Chapter 22 – Finals
"Here we go, Sports Fans! The moment you've all been waiting for has arrived!" Present Mic declared over the speakers. "It's the Final Round of the First Year Sports Festival!" The audience roared and cheered at the announcement. "We've got two super competitors for you! From Hero Course Class 1-A, the Student Representative and all-around powerhouse, Midoriya Izuku!"
"I guess I'm starting to get used to this." Izuku muttered as he walked towards the ring under the flashes of hundreds of cameras.
"Facing him is Hero Course Class 1-A's Vice Representative and a Recommendation Student, the Lady of Creation, Yaoyorozu Momo!" Present Mic introduced Momo next.
"Is it really necessary to introduce the students in multiple matches?" Momo wondered even as she focused on the ring and Izuku. She did her best to ignore the cameras flashing and the dozens upon dozens of tv cameras filming her approach.
"Are both of you ready?" Midnight questioned both of them, looking between the two finalists.
"Yes, Miss Midnight!" Momo nodded as she prepared for the match by unzipping her uniform top and rolling up the sleeves.
"Yes, ma'am!" Izuku already knew which Quirks he would need to compile and activate the second the match started.
"Final Round, begin the match!" Midnight cracked her whip and both Izuku and Momo sprang into action as the crowd roared in excitement.
'Mental Boost', 'Enhance Function', 'Efficiency' Izuku boosted his cognitive abilities so that he could react faster and activate as many of his Quirks as necessary. This proved to be a wise decision as Momo opened with a startlingly quick creation.
'I can't let him think!' Momo created a cylinder from her arm and fired it as soon as the trigger formed. Three shots flew at Izuku in a blur, but the verdette created a Barrier to take the hits.
"Capture Foam?" Izuku blinked as the three spheres splattered against his Barrier only to rapidly expand and solidify. 'Efficiency', 'Kinetic Boost', 'Force Multiplier', 'Amplification', 'Air Compression', 'Force Projection' Izuku boosted himself and his Quirks further and raised his hand in Momo's direction. "Air Cannon!" A powerful gale of wind blasted across the ring, taking the Capture Foam far out of bounds.
"I figured you'd go for a ring out, Izuku!" Momo had dodged the Air Cannon by simply creating a metal pole from her left palm and letting it push her aside. The speed of her creating had greatly risen during their practice and she put it to good use. She threw the long pole at Izuku like a spear to distract him even as her back glowed with her Quirk out of sight.
"Really?" Izuku simply angled his body and let the impromptu spear fly past him and out of bounds. 'Warp Gate' He activated the Quirk and beneath Momo's feet a swirling black void opened up.
"I knew it!" Momo grinned as she flew into the air with a small jetpack she'd created.
"MY BABY!" Mei's cry of delight could be heard throughout the stadium.
"Clever." Izuku smiled up at Momo before opening a new Warp Gate as his girlfriend rained cylinders down on him from above. A smaller swirling gate opened on the far side of the field to release the cylinders. They exploded into a mix of flashbangs and tear gas.
"The volley back and forth is amazingly fast-paced!" Present Mic exclaimed from the booth.
"They know each other's Quirks well and have countermeasures in place." Aizawa droned out as he watched the match. "This could come down to a war of attrition."
"Holy crap…" Kaminari gaped at the match between Izuku and Momo. "Were they always this strong?"
"That's what I was thinking too." Kirishima agreed as he kept up with the match.
"Yaomomo is doing awesome!" Mina pumped her fist.
"It's like watching during our practice sessions." Tsuyu mentioned as she followed the back and forth.
"No kidding, those two are still testing each other too." Camie's eyes darted back and forth as she watched Izuku and Momo go at it.
"I hope they don't go too far though. I don't want them to get hurt." Ochako worried a little for her boyfriend and…girlfriend? She wasn't sure how to classify her relationship with the other girls yet, aside from close friends.
"This is just 'testing each other'?" Sero looked at Camie incredulously.
They weren't the only group surprised as Class 1-B were all staring, or in some cases outright gaping, at what they were witnessing.
"They're still first years like us, right?" Awase blinked at the first couple of seconds of the match.
"That's nuts." Kaibara shook his head.
"Damn, girl knows how to use her Quirk." Setsuna mentioned as they saw Momo take to the air.
"I'm not sure which of us could've taken them on, shroom." Kinoko, a short brunette from Class 1-B mentioned. Her unique eyes were trying to keep up with the two in the ring.
"We've got some work to do." Itsuka clenched her fist as a challenging grin formed on her lips.
Back down in the ring, the match continued at the same pace.
'Fire Breath', 'Gas Manipulation', 'Temperature Fluctuation' Izuku compiled the Quirks while deactivating Warp Gate but keeping all of his Boosting Quirks active. He breathed out a large fireball at the airborne Momo and quickly followed it up with another aimed at where he believed she'd move to.
"I see…" Momo was rapidly predicting Izuku's moves and flew down at an angle instead of her knee jerk reaction to fly away from the fireballs. She truly had come a long way in her ability to react and predict since she and her friends had started practicing together. The light of her Quirk covered both of her arms as she dived and from the light a thick, black smoke spewed forth to cover the area of the ring that Izuku was in.
"She's trying to blind him." Kyoka noticed from the student seating area.
"It won't work." Sato shook his head. He could see a way out for Izuku already. No way one of the smartest guys in their class didn't figure it out.
Inside the smokescreen, Izuku dropped into a Warp Gate he made below his feet. He emerged from a second gate just in front of Midnight's umpire platform. The Pro Hero blinked at the sudden portal. Izuku emerged from it and held out both hands to either side of him. 'Attraction of Small Objects' he activated his mother's Quirk and felt the boosts take effect on it. Every small pebble or piece of dirt within the field suddenly floated towards Izuku en masse.
"What is he doing?" Momo knew her jetpack wouldn't last much longer. The fuel she'd been able to make while creating it wasn't much.
"Momo!" Izuku smiled up at her. "Catch!" A swirling, black abyss appeared in front of each of Izuku's hands and the mass of small debris was seemingly sucked into the void. Momo only had a second to react as a third portal opened behind and slightly above her. From the darkness the debris fired out like buckshot.
Momo dove low with the jetpack to avoid the attack. She pulled a riot shield from her stomach just as the jetpack died. With nothing else to defend herself with, Momo hunkered down behind her shield as it was pelted with the pebbles and dirt. She wasn't idle in her defense though. A police taser formed in her off hand and she fired it at Izuku. The two nodes bounced harmlessly off a small Barrier that was less than a square meter in size.
"Out you go." Izuku opened a Warp Gate underneath Momo again.
Momo grit her teeth as she saw the mist-like portal open beneath her. The barrage had stopped, so she created another pole from her palm to push her away from the void below her. She refused to lose via ring out if she could help it! A small container was created in her right hand almost instantly and she tossed it at Izuku as hard as she could before her feet even touched the ground.
"Fast." Izuku raised a larger Barrier and the container slammed into it. The weak material burst open and liquid splashed everywhere around Izuku. "What is this?" He blinked, not being able to identify the liquid.
"Move Izuku!" Momo warned him as she tossed what appeared to be a Molotov cocktail at him. Izuku's eyes widened when he realized that he was surrounded by an accelerant of some kind. The flaming bottle smashed into the soaked ring and a massive fireball engulfed almost a quarter of the fighting area.
"MOMO!" Camie, Ochako, and Tsuyu were on their feet and yelling worriedly at what they'd seen their friend do.
"I've got to hurry." Momo focused on her Quirk as both her stomach and back glowed. She knew for an absolute fact that Izuku wouldn't be injured or slowed down for long by her firebomb tactic. A few small drones emerged from her body. They whirred to life and began to fly up into the air a few seconds later. Following their programming, the drones began circling the ring.
"Geez, Momo!" Izuku emerged from a Warp gate at the far side of the ring. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you were trying to kill me."
"Never kill, just distract." Momo grinned as her arms glowed and another thick smokescreen covered her location. "Watch out, Izuku."
"Huh?" Izuku wondered what she meant until a pellet hit him in the back. "Ow!" The hell?" He felt the pellet stick to him and begin to expand. "Capture Foam?" He quickly reached behind him and brushed the expanding foam off his back before it could harden. "Where did that come from?" He didn't get an answer as Momo had taken the short time he was distracted to rush to the other side of the ring. She needed distance and some time to make her next creations.
"Just stall him for a bit, capture is also acceptable." Momo spoke to her autonomous drones under her breath. She couldn't relay orders to them since she'd made them in a hurry and with only basic instructions. Her next creations would give Izuku nowhere he could go for respite. Her entire torso began to glow as she concentrated on her creation.
"Ow!" Izuku quickly brushed off the Capture Foam pellet that had struck his leg. "What the heck? How is she doing this?" Izuku looked around, but the smoke from the fading firebomb and Momo's last smokescreen was still hanging in the air. He raised a dome-shaped Barrier over himself and blinked when three pellets hit the green field simultaneously. The Capture Foam began to expand and when it stopped and solidified, the area it covered had a diameter of at least sixty centimeters.
"What will Midoriya do now?!" Present Mic hyped up the audience even more. "He's forced into a defensive position by Yaoyorozu's ingenuity! Can he recover his momentum?!"
"She's playing it smart and dividing his focus." Aizawa stated seriously. "Midoriya has many responses to most situations. But even the best Heroes can't prepare for everything."
"Just a little more…" Momo was breathing heavily as another creation emerged and was placed on the floor. The small device whirred to life and moved across the ring like a Roomba.
"What in the world did she make?" Izuku was still under his Barrier as it was repeatedly shot with Capture Foam pellets from all angles. His dome would soon be fully-encased at this rate.
"Go Yaomomo!" Toru cheered for the girl as she watched the match. It was hard to believe that it was only now entering the third minute!
"She's got him pinned at the moment and she's still making things." Shoji noted of Momo's strategy. "What contingency is she coming up with?"
"Midoriya is full of tricks," Tokoyami replied. "It would be foolish to assume he's beaten until he's been rendered unconscious or forced out of bounds."
"Alright, I think I've got it." Izuku murmured to himself as he opened a Warp Gate and dropped his Barrier. The partial dome of Capture Foam was left behind. Izuku emerged high in the air over the ring, but still within the stadium. A quick use of a boosted Platform and he stood in the air while observing the ring.
A whirring sound began to get louder and Izuku grinned when his suspicion was proved correct. Four drones were flying towards him. All of them were fairly small as drones went. But they were also carrying the small canisters that had been firing the Capture Foam pellets at him.
"Clever Momo, very clever." Izuku praised her since she'd never shown this to any of them during practice. She'd purposefully saved this for if she had to go against him at some point. He was actually impressed that she'd devised such a counter to his multiple Quirks. "Splitting my focus is something I need to work on." Izuku sighed even as the drones got in range and fired more pellets at him.
Izuku let go of the Platform and fell through the air. The crowd gasped at the freefalling student only to blink when a Warp Gate appeared in his path. The freckled teen disappeared into the black mists and a second portal appeared behind one of the drones. A bullet of air shattered the machine and sent its scrap raining down onto the ring. Another two bullets took out the drones closest to Izuku's position as he stood on another Platform. The fourth and final drone fired multiple pellets at Izuku, following its basic instructions. Izuku opened a Warp Gate between them and one directly above the drone. The pellets entered into the first portal and smashed into the drone as they exited the second. The expanding foam quickly stalled the rotors and the drone plummeted out of the air to smash just outside of the ring.
"Now that those are taken care of, what's your next move, Momo?" Izuku wondered as he noticed that while he was dealing with the drones, a large smokescreen was once more covering a good part of the ring. "I feel like this is a trap." He mumbled as he saw only a few clear spots available. Without much option, Izuku warped to one of the corners so that he could stop wasting his energy on Platforms.
"Firing!" Izuku heard almost as soon as he stepped onto the ring. The boom that went off was familiar and Izuku only had a split second to activate a Quirk. 'Durability Up' was boosted by his still active Boosting Quirks and the rubber pellets bounced off his body and left little welts on his skin.
"Ow!" Izuku grimaced and sent well-wishes to Iida for taking these things full force. "There…" Izuku pinpointed where he'd heard Momo's voice from and fired an air bullet into the smoke. The particulates parted slightly as they were displaced, but no cry of exclamation came. He'd missed. "Alright then," Izuku fired a barrage of air bullets into the smoke. The billowing cloud was pushed back from the air disruption and Izuku was able to see more of the ring. But he still hadn't managed to land a hit on Momo.
"Not quite, Izuku!" Momo's voice came from a different area and Izuku launched a quick salvo of six air bullets into the smokescreen. He quickly followed after them to try and take Momo by surprise.
"What the?" Izuku blinked when he saw a small wireless speaker on top of a Roomba-like machine.
"Got you." Momo's voice came from the speaker and then the Roomba look-a-like exploded.
"Gah!" Izuku was thrown backwards as pink smoke filled the air. He hit the floor and rolled back to his feet. "Was that one of the mines from the Obstacle Race?!"
"A close approximation." Momo's voice was behind him and Izuku turned to see a second Roomba mine. It also detonated almost point blank and sent Izuku reeling. More pink smoke filled the air, but it was much thinner than the fading smokescreen.
"Hey! We can finally start to see some more of the action!" Present Mic cheered as the audience had been forced to stare at the black smokescreen for the last minute and change. "Midoriya seems to be struggling!"
"You can concede whenever you wish, Izuku." Momo's voice came from his left and Izuku blasted an air bullet at the machine. It detonated from the impact and Izuku stumbled back a few steps. His foot stepped on another of the devices and he went sprawling as it detonated too.
"Incredible! Yaoyorozu somehow figured out our recipe for non-lethal mines! What a genius!" Present Mic praised the girl in his normal, loud volume.
"So, I've noticed!" Izuku grumbled as he heard the approach of another Roomba mine. He fell into a Warp Gate to escape and reappeared in the air again. "Sorry Momo, but I'm gonna need to end it with this one." Izuku remarked as he stood on a Platform and felt the eyes of the stadium on him. He deactivated all of his Quirks, aside from Platform, so that he could focus on properly compiling this combination. 'Air Compression', 'Gas Manipulation', 'Efficiency', 'Kinetic Boost', 'Force Multiplier', 'Energy Burn', 'Force Projection', 'Amplification'.
"What in the world is Midoriya up too?" Present Mic questioned as he raised his sunglasses while looking at the airborne teen.
The rest of the audience also murmured with their own questions. It was only when they saw the air start to visibly warp within Izuku's hands did the noise from the crowd began to build. The green-eyed teen focused as he compressed more and more air into a small space. A sphere of white was beginning to appear in his hands as the air was forced into such density that it became visible.
"Wait…that's the attack he used at the USJ!" Tsuyu's eyes went wide as she recalled the power behind that attack.
"The one that you said got you out of the Flood Zone?" Ochako looked towards the frog-like girl briefly before returning her gaze to Izuku.
"Yes…it's too powerful to use like this though!" Tsuyu shook her head. "The shockwave alone might seriously injure Momo!"
"Izuku wouldn't let winning blind him to that though, right?" Camie stared at Izuku as he built up his attack.
"Aero Shock Cannon!" Izuku aimed the white ball of air just aside from the ring and fired. The shot blurred through the air and pierced the ground before anyone could process the movement. The dirt and grass seemingly warped as the pressure was released deep beneath the ground. The ring cracked apart and Midnight held onto her platform for dear life while Cementoss raised a wall of concrete to hold back the pressure wave. The smokescreen that had mostly faded was blown away instantly. Momo was staggering as the ring broke apart under her feet and the wind became a roaring gale. Dirt was thrown upwards into the air as the shockwave finished detonating and the ring was once more obscured.
"WHAT THE HECK IS UP WITH YOUR CLASS?!" Present Mic yelled at Aizawa as everyone in the stadium tried to recover from what they'd just witnessed.
"IZUKU!" Ochako, Tsuyu, and Camie screamed at the power their boyfriend had just unleashed against Momo.
"What the hell…?" Monoma nearly fell out of his chair as he and most of Class 1-B just gaped at the power that Izuku had unleashed.
"Yeah…I'm just about…done now…" Izuku panted as he made a small Warp Gate and returned to the shattered ring.
"Midnight…what's Yaoyorozu's status?" Aizawa called over the stadium speakers.
"I'm…still here." Momo declared as the dust began to subside. The ravenette was forcing herself to sit up on one of the shattered pieces of the ring. She was clearly exhausted and injured from the attack that Izuku had unleashed. Her eyes showed nothing but determination to continue though.
"You're amazing, Momo…" Izuku praised his girlfriend with a tired smile. He started hopping across the broken remnants of the ring to get to her.
"I'm not…going down…without a fight." Momo declared as she forced herself to her feet. She threw a right straight punch at Izuku the second he was in range.
"Whoa," Izuku jerked to the side and nearly got vertigo as his body started to register the absolutely massive drop his energy had just taken. He reached out to grab Momo and try to nullify her Quirk.
"No," Momo denied as she pivoted on her heel and threw a kick at him. Izuku grunted as he blocked the kick as best as his tired body could. He looked into Momo's eyes and he saw the instant realization hit her.
'Paralyze Glare' Izuku activated the Quirk, feeling the strain even the brief activation caused his whole body. "Really?" He would've laughed if he wasn't so tired.
"Really…" Momo grinned even as her breath grew ragged. She'd created a pair of mirrored sunglasses directly from her face to block the Quirk. She threw another combo of punches and Izuku blocked two before the third hit him in the face. As he reeled back from the blow, he lashed out and snatched Momo's wrist.
"Got you…" Izuku nullified her Quirk and Momo struggled to pull her arm free. The two exhausted teens struggled against each other for a bit. They sank to their knees as they tried to pin one another. Izuku did the only thing he could think of and used his body weight. The verdette practically threw himself on top of his girlfriend and pinned her to the broken fragment of the ring.
"Izu…ku…" Momo's face was red from a mixture of exertion and shyness as everyone in the stadium saw Izuku laying on top of her.
"Yaoyorozu, can you move?" Midnight called out after several seconds.
"…No ma'am." Momo admitted after a few more seconds. She was tired like she'd never been before. Her injuries weren't helping either.
"Yaoyorozu is unable to continue! The winner of the Finals is Midoriya!" Midnight declared and the massive screens around the stadium changed to show Izuku's face with the word 'Winner' beneath. The crowd burst into raucous applause for the winner of the First Year Sports Festival.
"I really hope they give us time to rest before the closing ceremony…" Izuku rolled to Momo's side with a heavy sigh.
"That would be nice." Momo agreed as she worked to bring her heart rate and breathing under control. "Thank you, Izuku."
"For what?" Izuku turned his head to look at her curiously.
"For going all out." Momo explained while giving him a small smile. "You didn't hold back because I was your girlfriend. You treated me like a competitor and gave it your absolute best."
"You didn't give me much choice, Momo." Izuku smiled back at her. "Don't sell yourself short, you did absolutely amazing."
"Thank you." Momo's smile widened even as her cheek flushed pink.
"Do you two need help to get to Recovery Girl?" Midnight was at the students' sides and checking them over.
"I'll get us there." Izuku sat up and then kneeled beside Momo. He gently took her into his arms and stood up.
"Izuku!" Momo was now blushing so much her face was red. Izuku was carrying her away from the broken ring in a classic Princess Carry. The fact that they were on National Television didn't seem to bother the freckled teen one bit. Momo buried her face into his chest when she saw the cameras start to flash wildly.
"Such passion!" Midnight squealed as she watched Izuku carry Momo off so gently. "I can't take it!"
Izuku had no way of knowing that he was about to get an earful from three of his girlfriends. Nor had he recalled that his own parents were watching the Sports Festival. At the Midoriya Home, Hisashi was smiling widely as he watched Izuku carry Momo off the field. Inko was overjoyed, a brand-new fountain of tears pouring from her eyes, as she saw her son with a beautiful young lady.
Both parents shared a look with each other before smiling. They'd need to talk to Izuku about his girlfriend. If they were serious, then perhaps they'd be visiting the girl's parents in the next year or so.
-An Unknown Location-
"Hahahahaha!" All For One laughed loudly, unconcerned with the pain such an action was causing his weakened body. "More like me than you know!" The ancient Villain had a wide, maniacal grin on his scarred and disfigured face. The boy wielded that much power when he chose to! If he wasn't so set on playing Hero then he'd be a prime candidate for his forces. "That kind of power can only truly shine under the freedom I would offer. A pity you waste your gift from our bloodline on being another cog in the Hero Society."
The injured Villain Mastermind wore a dark smile as he chuckled quietly in his life support chair. Perhaps a meeting with the boy was due in the future? It would be quite interesting to see the descendant of a line of his family that he'd not even known existed. But first, the boy would need to survive what would come next.
"It is always good to let the fruit ripen properly, isn't it, Mother?" All For One murmured darkly as he traced the tip of his index finger over the name 'Shigaraki Megumi' on the genealogy papers next to him. She did always try to teach him and Yoichi peaceful hobbies like gardening as they grew up. It seemed fitting to use one of her little lessons to refer to her many times great grandson.
Chapter 23 – Award Ceremony and Internship Offers
Izuku stood on the first-place platform staring out into a sea of cameras as the media was allowed to get closer for the ceremony. On the second-place platform stood Momo who was doing well keeping a poised look. Izuku was sure that his ravenette girlfriend was bouncing happily on the inside though. Standing on the third-place platform was Juzo, the Class 1-B student that had made it the farthest in the Sports Festival. Izuku was curious as to where Iida was though. The bespectacled boy should be standing beside Juzo on the third-place platform.
"Now for the Medals!" Midnight spoke loudly into her microphone. "Presenting them this year is…you know who!"
"I AM…" The familiar voice of the Number One Hero rang out from the top of the arena as he leapt towards the platforms. The excitement of the media spiked as the man landed on the ground before the top finishers of this year's First Year Sports Festival. "HERE...with the Medals!" All Might declared as he rose to his full height with his signature smile on his face.
"It's All Might!" Midnight called out with a grin after seeing the blonde man's entrance.
"The First Years are really something this year! Even All Might came to watch!" One Pro Hero noted as All Might walked up to the third-place platform with one of the two Bronze Medals. Young Iida would have to get his later.
"You have a versatile Quirk and a sharp mind, young Honenuki!" All Might put the Bronze Medal around the recommended student's neck. "I have no doubt that if you continue to apply yourself and work hard, you'll be a Top Hero in the future."
"Thank you, All Might." Juzo nodded to the large man, while on the inside he was jumping for joy at the praise from the Number One Hero.
"Young Yaoyorozu, your matches were excellent!" All Might praised the girl who smiled up at him brightly. "Your intelligence and skill with your Quirk will take you as far as you desire in the Hero profession! Even I can't predict how far you'll rise in the future." He smiled back at the teen, showing complete faith in her abilities. The Silver Medal sat around her neck shining brightly.
"Young Midoriya, you were quite the spectacle today!" All Might smiled widely at the verdette while placing the Gold Medal around his neck. "The hard work you've shown with your Quirk and all of the various Quirks that you have at your disposal is nothing short of inspiring! The future is looking very bright with a Hero like you on the rise!" Izuku almost passed out at the praise from his favorite Hero.
"Thank you, All Might!" Izuku was trying really hard not to show how much the combination of praise from All Might and the sea of cameras was getting to him. He was mostly successful on that front.
"These are your winners!" All Might declared to the crowd and the mass of media cameras. "But hold on, everyone! Everyone here today has the potential to be standing up here! We all witnessed it! Competition! Encouragement! Pushing each other to climb higher and higher! The students of today will become the Heroes of tomorrow! In that spirit, let's have one final cheer!"
The crowd was abuzz with energy as they all prepared to say the famous motto of U.A. High!
"Everyone, say it with me!" All Might shouted out as he raised his arm, his index finger pointing into the air. "One, two, and…"
"PLUS ULTRA!" The entire stadium roared and thundering applause rang out.
'I'm glad they drowned me out now…' All Might hadn't been heard saying 'Thank you for your hard work!' instead of 'Plus Ultra' due to the sheer volume of the crowd.
That could've ruined the big moment...and would've been awkward.
-The Next Day-
All of U.A. got a long weekend after the Sports Festival. For some it was a chance to relax and recover. Several of the students that had made it into the second and third rounds found people recognizing them in public.
Others were having somewhat awkward conversations.
Specifically, Izuku and Momo, each with their parents.
"So…Izu…who was that pretty young lady you carried off the field, hmm?" Hisashi teased his son with a huge grin.
"Dad…" Izuku refused to meet his father's gaze. His cheeks were burning that he hadn't thought about what carrying Momo like that would bring. He'd practically forgotten that his parents were watching the Sports Festival!
"My baby is growing up…" Inko was smiling brightly even as happy little tears gathered at the corners of her eyes. The mother couldn't be any prouder of her son right now. He'd won the Sports Festival and seemed to have a beautiful girlfriend. She was going to make all of his favorites for dinner tonight!
At the Yaoyorozu Residence, things weren't much better for Momo.
"Momo-chan~" A gorgeous woman called to her daughter with a teasing lilt in her voice.
She was a tall and slender young-looking woman with long black hair that reached her waist. Her skin was light and free of any blemish, she had a thin and defined nose, and her warm brown eyes were filled with amusement. It was clear to see where Momo had gotten her looks from. Her mother was blessed just as much as her daughter with large breasts, a thin and trim waist, wide hips, a generous bottom, perfect thighs, and long legs that contributed to her above average height.
"Yes, Mother?" Momo knew this was coming and let out a quiet sigh as she turned to face her mom.
"I saw something very interesting after your final match in the Sports Festival." Her mother was all smiles as she led her daughter on a little.
"Mother…please." Momo really didn't want to be teased all weekend.
"Whatever could you mean?" Her mother chuckled behind her hand. "Let's have tea and chat about your young man, hmm?"
"Noooo…" Momo covered her blushing face with both hands, a habit she'd picked up from Ochako.
"Oh, it won't be too bad." Her mother's Quirk sprouted multiple copies of the woman's arms from the table and chair that Momo was sitting at. Momo just went along with it as the newly bloomed arms helped her out of her chair and guided her over to her mother. The arms all vanished in what appeared to be wisps of flower petals once Momo was beside her mom.
Never let it be said that Yaoyorozu Robin didn't enjoy teasing her daughter.
-First Day Back to Class-
The long weekend that the U.A. students got after the Sports Festival was over. Izuku was returning to school under a rainy sky on his normal morning train. He did notice the car was a bit more crowded today than normal.
'Everyone's probably trying to get to their destination as fast as possible. The weather says it's supposed to rain all day.' Izuku thought to himself as he checked his phone for the forecast.
"Excuse me, but...are you Midoriya, from Class 1-A?" An average-looking man asked the verdette teen.
That one question seemingly set off a chain of realization. Every passenger in the train car turned to look at Izuku. It was not that hard to recognize him though. With his green hair, matching eyes, the freckles, the U.A. uniform. In the next second, multiple people began to congratulate the teen for his win.
"Good job at the Sports Festival! You were amazing out there!" The initial man congratulated Izuku with a smile.
"You were first place in every round! It was awesome! The competition didn't stand a chance!" A college-aged young man gave Izuku a thumbs up.
"I laughed at how easily you cleared the Obstacle Race!" A young woman laughed lightly.
"Right? He didn't even slow down the whole time!" A responding laugh came from a slightly older man.
"When your team was being sieged in the Capture the Flag event I was totally on the edge of my seat!" A woman exclaimed with her hand over her heart.
"You must've worked super hard to get where you are today! Keep up the great work!" An older man encouraged Izuku with a nod.
Izuku had to admit that being congratulated was quite the experience from so many people, but it soon started to get overwhelming. Everyone on the train praising him for his power and his multiple Quirks, some mentioning how his Student Pledge was one of the best they'd heard in years. It was all very much appreciated, but all at once was almost too much.
When Izuku's stop came up the commuters made a path for the Hero Course student to exit. Izuku thanked all of them for their support once more as he disembarked onto the train platform. His attention was called back to the nice man that had first recognized Izuku.
"Do your best, Hero!" He smiled, gave Izuku a nod and a thumbs up.
"I will!" Izuku smiled back and waved to the passengers as the doors closed.
Leaving the train station, Izuku walked the short distance towards U.A. under his umbrella. It didn't take him long to meet up with two of his girlfriends on the way to school.
"Izukun!" Ochako called out to her boyfriend. She'd finally started to call him by the nickname after they'd all advanced their relationship a little further during the Sports Festival. The brunette was walking with Tsuyu, both with an umbrella over their heads.
"Good morning, Izukun." Tsuyu greeted her boyfriend with a smile. She liked rainy days normally, so getting to walk to school with Izuku during one was even better.
"Good morning, Ochako, Tsuyu!" Izuku returned the greeting. He pecked each of their lips as they walked closer to the gate. Both girls smiled brightly at the simple affection, even as their cheeks turned pink. "Have either of you seen Iida? He hasn't responded to any texts I've sent him over the weekend."
It was shortly after the medals were given out that Class 1-A had found out that Iida had to leave due to a family emergency. The news that had broken that evening had let the whole class know what the emergency had been. The Turbo Hero: Ingenium had been attacked by the Hero Killer, Stain. It was no surprise that a majority of their class was worried about Iida and his older brother.
"No. Not since he left during the Festival," Ochako shook her head, her worry obvious.
"Me neither." Tsuyu looked worried for their friend and classmate.
"I hope he's alright," Izuku sighed as they entered the school grounds.
"Good morning, everyone!" Iida greeted them as he dashed past them.
"Iida?!" Izuku blinked at the poncho and rain boots combo the speedster was wearing. 'Speak of the devil…'
"Why are you walking so slowly? We don't have much time!" Iida commented as he slowed his pace to talk. "You're going to be late!"
"Late? But there's still...five minutes until the first bell." Ochako glanced at her phone for the time.
"We'll be early at this rate, kero." Tsuyu nodded as the group got to the front doors.
"U.A. students should always arrive ten minutes early!" Iida declared as they got to the shoe lockers and began to switch to their uniform shoes.
"Iida, I…well…" Izuku wasn't sure how to bring up the subject, but he knew he should ask. "I heard about what happened to Ingenium, your brother, I wanted…"
"There is no need to worry, Midoriya. I apologize for not replying to your texts these past few days and worrying you needlessly." Iida pulled his uniform shoes on. "I did…if it was possible…" The bespectacled teen seemed to be having trouble with his words. "Midoriya, what are the limits of your Healing Quirk?" He finally decided to just ask a direct question.
"Healing Aura?" Izuku blinked at the unexpected question. "Uh…in its base state it can heal bruising, cuts, and other light forms of damage." He explained the basis of the Quirk. "When I boost it as much as possible, I'm able to heal most forms of damage as long as I have the energy to spare." Izuku informed his classmate. Recovery Girl's lessons had uncovered quite a bit about what the boosted Healing Aura could do after all. Short of something like severe brain injuries or the loss of a limb, a fully boosted Healing Aura could work wonders.
"Midoriya, could I ask you to accompany me after school today?" Iida requested with a formal bow. Izuku blinked at the request and the ninety-degree bow that Iida was giving to him in full view of everyone. Both Ochako and Tsuyu were looking between Iida and Izuku in confusion.
"S-sure thing, Iida…I'll just have to let my parents know that I'll be a little late getting home." Izuku agreed and Iida returned to standing upright with a grateful smile on his face.
"Thank you very much, Midoriya." Iida looked so thankful that Izuku could only think of one thing that he was being indirectly asked for.
"No problem, Iida, we're friends." Izuku smiled back and hoped that he could help.
The group walked into their classroom to see that everyone was happily discussing the aftermath of the Festival. In particular all of the attention they had attracted during the long weekend.
"It's so different when they broadcast the matches on TV, huh? Lots of people recognized me on the way here!" Mina exclaimed with a bright grin.
"Yeah, me too!" Sero chuckled as he looked over at the pinkette. "There were a bunch of kids in my neighborhood that all started hounding me to show them super moves."
"People were staring at me, too. It was kind of embarrassing!" Toru giggled as her sleeves moved upwards indicating that the invisible girl was covering her cheeks with her hands.
"Isn't that normal for you, Toru?" Mina questioned playfully.
"Just one Sports Festival and now we're practically celebrities, huh?" Kaminari chuckled at how quickly they'd become recognized.
"Don't get a big head." Jiro rolled her eyes at the blonde boy.
As everyone was chatting, Izuku was making some small additions to his current Quirk notebook. Having seen so many Quirks at the Sports Festival, he'd spent his long weekend, or at least the times when he wasn't being teased by his father, writing them all down and speculating about them.
"Is Mineta sick today?" Kirishima commented on the short boy's empty desk.
"Huh, now that I think about it, I haven't seen him today either." Sato mentioned with a thoughtful look.
"If he's not feeling well, it's better for him to stay home and recover." Shoji shrugged as he spoke. It wasn't like missing a single day of class was unheard of or anything.
"Yeah, but being sick always sucks." Kaminari made a face as he recalled the last time that he was sick.
"Well, I hope he gets better, not going to complain about not getting eyed-up for a day." Mina shook her head and Toru agreed with her friend.
"I don't even get eyed-up by him, much, and I still agree with you on that." Jiro twirled her long lobe around her index finger.
"Good morning, students," Aizawa greeted his class as he entered the room a few seconds before the bell rang.
"Good morning, Aizawa-sensei." The class replied, as the ones that weren't in their seats quickly took them.
"Only two seconds this time, that's better." Aizawa nodded to them as he stood behind the podium at the front of the class. "We have two things to go over today." The Erasure user looked at the class seriously. "The first, as you might have noticed, is that we have an empty seat. Mineta is no longer a member of Class 1-A after receiving his second Disciplinary Write-up. His behavior, his effort, and his display in the Sports Festival," Here the man's eyes narrowed as he recalled some of the articles he'd seen online over the long weekend. "Have all been less than acceptable for a Hero Course student."
'Good.' All of the girls thought simultaneously. Mineta's overly perverted tendencies and his actions hadn't made him any friends among his female classmates. They all saw him as a creep.
"So, are we getting a new classmate, or are we going to be a class of nineteen from now on?" Momo questioned after raising her hand. As Class Vice-Representative, she felt like she needed to know the future of the class layout.
"Come in," Aizawa looked towards the door as he spoke. "It's time for you to meet your new classmates."
The door opened and Togeike Chikuchi walked into the class until she stood next to the podium. There were many hushed comments and murmurs as the Hydrokinetic Quirk user stood before the class. Chikuchi had an average build with dark brunette hair. She had ear-length bangs that were arched slightly up before they came down. The rest of her hair was styled into a pair of low, curved pigtails that were held by a pair of clips that looked like gray rings with three spikes poking out of them. She had slightly narrow, stern-looking eyes with notable lower eyelashes, but the small smile on her lips made her approachable.
"I'm Togeike Chikuchi. I'll be your classmate from today onwards." Chikuchi gave a short bow to the nineteen other students.
"Take your seat. We still have things to do today." Aizawa motioned to the empty desk and Chikuchi strode over to it and sat down. The girl had a smile as she placed her hands on the desk.
'I made it,' Chikuchi thought happily. 'I made my way into the Hero Course!' After bungling her Entrance Exam (she should've at least brought a damn water bottle with her!), the brunette was almost certain that she'd lost her chance to be a Hero. After finding out that she could earn a spot if she did well enough in the Sports Festival, she'd buckled down and stayed late every day after school to practice with her Quirk.
"The second thing we'll be doing today is going over your first internships. Over the long weekend we received Internship Offers from Pro Heroes all around the country." Aizawa explained to his class. "The actual drafting usually begins in earnest during your second year, after students have gained enough experience to become immediate assets to the Pros."
"This is so exciting!" Mina was practically bouncing in her seat.
"In other words," Aizawa looked at Mina who quickly quieted down. "If a Pro extends an offer to any of you, then it means they're interested in your future potential. These offers are often canceled if the interest dies down after graduation."
"Adults are so selfish," Kaminari muttered from his seat with a grimace.
"So, we'll have to prove ourselves once we get picked, right?" Toru questioned with her hand raised.
"Correct. Don't fret if you aren't picked right now. U.A. has deals with multiple Hero Agencies that are willing to take on those of you who didn't get offers this time around. Here are the offers for this year, for Class 1-A." Aizawa informed as he hit a button and the screen behind him switched on.
Midoriya Izuku – 4,958
Yaoyorozu Momo – 4,116
Todoroki Shoto – 3,052
Bakugo Katsuki – 1,283
Iida Tenya – 1101
Kirishima Eijiro - 471
Uraraka Ochako – 342
Ashido Mina – 108
Kaminari Denki - 92
Asui Tsuyu – 87
Utsushimi Camie - 69
Sero Hanta – 41
Togeike Chikuchi – 19
"Normally, the numbers are more spread out, but this year the top three have caught everyone's eyes." Aizawa mentioned flatly at the large discrepancy between offers.
Murmuring immediately broke out among the students, all with varying reactions. Many were happy that they had actually received offers even though they'd been taken out early in the Third Round. Some noted the varying amounts curiously between those that did receive offers.
"Almost five thousand?! Midoriya, you're super popular!" Sato nearly gaped at the huge number that eclipsed all the others.
"Man, such a huge difference," Sero noted, even though he was very happy to have received the offers he did. Juzo had taken him out without much struggle after all. Maybe revealing his super move had gotten him a bit more attention?
"Those Pros must be blind if they think I'm fourth best in the class!" Bakugo was nearly growling at seeing his number of offers being below Deku's, Ponytail's, and Icyhot's.
"Heh…sixty-nine offers." Camie snickered behind her hand.
"Nice~" Toru giggled along with her. Shoji hid a small grin beneath his mask as the two girls talked around him.
"Midoriya first, Yaoyorozu second, Todoroki third..." Kirishima noted the order.
"I wonder why Bakugo got more offers than you? You beat him in the first match of the tournament." Tokoyami pointed out the difference between their offers and their placement in the tournament. Bakugo glared death at his bird-headed classmate.
"Yeah, but Bakugo showed off a lot more than me in the first two rounds." Kirishima shrugged the difference off easily. "All three rounds were important for showing what we could do, not just the tournament."
"That's true." Shoji agreed with Kirishima's assessment of the situation.
"Yaomomo, you did great, over four-thousand offers." Jiro congratulated her friend with a smile.
"I'm very happy that so many Pro Heroes see potential in me." Momo's eyes were sparkling and the ravenette was bouncing slightly in her seat.
'Cute~' was the thought of everyone that saw it.
"Iida! We got offers! So many offers!" Ochako was shaking the Engine Quirk user by the shoulders from behind. Her excitement was through the roof!
"You all got a brief glimpse of actual Villains at the USJ. But getting to work directly with Pro Heroes in the field first hand will be a much more informative experience." Aizawa mentioned to the teens. "That being said, you'll need Hero Names for your internships."
"Hero Names!" The majority of the class whooped with joy.
"This is starting to get fun!" Mina cheered with a bright smile.
Aizawa's eyes glowing red with his Quirk silenced the excited students. "These Hero Names will likely be temporary. But take them seriously or-"
"You'll have hell to pay later!" Midnight cut Aizawa off as she threw open the door to the classroom. Several of the guys perked up and let their eyes follow the woman as she strutted into the room with a sway in her hips and her hands behind her head. "What you pick today could be your Hero Name for life. You better be careful or you'll be stuck with something utterly indecent."
"It's Miss Midnight!" Several of the students called out in unison.
"Yeah, she's got a good point." Aizawa acknowledged as Midnight stopped beside the podium. "Midnight is going to have final approval over your names." He bent down to pick up his yellow sleeping bag off the floor. "It's not really my forte." He recalled exactly how he'd gotten his Hero Name because of Hizashi back when they were in school. "The name you give yourself is important. It helps reinforce your image and shows what kind of Hero you want to be in the future. A Hero Name tells people exactly what you represent."
"Everyone will take a whiteboard and a marker and think up ideas," Midnight handed sets of five to the first desk in each row. "Once you've thought up a name, raise your hand and you'll be called up to the podium to share and for final approval."
Aizawa watched for a few moments before climbing into his sleeping bag. He leaned up against the wall and was quickly asleep. The class would've been quiet even if they weren't busy trying to think up Hero Names.
'Hmm, I think I know what name I want.' Izuku thought back to all the time he'd spent trying to plan out his future as a Hero. He'd come up with a bunch of different ideas for names while training Collector and the various Quirks that he'd copied.
"Alright, let's start presenting those who have already come up with ideas!" Midnight spoke up at the five-minute mark.
The first to present his idea was Aoyama, who confidently stood up before anyone could be called and walked up to the front.
"Hold your breath." Aoyama cautioned his classmates. "The Shining Hero, my name is 'Chevalier'! Mon Ami, you can't deny my style!"
'That's…more normal than I was expecting.' Almost the entire class thought as they saw Aoyama's Hero Name.
"Going full-on with the 'knight' theme, I like it!" Midnight approved with a smile and thumbs up.
"Merci, mademoiselle." Aoyama thanked the teacher before returning to his seat. Little sparkles seemed to be radiating off the boy.
"Ooh! Let me go next!" Mina pranced up to the podium with a smile. "My Hero Name: Acid Pink!" She winked at the class with a grin and a peace sign.
"There you go!" Midnight approved with a smile. "Make those looks work for you, girl! It's on point and easy to remember too! Good job!" Mina giggled happily as she went back to her seat.
"Mind if I go next?" Tsuyu raised her hand.
"Come on up!" Midnight agreed while pointing to the Frog Form user.
"I've had this name in mind since Elementary School," Tsuyu turned her whiteboard around. "Rainy Season Hero: Froppy."
"That's delightful!" Midnight gushed. "It makes you sound approachable, what a great example of a name that everyone will love!" Tsuyu croaked happily as she returned to her seat to the cheers of her classmates.
"I've got mine," Izuku stood up and headed for the podium with a small smile. "The Collector Hero: Synthesis."
"Oh~" Midnight grinned at the name. "Yes, yes, yes…I like that a lot too! It incorporates your Quirk and how you use it! Very good, Midoriya!" Most of the class clapped at the appropriate name for their Representative.
"Thank you, ma'am." Izuku nodded to his teacher. He shared bright smiles with his girlfriends on the way back to his seat.
"That's a great name, bro!" Kirishima fist-bumped Izuku as they passed each other while the redhead made his way to the podium next. "The Sturdy Hero: Red Riot!"
"Ah," Midnight smiled and her eyes softened. "You're paying homage to the Chivalrous Hero: Crimson Riot?"
"Yeah, he's kinda old school, but I've always wanted to be a Hero like him, Crimson is my Idol!" Kirishima grinned brightly.
"If you're bearing the name of someone you admire, then you have that much more to live up to." Midnight gave the boy a grin. "Living up to the ideals that inspire us can be difficult sometimes. But for those that shoulder those burdens to carry on the names of Heroes passed, it is a requirement."
"I know, and that's a weight that I'll happily bear!" Kirishima clenched his fists in front of him. "I'll stand up and inspire others just like Crimson did, no matter the situation! I'll face it through and push past all fear and doubt!"
"Wonderful!" Midnight beamed at the Hardening Quirk user.
"Me next, fam!" Camie stepped up when Kirishima sat down. The fawn-haired girl stood behind the podium with a grin before presenting her whiteboard to the class. "The Illusion Hero: Mirage." She smiled and winked at Izuku.
"Oh, that's cute!" Midnight grinned both at the name and the look Camie was giving Izuku. "Simple and to the point, yet with a nice little air of mystery. I like it!"
"Thanks, Teach!" Camie grinned at the praise.
"This is what I came up with…" Ochako smiled shyly as she revealed her whiteboard at the podium next. "Uravity."
"Ah!" Midnight gushed at the name. "It fits you to a 'T', so cute!" She approved the name without hesitation. Ochako gave a sigh of relief and then smiled brightly.
"I hope to live up to this name, The Everything Hero: Creati." Momo showed off her whiteboard next.
"Creative!" Midnight nodded with a smile. "I like it!" Momo beamed as her choice was approved and shared a warm look with Izuku as she passed his seat on her way back to her own.
From there it was mostly smooth sailing. Jiro had named herself after her Quirk with Hearing Hero: Earphone Jack. Sato had chosen the Sweets Hero: Sugarman. Sero was the Taping Hero: Cellophane. Kaminari had proudly declared himself to be the Stun Gun Hero: Charge Bolt. Tokoyami had gone with Jet-Black Hero: Tsukuyomi. Shoji had used a portmanteau with the Tentacle Hero: Tentacole. Toru had gone simple with Stealth Hero: Invisible Girl. Koda had gone with the Petting Hero: Anima.
And then came Bakugo…
"King Explosion Murder!" Bakugo declared only to be instantly shot down by Midnight.
"No." Midnight shook her head. "Come up with something less violent, please."
"Shoto." Todoroki had just decided to use his name, apparently.
"Just your name? Are you sure?" Midnight looked at the dual-toned boy curiously. After getting a nod, he went back to his seat.
"I don't really have anything planned, ma'am." Chikuchi admitted to Midnight. "I didn't even realize we'd be coming up with Hero Names today."
"That's fine; you've only just transferred into the Hero Course." Midnight cut the girl some slack. "Make sure you think about it during your internship though, some real experience might help you decide."
"Yes, ma'am." Chikuchi nodded as she looked at her still blank whiteboard.
"Mmm, this is going more smoothly than I thought it would! All that's left is Iida and Bakugo, who needs to rethink his." Midnight noted.
Iida looked down at his board and began to write for a second before he stopped, hesitating on the name that had come to his mind. He thought back to when he'd seen his brother in the hospital. His brother, Tensei, had confessed that his injuries were bad enough that he would not be able to keep working as a Hero. It had nearly broken Iida's heart to see his brother in that state. To hear from his role model and elder brother that Ingenium would have to retire when he'd always done so much good. It had always been Iida's plan to learn under his brother's tutelage as a Sidekick after he graduated.
"Will you take the name Ingenium for me...brother?" Tensei had requested that day in the hospital.
'I'm sorry, Tensei…I can't...not until I know for certain that you can't carry it on.' Iida glanced over at Izuku from the corner of his eye. He shook his head before he decided to erase what he had written. He simply wrote down his own name as Todoroki had.
"Are you sure?" Midnight seemed disappointed but accepted it. She was fairly close friends with Tensei. It wouldn't surprise her if he'd asked his little brother to take on the name Ingenium for him. To see Tenya not accept it was somewhat worrying.
"Lord Explosion Murder!" Bakugo declared loudly to the class.
"That's basically the same thing." Midnight stated flatly. "If you can't come up with something less violent, then you'll have to use your own name too." She was starting to wonder if the Explosion Quirk user didn't need some more one-on-one time with Hound Dog.
"Why don't you be Explosion Boy?!" Kirishima shouted out a suggestion. Sero and Kaminari both cracked up laughing at the name.
"You shut up, shitty hair!" Bakugo roared back at the other boy. He eventually agreed to just use his name for now, after a few more attempts and variations of the last two names.
"Alright, Eraser, wake up!" Midnight shook their Homeroom Teacher awake. "We've finished with the names!"
"Okay, I'm up," Aizawa blinked for a moment before standing up inside his sleeping bag and then letting it drop down to his waist. "Now that everyone has chosen their Hero Names, we can go back to talking about your internships." He gazed out over his class to make sure they were all paying attention. "They'll last for one week. As for who you'll be working with, those with offers will choose from the ones that were sent to them. Everyone else will have a different list to choose from. You have a lot to think about. There are roughly forty Agencies from around the country that have agreed to take on interns from your class. Each Agency has a different specialty that their Heroes focus on, keep that in mind."
"If you plan to be a Rescue Hero in the future, you'll want to choose an Agency that specializes in that field." Midnight offered a simple example to the class.
"Think carefully before you decide." Aizawa instructed his students.
"Yes, sir!" The class replied in unison.
The bell rang and the lists were passed out for the students to look over during the break before the next class started.
"I wanna fight crime and bad guys in a big city." Kirishima grinned as he looked over his list of offers.
"I'm hoping for a place with a lot of water, maybe a lake?" Tsuyu looked at the list she'd been given thoughtfully.
"Just turn in your choices before the weekend." Aizawa informed them as he and Midnight left the room, the Modern Hero Art History Teacher waving to the kids with a smile.
"We only have a few days?!" Sero cried out in dismay.
"Yes, so you should start now." Aizawa replied flatly before closing the door behind him.
Chatter filled the classroom as the students looked over the various lists. Izuku was happily going over Agencies with his girlfriends and classmates, when Toru spotted a specific name on Camie's list.
"Whoa! Camie-chan has a big name on her list!" Toru exclaimed as she hugged her friend.
"Who did you get, Camie?" Mina was already super interested and trying to see the paper.
"Edgeshot!" Toru answered before Camie could.
"Really?! He's the Number Five Pro Hero!" Kaminari was shocked that such a big name had made an offer to a First Year.
"That's super impressive, Camie-chan." Tsuyu smiled at her friend…girlfriend? They should sit down and figure out how they all wanted their relationship with each other to work.
"She's not the only one either." Jiro spoke up from her spot next to Momo. "Yaomomo has an offer from him too!"
"I do?" Momo blinked, having stopped on the name Uwabami and had been considering the woman's history and popularity. Her eyes went down to the spot on her list that Jiro was touching with her jack. "I do!" The Creation Quirk user exclaimed excitedly with sparkles in her eyes.
"Edgeshot would be a good fit for both of you." Izuku started mumbling about the Number Five Pro and his style of Hero Work. Momo listened intently and tried to keep up to hear what benefits her boyfriend came up with. Camie just laughed and leaned into Izuku's ear.
"Do you want me and Momo to become kunoichi for you, I-zu-ku~?" Camie purred into his ear teasingly. She burst into giggles when Izuku's whole face turned tomato red near instantly.
"Huh…if Momo and Camie had such a big name on their lists, who else do the rest of us have?" Kaminari blinked since he was still on the first page of his own offers.
The rest of the class with offers started flipping through their lists as well. Hoping not to miss any particular Heroes, like those in the Top Ten, that had seen potential in them.
-After School ~ University of Tokyo Hospital-
"This way please, Midoriya." Iida led his classmate down a hall in the hospital.
After letting his parents know that he was going to be home late, Izuku had gone with Iida after school. The duo had ridden the train in the opposite direction that Izuku usually took. After going through a few procedures with Iida by his side, Izuku was let in to meet the Iida Family and see the injured Tensei.
"Iida…you realize I'm not legally allowed to try and heal your brother, right?" Izuku didn't have a provisional Hero License or any Medical Certificate that would allow such a thing. Not only that, but Tensei was already admitted to the hospital. Anything Izuku did could be construed as potentially harming their patient.
"You don't need to worry about that, Midoriya-san." Iida's father spoke up. He was an older man, standing taller than Tenya by a fair amount. He was starting to show some gray in his navy-blue hair as well as a few wrinkles, but Izuku still saw the man standing strong and firm despite his age. It was to be expected of a retired Pro Hero, he supposed. "We've given permission and signed all the requisite forms with the hospital. You can try to heal our son without worry of any legal repercussions." Left unsaid was the fact that the hospital had already admitted that there wasn't much else they could do for Tensei. He'd probably be able to walk again after enough recovery time, but even with physical therapy, the chances of him ever running again were basically zero.
"Oh…" Izuku blinked at the Iida Family already having everything taken care of. The fact that they were clearly hoping he'd be able to do what the hospital couldn't was a sudden weight on his shoulders. 'Calm down. This is what you've been learning under Recovery Girl for, right? To be able to heal people that need it. To save lives. To be a Hero!' "I'll do my best; you have my word." He bowed to the Iida Family.
After a few minutes to wash his hands and put on a surgical apron and mask, Izuku approached the unconscious Tensei. There were several machines hooked up to the injured Pro Hero and Izuku made sure not to mess with any of the sensors connected to Tensei's body. He gently placed his hands onto the man, as close as he could get to the injury. Izuku took a steadying breath as he closed his eyes and compiled the Quirks he would need.
'Mental Boost', 'Enhance Function', 'Efficiency', 'Amplification', 'Healing Aura' Izuku compiled the five Quirks together and began to search out the problem. It was quickly obvious what the issue was as Izuku sank into the mental boost and was able to 'see' the issue through Healing Aura. 'His spine was damaged…badly at that.' He began using Healing Aura to heal the damaged tissues that would've naturally healed in time. That would be the easiest to start with. When he looked deeper into the spinal injury, he realized why the hospital couldn't do much for Tensei. 'Part of it is missing…' Izuku realized quickly. With this kind of damage, Tensei might be able to walk with assistance someday, but it would be a slow walk at best. 'Never thought I'd actually use this Quirk on a person.'
The Iida Family watched on from the corner as Izuku did his best to heal their eldest son. The light-green glow around the boy's hands grew brighter and they all held their collective breath. It was only Tenya that noticed as Izuku started to sag his shoulders. He was fairly certain that Izuku only did that when he'd expended a large amount of his energy using his various Quirks. Just what was Izuku doing that would require so much energy?
'Return' Izuku activated a Quirk he'd only used before to practice and learn to control. He grimaced as he felt his energy drop sharply and his body heated up a bit as the Quirk went through its process. Izuku focused to make sure everything went right, even as his body temperature spiked into fever levels and his energy dropped further.
Return was a sacrificial Quirk if ever there was one. It allowed the repair or restoration of an object less than 30cm in size and under 500g in weight. It could even be used on humans with proper medical knowledge. Which, thanks to Recovery Girl, he now had quite a bit of. The sacrificial part came from the fact that whatever was repaired or restored was directly converted from Izuku's own body. A part of him would literally be broken down and transferred into the target to return what was lost. The activation of the Quirk was also incredibly energy intensive even for short bursts while his body broke itself down to create the raw material for the restoration of the target.
'There we go, just a bit more…' Izuku assured himself as he worked through the internal heat and the energy drain. He used Healing Aura to guide the new material towards the missing part of Tensei's spine. The raw material automatically turned itself into blank stem cells thanks to Return's function. With Healing Aura to guide it along and ensure everything would align and heal properly, Izuku 'watched' as the missing piece regrew. He had to stay focused though. Healing Aura connected new nerves together to once more complete the spinal cord. The nearby disk was healed as well from the damage that losing part of the spine had caused. Once the last of the inner work was done, Izuku focused on the last of the raw material and let it shape into the missing section of the vertebrae. The bone regrew rapidly and soon enough it would be impossible to tell that there had been any damage at all without some very specific medical tech.
"Midoriya…" Tenya stepped forward as the glowing light of Healing Aura faded away. The second Iida son quickly moved to steady his classmate as Izuku wobbled on his feet when he turned to look towards the Iida Family.
"Just…need to…sit down." Izuku assured his classmate as he was guided to a chair. A cold bottle of water was handed to him by Iida's mother. He placed it against his forehead for a long moment. After he'd cooled his head a bit, he quickly chugged the entire bottle in one go. Only after he'd rested for a couple of minutes did Izuku seem to perk up a little and sit up fully.
"Midoriya, are you alright?" Tenya asked carefully. He'd feel even worse if his classmate had hurt himself trying to fulfill his own selfish request.
"I'm fine, Iida, don't worry." Izuku gave him a small smile. "I never thought I'd have to use that particular combination on a person before."
"Is…is Tensei going to be alright?" Tenya's father questioned as he looked between his eldest son and the verdette boy.
"A few days to get checked over by the doctors and I'm sure he'll prove that he's fine." Izuku smiled softly at the parents. "I made it as if the injury had never even happened. Ingenium can return to helping others as soon as he's discharged."
The ever-proper Iida Family let out a loud cheer as they heard the news. Tenya nearly hugged Izuku, but restrained himself at the last moment. The entire Iida Family bowed deeply to Izuku in thanks for his help. Izuku felt good about healing Tensei and saving the career of the Turbo Hero: Ingenium. But the happy tears and joy he saw on the faces of the Iida Family as they gathered around the still sleeping Tensei meant more than anything else to Izuku.
He really felt like a Hero.