Chapter 16: Penance and Peril
Izuku knew that what he was doing was stupid, reckless, and quite probably against school rules, but there were more important things than his personal safety. All Might had lost even more time, was getting even more frail, and it was his fault. Izuku had returned to school on the Wednesday following the USJ attack in something of a haze, brushing off his friends' queries about his health and getting to work as quickly and as quietly as possible. The biology lab he had been allowed to make use of during his free periods had been almost completely overtaken by machinery, much like his room at home, though the space more closely resembled the workshop he had shared with Mei than it did his bedroom. Guiltily, he recalled the past two weeks of school, and how he had pushed away his friends as he relentlessly pursued the only option he had to make things right.
Mei had been the most understanding out of everyone, giving him the space he needed when he asked for it instead of interrogating him about how he was feeling. Obviously he was feeling awful; he had practically shattered an already broken man because of his own weaknesses, and no amount of comforting words or sessions with Hound Dog could fix that mistake. He played along during those meetings though, showing just enough progress to satisfy the counselor, but sometimes he worried the hero might be catching on to his act. Truthfully he quite liked the man, but he didn't have time to worry about his own feelings. He had work to do.
Mei understood what it was like, the need to fix something broken, and if he knew her as well as he thought he had come to, then she would likely be wrapped up in her own projects to take her mind off things. Whatever that could turn out to be, he really had no idea, but after he had gently yet firmly asked for some temporary solitude, he had found the Big Three increasingly spending time with the inventor. He was glad for that, after all, there would be time to let them help him later and Mei was probably hurting worse than he was at the moment. So long as he had work to do, he could delay everything else.
He had started his current undertaking as stealthily as he could, timidly asking their substitute teacher Midnight on the morning of their return if he would be allowed to request help from the student body for a project he was working on. He had kept the details vague, only saying that he was working on some new quirk prostheses, and that he wanted to be able to take some X-Rays and slow motion videos if the other students were willing, along with a number of scans and samples where applicable. She had seemed conflicted at first, but eventually had relented and taken up the matter with the principal and school nurse.
Navigating the rules on privacy, as well as Recovery Girl's own reticence in letting him use her diagnostic equipment, had been a troublesome task. Thankfully, after he had dropped off the assessments he had done for his homework with Nezu, the principal had agreed to allow his research so long as he followed certain conditions on confidentiality and the storage of data. The first class he had with the principal after the attack had been interesting, especially since Yaoyorozu had joined them, though her lessons were somewhat lighter than his. He had been tasked with analyzing electronic traffic in and around the school while scanning for leaks in the school's security system, while his classmate had been instead directed to study theories of leadership. It seemed Nezu knew how to adjust his level of intensity to each student's needs, and Izuku would have been somewhat touched under normal circumstances. It had been so long since someone had sought to actually challenge him intellectually, that it almost made up for the time it took away from his work.
The process itself was quite simple; after 1A had gotten the assessments he had written, Izuku had asked Nezu for permission to conduct similar studies on any student volunteers' quirks. They decided to keep the original cover story intact, that the service was being provided by a panel of anonymous analysts from the school (which was not, in fact, just a first year student), so as not to scare away any potential volunteers. As it turned out, passing himself off as earning extra credit by acting as a research assistant for one of the staff members had been incredibly easy, so much so that no one ever questioned why he was conducting the assessments alone.
Most of the volunteers turned out to be upperclassmen, students looking for an edge in upcoming internships and exams, and Izuku was happy enough to take down the data on their quirks and quietly offer his analyses to Nezu for later dissemination. Word spread quickly, and before he knew it he had every time slot available in his free periods booked for the quirk analysis tests. Working out of the gym, the converted biology lab, and Recovery Girl's office when necessary, he quickly made his way through the list of volunteers, feeling his heart sink further and further with every test that failed to yield results.
Normally, the brilliant display of quirks would have seen him so excited he would hardly have been able to contain himself, but as things were, most of the quirks were utterly useless in achieving his goal. It wasn't until a week and a half after classes had resumed that Izuku finally made a breakthrough in his research.
At the time, he had been about to call a halt to any further data collection while he worked on his backlog of quirk improvement recommendations, but had relented to conducting one final assessment after learning about the quirk of the girl involved. Setsuna Tokage, one of class 1B's two recommended students, had quite the interesting quirk indeed. Having the ability to split her body apart into roughly fifty independent pieces, all of which could be controlled telekinetically, it was a fascinating power, especially given the seeming dual nature of the quirk. While the independent control of the pieces seemed to be an emitter type ability, the actual mechanism of separation was of the transformation type.
Transformation type quirks were usually the easiest to replicate mechanically, considering most often they resulted in simple augmentations, such as a hardening of the skin or the growth of sharp spikes from one's knuckles. A piece of armor here, some weapons there, and one could reproduce the quirk's effect without even needing a biological component. In Tokage's case, the autotomy was the main element of the transformation, but the secondary effect of regeneration was where things got interesting. Her cells, while not mutated, likely held some mechanism that allowed for human tissues to take on the regenerative properties of a lizard. He distantly recalled a paper he had stumbled across in his most recent research detailing a particular species of spiny mouse, Acomys cahirinus, which had been used for research into neurological regeneration in humans.
"Sorry to disappoint, but I'm a lizard, not a mouse," teased the girl good-naturedly, and Izuku fought down his blush as he realized he had been muttering again. They were working out of the modified classroom, Izuku having taken high speed captures of both her ability to regenerate limbs, as well as cell samples for later chemical analysis, all with the girl's consent. Tokage had been very cheerful and kind, not once asking about the attack at the USJ or why he was helping with the staff's supposed research project. Of all the students who had shown up for his study, she had shown the most interest, not just in the results but in the process as well.
"I-I'm sorry for m-muttering, it's an old habit I've b-been trying to break," he stammered out, hand instinctively flying up to play with the interface on his neck. The metal was warmer than normal, or maybe that was just him. He hoped he wasn't getting sick.
"Ah no worries, just thought it was funny! It's not often a croc gets mistaken for a mouse after all!" She gave him a sharp smile at that, and he found himself wondering if all of the students from 1B were as nice as her. He had met a few of them already through his tests, but the majority had expressed little interest in either the assessments, or in interacting with their sister class in general. Not that he had been much better of late anyways, given how much time he was spending in the biology lab and away from his own friends and classmates.
"Thank you, Tokage-san, you're very kind," he said, offering his own much weaker smile in return. "I'll run the results from today's experiments through the panel, and you should have a packet with any suggestions by Monday morning." He dipped into a little bow as he spoke, finally daring to let hope rise in his chest. If what he suspected about the girl's quirk was true, it was very likely that he was on the cusp of a major breakthrough. She had waved him off after that, asking him to tell the panel to take its time, and that she was just glad to be getting help with her quirk at all. When she had left he had reached for his phone, and moved her assessment to the front of the queue.
That Friday had been an almost unbearably long one for the nerd, who had finally dropped all pretense of not knowing the answers to every question asked in his classes. Aside from foundational heroics, which had been almost exclusively focused on drills over the last two weeks and was again being taught by Midnight while Aizawa and All Might both recovered, Katsuki could tell that Izuku had received very little stimulation since their return to school. His third meeting with Nezu had been a convenient, albeit temporary, reprieve from the state of seeming listlessness and now he was looking even more out of it than he had been. Katsuki had had enough, and today he was resolved that he would be stepping in.
After a class that somehow seemed to stretch longer than the two weeks they had waited for their acceptance letters, the second to last bell of the day rang. The nerd was up out of his seat and past Ectoplasm in a blur, with Katsuki after him in an instant, the worried shouts of Iida and Uraraka falling away as the two raced down the hallway. Izuku really didn't seem to want to deal with his friend right now, and tried to slip inside and lock the biology lab before he could catch up to him. Katsuki was having none of it however, and slammed his arm through the opening before Izuku could close the door, cursing all the while.
"Fuck you shitnerd, you've been having this pity party for two fucking weeks now and shit ain't changing, so I swear to God I'm gonna drag you outta here and beat some sense into you if I gotta!" He made a swipe for the other boy and growled, forcing Izuku back and allowing him to fall fully into the room. Huffing, he slammed the door behind him and locked it, glaring daggers at Izuku as he did so. The absolutely terrified look in Izuku's eyes was almost enough to get him to stop, but it wasn't until Izuku responded that he froze in his tracks.
"P-please, n-n-no, Kacchan," he mumbled, trembling a bit, and looking absolutely wretched. "P-please don't b-beat me up again." Katsuki felt the increasingly familiar guilt rise as he recalled all the times he had trapped the nerd in a classroom for a beating, before he recovered and took in the state of the boy. There would be time to hate himself later, right now, Izuku needed someone to wake him the fuck up.
He hadn't been talking much over the last two weeks, beside answering simple questions during lunch with the others and asking for space after classes. There had been some idle chatter on the way to and from school of course, especially with Tintin and company tagging along, but now it was apparent that besides not really talking, he wasn't eating or sleeping much either. He hadn't lost too much weight, thank god, but there was an undeniable gauntness to his features, and a tiredness in his eyes that would have put Aizawa to shame. From the far-away, terrified look he was giving him now, Katsuki wasn't sure if the poor nerd even knew where he was.
"De- Izuku," he began, cutting himself off as the boy flinched at the sound of the nickname, "I'm not gonna hurt you, I promise. But I'm not gonna let you ignore me either." That seemed to snap Izuku out of whatever memory he had been lost in, and he shook himself as he regarded Katsuki with narrow, calculating eyes. The change was sudden, too sharp for his liking.
"I'm not hurting myself Kacchan, well, not much and not permanently anyways. I'm doing what I always do, I'm working," he said after a moment, moving over to one of the lab tables and setting down his bag before pulling out a laptop and far too many notebooks and folders for the small bag to have possibly contained. Once he was done unpacking everything his expression softened and he leaned forwards with his face in his hands and began to rub his temples.
"When was the last time you had something to eat, Deku?"
"Lunch," he replied, bringing his hands to his lap and turning to look at him. His eyes were going bleary again, and Katsuki was worried he might fall off the stool he was perched on.
"I saw you eat like two bites of rice nerd, when was the last time you had a full meal? Or a full night's sleep?" Izuku looked at him blankly, not seeming to have the energy to even think about the questions. He shrugged, and Katsuki felt his temper flare.
"Probably before the USJ...I've been too nauseous since then to eat much. Same for sleep, but that's more because I've been too busy with my work." He gestured around the biology lab widely, indicating the blown up images of cells pinned up on cork boards and what seemed to be formulas for some school of organic chemistry scrawled across nearly every whiteboard in the room.
"The fuck are you even working on that you can't take the time to eat and sleep, huh? You're pissing me off with this shit, and you're worrying Tintin and Round face. The fuck would Auntie think if she saw you walking around dead on your god damn feet?" Izuku looked at him almost coldly, but the sadness behind the glare was undeniably more prevalent than any animosity it held.
"She got used to it after the first few years," he said quietly. Katsuki had the decency to look away at that, though he did so with a snarl. Izuku ignored him and continued to pull items from his bag and surroundings until he finally went over to a cabinet and retrieved a dark brown bottle with a wide neck. Unscrewing the top, a hiss of pressure being released rang out, and Izuku regarded the other boy again, all malice gone from his expression. "I'm sorry Kacchan, that wasn't fair of me. Besides, I'm glad you're here." Katsuki sighed, counting in his head until he calmed down. The fucking therapy-bitch was getting to him, dammit.
"Whatever nerd, not like it ain't true. You gonna tell me what the fuck you're working on now? What's with the bottle and...the fuck, are those pills? Deku, you better not be cooking meth in here or I swear to God I'm telling Tintin!" Izuku almost laughed at that.
"No, not drugs. I'm working on medicine. Well, a kind of medicine anyways." He gestured towards the small bottle of pills as he spoke, rolling up one sleeve and turning the large brown bottle to face Katsuki as he did so. The fuck is NX0409? he thought. Izuku answered him a moment later.
"Nitric acid, very potent, very corrosive, especially at this concentration." Katsuki's eyes widened and he looked at Izuku warily, slowly moving closer towards him and his setup. Whatever this was, this shit could go bad, fast.
"Deku," he growled, for once hoping the unpleasant association would make the other boy flinch. It didn't. "What the fuck do you think you're gonna do with that stuff?" He had finished rolling up his sleeve by then, and was tugging on a heavy glove as he stared intently at his laptop screen. He went over to a refrigerator in the corner and returned with a petri dish a moment later and set it down before looking up at him again.
"I'm going to continue testing the effects of the medicine," he indicated the small bottle of pills, "and whether or not it will be safe for human consumption. And if it turns out it's not, then you're going to take me to Recovery Girl and tell her I had a minor accident in the lab. I was just going to have Lynchpin call her if I was unable to move, but with you here things should be somewhat safer."
"I'm not letting you endanger yourself, dipshit!" yelled Katsuki, jumping forward and trying to knock the bottle away. Izuku immediately jumped back from the lab station and held up his hands pleadingly, trying to get his attention. Thankfully the bottle remained unspilled, and Izuku didn't interfere as Katsuki slammed the lid onto the container and grabbed the bottle of pills before rounding on him angrily.
"Kacchan, listen to me! I've already tested this formula over the last week on stem cells and a line of HeLa cells too. In every case, for every type of injury I induced, the damage was healed within seconds, and with this iteration I'm pretty sure I've solved the tumor problem. I know the formula will work, but there's no way I'm doing any animal testing. So if this line of cells here," he gestured to the petri dish, "can regrow to its original size without becoming cancerous when part is corroded away, I'll know it's safe to try on myself." Katsuki pinched the bridge of his nose, letting out another huff as he fixed Izuku to the ground with a very pointed look.
"Deku," he growled, counting in his head again. "You are the dumbest smart person I know, you know that? So here's what's gonna happen. Shut up," he spat as Izuku opened his mouth to interject. "You're going to walk me through every fucking part of the shit you've been doing, and I don't care if you have to dumb down the 'polycarbonate' talk or whatever because you're going to explain it to me. Then, you're going to take a nap on that ratty ass futon in the corner while I talk to Tintin and the two musketeers, then you're going to eat, and then, if you try and take a fucking cancer pill again, I'm telling Auntie. Actually, no, sleep first, then you get to explain to all of us what the fuck you think you're doing, then we all beat your ass together, then the rest." The glazed over look was back on the nerd's face again, and he seemed like he might drop at any moment, the threat of a beating not even registering.
"But I-" he began before falling sideways off his stool as the exhaustion finally took him. Katsuki managed to grab him before he hit the floor and dragged him over to the so-called 'crash couch' if the label taped onto its side was any indication. From the stains on it, it was likely the same piece of shit that the nerd had in the lab he and Bubblegum had back at Dagobah beach. "Kacchan...I need to work," he protested weakly, eyes already fluttering as his head hit the pillow.
"Deku, go the fuck to sleep!" After another minute of feeble arguments, the nerd's breathing steadied out and Katsuki threw a nearby blanket over him before stomping out of the lab to find Tintin and the rest of the Deku fan club.
Inko had been ready for the visit since she had received the warning from her son's computer two weeks prior, which sadly wasn't even the most disconcerting thing that had happened to her lately. Her boy was hurting right now, badly, but if he wouldn't open up to her then she would just have to be as supportive as possible until he was ready to. That didn't mean she wasn't being proactive about his safety however, which is why when the knock at the door came on Friday afternoon, she steeled herself and recalled the warning she had been given.
Smiling, she smoothed her features into those of a good-natured if slightly overly concerned parent, which wasn't much of a departure from the truth. Certainly, she had doubts about UA's ability to keep her boy safe, but she also owed it to him to believe in his choices; if nothing else, at least UA had no ulterior motives when it came to her son and his dreams.
Opening the door to their cozy apartment, Inko was greeted by the sight of two agents of the Hero Public Safety Commission, if the badges pinned to the breast pockets of the dark suits they wore were any indication. A man and a woman, their appearance could best be described as shrewd and slight, though the pair seemed to radiate an affability that was genuine enough. The man had a slim black document case with him.
"Ms. Inko Midoriya?" inquired the woman, a small smile flitting across her lips as she tilted her head. Inko nodded and the woman introduced herself properly. "Wonderful, I'm Agent Suru, and this is my partner Agent Kado Shoyu-sha, with the HPSC. We'd like some to speak with you regarding your son, if you have a moment." Inko was sure to let her face flash with worry at that, not wanting to give anything away. The man waved his hands before interjecting.
"Oh, it's nothing bad Ms. Midoriya, I assure you. Actually, the HPSC believes it has quite the opportunity for young Izuku. If you'd allow us in, perhaps we could discuss this some more?" Again, Inko let her face light up, hoping she was putting on a good enough show for the two agents. What mother wouldn't be proud to hear that her boy was doing well enough to have earned some special opportunity, after all? Looking to the living room as she ushered the two inside and onto the rather comfortable couch, Inko found the reassuring green glow of Lynchpin's camera in the corner. The computer was watching, and more importantly recording, just as it had said it would. She bustled to the kitchen and returned a moment later with the tea service.
"There we are," she said sweetly, setting down the tea tray on the small table in the living room. She served her guests before taking her own seat. "Now then, you mentioned an opportunity for my Izuku? What would that be?" Agent Suru was the one who responded, the woman setting her tea down after realizing how hot it was.
"Ms. Midoriya, we're sure that you are aware of your son's incredible intellect, as well as his status as what could likely be the first quirkless individual to become a hero." Inko let the facade drop for just a moment as she fixed the woman with a warning glare. She was unfazed however. "The HPSC believes it's quite commendable that he's pursuing the path towards heroism despite what others have doubtless told him." Inko was taken aback at that.
"Tell me, Ms. Midoriya, are you aware that your son has garnered something of a social media following since he started at UA?" inquired Agent Kado Shoyu-sha, setting his own drink down as he fished his phone from the recesses of his jacket. After a few flicks across the screen he offered her the device, which was paused on a video. She pressed play and watched. Her son seemed to be in training, one of his classmates recording the video on their phone no doubt, and was working with another boy who seemed to have six arms. After a bit he went over to seemingly correct the form of another pair of students, after which he heard something that clearly made him tense, though the video didn't pick it up.
Her eyes widened as she saw a scruffy looking man, undoubtedly one of the teachers (and clearly not sleeping enough, she added as an aside to herself), walk over and assist her son with whatever point he was trying to make. His eyes flashed red, his hair floated up off his face, and her boy moved so fast it was hard to see the moment he struck out at the other two before he began to launch into a small speech.
"...what will you use to defend yourself then? Quirks are tools, part of your arsenal but they don't define it." The teacher said something and Izuku shrugged, returning to his partner who had seemingly turned one of his arms into a wide smile. The video came to an end, and she looked up confused at the two agents.
"Ms. Midoriya," began Agent Suru, looking at her with another small smile. "How familiar are you with the current political and social climate?" Inko cocked her head, caught momentarily flat-footed by the question. She had prepared for a lot, but this was a definite curveball.
"I know what my son had to deal with from the other children growing up," she said stonily after a moment of consideration.
"Indeed, Ms. Midoriya, many such children are being unjustly targeted in a society that is becoming increasingly...stratified," said the other agent, looking at her seriously. "Not just the quirkless, but those with quirks perceived as weak or useless. Even those with powerful quirks with a 'villainous' stigma attached. Among both heroes and the general population, there has been a disturbing upsurge in membership in both quirk supremacist and various dissident movements. Frankly, there are attitudes emerging right now that might lead to significant civil unrest if something isn't done to correct them."
"Which is where the HPSC and your son come in, Ms. Midoriya," continued Agent Suru smoothly. "While he may not know it, young Izuku is living proof that these ideas are faulty. He's already garnered something of an online following with just the one video, though frankly we doubt he's aware of it considering his own lack of social media accounts. We did check for those, by the way."
"He's always been a rather private boy," said Inko with a twinge of uncertainty.
"What the HPSC is offering is a special scholarship, which is extended to children with great potential. In Izuku's case, it would mean full time access to top-grade research equipment and materials that not even UA is privy to, as well as individualized training and tutoring that might actually challenge him intellectually." As Agent Suru spoke, her partner withdrew a set of documents from his case and laid them out on the table for her to peruse.
"While UA is certainly a laudable institution, and does indeed produce many of the top heroes, recipients of this scholarship unfailingly perform above expectations. You may be familiar with the current third ranked pro hero, Hawks? He was the most recent recipient." Agent Kado Shoyu-sha sat back in his chair and offered her a wide smile. Something about it was off however, and Inko began to feel increasingly uncomfortable. Lynchpin had told her the HPSC had some kind of malevolent interest in her boy, but a scholarship hardly seemed dangerous. She caught sight of one of the clauses on the papers being presented to her and paled. One of the conditions for accepting the offer was that Izuku would leave her care for the duration of his training with the HPSC, and would instead live and study at one of their secure facilities. It seemed Agent Kado Shoyu-sha noticed her gaze, and quickly offered an explanation.
"Additionally, while it may be uncomfortable to acknowledge, UA is tasked with ensuring the safety of its entire student body, something it has failed in once already this year. If Izuku were to accept this scholarship we would be able to virtually guarantee his safety, given both the extent of the HPSC's resources and the relatively sheltered environment it would provide for him to grow in." That was a tempting consideration, but she still didn't know their motives. If what the computer had said was true, there was something else underneath the government's supposed desire for a quirkless hero.
"I, I'll have to discuss this with him, of course-" Inko began, only to be cut off as Agent Suru interjected, seeming somewhat impatient.
"There is, of course, the matter of tuition. While not exorbitant, UA charges a decent amount for attendance, correct? We should have mentioned of course that the scholarship, besides covering all costs associated with his education, comes with a weekly stipend for both Izuku and his guardians." Inko felt her blood run cold as she looked at the woman who had spoken. They hadn't gotten an immediate yes and now they were trying to buy her son from her? Just what was going on?
Trying desperately not to arouse any suspicion, she let the glow of her quirk encase her toe as she reached inside the woman, ready to pull on something vital if things progressed. It was an aspect of her quirk that she had discovered thanks to Izuku's research into telekinetic powers, and she had only used it once before to pull on something unmentionable when a man had tried to rob her in an alley. Thankfully, it seemed the agents had said their piece and were preparing to leave.
"Of course, the final decision rests with both you and your son, Ms. Midoriya," said Agent Kado Shoyu-sha, rising from his chair and giving a pointed look at his partner. "Frankly, Ms. Midoriya, it's a very good opportunity. The National Diet is pushing very hard for the HPSC to put forward a quirkless hero, and if you take too long we may be forced to move on to other potential candidates. Just consider it, please." He said the last part in that same almost-friendly-but-not-quite tone as before, gathering his documents into his case as he spoke.
"Of course, I, I'll be sure to let Izuku know as soon as possible," she replied, standing and ushering her guests towards the door. As she made for the hallway, she noticed the green light from Lynchpin's camera blink twice before turning red, a signal to her that he was still watching. "Though to be honest, I think you may want to start looking elsewhere. UA has been Izuku's dream for as long as I can remember, I doubt he'd want to go anywhere else, even if it was safer." At the threshold, Agent Suru turned and regarded her coldly.
"You'd do well to remember that if a child's safety and well-being isn't a parent's first priority, it can quickly become other peoples' business." Inko stared at her for a moment before her partner nudged her pointedly and the pair turned to leave. As the agents just about reached the bottom step Inko let her quirk flare, just the slightest bit, and pulled at the woman's foot, causing her to stumble down the landing. Closing the door before the two could look back Inko leaned against it as she slid down the wood, bringing her head into her hands and letting out a weary sigh. From her pocket, the muffled sound of Lynchpin's own electronic sigh echoed her through her phone's speakers.
Dr. Ujiko found that he could listen to his music again, and what a relief that was. Naturally, with its purpose changed from being a distraction from his work to more of an accompaniment to the screams, he didn't mind the associations it formed in his mind. Indeed, while relaxing in the evening and listening to some Schubert, the images of flayed bodies and complex medical procedures flashing through his mind proved rather soothing. It was as if his new quirk enjoyed being paired with the sounds and sights of the lab, which made a certain kind of sense after all. How lucky, really, that Master would find a quirk that was both helpful in his work, and which would allow him to enjoy his old pastimes once more without that annoying presence in the back of his mind begging him to stop.
The Tsubasa child had stopped screaming some time ago, unfortunately. He had been sure to avoid lobotomizing the boy completely however, which would avoid some of the problems that other subjects had exhibited. While he certainly wouldn't be an effective base for a high-end model Nomu, the creature would retain some ability to make basic improvisations, as well as to hopefully hold on to a number of memories, and perhaps even a shred of consciousness. The programming was coming along nicely in that regard, the images and associations being blasted into the thing's shredded mind through the wires that poked into its now exposed brain conveying everything Master wanted it to learn. Of course, there would be no guarantee that it would even have an opportunity to act on any of its conditioning, but Master seemed oddly assured that this particular Nomu would be the one to win him his prize.
Master had been so sure that the creature would be the one to apprehend the boy, he had even outfitted it with supplementary quirks to assist in its development, beyond what was normal for most of the Nomu. Still, it was unusual for anything but a high-end model to be as packed as it was, but Master had said they would be beneficial in helping it to both seek out and ultimately claim its target. How Master came to this conclusion was beyond him; he still had yet to acquire any kind of precognition quirk, so it must have simply been a result of an intuition honed over more than two hundred years. Smiling, he returned to the shivering creature and began his next round of injections, the new quirks roiling beneath the Nomu's skin as they took hold.
Strapped down to his table as it was, the increasingly blackened, twisted mass of flesh that had been Tsubasa's grandson was only now recognizable by the massive red wings protruding from its back. It screeched, and Ujiko turned his music back on before allowing his fingers to sharpen into the gleaming scalpels he was becoming increasingly familiar with. Humming along to the tune, he got back to work.
Chapter 17: Intervention and Speculation
When Izuku woke, it was to the concerned glares of Mirio, Tamaki, Nejire, and Mei. Bakugo was standing behind them, arms crossed and fuming, though somehow restraining himself from setting off any explosions. Blearily, he tried to recall what had happened and why his friends would be standing over him looking murderous. Recognizing that he was in his biology lab, and oddly feeling much better rested than he had in days, he glanced towards the work bench and paled at what he saw there.
A container of nitric acid was sitting on the vinyl surface next to a bottle of his newest iteration of the formula, condensed down into pill form. Additionally, there was a smattering of various cleaning supplies and measuring devices. Realizing what his sleep deprived self had been about to attempt, he turned green and dry heaved towards a convenient waste bin, breaking out into a cold sweat. After a moment he calmed down and rose up on the futon on one elbow, turning grateful eyes towards Bakugo and shakily addressing him.
"H-h-holy c-crap...t-thanks K-Kacchan. I t-think I stopped t-thinking things through there. That w-was almost r-really b-b-bad." Bakugo huffed in annoyance and tilted his head towards the other four, who at least seemed satisfied that Izuku wasn't going to try and ingest his homemade curatives again any time soon. Mirio and Mei seemed to be competing for the role of 'most distressed friend' at the moment, while Tamaki was shaking his head and Nejire was looking over the supplies critically.
"Izuku before you say anything, there is no, absolutely no good reason for you to be doing this to yourself," said Mirio, "and I'm not just talking about the pills, but all of this. Whatever it is that's got you so worked up that you're not eating or sleeping, we're not gonna stand by and watch anymore. We were gonna let you figure it out on your own, but this, this is going too far." This was an unusually stern side of Mirio, one Izuku had never really seen before. It was nice, in a way; this scolding seemed less like those he had gotten at Aldera for 'picking fights for attention' from teachers who clearly were disdainful of him, and more like there was real worry behind it.
"So what we're gonna do is we're gonna talk this out with you, and if necessary we're gonna take you to see Hound Dog and Recovery Girl afterwards, because we're your friends and we want you to be okay."
Izuku sniffled a bit at that, partly because of the sentiment behind it, but also because there was no way he could tell the others what he was really working on, or at least the reasons why he was working on it. If Mirio hadn't known about All Might's condition before, he surely did after the USJ, but the way All Might had talked to them made him doubt that the other boy had been in the dark. The others, however, had no reason to know and he wouldn't betray All Might's trust like that after what he had already done to him with his failure. Izuku knew he was a terrible liar, which meant there was really very little he could do in this situation. Inspiration struck a moment later however, and though he would feel guilty about it, it was better than running the risk of letting the secret slip.
"I...don't think I can talk a-about it with everyone here. So, w-would it be okay if it was just m-me and you? I-it's n-n-not that I don't t-trust you guys, i-it's just a little m-m-much right now. And I'm f-fine if Mirio t-tells you guys afterwards..." He looked up hopefully, seeing recognition flash across Mirio's plain features as they made eye contact. Nejire floated over without saying anything and pulled him into a hug, letting her hair fall around him as she rested her chin atop his head. She squeezed him once before letting go and taking Tamaki by the hand, who just nodded to him before he let her drag him out of the lab. Mei looked like she wanted to protest but ultimately deflated and muttered something about babies before giving him a knowing look and turning on her heel to leave. Bakugo refused to meet his eyes, and before he could stop himself Izuku spoke up.
"K-Kacchan, I think I know how you feel right now, b-but you should know s-s-something. When you s-said that words are for...weaklings, t-that actions m-m-matter more, y-you were right. So you should k-know, your actions...I t-t-trust you, K-Kacchan." The other boy didn't turn around, just let out an angry breath as he stood in the doorway.
"S'that why you won't talk to me then? It's okay that you don't trust me yet nerd, but don't lie to me about it," he said quietly. Izuku felt tears well in the corner of his eyes, and though he still wasn't looking back at him, Izuku furiously shook his head.
"I...Kacchan, there was s-stuff that...when it was just Mirio, m-m-me and All Might at the USJ, the villains said some stuff...I can't…" Mirio put a hand on his shoulder reassuringly before he interceded.
"Their leader had a conversation with All Might as they were escaping, but during the police interview we were told we couldn't talk to anyone about what they said outside of those who already know and any approved counselors we might want to talk to." The lie seemed so easy, so effortless coming from Mirio that Izuku found he was almost believing it himself. He wondered about the occasional guilty looks that would sometimes flash across the older boy's face, but quickly dismissed his train of thought as Mirio continued. "I'm sorry Bakugo, but he really can't talk to you about it. But I promise you, when we're done, he'll be better and I will tell you everything I can." Bakugo stood very still in the doorway as he considered Mirio's words before seeming to come to some conclusion and smacking his fist into the wall.
"Fuck it, fine! But you better help the fucking nerd or I'll beat the shit out of you myself," he hissed, stomping out before Mirio could answer and slamming the door behind him. Mirio offered him one of his big smiles and let out a laugh as he shook his head.
"Man, even when he's trying to be a better person, he's still kind of a jerk, isn't he?" That actually got a laugh from Izuku, and Mirio moved to sit beside him on the futon, placing one of his hands on Izuku's shoulder and just letting the silence stretch out between them for a bit. When he spoke again it was in a very gentle tone, one that Izuku recognized as his 'comforting civilians' voice from the time they had taken turns doing rescue drills at the beach. Funny, that was almost two years ago now. "This is about All Might's time limit, isn't it? Because he lost more time after fighting Nomu?"
Izuku looked up with wet eyes, and realized that he hadn't allowed himself to cry at any point over the past two weeks. Sitting next to his friend and mentor, he finally let out the wail he had been suppressing the entire time, dropping his head into his hands and sobbing. Mirio only patted him on the back and waited patiently. It was another few minutes before he felt he was able to speak again.
"He only had to f-f-fight it because I, because I messed up...because I don't deserve to be here, and got in the way. You s-s-saw what the hand g-guy did to Aizawa-sensei. If y-you had e-ended up t-taking that attack for m-m-me at the end, you w-wouldn't have...Todoroki-san was right about me. I shouldn't b-b-be here. All I'm d-doing is g-getting in the way of r-real heroes, like you and All Might and-" Izuku was cut off as Mirio placed a warm hand atop his head and tenderly ruffled his hair.
"Izuku, you have such a wonderful mind, sometimes it kind of scares me how smart you are. But, you also overthink things and get so wrapped up in that big brain of yours that you forget that the whole world doesn't rest on your shoulders. Not everything is your fault, and nothing that happened at the USJ was your fault. The actions of those villains and the consequences of those actions are theirs and theirs alone." Izuku shook his head at that, but didn't pull away.
"It, it was still m-my fault that the villain...he c-could have k-k-killed you with a t-touch. If y-you hadn't n-needed to protect me, if the teachers hadn't g-got there in t-time... you're a l-lot more important than s-some kid p-playing at b-being a hero w-without any real p-p-power of his own." Mirio seemed to tense up at that, and he pulled Izuku fully into a hug.
"Little bro, if you think I wouldn't have tried to take that hit for any of your classmates, then you forgot my hero name. I'm Lemillion, the hero who will save a million people! Whether it was you or anyone else in that situation, my actions wouldn't have changed."
"But you wouldn't have to have needed to save anyone else! He destroyed my armor with a touch! W-without it, I'm just the useless Deku! If it had been Kacchan, or Todoroki, or Uraraka, or Iida, they wouldn't have been p-p-powerless! They wouldn't have n-needed you to d-d-defend them j-just because their costume got broken!"
"And you think they'd have been able to defend themselves if he had disintegrated one of their arms? Because the fact that you were wearing your armor at all meant that instead of losing an arm and being out of the fight, you could have kept going and fought on with just your skill. I know you can do that, heck, Aizawa-sensei does that pretty much every day as Eraserhead!" He held Izuku out at arms length and looked at him critically. "You always say that quirks are just tools for a hero, just part of their power, so why are you doubting yourself right now? What would caterpillar-sensei think if he saw you being irrational?" Mirio's expression darkened momentarily. "Did something else happen after that guy from general studies tried to threaten you?"
Izuku just mutely shook his head, unsure of how to respond. Mirio sighed and pulled him back in for another hug, doing his best to get Izuku to talk to him.
"If you won't talk about that, will you at least tell me what all this is and what you were planning on using it for?" Izuku relaxed at that, glad to be away from the topic of his own insecurities and onto the somehow less shaky ground of his work.
"W-well, you r-remember during the fight the Nomu...it grabbed All Might in the side. I, uh, I d-don't need to know h-how you knew about his injury, by the way. I, I understand i-if it's a secret." Mirio nodded to him encouragingly, and quickly explained that all the staff knew, and that since they were TA's that year the Big Three had been informed as well. Satisfied with that, Izuku pressed on.
"W-well, see, I had the idea already, j-just not for All M-Might specifically, b-but to synthesize a v-version of Recovery Girl's q-quirk in general, for healing people. But a-after the USJ, and after All Might lost more time, I knew I had to d-do something sooner rather than later." He pushed himself up off the futon as he finished, standing on shaky legs and gesturing for Mirio to follow him. They reached the lab bench and Izuku began to spread his notes out alongside his computer.
"Well if what you've been doing is recreating Recovery Girl's quirk, why would it be dangerous? I guess I can understand working until you drop, by the way please stop doing that, but when Bakugo came and got us he said you might be putting your life at risk." Izuku reddened and looked down from his papers before pulling up a series of images on his laptop and turning the screen towards Mirio.
"Ah, w-well that's because I f-figured out some stuff about Recovery Girl's quirk, and uh, well, I had to use s-something else as the basis, b-because her quirk only accelerates the natural healing p-process. I needed to b-basically bypass the normal way a b-body heals entirely." He pointed to a progressing series of images that appeared to be slides of stained cells captured at high resolution. As the images ran on it became clear that while the earlier pictures featured misshapen masses of growths with large nuclei that stretched off the screen, those later in the order showed normal, uniform cells arranged within a defined boundary.
"Izuku, what are those pictures of?"
"The images depict the progress I made in stopping the tumor p-problem. Because I couldn't use Recovery Girl's quirk to replace damaged tissue I had to use a d-different quirk as the base; one that could essentially spur the body to produce stem cells and then use those stem cells to replace missing tissues." He tapped his trackpad, bringing up yet another series of images. "Of course, the tumor problem I m-mentioned resulted from the cells essentially multiplying endlessly. There was no off switch for the cells once they got started other than traditional cancer treatment, but now, I'm pretty sure I've got it fixed."
Izuku paused to look at Mirio as he explained his work, satisfied that at least for the moment the older boy wasn't mad. He didn't seem confused either, which was a definite positive as far as his ability to pitch his idea was concerned. If he could get Mirio on his side, then he had a very good chance at convincing the others to let him work in peace.
"You see, just because I swapped out the base quirk, it doesn't mean I didn't still need to replicate an aspect of Recovery Girl's quirk as well. We've both had it used on us, so you should know that it uses your own stamina as fuel for its healing effect. The fact that Recovery Girl can choose how much healing she can do when balanced against someone's remaining stamina…"
"Means that her quirk has brakes built into it to prevent her from healing someone too much and possibly killing them," supplied Mirio. Izuku nodded, and danced his fingers over the keyboard on his laptop, pulling up his most recent test results.
"And by replicating those particular enzymes that tell it how to stop and a few other quirk sequences, when inserted into the chemical composition of the base, it creates a healing effect that, while much more limited than Recovery Girl's in the short term, can fully regrow tissue in the long term. Theoretically, it could even replace missing organs, though unfortunately it's not able to handle most types of nervous tissues." He looked up and saw that Mirio had a wide smile stretched across his face and a shine in his eyes.
"Izuku, that's amazing! You could help so many people with this, why would you be doubting your potential as a hero now of all times? You're grieving right now, hurting, and you've thrown yourself into a project that's meant to help others instead of wallowing in self-pity or giving up! That's probably the most heroic thing anybody could do in your shoes, I mean just think about it little bro! How many people in Japan, in the whole world, are waiting on a transplant or a healing quirk, or anything else that's in super limited supply? You could mass produce this and save thousands of lives, heck you might even beat me to saving a million people in your first year at UA with this!"
Izuku was a sobbing mess by the time Mirio had finished his speech, all the doubts he had felt building up since the attack withering away under Mirio's earnest praise. What he had ever done to earn the compassion of the boy who he saw as a brother he would never know, but as he was pulled into a third hug, he couldn't help but recall how he had felt when All Might had told him that he could be a hero after all. Mumbling his thanks and apologies, he promised himself that not only would he get stronger for the sake of others, but for his own sake as well. It would be hard, so hard, but he would try to never call himself useless again.
"Izuku," Mirio said after a while, stepping back and fluffing his hair with a good natured expression. "I think the best thing you can do now is take what you've found to Recovery Girl and see if she knows how to continue testing your healing juice safely so that you don't have to risk swallowing a cancer pill, alright? I'll go with you, and we won't mention that you were gonna take one yourself. We'll just say you've come to the end of what you feel you can do safely and now you need some help. That's what teachers are her for after all, that's part of why I'm here too. You don't want to be like Bakugo, Izuku. It's ok to lean on other people, and you really don't have to do everything alone. After all, we're gonna have an agency together in a few years, right?"
Izuku looked at him with wet eyes and more than a little awe. He was shocked, really, but he shouldn't have been.
"I...thought you'd only want me as a sidekick," he mumbled out, glowing red. Mirio looked a little hurt for a moment before quickly recovering and barking out a small laugh.
"Izuku, one day, you'll be as strong or stronger than me; I never thought of you as someone destined to be my or anyone else's sidekick. I always figured you and Tamaki and Nejire and me, heck maybe some of your classmates, would all stand together as equals. Maybe not all necessarily at the same agency, but together no matter what! If working for Sir taught me anything, it's that you should never underestimate someone's potential. Now c'mon, let's go see what Recovery Girl says about your research, okay?" Wiping his eyes, Izuku quickly gathered his papers and notes and followed after Mirio, feeling better than he had at any point in the last two weeks.
Midnight was smiling when the students filed into class on Monday, which was never a good sign, especially when her eyes would light up and she would start to lick her lips. The swish-swish of her whip was punctuated by a sudden crack that drew everyone's attention to the heroine as they all had finally taken their seats. She smiled wider at the few yelps this elicited.
"My my, such youthful energy and such... innocence . Oh I could just eat you all up," she cooed, switching from shameless flirt to adoring aunt far too easily. Some had gotten used to the differences between Midnight's hero persona and her personality as a teacher, but for Izuku the tonal whiplash was consistently confusing. If there was one thing he hated, it was being confused. Taking his seat, he turned his mind to other matters as roll was called.
The weekend had been pleasant, peaceful even. Bakugo had joined him at his home and had seemed content with whatever explanation Mirio had given him after they had finished on Friday. Instead of pressing more for answers, the other boy had seemed content to simply play some games and do some light training together, with Izuku presenting him the designs for his improved gauntlets on Sunday evening. Oddly enough, that seemed to be the only thing that had really annoyed Bakugo over the entire weekend, and had earned him a quiet threat that he would tell, 'that Tintin motherfucker,' that he was overworking himself again if he didn't relax a bit. It reminded him of Auntie Mitsuki in a way, which was oddly comforting.
Letting his mind wander back to the cause of Bakugo's concern saw Izuku cringing inwardly, still somewhat horrified at the idea that he had considered testing unproven quirk based medicine on himself. True to Mirio's promise they hadn't told Recovery Girl about that particular part of his research, but she had seemed suspicious nonetheless. It was only after he showed her the clear line of progression in his data that she had relented and agreed that he wouldn't be able to continue his research without professional assistance, though she seemed oddly optimistic about his prospects after she saw his most recent results.
She had assured them both that she would oversee an expedited process for moving his drug through to the clinical trial stage, and that if the formula proved safe, it would be ready for licensing and possibly even distribution within three months.
Apparently this wasn't the first time that medical technology had come out of UA, though Recovery Girl couldn't deny that this would be something different entirely. After Mirio had inquired about a possible patent and Izuku's rights to the formula, which the younger boy hadn't really considered, the old heroine had informed the pair that UA's legal department was experienced in securing the rights of its students to their inventions and would be handling that side of things. Any lingering fears he had been holding onto over the whole affair had been allayed when Recovery Girl had patted his hand and thanked him for trusting her with his work. The sweet smile she had offered him at that made him reflect sadly that he wished he had known any of his grandparents. He hoped they would have been like her.
A sharp snap of Midnight's whip drew his attention back to the front of the class where the teacher had just finished calling roll and was looking at the class devilishly. The smirk she was sporting was more than a little concerning, especially since it didn't seem to come from either of the two personas which her class was familiar with.
"So before we begin homeroom for today, I have two very," she bit her lip, " exciting announcements for you all." Most of the class visibly shuddered at her inflection, though Mineta and Kaminari seemed largely unfazed. "The first is that this Wednesday our dear Aizawa-sensei will be back here, and I'll only get to see you babies for your art history and heroics classes." Midnight shot the class a little pout before her tone shifted and she became all business. "The second piece of news is that in three weeks, you'll all be competing in the UA sports festival!"
The news elicited a wide range of reactions from the students; some seemed excited, others nervous, some confused, and finally some were apathetic. Todoroki was the main culprit on that front, his usual blank stare only shifting slightly as he took in the news. Asui's unflappable countenance was even more resolute than his, and the frog girl simply made a note of the event in her planner. Of those who seemed uncomfortable, only Mineta raised his hand, earning him an indulgent smile from Midnight that made him gulp.
"Kayama-sensei, is it really wise to still be holding the event after the USJ attack?" Mineta looked unsure as he asked the question, and Izuku couldn't help but sympathize with the boy. He probably felt like a coward for voicing his concern, but Izuku would have been lying if he had said he wasn't wondering the same thing. Midnight for her part seemed a little nonplussed before she answered, a small flash of genuine worry cracking her facade.
"The thinking behind continuing to hold the festival is that it will demonstrate to the villains, and Japan as a whole, that UA will not be cowed by an attack and that we are capable of continuing on despite any setbacks. Couple that with the fact that the UA sports festival is both an incredible opportunity for all of you to be scouted by pro heroes, and that it's become something akin to the Olympics in the popular culture, and there really was no choice but to hold the event." The whole class, even those who had seemed excited at the prospect of competing before, quietened at those words.
"That doesn't mean that UA won't be taking extra precautions to ensure your safety, so don't get worried about the wrong thing. There'll be five times the police presence at the venue this year, plus as I'm sure some of you noticed, we're holding the festival a week later than normal. Usually the festival happens on the second to last Wednesday in April, but with the security upgrades, this seemed like a reasonable accommodation. The announcement is going out to every class today, which should give all students two weeks to prepare before the festival."
The class burst into movement then, and Midnight simply giggled behind her hand and let them voice their exuberance. Izuku wondered if she thought Aizawa was too strict on them, but quickly found himself distracted by the declarations of his classmates behind him. Kirishima was leading Sato, Sero, and the usually reserved Tokoyami in a cheer about 'manliness' while Asui and Mina looked on in seeming confusion and enthusiasm respectively. Midnight seemed content to give them the rest of the homeroom period to express their excitement, as she leaned back in her chair and adjusted her glasses before catching Izuku looking at her and giving him a wink.
Blushing furiously he whipped his head towards Uraraka and Iida, the former of whom had taken on an unusually driven expression to match that of their taller friend.
"Deku...Iida," she growled, eyes burning as fiercely as her cheeks, "at this sports festival, let's do our best. Let's crush this!" Beside him Iida was berating Izuku for his lack of competitive spirit, but Izukuw wasn't listening, instead letting his mind drift again, this time to his friends' motivations for pursuing heroics. In a moment of introspection, he began to question his own motives, and wondered how much he was still on the path of the hero for a genuine desire to save people, and how much it had become a desire to prove others wrong about him. Resolved to question his friends about their motives later, and hopefully to discover more about his own, he simply smiled as the rest of the homeroom period played out around him.
Mei was sure that if nothing else, the baby she was working on would snap her friend out of his funk and get him back into proper working order, and hopefully in time for the sports festival. It had been incredibly uncomfortable these past two weeks, watching him move around like a zombie as he worked incessantly at whatever biological abomination he was chasing after. Even during the frantic time spent consulting with Melissa and Dave during the lead up to the entrance exam, his work had never become so fever-pitched that he had somehow exhausted his usually boundless energy. Not like this, anyways.
Of course, she understood him better than most people, seeing as they were alike in so many ways. People had looked down on him for being quirkless, and though it was certainly far less frequent than it used to be, she herself had been underestimated in the sciences for simply being a woman. Mostly it had just been some hangers on from the old days, and if the rough parity between the genders across most fields these days was anything to go by, the chauvinists were definitely almost gone. It had never bothered her like his own situation had seemed to bother Izuku, but between their mutual love of learning and discovery, their fascination with aspects of heroics, and the simple good natured cheer that each inspired in the other, Mei had come to view him as something of a twin brother.
Unlike the others in their bunch of misfits, the two inventors didn't have the kind of open rapport or touchy-feely hugginess that the older students brought, or the grudging rivalry and seeming newfound respect he had found with the pissy dandelion boy. She and Izuku understood each other wordlessly; each had been the other's first friend in as long a time as either could remember, and the strength of their bond was such that they could practically sense what the other was thinking at all times. Mei smiled fondly, recalling how she had helped him learn more concrete engineering principles while he had done his best to shore up her knowledge in chemistry and biology.
All of that was why she knew that what she was working on now would hopefully be what was necessary to end this slump. He had pulled her out of the lab before, encouraging her to eat and sleep when she got too caught up in one of her inventions, and had only ever managed to do so by diverting her mind onto something even more exciting than whatever she had been working on. If she knew him as well as she thought she did, he would need much the same. Oh sure, Mirio and the others would help in the short term, but until Izuku had something more enticing than whatever he was working on in front of him, he would keep getting sucked back in.
Luckily for the both of them then, each understood the others' dreams and wishes very well by that point, which was why she was sure that this would work. She heard the door to the support lab open behind her, and grinned manically as Nejire walked in, still holding onto Tamaki's hand behind her. She may not have had Izuku's level of brilliance when it came to understanding quirks, but when it came down to physics and mechanics, Mei was in her element. Rubbing her hands together ominously, she practically leered at the pair of third years as she began to set up the series of tests she was going to run. Izuku was going to be so surprised!
Nezu eyed his students merrily as the pair set about their assigned analyses for the day. Yaoyorozu would be focusing on developments in materials science, and it was to be hoped that the young woman would soon realize that she would be capable of producing compounds which would otherwise have been impossible to manufacture. If the small smile forming on her face was any indication, the research papers he had set her to reading were having their intended effect.
His other pupil was another matter entirely, the boy with a mind so strange, and an intelligence that could one day approach even his own. Nezu was no stranger to confusing thought patterns; compared to most humans his own mind was a twisting matrix of crystalline hallways and hidden paths, his quirk allowing him to see in ways that most others couldn't even conceptualize. If he wanted his charge's attention, all it would take would be a casual flick of his wrist against one of the pens on his desk, which would set off a chain reaction of small movements and seeming accidents that would result in a bolt from the ceiling fan falling into the boy's lap.
Being able to analyze at such a rate, in such a way, it meant that people were so very easy to read, and yet also so very difficult to relate to. Having been subjected to all kinds of experiments and having suffered so unnecessarily, it was...difficult to sympathize with most humans, but children were a major exception. Midoriya, along with no small number of other students he had taken under his paws over the years, had the same difficulty in trusting others and their intentions as he did. Aldera, it seemed, was still fresh in the boy's mind. He was disdainful of most teachers and their assistance, though he did seem willing to trust at least one member of the faculty in Aizawa. It would be hard for anyone not to be so distrusting of teachers when he had outgrown several of them and then been subjected to abuse at their hands for his efforts. Still, getting the boy to trust the educators here was paramount, and if the project Chiyo had shown him was anything to go by, would prove necessary for his safety.
Naturally, the complications arising from concealing their knowledge about his stolen quirk meant that whatever trust they managed to earn might be shattered in the near future. He had already miscalculated once before when dealing with the issue of the boy's support gear, a very rare misstep for Nezu. Quite simply, while he could calculate the likelihood of almost any turn of events, his predictions were based on chances and odds rather than the certainty someone like Sir Nighteye seemed able to employ. He had only calculated a three percent chance of Midoriya reacting as he had, the lowest among any of his possible reactions. Yet, as he saw more and more of the boy, it seemed that he defied statistics, defied the nearly infallible power of Nezu's own reason.
In almost every interaction where he tried to predict something Midoriya would do, the boy almost invariably went with what was, according to his quirk's analysis, the statistically least probable course of action. It was how the boy had managed to beat him in several games of Go until he was able to recognize the pattern. Mirai would need to be contacted soon to see if the boy could somehow defy his prescience as well, which wouldn't be too hard given Midoriya's connection with Togata. When the time came it would likely be him that Nezu would rely on to reveal what they knew to Midoriya, and hopefully he would be able to keep the boy from being hurt too badly by their withholding of information. He had been able to coax him into asking for help with his most recent project after all.
On that matter, Nezu was particularly proud of both his students; Togata for being a responsible friend and mentor and helping Midoriya even when the boy didn't want it, and Midoriya for channeling his grief into an effort to help others, however misplaced that grief may have been. Of course he didn't condone what the poor boy had been doing to himself, but he understood it far better than most.
Something else he understood far better than most was the promise of the boy's breakthrough. Quite frankly Midoriya's synthetic healing quirk might represent the single most promising technology to come out of UA in over forty years, and its potential for the medical industry was near limitless. Granted, the expedited process he was having the drug tested under might seem a little reckless, but it was hardly the first time UA had done something like this.
The boy was muttering under his breath as he read through the most recent of his assignments, a study on the mutations incurred by habitual exposure to the 'Trigger' drug and its ilk. The black, distended tongues were only one symptom, and a few particularly ugly cases from Naruhata had resulted in the permanent transformation of a number of unlucky victims some years back. Perhaps Midoriya would find some way to help them as well.
For now, however, it was imperative that the testing on his first project finish as quickly as possible. Even if the circumstances of its creation were undesirable, if the formula proved stable, it might prove able to heal Toshinori. Though he would never sacrifice one of his student's well being for anything, what was done was done, and all he could do was keep moving forward with the impossible child in front of him.