Bakugo charging from high, Todoroki from low, with Uraraka and Kuroiro close behind them several buildings away.
"Your base is under attack and you're nowhere to be seen, and in no position to help."
"I arrived!" He protested, gritting his teeth.
"After the party was halfway done." She countered with her giving him an eyeful. "So what exactly did you contribute through this whole fight?"
It stung what little pride he had... but she had a point. He looked down, scowling at the floor as he bit into his carrot.
"A whole lot of nothing." He repeated her words.
"You're damn right." Her teeth crunched into a carrot. "So what you need to learn, more than anything else, is to make a decision, take your balls outta your purse and act on the decision. With confidence and speed. Think about it, if the second you got out of that King Ring, caught Bakugo and then rushed with the full team behind you to get at Iida and the rest of the Blue Team with Todoroki beyond the halfway point, what the hell woulda stopped you? Shiozaki? Maybe. But she woulda had a hard time stopping you, that Midoriya kid, and the frog girl, along with that other kid that could go underground. And outside of her almost nobody else could work as a water break to stop you, only Iida could have caught any of you but he's limited to the ground, all three of you had vertical mobility and it would have forced all the team's resources to double back to protect their base, rather than go after you guys whenever they wanted and at their own levels of preparedness and initiative. You didn't save the match, you almost brought down everyone because of your indecisiveness."
She was blunt, but she had a point.
Had he followed Mirko's scenario, he could have ended the war in… two? Three minutes tops?
His shoulders slumped as he ran a hand over his face. "See what I mean?" She asked, Mirko smirking lightly.
"Yeah. I… I just wanted to help my friends and teammates."
"And you would have helped 'em by winning it a lot sooner. Then you wouldn't have had to carry so many leeches on your back." Peter turned his head, glaring as Mirko looked at the TV in disinterest.
"My friends weren't leeches." He growled.
"I didn't say all of them, I said many." Mirko turned her head back, eyes hard as she dared Peter to talk back. "But we're not here to talk about them. You're the man of the hour." She leaned back, crossing her arms as she relaxed on her side of the couch, "You're a smart kid, so answer this, do you think All Might solves every problem in front of him?"
Peter nodded without hesitation. Mirko's response was immediate.
"Do you think he moves on to the next one without finishing what's in front of him?"
Peter rubbed his temple, and slowly shook his head.
"You got a lot of things going for you kid, got to be blind and stupid not to see it," Mirko stated, "But while the media, common sheep, and your friends are piling on the praise, the rest of us with experience see a kid that needs to figure out what to do when he's fighting."
Another shiver, and Peter's hand snapped up, catching the remains of Mirko's carrot. He looked down at it before seeing Mirko stretch her arms as the bronze-skinned woman relaxed in her seat.
"You react, instead of act. People need heroes that have the stones to act on what they think is right the second they think it. They just need to be saved, they don't need to overthink it, get me? Be proactive, not reactive." Mirko reached down by her side, and pulled out another carrot.
Peter nodded again, resisting the urge to shake his head at the answer for how simple it seemed.
"Y-Yeah, I get you."
"Now, moving on. You were focused during the race, not bullshitting at all on your way to victory. Good. During the War, well, we covered that." She looked back at him. "During the Tournament you were all over the place. You were a goof against the inventor girl. You pitied Sato-"
"I wanted him to make a good impression ok?!" Peter snapped, fed up.
"You could have ended it with just a throw for a ring out or one blow. Imagine how Sato would feel, knowing that a friend of his, his Deputy Class Rep, was lookin' down on him by toying with him." Mirko scoffed. "I wouldn't call that a friend. I'd call that an arrogant elitist."
"So me not giving him any leeway to get a good chance at an internship to help in his hero career is bad then?" Peter snarled.
"I'm sayin' that as a friend you should give it your all. Leave it all on the field." The white-haired woman responded. "Anyone will respect you for doin' that. Givin' it a hundred percent. Going Plus Ultra. You didn't give him help, you gave pity, the fact he doesn't see it means he was ignorant and stupid. On that basis alone…" She turned, glaring at Peter. "he's fuckin' pathetic."
Peter gulped at her stare, taking a deep breath before he stared back, steeling himself. "I don't regret it. He got offers. He'll do well."
"He would have had offers anyway. Now, we get to more positive shit." Mirko mused as she got up from her spot on the couch. "Get dressed, we're going on a patrol." Peter turned back towards her, eyebrow quirked.
Then he blinked.
"We're going out now? Heroing?" Mirko turned around, looking up at him.
"Course we are. You're strong and have some experience, so you don't need trainin' wheels. You brought your hero gear and costume right?" She asked as she departed from the home theater, Peter following right behind her, a smile slowly growing on his features.
"Yeah, I did." He responded as they got to the main hallway and walked down it. Mirko looked back and smirked.
"Good, see ya in ten." She got to her door and went inside. Peter bit his lip, grinning as he bounced on the balls of his feet before trotting into his room. He got to his suitcase, opening it and pulling out his mask, seeing it in his hands.
Within minutes he was dressed up in his suit, placing his new mask on. The visor was clean and had a light blue tint as opposed to the clear view from before.
"I assume we are going on a patrol?"
"Yeah Karen." Peter asked as he sighed. "We are." He looked down, and his HUD came to life, showing his vital signs, a circular GPS map, and fluid amounts in his cartridges built into the suit. He saw the virtual icons come to life over his fingers and the web shooters.
"Your Web Shooter combinations are available by audible command, or would you like to make a gesture?" Karen inquired. Peter bit his lip inside his mask.
"Let's stick with audible for now. English commands."
"Understood. We can go over the selections of webbing whenever you like." Peter smiled, nodding as he let out a content sigh.
"Got it." He perked up, hearing knocking on the door. He opened it and saw Mirko in her leotard, who was wearing a belt as well. She looked a bit taller, and he looked down, seeing her special rabbit boots. She had unique feet when he saw her in the gym.
"You ready? Heard ya mumbling in English in there." Mirko mused, hands on her hips as Peter gathered himself and then he saw her ears twitch a little.
"Ah." He nodded, shrugging. "Just, um, talking to myself." He patted his cheeks. "You know, psyching myself up." He jogged in place, arms pumping. "I mean, gonna be patrolin' with the Number Seven Hero after all!"
"Don't get too riled up, just try to keep up," She grinned. "Oui! Nakiri! We'll be back by sundown! Just goin' around the block!" She yelled as she walked down the hall towards the front lobby, Peter following close behind. Wait, sundown?
"Understood Mirko-san! Have a good patrol!" The tanuki lady waved with a grin as Mirko gave a confident grin, opening the door as Peter waved back.
"Umm, be back soon!" He said as he walked outside. "So, we gonna patrol Endo Ward?"
"Endo? Here," Mirko scoffed as she waved her arm towards the skyline. "We're gonna circle all over Tokyo in a spiral. Outer Wards, then make our way to Shinjuku." She grinned as she tapped the pavement under her with her feet. Peter's eyes widened under his mask. "So, what's your hero name? You got the fancy costume and all. Is it Spider Might or somethin'?"
"Nope. It's uhh," Peter stood up straight, feeling his heart begin to swell. "Spider-Man." He smiled, while Mirko blinked.
"Huh. Plain. Eh, no matter." She grinned dangerously as she tapped the floor again. "Just try to keep up Spider-Man! What's that sayin in America? You're not in New York any more!" She spoke in accented English before taking off, dust and wind bursting out as she made a mighty leap, jumping over the nearby building.
"It's 'you're not in Kansas anymore!' Peter yelled in English. The boy beamed, and he leapt up, jumping as high as he could as he followed the same motion, running on the rooftops. Up ahead, he could see Mirko jumping up and down. He aimed his web shooters at a nearby water tower and pulled, rocketing off as he twirled in mid-air, soaring.
A roar of jubilation escaped his mouth as he flipped and fired another line of web, pulling himself towards a skyscraper as he twisted, arms out wide and legs curved. Mirko was ahead still, but he could see the giant array of high rises and buildings before him, all the Wards of Tokyo combined dwarfing anything New York City could muster. All those skyscrapers and real estate...
Spider-Man smiled.