Chapter 8:Back into the Fray
U.A. GROUNDS-1A CLASSROOM
Izuku made his way to the classroom with a big smile on his face as last night's date remained fresh in his mind.
Opening the door to his classroom he was greeted by a welcoming sight; his classmates talking to each other with smiles on their faces. He was more than happy to see that they were still not afraid to be heroes despite their horrific encounters. It just made the fight against Nomu even more worth it.
Ochako noticed him and happily waved to him. ''Dek-''
''Izu!''
Turning to the sound, Izuku only managed to see a pink blur before it collided with his chest. ''OOF!''
Looking down he saw Mina snuggling into his chest. ''I missed you.'' She muffled before looking up from her embrace with a wide smile.
Izuku smiled back as he wrapped his arms around her waist. ''Missed you too.'' He chuckled as he looked up to see everyone's reactions. Iida was utterly confused, Bakugou raised an eyebrow at them while Ochako covered her mouth with both hands, but he could see an excited grin on her face. He could only imagine the internal squealing she must be having.
Looking around he could see some of his classmates getting confused by this sudden interaction. The only ones who didn't look confused were the more observant ones like Todoroki, Tsuyu, and Momo.
Izuku then separated from Mina. ''It hasn't been that long, has it?'' He gave her an amused look.
''So what?'' Mina placed her hands on her hips. ''I still missed you.'' She said with a sly smile on her face making him chuckle fondly.
''Heh.'' Mineta suddenly cut in, gaining everyone's attention. ''Careful Midoriya, if people didn't know any better, they'd say you look like a couple.'' He finished with obvious envy in his voice.
Kaminari quickly jumped in. ''Yeah! I mean it's not like you guys are a couple, right?'' He laughed goodheartedly.
The couple turned to each other, silently asking if this was the right moment to announce their relationship. A few seconds later, Mina nodded, indicating that now was the time.
Izuku returned the nod before facing the class. ''Actually.'' A small blush grew on his face. ''We are.'' He admitted while grabbing Mina's hand with a content smile on his face the latter mirroring his expression.
Kaminari's eyes widened. ''S-Say what now?'' He said in shock as others stared at the couple with equally wide eyes. Not noticing that Ochako discreetly pumped her fist in the air with a silent whoop.
''Yep!'' Mina happily chimed in. ''We're together now.'' She nodded with a huge grin on her face as she lifted their interlocked hands for everyone to see.
No one dared to speak as they were processing what just happened, the couple could have sworn they could see the aura of envy begin to emanate from Mineta.
Fortunately, the silence was broken by-
''EEEEEE!''
That.
After squealing, Toru and Ochako approached the couple excitedly. And having an idea of what they were going to do, Izuku and Mina reluctantly separated.
Toru gave Mina a big hug. ''Girl, I want details!'' She begged while shaking her friend a bit.
''Deku.'' Ochako placed both hands on his shoulders. ''Details.'' She simply said with an expectant look.
From their positions, Izuku and Mina looked at each other and laughed at their friend's eager excitement.
''Congratulations you two.'' Glancing at the voice they saw Tsuyu smiling at them while Momo did the same apart from Todoroki who simply nodded at them with his usual stoic look.
''Y-You bastard!'' Mineta fumed from his seat. ''How'd you get a babe like her!?'' He cried out with comical envious tears.
Disregarding the last comment, Izuku separated from Ochako and faced the short teen. ''Honestly?'' He rubbed the back of his neck before shrugging. ''I just told her how I felt.'' The response made Mineta silent but didn't make him any less envious.
''Nice going bro!'' Came the voice of Kirishima making Izuku turn to him. ''Openly admitting your feelings, now THAT'S manly!'' He praised with a thumbs up.
Mina separated from her equally gossipy friend and faced Kirishima with a smile. ''Glad to have your support horn buddy.''
The hardening teen laughed before giving a toothy grin. ''You kidding?'' He pointed a thumb at Izuku. ''He's a good guy with a manly heart of gold, I'm sure he'll-''
The moment was interrupted when Bakugou made his way to the couple with an unreadable expression. While Izuku and Mina eyed him curiously, wondering what the teen planned to do.
Ochako and Toru took a step back from the couple as Bakugou stood in front of them. ''So you and her huh?''
''Yep.'' Izuku smiled as he grabbed Mina's hand again. ''Me and her.'' He happily confirmed making her smile.
Bakugou smirked before looking serious again. "Just don't let her distract you." Izuku raised an eyebrow. "Wouldn't feel right taking you down if you aren't at your best." Now understanding where he was coming from, the OFA user chuckled and assured him that he wouldn't slack off while Mina looked a little offended.
Seeing this, Ochako jumped in. ''Don't mind him, he just wants the two of you to be happy." The explosive teen rolled his eyes at that and looked away with a grumble.
While everyone deadpanned at the blond's attitude, Mina huffed but gave a grateful look at Ochako and calmed a bit from Izuku squeezing their intertwined hands reassuringly. "I'm sure we will." She then sent a playfully challenging grin at the explosive teen. "And you don't have to worry about me holding him back, I'll do my part for him." She assured with a determined glint in her eyes.
Bakugou was satisfied with the response and stood next to Iida who was still processing this turn of events.
Izuku then looked at Kirishima, gaining his attention. ''And I'll do the same for her.'' He promised as he wrapped his arm around Mina's waist, earning a nod of approval from the manly teen.
''It's always the quiet ones.'' Kaminari grumbled to himself only to yelp in pain from an earphone jab to the ribs.
''Zip it! Jamming whey!'' Jiro scolded as she looked at her friend in annoyance while the rest of the classmates voiced their congratulations to the two and wished them happiness. And though admittedly surprised, they could see that they cared for each other. While Mineta and Kaminari silently grumbled to themselves and cursed Midoriya for his luck.
Momo smiled at the couple before a question came to mind. ''Midoriya?''
''Yeah?'' Izuku replied as he glanced at her with a curious look.
''I've been meaning to ask; how did you beat the Nomu?'' His expression turned into one of confusion. ''I mean, from what I've heard from everyone, the Nomu had you beaten.'' He realized where she was getting at as his face turned serious. ''So…how did you do it?'' She prodded in a gentle tone, careful not to sound insensitive to his state of mind after the whole ordeal.
Izuku was silent for a bit, thinking of the best way to answer the question while making sure to keep OFA out of it. Though he had a feeling that not even the quirk had anything to do with it. Meanwhile, everyone else gave him their full attention, also wondering how he overcame such impossible odds.
Mina glanced at him worriedly, thinking that he was uncomfortable with the subject and was about to speak for him but was stopped when he spoke. ''It's ok.'' He looked at her with a reassuring smile that made her feel better before turning to Momo. ''I'll try to tell you all I can.'' He said earnestly, getting a nod from Momo.
With that statement, some students returned to their seats, while others relaxed from their current positions as Izuku and Mina stood in front of the class. She wanted to stay by his side and offer support if needed.
''Better start with the beginning then.'' Izuku said making everyone nod in response as he took a breath. ''Before I fought Nomu, I saw what he did to Aizawa sensei.'' He glanced around the room to confirm if everyone is listening before continuing. ''I also saw the look on everyone's faces.'' He clenched his fists at the memory, Mina saw this and placed a hand on his shoulder.
He turned and gave her a smile before continuing. ''I didn't even want to think about what would happen if the villains reached everyone. So I jumped in to save Aizawa sensei and then faced the villains after placing him where it was safe.'' His expression hardened, causing those who witnessed everything from the beginning to look down, remembering the feeling of dread they experienced when they saw the villains beat the pros like they were nothing.
Meanwhile, Momo and the others were in awe, it's one thing to hear it from others. But to hear him say that he faced great odds to protect everyone is a different experience altogether.
Taking the silence as permission Izuku continued. ''I knew he was strong...but I was still surprised when he appeared in front of me in a blink and smashed me into a crater.'' He closed his eyes at the mental images of Nomu raising his fists to crush him to the ground and Shigaraki's laughter that followed as he lay helpless. ''I remembered hearing evil laughter and everyone's cries as I began losing consciousness.'' He finished with a resigned tone.
The room felt colder after that statement.
His classmates who witnessed it winced at the memory, they remembered the feeling of their inner fire being extinguished as Izuku was seemingly killed before their eyes and the hand villain's laughter taunting them. Mina herself especially felt the blow, it was as if a piece of her was crushed.
Momo and the others looked at him in pity, thinking about the amount of pain that he must have been through. They could also imagine the feeling of hopelessness that their other classmates felt.
Bakugou looked down and clenched his fists in anger, Izuku could have died facing Nomu. And where was he? Being held back by a bunch of small fry villains. Todoroki and Kirishima were having similar thoughts, wanting nothing more than to help Izuku and protect everyone else at the time. Iida looked down in regret, wondering how different things could have been if he was faster.
The representative felt a hand on his shoulder, looking up he saw Uraraka giving him a reassuring smile. He returned the smile, knowing that no one blamed him for being delayed. He noticed Izuku eyeing him with an expression of understanding, he nodded to him with a smile indicating that he was fine.
Mina hugged Izuku as she buried her face in his chest. Tears threatened to spill as she remembered him being smashed into the crater. She never wanted to experience those feelings again. He may be safe now but that still didn't mean that she would stop worrying about him.
Izuku looked down with guilt and held her close. He didn't like seeing her sad and it only made it worse thinking that he was the one that caused such sadness. He gave a quick peck on the top of her hair to calm her nerves while at the same time, he rubbed circles on her back. No one complained when they saw him comfort her, not even Mineta.
No matter how they looked at it, the situation was dire, so one question came to everyone's mind.
How did he do it?
''But wouldn't you know it?'' Izuku suddenly said, knocking everyone out of their somber thoughts. ''I refused to give in.'' He grinned making everyone look at him curiously. Ochako understood immediately and smiled at her friend.
''It's true that I felt helpless, but then.'' Izuku looked at his left hand. ''There was a burning feeling inside of me.'' He clenched his hand. ''A burning feeling that wouldn't let me give in.'' He looked up to his classmates as he wrapped his left arm around Mina again, the latter leaning into him as she listened. ''As I was blacking out, I began thinking of a few moments in my life.'' He looked out the window. ''Moments with my family.'' He turned to look at everyone in the room. ''The friends I made.'' He then looked down at Mina who was staring at him with tearful eyes. ''And finally, the moments I spent with you.'' He finished with a smile, not noticing the amazed looks of his classmates.
Mina's heart swelled upon hearing those words and with a watery smile she separated from Izuku, but not before giving a quick kiss on the cheek. She wiped her tears, feeling much better than earlier while everyone was now listening intently, the somber feeling quickly disappearing.
Facing his classmates, he continued. ''I held on to everything, even though my body felt like it was shattering." He straightened his posture. "I stood my ground against the villains, promising myself that I WILL save everyone.'' He shrugged. ''And the rest is history.'' He grinned before turning to Momo who was surprised by the sudden attention. ''So, to answer your question, I was determined.''
''Determined?'' Momo repeated, still in shock from his earlier statements.
Izuku nodded as he faced his classmates. ''I was driven by my DETERMINATION to save everyone.'' He said with a serious expression as his eyes glowed.
Everyone was looking at him in awe, if they were in his position, they would have thrown in the towel by then. Even Bakugou would, though he wouldn't say it aloud. Facing a weapon to specifically take on All Might would make anyone feel hopeless, not to mention there were no other pros around to help them. And yet, here's Midoriya, facing certain death just to protect everyone.
''Dude…'' Kaminari eventually spoke in stunned amazement. ''That's….-''
''Inspirational!'' Iida shouted while chopping his arms in the air.
Bakugou smirked at Izuku's declaration while others also voiced their approval and declared to improve themselves as well.
''I'm fired up!'' Kirishima shouted in a manly tone as he flexed his arms.
Tokoyami gave a small smile from his seat. ''A hero through and through.'' He said to himself.
''To be driven by nothing but determination.'' Momo said while looking at Izuku in amazement. ''You're truly the embodiment of going Plus Ultra.'' All around her, her classmates voiced similar thoughts.
Izuku blushed from the praise as he rubbed the back of his head. ''I didn't do it alone.'' He admitted making everyone confused. ''The day was saved because all of you fought the villains like true heroes.'' He said sincerely making everyone smile.
Iida chuckled as he shook his head. ''Your humbleness knows no bounds Midoriya.'' He said with a smile while Ochako nodded vigorously.
''Oh come on Izu!'' Mina said as she jumped in and gave Izuku a loving hug. ''Just accept the praise!'' She encouraged with a grin on her face.
Izuku wrapped his arms around her with a chuckle. ''Well, without them I wouldn't have been motivated.'' He looked away, much to everyone's confusion. ''Because you're all…'' He mumbled something to himself.
Mina leaned in closer to hear what he said. ''We're all what?''
Izuku sighed before looking at everyone with an embarrassed look. ''Y-You're all important to m-me.'' He stammered.
''So Pure!'' Everyone thought with amused smiles while Bakugou groaned and looked away from everyone. But if anyone looked closely you could see a small smirk on his face.
''Awww, look at my cinnamon roll making everyone feel touched.'' Mina teased as she pinched his cheek. ''You're such a sweetie you know that?'' She giggled at her boyfriend's embarrassment.
Once his cheek was free, Izuku looked down at Mina with a smile. ''And you're beautiful.'' He replied as he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek while sporting a small blush. And although surprised by the sudden gesture, Mina giggled as she buried her now magenta-colored face into his chest. Muttering how he was being unfair, causing him to laugh softly at her cuteness.
Ochako and Toru just cooed at the couple's interaction.
''Damn normies.'' Mineta grimaced in envy but stayed silent.
Jiro had a smile on her face but was quickly replaced with shock when she heard footsteps down the hallway thanks to her quirk. ''Guys!'' Everyone immediately turned to her in surprise. ''A teacher's coming down the hallway!'' She half whispered and yelled.
As soon as they heard the word 'teacher', everyone scrambled to get to their seats.
Well…almost everyone.
''Homeroom is about to start! Take your seats!'' Iida shouted from where he stood.
Izuku cleared his throat, gaining his attention. ''Uhm...I hate to break it to you buddy.'' He started with a sheepish expression. ''But you're the only one standing.'' He pointed out with a chuckle as he leaned back in his chair while Iida looked around and realized that he was indeed the only one standing.
As some of his classmates snickered, Iida sat down with an embarrassed look on his face. ''It's alright.'' Ochako said from behind him as she gave him a pat on the back, though she was snickering too.
From his seat, Izuku looked at Momo. ''Hey Momo.'' He called out getting her attention. ''Who do you think is going teach us today?''
Momo put a hand on her chin. ''In all honesty, I have no idea, Aizawa sensei looked too injured to come back so soon. So it could honestly be anyone.'' She shrugged while he nodded in understanding.
With a loud bang, the sliding doors opened to reveal a shocking sight.
Aizawa stood with multiple bandages wrapped in both arms. His face was also wrapped up as well. ''Morning.'' He nonchalantly muffled through the bandages.
''Aizawa sensei you're back too soon!'' Everyone shouted in unison.
''Holy shit.'' Kaminari said in clear shock to see the pro come in with all his injuries.
''Sensei, are you alright!?'' Iida shouted in concern while raising one arm.
''Can you call that 'all right'?'' Izuku muttered to himself as he eyed the pro with a wince while some of his classmates had similar thoughts.
''My well-being doesn't matter.'' Aizawa said as he reached his desk and turned to the class.
The Pro then gave a glance at Izuku, who was nervous under his gaze, thinking that he was going to get scolded for his actions during the USJ.
But unbeknownst to everyone, Aizawa had arrived earlier and overheard the conversation that his students were having. He didn't mean to pry, but when he heard that the subject was about how Izuku defeated the Nomu. He was more than intrigued to find out how.
Needless to say, he was impressed by what he heard.
From what he gathered, there was no trick. It was simply his drive to protect those around him, no matter the cost, an essence of a true hero.
''Nice going kid.'' Aizawa was thankful that the bandages concealed the small smile that he had on his face. He then turned to the class while Izuku sighed in relief. ''Now onto business, the battle isn't over yet.'' He said in his usual bored tone, getting some to worry that it could be more trouble.
''The villains again!?'' Mineta screamed in fear as he clutched his head.
Aizawa wasn't fazed by the comment and continued. ''The UA Sports Festival is drawing near.'' He stated in an ominous tone.
''That's a super normal school event!'' Everyone shouted in unison.
''But sensei.'' Jiro called Aizawa with a hand raised. ''Is it okay to have a sports festival so soon after the villains snuck inside?'' She asked in a concerned tone.
''What if they attack again?'' Ojiro added his concern as well.
Aizawa calmly replied. ''Security will be five times stronger than past festivals. This isn't something that can be canceled just because of a few villains.''
''Isn't that a good enough reason to cancel?'' Mineta asked in fear.
Izuku turned to Mineta with an eyebrow raised. ''Haven't you been to one?''
''Of course I have!'' Mineta said as he leaned onto his desk. ''But that's not what I mean.'' He finished in exasperation.
Aizawa continued. ''Our sports festival is one of Japan's biggest events. In the past, the Olympics were called the festival of sports and the whole country was crazy about them. But as you know, with the reduction in scale and population, they're now a shell of their former glory. In its place, Japan has the U.A. Sports Festival.'' He informed as he glanced around the room.
A serious look then formed on his face. ''The path to becoming a hero starts here, if you gain the attention of a well-known hero. Then your chances of gaining a lot more experience and popularity will be higher.'' Everyone was on the edge of their seats. ''Time is limited, you only get three chances in this annual event. So don't go slacking off!'' He declared.
''YES SIR!'' Everyone shouted in determination.
Satisfied with the response, Aizawa nodded. ''Homeroom is dismissed.'' He announced before leaving the room to rest in the teacher's lounge.
With the teacher gone, everyone started discussing amongst themselves. Apart from Bakugou who told the group that he was going to have his lunch early. Leaving Izuku and the rest to discuss with their classmates.
''Man Shoji.'' Kaminari sat on his desk. ''Your strength already stands out.'' He said with a sigh.
Izuku chimed in. ''But Kaminari.'' He said gaining everyone's attention. ''There's no point in raw strength without showing other uses.'' He pointed out while Shoji nodded in agreement.
''Don't worry.'' Jiro started. ''I'm sure you'll be wheeeyyymore noticeable.'' She snickered while trying to hold in her laughter making Kaminari sulk.
Izuku grinned as he turned to Iida. ''Everyone's fired up huh?'' He said in amusement.
''Enrolling in UA comes with being fired up!'' Iida replied while shaking his hips a bit.
''Nice moves dude.'' Mina said with a laugh, though it didn't stop Iida from moving his hips still.
Izuku chuckled as he wrapped an arm around Mina. ''Well, I guess we have our way of showing it.'' He grinned while she nodded in agreement as she leaned onto his shoulder.
''Guys…''
Turning to the voice they were greeted by a very serious-looking Ochako with a very intense aura around her. ''Let's do our best!'' She formed an intense grin.
''Speaking of own ways to show it.'' Izuku inwardly chuckled as he gave his good friend a curious look. ''Umm, buddy?'' He separated from Mina. ''Your face looks a bit scary.'' He pointed out with cautious intrigue.
Mina tilted her head as she stared at her. ''You don't look so carefree anymore.''
Mineta blushed. ''Maybe it's-'' Before he could say anything, he noticed Izuku smiling at him. It looked normal to anyone, but the short teen could tell that there was danger behind it.
''I wouldn't finish that statement buddy.'' The OFA user warned in a calm tone, prompting Mineta to cover his mouth with both hands before vigorously nodding in agreement.
Before Mina could comment on how awesome that was, Ochako turned to the rest of the class with her fist in the air. ''I'm gonna do by best!'' She declared in her newly found scary tone.
''Y-Yeah.'' The rest of the class cheered though a bit caught off guard.
AFTER CLASS-U.A. GROUNDS-OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM
Izuku and Iida followed behind Mina and Ochako who were happily talking about their date night. ''Sheesh Ochako.'' He said, gaining everyone's attention. ''You were pretty intense back there. I mean, what's got you so fired up anyway?''
Ochako for some reason blushed from the question and looked nervous as everyone turned to her. ''W-Well it's because…'' She hesitated. ''Becoming a pro hero could be a good chance for me to earn money.'' She admitted with an embarrassed look.
The group stopped walking as they digested her words in surprise. ''So…'' Izuku started. ''You want to become a hero for money?'' He curiously tilted his head.
Ochako rubbed the back of her head with a blush on her face. ''Y-Yeah, that's right.'' She covered her face with her hands. ''This is so embarrassing!'' She squeaked behind her hands while shaking her head.
''Why would it be embarrassing to want to have a more comfortable life?'' Iida shouted as he waved his arms around.
Mina happily chimed in. ''Yeah, even I wouldn't mind earning a fair amount to make my life a bit cozier.'' She admitted while Izuku nodded in agreement.
Ochako looked away from the trio. ''I work for my family's construction company, but there's no work for us so we ended up broke.'' She said in a somber tone.
''Construction?'' Iida prodded with intrigue.
Izuku then turned to the taller teen. ''Wouldn't a quirk like hers be useful in that line of work? I mean, you wouldn't need any additional equipment with her quirk to do the heavy lifting.'' He pointed out while Mina nodded in agreement. "Heck, even my quirk can fill that role." He shrugged, already thinking about the number of things their quirks can do to make it easier for construction crews.
''Right!?'' Ochako suddenly sprang to life, startling the trio before she frowned. ''But…my parents didn't want me to work for them. Instead, they just want me to reach for my dreams.'' She sighed as she looked at her feet.
A moment of silence passed before she gripped her skirt and looked up in determination. ''I want to become a hero and earn enough money to make my parents' lives easier!'' She declared with conviction, stunning the group.
The silence was eventually broken by Iida suddenly clapping his hands above his head. ''BRAVO! BRAVO!'' He cheered with enthusiasm that would have made Izuku and Mina laugh but this was hardly the time.
Though it was funny to see.
''She's been thinking about reality.'' Izuku smiled at her. ''You know…'' He gained her attention. ''In case it still isn't enough when we become pro heroes, you'll have my support.'' He offered with a grin.
The offer took Ochako aback before she began to protest. ''Y-You don't hav-''
''Hey now.'' Izuku gently interrupted ''I thought you knew by now that I'll always help my friends.'' He gave her a thumbs-up and a wink.
''Deku…'' Ochako was at a loss for words, never expecting such support for her goal.
Mina jumped in and hugged her. ''And you'll have mine too!'' She happily promised.
''Y-You guys…'' Ochako's vision blurred with tears. ''I have such good friends.'' She tearfully returned the embrace while the pink teen started comforting her.
Iida was still clapping and shouting.
''HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!''
With the scene effectively disrupted, the teens snapped to a corner where the voice was heard
''YOUNG MIDORIYA…'' The voice was getting closer, but by this time, everyone knew who was there.
All Might in all his glory popped out of the corner, startling the four. ''IS HERE!'' He finished with heroism as he pointed to Izuku.
''All Might!?'' The four shouted in surprise.
''What are you doing here?'' Izuku asked with a shocked expression.
While still behind the corner, All Might replied. ''Lunch!'' He held out a small pack of food. ''Wanna eat together?'' He asked in a hopeful tone.
''He's like a maiden!'' Ochako and Mina said at the same time as they laughed.
Izuku chuckled before shrugging. ''I'd love to, but why the sudden gesture?'' He asked in a curious tone, prompting the other three to pay more attention to the exchange.
All Might then stepped out of the corner and stood in front of the group. ''Think of it as a thank you for your valor during the USJ attack.'' He explained in a proud voice.
''Woah! That's so cool Deku!'' Ochako waved her arms in excitement while Iida nodded in agreement.
Mina then wrapped her arms around Izuku as she leaned onto his back. ''Look at you, getting the attention of All Might.'' She teased with a grin while she rested her chin on his shoulder making Izuku chuckle. All Might was curious about the duo's interaction but decided not to pry. He'll leave it to his successor to share or keep it to himself.
From his position, Izuku turned to All Might. ''Well, if that's the case, then shouldn't everyone else be joining us?'' He said making the three confused, but All Might seemed to understand what he meant and felt even prouder. ''I mean, I wasn't the only one that fought like a hero that day. Everyone gave it their all.'' He stated sincerely making his classmates smile.
''Humble to the bone.'' All Might joked in his thoughts as he looked at his successor with a proud grin. He shouldn't even be surprised to see his successor willing to share the credit with everyone. Or at least make his deeds seem smaller compared to what others have been doing.
Mina then separated from Izuku and placed her hands on her hips. ''Come on Izu! You should just go!'' She pouted at him.
Iida quickly voiced his agreement. ''Indeed Midoriya!'' He waved his arms around. ''Though we appreciate the gesture, it's you that earned this reward.'' He stated earnestly.
''Yeah.'' Ochako joined in. ''You deserve it!''
Izuku looked uncertain. ''But-''
''But nothing mister!'' Mina interrupted while pushing Izuku towards All Might. ''Now go enjoy your lunch.'' She ordered with a playful shove.
With a chuckle, Izuku looked back with a smile. ''All right, guess I'll catch up with you guys later.'' He said with a grin.
His friends nodded as they made their way to the cafeteria, while Izuku went with All Might to his Office.
U.A. GROUNDS-CAFETERIA
The trio was currently in line, waiting for their turn to get their food.
''Man, Izu's too modest for his good.'' Mina said with a sigh as she shook her head. She admired his attitude, but she wouldn't like him any less if he gave himself some more credit.
''That's just the way he is.'' Ochako giggled fondly as she recalled his kindness during the entrance exam. ''Even when we first met, he always showed how he cared for others.''
''Indeed! It's no wonder All Might wanted to thank him personally.'' Iida said with an expression of respect. ''To be willing to face impossible odds without rewards in mind doesn't go unnoticed.'' He said earnestly while the two nodded in agreement.
''No argument here.'' Mina stated happily. ''Izu is one of a kind.'' She finished with a dreamy sigh.
''Speaking of Izu.'' Ochako teased with a smile on her face. ''Mind giving me more details about your date?''
Mina was more than happy to gush about her date with Izuku. ''Sure!'' She giggled when she saw Ochako's expression light up in excitement while Iida appeared to be intrigued as well.
But unbeknownst to them, Todoroki stared at them with interest before looking away. ''So…All Might and Midoriya…'' He lightly hummed with a calculative expression as he processed what he heard.
MEANWHILE-IN ALL MIGHT'S OFFICE
All Might and Izuku hastily entered the office, both having the Pro's time limit in mind. Once inside, the teen locked the door behind him and checked to see if anyone else followed them.
After nodding to himself, Izuku turned to All Might. ''It's all clear.''
The symbol didn't have to be told twice as he reverted to his real form with a puff of steam. ''Much better.'' He sighed in relief while gesturing to Izuku to sit on the sofa that was across from another one. In the middle was a table and on top of it was a bento box with a cup of tea on the side.
After getting comfortable All Might looked at his successor with a smile. ''Now that that's settled, I would like to thank you for what you did during USJ.''
Izuku waved his hand. ''It's no big deal All Might, I just did what any hero would have done.'' He humbly stated with a smile.
''I beg to differ.'' All Might's statement made Izuku look at him curiously. ''What you did was no small feat, even when you knew the Nomu was created to fight me. You still fought him to protect those you cared for. And despite the pain you endured, you drove yourself beyond that and came back on top. And for that, I, and on behalf of everyone else, would like to thank you for what you did.''
Floored by his words, Izuku felt his eyes going misty. ''I-''
His mentor raised a hand. ''Please.'' Toshinori stated calmly. ''You've earned it Young Midoriya.'' He smiled proudly at the teen.
After wiping his tears Izuku nodded as he looked down at his lunch. Truthfully, he didn't want any sort of special treatment just because he did something heroic. His mindset never focused on reward or glory, only on the well-being of others.
After finishing his meal, Izuku cleared the table and cleaned up whatever mess he left while Toshinori decided to make some more tea for the both of them.
Once they were both seated again, Toshinori had a serious expression. ''There's something else.'' He started, gaining Izuku's attention.
''What's the matter?'' Izuku said with a worried tone.
The man paused before sighing as he closed his eyes. ''My time limit has been reduced.''
Izuku looked like he was pushed from hearing that. ''H-How long…?'' He hesitantly asked, not even sure if he wanted to know.
''For one and a half hours.'' Toshinori opened his eyes with a resigned look. ''Maybe more if I push myself.'' He added seriously.
Izuku didn't know what to say as he looked down in worry. He knew that his mentor's time limit would decrease over time, but he didn't think it would be at such a quick pace.
But a thought did come across his mind.
''But...'' Izuku started with a sad tone. ''You weren't the one who faced Nomu, so how is your power still fading fast?'' He furrowed his brows in thought. Was it because he was using his power while they traveled to USJ?
Toshinori was silent for a bit before he answered. ''It's true that facing Nomu would have severely decreased my time limit.'' Izuku listened intently. ''But keep in mind, as my power transfers to you, I gradually lose it regardless.''
''So it didn't matter...'' Izuku looked down with pursed lips. Besides protecting his friends, he wanted to reduce the risk of All Might's time limit being affected during the confrontation.
But unfortunately, it was all for naught.
Sensing his successor's sadness, Toshinori spoke. ''Chin up my boy.'' He calmly comforted, gaining Izuku's attention. ''In the end, you saved everyone and that's all that matters.'' The pro smiled. ''Besides, your efforts weren't wasted since you still saved me more time.'' He ended without a trace of regret in his voice as he gave the teen a thumbs up and a grateful grin.
Izuku gave his mentor a sad smile before looking down again in worry as several scenarios started playing in his mind.
What if he suddenly transformed during a lecture? What if he suddenly lost all his powers during a villain fight? Or that he couldn't defend himself from a surprise attack? Or how about him losing his ability during a rescue operation? Or how about-
''But enough about that.'' Toshinori cut in, noticing his successor's mental panic. ''How goes your progress with OFA?'' He asked with a curious expression.
While thankful for the change of topic, Izuku glanced at his left hand. ''Well from what I can tell, I can pretty much use 10% of it. Going beyond that can still be risky.'' He ended with a serious expression.
Toshinori had a hand on his chin. ''Hmm, that's good progress.'' He looked up at the teen. ''It seems your body is adjusting itself to handle the power better.'' He smiled. ''I have no doubt you'll master it in no time.'' He finished with pride while Izuku smiled in return.
The pro then stood up and walked to the window. ''Frankly, I don't have much time left as the Symbol of Peace.'' He admitted with a serious look as he stared outside. While Izuku didn't know how to respond to that and looked at his lap with a tense expression.
Taking the silence as permission, he continued. ''And some of those who built up villainous intent are starting to realize.'' He turned back with a determined expression. ''I granted you my power because I want you to succeed me.'' He then pointed to Izuku who stood up from the declaration. ''That same spirit you showed when I first met you is still there yes?''
''Yes!'' Izuku replied with no hesitation.
At that response, Toshinori's expression hardened. ''Then it's time for you to show that.''
''Huh?'' The teen blurted out in confusion.
The pro wasn't fazed by the confusion and continued. ''The U.A. Sports Festival is something pro heroes-no, the whole country is watching closely. That is why I want you to get out there and show them that you are here.'' He stated determinedly.
Izuku could feel his jaw-dropping. ''W-Woah.'' Showing himself to the country or world for that matter wasn't the only thing he worried about. Different courses will be added to the mix, meaning he would have to go through a lot of talented students. Not only that, pros from all over will be watching.
So yeah, a little bit of pressure.
Toshinori laughed as he placed a hand on Izuku's shoulder. ''No need to worry.'' He calmly assured. ''Knowing you, you'll be spending the next two weeks training, right?'' He received a stiff nod in response. ''Then you'll do great.''
Snapping out of it, Izuku looked at him with determination. ''I'll give it my all!'' He swore with a light glow in his eyes.
Toshinori had a prouder smile on his face. ''I expect nothing less my boy!'' He declared with a thumbs up. And with that, Izuku left his office with a bit more weight on his shoulders but felt more determined.
LATER-U.A. GROUNDS-1A CLASSROOM
The class was ready to leave, all had plans to train for the festival.
Well…they would have left, if it weren't for the massive crowd of students blocking the way.
''The fuck is this?'' Bakugou scowled in annoyance while his classmates stared at the large crowd in front of them in shock.
And from the crowd, a teen with purple hair and noticeable eyebags stepped to the front of the crowd. ''I came to see what the famous Class A was like, but from what I can tell you seem pretty arrogant.'' He said in a bored tone as he glanced around the room. ''Are all of you like this?'' He said in the same tone that could rival Aizawa.
''You want some of me eyebags!?'' Bakugou growled while bringing his hands up.
''Eyebags.'' Everyone sweatdropped while the purple-haired teen bristled at the comment but quickly schooled his features.
Izuku looked between the two and noticed the tension that filled the room. So with that, he stepped between them with his hands raised. ''Woah easy guys, there's no need for this.'' He stated passively as he looked between them.
Bakugou looked like he wanted to argue but complied. ''Whatever.'' He huffed while heading back to join the rest of the class.
After breathing a sigh of relief, Izuku turned to the purple-haired teen who looked surprised by his interference. ''Sorry about grumpy over there.'' He pointed a thumb at Bakugou who growled at the nickname. ''And to answer your question, we're not arrogant, that's just Bakugou being Bakugou.'' He shrugged with a teasing grin.
And just like that, the tension lowered as the crowd eyed him curiously while some of his classmates chuckled at the nickname. Whereas Bakugou just scowled but decided not to say anything, knowing that Izuku would have a point if he spoke up.
As for the purple-haired teen, he was surprised by how the person in front of him was acting. Like most students, he expected the students from the Heroics Course to brag about their accomplishments and show off their quirks. Instead, this person looked and acted just like any other person.
''What's your name?'' The purple-haired teen asked, he figured that he should at least know the guy who was being nice so far.
Izuku smiled and extended his hand, glad to see things becoming more civil. ''Izuku Midoriya, what's yours?''
The teen smiled back as he grabbed his hand and shook it. ''Hitoshi Shinso.'' He stated before having a curious expression. ''I gotta say, you're not exactly what I expected.'' He confessed as he ended the handshake.
Izuku raised an eyebrow at him. ''What do you mean?'' He asked with a slight tilt of the head.
Shinso thought about it before speaking. ''Honestly?'' He shrugged. ''I expected you guys to be showoffs or something.'' He stated bluntly before he lightly smiled. ''Glad to see I was wrong.''
Izuku smiled back. ''Well, I'm glad we cleared things up then.'' He said happily. Getting smiles from everyone except for Bakugou who rolled his eyes.
Shinso sighed as he rubbed the back of his head. ''Great.'' He groaned making Izuku look at him curiously. ''Now I feel like a dick for declaring war on you guys.'' He ended with an annoyed sigh as he looked away.
Izuku chuckled, gaining everyone's attention. ''It's fine.'' He waved it off. ''I mean, we're all going to face each other eventually.'' He simply pointed out with a shrug.
Shinso hummed in thought before looking at him with a smile. ''Huh, guess you're right.'' He chuckled before smirking. ''May the best man win then.'' He added in a taunting tone.
''Sure, why not.'' Izuku chuckled as Shinso snorted at the casual reply but smiled.
With the tension completely gone, the crowd started dispersing, seeing that nothing was going to happen. While Izuku's classmates are relieved that the rumors about them were resolved sooner, rather than later.
''Fuck.'' Bakugou suddenly blurted out in annoyance, making his classmates turn to him curiously.
Kirishima, who was beside him, voiced everyone's curiosity. ''What's up Bakubro?''
''Eyebags over there doesn't stand a chance.'' Bakugou stated like it was a fact, making his classmates look at him in disapproval.
Kirishima placed a hand on his shoulder. ''Come on bro.'' He started. ''Sure Midoriya has a strong quirk, but I'm sure Shinso can handle himself.'' He pointed out in a semi-stern tone, while others nodded in agreement.
Bakugou removed the teen's hand and glanced at him in annoyance. ''I didn't mean that shitty hair.'' He denied making everyone confused. ''I meant eyebags over there doesn't stand a chance against Deku's friendship shit.'' He clarified with exasperation.
''What do you mean?'' Momo asked while everyone else turned to Bakugou waiting for clarification.
Bakugou didn't bother with a verbal reply as he gestured to what was in front of him with a sigh.
Turning their heads, they can see Izuku and Shinso having a genuine conversation with smiles on their faces. And if you look closely, you can even see a warm aura that's emanating from them.
While this was happening, his classmates felt their jaws drop. He didn't know the guy for very long and yet they were talking to each other like their good friends!
They started wondering if there was such a thing as a 'friendship quirk'.
Noticing their expressions, Bakugou crossed his arms with a smug look. ''Told you.''
WEEKS THAT FOLLOWED
As planned, everyone spent the next weeks training themselves for the sports festival.
Izuku focused on training his body to hold Full Cowling, while at the same time quickly switching to his original quirk. The point of this was to increase his endurance, as well as lessen the charge rate of OFA.
But he did not just focus on his quirk alone, Izuku made sure to physically train as well. Not only does it help with stamina, but it can also help his body become more used to his power.
At one point, he offered his friends to train together but they respectfully declined. They wanted to find out how far they can reach through their efforts.
Days went by in a flash and before they knew it, it was the day of the festival.