Chapter 15
A man was sitting at the bar, something he found himself doing often over the past few years, tapping four fingers along the top. He had a drink in his hand, the contents of the amber liquid only a few sips from being finished. Every time he drank, he was reminded of what happened all those years, of who he lost, and what happened after. Finishing off his drink, he slammed it against the bar, connecting the last of his fingers against it. Within a couple of seconds the glass that was once full of this evening's liquid solace had turned to dust before his very eyes.
"Tomura Shigaraki, I ask that you not dust the glasses of my bar." The person, if he could be called that, said from the other side of the bar. "We've spoken about this many times in the past, and you continue to destroy my glasses."
"I can do what I want, Kurogiri." Tomura responded, slapping his hand on the bar. "Give me another! I don't want to remember tonight by the time I'm done!"
Kurogiri, the bartender that consisted of yellow mist and red eyes, sighed in frustration. Summoning a yellow portal underneath the dust that Tomura had created, he cleaned the bar the best he could before giving it a quick wipe. With another portal placed centimeters above the bar, a new glass fell through, landing directly in the spot the old one was previously. Kurogiri grabbed an aged bottle of whiskey, cracking open the top and filling Tomura's drink once more.
Tomura was about to begin sipping his fresh drink when the TV above the bar crackled on, showcasing 'Audio Only' in big bold red letters. "Shigaraki," the voice spoke through the crackle of the television. "I have some news for you."
"Well?" Tomura responded, placing his glass back on the bar and looking towards the screen, "Spit it out!"
"There's been a rumor of All Might taking up a teaching position at UA High this semester." The television crackled back out.
"What the fuck are we waiting for? Give me some Nomu and let's go kill him!" Tomura responded, slamming his fist against the bar, making the glass beside him jump and spill some of its contents.
"Patience, Shigaraki." The television crackled again. "We need to figure out the perfect time to strike, when we can guarantee the end result of All Might dying by our hands." The voice paused for a second, the crackling stopping. "Our eye on the inside should be able to get their hands on a teacher's schedule, but they will need a distraction."
"So just send a Nomu to attack UA," Tomura waved off, picking up his glass and taking a big drink, the liquid burning as it went down his throat.
"No," The voice said, causing Tomura to pause once more and look back towards the television. "I have a better idea, but it will require your assistance." Tomura placed his drink back on the table, intrigued by what the voice was saying. "Here's what you're going to do…"
Izuku and Momo were tranquilly sitting together on one of the couches with Kyouka and Denki beside them. Knowing that Oboro had wanted to talk with them about dorm policies and answer their questions, they decided it was best to wait for their teacher in the common room. They were surrounded by the rest of their classmates, some of them chatting quietly, while others just sat around by themselves waiting for their teacher to show up. Izuku and Momo hadn't questioned where they would sit, knowing innately that this place was right, instinctively together and side by side even with their recent disagreement.
As the door opened, everyone in the class paused their conversations to see who had entered the dorms. Oboro walked through the doors first, Katsuki following him in, before he closed the door behind him. Izuku noticed how Katsuki looked defeated, shoulders slumped and looking towards the floor, something Izuku never thought he would see on his former friend. "Go find a seat with the class," Oboro commented, receiving a curt nod in return.
Katsuki looked up, locking eyes with Izuku for a brief second, before continuing towards an empty seat. Izuku had noticed Momo's glare towards Katsuki, so he reached out and intertwined their fingers, grabbing Momo's attention and forcing her to look towards him. Izuku shook his head softly, seeing Momo release a huff in response, before she leaned against his shoulder. Izuku's eyes trailed Katsuki as he made his way across the room, sitting in the only spot left beside Tsuyu.
Oboro walked towards the front of the common room, turning off the TV as he did, before turning around and looking over the class. Doing a quick headcount of everyone present, he gave them a curt nod before beginning. "I see that everyone got the message I sent with Yaoyorozu and Midoriya. Thank you for staying in the common room."
"There's a few things that I want to go over in terms of dorm policies," Oboro began, pulling out his phone and tapping on it a few times. The screen that he had just turned off came back on with a set of rules, streamed directly from his phone. Izuku and Momo noticed that there weren't many rules, but giving each other a look, they still wanted to confirm before breaking any they didn't know of.
"First things first," Oboro continued. "As you can see from the first floor, you've probably noticed and possibly used the kitchen, dining area, and common room already." Oboro pointed towards the kitchen and dining room that was separated by a few doors along the wall. "The kitchen is restocked nightly. If you have any requests or dietary requirements, I ask that you fill out the official form located within the UA App that you should have downloaded to your phone. If you cannot access the app, there will be physical sheets that you can fill out, but it may take longer to fulfill the requests."
"You will be required to clean up the kitchen, dining room, and common room area." Oboro explained. "Previous classes have made up a schedule on who will be doing what on each day of the week. Other classes have dedicated a few people to certain jobs daily. Some would cook every night, others would clean, etc. How you create the schedule will be up to you, but if you end up struggling, I am willing to help out." Oboro pointed towards a door in the corner, labeled 'Garbage Room'. "That is the garbage room. Any garbage from within the dorms will need to be separated into the bins within that room. It will also be emptied once a week, but if you require it to be emptied earlier, there will be a number that you'll call and make a request."
"Your rooms have been set up to be the most efficient in terms of space. If you require changes, you can always contact me or Cementoss with a request. One of us will need to approve the request for the change, otherwise the change won't be made." Oboro pointed towards the wall that split the common room and kitchen/dining area. "We can also make changes to the structures down here, but we would need a majority vote from the students for the change, and it will still need to go through a final approval from myself or Cementoss."
"On the wall near the entrance, you will find a list of numbers." Oboro pointed towards the lamented papers pinned up to a wall beside a whiteboard. "The first few numbers will be emergency contact numbers, following my own personal number, and other important numbers that you may require. You will see open slots for Class Representative and Vice Class Representative, which I will fill out when the representatives are picked. Underneath those, you will find open slots for your classmates. These will also be filled out with information about dorm rooms, but it will be up to the student if they want their contact information shared."
"Is everyone keeping up with me so far?" Oboro questioned, looking around his students, and receiving nods from most, or verbal responses from the rest. "Good. Now that's mostly everything I needed to talk about, but you'll find the full list of policies posted on the UA App, as well as posted beside the whiteboard in the common room. I suggest everyone go over them carefully." Oboro paused, making sure everyone understood, before continuing. "Any questions?"
Momo put her hand up, waiting until Oboro called on her. "I was wondering what the policy is on sleeping with our significant others?" Momo questioned as a blush dusted her cheeks, matching Izuku beside her. "I'm sure I'm not the only one curious, but I wanted to make sure we weren't going to break any policies if we decided to sleep together."
"Very good question, Yaoyorozu." Oboro started with a smile. "It's not often we have two people in a relationship from the beginning of the semester, and sometimes it doesn't happen at all." Momo and Izuku nodded in understanding, noticing Kyouka and Denki nodding beside them. "If your partner is living inside the same dorm, you're welcome to spend the night with them, as long as you aren't disrupting your fellow classmates. The problem comes when your partner, or partners, are in two different dorms. For safety reasons, you need to inform your teacher, class reps, or mark on the UA App what dorm you'll be staying in."
"Thank you, Shirakumo." Momo responded.
"Is there a curfew in place?" Ochako questioned next. "I'm used to looking up at the stars before bed most nights."
"Another good question!" Oboro responded, turning around. Tapping on his phone a few times, he broadcasted a Heights Alliance map to the TV behind him, one that showcased who was in each dorm. Everyone had already seen the map, as it was posted near the entrance to the dorms, but this one appeared to be extended.
"As you can see, there is access to the roof of the dorms," Oboro pointed out to a staircase near the back of the dorms that continued to lead upwards. "On top of the dorms, you'll find a gated off area that you are welcome to use for whatever you please. There is a telescope located up there, but also a gazebo and a sitting area. You're allowed to use it any time of day you like, and curfew doesn't apply up there." Oboro turned back around, looking at Ochako and finding her eyes sparkling, causing his smile to grow. "But to answer your original question, curfew starts at ten at night and goes until five in the morning. If you are going to be outside the dorms outside the posted times, you need to inform your teacher, class reps, or mark it on the UA App."
"How soundproof are the rooms?" Kyouka questioned, twirling one of her jacks with her finger. "My quirk gives me enhanced hearing, and it's been an issue sleeping in the past if I didn't have soundproof rooms."
"The rooms should be soundproofed enough where you shouldn't be able to hear your neighbors, if you even have any." Oboro explained. "Nezu and I went over your quirks and everything you had listed on them before the semester officially started. Based on some quirks, we shuffled people around so that the enhanced hearing quirks wouldn't be affected. This is why Shoji and Jirou have been placed on the fourth floor." Oboro watched as Kyouka and Mezo nodded in thanks. "If anybody would like to move dorm rooms, you will have to come find me for approval."
"What type of food can we request for the kitchen?" Katsuki questioned quietly, not looking up at their teacher.
"UA will be able to get almost anything, from anywhere in the world," Oboro explained. "Depending on where it has to be acquired, it might take a while for the request to be fulfilled. If it's native to Japan, and easily accessible, the request will be fulfilled the next day." Katsuki gave Oboro a curt nod, still not looking up at their teacher.
"Any other questions?" Oboro asked, looking around the room and seeing nobody with their hand up. "If there are no other questions, I'm going to release you for the day. If you manage to think of any other questions that aren't answered in the policies, please feel free to ask me. You can either send me a message to my personal number or through the UA App itself, and I'll get back to you as soon as I can!" Oboro turned off what he was broadcasting to the TV behind him, making his way to the exit near the front of the dorms.
"Oh!" Oboro said, turning around and facing the class before they all scrambled off. "Make sure you're not late for class! We're going to hit the ground running tomorrow, and I don't like my students missing anything important! See you in the morning!" With that said, Oboro opened the door and disappeared out of the dorms.
Momo turned to Izuku, finding him distracted by someone moving away from them in the crowd of their classmates. "Izu?" Momo questioned, getting an acknowledging hum in return. "Would you like to go back up to my room for a bit before dinner?"
Izuku finally turned around and nodded, his mind momentarily taken off whatever he was looking for a moment before. "I would like that, Mo." Izuku responded with a smile.
Telling their new friends Kyouka and Denki that they would meet them in the kitchen in a few hours for dinner, Izuku and Momo ended up retreating up the steps on the girl's side of the dorm. They had wanted to inform Himiko and Ochako of their plans, knowing that Himiko couldn't cook at all, but they had already disappeared from the common room before Izuku and Momo could catch them.
As they arrived in Momo's room, Izuku instantly made his way towards Momo's bed, climbing onto it and lying down in his accustomed place, on the left side of the mattress. Momo smiled as Izuku sunk into the comfortable covers, a small peaceful smile gracing his face. It almost made her want to forget about the talk they promised to have. Shaking her head softly, she made her way to her attached bathroom, grabbing a pair of comfortable pajamas on the way. Once she was finished changing, she reentered her bedroom to find Izuku watching her with the smile still plastered on his face, but she could tell he was battling his inner thoughts just by looking into his eyes.
Making her way towards the bed, she sat on the edge and swung her feet up, just to be grabbed by Izuku and pulled into a hug. She giggled a bit, making him laugh as well, before they both got comfortable laying beside each other.
As they lay comfortably beside each other, Momo kept quiet, waiting for Izuku to start. She turned in his grip, finding him looking at the ceiling with a thoughtful expression on his face. She reached up, cradling his cheek lightly, causing him to look towards her. "Take your time, Love." Momo whispered out quietly.
Izuku nodded, looking back up towards the ceiling, pulling Momo closer to him. He was quiet for another few minutes as he rearranged his thoughts. "I don't know where to start, if I'm being honest." Izuku admitted.
"Why not the beginning?" Momo questioned, still watching him carefully. "I know you mentioned you don't remember much from before meeting me, but you do seem to remember something if you recognized Bakugo."
Izuku nodded, taking a deep breath and releasing it slowly. "It's true there's not much I remember from before I met you," Izuku started, closing his eyes in thought. "Before I was diagnosed, Katsuki Bakugo, nicknamed Kacchan by two year old Izuku, was my best friend. We did everything together, from watching All Might on TV and HeroTube to playing outside with our All Might figures, to playing Heroes and Villains." Momo listened intently, leaning her head against his shoulder and squeezing Izuku close to show her support. "He even gave me the nickname 'Deku' because it was easier to say than Izuku was, before it was twisted by Aldera into what it eventually meant."
"When Bakugo's quirk came in, we both knew it would be perfect for heroics, and with the help of our parents, we brainstormed on everything that his quirk could possibly achieve." Izuku opened his eyes, looking towards the ceiling. "I actually might still have those notes, even though most of it was in crayon and four year old Izuku's writing." Momo giggled, bringing a small smile to Izuku's face. "We made promises to each other that we'd become the world's greatest heroes back then, side by side, surpassing even All Might."
Izuku's smile fell as he thought about what he wanted to talk about next. "By the time my fifth birthday came around and my quirk still didn't come in, Mom took me to our local doctor, where I ended up getting the worst news of my life." Momo squeezed Izuku tighter, already seeing the tears of sadness briming in his eyes. "And life seemed to just love to kick me when I was down. Somehow, my official diagnosis was released to my classmates, and that's when I started getting bullied."
Momo felt Izuku hug her tighter, a few shakes going through him as he attempted to remember the years before they had met. "Bakugo was upset that I never got a quirk, but he wasn't like the rest of Aldera; he didn't bully me, not at first." Izuku took a deep breath, letting it out slowly to try and keep calm. "It was around the same time that Dad had left. Mom told me he was going to work in America to better support us, but he had never once called or sent a card. Mom had to start working longer hours to support us, which meant she couldn't pick me up from school, which led to the bullying getting worse."
"Izu…" Momo said quietly, hugging him even tighter, trying to hold him close. He accepted the embrace, hugging back just as tightly, as the quiet sobs racked through him.
"Mom always tried her best back then," Izuku continued after a minute to compose himself. "Looking back, I know now how much we were struggling without Dad being around. I still haven't heard from him, and Mom never made a mention of him either, so I can only think he abandoned us all those years ago." Izuku buried his face into Momo's shoulder before continuing. "I can only remember him loving us before I was diagnosed, but anytime I think about him, all I can think about is that he abandoned us because I was diagnosed as a 'Deku'."
Momo felt Izuku shake against her shoulder as his voice broke, and she pulled him towards her, holding him against her chest as he let out the feelings he was bottling up. She held his head, running her hands through his fluffy hair, while giving the side of his head light kisses, showcasing how much he was loved. Her tender expressions of care lasted a few minutes before Izuku calmed down, and they just laid there together. "You don't have to continue if you don't want to, Love." Momo whispered beside his ear.
Izuku shook his head, pushing himself up to look towards Momo. She could see the hurt behind his eyes, but there was love buried underneath all that hurt, a passionate and desperate love for her. He leaned down and captured Momo's lips with his own, getting lost in the kiss for the moment, as Momo continued to run her hands through his hair. When they finally pulled back, they were both breathless. "No, I need to continue, I need to finish telling you everything. You deserve to know about what I've been bottling up since before I met you." Momo nodded in understanding, pulling Izuku back down towards her, so they could embrace each other once more.
"Eventually the bullying continued to get worse. Mom had gone to the school to complain and tried everything within her power to get the bullying to stop, but nothing ever worked." Izuku explained, his voice just above a whisper. "Bakugo continued to get more aggressive in his actions, changing from destroying my homework and desk, to using me as a quirk test dummy." Izuku shivered as he remembered, and Momo tightened her embrace on him again. She felt him let out a quiet sigh as he embraced her back. "He was never reprimanded for his actions either. The teachers claimed that I was the one instigating the fights, and that I had to learn my lesson one way or another. I think they just didn't care because I was quirkless."
"Mom had tried to call Auntie Mitsuki and Uncle Marasu to resolve the issue, but they believed that Bakugo would never do something like that to me, since we were best friends before going to Aldera." Izuku explained, closing his eyes. "No matter how much Mom tried to convince them, they never believed her, and she cut contact with them not long after. I haven't seen them since I was five or six years old."
Izuku fell quiet after that, and Momo felt that he calmed down significantly since they first started. She continued to run her hands through his hair, calming him down and feeling him melt into the embrace. He raised his head from her shoulder, looking towards Momo with a small smile, which still made her heart flutter even after dating him for over a year. "But then I met you, and my world completely changed."
Momo smiled back, pulling him down and capturing his lips with a kiss. As they separated, they just laid together in the quiet embrace of each other. "You have always been the best thing to ever happen to me, Momo." Izuku whispered after a few minutes. "I know I wouldn't be who I am today without you."
Momo giggled softly, causing Izuku to chuckle in response. "Your world wasn't the only one that was flipped upside down in a blink of an eye," Momo responded with a smile, causing Izuku to look towards her. "Father invited you into our lives, and you were the first friend I've ever had that felt genuine. You became the sunshine in my life, making everything warmer and brighter around you." Momo reached up, cradling his cheek softly. "You've been the best thing to ever happen to me, and I know just as well that I wouldn't have been who I am today without you by my side, Izuku."
"I love you, Momo." / "I love you, Izuku."
Hearing a knock at the door, Izuku and Momo exchanged looks as they wondered who it could be. As Momo was about to respond, the door was thrown open and someone was flying through the air directly towards them, causing Izuku and Momo's eyes to go wide.
"ZuMo!" Himiko yelled out as she soared through the air, tackling them both back into the bed, and wrapping them in a tight embrace. "Are you two okay? Mo said you two were back in the locker room, but I wanted to make sure, but you two left the common room before I could ask!"
"Himiko!" Ochako yelled out as she rounded the corner behind Himiko a second later, stopping on the doorframe to inspect the room. Her eyes were blown wide as she looked at the massive bed in the room, taking up almost the whole floor. "That's a big bed…"
Momo looked away, giggling awkwardly to herself. "It didn't seem that big in my old room. I had almost three times the space."
"Three times?!" Ochako yelled out as she started to fall backwards.
"Uraraka!" Izuku called out, already summoning Smoke and throwing it behind Ochako, attempting to guide her down softly.
"Ochako!" Himiko yelled out as she reached out towards Ochako, even though she knew she wouldn't have been able to reach her.
They all expected the crash of her hitting the ground, but one never came. Izuku still had his hand out, controlling the Smoke that he had summoned, slowly forcing it to dissipate. The three teenagers on the bed moved towards the footboard, looking over it to find Ochako on the ground, looking towards the ceiling. They noticed the green smoke that Izuku had summoned was disappearing as they looked down towards Ochako. "Three times?" Ochako questioned, seeing Momo nod. "I knew the Yaoyorozus were rich, but that's bigger than my house!"
Himiko giggled as she threw herself over the footboard before she helped Ochako back up to her feet. "I couldn't believe the size of my room when Mom showed me. It was massive compared to what I had before!" Himiko responded. Izuku and Momo noticed her face fall for half a second before she brightened back up, bouncing on the balls of her feet beside Ochako. "Oh! You should come over and see all the plushies I have at home!"
Ochako whipped her head towards Himiko. "You have more?!" Ochako asked in surprise, "But your room is full!"
Himiko nodded excitedly. "Those were only the ones that ZuMo let me bring!" Himiko glared towards Izuku and Momo, causing them to giggle. "Even though Momo got to bring her massive bed!" Himiko continued looking towards Izuku and Momo, when she finally remembered the main reason she came to Momo's room in the first place. "But are you two okay?" Himiko questioned with worry in her eyes. "Everything happened so fast during the QAT, I didn't have a chance to react!"
Izuku nodded, smiling towards Himiko. "We're okay, Himi." Himiko looked towards Momo, seeing her nod in agreement. "Smoke was able to absorb most of it and deflect the rest."
They watched as Himiko's shoulders slumped in relief, before she moved back towards the bed and hugged them. "I was so worried," Himiko whispered between them, feeling them hug her back. "I'm glad you two are okay. I don't know what I would have done if you got hurt."
"Don't worry about us, we're okay," Izuku whispered back beside her ear. "We're gonna spend some alone time together before making our way down for dinner." Izuku smirked as he looked back at Ochako, watching them hug. Izuku noticed the wanting and envious look in her eyes before she started looking around the room once more. "Go spend some time with your girlfriend, Mo and I will text you once we start on dinner."
When Himiko pulled back, Izuku and Momo noticed her natural blush marks were a lot deeper red but she was smiling, showcasing her fangs. "I think I might do just that," Himiko responded before turning around to a curious Ochako. Himiko reached out and grabbed Ochako's hand before starting to drag her out of the room. "Let's go, Ochako! I wanna see your room next!"
"Himiko!" Ochako yelled out, but Izuku and Momo noticed the smile on her face.
"Don't drag her everywhere, Himi!" Momo called out as they stepped out of the door. Himiko waved her off as she closed the door behind her. "What will we ever do with her?" Momo questioned as she looked back at Izuku.
"Nothing, honestly," Izuku responded with a shrug. "You saw the smile on Uraraka's face. I think she's enjoying it just as much as Himi is." Momo shook her head softly, wrapping her arm around Izuku and pulling him back towards the bed, laying down beside each other once more in a routine that hardly felt changed since moving in. Sharing a quick kiss, they both closed their eyes and relaxed, planning to rest until it was dinner time.
After cuddling in bed for a bit, just embracing each other and reveling in the still-amazing fact that Momo Yaoyorozu loved him just as much as he loved her, Izuku got himself cleaned up in Momo's attached bathroom. Momo wanted to get cleaned up too, making herself presentable for seeing her classmates once more, after laying in her pajamas most of the afternoon.
Knowing that Momo was going to take a few minutes, Izuku decided to make his way down to the kitchen to start on dinner for Momo and himself. His mind was elsewhere as he approached the kitchen so he didn't see the hand that reached out and grabbed him, pushing him into the wall. Izuku was about to react to the attack when he noticed who exactly it was that had grabbed him.
Katsuki was standing in front of him, his hands clenched beside him, as he looked towards the ground. Izuku could see the mixed emotions on his face, but he didn't say anything for a minute. Izuku knew better than to walk away from Katsuki, having been on the receiving end of his attacks before, but that was before he had a quirk that could counter him. Momo had come down the stairs at that moment, finding Katsuki standing in front of Izuku against the wall. She was about to intervene when Katsuki started talking.
"Where the fuck did you go, Deku?" Katsuki asked quietly. "One day you were at Aldera, and the next, there was no trace of you. Now you're here at UA with a quirk, and got in on recommendation?" Katsuki looked up, and Izuku could see the mixed emotions behind his eyes. "Do you know how upset the Old Hag was when Auntie wouldn't return her calls?"
"Why should I tell you, Bakugo?" Izuku asked and watched as Katsuki flinched at the tone and the name Izuku had used. "Don't you remember that you used to bully me when we were kids?"
"I didn't-"
"Yes, you did." Izuku interrupted him. "You may not have started it, but you sure as well continued it. Do you know how many uniforms Mom had to replace because of the burn marks that you caused? On top of her struggling to support us after Dad left? Do you know how many times she called Auntie and Uncle to stop the bullying? How many times she had gone to Aldera?"
Katsuki unclenched his hands, letting pops and crackles sound around them. Izuku already had a Smoke Ball forming in his hand, planning to stop him before he could attack. As the pops and crackles began getting louder, they instantly cut back out when Katsuki clenched his hands together once more.
"You and I remember our childhood a lot differently, it seems," Izuku continued, causing Katsuki to look back up towards Izuku. "We might have been best friends before your quirk came in, but that all changed when you started treating me like a 'Deku'." Izuku watched as Katsuki flinched back at the nickname and how it was spoken. "I came to UA to learn how to become a hero, and I'm not going to let you stand in my way, not anymore." Izuku pushed off the wall, walking around Katsuki and heading towards where Momo was standing. "And you've been warned once. Don't call me 'Deku' anymore. My name is Izuku Midoriya, either remember my name or don't talk to me."
Katsuki looked up towards Izuku's retreating form, finding him walking towards Momo. She gave him a glare but never said anything as the two turned around and walked into the kitchen. Katsuki reacted by throwing his fist against the wall beside him, hurting his knuckles in the process. He stormed out of Heights Alliance with no real destination in mind, as his thoughts and memories of his previous best friend battled for dominance.
As he walked into the forest that was behind the dorms, he started throwing out blast after blast against the trees in his way, sending splitters flying in every direction. It was something he had always done in the forest by Aldera, to help release his frustrations and anger at everything he was dealing with after Izuku had left. He didn't know how long he was out there, but by the time he was tired, every tree around him had scorch marks from his attacks. Reaching up, he grabbed his hair, closed his eyes, and fell back against a tree behind him, sliding down to the ground.
"Kero," A voice said from above him, causing him to open his eyes and look towards the frog-like girl. "Are you okay? I heard the explosions from my dorm room."
"Why the fuck would you care, Frogface?" Katsuki responded without any heat, the results of his outburst.
Tsuyu shrugged her shoulders, moving to sit at a tree across from Katsuki. "You appear upset about something, Kero, so I figured you might want someone to talk with." Tsuyu brought her finger up to her chin in thought, tilting her head slightly, as she looked around the forest. "My younger siblings used to do something similar when they were upset, until I told them they could come talk with me."
"So you're treating me like your fucking siblings?" Katsuki questioned, looking up at her. "I don't need your fucking help, Frogface."
"Kero," Tsuyu responded, dropping her hand down. "You may not think you need help, but I can see that something is eating you up inside. I'm willing to listen if you want to talk."
Katsuki continued to look at Tsuyu sitting across from him, seemingly having a staring contest with the girl. When he finally had enough, he looked away and closed his eyes once more. He was silent for a while, and he expected Tsuyu would leave him once she realized he wasn't willing to talk, but when he opened his eyes, he found she was still sitting there watching him.
Katsuki released a tired sigh, looking towards his hands, already done with the day. "I just found out my childhood best friend is alive, has a quirk, and got into UA through a recommendation. Not only that, but because of Ponytail's reaction to me calling him 'Deku', I've been threatened with expulsion."
"Was it true that you bullied him, Kero?" Tsuyu questioned.
Katsuki snapped his eyes towards the girl, anger seeping back into his emotions. "I didn't bully him! We were fucking best friends!" Tsuyu continued to look at him without saying anything, and he could feel the girl's judging stare boring into him, silently questioning if he believed that. "I didn't fucking bully him! 'Deku' was the name I created for him, but it was fucking Aldera that twisted the meaning into what he believes it means! We used to play Heroes and Villains together! We would always hang out at each other's houses! We made fucking promises to each other to become heroes together!"
As Katsuki breathed deeply, his anger slowly fading, memories started to piece themselves back together in his mind. He began to remember how Izuku was treated at Aldera, how his official records were leaked to the student body, and how he eventually joined in, thinking it was fun. He remembered using his quirk against his best friend, telling himself that he was only helping him get stronger, while the other kids around him laughed. As more memories came to the forefront of his mind, ones he thought he had forgotten years ago, he started to realize that his actions were not what best friends did for each other.
With his eyes going wide in realization, Katsuki looked down towards his hands, seeing them all in a new light. "I bullied him," Katsuki said quietly, clenching his hands together. "He was my best friend and I fucking bullied him. It's no wonder he fucking hates my guts with a passion, and why Ponytail reacted the way she did during the QAT."
"Kero," Tsuyu said quietly, causing Katsuki to look up towards her. "If Midoriya told Yaoyorozu about your past treatment of him when you were younger, do you think she had a valid reason to react?" Tsuyu questioned. "Everyone heard what Midoriya believed 'Deku' meant during the QAT."
Katsuki looked back down to his hands, seeing his knuckles all white from how hard he was clenching his hands. "It was never supposed to mean that." Katsuki said quietly, unclenching his hands and putting them on the ground beside him. "But if that is what he believes it means, it's no wonder Ponytail threatened me the way she did."
Tsuyu nodded. "You may not realize it, Kero, but those two are bonded on a deeper level than most. If someone would have told me they were married, I would have believed them, Kero."
"Fuck…" Katsuki drawled out, slamming his head against the tree behind him. "I don't know what I'm going to do now. Midoriya wants nothing to do with me."
"Kero," Tsuyu responded, causing him to look towards her again. "Prove to him that you've changed since the last time you've seen each other."
"How?"
Tsuyu shrugged. "I don't know, Kero. You'll have to figure out how to do that yourself."
Chapter 16
With the sun shining into her room, Momo squeezed her eyes tight and rolled over, attempting to go back to sleep. She knew that it was too early for her to get up, enjoying the comfort of her bed and the familiar feeling of Izuku curled into her. She felt like she was floating through space, but she couldn't place whyshe felt like that. Putting the feeling of floating aside, her thoughts drifted to the day before and everything that had happened.
She remembered retreating back to her room for the night, Izuku laying beside her but seemingly distressed about something, tossing and turning as he attempted to fall asleep. Momo had tried to comfort him, worried that what happened that day had brought up painful memories, before he finally went still and entered dreamland with a content sigh. Momo had smiled, pulling him closer and snuggling up with him, running her hand through his fluffy locks before following him into dreamland.
Turning back over because it felt like the sun had followed her, the familiar feeling of Izuku in her arms was nowhere to be found. Even in her tired state, she could feel that something was wrong, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't force herself to wake up. When the feeling of floating slowly turned into the feeling of falling, Momo finally forced her eyes open and looked at the quickly approaching ground. Just as she was about to scream, her free falling reduced in speed, turning into a gentle fall instead. The scream died in her throat as she felt her feet finally touch the ground below her.
Not understanding where she was, she tried to take stock, looking around the area. She noticed the big orange orb in the sky, seeing a bunch of smaller ones circling and passing through the orb. She tilted her head in confusion, knowing that the orb in the sky was OFA, but it appeared to be a different color from the last time Izuku and her were there.
"We believe it's because Creation has successfully merged with OFA," A voice said from beside her, startling her and causing her to whip her head towards the sound. She noticed a thin and sickly looking figure standing beside her, his white hair falling into his eyes, looking up towards the orb in the sky. If she was being honest with herself, the man reminded her of her Izuku, but more sickly looking. The figure chuckled, turning towards her at that moment, showcasing his shining emerald eyes. "You probably have a bunch of questions about who I am, but why don't we go somewhere a little more comfortable?"
Momo didn't even have a second to respond before the area around her changed. The orange orb in the sky appeared to grow smaller by the second, looking like they were moving backwards at a million kilometers per second without the feeling of moving at all. When the scene had stopped changing, she turned around to find a small cafe at the base of a mountain, one that reminded her of the one Izuku had taken her on their first date.
"Izuku is already waiting for us inside," The figure beside her said as he walked towards the cafe, indicating for Momo to follow him. She didn't respond to the figure, trusting him to be one of the vestiges, as they walked towards the cafe. The man in front of her didn't even reach for the door handle as the door opened automatically, granting them access.
As she walked through the door, the man in front of her stood still, letting her pass by him. She stopped about a meter into the cafe, inspecting the interior for herself. It was everything she'd ever dreamed about in a cafe: tons of coffee and tea variety, a few places to sit and enjoy said beverages and whatever food they offered, and a reading nook in one corner.
Standing behind the bar was a large bald man, looking to be enjoying himself as he made coffee or tea. There was another man sitting in front of him with dirty white hair, seemingly waiting for the drink the bald man was making. Looking around, she noticed two figures standing on a balcony, one with ginger hair and the other with cadet gray, overlooking the vast landscape. Not far from them appeared to be a woman laying in a hammock attached to the ceiling. Looking towards the balcony and the hammock, she noticed there was no obvious way to access either of them.
When she finally landed on the reading nook in the corner, a warm feeling spread through her chest, noticing Izuku talking with En. He must have felt her presence because he turned towards her at the same time, smiling in her direction and lighting up the whole corner of the cafe. She began making her way over towards him and he got up and ran forward to embrace her. "I was worried you weren't going to show up," Izuku admitted.
Momo hugged him back tightly. "For you, I'll always show up, no matter where you go." When they finally pulled away, Momo looked around the cozy cafe once more, seeing the people she noticed earlier in the same spots, most casually observing the newcomers. "Where exactly are we?"
"We're inside OFA," Izuku explained, grabbing her hand and guiding her to a seat beside him. "At least, that's how En explained it to me." Momo looked towards En, seeing him nod in confirmation. "I arrived a short time ago, but it seems it took you longer to fall asleep."
Momo nodded, still holding onto Izuku's hand. "I was waiting for you to fall asleep. You were tossing and turning a bunch before you finally relaxed." Izuku nodded, both knowing why he was restless before bed. "But why does OFA look like this?" Momo questioned, gesturing with her hand to the small cafe. "It looks similar to the cafe we visited for our first date, nothing like the blank landscape we were in before."
"This is a common happy memory for both of you," En started, causing the two to look towards him. "We can shape and mold the dreamscape to be anything we like, but this is what you two subconsciously requested."
They both nodded in understanding. "So why are we here? Did you summon us here?" Izuku questioned curiously.
"Yes and No," The figure from before said, sitting beside En. "I didn't introduce myself earlier because I wanted to wait until both of you were here." Izuku and Momo nodded in understanding, encouraging the man to continue. "My name is Yoichi Shigaraki, you may better know me as First. I was the original holder and creator of OFA after my brother passed me a stockpiling quirk." Izuku and Momo nodded once more, having heard the story of the two brothers from Toshinori before Izuku accepted the quirk.
"To answer your other question, we did summon you here, though it was unintentional," Yoichi continued. "You see, we thought that we could speak with you, like En did before, now that Creation has fully merged with OFA. We were just trying to figure out how to summon you two here when you both showed up." Yoichi turned towards Izuku. "I apologize for making you restless before you fell asleep. We believe it was a side effect of unintentionally summoning you."
"I thought it was strange," Momo commented, looking towards Izuku. "Not once have I ever seen Izuku restless, but I thought it was because of the day we had."
Izuku shook his head. "No, I was fine after dinner, right up until I tried to fall asleep with you. It was like I was fighting to fall asleep." Izuku turned back to Yoichi. "Do you know if that will happen again? And will we have to go through the same process to get here again?"
Yoichi hummed in thought, looking towards the ceiling for a minute, seeing something that nobody else could see. "No, I don't believe so. We should be able to summon either one of you, or both of you, directly to this place." Yoichi looked back towards the two teenagers, seeing them sigh in relief. "Again, I apologize for summoning you in such a strange way. Going forward should be a much smoother process."
Izuku nodded. "Is there something you wanted to talk to us about? Is that why you summoned us?"
"I believe we have figured out why Smokescreen was the first quirk to manifest instead of the original Stockpile," Yoichi began. "It appears that OFA believed it was too powerful for a single user to handle, which is why it split between both of you. It also appears the mental block on the Stockpile is because it's still too powerful for you to use."
"So we won't be able to use the Stockpile at all?" Momo questioned, looking between Izuku and Yoichi. "Just the upgraded Smokescreen we received and the upgrade it did to Creation?"
"Not exactly," Yoichi responded. "When Sixth informed you that you would be receiving Smokescreen, he could tell it was different from when he originally had it. This is because OFA has upgraded it with a portion of the stockpiled power. We suspect that as you receive more quirks from the previous users, the Stockpile will slowly deplete until you both are safe enough to use it."
"We're going to be receiving more quirks?" Izuku questioned with wide eyes, looking between Momo, Yoichi, and En.
"Correct," Yoichi responded. "We don't know whose quirk you'll be receiving next, just that it will happen. We also don't have a timeline in place for when you'll be receiving them." Yoichi looked up in thought, seemingly looking at something once more. "I wish that I could tell you what quirk you'll be receiving next, but it appears that all of them have changed since OFA was split between you two. It could be any of them, or multiple of them, at any time." Yoichi looked down towards the duo, finding them both wide eyed. "The more we find out, the more we'll be able to tell you."
Izuku and Momo nodded, still surprised with the information they were given. "I think I need some time to process this…" Izuku said quietly, a faraway look in his eyes.
"I completely understand," Yoichi continued. "Take all the time you need." Yoichi stood up, about to make his way to the balcony where the ginger-haired and cadet gray-haired men were standing.
"Yoichi?" Momo questioned, causing the man to stop. "You mentioned that you could summon us to this place," Momo said, looking towards Yoichi. "But can we come back ourselves?"
"Of course you can!" Yoichi responded with a smile that rivaled Izuku, even if he looked sickly. "If both, or one of you, would like to return, you just have to think about returning. We're a part of you now, so we can see and hear everything you two experience." Izuku and Momo shared a look, a dusting of a blush on their cheeks. "You don't have to worry about us watching or listening while you two are being intimate. Most of us aren't interested, and decide not to watch or listen."
"Most?" Izuku questioned with a squeak.
Yoichi let out a sigh, pointing towards the woman in the hammock above them. "Seventh enjoys how romantic you two are. She's the only one that really watches and listens."
"They're just so cute together!" The woman said from above them, giving them a wide smile in their direction.
"Not the time, Seventh!" The bald man behind the counter called.
"You're no fun, Fifth!" The woman pouted before laying back down in the hammock. "Just wait until they unlock my quirk first!"
"Never gonna happen, Seventh! Blackwhip is just too badass of a quirk to leave locked up! It'll break out before the rest of them!" The bald man pointed a teacup at the woman in the hammock.
Izuku and Momo watched and listened to the exchange, giggling at the friendly banter between the two vestiges. Izuku tapped Momo on her hand, giving her a knowing look and a smirk. "Excuse me, Barmaid!" Izuku called out.
"Don't you dare start with me, Kid!" The bald man responded, pointing a different teacup at the two teenagers. "I may look like one of those vikings, but we're nothing alike!"
"The first step is denial," The dirty white-haired man responded. He quickly dodged out of the way of a black tendril that went flying towards his head multiple times in a row, each time just missing him by a few centimeters. Izuku and Momo giggled again as the vestiges bantered between them some more.
"It's time to wake up," En said suddenly, causing both Izuku and Momo to turn towards him at the same time he put his palms on their foreheads. Giving them a push, Izuku and Momo fell backwards off the chairs they were sitting on, the small cafe disappearing from around them.
When the sun shone into the room, Momo stirred awake, at the same time she felt something moving in her arms. Opening her eyes without any struggle, she found Izuku looking up towards her, a small smile on his face and a question behind his eyes.
Momo leaned down, capturing his lips for a quick second, before pulling him closer to snuggle. Izuku released a content sigh, wiggling just a little to get more comfortable, before melting into the embrace. Momo started running her hand through Izuku's fluffy locks, feeling him melt even further into the embrace, releasing another content sigh and tickling her neck from his warm breath.
Izuku giggled, feeling the shiver that went through Momo. "Morning, Mo." Izuku said quietly, giving her cheek a kiss.
"Morning, Izu," Momo responded quietly, letting Izuku pull slightly out of the hug so they could look at each other. "Six other quirks?"
"It would appear so," Izuku said, looking off to the side in thought. "We'll have to tell Toshi the next chance we get." Izuku looked back towards Momo, finding her also in thought. "But at least we know why we unlocked Smokescreen first, and why you're able to access OFA too."
Momo hummed in thought. "Do we know what the other quirks are, so we can be prepared for them?" Momo questioned as she looked up towards Izuku.
"Fifth mentioned Blackwhip during our visit last night," Izuku confirmed, putting a hand up to his chin in thought. "Toshi might be able to tell us more about Seventh's quirks. I think her name was Nana?" Izuku questioned, looking up at Momo and receiving a shrug in response.
Izuku was about to continue until both of their phones went off, their matching alarms ringing throughout the room. "We'll have to put a pin in that conversation for now," Momo said, reaching over and grabbing both HeroPhones, giving Izuku his, before they disabled the alarms. "Considering what happened yesterday morning, I think it's best if we get up and start on some breakfast for Himi and Uraraka."
Izuku shook his head with a smile. "We should have known that Himi's late starts would have followed her to UA. Do you think we should attempt to wake her?" Izuku questioned, looking over towards Momo as she started getting up from the bed.
"You're welcome to try," Momo said with a smile as she made her way around the bed. "The last time I did, she hit me directly in the face with one of her plushies without even moving from bed." Momo shook her head fondly, stopping at the foot of the bed and looking at Izuku as he continued to lay in bed. "Thankfully she didn't have anything more dangerous to throw at me."
"Good thing," Izuku responded with a mischievous smile. "I love your beautiful face."
"Izu!" Momo squeaked out, causing Izuku to laugh. She created a small pillow out of her arm with Creation, throwing it towards him and smacking him in the face.
With a quiet 'oof', Izuku spread his limbs out in every direction, pretending as if the hit was a lot more serious. "Here lies Izuku Midoriya, pillowed by his beautiful girlfriend." Izuku muffled out, the pillow still against his face.
"Dork," Momo responded, shaking her head with a fond smile.
Izuku placed the pillow aside, swinging his feet off the side of the bed, and walking around to where Momo was standing. He embraced her waist, pulling her closer, and giving her a chaste kiss. "I'm going to get ready for the day. Meet you downstairs in a few?" Momo nodded, releasing him from the embrace, as she went into her attached bathroom and Izuku left her room.
With their morning full of regular classes, the day seemed to drag by for Izuku and Momo, having learned most of the current material from their private tutor. They had been so far ahead in the coming months before UA that their private tutor decided to continue into the high school courses, and Izuku and Momo continued to ace the tests they were given. Still, Izuku and Momo continued to take notes, making small comments here and there and greedily absorbing the new information.
Once the bell rang for lunch, they decided to try out the cafeteria, hearing rumors that Lunch Rush, The Cook Hero, was the chef for the students. Momo could only smile as Izuku started listing off all the accomplishments that Lunch Rush had achieved, including feeding ten thousand victims of a typhoon on his own. Once it was their turn to order food, Izuku and Momo both ordered two plates each, knowing that they needed the energy (and lipids) for their afternoon heroics course.
When Himiko and Ochako had joined them, Ochako went wide-eyed at the vast amount of food that Izuku and Momo had in front of them, almost falling off her chair before Himiko caught her. Before Ochako could question them about why they had so much food, Himiko made a comment of 'not even close to their normal portions' which actually sent Ochako to the floor. Himiko looked down towards her friend, giggling at her shocked expression, before helping her friend up.
Before Himiko had dug into her meal, she leaned over towards Momo, whispering in her ear about how Lunch Rush caters to all dietary needs. Momo's eyes went wide as she looked down towards the meal that Himiko had, noticing the red sauce that looked a little too red, and realizing it was likely blood based. When Momo looked towards Himiko, she had stars in her eyes with a full fanged smile, nodding her head excitedly. Momo could only smile and nod in return before looking back at Izuku, noticing he had distracted Ochako for the moment.
As they continued conversing amongst themselves about their morning classes, two more trays were put down on the table, surprising the small group. Looking up, they found Kyouka and Denki sitting with them, easily joining in the conversation about their morning classes. Izuku and Momo shared a look, silently communicating, happy they had made some friends so quickly into the semester, especially after what happened during the QAT.
When the bell finally rang for their afternoon heroics class, the excitement could be felt throughout the students. Some of their classmates were bouncing in their seats, others were still debating on who their teacher would be, and some were just quietly watching the door near the front of the room. Even Izuku, Momo, and Himiko were excited for their first heroics course, even if they knew who the teacher was. Izuku watched closely as Kyouka aimed her jacks towards the door, straightening her body posture, as she realized who it could possibly be.
"I have…" Everyone that wasn't paying attention whipped around in their seats to focus on the door, just as it slammed opened revealing who was standing on the other side. "…come through the door like a normal person!"
All Might started walking towards the podium, looking excited to be teaching the class. "That's not how a normal person comes through the door." Himiko commented, making All Might freeze midstep. Everyone turned around to look at her, disbelief across their faces over what Himiko had said. "What? It's true. I don't think I've ever seen someone come through the door like they're wearing clown shoes."
"Clown shoes?" All Might put his foot down, turning towards the class and looking directly at Himiko. "I'll have you know, Young Himiko, these were specifically made for me!"
"Clown shoes made specifically for the Number One Hero?" Himiko looked around Sekigai in front of her, looking at All Might's shoes a little better. "They definitely seem to fit well."
It was so quiet in the classroom that you could have heard a pin drop. Everyone was looking between All Might and Himiko, not believing what they had just heard. It lasted only a few seconds before Izuku chuckled, causing everyone to look towards him. "She got you there, All Might. You were walking pretty funny." Even Momo joined in giggling with Izuku, causing the whole class to look at them as if they were mad.
All Might threw his head back and laughed, causing the rest of the class to look towards the Number One Hero. "In all my years, I don't think I've ever had someone be so direct with me before!" All Might posed at the front of the class, looking around the confused faces of the students. "At the end of the day, I'm just another person! I like jokes just as much as the next! Thank you, Young Himiko, for the laugh of the day!"
"On a more serious note," All Might continued, looking over the class quickly and locking eyes with Izuku and Momo for half a second. "Welcome to Hero Basic Training!" All Might pulled out a card, holding it out for the class to see, showcasing the word 'BATTLE' on a card in big bold blue letters. "We're starting off the year with some Battle Training!" Making the card disappear, he pulled out a remote and clicked on a button, causing sections of the wall to start moving out. "And for that, you'll need these! After you change, please meet me out at Ground Beta! Don't keep me waiting too long!"
"They say that clothes make the pros, and young ladies and gentlemen, you are the proof!" All Might said when everyone had finally come out to the training grounds.
Izuku looked down at his costume, the smile never leaving his face even after he finished changing, as he noticed all the small details he had requested. He was worried about the support company getting all the small details the way he wanted them, but Yuukichi and Miyuki informed them that Yaoyorozu Company would be making their costumes, after confirming with Nezu that it was okay. Izuku, Momo, and Himiko had all sat down with Yuukichi and Miyuki, plus one of their professional costume designers, before coming up with what they were wearing.
Izuku had requested an all black with dark green accents DNA costume, tying into the theme of being more of a stealth looking hero with Smoke compared to a bright colored costume a limelight hero might use. His signature red shoes were traded out for black boots with green accents, reinforced metal bracing over the top of the boots that trailed up partially up his leg, protecting his feet and shins.
Moving up to his pants, they were colored all black to match, with green accents trailing from his waist and around his leg. He had reinforced knee pads built into the fabric, providing him with protection for his knees while also giving him a viable attack method. He had originally requested a black belt to better hide it on his person, but seeing that he was going to be an all around hero, he decided to change it to a green that better matched his green accents.
His long sleeve shirt was similar to his pants, with green accents running up his sides, over his chest and back, and finishing off over his shoulders. His elbows were reinforced similarly to his knee pads, providing protection and a viable attack method. On his hands were a pair of black gloves that trailed halfway up his arm, with reinforced knuckles, with green accents running around the collar of the gloves.
For his head, he had requested a hood that could easily be pulled over his face, hiding his hair and face in the shadows if required. The eyes were made a dark green to match the rest of his accents, and when he tried it out in the locker room, had no issues seeing through them perfectly. He also wanted 'ears' along the top that would remind him of All Might, even if Momo and Himiko had made fun of him for them. Around his neck he wore a rebreather/purifier. Even though his Smoke didn't affect him, he didn't want to run into a situation where he accidentally breathed in gas or other smoke that could have negative effects on him. It also helped cover his face and give him more of a stealth look.
When Izuku was finished inspecting his costume, he looked over towards Momo who had come up beside him, his breath getting taken away with how good she looked. It was similar to his in design, but instead of the dark green accents he had requested, Momo had decided to go with dark red. He noticed that it also covered her from head to toe, providing her with the same padding throughout, with reinforced knee pads, elbow pads, and gloves.
Momo's hood was completely different compared to his. While he had requested the ears as a homage to All Might, Momo had decided to forgo covering her face at all. He noticed that she had a similar rebreather/purifier around her neck, and noticed it could easily click into place to cover half of her face when needed. She had originally wanted to carry a book on her person with a bunch of molecular structures for Creation, but Izuku had convinced her that glasses with a heads up display would provide her more resources, faster lookup time, plus all the added benefits of having safety glasses.
Looking just past Momo, he noticed Himiko standing beside Ochako, bouncing on the balls of her feet excitedly. She had decided to go with Fire Rescue Red for her costume, wanting to stand out compared to Izuku and Momo. When Izuku had questioned her about the color, she claimed that it reminded her of blood, but it was also a beautifully bright color. Her argument was when she actually became a hero, the red would be more approachable on patrol, and easier to see during a rescue mission.
Looking over her costume, he knew that it was made out of DNA material just like Izuku's and Momo's, allowing her to use Transform freely without ruining the clothes underneath. He also noticed how padded it was, rivaling Izuku's and Momo's costume in protection. He could also see most of the spots where she had knives hidden, but knew that she had requested so many that he was sure he missed quite a few. He noticed her special gauntlets that adorned her wrists, housing a retractable needle inside with a removable vial for when she needed to extract blood during a mission. She might not be going into underground heroics, but that didn't mean she wouldn't come across missions for stealth.
As Izuku looked towards Ochako, he frowned as he noticed how unprotected she was, with minimal padding. He continued looking over his classmates, noticing Kyouka and Denki in a similar position compared to Ochako. When he finally landed on Toru, all he could see was a pair of boots and gloves, and instantly knew he had to talk with his classmates.
"All Might?" Izuku questioned, putting his hand up and interrupting the hero and the class, taking a step forward.
"Yes, Young Midoriya?" All Might responded, looking towards him with a smile.
"I was looking at some of our classmates' costumes, and I just wanted to make a mention of how unprotected they are." Izuku pointed towards him, Momo, and Himiko, causing their classmates to look towards them. "We have padding throughout, with reinforced sections to better protect us in the field while also providing us with strike points for combat." Izuku gestured to the rest of his classmates, landing on Toru for half a second, before continuing. "I'm just noticing a huge lack of protection with everyone else's costumes."
All Might looked over the classmates, landing on Toru for a second and causing her to squirm in place, before he continued. "Young Midoriya is correct,"All Might started out, his smile fading ever so slightly. "Not everyone has the durability that some heroes have, but having extra protection is always welcome. After class, I want every single one of you to consider your costumes and how safe you feel in them, and go to the support department if you would like any changes. I will also be sending Young Shirakumo a message about it, making sure he knows to have a class dedicated to costumes and costume design. Thank you for pointing it out, Young Midoriya." Izuku nodded, falling back in step with Momo.
All Might continued to explain how the battle trials would go after that, telling them it would be a 'Indoor Antipersonal Battle Training' objective. He explained the rules, the win and loss conditions, and what each team would be striving for. He answered a few questions, reassuring the students that he was just testing to see where they currently ranked in terms of skill level, and would be adjusting their planners moving forwards depending on what was shown today.
"Your battle partners will be decided by drawing lots!" All Might exclaimed. "Each of you will be picking a ball out of this box, and the matching letters will be paired up!" All Might placed the box down on the table he was working behind before pulling out another box. "And I will be picking out your team and who you will be going against out of this box!"
Group A
Izuku Midoriya & Kyouka Jirou
Versus
Group G
Mezo Shoji & Moe Kamiji
Group B
Kashiko Sekigai & Fumikage Tokoyami
Versus
Group I
Denki Kaminari & Ochako Uraraka
Group C
Toru Hagakure & Eijiro Kirishima
Versus
Group H
Hanta Sero & Himiko Yaoyorozu
Group F
Shoto Todoroki & Tenya Iida
Versus
Group D
Tsuyu Asui & Katsuki Bakugo
Group E
Hitoshi Shinso & Rumi Usagiyama
Versus
Group J
Momo Yaoyorozu & Mina Ashido