Chapter 1: The Beginnings of Heroism
The classroom of middle school kid was usually rambunctious and disorderly. Not today. Today was one of the few quiet days. Izuku was sketching Mt. Lady from her debut this morning. A debut he basically had a front row seat to. He pondered her powers muttering to himself all the while.
It took a palm from thee one and only Katsuki Bakugo slamming down on his desk to shake him. "Hey, Izuku cut that shit out," Katsuki demanded gazing down at Izuku. His gaze was one of annoyance, but not of rage.
"Woops. Sorry about that Katsuki. I was just thinking about Mt. Lady debut this morning," Izuku replied shrugging.
"Oh, I think the rest of us got that much," Katsuki retorted earning a few laughs from the class.
Izuku chuckled rubbing the back of his neck, "Sorry about that guys."
Someone patted him on the back, "Don't worry about it, man. We all want to be heroes and look up to them."
"Yeah, but an extra like yourself could never be one," Katsuki snapped a drop of rage in his eyes.
"I'm sure that everyone here could be if they put in enough work," Izuku rebutted smiling.
"Not all of us were born with amazing quirks like you two," someone chimed in from across the classroom.
"At least one of them has a least a halfway heroic quirk. Izuku's quirk is down right villainous!" another student mocked.
This set Katsuki off, "Hey! Fuck off! Any quirk can be heroic. Its all about use!"
"He's not wrong Katsuki. This quirk of mine would be something you would expect a super-villain to have," Izuku chuckled trying to calm down his friend.
"That would be like saying mine is villainous too!" Katsuki yelled small explosion coming from his hands.
"Oi! No, quirks in class!" the teacher yelled from across the room. Katsuki went 'tch' before calming down.
The rest of the class was complete uneventful. Izuku peered out the window most of time. The sun was setting in the distance when class was over. Katsuki snapped a finger gaining Izuku attention. "I was going to check your pulse next if you hadn't reacted," Katsuki chuckled.
"Sorry. Thinking about my quirk," Izuku said pulling a pencil to his hand. He had his mother's weak telekinesis. This was not his quirk though. Her quirk was just part of his. He had a quirk that any aspiring evil overlord would kill to have: Quirk Duplication. Any individual that made skin to skin contact with him he gained their quirk. Not copied, not sort of had a lesser version, an honest to god duplicate of the original. Secondary resistances and all included.
"You've got my quirk there's no way you can go wrong," Katsuki patted Izuku's back before standing up straight and pointing his thumb to his chest, "Because I'm fucking awesome."
"Thanks, Katsuki," Izuku replied getting up from his chair. He put his notebook in his backpack. Izuku stood just an inch short from Katsuki. He was nearly as muscular as the other teenager. He was plain looking, but had a brilliant smile that could lit up a room.
"Did ya fill out your UA application yet?" Katsuki asked as they left the room.
Izuku shrugged, "I've had it on my desk for weeks but... That's a place for heroes. And I really want to go, but I'm afraid that my quirk will paint a huge target on my back."
Katsuki frowned. He wasn't good at consoling others. He hated it in fact. Emotions weren't his thing. Well, except rage, rage was focus and strength. Izuku had been his friend for years. He decided maybe a harsher approach would work, "Look. We didn't put all the hard work in for you to become a Deku again. Man the fuck up."
Izuku took a deep breath, "You're right. Man the fuck up."
The two of them were halfway home, before it dawned on Izuku. "Ah, shit! I forgot my homework," Izuku sighed.
"If you go now, I think the school's still open," Katsuki stated with his hands in pocket.
"Alright I'll see ya at the gym then!" Izuku shouted rocketing off with a single explosion.
- Old Underpass -
Izuku sighed walking past an old underpass that was supposed to save him some time. A sense of dread filled the young man. Years spent with Katsuki had honed his combat sense to some degree. Nothing compared to the blonde protege, but more than average.
"What a nice looking fresh sack!" a disembodied voice called out from behind him. Izuku rolled forward out of instinct just narrowly dodging a slimy tentacle.
"What the," Izuku managed to say before jumping out the way of another attack.
"What a fine specimen! You'll do nicely as my new body," the monster redoubled his efforts.
Body possession is that even possible?! Midoriya panicked.
One. Two more dodges. Izuku was getting antsy. He really wasn't trying to use his power. He didn't want to give this monster anymore reason to pursue him. A slimy tentacle gripped onto his leg from behind. He got behind me. That's what I get for worrying about his safety! Izuku chastised.
A large man came into view. Izuku body was getting slowly covered. "Texas," the man shouted earning an 'oh shit' from the slime monster, "SMASH!" Air pressure exploded from the man's fist.
"All Might!" Izuku shouted dropping to ground.
"I'm sorry I'm late. Don't fear for I am here!" All Might shouted. He was quick at work picking up ooze and putting it in bottles.
"Holy crap, I'm a huge fan!" Izuku was just vibrating with excitement.
"I bet you are young man! I'm impressed you held your own against him for so long," All Might's voice practically boomed with bravado and gumption.
"Thank you! I've been honing my skills for years," Izuku replied blushing and rubbing his neck.
"Alright! I hope you have an excellent day! I need to take this guy to the local precinct," All Might tapped his leg where the bottles were. He crouched down ready to leap. Without a moments hesitation Izuku leapt after All Might and grabbed his leg.
- Random Rooftop -
Holy crap, that was scary! Midoriya thought catching his breath. All Might had leapt with so much speed and height that Midoriya was out of breath from the wind.
"Young man, that was reckless!" All Might chastised him. White smoke was bellowing from the large man. "Damnit," he whispered. Then all of a sudden the towering man had vanished in a explosion of white smoke.
"All Might! Are you alright?" Izuku called out to him in the fog. Unbeknownst to Izuku a new quirk popped into his head. It was a small burning ember. It was fuel and fire.
A skeleton of a man waved his hand and cleared the smoke. Izuku jumped scared by the deathly looking man. "Who are you?!" Izuku shouted looking around, "Where's All Might?"
"Calm, down young man. I am All Might," the skeleton said placing a head on his chest. His gaze was the same stoic hero. Izuku nodded knowing this was not a lie.
"What happened? Why are you like this?" Izuku concern and worry dripped from his voice.
The thin Might sat down against the bars along the rooftop, "Heh, why indeed." It took the hero a few moments to decide what exactly he was going to show the young man. Thin Might lifted up his shirt, "This is why."
Izuku gasped and placed his hands over his mouth in shock. "That looks horrible!" Izuku stated examining the aftermath of an injury.
"It is. My entire respiratory system is damage and half my stomach was destroyed. I have a time limit now," Thin Might held up three fingers, "3 Hours and that's it."
"When and why doesn't the public know?" Izuku asked taking a step forward.
That question caught All Might off guard, "It was 5 years ago. The public shouldn't know. The public shouldn't know that their symbol of peace is this decrepit man."
"Sure, the villain would love to know, but the world should know that their symbol of peace is dying! At least then you can spur on the next generation and look for someone to hold your mantle!" Izuku shouted at the man a bit of rage is his voice. Another side effect of duplicating someone's quirk: a bit of them is imprinted on Izuku.
"You sound like you want this burden?" All Might asked narrowing his eyes.
Izuku looked away, "That's what I wanted to ask you." He looked back to the man, "Can someone with a villainous quirk like mine become a hero like you?!"
"A villainous quirk? How so?" Thin Might looked puzzled. While he had seen his fair share of 'villainous' quirks it was the individual that made the villain.
"My quirk allows me to duplicate someone else's quirk and use it as if I was born with it. A power that you'd find in a manga or TV show," Midoriya started to tear up. This was a sensitive subject for him.
Midoriya's quirk reminded him of another very powerful individual that had a similar quirk. That man was truly a villain. "That's quite the quirk you have," All Might left space making the unspoken question.
"Izuku Midoriya," he bowed realizing just how rude he had been.
"Well, Midoriya my boy, not all quirks are made the same. Some are more powerful. Some are weak. Some are like yours. Yours is one with tremendous potential and yet so very scary to the people of the world. You can take what makes us unique and.. use.. it.. for!" All Might voice trailed off realizing he had touched the boy head. It was merely to protect him but he didn't think that he had a quirk like that.
The man shot to his feet. "Do you have it?!" he questioned his teeth gritting.
"Your quirk you mean? Hmm," Midoriya rubbed his chin in thought. He found a new entity within him. It was some kind of power accumulation quirk. What power and where he did not know but it was there. It was like a warm hearth within his 'quirk space'. Unlike Explosion it had no toggle, but it wasn't like he could willingly pull on it. He held out his hand and channel this new power through Explosion. He aimed his palm away from All Might. He let out a small explosion.
The resulting force knocked him off his feet. He wasn't ready for it. Another unusual aspect was that his explosion was green? "What is your power?!" Izuku asked standing up.
"I'm surprised you can use it so quickly. What is it that you want to be!?" All Might stood tall over the young man.
Midoriya's eyes darted away, "I want to be a hero, but with this quirk I don't think I'll be accepted."
"Midoriya, I'm not going to tell you what to do with your power or that other heroes won't be afraid of. Trust me they will be. A power such as yours is terrifying to think of and even worse to behold. But if you wish to be a hero then run headlong at the goal with everything you have," All Might grinned giving the young man a thumbs up.
A small explosion was heard in the distance. A random street was blazing fire all around. A faint sound made way across the horizon. Izuku knew what it was. "Be a hero, huh?" Izuku looked at All Might's pockets and spotted nothing. Panic set in as he realized he had caused this. It would now be his duty to fix it. "I'm sorry All Might. I have to go!" Izuku yelled barreling through the roof access and down the stairs.
"That was unusual," All Might muttered shrugging his shoulder. Another faint sound came across the horizon. All Might figured he should at least check it out.
- Scene of the Slime Monster -
Izuku was running at the best pace he could set. When he reached the crowd he couldn't believe the sight of carnage before him. The crowd was too dense to see what was going on. Heroes were shouting out orders. 'Contain the fires!', 'Help this kid!', 'We need a hero with a good quirk!', and 'This kid been holding his own for awhile now!' That last one caught Izuku's attention.
Like a call to arms, his friend yelling and shouting prompted action from the young man. He dove through the crowd in an instant and sprinted at the slime behemoth. Katsuki was smack dab in the middle of it. Heroes yelled at him to stop. He could only think 'if no one will help then I SHOULD!'
The slime monster was firing off explosions seemingly at random. "Izuku what are you doing here!" Katsuki managed to shout.
"I'm here to save you!" Midoriya shouted grabbing his friend's wrist. He let out a powerful blast pulling Katsuki halfway out of the behemoth.
"Damnit, I could have handled him by myself," Katsuki protested.
"You can say thanks later. Let's tag team him!" Izuku commanded.
Bakugo was about to reply, but nodded instead. He helped Izuku pull him out with another blast. The two teens were out of the slime mess and it was angry.
"You're the one from before! I'll just have to kill both of you!" the slime shouted sprouted numerous tentacles.
"While I doubt we can beat him. Let's keep him busy until a pro with a compatible quirk shows up," Izuku stated blasting away two tentacles.
"Let's do this then!" Katsuki smirked dodging and weaving around the slime. The two of them took turns blasting and defending. They worked beyond well in tandem. The pro heroes were just watching the two teenagers duking it out with the beast. Thin Might had just arrived at the scene.
He was astonished to see young Midoriya and someone he presumed was a friend duke it out with the slime monster. But the battle would be lost if someone didn't show up. The kids were powerful and coordinated, but they couldn't hurt him. It was a battle of attrition that they were losing.
Three thoughts came out in unison, When will someone show up and help?! Thin Might gritted his teeth. How dare I think of him like that villain! That right there is a hero through and through! And if I'm not willing to put it all on the line like them, then what am I?! All Might chastised himself.
All Might burst onto the scene blocking an attack that would have landed. "I'm sorry I'm late! What kind of hero would I be if I just let you clean up my mess!" the man said to Izuku. This caught Bakugo's attention and no one else. "You reign of terror is over villain! Detroit! SMASH!" All Might swung his mighty fist. Air pressure rocketed out from the attack. All the fire around and in the buildings extinguished from the lack of oxygen. The local weather changed from the blast causing it to rain briefly.
Mt. Lady and the other heroes on the scenes had to brace the crowd and themselves from the massive blast. Reporter and citizen alike flooded the scene. The other heroes congratulated Izuku and Katsuki for having such impressive teamwork and buying All Might the time he needed to arrive. A few of the reporters even asked Izuku and Katsuki about the event. Katsuki boasted about his skill and the battle while Izuku focused on the fact no one got hurt. All in all they were just as professional as the actual pros on the scene.
They broke away after the few questions the reporters had. They gave their home addresses for the police if they wish to contact them about questions or make a report. At the few blocks away from home mark Katsuki had said his goodbyes and gone his way.
Izuku was nearly at this apartment when a large man landed in front of him. All Might's large form exploded into mist. Thin Might coughed up blood before speaking, "Thank you, for remind me what being a true hero is about!
"What I didn't do anything?" Izuku hand waved the man. He had merely helped his friend.
"When you heard his voice did you think?" All Might asked.
"No, my body just moved and before I knew it I was breaking Katsuki free," Izuku replied thinking back to the event.
"Every great hero has a similar story. 'My body just started to move on it own,' is the common thread they all share. I believe you have what it takes to become a hero, nay, the symbol of peace!" All Might declared.
"The s-symbol of peace," Midoriya stuttered tears well up in his eyes. Then like waterfalls they flowed. He made a good attempt to keep his composure only lasting a few seconds. All his life he wanted someone to recognize him as a hero or at least the potential to be one. His mother was always supportive, but being told was another thing.
"Come on, my boy, that's no way for a hero to look," All Might chuckled.
He wiped his eyes, "Yes, sir! Thank you I've waited so long for someone to tell me I'm worthy."
"How would you like to be my successor?" Thin Might announced holding out his hand. A sphere of power manifested in the hero's hand.
"What?" Izuku looked confused.
"I wasn't born with this power. It was given to me!" Thin Might declared.
This had floored Izuku. If his mental image of the man wasn't shattered it was now. His idol had been a quirkless man given the power of a god. Passing on quirks was a new idea to Izuku but considering how his power worked it was not beyond reason. The answer became clear to Izuku: Forge Your Own Path.
"All Might. Thank you, but I'll have to decline. I'll accept your other challenge though," Midoriya clenched his fist.
Again twice in the same day, Izuku had just floored the Number One Hero. "That was rather unexpected. May I ask why?" the pro asked cocking an eyebrow.
"While I appreciate the offer. I have two reasons: One, I doubt that power and mine would work well together. Two, I think with a quirk like mine I should forge my own path. I will however take your mantle," Izuku declared smirking.
This made Thin Might grin. Being the Symbol of Peace wasn't just being number one or the strongest. It was being the bastion of hope everyone look towards for guidance and inspiration. While also being the bulwark that protected the citizens from the villains. And if done well enough their presence would be felt so far that the mere mention of the symbol would strike fear into the hearts of villains. A lot to live up to. Toshinori was sure that this young lad could do it.
"I look forward to seeing you at UA then," All Might said walking off waving.
- In Izuku's Room -
If Izuku wasn't motivated yet. He was now. He filled out the paperwork so quickly he was afraid it would catch fire. Of course it didn't but it could. The young man had completely forgotten about Katsuki and the gym. He immediately texted his friend apologizing for missing, but he had just completed all the paperwork in one night.
K: About time. Want to make a bet?
I: Bet for what?
K: How's going to take first place in the exam. What else?
As if Midoriya thought it could have been anything else.
I: What's the stakes?
He wasn't a betting man, but if it pushed them to be better he was all for it.
K: Hmm. Let's see.
K: Ah, I know. You can't use my power for two weeks after we get into school.
I: Fine. If its going to be that way. No swearing for two weeks.
K: Oh, fuck that. That's way harder.
I: No it isn't. Not using your power when its the one I know best is suicidal in the hero course.
K: You got me there. You have a deal.
I: Deal then. Good night, Katsuki.
K: Night.
Chapter 2: To Become Strong One Must Break First
10 months from now would be their fated day at UA. Izuku and Katsuki were in an abandoned parking lot. Both of the teens had worked up a sheen of sweat. They were relentlessly sparring. It was the quickest way to improve quirk resistance and strength their bodies.
"Come on, Izuku. Is that all you got? You've got my quirk and your mothers. Is this all you can do?" Katsuki taunted. Between the two of them, Izuku was tired and hurting all over. While he had Katsuki quirk he couldn't use anywhere near as good as the owner could.
"I've been wondering about this new quirk for awhile now. It's an interesting one!" green lightning crackled across his skin. Midoriya raised one arm and angled the other downwards. The enhanced explosion rocketed him towards Katsuki. He estimated that whatever this quirk was it could enhance other quirks. With his current flame it was only possible to augment his other quirks by at most 10%. In the case of Explosion it was closer to 21%. This was due to the quirk operating from two parts: one being the sweat and the other the actual explosion. Empowering both parts multiplied each improvement.
To say the least 21% was more than Katsuki could gap or overcome. Izuku was behind in power by maybe 10-12%. Two explosions collided and Izuku's won out. Katsuki let his arm take most of the explosion before reacting just in time. Izuku had landed next to Katsuki and swung his right elbow into him. The protege caught Izuku's elbow with his other open hand.
The blonde boy acted first swinging his other fist. Izuku combined a side step and his mother quirk to just dodge the strike. Izuku grabbed his opponents arm creating a stalemate.
Bakugo headbutted Izuku breaking the stalemate. The green haired teen stumbled backward and shook his head. Bakugo roared into the air planning on landing an aerial attack. Green lightning surged forth. Izuku shot out his right arm and another green explosion let loose.
The protege was no push over and had the skills of any master. Katsuki let lose an explosion that sent him out of the way. The blonde tumbled to the ground and skidded across the concrete. His side and arm got scrapped pretty good by the fall.
"Enough," Izuku panted.
Bakugo stood up his skin singed from the green flame, "Agreed."
"Two sparrings, two body building days, and two stamina building days. One day of rest," Izuku panted. "This will be hard to keep up with you. You know that, you damn, monster," Izuku smirked looking over at Bakugo.
"You want to be the very best. Then you have to train harder than them. Your form still needs work. That power is new though," Bakugo suggested.
"I got it from All Might," Izuku admitted walking over to his backpack. He chugged a bottle of water before an idea formed in his head. "Ever consider using water for training?"
"You got it from All Might?!" Katsuki shouted getting in front of the other teen.
"Yeah, its a power accumulation type. If he's had it for years it explains why he's so powerful. All he would need to do is stay in peak shape and the power would augment his strength, speed, and stamina," Izuku rattled off going back to his notebook.
"When did you meet All Might?" Katsuki continued questioning him.
"Just before helping you with that slime monster. I was... pestering him about having a villainous quirk," Izuku sighed looking at Katsuki directly, "It wasn't all it was cut out to be. But now I know I want to aim past him and take his mantle."
Katsuki chuckled getting himself a water bottle, "Look at you. A week ago you didn't even want to be a fucking hero, but now you want to be thee hero. God damn Izuku, just remember I'll still be number one."
"What kind of symbol would I be if I just let you beat me to the top?!" Izuku smirked chuckling.
"How did the first day feel? I don't want to tire you out and have to carry your dead ass home," Katsuki mocked.
"I think I just need to get used to it. I'll have to ask mom to add in more meats and vegetables into our meals. I'll also need to develop a better studying method," Izuku admitted finishing a bottle of water.
"I've got a fucking great one!" Katsuki laughed.
"Remembering everything is not a great one! Some of us have to actually try to be smart," Izuku retorted throwing the empty bottle at Katsuki.
The other teen swatted it out of the air, "Tch. Get a second notebook then. Take notes about what you don't understand and I'll go through it with you."
"Awesome. I'll head to the store now then. Otherwise I'll forget or worse get sidelined by a hero fight," Izuku chuckled knowing his luck finding or being in hero fights.
"Well, if you do: don't fucking fight. UA isn't going to like us showboating before we get into the school," Katsuki stated picking up his backpack.
Izuku did the same. The sun had nearly vanished off the horizon. Luckily, there was a convenience store just a few blocks from his house. He grabbed a few notebooks off a shelf, some markers, pens, pencils, and an eraser. There was a pink-haired girl at the checkout with a dozen energy drinks. She had bags under her eyes.
"Pulling an all nighter or two?" Izuku asked her.
The girl turned to Izuku and gave him a once over. He was a mess. Singed clothing and light burns dotted his skin. His hair was even more unworldly than normal. "I wish! This is just for tonight!" She was unusually peppy and spry for looking that tired.
"Woah, that can't be healthy," Izuku commented.
"Well how else am I going to complete my babies and get them submitted to UA?" she pouted.
"You're going to UA too? Support?" Izuku asked smirking.
"Yup. I'm going to be the best inventor there ever was!" she declared pumping her fist in the air.
"What a coincidence. I'm going to be the next symbol of peace," this earned him a grin from the pink-haired girl.
"Mei Hatsume," she presented her hand to him. It was odd and a bit American to do.
He shook her hand, "Izuku Midoriya."
"If you're going to be the symbol of peace, Midoriya-san, then I'm going to support you!" she boasted smirking.
"Slow down, Hatsume-san, how do I know you're any good?" Izuku smirked wondering what kind of rise he'd get. Hatsume made a face like someone had killed her grandmother in front of her. A look of determination and defiance came across her face.
She then got a little too close for comfort, "I'll just have to show you then!" She checked out and waited for him to checkout as well. Hatsume beckoned him before she broke out into a run. Izuku smirked and caught up to her.
"So where are we going?" Izuku asked jogging beside her. She wasn't quite fast enough for him to actually run. Another feature of hers caught his attention. It made him blush and he chastised himself for even looking. She was definitely a woman and the running was making it all to obvious.
"To my workshop of course," she smiled as if it was the most obvious statement ever.
"What you live around here?" Izuku asked still recognizing the area he was in.
"Not my home, but my workshop is around here," Mei replied as they turned down a street.
"You rented out a workshop? You must be really passionate," Izuku remarked.
"Well, my parents did. I sell blueprints to make the rent otherwise I'd have to make my babies at home," Mei stated slowing down to a walk.
"Let me guess they banned you from working at home?" Izuku guessed seeing a heap of broken parts and scrapped projects.
"Yeah, said I can't set the house on fire anymore," Mei chuckled. She was cute in her own determined, crazy way.
Izuku whistled when she opened the door to her shop. It was a mess. Tools all over the place. Broken bots, parts, broken you name it was here. "Are you normally this messy or is this an off day?"
"Huh? This is clean," Hatsume said pulling out gear and parts from seemingly random piles.
One of the things that his mother's quirk allowed him to do was recognize small parts. This room overloaded his spatial awareness trying to catalog and 'touch' every object. The inventor pulled out a notebook and sat at her desk.
"Okay, symbol of peace," she mocked, "What is your quirk?"
"If I tell you, promise not to get spooked," Izuku stood in the center of the room. She shrugged and gestured for him to continue.
"Quirk Duplication. I have the ability to gain another person's quirk as if I had been born with it. As far as I can tell all quirks are free game. Mutant-type only get duplicated if I met the prerequisite body structure first. Like if wings are your quirk, I can't duplicate that," Izuku explained looking around.
Before he knew it she was on him. So close he was blushing. Her glove on one hand was off. She touched his exposed neck getting him to back away instantly. "What are you doing? Skin-to-skin contact is how I duplicate quirks. Its why I wear these!" Izuku gestured to his long sleeve undershirt and green gloves he wore.
Then her quirk kicked in. It was a mutant-type, but one with a basic prerequisite: eyes. Izuku's pupils formed a plus sign. His vision zoomed in on her eyes. He shook his head blinking. That was a new one. Within his quirk space a new contender appeared. Her quirk was a lens within the space.
"Wow, I thought you were lying, but you duplicated my quirk," Mei marveled at Izuku. The potential he had was beyond her wildest dreams.
"What do you have a zooming quirk of some kind?" Izuku asked finally getting the quirk under control after a minute or two.
"Yup. Its called 'Zoom'. I can magnify my vision and if I really try I can see up to five kilometers away," Mei explained sitting back down. She was jotted down notes furiously.
"I can see why you're an inventor that specializes in robotics. Zoom would be very helpful for that," Izuku commented enhancing his vision to see what she was writing.
"Are there any limitations? Can you use multiply quirks at once? Do you need to learn the quirk? Or do you get some innate knowledge? How many quirks do you have?" Mei rattled off question after question.
"Only mutant prerequisites and stamina so far as my limitations. I can use multiply quirks at once and synergize them. I have to learn how to use the quirk just like the original owner. I have 4 quirks now, thanks to you," Izuku answered her in order and clearly.
"4 quirks? That's it? Don't you want more?" Mei asked more curiosity than anything else.
"Its not like I go around just touching people. Some quirks can't be turned off so I don't want to just get a new one and find out I can't use it with what I already have," Izuku then whispered, "Plus its kinda villainous to just go around collecting more power."
"Hmm, how does that saying go... Guns and knifes don't kill people. People kill people. Quirks are like that. Nothing more than tools to be applied at the owners discretion," Mei retorted before getting her peppy tone back, "What's the four quirks?"
"Weak Telekinesis, Explosion, Power Storage, and well, Zoom," Izuku stated.
"Wow, random, but a few strong ones in their. Power storage?" Mei asked jotting down more notes.
"I'm still not sure where the power is derived, but it doesn't lessen when used. It can super charge my other quirks. But costs double the stamina doing that," Izuku explained lifting up multiply items with his weak telekinesis.
"The limit of the telekinesis is about 10kg and I can control up to 10 items at once. It also gives me a sense of everything within 20 meters. If I focus hard enough I can check your pulse," Izuku chuckled sorting the debris and finding a chair. He pulled it out of the mess and set it in the middle of the room.
He then sat down and opened his palm aiming to the ceiling. He let loose a small explosion, "Explosion. Magnitude around 10kg of TNT at maximum. Causes damage to self at that level though. Secondary benefits is concussive resistance, enhanced bone strength, and thicker brain fluid to handle the concussive force better. Explosion is created by my sweat and is only detonated from the hands. Its composition is like that of nitroglycerin."
"You must have had that one for years to know that much about it," Mei commented finishing her notes.
"Well, doc, what do you recommend?" Izuku chuckled.
"I've got a few babies you could try and see if they work. Otherwise I can just test them on you!" Mei jumped out of her seat and fetched an arm guard.
"This is a prototype, but it should work," Mei smirked clamping it on Izuku's forearm. It engaged a moment later covering from wrist to shoulder. The servos hummed as he moved his arm.
"What does it do?" Izuku asked finding his movement constricted slightly. He guard wasn't slow it was just tight.
"Its meant to damp recoil from rifles or other large caliber weapons. But I think your Explosion qualifies as 'large caliber'. Let's go outside and give it a try," Mei offered getting up. He followed her outside into the backyard.
He held out the reinforced arm and let loose. Instead of going light, he choose to let loose a 70% -ish explosion. The area quaked a bit from the concussive force. Usually, anything above 50% would cause noticeable strain, but the dampening effect had worked. The young man swung is arm in a wide arc before launching off a series of attacks.
The final step was to test durability. "You have the blueprint for this right?"
"Yeah, why?" Mei asked watching in horror as he let loose a point blank explosion against his own arm. While it protected him it was worse for wear after that. The servos were failing and snapping as he moved it again.
"You'll have to make it tougher and less tight next time. The brace worked, but I need something that can withstand getting hit by my own quirk. After all these aren't mine," Izuku mercilessly tore the rest of the arm guard off.
She knelt on the ground next to her decreased invention. "Failure is the mother of all invention. I'll do better next time. I think a titanium-tungsten alloy with a thin rubber interior would work. The servos and connector also need to be able to float and move with the user. Just in case you get some kind of transformation quirk it could compensate to a degree before breaking," she mumbled notebook in hand.
Izuku looked down at her and couldn't but help worry. She looked so tired, but so determined. "Hatsume-san," he called out to her. When he didn't get her attention he snatched her notebook. She tried to jump for it but Izuku tossed it up catching it with his telekinesis.
"Hatsume-san," Izuku said again.
"Give it back. I've still got to make a dozen more notes and ideas for you!" Mei demanded.
"And I think you should get to bed. Its dark out anyway and you look like death," Izuku retorted.
"That's not nice to say to a lady," she pouted crossing her arms.
Izuku nicely took her pencil and floated in up to her notebook. "I'll leave you my phone number. Call me in the morning after you've got some sleep and I'll return your notebook," Izuku said writing with his telekinesis. He ripped off the corner of the page where he had put his number. Mei could only watch the telekinetic perform his feats of precision. More ideas were flooding into her mind. The green-haired lad brought the piece of paper down to her.
"Fine. If I get some sleep, you promise to return it," she sighed.
"Yes, I do," he said bringing the book back down to earth. He caught it and held onto it. "In return, I'll help you test out your equipment and even spur you on if you get stuck," Izuku offered smiling.
She sighed and let down her guard, "I expect you here twice a week! I've got a lot of devices to cover and only 10 months before UA."
"Same here. Instead I'll be training those ten month and schooling and this," Izuku smirked for emphasis.
"Where do you live so I can get my notebook?" Mei asked shamelessly.
"I'm not telling you that," Izuku replied walking through her workshop to the door. He spotted a cot but it was covered in parts and devices. Making use of his telekinesis he cleared it off and sorted like things.
As if she didn't understand social queues at all. She started to strip basically in front of Izuku. His reaction was proper and quick. "What are you doing!?" he shouted.
"Getting ready for bed..?" she replied now in her bra.
"You're not supposed to just get naked in front of strangers," Izuku turned away unlocking the front door with telekinesis.
"Oh, but we're not strangers so it should be fine," Mei shrugged. What kind of logic is that! Izuku panicked closing his eyes. Not that it helped him much. His telekinesis gave him excellent spatial awareness so much so he could still 'see' with his eyes shut. Objects had no color, but he could make out their outline. Hatsume's outline was more than enough to fuel his imagination.
"I'll be going now!" He said swinging the door open and then closed it. He locked it from the outside and took off.
Hatsume shrugged. He was a weird one. But with a quirk like that she's wasn't passing up the opportunity to be his support. His quirk would force him into the spotlight, which in turn would bring her babies into the spotlight as well.
- Home -
Izuku got home and tried to calm down his blush. He had almost seen a naked girl and that was just too much for his heart to take. "Izuku, you're late. Are you okay?" Inko asked from the kitchen.
"Yeah, I met a new friend and she's a bit strange," he stressed that last part. He kicked off his shoes and walking into the dining area.
"A she now? Is this something I should worry about?" Inko asked stepping into the dining area.
"No. It's not like that. More like a work friend. She wants to be my support and I think she's got the passion to do it," Izuku explained seeing a simmering meal in the kitchen.
"Symbol of Peace, right? You know I support you but your going to worry me to death aiming for that," Inko stated standing face to face with Izuku.
Ever since Izuku had gotten a quirk she was so relieved that he could pursue his dream of becoming a hero. Her heart had sunk when he was being bullied for having a 'villainous' quirk. After Izuku had explained his actual quirk she almost felt the same way. She knew as a mother she had to hope for the best but his quirk was 'villainous' in nature.
"Mom, I'm going to become the symbol of peace no matter what. I need to show people that being born with a villainous quirk doesn't make it so. I want to inspire everyone and strike fear in those that wish to do harm," Izuku stated clenching his fist.
She frowned but nodded. This was his dream and wishes. She had to respect that even if it killed her to see her baby hurt, burned, or sad. "Do you think it would be possible to add more meat and vegetables to our diet? In need for energy and protein for muscles," he asked.
"Yeah, sure I can do that. You're so strong already and you're hoping to get even stronger before UA right?"
"That's the plan. I don't want to walk into UA at the basic level. I want them to know I gave my all to be there and this is what I have to offer the world," his confidence was infectious. She nodded smiling. If he was happy that's all she could ever want.
Chapter 3: Time Flies
- 9 months to go -
It was the second time he was there this week. The arm guard/brace had been but a skeleton the last time he was there.
"How does it look?" Mei asked standing next to Izuku.
"A little bulky," Izuku replied earning him a light smack in the stomach from her, "What its true."
"Put in on and tell me then," Mei shook her head.
Izuku slipped on the rubber insulating and shock absorption sleeve and glove. He then laid his arm in the guard. Being the wearer he closed the device. Once the clasps were close enough they magnetically aligned and bolts screwed into place. "Magnetic sealing. Do you think it could be made collapsible and deploy-able on the spot. Maybe being made from different materials for different scenarios?" Izuku asked flexing and moving it around.
"That would be difficult since not all materials are the same composite or properties," Mei was jotting down notes like a mad scientist. Which honestly she actually was one.
Izuku telekinetically opened the back door. Mei followed him notebook in hand. "The glove is a bit thick," Izuku commented squeezing his hand.
"Is that a problem?" Mei asked.
"My explosion come from my sweat so if the material can't breath and allow the sweat to pass it might backfire," Izuku looked to Mei.
"That's a cloth-rubber polymer, it should breath well enough," Mei assured.
"Alright," Izuku shrugged. He held up his hand. What happened next would have been called an unmitigated disaster.
The glove bloated. The fire and heat crept up his arm melting the rubber. The fire finally found a way out at his elbow. Izuku gritted his teeth in pain. Melting rubber burned like hell. He startedt ot claw at it trying to find the release on the metal part of the guard.
Mei dropped her notebook, "Wait! It requires two touch points to disengage the magnetic coupling!"
Trying his best to be calm, "Then assist me!" That request was all it took for her to get into gear. The first point was the wrist and about 20cm (8") away up the arm was the other point. Mei completed the circuit by placing her pinky on one and her thumb on the other.
"That's.. brilliant.." Izuku said through clenched teeth. The small battery maintaining the magnetic connection hummed as it powered down. The guard let goo. Izuku wasted no time ripping off the guard and the rubber. His explosion quirk gave him some limited heat and fire resistance. Just in case if an explosion was reflected or a point-blank range attack was made.
He was lucky to get away with first degree burns. Mei looked like she was about to cry. This was the first time anyone had ever been seriously injured by her babies. She had vowed never to invent anything that could harm people directly. There was enough violence in the world and she didn't want to contribute to it.
"I'm so sorry I should have listened to you!" Mei said tears welling up.
Izuku turned to her and she stumbled when he stepped towards her. Izuku was quirk to react. He wrapped one arm around her back and stopped her from falling. It was Izuku's turn to be far too close to her. "Hatsume-san, you can't blame yourself for this. I'm not even hurt that much," he tried to console her.
She studied his eyes. He was gentle and had some kind of determination deep within. His spirit and strength practically radiated from him. She looked away feeling like there was no possible way to match him and even worse she felt guilty. "I'll do better next time. If you'll still have me," she offered sniffing.
"Of course. If anyone can do it; it's you," Izuku answered steadying her before letting go.
Mei had liked being in his arms if not only briefly. He was warm and just being near him lifted her spirit. She felt like he pushed her to be better. "You better get that under some cold water before it gets worse or you get an infection," Mei advised.
Izuku chuckled rubbing his neck, "You're right. I'll take off for now and get this taken care of." He walked to the door and paused. The green-haired teenager sighed, "Look. Don't think that hurting me is fine or anything like that. Think of it like growing pains. I expect to get hurt aiming to be the symbol of peace. What I don't want is my friends and family lingering on the fact I got hurt. It's why I got hurt that should matter. If I saved a life or stopped a villain that should be focal point not some injury that can heal."
The pink-haired girl meekly nodded trying to wipe the tears from her face. After that he was gone. The inventor knelt down and examined her work. Fiddling with the magnetic parts only raised her frustration. Finally, she snapped and threw down the guard. She slammed her fist into the ground, "Come on put yourself back together. This isn't what Izuku would want." Saying his first name didn't feel bad. She wanted to think of him as friend, as a hero, as an equal. Taking a deep breath she calmed down.
The rest of that night she had redoubled her efforts. She was going to match his determination to be the best. The only way to get there is to reach for the heavens.
- 8 Months to go -
For once the workshop was looking more shop less hoarders paradise. This was not because Hatsume wanted it to be clean, but because Izuku gave her no choice. He used almost exclusively his telekinesis to lift objects and sort them. He had found out that he could use power storage and his weak telekinesis together. It resulted in a bloody nose, but increased the capacity of his telekinesis three fold. Izuku made sure to make a note about the interaction in his notebook. 'Weaker powers are enhanced more than strong ones. Or maybe there is more facets of telekinesis than Explosion and it gives power storage more 'area' to apply to'.
The last 20 minutes or so he had been watching just over her shoulder. She didn't seem to mind the closeness and he was getting used to her. She was writing up a schematic for some kind of deploy-able communication device. That was at least what Izuku could decipher. He was doing his best to understand all the notes and designs. But he was no genius and worse had limited experience reading technical documents.
At first it didn't bother Mei. She understood he was just being curious. If they had more time she wouldn't mind teaching him all the symbols and the design process. She figured that could be useful for a hero to know.
She wasn't ticklish at all on her neck, but slowly her skin started to get goosebumps from his breath. It was hot and just at the right distance not to be stifling, but not so far that she wouldn't notice. Whatever it was eliciting from her must be a primal feeling. Her skin was getting flushed and blood was moving around. It was an abnormal feeling.
She felt annoyed to have eyes so close on her work, but at the same time his closeness felt good. It was a new feeling to have someone that really cared about you. Her parents cared but she determined it was more obligation than truth. Suddenly, someone else's opinion mattered to her. It helped that he was just as determined and crazy as her. He was fun to talk to. He wasn't overly critical, but not useless either. The input from him almost always was more than useful.
Some of the days, they just sat in silence. Izuku doing his homework and Mei working on projects. She even helped him with his homework.
But his breath was getting to her. It must be her womanly instincts getting affected. She turned her head to look at him. It was his turn for his skin to get flushed. Whether it be embarrassment or nervousness.
"Having fun?" Mei asked wondering if he was aware of what he was doing.
Izuku raised an eyebrow, "I-I'm j-just watching." The stutter was just too cute. Mei checks got beet red.
She then whispered meekly, "Y-you're too close." If Izuku wasn't blushing he was now.
"S-sorry," Izuku stuttered standing up straight and walking away. He was rubbing the back of his neck nervously.
Her heart sunk a bit. Panic set in. She stood up knocking her chair over. "Sorry. I didn't mean to point it out. I.. I.. don't mind really," Mei admitted. This unknown feeling was creating a knot in her stomach. She messed up a lot but this was not something she was willing to mess up.
He turned to her and she feared the worse. "Its fine really. I was just overstaying my welcome," Izuku chuckled nervously.
That was not the reply she was hoping for, but it was better than some of the ones she could have thought of. "O-okay, just don't be a stranger," Mei replied mentally punching herself. That wasn't the direction she wanted to go. She wanted to address inner struggle. She wanted to get those feelings out of her head.
He collected his backpack and swung the door open with telekinesis. She wanted to reach out, but instead picked up her chair. Sitting back down she heard the door click. Mei wanted to cry a little bit, but held fast. This was not the last time they would she each other.
- 7 Months to go -
Prototype test #3. Izuku was out in her backyard. The glove material was much thinner this time. He let loose several explosions. No backfire. He fired a point-blank blast at the guard. It held up just fine. Limit breaker test was next.
"Have you seen my green lightning yet?" Izuku asked looking to Mei.
"Green lightning...?" she repeated slowly. That was not the usual color of lightning. She assumed it was quirk related.
"Is there anyway to measure what it is?" Izuku asked punching the air a few times.
"I can see if its, electrical in nature, but beyond that I'd need to know more about it before I could make something to measure it," Mei replied making a few notes.
Izuku took a deep breath and channeled the power through his right arm, "It enhances my other quirks by some amount. That amount can only be determined after I use it to enhance them. The downside is that I eat my stamina at a terrifying pace. It also amplifies the physical repercussions of using a quirk. An enhanced explosion hurts my arms at a steep rate. Enhancing telekinesis causes nose bleeds fairly quickly."
"That sounds like a lot of hassle. It's powerful for sure and I can see why you'd use it but doesn't that sound dangerous," Mei commented.
"It is. It's horribly dangerous. But I have to use it if I want to get the edge over the original owners. I doubt I could ever match someone that was born with it, so this is my way to compensate for that," Izuku said aiming sky high. He let loose a green blast. Mei was not prepared for the shockwave. She fell over from it.
She looked up shock on her face. "What in the world?" Mei whispered.
"Did that trip anything? Except for you of course," Izuku wondered holding out a hand to her. He pulled her to her feet. She examined his magnetic couplings and the servos. The recoil force had damaged the servos slightly. They weren't made to withstand recoil force at that level.
"Wow, you damaged the servos a little bit. Those are made with titanium barrings," Mei marveled.
"I'd say its doing its job then. The recoil didn't hurt at all. In a real situation it would be perfectly fine for my hero costume to get wrecked as the fight grew more intense. The only problem I have right now is one that might be hard to fix," Izuku stated disengaging the guard.
"What problem? No solution is impossible," Mei asked smiling.
"It needs to be easier to apply. Right now the equipping process is a bit lengthy. If I wanted to put this one on a hurry it wouldn't be possible. Either it has to come in parts I can just slap on or contained in a compact object that would engage and assembly on me with a simple command or action," Izuku answered pulling the rubber off.
"That would be difficult but not impossible. It'll just take a lot longer to get it to the 'slap-on' state," Mei replied jotting down all new schematics and notes.
"I feel bad asking for so much. Especially, since I don't feel like I'm giving back anything," Izuku admitted.
"You've helped me more than you know," She blushed smiling up at him. They stood for a moment making eye contact. Then Izuku's phone buzzed breaking their eye contact. He reached into his pocket and pulled it out.
He unlocked the phone and spoke, "Hello, mom."
"Where are you, Izuku?" his mother asked.
"I'm at a friend's house," Izuku replied. Mei was a little offended by this, but not for being a friend. He didn't tell his mother who he was. This brought up deep, buried insecurities.
"If you don't get home soon your dinner is going to get cold!" his mother said a bit of worry on her voice.
Izuku sighed, "I'll be home soon."
"Okay, I'll see you in a little bit," his mother replied ending the call. Izuku locked his phone and dropped it in his pocket.
"I guess I'll be back in a few days. Take care," Izuku said opening the door.
She nodded, "Take care." He looked back about to say something, but decided against it.
- 5 Months to go -
Two teenagers ripped loose explosion after explosion. Izuku and Katsuki had been sparring for what felt like hours. Neither of them had landed a clean hit. Even with overpowering Katsuki explosions Izuku could gain no ground. This day was a battle of quirk vs quirk no contact outside of using quirks. Otherwise range and technique was all fair game.
Katsuki had got into what was basically point-blank range. Izuku blocked the extended palm and pushed the blast aside. His blonde-haired friend was keen and quick. Izuku went in for an explosion to counter. With Katsuki's other hand he blasted himself out of the way. He then pivoted on his foot and spun around. Midoriya could feel where he was. The green-haired teen sidestepped to his left. A blast of fire just missed him.
Izuku telekinesis had almost evened the playing field between the two. An explosion collided with Izuku's back. This knocked him over. He rolled out of the way and blasted himself to his feet. Katsuki had missed a landing blast by inches. Izuku let loose a green explosion. The blonde-haired teen didn't have the space to completely dodge the blast. He was broadsided by the hit and only dampened it by pushing himself a bit to the right.
Izuku blasted himself back a few meters. He tried something new. Empowering his telekinesis he formed a fist in his head and shot it at Katsuki. It only had about 30kg of force, but in the right place and speed it could still hurt. The telekinetic fist struck the blonde in the gut right around his diaphragm.
Katsuki gritted his teeth and tried to catch up his breathing. That hit had knocked the air out of him for a moment. It was just above a weak punch. Katsuki sailed into the air correcting his course with mini explosions.
This attack was different. Katsuki went high. He started to spin in midair as he descended. Midoriya's senses panicked. He empowered both quirks. Izuku raised both hands, using his telekinesis he made a cone of psychic energy.
"Howitzer Impact!" Katsuki yelled only a few meters from Izuku.
"Nuclear Blast!" Izuku called out letting lose a massive counter.
The green and orange blasts were massive. They effectively canceled each other out. When the dust had cleared there was one winner standing: Katsuki. Izuku had been pummeled into the concrete. Not from Katsuki's explosion but from his own. The green-haired teen was panting and his arms looked worse for wear. The blonde-haired teen was not doing much better. The green blast had just overpowered his own and the resulting heat and force racked his body.
"Only shit. That's one hell of a finishing move. I'd recommend not using your telekinesis to shape it. Otherwise the recoil force will be too great. It also looks like your arms barely withstood that," Katsuki pointed out standing above him. He reached out and offered Izuku a helping hand.
Izuku gritted his teeth from the pain and let his friend pull him up. "What was that Katsuki? Did you create a wind vortex and use it to enhance the scale of the explosion?" Izuku guessed walking over to his backpack.
He pulled out Aloe Vera and rubbed it into the skin on his arms. They had light burning all over. "Fuck. You guessed that right off the bat. Holy shit, I was hoping it would keep ya thinking for a bit," Katsuki was doing the same to treat his burns. Which for once were actually worse than Izuku's.
The green-haired teens ringtone went off. The teen rose an eyebrow and saw the caller id. He smiled and answered. "This is unusual of you, Hatsume-san. You usually text," Izuku commented.
"I would have, but this is just too important. I want to hear your reaction. Its done," Mei replied. He could only imagine her grin right now.
Midoriya was grinning too, "What? Holy crap that's good news! I'll come by in a few weeks to test it out."
"What?! How come? I wanted to see you soon!"Mei whined.
"Its finals week and I want to do my best. Teachers have been a bit of a hard ass since we put in our UA application," Izuku answered wondering about her last statement. He could see her pouting.
"Alright, I guess that's a good enough reason. Come see as soon as finals are over," Mei compromised.
"I will," Izuku looked at Katsuki who was glaring at him, "I've got to go. I might start on fire if he glares any longer. See ya."
"Give him a good smack for me too!" Mei cheered on before Izuku ended the call.
"What? I have a life too," Izuku shrugged dropping the phone in the backpack.
"Who was that? You seemed real friendly with them," Katsuki pointed out.
Izuku blushed at that statement, "We're just friends. She's a mechanic and I've been testing out her gadgets."
"Why are you helping her when you have so much to do already?" Katsuki asked a bit of rage in his voice.
"I'm doing just fine. She's been helping me with my studies too!" Izuku retorted only realizing afterwards that was the wrong thing to say.
"Then what the fuck am I doing helping you? You went behind my back and got help even though I offered!" Katsuki was about to go to blows.
"I asked for her help because you already have so much shit on your plate! I don't want to rely on you for everything! I have to carve my own path too!" Izuku shouted back at him.
The rage was dripping from his voice now, "Well, fuck you then. Go get your fucking help. I'm not fucking doing it anymore." The blonde-haired teen picked up his bag and walked off. Izuku chastised himself, but decided going home was better than pursuing the other teen.
- 4 Months to go -
The workshop was dimmer than normal. It had been two months since he'd seen her. They had talked in texts and over calls, but nothing could replace talking to her in person. Mei was looking deathly. She looked like she had dove headlong into her work and gave up sleeping.
Izuku knew better to focus on that first. The invention would come first and Mei health would be his immediate next concern.
The arm guard was in a few pieces. Wrist cuff, forearm guard, tricep guard, and should link were on the table. "They're designed so that if any two adjacent pieces are equipped they will lock together," Mei declared watching him with notebook in hand.
Izuku grabbed the wrist piece and clasped it on. Next was the forearm guard. When it locked on the mechanisms engaged and the wrist and arm part connected. Next was the tricep guard. The locking in place was normal, when it engaged it felt weird. Plates moved up from the forearm to the tricep covering his elbow. Finally, the shoulder link which was a small ring that clasped from shoulder top to armpit. When they engaged metal plated moved over his shoulder. The joints were nice and allowed for full movement. A rubber layer had been installed into the metal plates and moved with them.
Izuku determined that overall structural integrity was lower than before, but it would handle recoil better. He felt that was a fair trade off.
"Wow, that's awesome. If I slapped them on I could get on the move immediately and let them finish while I was moving," Izuku commented smiling.
"The disengage mechanism is now on every piece. Two point system like before. You don't even have to wait for the piece to compress before you can take it off. The magnetic coupling goes first and the rest is an automatic process that can happen off you," Mei explained.
Izuku nodded finding the pressure points. The arm guard operated exactly as she stated. He set it back on the table. Then as an off comment, "You should make a suit out of this. Chest guard, greaves, and boots. Maybe even a helmet." Izuku struck his palm as he thought of an idea, "You could apply this tech for firefighters, police officers, construction workers, or whatever else. It so versatile!"
"Of course, you'd think about everyone else. Maybe I'll submit that for my UA application," Mei grinned.
"Now, Mei-san," Izuku said looking to Mei. This caught her off guard. This was the first time he had said her first name. If he didn't have her attention, he was now the only thing in her vision. "I'm going to be checking up on you more often. You. Need. To. Sleep. Your health has been declining so much," Izuku said moving to her. He was standing in front of her. She looked up meekly and then away.
"I.. was planning to after I got the project done," She started to chuckle, "It's not like I need that much sleep."
"No. You need to balance sleep and work. Sleep revives the body and heals our minor processes," Izuku said sternly. What he did next surprised her. He put two fingers on her chin and gently turned her head. "Mei-san, I care about you. I hate to see what you have done to yourself," Izuku had the most sad look on his face that she had ever seen. This hurt more than the time she hurt him.
She put her head on his shoulder. "I'm sorry. You must know what it feels like, right? That burning determination, the drive?" Mei blurted out. She felt his hands through her hair. His fingers were rough, but it was so gentle.
"I do better than anyone else. Its the only thing that keeps me going. But like any fire you can't let it consume you," he said eye welling up. Memories of his past flew through his head. All the hate. All the times he had been called a villain. All the pain that was caused trying to prove his worth. The inferno that was his determination could no longer be quelled at this point merely directed.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you," Mei replied feeling that burning sensation in her eyes. The telltale signs of crying.
Izuku took a deep breath and one big sniffle, "That's why I'm going to be here more. Someone's got to look out for you."
Mei looked up and saw his teary eyes. She smiled, "You big, idiot." She initiated a tight hug. They held the hug a little longer than friends should.
Izuku was the first to break the silence, "Now, get to bed. I'll be back tomorrow. If I'm out any later, my mom is going to send a search party." Mei laughed at that one.
"Then get going, Izuku," she replied breaking away. He helped her clear off her cot. She sat down and watched him leave. He stopped at the door.
"It doesn't sound like you're getting to bed," Izuku chuckled opening the door.
Mei smirked, "Here I thought you liked the show." Izuku turned beet red. He fumbled his words ending up saying nothing intelligible. He promptly left after that embarrassing display of what was basically his brain short-circuiting.
After the door closed, Mei slumped her shoulders and yawned. She wondered what he thought of her as a woman. Physically, her body was failing her due to the lack of sleep. Emotionally, she never felt better. She had found a kindred soul. One that had been through MUCH more strife than her. All that was on her mind was easing his pain. The instant she laid her head against the pillow she pasted out.
- 2 Months to go -
Izuku had been over to her workshop so much that he had to finally tell his mom who she was and why. Inko backed off a bit knowing he was at that age. Mei had been at the Midoriya household a few times after that. His mother liked her, but thought she was a little crazy. Not in a deranged way, but too much focus to be good.
Mei had just finished the chest guard prototype. The first obstacle was that it had to be morph-able enough to fit multiple body types. The second obstacle was that it had to stay on the user without magnetic coupling. She knew she could add a back piece to it that would connect to the chest, but most people that were police officers or firefighters received injuries from the front. So it was a point of cost effectiveness to have a basic load out and then one for full protection.
The chest guard covered from the collar bone to the just past the ribs before it deployed. Suction kept on the first piece, but after it deployed three connectors would be formed in the back. The connectors were built as many swiveling and stretchable plates to allow full movement. Overall the chest plate felt pretty good to have on.
"Alright. Take that wrench of yours and hit me," Izuku requested. Mei had in hand a rather large wrench. Harden steel no less. She smirked and swung right in the middle of the chest. She was much stronger than she looked.
Izuku grabbed his chest gasping for air, "I.. wasn't.. expecting.. that!"
"Well, you said 'hit me', you didn't say how hard," Mei coyly replied.
"Nope.. nope.. I deserve that," Izuku said finally getting his breath before continuing, "You might need more shock absorption. I still felt a lot of the force from that hit. I'm going to guess its bulletproof at this point, but there are a lot of quirks out there that can hit harder than that."
The release points were just under the chest part of the gear and then on the back of the neck. The armor popped off Midoriya. He caught it in midair. She was jotted down his comments and anything else interesting.
Placing the chest guard on her desk he found a chair nearby. Izuku was looking over the schematic for the chest guard. Spending more time with her had the side effect of learning all the technical designs and terms she used normally. He still didn't understand the specifics, but he had a good enough grasp to know where improvements needed to be made.
Hatsume finished her notes and sat at her chair. She sighed. "Do you think I'll get into UA?"
This floored Izuku. She was the most brilliant person he knew, "What are you talking about? There's no way that UA wouldn't accept you." He put a hand on her shoulder. Her muscles were a knotted mess. Izuku mouthed a 'wow'.
Without being asked or even knowing she needed it he stood up and set his fingers to massaging. The first time he had done this for her, he was a nervous mess. Izuku could barely keep his hands steady. But now it was like second nature. Hatsume's head slumped from the relaxing feeling. Then to his surprise a weak moan escaped her lips. This made him red in the face, but he pressed on. It didn't take long for her head to be on the desk just absorbing the massage.
"Why? I didn't ask," Mei wondered feeling his fingers trace down her back making circles as he went. Goosebumps crept onto her skin from the sensation.
"You need it. Just rest and take it," Izuku replied adding his telekinesis to the mix to get the hard to reach inner muscle.
That earned him a deep, long moan. "Take it, huh? When did you become so assertive?" Mei mused imagining his reaction.
He mentally punched himself. Him and his choice sometimes, "I didn't mean that. I just want you to enjoy it and relax."
"Oh, trust me. I am enjoying this thoroughly," Mei admitted shamelessly. Izuku continued his assault massaging her as thoroughly as he could. When he finished with her back he moved to the arms. Instead of doing it his usual way, he was right behind her leaning over her to reach. Her back was on his chest and he felt strong. His muscles had been trained to be peak performance and it was such a pleasant sight.
She looked up at him and saw that determined look on his eyes. What she did next must have been unconscious because there was no reason for her to do it intentionally. The pink-haired girl reached out and touched his triceps. He was leaning over her right side trying to rub her wrist. This caught his attention stopping him but more important getting him to look straight at her. They were face to face no more than a dozen centimeters apart (~5").
Before he could realize how close he was, she brought her right hand to the back of his neck. She pulled and closed her eyes. She planted a kiss on his lips. Her heart soared.
Izuku was panicking internally. This was his first kiss and no less it was completely unexpected. He admitted that it wasn't out of nowhere. Whether intentional or not this tension had been building up between them.
Mei the initiator and the one in control broke the kiss. It took a moment for her brain to catch up to her body. Both of their faces were red. She let go of him.
The green-haired teen pushed aside his doubt and worry. He knew in that moment he had to reassure her feelings and assure her of his. He caressed her cheek with his right hand before kissing her back. The young man pulled her out of her chair. She draped her arms around his neck. His circled around her back. She was on the tips of her toes. Their kiss turned sloppy and passionate. Neither of them really had any experience, but they made up for it with desire.
Her hands ran across his body. That's when Izuku's mind caught up finally. He broke the kiss but still held her. "I.. I want to know what this is first," Izuku managed to ask.
She gazed deep into his eyes. The truth, Mei she told herself. "I've never done anything like that... But it felt so.. right. What do you want me to be?" Mei reversed the question.
That was actually unfair of Mei. Izuku had a duty as a hero to help, save, and defend. He knew that loved ones were always put in danger because of that. Many heroes solved that problem by having no one. But ultimately, that was an empty existence. Those heroes stopped being people and only focused on their work. That's not how Midoriya wanted to live. He wanted someone to care about him as a person and the more the better. Friends and family is what gives us strength. If you have no one to fight for then why are you fighting.
The hesitation spoke volumes. She knew it was a difficult choice for him. But that didn't make it hurt any less. He was after a hero and he needed to decide if both of their lives would be on the line. "I.. I want to believe that I can be more. That I can be better. Mei, I want you in my life. I also want you to be happy. Will this make you happy?" Izuku somehow got her to shoulder the decision again.
"It will," Mei simply replied.
"Then will you be my girlfriend, Mei?" Izuku asked smiling.
She smiled tearing up, "Yes, of course!" They kissed again. Tears of happiness running down her cheeks. Izuku felt like that was better course of action then let desire and passion carry them away. They might have ended up doing something they both would have regretted.
After this Mei was much more peppy about her gadgets and just everything in general. Izuku felt better to knowing a huge weight had been lifted. When they had to part ways, he was so excited he ran home. He knew he'd want to tell his mother right away.
Unfortunately, for Izuku this lead to the awkward conversation about sex that he'd never wanted to hear from his mother. He knew enough already from health classes and the internet. By the end of the conversation she offered to at least buy protection just in case.
Izuku was laying in his bed. He had the thought to tell Katsuki, but they were on rocky terms for nearly a month. They still talked, but it was more strained than usual. Eventually, the young man gave up on that idea and just went to sleep.