The Next Morning…
"…Uuuuuggggghhhh…"
A low, pained moan was the first thing to greet Kyouka's ears as she stepped out of the elevator around seven in the morning. Striding into the entertainment room, her eyes beheld quite a sight: Mina lay sprawled on a couch, clutching her stomach and groaning. Eiri sat on the ground near the couch, her head leaning back onto Mina's thigh; she was also asleep. Ochako had tunneled into a beanbag and passed out, while a pair of filled gym clothes lay flat on the floor as Toru also slept. Iida was the only one still active, massaging his legs as he sat on a couch but even his usually ramrod-straight posture had a slump to it.
"Soooo…" Kyouka drawled, curling one of her jacks around her finger, "Did you have fun?"
"Shut up," the horned girl grunted, flopping an arm in her direction. "Too tired to…something snarky…ugh…"
"It was very educational," Iida answered, adjusting his glasses in a tired manner, "And also very…exhausting. I find myself admiring their dedication and envious of their energy…" He suddenly leapt to his feet, arm chopping the air fast enough that it cracked. "And also INSPIRED! I shall increase my own training! Excuse me, I must go find some weights…and bathe."
Toru shot up with a snort before recoiling and dropping back down with a groan. "Uuuhhh…my arms…legs…face…everything's sore…" She shifted onto her side. "What time is it?"
"7:12," Kyouka reported, looking at her phone.
"Ah hell," Mina sighed, sitting up and lightly slapping the snoozing Eiri on the forehead, "C'mon girls, let's hit up the bath downstairs and stretch, hopefully we don't have anything too stressful to do today." She shot a rather sour look over her shoulder at the kitchen. "Wish I could bounce back like them…"
The purple-haired girl followed her gaze and found Izuku standing at the stove while Himiko cut things, the two chatting with bright smiles. In stark contrast to the others, they looked completely fresh and awake. "Maybe ask them how they do it," she shrugged, walking over to the kitchen, drawn by savory smells of something cooking. "What's up?"
"Hey, Kyouka-chan!" Himiko greeted her with a grin, looking up from her cutting even as the knife flashed rapidly near her fingers. "We're making omelettes, you want one?"
"Sure," she shrugged, sitting on a stool. "You know, if we have another surprise test like yesterday, they're kinda screwed, right?" Reaching over, she poured herself a cup of coffee as the other two teens shared a deep, meaningful look, conversing solely with their eyes and minimal expressions. It made her feel kinda like a third wheel.
"It was mostly the running that tired them out," Izuku declared, nodding slightly and meeting her eyes. "I'm sure a good soak or a shower with some food will get them feeling right as rain. Or, at least, not quite as sore. Don't want to imagine how worse it'd be if they were wearing weights, though."
"Yeah, that sucked," the blood-drinker grumbled, rolling a phantom pain out of her shoulders. "Like running through water until you get used to it…but the backrubs made up for it." She nudged him in the side, flashing him a wink. "Something to think about~!"
Something occurred to Kyouka. "If they were so tired they could barely move, how'd they get back here? Did you carry them?"
Izuku blushed and rubbed his neck. "Well, that was the idea, except-"
"Shh," Himiko shushed him, her eyes sparkling, "Let's just say they got taken for a ride and leave it at that."
The punk rock girl shrugged and dug into the omelette passed her way. "So, another question," she waved her fork at the two wearing aprons, "Why are you guys cooking? Not that mind, this is pretty good, but it's kinda weird."
The two traded deep looks again. "I guess the pragmatic answer is that we wake up early, so why not?" Izuku replied, sprinkling cheese inside another omelette. "My mom usually cooked at our home, and it was always nice to see her expressions when she ate our food, so…" He shrugged. "Plus, what better way to start a school day than a hot meal instead of cereal, right?"
"Everybody likes gettin' hot meat in their mouth first thing in the morning," Himiko agreed with a grin. "I know I do!"
Kyouka, who had just bitten into a mouthful of sausage, paused. Her eyes darted between the two, before her jacks shrugged and she continued eating. Nope, not going there.
With that innuendo, silence fell for a short while before the rest of the students began to wake up, filling the ground floor with chatter and the clinking of cutlery. Similar to the day before, once everyone had been fed, the cooks headed upstairs to get ready for the day.
Stepping out of his room with his hair still damp, Izuku fiddled with his jacket buttons before pulling the article off entirely. "Problems?" Himiko asked, her own jacket conspicuously absent.
"This thing makes me uncomfortable," he grumbled. "Too tight around the shoulders."
"You look better without it," she nodded, observing him in the blazer and trousers. "Here, lemme have it."
Izuku arched an eyebrow but did so, watching her toss it around her shoulders before securing it around the neck with a single button. With the size of it contrasted to her own, it somewhat resembled a cape. Then she popped the collar of the jacket and gave him a grin. "You look like a delinquent," he noted, "Who's trying very hard to look sort of like a vampire."
Himiko cocked her hips, hands on said curves. "You sayin' my look sucks?" Her lips parted in a grin, her enlarged canines displayed prominently.
"You can make anything look good and you know it," he rebutted, swiftly glancing around before cupping her cheeks and leaning in, pressing his lips to hers, calloused thumb gently scratching the heated flesh of her cheeks. "It's fitting, is my point."
"Mm," she hummed, nuzzling against his palm. "C'mon, 'Zuku, let's get going. Much as I wanna stay like this, we got class."
"I know," he replied, settling an arm around her shoulders and taking them to the elevator. He'd hit the button and the doors had almost closed when a pink hand was thrust through the middle.
Mina strode in, followed by Eiri and Toru, all of them looking damp with the exception of the last one for obvious reasons. The collar of her uniform looked damp at least. The horned girl gave them an annoyed look. "…Should make you carry me," she grumbled, crossing her arms.
"Aw, you wanna ride the Zuku Train again already?" Himiko teased, grinning as the other girls blushed and looked away. "My my, so forward."
"Can we not mention that, please?" Eiri pleaded, running her fingers through her hair, "I mean, it was manly and all but…embarrassing."
"It was your first time, there's no need to be embarrassed," Izuku said gently, "It takes some time to get used to the exertion, and it's my fault for pushing you into it."
"Yeah, I was so sore after my first time," the blood-drinker added, rubbing her stomach, "But it's worth it. Yeah, you're all tense the first night, but then you relax and start to feel good."
"It's not that it hurts," Mina interjected with a frown, "You think I got a body like this by being a dead fish? No, it's just…Iidaten was the only one who could really keep up with your pace. The two of you…made us look like chumps."
Izuku and Himiko traded looks. He sighed. "…Sorry, girls. I guess we kinda forgot what starting out was like," he leveled an apologetic look at them. "Listen, if you still want to train with us…we can teach you a way to…stay energized. It's hard to learn, but very handy to know."
And it was dangerous; but both Himiko and himself had gone through it. With the two of them working together, they were certain they could mitigate the risks.
"I wanna know!" Eiri perked up with a sharp-toothed grin. "Challenges are manly!"
"Me too!" Toru chipped in, bouncing excitedly.
Mina bit her lip, idly rubbing her arm. "Sure, I'm in," she finally said as the elevator doors opened.
"In for what?" Ochako asked from the couch, fully dressed in her uniform and while looking tired, seemed to be handling it with aplomb.
"Let's head to class, we'll talk on the way," Himiko replied, and the group set off from the dorm.
Passing by the 1-B dorm, they saw a storm of activity behind the windows. An orange-haired girl was shouting something while Setsuna was using a disembodied hand to hold a box of cereal out of the reach of someone who appeared to have a two-dimensional head.
"Alright, I'm up for learning this…whatever this thing is," the gravity girl agreed as they entered the 1-A classroom. A seating chart had been helpfully pinned to the board, though something about it seemed off. "There's an empty space by Deki-kun, but Himi-chan is seated behind Tokoyami-san. So, what's the extra seat for?"
Her question received shrugs in return. "So, for the first step, we need to find a place that's somewhat private, but open to the sky and near water," Izuku explained, looking up as the door opened and Iida stepped inside. "Ah, Iida-kun, right on time…"
After going over their idea once more, they settled into their desks and resolved to speak of it later as other students began to trickle in. Then the room was filled with chatter as the students waited for the bell to ring.
The door opened and when Aizawa came through, he wasn't inching along inside his sleeping bag, but it was slung over his shoulder. The instant his eyes swept the room, the class fell silent, dreading the thought of another test. "Five seconds, not bad," he noted, standing at the lectern with his hands in his pockets. "Before I begin, there is something that must be done."
More than one student gulped in fear.
Then came a knock at the door. "Come in," he said, and in stepped a girl in the Yuuei uniform.
She was tall and lithe, with lavender hair tied up into two tails that lay behind her shoulders and what appeared to be cat ears on the top of her head, but were in fact excess hair spun and pinned up to look like such. Her face was round and skin pale, with large purple eyes that bore a serious, no-nonsense edge. And on the left side of her head was a large, ornate and curved hairpin with a flower on it. She bowed sharply.
"Introduce yourself," Aizawa ordered, and the girl turned to the blackboard, quickly writing a name out in kanji.
"I am Keqing," she greeted them with a bit of an accent, "I am from China, and I am here to learn more about Japan and to become a Hero. Take care of me, please."
"As she said, she was a recommendation from China, however her file was received too late," Aizawa explained, looking very bored. "With a free space in the class, it was only rational to fill it with another recommended student. Tell them about your Quirk, please."
Keqing nodded, holding out her hand. A quiet buzz filled the air and in a subtle flash of purple she was holding a large needle. "I call it Electro Stiletto," she began, "I can create five needles from electricity and use them for throwing or melee. And also-" She flicked her wrist and the needle zipped through the air.
Izuku's hand snapped out, catching it mid-flight. His eyes examined the needle and he realized that his first thought of it being merely large was mistaken. It was seven inches long and about as thick as a pencil, with subtle characters carved into it. Just holding it made his fingers tingle with static electricity.
There was whoosh and a rush of air; in a flash of purple that left the taste of ozone in the air, Keqing was there, deftly plucking the needle from his fingers. "-I Bolt towards my needles at high speed," she finished, her eyes flicking down to meet his.
Closer as she was to him, he could see that the color of her eyes was more pink mixed with purple, like amethyst, and the pupils were not only diamond-shaped but a solid pink. And despite her serious visage, he noted that she was quite cute, too. But that was almost expected.
"Your seat is behind Midoriya," Aizawa pointed out before turning his eyes to the lectern. "Roll call. Aoyama."
She sat down with a nod towards Momo, then folded her hands and gave the front of the room a laser focus. And though he wasn't entirely sure, Izuku thought he felt someone staring at the back of his head every so often.
…
After roll, classes commenced. And besides being taught by Pro Heroes, the classes were simply the same as in any other school. English, taught by Present Mic, whose high-energy made learning how to speak a language as odd, difficult and downright strange as English rather fun. Art History was taught by Midnight, with about every sentence filled with innuendo, although informative.
She also took a disproportionate amount of joy in meeting Izuku's eyes then winking or licking her lips. He did his best to not react, and failed rather badly, but at least he wasn't only one blushing.
Modern Literature was taught by Cementoss, or Ishiyama Ken, a man who resembled a humanoid block of cement but with a surprisingly mellow and pleasant voice.
And finally, the last class was mathematics, taught by the rather intimidating Pro Hero Ectoplasm.
Afterwards, it was time to break for lunch. "Isn't it kinda weird that we got these Pro Heroes teaching us normal stuff?" Himiko asked as they headed for the cafeteria, "I mean, it's cool and all, but couldn't they be doing some, y'know, Hero stuff?"
"Toga-kun, it is said that teaching is a Heroic act on its own," Iida commented, adjusting his glasses primly, "So by your definition, they are indeed 'doing Hero stuff.'"
The blood-drinker gave him a flat look. "Lame," she said shortly, stretching her arms then turning her gaze to the newest girl in the class. Keqing was following them silently, face blank but eyes darting. "So, Keqing, right? You're from China. What's it like over there?"
Amethyst eyes glanced over and met honey yellow. "Chaotic," she said shortly, "Though there are places of peace. Japan is quite different from my home."
The conversation was dropped as they entered the cafeteria. Many tables had been filled and more were filling up, with students selecting from a large variety of meals that had been prepared by the Pro Hero Lunch Rush. His face was entirely hidden by his large chef hat and mask, with gloves to go with the rest of his chef attire, but his skill in the kitchen could not be doubted.
Seeing as it was technically the first day of classes, Izuku decided to treat himself to tonkatsu pork, his favorite, with Himiko following his example. They sat with the rest of their class and dug into their meals and while it was delicious, it just couldn't compare to Inko's.
Halfway through lunch, conversations had picked up as time went on. "Excuse me, Keqing," Izuku began, the lavender-haired girl looking up from her tempura, "I don't mean to interrupt, but I can't help but wonder what made you decide to come to Yuuei."
Keqing finished chewing her bite and dabbed her lips with a napkin, her poise nearly matching Momo's. "My home, Liyue, does not possess a Hero School, and the rest of the ones in China cannot be trusted," she said shortly, clasping her hands together. "Yuuei is highly-regarded, and most alumni are counted among the top Pro Heroes. I am here to learn and perhaps record my experiences so that when I return home, I will have information on how such a school is run."
"So you wish to open a Hero School in…Liyue, was it?" The geo-kinetic asked, sounding impressed. "That's an admirable goal."
"Simply one of many, Midoriya," she nodded, returning to her food. After a bite was chewed and swallowed, she spoke again. "It is polite to refer to others by their surname in Japanese, yes?"
Izuku shrugged. "Generally, yes, but I personally prefer my name."
She bobbed her head. "Noted." She cast her eyes down the table. "Please let me know what name you prefer to be referred to by."
As the other students called out, Izuku felt a nudge against his side. Himiko met his gaze, her honey eyes narrowing. You feel it too, right? She 'said' with her face, There's something different about this chick, and not her nationality.
She has the bearing of someone important, he noted, and I can't help but feel that there's more to her story.
Well duh, we haven't heard her entire story yet, Himiko relayed, let's keep a close eye on her…not that it'll be a problem, she's cute.
Izuku rolled his eyes and returned to his lunch, but out of the corner of his vision he could perceive the Chinese girl examining him and his lover subtly. We aren't the only ones keeping an eye out, he thought, polishing off his tonkatsu pork, but am I being paranoid, or is there something more? Time will tell.
…
1-A had returned to their classroom and had been seated for awhile, but no teacher had shown up just yet. "So is someone supposed to come get us or are we done?" Mina asked, leaning back on her desk.
"Such a gap between classes," Iida muttered, adjusting his glasses with a frown, "It dishonors this very institution!"
Izuku felt his phone buzz and quickly retrieved it, subtly checking the screen. PRETEND LIKE WE'VE NEVER MET, the message read. He squinted at his phone. What? Who sent this…Yagi-sensei?
"I AM…" The door was suddenly thrown open, a massive, comforting presence filling the room even before the famous bulk and even more-famous smile showed themselves, "COMING THROUGH THE DOOR LIKE A NORMAL PERSON!"
"ALL MIGHT!" Even the more restrained students couldn't help themselves, jumping to their feet and cheering as the Number One Hero entered the classroom, cape flowing majestically behind him.
"That outfit…it's All Might's Silver Age costume!" Ochako gasped, hands in front of her mouth, eyes sparkling. "So retro!"
"STUDENTS!" All Might lifted a hand and the room instantly quieted down, "I AM HERE…TO TEACH YOU HOW TO BE HEROES! WELCOME TO FOUNDATIONAL HERO STUDIES!"
"All Might's gonna be our teacher?!" Was the prevalent muttering, "I thought that was just a rumor!"
"Some rumors can be based on facts, you know!" chuckled the Number 1 Hero, "But that sort of thing is for a later lesson! Today, we will be starting with something a bit more basic." With a flourish, he whipped out a card with a word emblazoned in red on it, showing it to the class. "COMBAT TRAINING!"
A ripple of both trepidation and excitement ran through the class at his words. Of course, Bakugou grinned savagely, and even Izuku found himself leaning forward in anticipation as Himiko looked back at him with a sharp smile. Further back, Keqing's eyes gleamed with interest.
"Before we get to that, however…" Turning towards the wall, All Might held up a remote and pressed a button. A series of lockers slid out of it, bearing a series of numbered suitcases. "Before you fight like a Hero, you must first dress like a Hero! These are the costumes whose designs you submitted before the start of the year. Get changed into them and meet me at Ground Beta!"
The students rushed to the lockers, eagerly anticipating the class to come. Sitting back to avoid being crowded, Izuku met All Might's shadowed eyes and gave the Number One a smile and a thumbs up. All Might's broad grin softened just a tad and he gave his successor a nod.
1-A was quite a sight as they rushed to the locker rooms with suitcases in hand, the rooms themselves becoming hives of activity as the students rushed to pull their costumes on.
"Midoriya-kun!" Iida called, voice slightly muffled by his mask, knocking firmly on a bathroom stall. "Are you in need of assistance?"
"I'm fine, Iida-kun!" Izuku replied, "My costume just has a few more features than I thought!"
That sounded somewhat like an excuse. "Midoriya-kun, do not worry about how it may highlight certain features! We are mature teenagers and you can always wear your gym uniform if needs must! But hurry, it will be starting soon!"
"It's not that, Iida-kun! I'll be out in a moment!"
"Very well!"
A moment later, Izuku emerged from the stall, attaching his upgraded mask to his face and stretching slightly, making sure the suit he wore would bend and twist with his body. Nodding to himself, he headed for the door and emerged into the area where the rest of the students were waiting to jump on a bus and head for Ground Beta.
"Yo Midori, it's about…" Mina called as she heard his footsteps, spinning around from her conversation with Eiri. As her eyes fell on him, though, she lost her train of thought. "…time…"
He wore a suit colored primarily green on the chest with black panels on the side, separated by white piping, a dark green utility belt clasped around his waist that led to a similarly-colored bottom half that ended with his red tabi shoes. It had no sleeves, leaving his muscular arms bare except for his hands, covered in fingerless, metal-backed gloves and a hi-tech bracer on his left forearm. Finishing the look was his mask, a metal device that covered his nose and mouth, wrapping around his jaw and the base of his skull, small cups extending up to cover his ears. His head was tilted down, hair casting his glinting emerald eyes in shadow, and he carried himself with smooth, almost predatory grace.
His outfit was also almost entirely skin tight, clinging tightly to every hard plane of muscle, the black panels and white piping outlining his chiseled abdomen perfectly.
"Hey guys!" Izuku greeted them cheerfully, disengaging his mask to let it hang around his neck and smiling. "Sorry I'm late, I couldn't find the button to tighten my suit…" He licked his suddenly dry lips as he beheld the vista in front of him.
Standing before him in their costumes were Himiko, Mina and Eiri. His eyes found Himiko first.
A dark red leotard covered her chest, ending at her shoulders and the top of her thighs, the sides darkening to black. Around her waist was a black, sectioned belt, each section with what looked like a silver star in the center, but were actually the hooks of her grapples. A black hard case was strapped to her left thigh, and she wore dark red boots that incorporated light armor around her feet, shins and knees. On her left land she wore a thick glove with four tubes of liquid lining her knuckles, and an armored line that ran up her arm to the back of her mask. Her mask itself was the same color as her leotard, with the exception of shiny white fangs bared in a vicious smile, and covered her nose downward, with flat black lenses rising up to hide her eyes. Her blonde hair was pulled into a simple bun, a few loose bangs clipped away from her face with a heart-shaped clip.
Although he'd seen her costume before and her wearing most of it, it was entirely different when it was all together. It was dark, intimidating, the oni-like grin promising pain…and it was also very sexy.
And standing next to Himiko was Mina.
The horned girl was clad in a skin-tight bodysuit colored in a camouflage pattern of teal and purple that hugged her athletic figure tightly and ended just above her breasts, displaying a square of pink cleavage and her slender neck. A short, cropped tan waistcoat with white fur on the collar was on her shoulders, leaving her arms entirely bare, and she wore a pair of dark purple and tan boots. Completing the outfit was a plain white domino mask that only further enhanced her dark eyes.
And to her side was Eiri.
Her red hair had been spiked up, resembling a forest of horns, with a black metal face guard that went just above her hairline then curved around to cover her jaw, chin and her neck, then up across the bridge of her nose and under her eyes; with small points above and below her lips it almost resembled a fanged mouth. The most standout feature of her costume was a pair of red, gear-shaped shoulder pads; otherwise her torso was almost entirely bare, except for black bandages wrapped around her bust, leaving her muscled arms and stomach plain to see. Around her waist was a red belt with a large 'R' on the buckle, a half-cape with a ragged edge hanging over baggy black pants, ending in thick red boots with rings around the calves.
Izuku suddenly remembered something: The girls in his class were downright beautiful. And most of them were wearing tight outfits. Thank you Mei for my cup, he thought distantly. "Your costumes are…quite something, ladies," he demurred, rubbing the back of his neck and trying not to stare.
"Same," Mina mumbled, licking her lips. "I like it."
"It's manly," Eiri added, crossing her arms.
"You already know my opinion," Himiko commented, the lenses of her mask sliding down and the mask itself collapsing into a gorget, her honey eyes shining. "Come on, Zuku, we're ready to go."
Nodding, he joined them as the students streamed onto the bus, taking a seat next to Himiko, Eiri and Mina, across from Iida, Toru, Denki and Keqing. As the bus drove off, his eyes scanned the costumed students in front of him.
Iida looked rather like a robot, covered in pale silver armor on his chest and arms, with a trio of metal pipes wrapping around his torso and extending behind him like wings. His legs were clad in bulky silver boots up to his knees, where they widened out into what looked like golden engines where his leg Engines were, and sharp knee pads. A helmet rested on his knee, an intimidating looking piece with yellow lenses, holes around the mouth and two above the eyes, with a pair of horns curving back and a spike.
"I see you resolved the issue with your suit, Midoriya-kun," Iida said with a smile.
Izuku shrugged. "It's my first time wearing it," he offered, patting his chest. "There's a button on here that makes it activate and tighten up, but I couldn't find it on my collar like I thought it was." He tapped his utility belt and accidentally hit the switch, his costume going slack and nearly falling off his shoulders before he hit it again and it returned to its previous skin-tight state. "Whoops. Anyway, it's on my belt. By the way, Iida-kun, I like your costume. Very sharp and protective looking, I like it."
"Ah," the speedster chopped an arm, "It's not very protective, Midoriya-kun, it's more designed to facilitate my Quirk and reduce air resistance." He rapped his chest plate, getting a hollow sound.
"That's cool, but what about me?!" Toru asked, waving her hands. "What about my costume?"
"What costume?" Izuku blurted.
The invisible girl wore (if it could be called that) a costume consisting of pale blue gloves with pink trim, and light grey shoes.
And that was it.
If he couldn't see the depression of her rear on the seat cushion, Izuku might've thought someone accidentally left gloves and shoes on the bus.
"Izuku~!" Toru whined, crossing her arms, "I'm invisible if you haven't noticed! And I can't turn anything else invisible, so how else would I get the most out of my Quirk? All I gotta do is gloves off, shoes off and bah! Invisible…" Her fingers wiggled dramatically, followed by a girlish giggle.
He bobbed his head in agreement. "Getting the most out of your Quirk makes sense, I suppose, but…aren't you cold?"
Her hands came up in a shrug. "I'm used to it."
Denki grinned and tugged on his collar. "What about me, dude? Whatcha think of my duds?" He gestured to the clothes he was wearing, which were…very basic. A plain white shirt with a black jacket that had white lightning bolts on the back, sides and arms, then black pants with white stripes and plain black shoes. Capping it off was a square earpiece over his right ear with an antenna sticking up. "Nice, right?"
Izuku blinked, then flashed the electric boy a thumb's up and a smile. "It's easy to remember, Denki-san," he offered, getting a pleased grin in return.
"Thanks, dude!" Denki replied, "You pull off the green and black good, my man, though I gotta ask…why skintight?"
Himiko's hand shot up and pointed at him like the barrel of a gun. "Don't you say anything against the tightness," she hissed, eyes narrowed. At her side, Mina nodded, crossing her arms.
As the blonde boy put his hands up in surrender, Izuku answered. "My telekinetic field is only two inches, Denki-san," he said, measuring it out with a finger, "A more bulky costume would cut into my field. That's not to say it's just spandex, or anything." Mei hadn't actually named the material yet, but it was another version of the same thing Himiko's costume was made of. "There are thin carbon fiber plates sewn inside of it above my vital organs, so those areas are protected against knives."
"Just like mine," Himiko chipped in, patting her stomach, "And even if we do get stabbed, the material is designed to compress so it'll hold the wound shut as a by-product of being skin-tight."
Looking at Denki and talking about their costumes reminded Izuku of something that had been in his suitcase. "Oh, by the way, this was with my suit," he handed her a long glove decorated by what looked like sharp magatama. "I guess Mei forgot to get it to you and slipped it to me."
"Oh sweet, I was wondering where these babies were!" The blood-drinker smiled and slipped the glove on, flicking her wrist. Three of the 'magatama' unfolded into shurikens between her knuckles, the center lighting up a sharp blue. "Nice. Don't worry, I'll slip something of my own to you later."
"Hey, what're those?" Mina asked, leaning forward to look at the shurikens as did the others.
Himiko grinned and let them collapse and reattach to her glove. "Maybe you'll find out when Combat Training starts," she taunted, leaning against Izuku.
"Unfair," Toru pouted, crossing her arms.
"Pragmatic," Keqing countered, leaning her elbows on her knees and tenting her fingers in front of her face. "Knowing the enemy is half the battle."
"But we aren't enemies!" The invisible girl protested.
"But we might be," the Chinese girl replied, her head twisting around as the bus came to a stop. "Seems like we're here." That being said, she donned the helmet she'd been carrying in her lap and stood up.
With her at her full height, Izuku was able to get a good look at her costume. His first thought was that it resembled motorcycle leathers, but a closer look revealed the more combat-focused aspects of its design.
She wore a bodysuit, a bit thicker than Mina's but equally skin-tight, colored in varying shades of purple from plum to lavender and near grey, the lightest shade around her chest and descending at angles down her torso and legs, piped with gold. The suit itself also covered her arms and legs, leading to armored boots and gloves respectively, both with small holes in them around the knuckles and toes. Around her waist was a utility belt, the buckle bearing a glowing purple gem in the center with a lightning bolt on it, and a short skirt that brushed the top of her thighs. Her helmet looked much like a motorcycle helmet with smooth curves, but seemed to be one solid piece and high-tech, with triangular protrusions from the top that resembled the cat-ear like buns she wore her hair in, and her hair itself tied into a single tail that poked out of the back and trailed down her spine.
Finishing the look was a purple silk bow around her neck, and the symbol of a lotus flower on her chest. Izuku tried not to look but couldn't help himself; despite appearing a bit more slender than Mina, Keqing had a bust that could rival Momo, and all of that while wearing a tight suit.
Speaking of Momo, Izuku got his first look at the elegant girl as he stepped off of the bus and followed her through the massive gates into the fake suburb that was Training Ground Beta.
Her main piece of clothing was a sleeveless, high-collared red leotard with white lines around her shoulders and following the dip of her pelvis and leading to a pair of thick gold-colored utility belts, on the back of which was a clasp securing a thick book. Said belts also gave her a bit of modesty, as her leotard was heavily cut down; not only did it not have sleeves, it also didn't have legs and the shadows of said belt covered her crotch. The other big thing, or two big things, rather, was that her neckline stretched from her throat to her bellybutton, only interrupted by a thinner utility belt that looped around the top of her chest and under her shoulders. The other piece was a pair of heeled red boots that almost reached her knees.
Not that Izuku was complaining; there were very few things in the world more entrancing to look at than a beautiful woman with a powerful Quirk. Puberty and a love of Heroes and Quirks had hammered that into his head as soon as he could quantify it.
But it prompted the same question as Toru's 'costume' had: wouldn't she get cold?
It took a nudge in his side for Izuku to look away from the slender curves of Momo's back and shoulders, meeting a grinning Himiko's eyes and taking in her furiously waggling eyebrows with a blush and a subtle cough. Embarrassed, he cast his gaze away and found Ochako walking at his other side, her usual blush a bit more prominent. "H-hey, Deki-kun," she greeted him shyly, "I like your costume…it's very…i-it's really cool! I guess you wanted something that wouldn't get in the way of your armor, huh?" She rubbed the back of her head. "I didn't really specify mine, so they made it pretty tight too…"
Indeed, the bubbly brunette wore a black and pale pink costume that clung tightly to her body, apart from a series of round, bubble-like braces around her wrists, along with a pair of puffy, rounded knee-high high heeled boots. A creamy helmet covered her head, with a sweeping pink translucent visor over her face.
"At least they got the parts that I asked for," she mumbled, "But, um…what do you think?"
To be entirely honest, Izuku thought her costume made her look like a very cute but definitely not an EVA-Rated astronaut. "Planning on going into space?" He joked, licking his lips as she glanced away, hoping he wouldn't flub his next sentence. "Because I think you l-look out of this world." Oh gods please tell me I don't say that too loudly.
There was a quiet snicker from his side as Mina and Himiko giggled at him, but the beaming smile and shining eyes from Ochako made the embarrassment worth it. "Thanks, Deki-kun," she murmured, stepping just a bit closer to him, "I kinda modeled it a little after my favorite heroine, 13, and these puffy bits are to squeeze pressure points that reduce nausea from my Quirk…"
All Might stood before them just beyond the gates, hands on hips, grin in place, cape billowing dramatically even though there was no breeze. "WELCOME TO GROUND BETA!" He announced spreading his arms out. "This instance of Combat Training will take place indoors as-" He paused for a second, digging into a pocket to retrieve a set of cards, "-statistically speaking, many of the worst Villainous Plots and Dastardly Plans take place indoors, so this training will prepare you for those situations during your own careers. The scenario is as follows: lots will be drawn to form teams of two, to mimic two Heroes teaming up on the spot, then two teams will be pitted against each other as Heroes and Villains-"
"All Might-sensei!" Iida called, thrusting a hand into the air, looking slightly nervous at interrupting the Number One. "M-my apologies for the interruption, but there are twenty-one students in this class!"
All Might did a quick headcount, the shadows of his majestic brow hiding the fact that his eyes were darting about in panic. "Ah, but that is another facet of this lesson!" He boomed, thrusting a finger into the air. "NOTHING IS CERTAIN! A team of two Heroes may face a team of three Villains or the other way around, or a singular Hero may face a team of two! The circumstances may not be in your favor, but you still must act! And, simply put…LIFE IS UNFAIR SOMETIMES." They're totally buying it, Toshinori thought with barely-hidden relief. Why can't I be chasing Villains down right now? Besides all the reasons that make me sad.
"I see, All Might-sensei! Thank you for explaining!" The speedster bowed sharply.
"Ahem. The Villains will be given this-" he pointed to a large black and red-striped warhead that they hadn't noticed until just then, "-and must choose from one of three buildings to hide it in! They will be given five minutes to prepare, before a team of Heroes will begin searching for them! The Villains win by either defeating the Heroes and capturing them, or by holding them off for fifteen minutes! The Heroes win by capturing the Villains, or by recovering the device! Even a single hand on the device will count as being recovered! BEWARE, ZYGOTES!"
What's a zygote and why is he calling us that? Was a prevalent thought.
"Villains and Heroes will be considered 'captured' if they are restrained in this capture tape," All Might held up a length of light yellow tape, "Unable to move, or unconscious. While I expect you to give Combat Training your all, I will be very disappointed if any of you need to be sent to Recovery Girl." His grin faded into a disapproving frown, and it felt like a cloud had covered the sun and a chill breeze swept through the students.
Izuku felt eyes on him, and turned to meet Katsuki's burning stare. He narrowed his eyes and she squinted, the same thought in their minds. If it's you I fight, I'm kicking your ass, All Might's disappointment be damned.
"While the Heroes and Villains are fighting, the rest of us will be in a nearby monitoring room, watching the battle taking place. Now, follow me!" It was easy to follow All Might's broad back and fluttering cape to said monitoring room, where a gigantic screen dominated the far wall. "And now, for the drawing! All pairs are final, no switching!"
The students watched as the screen blurred, unintelligible names pairing together before settling to reveal the teams. Izuku scanned the list and found his name at the very top.
(Team A: Midoriya Izuku & Bakugou Katsuki)
Once more, he felt eyes on him, but not just Bakugou. Everyone who'd seen the pairing was glancing between the two of them, trepidation visible on their faces. Izuku had been Number One in their Quirk test and Katsuki Fifth, and only then because she'd destroyed her grip test. Not to mention the obvious tension between them.
"The teams are as follows!" All Might bellowed.
Team A: Midoriya Izuku & Bakugou Katsuki
Team B: Jiro Kyouka & Hagakure Toru
Team C: Kirishima Eiri & Sato Rikido
Team D: Sero Hanta & Yaoyorozu Momo
Team E: Shouji Mezou & Tokoyami Fumikage
Team F: Toga Himiko & Uraraka Ochako
Team G: Ashido Mina & Iida Tenya
Team H: Ojiro Mashirao & Asui Tsuyu
Team I: Aoyama Yuuga & Todoroki Shimo
Team J: Koda Koji & Kaminari Denki
Team K: Keqing
Keqing, unfortunately, was on her own. She didn't seem to be bothered by it, though.
"And now, the first Villain team! Team B!" Toru and Kyouka traded looks and gave determined nods. "The Hero team! Team A!"
"Ooh," Denki murmured with a wince, "At least it'll be quick…"
The punk rock girl, though pale, shot him a withering look, taking Toru by the hand and stomping off into the training ground with her face a picture of determination.
"Villains, you have five minutes to prepare! Good luck, Zygotes!" All Might called, flashing them a thumbs up. "Heroes, time to strategize. Your radios are all linked to the monitoring station, so be aware of that."
Katsuki and Izuku nodded before the two of them trotted off, the class watching their backs as they turned a corner. Then all attention was focused on the screen, where half had been split to focus on the Villains as the two girls carried the bomb up a staircase, speedily trading ideas. The other half showed the Hero team tucked away in a small park, staring each other down. All Might reached over and turned the volume up as the volatile blonde opened her mouth.
"-fuckin' Deku, why'd we have to be on the same team?" She growled, gloved fingers working angrily, "I was looking forward to kicking the shit out of you…I'm tempted to say 'fuck it' and throw down right now."
"Don't threaten me with a good time, Bakugou," Izuku practically snarled, eyes nearly alight as his knuckles cracked beneath clenched fists, "Soon as I heard 'combat training' I was hoping I'd get to grind your face in the dirt."
The situation had evolved from a stare-down to a stand-off, small explosions popping in her hands while the ground beneath his feet quaked into sand. Ruby red bored into emerald green, her furious glare matched by his burning stare.
"…Later." She barked.
"Later," he nodded, and they dropped to a knee, the tension gone. "Neither Kyouka nor Toru strike me as the overdramatic type, so they'll have chosen an out of the way building with the darkest shadows. They'll be aware of our power."
Katsuki didn't blink. "Time?"
Izuku looked up at the sun. "12:30."
"Building A, back side," she deduced, and he concurred with a nod. "Third floor?"
"Fourth," he replied with a half-shrug, "Irony. Punk rock."
"Mm." Katsuki narrowed her eyes. "Plan: Delta-EF…3."
"3?" Izuku asked in mild surprise, his eyes scanning her body.
She wore a black tank top and baggy black pants, with orange-trimmed combat boots and sharp knee pads, and a green belt from which hung grenades or grenade-shaped devices. An orange X crossed over her chest, subtly directing attention to her chest while not showing anything, with a thick metal collar or a brace with holes in it. An orange domino mask covered her eyes and darkened as it extended back behind her head into the shape of an explosion. With her red eyes, it made it seem like her face was exploding but in an intimidating way. Covering the entirety of her forearms were square, bulky metallic bracers, colored olive green with four barrels around her thickly-gloved hands.
"The fuck you lookin' at, Deku?" The volatile blonde asked with a smirk.
"Flash," he replied, arching an eyebrow. "You kept that page."
"Made it better," she shrugged, before grinning and rubbing her fingers together. "No flash needed. I figured it out."
"You did?" Izuku asked, unable to not look impressed. He fixed her with a deep look. "I can hardly wait to beat your face in."
"Imma blast that fuckin' armor offa you and make you cry," Katsuki promised with an equally ominous glare. "So, Delta-EF 3?"
"Cannonball modifier," he added.
"High angle," the blonde said, tapping an ear, "Weird Ear heard Grape Head giggling on the other side of the locker room through a wall."
He squinted at her. "…Just giggling?"
She crossed her arms. "Nope."
Izuku clicked his tongue. "It was supposed to be between me and him," he muttered, scratching his chin. "Toru will ambush, likely with traps."
"The five minutes are up!" All Might boomed over the PA.
She nodded and tapped her ear. "Synced?"
"Synced. Beats?"
"Beats."
He tapped the tacpad on his wrist and a familiar song began to build over their radio connection as he dropped to the ground, pulling the concrete around him into his true Full Armor form. Katsuki wordlessly jumped on his back and he slapped a hand to the side of the building, pulling himself and his passenger smoothly upwards.
"Anchoring," she noted as Izuku jumped onto the roof and took off towards Building A as the beat picked up. "You figured it out."
"Years ago," he replied, the back of Building A dominating his vision. "Ready?"
"Execute!"
…
"-They could just stomp in and knock us aside," Kyouka muttered, jacks dug into the wall as she planted a rough net trap above the door to the room they'd chosen as Toru built a snare made of capture tape next to the bomb they were protecting, covering it with the deep shadows of the room and the those cast by the bomb itself. "One's got armor and the other explodes, they'll be straightforward."
"That's if they even find us!" The invisible girl added cheerily, starting on another trap, "This place doesn't really look like a dastardly Villain Lair, y'know?"
"There's only three places to choose," the punk rocker shot back, stiffening as she heard that planning time was up. "Alright, get ready Toru." She dropped back behind a pillar and went down on a knee, her jacks impaling the floor and the wall.
"Are you sure you'll hear them coming?" Toru asked as she peeled off her gloves and shoes, stashing them near the bomb.
Kyouka sent a reassuring smile towards the other girl, or at least where she thought she was. "I'll definitely feel the vibrations, don't worry." She closed her eyes and focused, filtering out the subtle creaks and groans of the building.
Then an explosion went off on the other side of the room and less than a second later a massive grey ball burst through the far wall, unfolding into an armored form that hit the ground skidding, arms shooting out. "Pocket Sand!" Izuku barked, using his field and hands to fill the air with fine particulates.
The punk rocker shouted as the grit invaded her eyes, distantly hearing Toru cry out in dismay as she suffered the same fate. And as if that wasn't enough, there came another, lighter impact and voice shouting, "Flash Bang!" Before there was a very bright flash and a very loud bang.
Kyouka fell to her knees, hands over her ears, but she grit her teeth and blindly lashed out with her jacks. Something snatched them out of the air and twisted them together before her legs were swept out from under her. She hit her back hard, eyes shooting open to find a grey fist inches from her nose, going stiff at the sight.
Then her leg snapped up, chunky boot striking the back of Izuku's armored head. He barely reacted, but it put her jacks in just the right position to shoot out and sink into the slots just above the speakers specially emplaced for her Quirk. Her panic-sped heartbeat and a swift kick powered a vibrating wave straight into his chest.
Izuku simply shifted his armor, letting the Third Layer peel away from her strike before grabbing her foot, turning on his heel and hurling her through the air.
Toru had just scrubbed the sand from her eyes when Katsuki had hurtled into the room with smoking palms, slid on the floor before throwing her hands up and clapping them. "Flash Bang!" The invisible girl quickly covered her head, but the resulting clap of noise and flash of light sent her reeling. Heat and pressure flashed in front of her and her feet left the ground, bouncing off of the wall with a cry.
She rolled to her feet, ignoring the pain in her chest and went still, only for a pair of red eyes to lock on. "I can see you," Katsuki hissed with a wide, eerie smile on her lips.
The sand! Toru realized just as she dived away from an explosion, kicking up the granules that had settled on the floor. She yelped and jumped away from another strike, mind racing until a blast hit her in the side and stole the breath from her lungs, sending her rolling across the floor. Her fingers dug into the soft sand as she pushed herself up, coughing.
"Stay down, See Through," the volatile blonde demanded, hand raised, barrels pointing at the spot in the sand.
Toru blew a raspberry and tossed a handful of sand in Katsuki's face, planting her hands and cartwheeling away from the following blast, then landing and hurling herself into a drop kick that would've planted her feet in the blonde's face.
'Would have' if Katsuki hadn't ducked, fired from her hand and spun herself around with the recoil, neatly dodging the strike and ramming an elbow into the invisible girl's gut.
Toru landed near the bomb, something tugging at her skin. She found the lead for her capture tape snare stuck to her arm, her head snapping up to see the volatile blonde next to the bomb and ripped the lead back. The snare snapped up, wrapping around Katsuki's right leg and nearly pulling her off-balance, but only for a second before she blasted the tape off of her.
There was a sudden yelp and a body crashed into Toru's back, sending her tumbling in a tangle of limbs.
"The Hero Team wins!" All Might declared, the two girls untangling themselves to find Katsuki with a smoking hand on the bomb, a fierce scowl on her face that was directed at Izuku.
With the many, many hours of experience Izuku possessed, he ignored it entirely as he shed his armor and offered a hand to sitting Team B. "Good kick, Kyouka-san," he said with a smile, his mask hanging around his neck.
She gave him a grumpy look in return, but still took his hand and was hefted to her feet…only to then be pulled into a surprisingly warm embrace. "Wha-what're you doing?" She stammered, eyes wide, face pink.
"Deku, what the fuck?!"
"I did just cover this room in sand," Izuku pointed out, and Kyouka felt her skin, scalp and eyes tingle. It was kinda comforting and kinda gross at the same time. "It's coarse, rough and it gets everywhere, and I do mean everywhere. Except it doesn't in my field." He stepped back, a thin line of sand traveling up his hand to become a ball in his hand, which he held up to the punk rocker. "See?"
She blinked, hoping the heat in her cheeks was dying quickly. "Y-yeah, thanks, I guess…a warning next time…"
"Sure," he nodded, jumping as an invisible girl ran into his chest.
"Me too!" She declared cheerfully, the outline of her body barely visible under a thin layer of grey sand.
Izuku chuckled and hugged her, covering her body with his field and gently pulling the sand away from her skin. "There you go, Toru-chan."
"I feel tingly!" Toru declared, small puffs of sand shooting up as she skipped over to retrieve her costume.
"Teams, report back to the monitoring station for debriefing!" All Might ordered, "Bring the device, too!"
Katsuki huffed and grabbed the bomb, easily lifting it on her shoulder. "This thing made of paper-mache or something?" She grunted, leading the way out of the building.
Just before they reached the monitoring building, Izuku grabbed the volatile blonde by the shoulder after she dropped the bomb off, fixing her with a serious look. "…Victory Dance?" He asked solemnly.
She scoffed and crossed her arms. "Why're you even fuckin' asking, Deku? I ain't doing that kiddy shit."
He arched an eyebrow at her. "You're one who made me practice for like, six hours to get it right, Bakugou, just like we used to with all the plans we came up with. I never forgot," he pointed out, smirking as her eyebrow twitched. "You know you want to."
Katsuki scowled and looked away.
Izuku started moonwalking in front of her, feet smoothly sliding over the ground. "You know you want to," he repeated, spinning around and going the other way. "You know you want to." And then once more. "You know you want to."
Her glare could've ignited his brain, and he stopped. Then he began to glide around her in a circle.
"You know you want to," he said again, spinning in front of her. "You know you want to." She crossed her arms so tightly her body was starting to shake. "You know you want to." She bit her lip, eyes wide. "You know you want to."
"ARRRGH!" She shouted and jumped, their hands meeting in a high-five before they landed and danced in sync, arms waving as they slid back to face each other before punching forward, fists bumping together and 'exploding,' tilting their bodies back dramatically then shooting forward, grabbing hands and pulling each other into a chest bump before Izuku spun her around by the arm, with him ducking low and the two coming together, back-to-back, fists up in Action Poses™.
Katsuki dropped her pose, looking at her own hands in horror and betrayal. She glanced up at Izuku and found him smiling, freckled cheeks curling with warmth and nostalgia, eyes sparkling.
"YOU FUCK!" She roared at him, face red with, uh, 'rage,' yes, definitely. "I'M GONNA BLAST YOU TO PIECES!"
Izuku gave her a cheeky wink and strolled off. "Looking forward to it…Kacchan."
Grumbling angrily, she stomped after him.
In the monitoring room, everyone was staring at the screen that had shown possibly one of the most adorable things they'd ever seen. "She-Salty can be cute?" Himiko asked faintly, scratching her cheek. "Stop the goddamn presses."
At the console, All Might's fingers raced across the keyboard. Clip and save, he thought frantically, Clip and save!
…
A Pillar stands before the storm, weathering the driving rain, the rolling thunder and the lashing of lightning. 'Stay behind me,' it calls gruffly, 'and lean on me when the wind plucks at you, so that eventually, you will learn to withstand it beside me.'
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