Yuji was watching a movie with Junpei, his eyes unfocused as the events of last week ran through his mind on repeat. He could recall almost everything perfectly, up to the moment he went to punch the robot. His body had been on full auto pilot once again. One moment he had been on the ground, the next he had been a hundred meters in the air, with a robot flying away from him. He had tried replicating that feeling again this way, but One for All had felt elusive, like it was hiding from him. The markings hadn't reappeared either.
His thoughts were interrupted as a clump of ice cubes were shoved down the back of his shirt, the cold snapping him free of his thoughts. He jolted forward, desperately moving to keep the frozen water from making any more contact with his back on its descent. He turned around to face Junpei.
"Mind telling me why you shoved ice down the back of my shirt?" Yuji demanded, glowering at his friend.
"You were drumming your fingers again, and besides it being an obnoxious signal you are thinking about something, it was getting pretty loud. I could barely hear the movie over your thinking, what the heck is on your mind?" Junpei's verdant eye bored into Yuji's, worry evident behind the glare.
Yuji turned away, sighing and flexing his hand a few times. Drumming his fingers had become a tick when he was younger, one that he had never managed to break, and Junpei was one of the few who had caught onto it. His enhanced strength had always made it louder than normal, and it seemed he had caused his friend to worry, again.
"I'm thinking about the entrance exam again," Yuji admitted. "I only got a few points, and I completely wrecked my body taking out that giant robot. What am I gonna do if I don't get in?" 'What will I do if I can't live up to my grandfather's final wish?'
The unspoken words hung in the air between them, a reminder that Yuji had his own personal curse. His grandfather had always meant well, but the final wish had weighed on Yuji, and for seven months it had driven him to chase an ideal, one that he had never before envisioned for himself. Both boys knew the truth of the matter, even if they couldn't admit it.
Junpei smiled and lightly punched Yuji on the shoulder, "Relax, they'd be crazy to not take you, and I know we both passed the written exam. You're going to be a hero and I'm going to have to deal with all the property damage reports." The joke caused Yuji to smile weakly, before shaking his head.
"Yeah, yeah. I'm too unrefined to not break a dozen buildings when putting down a purse snatcher." He snorted.
The door to the house suddenly slammed open, and Ms. Yoshino announced her return loudly. "Boys! I've got two letters from UA!" She half screamed and half sang. The boys looked at each other, eyes widening before launching themselves off the couch, tipping it over in their mad scramble.
They ran to the elder Yoshino, sliding to a stop as she brandished the letters like weapons. They each grabbed one before running for their rooms, doors slamming shut, opening again quickly with shouts of thanks, before slamming closed once more. Ms. Yoshino could only stare as she flexed her fingers, amazed they were still attached. 'I should probably yell at them about slamming doors, but given the circumstances, I'll let them off the hook this once.'.
Yuji sat on his bed, staring at the letter in his hands. He took a deep breath and ripped open the envelope. Instead of the letter he had expected, a thin gray plastic object fell out onto the covers. A blue light flashed and suddenly, a screen was projected out of the object and onto the ceiling. All Might appeared on the projection, a bright yellow pinstripe suit on as he laughed.
"Greetings young man! Apologies for the wait, but there were a lot of things going on behind the scenes this year! You may be wondering, 'Why is All Might presenting my exam results?' Simple! I will be teaching at UA starting this year!" All Might flashed a toothy smile at the camera, and flexed lightly for the camera as his booming announcement was made.
"Now, Yuji Itadori, you scored only twenty-four villain points during the mock battle exam. I am sad to report that this alone is not enough to step foot into UA as a hero course student." All Might slumped down, shoulders sagging, before he swept to the side, revealing a screen behind him. "However, this ain't your run of the mill hero course! This is UA, the alma mater to the greatest heroes Japan has ever known!"
The screen showed Yuji turning as everyone else ran from the zero pointer, then his leap and explosive punch to the robot's head. Yuji took it all in with wide eyes, breath catching as he landed and stood up, his gray eyes focused, the black tribal markings dark on his skin, before they faded and he wobbled.
"You leapt without a second thought to defend someone else, even at the cost of your own body. You didn't hesitate, just as you didn't all those months ago with the sludge villain. How could UA call itself a hero course if they didn't reward such spirit! A panel of judges witnessed your sacrifice, and rewarded you with fifty rescue points. With a total of seventy-four points, you tied for second place on the practical exam kid."
At this point All Might stepped into frame once more, his head high and eyes gleaming. He offered one hand to Yuji, and despite knowing it was a projection, Yuji still found himself reaching for it.
"You have all the makings of a hero Yuji Itadori, and so it's with great pleasure I announce that you have passed the exams and have been accepted into the hero course at UA High School. Come forth young man, your journey into the hero academia awaits!"
The video paused and after a few seconds, the light cut out, leaving Yuji alone in his room. He stared in disbelief for a few seconds, his mind in shock as to how this could be real. 'I did it. I actually made it into UA?!' his shocked expression turned to joy, a wide smile on his face as he flopped backwards on his bed, limbs flailing in joy.
A fist slamming into his door repeatedly broke him from his reverie. He sat up before scrambling out of bed and stumbling to the door, ripping it open and almost off its hinges in his excitement. One look at Junpei's face was all the confirmation he needed, before tackling his friend, Junpei's cry of shock turning to laughter as they tumbled on the ground.
Ms. Yoshino peeked into the hall to find the two on the ground, laughing as they hugged. She rolled her eyes, and couldn't help but smile. "Guess you two made it huh?"
Yuji leapt to his feet before hugging her. "Of course we did!" He exclaimed happily. Junpei crashed into her a second later, laughing. She hugged them both, "I'm proud of you both. Now you've got a month, get ready! I'm gonna expect big things out of you two!"
A few days later, Yuji stood on the beach with All Might, the night sky illuminated by the lights of the city. The hero was in his skinny form, bundled up in a large coat for the chilly night. Except for a couple standing on a pier a little way away, the two were alone, able to have a discussion in relative privacy. Yuji had been called here after All Might had finally reached out to him, ending a week and a half of silence from the hero.
"Well done young Itadori. You passed the exam all on your own." All Might smiled as he continued, "Just so you know, I didn't tell any of those judging that I was training you, or those who know my secret that you were inheriting my power. You passed the UA entrance exams of your own merit."
Yuji smirked at his words, before looking down. "It doesn't feel like that's entirely true. I took out that robot with your quirk, not mine. On top of that, your quirk nearly ripped my arm out of its socket. I can't control it at all!"
"Control will come with time, young man. You probably couldn't control your own natural strength as a small child, could you?" All Might laughed as he patted an embarrassed Yuj on the shoulder. Yuji was blushing in embarrassment as memories of lost baseballs, and a year of being banned from opening and closing doors. All Might courteously ignored the teen.
"As for the recoil of One for All, I told you that the backlash would be intense. Think of yourself like a glass. Normally you're filled with water and you can handle it just fine. We spent the last seven months making your glass stronger and able to hold more. Then we finally filled it with more water. Right now, you are just a hair's breadth from overflowing. The glass is just barely strong enough to hold the power you have gained. With time you shall adjust, you will control the flow of it better, and you won't hurt yourself."
As All Might spoke, he bent down to the ground, shifting to his muscular form, picking up an empty soda can and crushing it in his hand. A booming laugh echoed in the night from the hero, "Just give it time young man. You just have to find your way of avoiding overflowing the glass!"
All Might's declaration drew not only the attention of Yuji, but the young couple on the pier. At their cries of excitement, All Might looked startled, before quickly turning to Yuji motioning with his head to move to his left. As they took off, sprinting on the beach before the couple could draw more attention, Yuji became lost in thought.
'I have to work harder if I'm going to use All for One, I've got to learn to control it, just like those before me!' As he thought this Yuji realized an undeniable fact. All Might had said he would be the ninth wielder of One for All, the sacred torch of heroes. This power had not only been passed from generation to generation, it had been cultivated since the dawn of quirks, almost one hundred sixty years ago. The power had grown, meaning each wielder had more power at their disposal than the last. Yuji would have to master the quirk at the most powerful it has ever been, not just matching the will of those who came before, but surpassing them.
'I won't be able to just match All Might, I'll have to surpass him,' Yuji stared at the sand before raising his head, his feet slamming into the sand a little harder as he pushed himself in front of All Might. 'No choice for it then. I'll just have to become the strongest!'
All Might's eyes widened at the young man who had taken the lead in their beachside dash, before shaking his head, a low chuckle escaping him. 'That's the spirit young Itadori, looks like you've realized the truth. Control will come as One for All and your body adapts. You'll have to work hard, but you have the talent, drive, and spirit. Right now, I've merely started to nurture a small ember, with time you'll grow into a raging inferno! You'll be able to surpass me so long as you keep your eyes forward and your heart strong! Hey, that sounded pretty deep All Might!'
As the hero praised himself and the boy who would surpass him, they continued to run into the night.
Yuji's eyebrow twitched as he opened the door to class 1-A, the scene before him defying logic. The blue haired kid with the leg quirk was robotically waving his arm, lecturing a savage looking blonde with red eyes. The reason for such a lecture was the ruby-eyed teen had his legs propped up on the desk. Yuji looked around the class and noted some faces he recognized from the exam, and most all were seated and trying their best to ignore the yelling.
There was one girl in the back with a long ponytail reading a book, another boy with the head of a bird had his eyes closed, and a massive boy in the back was hiding his face behind his hands. As Yuji took all this in, the blue haired teen noticed him during his glance around the class and turned towards Yuji. Acting on instinct, Yuji closed the door and sighed.
"Out of all the ways for the year to start, this can't be normal, even for UA." he muttered, slumping over, before freezing as someone tapped him on the shoulder. He turned to his left and saw Uraraka staring at him curiously, brown eyes wide, but smiling.
"Hey you made it! Not that I doubted it or anything! I was sure you did, what with how you blew that robot away in one punch!" she exclaimed, miming a boxer, before finishing with a right cross. "So, are you in 1-A too?" she asked curiously.
"Uh yeah."
"Well then let's go in! I'm sure this year will be fun!"
She breezed past Yuji with a fist held to the air and yanked open the door, before freezing exactly as he had. The blue haired teen now loomed in front of the door, the previous argument forgotten as he stared over Uraraka's head and into Yuji's soul. He raised his arm at the shoulder in the same robotic manner, his elbow bent at ninety degrees before he brought it down in a swift chopping motion.
"You're the one who divined the true nature of the exam, I must admit, your ability to recognize the events for what they truly were far exceeds my own! I am Tenya Ida of Soumei Private Academy!" Ida never ceased his chopping, even as he praised Yuji. "That won't happen again; however, you may have the advantage now, but I will surpass you!" Ida declared Yuji his rival, in front of the class, before class had even begun. Yuji promptly did the only thing he could in that situation.
"Bring it on!" Yuji grinned and declared he would let no such event occur. Ida would not pass him, and Yuji would stay at the front of the pack, just as he had promised himself. The two ignored Uraraka as she slipped out from between the two. As the two locked eyes, twin grins emerging, a voice spoke up behind Yuji.
"This class is going to be trouble; I can already tell." A yellow caterpillar with the face of a tired middle-aged man, complete with flat black eyes and stubble stood behind Yuji. It revealed itself to not be a mutant, but a man in a sleeping bag as he unzipped it, stepping out and revealing he had messy long black hair, and wore loose black clothes, complete with a thin gray scarf wrapped around his neck several times. The man continued speaking as he stepped free of the camping gear.
"It took you all eight seconds to quiet down. If you were logical and serious about becoming heroes you all would have been ready. We've only got three years to turn all of you into Pros, there's no time to waste. My name is Shota Aizawa, and I'll be your homeroom teacher. Now, put these on and follow me." Mr. Aizawa held up a gym uniform, and gestured to his side, where more of the uniforms were on a cart.
A little while later, all of class 1-A stood on a field before Mr. Aizawa, with several sets of testing equipment around him. He scanned over the class, noting how the twenty kids before him all had curious looks and varying degrees of recognition for the equipment. Deciding that enough time had passed, he began his speech.
"UA is different from most schools. Here, we believe in freedom. That extends to both the students and the faculty, not just in how we go about doing heroics, but also in how the curriculum is built. That doesn't mean we believe in cheating, or attacking other heroes, it means we believe in creativity. In utilizing every tool and ounce of wit you have to overcome a challenge." He eyed the class, looking over each of them in turn and assessing them with a tired but critical eye.
"That freedom is why I've brought you all out here, skipping the opening ceremony. We only have three short years and that's why I'm going to get a benchmark on your abilities right now." He held up a baseball with a black band around the center, before tossing it to the blonde trouble maker from earlier. "Bakugo, what was your record for the baseball toss in middle school?"
"About fifty-seven meters I think." The now identified teen responded casually, catching the ball and eyeing it.
Mr. Aizawa nodded before continuing, "When you took these tests in middle school, you weren't allowed to use your quirks, despite the fact that some of you likely couldn't help it. This is because the government is illogical. They're still desperately trying to pretend that everyone is equal by not allowing those with the most power to excel. An example of this would be if someone had a quirk that allowed them to perfectly recall everything they've ever heard. Such a person would place first in every exam simply if they listened to enough lectures, and no one would be able to stop them.
Today, we're going to repeat those physical tests from your middle school days. The difference will be that you're all allowed to use your quirks to the fullest. The only rule is that you must be able to perform every test." As he finished speaking, Mr. Aizawa pulled out his phone and nodded to Bakugo. Bakugo glanced at him before stepping into the circle signifying the throw area, and took a deep breath. He wound up and threw, and just as the ball was exiting his hand, a large explosion erupted as he screamed. A few seconds later, Aizawa held up his phone to the class as a robot chimed the number on the screen, "Seven hundred-five point two meters."
A pink girl with horns and golden eyes shouted in excitement, and others soon took up the cry. They exclaimed how fun this would be and Yuji felt their excitement at being able to truly let loose, before he noticed the shark-like smile on his new teacher's face. He felt a chill as Mr. Aizawa started to speak again.
"Looks like fun? Well, if you're here for fun you might as well pack up and go home. In fact, let's add a new rule. Whoever winds up in last place will be judged as having zero talent and will be expelled." A chorus of despair and argument erupted from the students, but Mr. Aizawa was having none of it. "I told you all the freedom is extended to the faculty as well. I expelled an entire class last year, now get ready and let's see who has no talent."
Yuji took a deep breath as he took his place on the fifty-meter line next to Bakugo. Most of the rest of the class had already gone, with some clear standouts in Ida, the pink girl that skated on acid, and the boy who had skated on ice all scoring four and a half seconds or less. It was only the first test, there was no need for him to access all the power of One for All here, his own quirk would do just fine.
When the starting buzzer sounded, he pushed off, accelerating to full speed in less than two seconds and rocketing past the finish line in front of Bakugo. Bakugo had used his explosions in a controlled manner, rapidly detonating them to stay in the air and pass the finish line much faster than if he had run the fifty meters. As Yuji skidded to a stop the robot declared their times.
"Three point five seconds! Four point one seconds!"
Bakugo landed and stared at Yuji, crimson eyes wide before quickly narrowing, and turning away, shoulders tense. Yuji curled one eyebrow at him before shrugging. 'Guess he's a sore loser. Don't know why he'd be mad; Ida out did both of us in that one.'
The rest of the test proceeded in a similar manner, the students with some form of strength enhancing quirk did well, while the rest who had an emitter or mutant type found some way to improve their score. One boy grew several arms for the grip strength test, while another bounced rapidly between the balls that grew on his head for the side step. The boy with red and white hair used his ice again for the long jump, launching himself off the end of a spike.
As Itadori stepped up to throw his baseball, Mr. Aizawa called out to him, "Itadori, hold it. I'm going to give you a special rule. If you don't beat your middle school record of one hundred fifty meters, I'm expelling you on the spot." Yuji heard the class gasp as his eyes widened.
"Wait what? Why?!" Yuji could only stare as Mr. Aizawa strode up to him, his eyes cold and flat.
"You exhibited far greater strength and dexterity during the entrance exam, but everything you've done today has been in line with what you did in middle school. Not a single ounce of that explosive power or acrobatic ability. Since you seem to think you can just coast by with anything less than your absolute best, you get an extra handicap. So, if you want to continue at UA, embody the school motto. Go. Beyond. Plus. Ultra."
Mr. Aizawa growled out those last words, punctuating each one with a step, drawing closer to Itadori until the barely taller man filled his view, coal eyes staring into brown. Yuji fought down a shiver and finally nodded, signaling he understood what Mr. Aizawa was saying. As the teacher walked back to his original position, Yuji took a deep breath, closed his eyes and reached for the power of One for All, tensing the muscles of his body.
The power roared forth, expanding throughout his entire body in a second. The power hadn't responded once since the exam, and now he could feel it. It was a leviathan, a beast lurking just below the surface, the markings covering his skin proof of its activation. He could feel his blood pumping, the fingers of his left-hand twitching. His body felt lighter, yet every little move seemed to have more weight. He opened his eyes, and as he exhaled, he twisted his body and threw.
He launched it with all his might, never noticing the disappearance of the markings before he released the ball, losing his balance and almost falling face first into the dirt. It flew what seemed a short distance before the robot once more helpfully chimed out his score.
"Sixty-five meters." Yuji stared in disbelief along with the rest of the class, before glancing at his arm, and opening then closing his hand a few times.
"WHAT THE HELL?! THAT WAS WAY WORSE THAN MIDDLE SCHOOL! WHAT HAPPENED?!" Yuji's scream seemed to echo off the school building behind the class as he grabbed his head. 'All Might is going to kill me! I got expelled on the first freaking day!'
"I erased your quirk." Mr. Aizawa's calm voice pierced through Yuji's despair. At his words, Yuji looked up shocked to see his teacher's eyes glowing red, his hair hovering back from his face. His scarf hovered now as well, revealing a pair of yellow goggles beneath them.
Mr. Aizawa continued to glare at Yuji as he spoke "My quirk allows me to nullify the quirks of others. I could tell that you were going to harm your body again, just to pass my little test. So not only do you think you can take it easy here, you think that just making yourself a liability is acceptable too? You remind me of a man who was able to rescue over a thousand people at once, and turned himself into a legend. The difference is that man never needed someone to rescue him." Aizawa's eyes returned to their natural black color, and his hair fell back around his face. "Take your throw, I won't stop you, no matter what you decide." The disappointment in his voice was heavy, the dismissal from his teacher a pain he had never felt before.
The words hung in the air as Yuji picked up another baseball, and stared at the retreating back of his teacher. He was right. Yuji wasn't All Might. He couldn't handle the full power of One for All as it stood. So what could he do?
He looked over to his classmates, some clearly hoping he would pull off a miracle, some disinterested. Two stood out in particular. One was Uraraka, who had her hands clasped together as if praying for him. The other was the explosive teen known as Bakugo. He had his hands clenched and was staring at Yuji murderously, his hands clenching and unclenching, almost as if he wanted to trigger his quirk.
Yuji's brown eyes widened before he quickly spun around, taking a pitcher's stance. It would be tricky but if he couldn't handle a full power full throw…
He launched the baseball, flowing through the motions and the tribal tattoos of One for All flickering across his skin at the last moment, fading as fast they appeared. A small dust cloud picked up around Yuji, the ball creating a cone around it as his classmates gasped, the ball disappearing from sight.
"Nine-hundred sixty-five meters." The robot chimed out helpfully a few seconds later.
Aizawa stared at the teen, disappointed until Yuji turned to face him, discomfort evident on his face, but wearing a grin despite it.
"I only used it for a fraction of a second. My arm is strained a bit, but I can keep going!" Yuji declared; his eyes boring into the tired eyes. He clenched his fist in front of him, proving the truth of his words. Mr. Aizawa couldn't help but smile back, impressed at Yuji's on the fly thinking.
"Excellent!"
The remaining tests proceeded quickly, with Yuji putting up a decent score on the distance run, and almost everyone doing well on the toe touches. Yuji scored third overall, losing to Momo Yaoyorozu, the tall girl with the ponytail, and Shoto Todoroki, the boy who could skate on ice. He beat out Bakugo by a narrow margin. The boy with purple balls on his head, Minoru Mineta, wound up being dead last.
The class waited with bated breath as they looked on in pity for the short boy. He himself seemed to be miserable, no doubt from beating out so many others to attend UA, only to be expelled on the first day. After announcing the results Mr. Aizawa simply told them to head back to class, grab the syllabus off their desk, and be ready for the class the next day.
"What do you mean be ready tomorrow? You just expelled me!" Minoru half shrieked, tears flooding his face.
"That? That was just a logical ruse to get the best out of you. Now I have a solid baseline." Aizawa retorted before turning back around. "Get some rest and be ready for tomorrow." He waved over his shoulder as he walked off.
"WHAT?!" Half of the class shrieked; Yuji included.
"Oh, I thought that was rather obvious." Yaoyorozu said, tilting her head as if confused. Todoroki merely nodded in agreement. The confused half stared at them before shaking their heads in annoyance and grumbling as they headed back to the locker rooms.
As Shota Aizawa made his way back to the teacher's office, All Might called out to him.
"That was a dirty trick Aizawa. We both know that you would have expelled young Itadori if he hurt himself more, or if you truly believed that any of them had zero talent." All Might leaned against the wall, his arms crossed and his head down, casting a shadow over his eyes as he observed the younger pro hero.
Aizawa turned to regard the legend. Neither hero was tense, but for pros of their level and experience that was simply a giveaway. They were veterans, and both were ready to spring into action at a moment's notice. He slipped his hands out of his pockets, and casually reached up, gently pulling on his capture scarf, loosening it ever so slightly.
"All Might, I thought I saw you peeking around the corner. Did you observe the whole test I gave today?"
"I did, and I wondered the entire time why you put this class through this? They are young, barely able to start working towards their dreams, just as you and I did."
Aizawa regarded his senior for several long seconds, before sighing and letting his hand fall away from the scarf. It seemed that while All Might was undoubtedly his superior in heroics, he would have to educate him in how to teach as well as teaching this new batch of wanna-be heroes.
"I did it to test their resolve All Might, and Itadori especially needed an early wake up call, especially if he can access more power than he can handle. He didn't think during the entrance exam, he just felt. Sure, in a real-world scenario, he saved the girl, but he didn't think about the consequences. If that robot had been a human, they'd either be a cloud of red mist, or a smear on the pavement. If they had been able to withstand it, Itadori would then have been in a position where he got himself and the civilian killed. He needed to learn to think. If he hadn't been able to adjust on the fly, I would have sent him home with no hesitation."
Aizawa turned around and started walking away. "It's cruel to let children dream of impossibilities, All Might. Not just anyone can become a symbol."
As All Might stared at the retreating hero, he closed his eyes. He took a deep breath, holding it in for a few seconds, letting it out slowly after. He opened his eyes and began to walk in the same direction as Aizawa, thinking to himself of just how it was possible for them to have come from the same school and be such totally different heroes.
That evening, Yuji was waiting for Junpei so they could walk home, excited to swap stories about their first day at UA. He couldn't wait to regale his friend with the tale of his first day, the excitement and stress of the test, and the exhausted caterpillar that was his homeroom teacher. As he thought over how to explain his day, he heard a voice call out.
"Itadori, hey are you going to the train station? Let's walk together." He turned to see Uraraka and Ida walking toward him and waving. It was Uraraka who called out to him, and picked up the pace slightly as she got nearer, almost skipping the last couple steps.
"Oh, hey guys, I'm just waiting on my friend. We've known each other for years, and he got into the business course." Yuji greeted them casually, raising one hand while keeping the other in his pocket.
"A good choice, regardless of being a hero or not, UA is still one of the top schools in the country." Ida's arm chopped quickly, the motion apparently a habit much like Yuji's drumming. "By the way Itadori, how is your arm? Your quirk is a bit odd in how it seems to hurt you when you utilize it."
"Oh, I'm all good! Mr. Aizawa left a note for me to go see the school nurse on my desk." Yuji held up his arm and grinned, flexing it a bit to show he was healed. "I'm tired now though. Recovery Girl's quirk really takes it out of you. As far as my quirk goes, it's not really that it hurts me every time I use it, I just found out last year it has different modes. My normal state is stronger than most people, but when I activate it, my strength is next level!" Yuji spread his arms to the side before hunching over, exaggerating a flex as if to show off his physique.
As he mimed it, he saw Junpei walking over, a nervous grin on his face. Yuji quickly stood up and called out to him. Junpei walked over, slowly and getting more nervous. When he was finally close enough, Yuji threw his arm around Junpei's shoulder and introduced him to his newest friends.
"Junpei, this is Ochako Uraraka and Tenya Ida! They're both in the hero course with me. Uraraka, Ida, this is who I was telling you about this is Junpei Yoshino, my best friend and movie expert!" As Yuji handled the introductions, the teens began walking away from the school, and they slowly started to talk more.
Yuji found that Uraraka was bubbly and seemed to be just very happy overall. Ida was serious, but not afraid to smile. Both took to Junpei easily, discovering that Uraraka and Junpei had similar experiences with needing to wear special gloves as kids, and that Ida was the younger brother of Ingenium, an up-and-coming hero. As they learned more about each other, and walked to the station, Yuji never noticed the figure trudging along behind them, red eyes boring into his back.
Chapter 4: Emotions
He dreamt of shooting stars, flying across a void. Eight of them, each a unique color, and mesmerizing in its own way. The first was a single white light, shining against the dark, but as it approached it steadily dimmed, and eventually shifted to gray. As it dimmed, another joined it in the trek, this one blue. The cerulean star was blinding when it took the lead, moving in seemingly wild directions, but always forward, only to run into a pink star, abruptly ending its journey.
This new light shone just as brightly, but seemed malevolent to his eyes. It dominated the sky while it shone, moving directly forward, dragging the previous two in its wake. It ran into an orange light, fighting to move forward, but was unable to overcome the powerful star. The new leader traveled steadfast, constant, never wavering as it led the others until a verdant star joined the procession, leading when the orange star relented.
The green star seemed to jerk forward, dragging the others with powerful movements, never stopping but accelerating and slowing randomly. It ceased its jerky movements when a crimson star ascended to the front. Its powerful shine was hypnotic, but it was cut short, almost swallowed by the void, when a purple star abruptly took its place, rising to save and lead the others.
The purple star alone seemed to wobble as it led the others, almost as if the voyage was too much before a speck grew in the wake of the purple, turning into a massive golden star, and when the purple star finally fell back, the golden star exploded into the lead.
The golden star led the pack all the way to him. They danced around him, emotions expressed through movement and light. Each star seemed to settle in a location after a time. Pink and Blue settled on each shoulder, interest and joy flowing through him. Purple and Green settled on his feet, sorrow and rage, so powerful they almost overwhelmed him. Orange, Gray and Red settled over his waist, a belt with gray at the center. Orange brought calm, while red brought excitement. Gray brought hope, a belief in things to come.
The golden star settled in his left hand, bringing determination with it, an iron will that would shake the foundations of the world.
As each rested on him, they seemed to pulse a few times, before they shot off and coalesced in front of him, forming a kaleidoscopic star. The reunion not reforming the original white, but something new, and more.
He reached out with his right hand and grasped the star, the tribal patterns on his arm burning as he grasped celestial bodies, their light shining in his eyes, and he could feel the sheer power burning him from inside out.
'Not yet,' a voice whispered, 'You're not ready yet, but you will be and you must be. The limit is almost upon us. For now, rest, and grow, Ninth.'
As he let go of the power, and slipped away from the stars, he realized it was the same voice that he heard before he unleashed One for All for the first time.
When Yuji awoke, his entire body felt sore, more than should be possible for the workout he did the previous evening. With a groan, he dragged himself into a sitting position, stretching slowly, wincing as his muscles protested the movements. Taking a deep breath, he stood and began his morning routine of stretches; working out the soreness and kinks that had developed as he slept.
Once complete, he moved to the restroom, ready to complete his morning rituals and brush his teeth. As he looked up into the mirror, his eyes widened. There on his face, the markings had appeared, indicative that he was using One for All. His eyes, normally a dark brown, were now thundercloud gray. He dropped the toothbrush in his shock, and after a second, he realized he could feel the power flowing through him as before.
Before One for All had always felt like a monster that he could barely control, only seconds from rampaging. Now, he had control, but the behemoth had become a tiger on a leash. He could handle such a beast, but he wasn't used to holding it back for so long. It made a lot of sense why he was sore now.
Taking a breath, he concentrated on what he could feel, and slowly let his body relax, the markings fading and his eyes returning to normal. His body felt heavier; and the soreness became pins and needles all over his body. The tingling made him yelp in surprise, his body stiffening in response to the stimulus.
After a few moments, he was able to focus through the sensation, and willed One for All to activate once again, not in the way All Might had told him, but coaxing the portion of the power he could control to the surface. It answered immediately, almost overwhelming him before he managed to wrestle it back down. He looked in the mirror once again, examining his face. His eyes had changed color again, and the tribal markings had appeared as well. He tilted his head and looked down at his hands, rubbing one of the markings to see if it felt different. When he determined that they were some kind of change in skin tone, he looked in the mirror one more time, and used his left hand to smooth his hair backwards over his forehead. He looked at it for a second before letting it fall, shaking his head, letting the power fade, and grabbing his toothbrush once more. -
A short time later, he and Junpei were walking to the train station after successfully dodging a plate of carbonized bread that Ms. Yoshino insisted was toast. Yuji was lost in his thoughts, mulling over his newly realized ability to control One for All, and wondering what brought it about. Junpei picked up on his unnatural silence and decided to drag Yuji from his thoughts.
"So, have you figured out what your hero name is going to be yet?" While Junpei's question did break Yuji from his thoughts, it was about as subtle as a sledgehammer to the ribs.
"Haven't thought about it all that much to be honest. I know it's important, but it's only the second day of classes." He shrugged as they waited for the train. "Any thoughts?" Yuji asked curiously, pulling out his phone.
Junpei put his hand to his chin, miming thinking deeply, and after a few moments snapped his fingers and responded with "Hercules."
"Rejected." Yuji didn't even look up from his phone.
Junpei acted as if an arrow had struck his heart, wounding him instantly, leaning back as if to fall over. "How could my heart's own brother reject my honest suggestion for his public alias? The name that shall grow with his journey to the pinnacle of superhuman society?" Junpei's voice took on a fake accent with the expanded vocabulary, his sarcasm and acting exaggerated as far as he could. Yuji glanced at Junpei, rolling his eyes and laughing slightly as the train arrived.
"You want to eat lunch with our new friends today?" Yuji changed the topic as they boarded the train, finding spots to stand.
"Sure! Just try not to die of boredom before then."
The morning classes dragged on, and Yuji could feel the tension along with the rest of the class. Each new class brought along a new hero to teach them, each specializing in a subject, and unfortunately; as their morning was the only time for them to master the general subjects, the teachers were forced to teach them quicker than general studies.
Present Mic taught English rapidly, his excited nature only contagious to a few of the students. Ectoplasm used clones to help the students individually as his math lecture went on. Cementoss taught modern history, specifically the era from the start of quirks to modern day, some one hundred and sixty years of general world and japanese history.
"The birth of the Luminescent Child in China was the first recorded quirk in history. After that, Quirks began to appear all over the world, not just in newborns, but in adolescents as well. At this time, they were called 'Meta Abilities', and were not received well. Studies were conducted immediately and while our knowledge of Quirks improved, we still don't know the exact cause of why they appeared. Quirks were quickly divided into three major categories early on: Operative, Composite, and Heteromorphic. These have become more commonly known as Emitter, Transformation, and Mutant types respectively."
Cementoss lectured steadily, drawing with chalk as the class went, elaborating the points by circling, and stressing the key points. Yuji did his best to focus, writing his notes as best he could and trying to make them usable later, when Cementoss paused, and he heard the blonde boy, Kaminari, ask a question.
"Why do we need to cover the types of quirks in our history class? Why do we need history anyway? Isn't this a hero course?" he half complained, half asked.
Cementoss nodded, almost as if he expected this question. "Knowledge of quirks is tied to your abilities to examine situations when you arrive on the scene of an emergency. For instance, early on, mutant type quirks were among the more powerful and more dangerous quirks, while emitters tended to be weaker. This can help you in determining the threat of an enemy, as well as things to possibly be wary of. It could also help in determining how you may help civilians. For instance, a person with a crystal like body may not need immediate assistance if trapped in rubble, but a person that looks like a dog may.
Understanding these distinctions can help in split second decision making. It can also help in negotiations. Some people have been persecuted, like mutants were early on. That still occurs occasionally today, despite the best efforts of heroes and civilians alike. Remember, sometimes a villain is not intent on hurting others, sometimes, they just want their own pain to stop."
The pro looked over the class, seeing how many had received his words, and smiled as he saw most were focused in, and rather than commit those words to paper, those paying attention had committed them to their hearts.
"Thank you for the question Kaminari, let us continue."
Yuji sat up straighter in his seat as the lecture continued. He would have to learn all he could if he was going to save as many people as he could.
During lunch, Yuji sat with Uraraka, Ida, and Junpei. They were discussing the reasons they had wanted to come to UA, and the natures of their respective quirks. Uraraka had started the conversation and Ida had proudly volunteered to go first.
"The Ida family has been heroes for three generations! My grandfather started the tradition, carried on by my father, and now my older brother and myself. We have fought to keep people safe and we have never failed in our duty!" Ida's eyes seemed to shine as he talked of his family, and his voice carried all the pride he felt. He had stopped his chopping for once as he talked, clenching his fist over his heart.
"Your older brother is a pro then? Who is he?" Uraraka's innocent question brought a smile to Ida's face.
"The hero Ingenium! He's based out of Hosu city. My older brother is my idol, I hope I can be like him some day. He's a good person and he's always on patrol, but he still makes time to visit and give me advice on how to train." Ida's voice now held a quiet admiration, rather than his normal over the top pride.
"What about you Uraraka? What made you want to come to UA and be a hero?" Ida flipped the question on her after a few moments, taking the time to now eat some of his lunch. Yuji and Junpei followed suit, leaving her the only one not chewing and able to speak.
"Well, my mom and dad worked hard, and still do, but we don't have a lot of money. I always thought about just joining their construction business, but they forbade it and told me I should do what I want. I grew up in the countryside, so I wasn't sure what they meant until I saw a hero on TV one day. I kinda just decided on a whim that since heroes helped people, I could do that and with the money I'd get, I could help my parents too."
She was nervous as she spoke, playing with her food and avoiding eye contact with the others. "I know it's not the best reason to be a hero, but I just really want to help them." she added weakly, almost muttering it. Silence fell upon the table for several long seconds.
"It's not a bad reason, Uraraka. Heroes save everyone, and as long as you're saving people, do the reasons really matter against the results?" Surprising everyone, it was Junpei that broke the silence, causing Uraraka to look up sharply, her brown eyes wide. Junpei continued on "Sure some people do it for fame and money, but money isn't the true goal, it's helping your parents. That's still heroic, at least it is to me."
Ida looked like he had something to say, but Yuji stomped on his toes, causing the larger teen to snap his jaw shut in a hiss of pain. When she looked over at Yuji, he flashed her a thumbs up and smiled broadly. She started to giggle, quickly figuring out what had happened.
"What about you Yoshino? Why did you come to UA?" She quickly flipped the question, catching Junpei off guard.
"Well somebody had to keep an eye on Itadori, and I drew the short stick that day. It's a solemn duty, but if I don't untold property damage would trouble Japan when he makes his debut as a hero." Junpei adjusted on the spot, his demeanor changing as he picked on Yuji. He bowed his head, and crossed his arms, acting disappointed. Yuji rolled his eyes before flicking a grain of rice at Junpei, bouncing it off his nose.
As Junpei flinched and rubbed his nose, he grumbled "All right, I was just joking. In all honesty, Yuji chose to come here, and I decided to follow along. I didn't want to be a hero though, my quirk would make saving people hard, and I don't really want to hurt anyone."
At his words, both Uraraka and Ida looked down to his glove-covered hands, having learned of his always active quirk the previous afternoon. The gloves were white, and made of a special polymer that kept his poison from leaking through. They had been developed especially for him when he was young, but the first iterations he had complained about being itchy. He smiled and waved at them, drawing their eyes up.
"It's fine you guys, I don't need to be a hero. I found other ways to enjoy life, just let me direct the movie that each of you are gonna have when you all become top ten pro's!" He flashed a smile and they all laughed. When it died down, Ida turned to Yuji.
"What about you, Itadori? Why did you decide to become a hero?" Yuji smiled at Ida, and explained the circumstances around his grandfather's death, and how he had rushed in to save Ms. Yoshino, only to be saved by All Might.
"I don't think I'll ever forget that moment. Looking up and seeing All Might there, it changes your perspective you know? He just changed things, it really felt like we were going to die, and he just forced our fates to be different. I guess between him and my grandpa, my destiny was forced to alter. I spent seven months training and studying just so I could make it in. I'm going to be like All Might, and I'm going to honor my grandpa's last request."
Yuji clenched his fist, the tribal markings flashing on his hand at his words, then disappearing. He looked to each of his friends and could see them smiling at him, his words resounding with them.
"Let's all do our best!" Ida proclaimed.
"Yeah!" The other three cheered back, getting a lot of looks from all over the cafeteria.
After lunch, Yuji was back in his seat, eagerly waiting for the afternoon to start along with the rest of his class. It was finally time for heroics; they would spend the afternoon learning from one of the pro's on how to be proper heroes.
"I!" A booming voice sounded from outside the closed classroom door, one Yuji was all too familiar with.
"AM" The door slid open.
"HERE!" All Might strode through the doorway, a different costume than his usual one. This one had a bright red top with white lines all over forming an intricate geometric pattern. His pants were dark blue with thick white lines on each side, his iconic golden belt at his waist, with matching wrist guards on each arm.
"Whoa it's really All Might!"
"Isn't that his Silver Age Costume?"
"No way!"
The class exploded into shouts and whispers as they took in the living legend. All Might's massive smile seemed to sparkle as he marched into the classroom and took a stance.
"Welcome to general heroics newbies, also known as how to be a hero! Today I will be your instructor, and class will be held in one of our urban training grounds. Today's lesson? Combat training in restricted environments!"
Upon his announcement, some of the class looked even more excited, while some began to look nervous. All Might continued, taking note of who looked a tad too excited. "Nowadays, A part of being a hero is looking good when you save the day! Which means you're all going to need these!"
All Might pressed a button on a remote, and panels on the wall opened with each revealing a rack that held several numbered briefcases. Everyone's eyes sparkled, knowing exactly what was in those cases.
"Each one corresponds to the number on your desk. Grab yours, get changed in the locker rooms and meet me at training ground beta!"
Yuji emerged from the tunnel one of the first to don his costume and get to the training ground. His hero costume was relatively simple compared to some of the more elaborate designs he had seen the others putting on. He wore a dark blue, almost black, jacket with long loose sleeves. The pants were the same color and were equally loose around his legs, with bright red combat boots on his feet. Around his neck he wore a bunched up bright red hoodie, that he could pull up on cold days. The hoodie was attached to a compression suit he wore underneath the loose clothing.
The clothing was loose since he liked to rely on his reflexes and he had learned from Todo that a skilled opponent could pick up on slight twitches in his arms and legs to predict his moves. That particular lesson had been revealed after Todo practically punched him through a tree. The jacket also concealed several heavy ceramic plates in the torso, armor in case he was hit by something more pinpoint than a punch.
While the rest of the class gathered he took the time to do some stretches and get more used to the weight and balance of the costume. He could see some of the others doing the same. Ida was stretching his legs, testing his running form with the large pipes on his full body armor. Jirou, the girl with audio jacks for earlobes, was adjusting a set of speakers on her legs.
"Now then, today's exercise will pit you with, and against, your classmates! You'll be split into teams of two, and then you will face off. One team shall be the villain team, one team shall be heroes. To decide the teams and the matches we shall use these boxes!" As All Might spoke, he pressed a button, and three pedestals came out of the ground, a box on each. He reached into the box labeled 'students' and started to rapidly announce the teams.
"Team A: Eijirou Kirishima and Denki Kaminari
Team B: Shoto Todoroki and Kyoka Jirou
Team C: Momo Yaoyorozu and Mina Ashido
Team D: Ochaco Uraraka and Fumikage Tokoyami
Team E: Katsuki Bakugo and Mashirao Ojiro
Team F: Minoru Mineta and Tenya Ida
Team G: Hanta Sero and Yuga Aoyama
Team H: Koji Koda and Mezou Shouji
Team I: Rikido Sato and Tooru Hagakure
Heam J: Yuji Itadori and Tsuyu Asui
"The first battle shall be Team D as the heroes, and Team I as the villains. Villains, you have five minutes to prepare the building behind me to be your base. Your win conditions are lasting the time limit or capturing the heroes. Heroes, you shall wait out here for the five minute prep time, and then you'll have fifteen minutes after that to either capture the villains, or secure the weapon. Everyone else shall follow me to the monitor room to observe the battle."
With his announcement made, All Might began to march away, leading a parade of colorful costumes. Yuji found Uraraka and offered his fist with a grin.
"Good luck!"
"Yeah!" Uraraka bumped her fist against his and turned to her teammate, a raven headed boy wearing a black cloak over most of his body, Fumikage Tokoyami.
Yuji turned and began to jog to catch up with the rest of the class.
Yuji and the rest of Class 1-A watched the match on the massive screens with All Might. Uraraka and Tokoyami went in through a third story window, slipping the latch open with Tokoyami's quirk as Urarka floated them up. Tokoyami almost looked the part of a burglar, his hero costume being dark clothes concealed under a black cloak that mostly hid his arms. Uraraka was less stealthy, her costume a bodysuit that mixed pink and black. Yuji watched as Tokoyami took point, or rather the shadow bird that was his quirk did.
The quirk took the form of a bird headed beast made entirely of shadows that could vary its size, was connected to Tokoyami through a leash, and had glowing yellow eyes. Its hands took the form of massive claws, and while it was more than able to interact with the environment, it seemingly posed no strain on Tokoyami as it floated from one corner to the next, signaling so that Uraraka and Tokoyami both knew if the coast was clear. Appropriately the quirk was named Dark Shadow.
They quickly made their way to the fifth floor, entering through a door quickly and silently, then hiding behind a pillar. Yuji could see one of the enemy team, Rikido Sato, walking a circle around the weapon, checking his surroundings as he walked. The teen was one of the largest in the class, his muscles not only for show, his quirk giving him strength that could rival Itadori before activating One for All. His costume was a yellow striped full bodysuit, covering even his head in a mask. It reminded Itadori a bit of the suit All Might had worn during his acceptance letter hologram.
"Wait. Where's the girl?" Yuji wondered aloud.
"You mean Hagakure? She's invisible isn't she?" Yuji's teammate, Tsuyu Asui, said aloud, holding a finger to her mouth. They both realized the implications of their musings quickly and started scanning the monitors more closely, their classmates joining in rapidly. It didn't take them much longer to find her. Kirishima pointed her out, his eyes catching a small movement in the corner of one camera.
While Tokoyami and Uraraka plotted their next move, Tooru Hagakure slipped closer, her gloves and shoes removed making her totally invisible. The only indication of her movement at all was the soft sound of her feet padding across the ground, and the floating capture tape that Kirishima had seen. She walked along the edge of the room, slowly finding her way to the opposing team.
As she neared she paused, clearly listening to what the hero team was saying. At a nod, Tokoyami exploded from behind the column, Dark Shadow leading. It enlarged to around Tokoyami's size, throwing a massive punch at Sato that caught him off guard, launching him back.
Tokoyami pressed the assault, ordering Dark Shadow to keep the bright yellow clad teen busy while he moved towards the weapon. Sato quickly recovered, his muscles bulging as he retaliated with a hammer blow to Dark Shadow. Tokoyami was forced to stop as Dark Shadow wove around Sato, beginning to box with him as they traded blows.
As this assault happened, Yuji watched Uraraka take off around the opposite side of the column that Tokoyami had left from, only to trip right after she started to run. She tried to push herself up, only to collapse, one of her arms suddenly being lifted and tied in the capture tape. It seemed Hagakure had tripped her, and then jumped on top of her when she tried to rise, taking advantage of the situation to capture the gravity defying teen.
"Uraraka has been captured, she is out for the rest of the exercise." All Might announced swiftly.
The news shocked Tokoyami and Dark Shadow for a second, Sato slipping past the quirk to deliver a powerful punch to Tokoyami's stomach, doubling the teen over. Sato made to press the attack only to turn around in horror as Dark Shadow grabbed the weapon.
"The weapon has been captured! The heroes win!" All Might boomed over the intercom. "Please return to the class you four. The next match will be Team H, the heroes, facing Team G, the villains." As All Might announced the next match the class started to get more excited about seeing more of their classmates in action.
The next two matches were rather uneventful in terms of prowess displayed. Koji Koda and Mezou Shoji both displayed interesting quirks. The former used mice and birds to gather information across a vaster area, while the latter used his powerful quirk to scout the shorter areas and eventually to try and combat the villains. The match ended in a hero defeat as Hanta Sero managed to wrap Shoji and Koda up in the tape he dispensed from his elbows while Yuga Aoyama tried to keep them on the defensive with his belly button laser.
The second match was between Ida, accompanied by a Minoru Mineta, and Momo Yaoyorozu with Mina Ashido. The match ended with a hero defeat due to taking too long. Yaoyorozu had trapped the room with the weapon, while Ashido skated around them on her acid. Ida couldn't accelerate to his top speeds due to the small space and the amount of traps, while Ashido melted all the sticky balls that Mineta tried to trap them with.
At one point the boy tried to bounce off all the balls he had managed to scatter around the room, leaping at Yaoyorozu clutching two of them. While the class couldn't see his face due to the camera angle, most could assume what he looked like as Yaoyorozu panicked and swung a metal staff in an arc. The resulting blow had most of the males in the class flinching in sync and with assorted sounds of horror as the short boy was thrown back through the air, a mask of pain and shock on his now visible face. When he hit the ground, he did not rise again until the end of the match.
As the fighters returned, All Might announced the penultimate match. "The fourth match will be with Teams E and B! Team E shall be the villains, and Team B shall be the heroes! Go out and get prepared!"
Bakugo left the room with his teammate, a blonde boy named Mashirao Ojiro. Ojiro wore only a martial artist's gi as his costume, his massive tail sticking out behind him, capped with a tuft of blonde hair. Bakugo had a more intricate costume, mixing red, green and black while wearing a small black mask around his eyes. On each arm was a gauntlet shaped like a massive grenade. His grin looked murderous as he left the room, a sweating Ojiro on his heels.
Shortly after, Shoto Todoroki left with his teammate, Kyoka Jirou. Todoroki's entire left side was encased in ice, a menacing red lens where his eye would be. The costume looked more villainous than heroic in Yuji's opinion. Jiro appeared to have given up on talking to him, judging by the way she trudged along behind him.
"Hey Itadori," Asui caught his attention, motioning to the screens. "Who do you think will win?"
Yuji thought about it for a second, before shrugging. "To be honest, I don't know for sure, but Todoroki and Bakugo both seem strong. This one's gonna be tough." He answered honestly.
Asui nodded before turning back to the monitors, watching as the teams took their positions and the prep timer started.
The battle started in a way that almost no one expected.
Jirou walked up to the building and crouched down. One of her earphone jacks extended before slamming into the building. She was quiet for a few moments before she turned and said something to Todoroki. The ice-clad boy nodded, walked up to the building and placed his right hand on it, motioning for Jirou to step back at the same time. Within seconds, the entire building was encased in ice. The monitor room exploded into shocked gasps at the level of power demonstrated by the boy.
"Wait, he can just freeze entire buildings?" Kaminari yelled, voicing most of the class's thoughts.
'How do you stop that much ice?' Yuji wondered. As Todoroki began to walk into the building he looked over at the other monitors, searching for the villain team. He found Ojiro struggling to free his feet, the boy's tail flailing uselessly due to the odd angle. Bakugo was nowhere to be found. The monitors were free of any smoke or shaking due to the explosions he caused.
Yuji switched his focus back to Todoroki and Jirou. Jirou was struggling to make her way through the ice, slipping occasionally on the ice as she tried to follow her teammate. As he watched she slipped and fell hard, her rear slamming into the ice. He could see the steam from her mouth as she yelled and likely cursed.
Todoroki skated through the hallways, barely using his quirk as he slid across the frozen ground, occasional small bursts of ice helping him navigate the terrain quickly. He disappeared around a corner, only to be launched back, a blur on the camera, followed by a cloud of smoke. As Todoroki slammed into a wall, Bakugo soared around the corner, using numerous small explosions to fly.
The class settled in to watch, their eyes glued to the screen. This was not a showdown to miss.
Bakugo saw Todoroki turn the corner, the red lens encased in ice giving the boy away, moments before he was spotted. He swung both his arms to the front, sighting in on the crimson lens with his open palms, a savage grin on his face. "Found you, Icy Bastard!" He roared as he triggered his quirk, detonating the explosive sweat gathered in his palms. The resulting blast caught Todoroki off guard, launching him back into a wall, the ice cracking behind him.
Bakugo pressed the attack, flying through the air by using his explosions. He slammed into the wall next to Todoroki, his hands outstretched to detonate again, only for him to launch off the wall with his legs, narrowly avoiding being encased in ice. He slid across the ice on all fours, rotating so he faced Todoroki, resembling a beast with his palms and toes on the ground. His crimson eyes promised murder as they met the blue and gray eyes of the ice controlling teen.
Todoroki stood, his ice mask gone, exposing the massive red scar on the left side of his face. He breathed deep, staring at Bakugo, looking only slightly winded despite taking an explosion at point blank. He finally spoke, his voice filled with gravel, his eyes filled with disdain.
"You're in my way."
With those words said, he launched a wave of ice at Bakugo, the explosive teen's eyes widening. He used his explosions to launch himself into the air, flipping over the wave and bringing his palms to face the other teen.
"I was gonna say the same thing. Get a new trick you weakling!" Another explosion rocked the screen as the two clashed. When the smoke cleared, Bakugo could see Todoroki glaring at him, or at least where he was. He had already positioned himself in the air, above and to the left of the other teen, another explosion primed. He was spotted just before detonating, Todoroki skating away on a wave of ice.
The two began to race through the corridors, a dangerous game of cat and mouse as they launched attack after attack at one another. Todoroki was slightly slower, but his ice allowed him to move and attack, while Bakugo had to use his quirk to maneuver and attack in intervals. The game finally came to an end when Bakugo reached the breaking point.
"Is ice and running all you can do?!" He raged, a sudden burst of alternating explosions from both palms accelerating him. Todoroki was unprepared when Bakugo grabbed him and flipped, using his explosions to build more momentum before he hurled the ice-wielding teen into another wall. Bakugo walked up as Todoroki was lying against the wall, stunned. He could see a layer of frost building up on the right side of the other boy. He spun and started walking away, eager to find the girl and bring the fight to her.
"Stay out of my way, Frosty. One trick ponies don't get to be number one." His words were spoken with a murderous glee, the gloating words of a conqueror.
The sound of Todoroki struggling to his feet made Bakugo pause, his eyes widening. He spun around, ready for another wave of ice and met the heterochromatic boy's stare. Todoroki looked halfway concussed, the ice on the left side broken in places, the white suit ripped and smoke stained, blood leaking from his nose. Still the boy stood, glaring at Bakugo through his one open eye as steam began to pour from his left side.
"I refuse to use his fire. I'll do this with my ice alone."
The words were barely a whisper between pants, but they rang as loud as a gong in Bakugo's ears. The world went silent.'This extra thinks he can beat me without his full power? He thinks I'M so WEAK that he could just beat me without using everything?' A loud beep rang through the suddenly quiet air. Bakugo looked down at his right gauntlet, a green light suddenly shining on the side. Clarity settled over Bakugo as he raised his right arm, palm closed into a fist, the now exposed barrel of his gauntlet pointing to the other hero candidate.
"DIE YOU BASTARD!" He roared as ripped the pin from the gauntlet, the small sound of the pin clinking against the ice ringing like a chime, and then a massive explosion ripped forth to engulf Todoroki. Bakugo was blown back, unable to brace on the icy floor.
Class 1-A was tense, barely breathing as they watched Bakugo and Todoroki trade blows, the teens displaying the mastery of their respective quirks with each movement.
They watched as Todoroki swept over Bakugo attempting to freeze him from above, only for a massive explosion to roar out and knock him off his wave. They watched as Bakugo hurled Todoroki into a wall, wincing as the ice cracked and a crater formed. They exhaled as Todoroki stood, battered, but refusing to give up. They screamed in horror as Bakugo unleashed the explosion from his gauntlet, blowing a hole through the training building.
All Might wasted no time, blitzing past the students and sprinting from the monitor room.
Within a few moments Yuji saw the debris cloud swirl and clear on the cameras as a shockwave pushed it away. All Might now crouched over the prone form of Shoto Todoroki, his body battered from the explosion.
His shirt was gone, exposing his chest and right side was bright red, almost as if he was sunburned, while his left side looked like one gigantic bruise. He was on the edge of a massive hole in the wall, the scattered remains of ice and concrete all around him. Yuji could see Todoroki's chest rise and fall quickly, indicating he was still alive. He felt some of the tension release from his body.
Jirou stumbled into frame, clutching her ears, a trail of blood visible beneath them. Mashirao came in from the opposite side, limping and using his tail to help keep his balance.
Bakugo was the last to appear, staring down at Todoroki. His mouth moved into a grin, and started to open to say something, only to quickly close when All Might pivoted in place, glaring at the boy with an expression so thunderous Yuji swore lightning was sparking off the pro. Bakugo swallowed and looked away.
Shortly after, 4 small robots came. Two loaded Todoroki onto a stretcher while the other two helped to escort Jirou and Mashirao away, likely to the nurse's office. Bakugo marched behind All Might back to the monitor room.
When they arrived, All Might had a smile on his face. Not the trademark, face stretching one he was famous for, but a small one. His grin was accompanied by soft words.
"All three of them should be fine. Mashirao and Jirou both have minor wounds that the nurse, Recovery Girl, can address with little issue. Young Todoroki's wounds are serious, but he reacted well, and his quirk afforded him some heat resistance. They should all be back in class tomorrow."
The news washed over the class like a wave of relief, the tension bleeding from their bodies. While they didn't know their new classmates that well yet, they didn't want to see anyone seriously injured. With the good news delivered, All Might spoke a bit louder, addressing the other elephant in the room.
"With that being said, we should address something else. Many of you had small injuries, but were not escorted to the nurse, that is because you will need to develop a certain level of pain tolerance for our work. Love it or hate it, being a hero means combat is a must. Medical personnel always monitor combat training remotely and dispatch those robots you saw for quick retrieval in case of emergencies.
"The other item to be addressed is the level of force used. Some villains will require everything you have and then some. Some will require nothing more than a crack of your knuckles. Your costumes all have items that, if you were caught outside of UA with, would have you thrown in prison immediately. You were trusted with these so that you can learn to wield them properly, and refine them as you refine yourselves. Young Bakugo."
The teen's head whipped up to stare All Might in the eyes, crimson meeting cerulean.
"Your gauntlets will continue to absorb your sweat, but the firing function will be removed until Aizawa, Principal Nezu and myself all agree you can be trusted with that level of force."
All Might wagged a finger at Bakugo as he spoke. Bakugo clicked his tongue and looked away, fists clenching.
"That level of force was far in excess of what was needed at that moment. Reflect on this. As a hero, you will deal with villains that have heinous intentions, have performed acts that are unspeakable, and will witness gruesome sights. Keeping your emotions in check and under control is a must."
All Might held up a hand as someone made to speak. "I'm not saying you shouldn't feel these emotions. Rage at injustice, sympathy for those hurt, all these are felt by every pro. What I am saying is that you need to control these emotions, rather than let them control you."
All Might looked around the class, making sure his words were heard, making eye contact with each student left in the room. Only Bakugo looked away, fists clenched, arms shaking. All Might nodded, and announced the final match.
"All right, with that, let's get the final match done. Team A shall be the villains, and Team H will be the heroes. Use the building to the right of the one Young Bakugo demolished."
Yuji nodded and began to walk out with Asui, feeling a bit apprehensive. As he contemplated not using One for All, Kirishima tapped him on the shoulder.
"Hey, your quirk is super strength right?" The red haired teen asked.
Yuji nodded in confirmation. Kirishima broke into a grin, revealing sharp carnivorous teeth, before his body shifted to resemble skin colored stone, his features hardening, becoming angular and jagged, even his hair assuming a rock like appearance.
"Well don't worry about hitting me! My hardening can take any punishment! Don't think you can beat me without going all out! That wouldn't be manly at all!" He extended his fist to Itadori, who looked at it surprised for a second before bumping his own against it.
"Don't get mad when I win!" Yuji replied, his easy smile matching Kirishima's broad one.
"So how should we go about this?" Asui asked Yuji as they stood outside the building, waiting for All Might to declare the start of the match. Asui had explained that her quirk was a mutant type simply named Frog. She was much shorter than Yuji, and her quirk gave her a bit of a hunchback, causing her to look even shorter. Her long black hair was tied into a bow near the bottom, and her face was a bit wide, with dark green eyes.
Her costume was a skintight green body suit with yellow and cream colored highlights. She had also explained that her suit was made of a similar material to a scuba suit since she could swim very well. While Yuji admittedly had a type, and could appreciate the way the costumes for most of the girls in class were flattering, he had to admit that Tsuyu's was also a bit intimidating. The tight material revealed her massive frog-like feet and the powerful legs that could propel her into leaps that defied logic. As if all that wasn't enough the girl could stick to walls and her tongue could extend to lengths that defied logic.
Yuji glanced up at the building, thinking over the matches he had seen so far and what he knew of their opponents, which was admittedly not much. Kirishima had performed on the upper side of the class during the quirk assessment exam, but his quirk didn't shine during any of those tests. Kaminari was much the same, scoring at right around the halfway point.
"Do you know what Kaminari can do?" Yuji asked the frog girl.
"Nope." she deadpanned. Yuji shrugged and looked back toward the building.
"Well, if you can open that third story window quietly, I can leap up to it and we could try for stealth. I'm pretty sure if we run into Kirishima, he's going to want to brawl with me."
"You're saying you don't?"
"I do," He admitted shamelessly, "but that just frees you up to try and capture the weapon or deal with Kaminari,"
Asui nodded in understanding, and they heard All Might's voice announcing the start of the match over the intercom system.
Asui leapt onto the building, landing around the top of the second story and quickly climbed the wall to the window. She managed to open it quietly, checking inside and signaling Yuji to follow her. Yuji took a couple steps back, did a short run up and launched himself to the window, rolling to a stop in a crouch on the other side. After making sure they were clear, they quickly began to move through the hallways, checking the corners for surprises, but otherwise ascending the building rapidly. They were soon on the fifth floor, outside the room the weapon had to be in. There had been no sign of either opponent so far, and both were wary.
Yuji motioned for Asui and mimed his plan. After a quick nod of agreement, Yuji knocked on the wall a couple of times, testing it. After finding a spot he deemed acceptable, he motioned for Asui to move off to the side, and activated One for All. His fist impacted the wall and kept going as he followed through. The wall exploded, a five meter hole opening from the center of his impact. He rushed through the opening.
He only had a split second to get his bearings as he rushed in. The room was massive with columns spread out like a forest of concrete. In the center of the room was the weapon, a giant cartoon looking bomb. Before it stood Eijirou Kirishima, his skin already transforming. There was roughly twenty meters between them. One second later, Yuji's fist connected with Kirishima's stomach, launching the boy back into a column that exploded into a cloud of dust and debris.
Yuji paused, his eyes wide. He'd meant to land a solid blow, but he hadn't meant to launch the red haired teen into next week. His markings began to fade as he processed what he had just done. His thoughts were interrupted when a red figure erupted from the cloud and slammed a fist into his stomach. The blow took the air from his lungs, and he heard something shatter as he was launched from his position, landing on his back a few meters away.
"You landed a solid hit, I almost didn't harden in time! It's going to take way more than that to keep me down Itadori!"
Kirishima's declaration cut through the air as Yuji laid on the floor. He braced and jumped to his feet, his markings back, and a grin on his face.
No more words were said as their dance began.
Tsuyu Asui waited for about a minute to enter the room. She peeked in, seeing Itadori and Kirishima trading blows near the center of the room. Itadori was the faster and more agile of the two, dodging blows and trying different angles when possible, while Kirishima tanked and returned blows when he could. While it appeared even, she realized Kirishima had the advantage at the moment. All he needed to do to win was last to the end, he didn't have to capture or defeat Itadori. With this on her mind, she leapt to one of the columns and began to make her way to the center of the room, jumping from column to column.
On her fourth hop, she saw a shock of yellow hair. Kaminari, and he was attempting to sneak up on Itadori. Acting quickly she shot her tongue out, encircling Kaminari and pulling him back from the two. He let out a yelp as he was trapped, looking around wildly until he found her on the column, tracing her tongue back.
"Oh that was a bad move!" He yelled as he activated his quirk, and a bright line of electricity flowed off of him and into Asui. The pain was eye watering and nearly made her drop him. She braced herself and twisted her head and body, moving to slam him into another column. The boy saw her plan and panicked, unleashing the full power of his quirk. Asui couldn't help but scream this time.
Yuji was making progress. He unleashed a rapid combo of three punches, spinning into a kick that drove his heel into the solid arm guarding Kirishima's temple, and followed through with a fist, knocking the other boy off balance. He moved to follow through, a right hook loaded and ready to be unleashed when Asui's scream pierced the air. His mind flipped back to that day eight months ago, when Junpei's cry of anguish split the air.
His control slipped. One for All roared.
Kirishima took the blow on both arms, but he was off balance. The impact let out a shockwave, destroying the ground and the building around them as Kirishima disappeared from sight, a massive cloud of dust swallowing them.
Yuji clutched at his shoulder, the pain intense enough to make him stumble. He gritted his teeth and drove the power back down to manageable levels, and stumbled through the smoke. It seemed like he walked forever until he found a massive hole in the building, and down on the street five stories below, he could see Kirishima, bright red mixed in with the debris, unmoving.