Chapter 5
Inko pushed the shopping cart through the aisle, occasionally looking up from the shelves to check on Izuku and Pony, who are a few steps ahead of her. They're talking to each other, occasionally pointing out products they don't recognize, ones they've seen on TV, or ones that make them laugh for reasons Inko can't discern. She makes sure none of the other shoppers get too close to the kids. She's especially watchful of the shoppers glaring down at Pony, disdain, disgust, and wariness all clear in their gazes.
Izuku is talking to Pony about a hero who had recently surfaced when he spotted an entire shelf filled with all different flavours of Umai-bou corn puffs. He taps Pony on the shoulder and points to the shelf. Her eyes light up as she bounds over, picking up a package of plain puffs.
"It's like in the show we watched last night!"
She cheers. Izuku nods,
"Yeah!"
Pony holds out the package,
"Umai-bou is known for its variety of flavours."
Izuku snickers,
"I'm in the mood for pizza, but I want to eat natto too."
She continues.
"What should I do?"
Pony lays her hand on her forehead dramatically, leaning back as if she's about to faint.
"What should I do at a time like this?"
She adds. Izuku hides a laugh behind his hand,
"Why don't you eat pizza and natto?"
Izuku asks. Pony straightens, crossing her arms across her chest,
"Looks like you've noticed, huh? You don't see certain food combinations served together, but if you feel like it you can make it happen with Umai-bou!"
She presents the package as if it is the most powerful thing in the world. Both children hide laughs behind their hands as they try to focus on their scene.
"I wanna know what combinations you can come up with."
Pony says, pointing at Izuku using the package of Umai-bou,
"In other words, come up with the best combination to make me satisfied!"
Izuku doubles over as he tries to contain his laughter,
"Wow, she's acting like the final boss of a video game."
He mutters as he straightens up, turning to face the large shelf of corn puffs.
"How about cheese and octopus-dumpling?"
He offers, pointing to the two different flavours on the shelf. He was kinda surprised the store carried them. Pony hums,
"Not bad, but it's lacking a punch."
She says. Izuku nods as if she had just said something incredibly serious. Izuku acts as if he's thinking before he points his finger up in the air like he had seen scientist characters do on TV.
"Then what about grilling them?"
He suggests. Pony widens her eyes, trying her best to calm her smile,
"Grilling? You're going to grill Umai-bou?"
She pauses for a moment before taking on,
"Something's still missing."
Izuku tilts his head,
"It is? Then, can I combine more than two?"
He asks, leaning over the shelf to read the different flavours they had. Pony nods, watching him as she giggles, not bothering to hide her laughter anymore.
"Yeah, sure you can!"
She encourages. Izuku hums,
"Then how about pizza, onion salad, and corn potage?"
He asks, pointing out each on the shelf. Pony nods vigorously, grabbing hold of Izuku's hands,
"I can see France!"
The two kids can't hold back their laughter anymore, both doubling over and drawing the attention of Inko, who had been looking at snacks on another shelf.
"Oh, do you kids want some Umai-bou puffs?"
She asks, pushing the cart forward. They both tilt their heads,
"We can have some?"
Izuku asks. Inko nods,
"Why don't you both grab a pack of the original and one of a flavour you like or want to try? That way you have something to fall back on if you don't like it."
The two kids beam. They thank Inko as they look over the flavours, taking a few moments to pick out the ones they want. When they're done, they both have a pack of original and a flavour they hadn't had before. Izuku has beef tongue while Pony had grabbed tonkatsu sauce. The two kids stick closer to the cart from then on, occasionally running ahead to grab something Inko asks for.
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When they reach the cash registers the kids are chattering away beside Inko, occasionally glancing up when someone new joins the line for the cash. They're just getting on the topic of the shows streaming that afternoon when a gunshot rings out and a small cloud of dust falls from the ceiling. Four men in black hoodies and masks stand at the front of the register, all holding guns. The one at the front, who appears to be the leader, has his gun pointed at the ceiling, a small bullet hole above him.
"Nobody move!"
One of the robbers at the back yells, raising his gun to point at those in line. Izuku and Pony cling to Inko. Pony ducks behind Izuku and Izuku grabs onto his mother's shirt, trying to hide behind her. Two of the men stalk up to the cashier, who has their hands raised, while the others stalk forward, looking over everyone in line.
Izuku's ears pick up on the distant sound of police sirens but, judging by the fact nobody else is reacting, it's clear he's the only one who hears them. He sees the way their cashier discreetly hits their panic button but he's sure that one of the others already has. Maybe multiple alerts will make the police get here faster, he thinks.
The men in front of them start muttering to each other and Izuku picks up on their conversation,
"Think we should take a hostage?"
One asks,
"The police might be here soon, could be good for getting away."
He tacks on. The man he's talking to hums as his eyes survey the crowd,
"Sure. Who're you thinking?"
Suddenly, Pony sobs from behind him. She tries to stifle it with her hand but by then it's too late. The two robber's heads swivel to stare at Izuku.
"How about the kid?"
One of them says, louder this time. The other nods and raises his gun to point at Izuku. The boy takes a deep breath, trying to calm his shaking limbs and panicking heart. He does his best to hold back tears and stiffens as he tries to better cover Pony. Inko moves to step in front of Izuku but the other robber points his gun at her. She doesn't stop, however, and Izuku finally notices how his eyes look redder than they should be.
He wrenches out of Pony's grasp and jumps back in front of Inko just as a shot rings out. Time seems to slow as the bullet heads straight for his chest. He hears the screams that follow the sound of the gun as if they were far away.
He feels something hit him and bounce back and he looks down to see a small hole burned in his shirt, thick green scales showing through the fabric. His eyes move to the ground, where a dented bullet stares back up at him.
He looks up again when he hears something bigger clatter to the ground. The robber who had fired has his hand clutched to his chest and his gun is on the floor, laying at his feet. Izuku's attention then darts to the large windows lining the wall of the store when police cars pull in and cops rush out, running for the doors.
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Izuku watches from beside Inko, who's clutching both him and Pony tightly to her chest, as the cops arrest all four men. One of them squats to the floor, black rubber gloves covering their hands as they grab the gun off the ground, shoving it into a clear plastic bag.
He continues to watch as the officers shove the villains into the back seats of the police cars and drive away, their lights and sirens off now that the threats had been arrested. When the cars had turned the corner and disappeared from view Inko finally let them go and, upon the cashier's prompting, started loading their groceries onto the conveyor belt. Pony and Izuku stuck to her side, neither bothering to start up another conversation.
The drive home is silent and when they get back to the apartment building the two kids help Inko carry in what they can before piling onto the couch, leaning into each other. Inko pulls her phone from her pocket as she begins putting the groceries away, tapping on Hina's contact before setting it on her shoulder and lifting it to her ear. The phone rings twice before Hina answers.
"Inko? How're the kids?"
Inko lowers her voice to a whisper, trying not to be heard over the cartoons the kids had turned on for background noise.
"The grocery store we went to was robbed."
Hina is silent for a moment. When she finally speaks her tone is level, fury lining her words.
"By who? What happened?"
She asks. Inko sighs,
"Four men in hoodies. They had guns and Pony was trying to hide behind me while Izuku tried to hide both of us. Pony started crying and two of them turned to her. I think they wanted to take the kids hostage. I tried to step in front of them but one of them pointed their gun at me. Izuku jumped in front and the man fired-"
"Is he okay?"
Hina interrupts, hysteria breaking her voice.
"He's fine."
Inko reassures, glancing behind her at the couch.
"His quirk activated and the scales protected him but, Hina, he could have died. They both could've. The police pulled in a moment later but I just-"
"It's okay, Inko."
Hina reassures.
"I'll be there soon. Just stay near them, okay?"
Inko nods despite knowing Hina can't see her,
"Of course."
Hina hangs up and Inko puts her phone on the counter. She looks over to the kids one last time before turning back to the groceries, determined to have them put away before Hina gets there so they can talk to the kids together.
Izuku strokes Pony's head as she cries into his shoulder. Silent tears run down both their faces, though Pony hiccups occasionally. Izuku can hear Inko rustling around in the kitchen as she puts the groceries away. Sometimes the sounds will pause and he knows she's looking over at them to make sure they're still okay.
He keeps looking down at the hole in his shirt caused by the bullet. The edge of the hole is charred and the scales had faded at some point. A small bruise was starting to develop where the bullet had made contact. It doesn't look like it will be as bad as the ones he had received on his back when he first got his quirk, though.
After a while, Pony makes a small snorting sound. Izuku looks over to see that she'd fallen asleep, tear tracks drying on her face. He hesitates for a moment before leaning his head on top of hers, moving his head to her back. Her tail twitches on his lap but he pays it no mind, simply letting his eyes close as his breathing calms to match hers.
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Neither child wakes when Hina arrives at the apartment. The two mothers talk for a while, tears streaming down their cheeks. Eventually, Pony's dad arrives too, comforting both women. The three agree that it would be a good idea for Pony to spend the night so as not to cause panic when the children wake and find the other missing.
They each pick up a kid and carry them off to Izuku's room, setting them on the bed to sleep before slipping out and easing the door shut.
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Inko is sitting on the couch, nursing a cup of chamomile tea as the news plays on the TV. It was late but she couldn't bring herself to fall asleep, the events of the day still fresh in her mind.
She's pulled from her thoughts when the usual mundane news is interrupted by live feed of an on-foot chase. The footage depicts four men, all of builds Inko recognizes, being chased by Cow Lady, her quirk fully activated.
Inko can't help the smile that grows on her face as a newscaster speaks over Hina barreling into the men, knocking them all to the ground.
"These four men were all involved in a simple grocery store robbery earlier today. Though they managed to escape from their holding cell, American hero Cow Lady is hunting them down."
Inko thinks the word "hunt" may be an understatement. Hina is beating the four men into the ground despite the fact that they seem to be trying to surrender.
"I'm being told that Cow Lady has never shown this much aggression towards villains, especially ones of such low importance."
The newscaster continues.
"I can't help but wonder if they did something to offend her personally."
Inko smirks into her tea as she leans back into the couch, relishing in the bit of bone she can see peeking out of one of the robber's arms.
Chapter 6
Izuku has his head buried in his arms as his homeroom class chatters away amongst themselves. He shifts in his seat to get more comfortable, doing his best not to hit his knees against the top of the desk.
Finally, the bell rings and the teacher enters the room, stack of papers in hand.
"Good morning everyone!"
He greets, stopping behind his podium.
"Now, I'm supposed to hand these out so you can fill out possible careers."
He says, holding up the stack of papers.
"But I'm sure you all plan on becoming heroes!"
He yells, throwing the papers up into the air and scattering them across the floor. The other students all start cheering as they show off their quirks. The only person other than Izuku not to jump at the chance to show off is Bakugou, who glowers at their teacher. Though he looks moments away from exploding.
"Calm down everyone!"
Their teacher calls.
"I know you're all budding heroes but You know using your quirks at school is prohibited!"
The smile on the man's face makes it clear he doesn't actually care. Bakugou finally seems to have had enough as he jumps out of his chair and onto his desk.
"Don't lump me in with these extras!"
He yells.
"I'm going to be the only one from this trash heap of a school to make it into UA."
Everyone quiets down at Bakugou's words, beginning to whisper to each other.
"UA? But isn't their acceptance rate, like, super low?"
Izuku overhears someone say. Their teacher hums, looking down at a sheet of paper he hadn't thrown.
"Ah, aren't you trying out for UA too, Midoriya?"
He says. The class immediately silences as all attention turns from Bakugou to Izuku. He sighs as he looks up, glancing around the room. Bakugou jumps down from the desk and is about to attack Izuku when their teacher clears his throat.
"Please return to your seat, Bakugou. We have to get started with class."
He looks over at Izuku nervously. Bakugou glares, but he sits back down at his desk, popping off small explosions in his palms as he does so.
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Izuku leans against the large tree in the schoolyard as he types away at his phone. His backpack and notebook leaned up against his foot below him and his hair lightly brushed the hanging leaves of the tree. A few of the nearby students ogled at him, but he paid them no mind.
Noticing that he's not paying attention, Bakugou beings creeping toward him. He reaches for the notebook leaning next to the boy, explosions popping in anticipation of destroying the book when Izuku's hand darts out, wrapping around his wrist. Izuku glares at him as he finishes typing out his message and tucks his phone into his pocket.
Bakugou looks nervous but does his best to return the glare. It doesn't work out how he wants as Izuku tightens his grip. Izuku's form nearly dwarfed Bakugou's, and throughout his training, he had burned off the baby fat a few of their classmates still sported and had much more profound muscles than any of the teachers, let alone the students.
Bakugou pops off a few explosions in his free hand, drawing Izuku's attention to them. Bakugou's eye twitches as Izuku looks back at him, tilting his head slightly. The more the two stared at each other the more uneasy Bakugou becomes. Bakugou tugs at his arm, trying to free himself of the other's grip so as not to look bad in front of the students beginning to take notice. He fails, however, Izuku keeping his tight grip.
Even though they're the same height, Bakugou starts to feel as if he's staring up at Izuku. The students surrounding them all start to look at each other nervously as neither boy moves. Bakugou doesn't break eye contact with Izuku, holding his ground. The other boy was merely a pebble in his path, he reminded himself. There was no reason he shouldn't be able to hold his ground, at the very least.
They don't get the chance to escalate into a full-blown fight, however, as Izuku's phone buzzes in his pocket and he lets Bakugou go, gathering his stuff before starting to make his way toward the school gate. He makes sure to keep tabs on the other boy out of the corner of his eye as he walks away. The blonde glares as he steps forward,
"I'll be the only one from this shithole school to make it into UA, ya hear me?! You don't have a chance! All you can do is intimidate people and cover yourself in fucking fish scales. You'd have better chances of getting in by taking a swan dive off the roof and praying for a better quirk in your next life!"
Izuku's steps stutter but he keeps moving, doing his best to ignore the other boy. He takes a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself down and smiles when he sees Pony standing outside the gate. He picks up his pace as he nears her, waving once he's sure she can see him.
"Hey, Pony!"
He calls. She smiles,
"Hey!"
She waves, inadvertently showing off the muscles making up her arm. She sneezes, snorting as she shakes her head. The movement causes the big stainless-steel hoops in her ears to rattle, catching in the sun and shining in Izuku's eyes. She's shorter than him by a few centimetres, something he teased her for and which she occasionally complained about. She had fingerless studded gloves on her hands, which had come in handy a few times. Izuku takes up his spot on her right as they walk down the sidewalk, talking about their days as they make their way to the gym they're both a member of.
They split off at the entrance, going to their respective changing rooms. Izuku emerges first, though Pony isn't slow to join him. They claim their usual sparring mat. They settle into offensive positions across from each other and Izuku counts them down. When he reaches one she moves just a fraction of a second before him.
They dodge around each other for a couple minutes, one occasionally landing a hit against the other. But then Izuku trips on a fold in the mat. Pony is quick to take advantage of his lack of balance by throwing herself on top of him. He crashes onto the mat and tries to throw her off, but she pins him down.
"All right, you win!"
He yields, chuckling as she clambers off and holds out a hand to help him up. He accepts, pecking her lips in a kiss before heading back to his end of the mat.
"Your turn to count."
He says, stretching his arms above his head before lowering back into his stance. Pony nods, positioning herself before starting her count.
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By the time they decided they were done both were sweaty, though Pony was the only one to sport bruises despite the fact that she had landed a few hits herself. Izuku chugs his water bottle before once again slipping into the changing room. He takes a quick shower before pulling on a t-shirt and jeans. This time, Pony is the first one out, dressed in leggings and a tank top. She smiles when she sees him,
"We're still going to the mall, right?"
She asks, stepping into place beside him as they leave the gym. Izuku nods,
"You wanna catch a train or walk?"
She huffs,
"I missed my run this morning."
He chuckles,
"Walking it is, then."
They make small talk as they head toward the edge of the city. When they finally make it to the entrance of the mall, Izuku holds the door open for her,
"After you, m'lady."
She smirks, giving him a shallow bow.
"Why thank you, kind sir."
They both laugh as Izuku jogs a step to catch up to her. They both hold onto the railings on their side as they make their way down to the food court.
The area is lit by glowing orbs caged on the ceiling, which were the work of one of the janitors' quirks. The floors and walls shine to the point that they can see their slightly-distorted reflections nearly everywhere they look. They walk side-by-side until they arrive at the food court in the middle of the mall. They pick out a restaurant that had good reviews and seat themselves as directed by the sign at the front. They pick up the menus and start reading through them. Pony is the first to decide, setting down her menu.
"You've decided already?"
Izuku asks, glancing up from his menu. Pony nods,
"Mhm! The french loaf and some milk."
Izuku tilts his head,
"Are you sure? You could get french toast or something."
He gestures to the more expensive items on her menu, but she just shakes her head.
"It's just what I'm in the mood for. Plus, I don't care about what's more expensive."
She reaches forward, resting her hand on top of Izuku's as she offers a small smile,
"I'm happy just spending time with you. Especially after hearing what that bastard said."
Izuku flinches slightly,
"You heard that? It's fine, really. What he says doesn't matter."
Pony huffs, looking up to see a waiter heading toward them.
"Do you know what you're ordering?"
She whispers. Izuku nods, setting his menu on top of hers before looking up at the boy who had stopped in front of them. He looked to be a little older than them, maybe in his second or third year of high school. Izuku smiles up at him and Pony is ready to order but the boy's face sours when he lays eyes on the girl.
"My apologies, but we don't serve the likes of you."
Izuku's smile immediately falls into a frown at the offended look on Pony's face. The boy looks over at him.
"I'm sorry, sir. But she'll have to leave if we're going to serve you."
Izuku tilts his head,
"Oh, really?
The boy nods, glaring at Pony.
"I'm afraid so."
Izuku's face hardens as he glares at the boy. Pony mimics him and the air around the table becomes heavy. The waiter audibly gulps, glancing between the two,
"Um, on second thought, I think that was a policy at the last place I worked. What can I get for you?"
Sweat beads at his brow and Izuku looks over at Pony. She takes a moment before nodding. Both of their expressions relax and the tense feeling dissipates.
"I'll get some milk and a french loaf, please."
Pony says. The boy nods before looking over to Izuku.
"And for you?"
"I'll have the meat goulash, please."
The boy nods, scribbling on his notepad before running back the way he had come.
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When their food comes out a new waiter is following behind Hi. Plates of bread, chicken, a bowl of goulash with meat and potato, a salad, and small containers of margarine, and butter are placed on their table. They're quickly followed by Pony's glass of milk and a soda for Izuku.
They eat slowly, talking with each other and trying each other's food as they go. When they're done they stack their dishes to the side to make it easier for them to be grabbed.
"Anything for dessert?"
The boy asks when he returns. He doesn't look as nervous as before, though he still looks wary. Izuku nods,
"A bowl of ice cream, please."
He nods, heading back to the kitchen and quickly returning with a bowl of ice cream and two spoons. Izuku thanks her and picks up one of the spoons. Pony is quick to follow, even managing to get the first bite despite her slow start.
They split the check, each paying half once someone different comes back with the bill. They leave hand-in-hand and head further into the mall.
After a few minutes of walking, they find an arcade, relatively small compared to others in the country, but still packed full of machines. They boast a large collection of pre-quirk games and music and happy screams pour out of the open doors. Pony leads Izuku inside, smiling wide as he follows behind her.
Izuku pays for an hour in the arcade and they're given paper bands showing when they're meant to be gone by. They help each other put the bracelets on and Pony leads Izuku over to the claw machines.
They each pick a machine and Pony counts them down. Izuku is the first to get his toy, a soft-pink pig, into the win slot. As he's taking it out of the drop Pony wins a medium-sized bee plush. Izuku holds out his win to her, smiling. Pony accepts it, hugging the pig to her chest as she holds out the bee. Izuku takes it and leans in, pecking her on the cheek before grabbing her hand and pulling her towards one of the pre-quirk two-player fighting games.
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They had been playing games for a while, some on their own and others with each other, when Pony spotted a photo booth near the back of the arcade.
"We should take some photos!"
She says, pointing towards the small booth. Izuku nods, letting her lead him over and under the curtain. She settles on the metal seat closest to the door and Izuku slides the curtain shut, making sure it's closed fully before looking up at the screen in front of them. It displays all their options for borders and filters. Pony taps her card on the machine below the screen and it moves on to the selection.
"What do you think about this one?"
Pony asks, pointing to a border decorated with sprites from a pre-quirk alien shooter game they had played.
"I think it's cute."
Izuku says, nodding. Pony smiles, tapping on the option. She skips over the filter selection, neither of them wanting the photos to be in black-and-white or have a red tint. The countdown starts on the screen and they line themselves up with the camera, leaning into each other with smiles on their faces. The camera makes the sound of a snapping shutter and a flash lights up their faces. After a moment, the countdown starts again.
"Ooh! Make a funny face."
Pony says before pulling at the corners of her mouth and sticking out her tongue. Izuku laughs before doing the same, bringing his hand up behind her head in bunny ears. When the camera snaps again she looks up at him, rolling her eyes. She grabs his face as the shutter snaps again, pulling him closer.
The camera snaps one last time as her lips come to meet his.
They emerge from the booth just as their photo strips are landing in the drop box. Izuku picks up the three attached strips by the top edge, careful not to touch the actual photos just yet. Pony rolls her eyes,
"I'm sure they're fine."
Izuku shakes his head,
"My mom never touched the pictures until at least three minutes after they printed."
Pony snorts,
"Fine, fine."
She looks down at her band,
"Come on, our time is almost up and I don't want to be yelled at by one of the workers."
Izuku nods, falling into step beside her as they head for the exit. He waves at the worker behind the front desk with one free hand, the other holding both the bee plush and the strips of photos.
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As they're walking down the street Izuku spots a store selling candy and pastries. A poster on the window boasts about their realistic-looking pastry animals.
"Wanna see what they have?"
Izuku asks, gesturing to the store. Pony looks over and nods,
"Yeah! But I'm paying this time."
Izuku huffs but agrees. When they walk in a bell above the door rings, signalling their arrival to the person behind the desk. They smile at them.
"Hey there! Would you like to take a look at some of our pastry animals?"
They ask, gesturing in front of them to the large selection of display pastries in the case embedded in the counter. Pony and Izuku lean in, looking over the animals. Eventually, Pony points out the chicks.
"What about these? They're pretty cute."
Izuku nods,
"Are you sure they aren't too cute to eat?"
He asks, looking over at her playfully. She huffs, schooling her expression to look more serious.
"No food is too cute to eat."
Izuku chuckles,
"Alright, the chicks, then."
"Don't forget that I'm paying."
Pony says, pulling out her wallet as the cashier heads to the back.
"Is a box of ten okay?"
They ask, looking back over their shoulder. Pony nods and they continue out to the back room. They return with a pastry box filled with little pastry chicks.
"That'll be one-thousand-four-hundred yen, please."
Pony nods, pulling out the amount in cash. She sets it on the tray next to the register and the cashier picks it up, counting it quickly before sorting it into the register.
"Thank you, have a good day."
They say.
"You too."
Izuku and Pony say in unison. Pony takes the box of pastries from the counter, bowing shallowly before stepping into place beside Izuku and following him to the doors. He grabs some plastic forks from a cup set out by the door before holding it open for Pony, allowing her to step outside first.
Once they're outside Izuku hands Pony one of the forks. Carefully, she slides the box open and boops one of the pastries with the tongs of the utensil. They start heading toward Pony's house since it's closer. As they walk, Pony takes out one of the chicks and pops it in her mouth. Her cheeks puff up like a hamster's as she chews and a few crumbs dot her chin. Izuku chuckles at the blissful look on her face and she glares at him half-heartedly.
She sticks her hand back into the box and shoves a chick into his face. He rolls his eyes playfully as she shoves it into his mouth. He chews it quickly, humming once he's done.
"These are actually pretty good."
He says as he reaches for a new one. Pony nods as she does the same and they continue on, occasionally eating one of the chicks.
They're talking happily, waiting for a crossing sign to change, when Izuku spots smoke in the nearby distance.
"Look at that."
He says, pointing. Pony looks up at the grey cloud slowly building in the sky.
"Think we should check it out?"
She asks, glancing over at Izuku. The boy nods and they abandon the crosswalk, starting to jog down the sidewalk instead.
As they turn a corner they're met with a large crowd of people, all watching as the fires in front of them blaze. Izuku strains to see above the heads of the onlookers but, when he finally sees what's happening in front of them, he grabs Pony's sleeve and starts dragging her through the group.
"What's going on?"
She asks, panic beginning to line her voice.
"Someone is trapped in sludge."
Izuku answers, finally starting to slow down as they near the front.
"Holy shit, is that Bakugou?"
Pony asks. Izuku freezes, green eyes finally meeting red. He takes a stuttered breath as he steps forward, scales growing across his arms, more than prepared to rush the villain when, suddenly, someone beats him to it. Pony watches in awe as a small figure, who looks no older than them, pulls Bakugou out of the grip of the sludge villain.
Izuku watches as the figure drags Bakugou away. They turn to face the paramedics, who are rushing to the police line to help. Leaving them defenceless as the sludge villain finally orients themselves and raises an arm of sludge to attack. The arm swings out and Izuku lets out a sigh. The air turns into a powerful wind and rushes the villain, causing him to stumble back and miss the two teens. Suddenly, All Might appears out of the crowd. He jumps and punches the sludge villain, sending them scattering across the street.
Officers rush in to gather the leftovers of the villains while civilians and reporters rush forward, each gunning for All Might's attention. Izuku and Pony watch for a moment as the paramedics drive away with Bakugou in the back of the ambulance, All Might tries to stave off the reporters, and the figure, now weaving into the crowd, disappears.
Eventually, they both get bored and turn around so they can start heading back home. Izuku weaves his hand with Pony's. The scales that had grown recede, disappearing back under his skin.
They're crossing the street when Pony's phone buzzes in her pocket. She pulls it out once they're on the other sidewalk.
"My mom wants me to run an errand for her."
Pony says, tucking her phone back away.
"Think you can walk me to the train station?"
She asks, looking up at Izuku. The boy nods, smiling softly,
"Of course!"
She smiles in return and they take a left turn instead of a right, talking away as they walk to the train station.
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When they reach the train station they claim a bench, leaning into each other as they wait for Pony's train to arrive. The sound of screeching metal on metal fills the station as the train arrives and Izuku leans in, placing a kiss against Pony's cheek as he grabs one of the remaining chicks from the box. Pony smiles, pressing her lips against his for a moment before standing,
"I'll see you tomorrow?"
She asks. Izuku nods and watches as she steps onto the train. He waits until the doors close and the train starts to pull out of the station before turning his back on it and leaving the station, making his way to his apartment.
Chapter 7
Izuku walks among the crowd on the sidewalk, making his way to Pony's house. He had a small notebook tucked into his backpack, filled with notes on a new idea he had for his training. He was already strong, unable to properly fit in school desks, but he had an idea on how to become stronger, challenge himself, and build more endurance. But he would need to get Hina's help.
When he finally arrives he walks up the front porch to the door, knocking politely before taking a step back. After a minute the door opens, revealing Hina on the other side.
"Hi, Aunty!"
Izuku greets. Hina smiles, waving Izuku in.
"Good afternoon, Izuku!"
She closes the door behind him. He slips off his shoes and into the slippers left for him by the door. They're All Might themed and slightly tattered since they're a few years old, but they still fit. He follows Hina into the living room and sits across from her on their couches.
"Can I get you anything to drink, Izuku?"
She asks,
"Tea, coffee?"
Izuku shakes his head,
"No, I'm okay. I don't plan on being here for long."
Hina nods,
"Alright, dear. What do you need?"
Izuku ruffled around in his backpack for a moment and took out his notebook. He opens it to a page near the middle. He holds out the diagram he had sketched out of an incredibly heavy-weight suit. Hina takes it and reads it over,
"I assume you want my help manufacturing this?"
She asks. Izuku nods and Hina huffs,
"Sorry, dear, but I don't think I'll be able to process this through my agency for you. I can point you toward an independent contractor, though. She's a budding friend of mine."
She offers, handing the notebook back to Izuku. The boy nods,
"That would be great!"
Hina nods. She grabs a pen and notepad from a drawer of the coffee table and writes down a phone number, name, and address. She rips the piece of paper out of the pad and folds it in half before handing it off to the boy.
"Just be a bit patient with her replies. Her company is massive."
Izuku nods, tucking the piece of paper between the pages of his diagram before sliding the notebook back into his backpack. He stands from his spot on the chair and swings his backpack onto his shoulder.
"Thanks, Aunt Hina."
She nods, standing to accompany him to the door.
"Of course, Izuku. I'm glad I could help."
He changes back into his shoes and opens the door for himself.
"I'll see you later, Aunt Hina!"
He calls as he slips out the door. Once he's back out on the sidewalk he pulls his phone out of his pocket and opens Pony's contact.
Pony ♥️
Hey, wanna meet up with me so we can visit a random support engineer? :You
Pony: Sure. How'd u find 'em?
You're mom recommended her for a project. :You
Pony: Sure. Where we meeting?
Here's the address *#####* :You
Pony: kk.
Izuku clicks out of his contacts and slides his phone back into his pocket. He follows the crowd down to the train station and listens to the conversations happening around him to entertain himself while he waits for his train.
No one talks about anything incredibly interesting, but he does learn that a girl named Hana is having a birthday party nearby and that her grandmother bought her a bike.
When his train arrives Izuku files on with everyone else. He grabs onto one of the ceiling handles by the doors and watches through the window as the train pulls out of the station and the building begins to blur.
--------
When the train pulls into his stop Izuku follows a few others out of the train doors and onto the platform. He joins the stream of people leaving for the street and pulls out his phone once he reaches daylight. He plugs the address Hina had given him into his GPS and lets his arm fall to his side, occasionally bringing it back up so he can look at it and make sure he's going the right way. About halfway to the address he spots Pony across the street. He waves at her to catch her attention. She notices him quickly, waving back and stopping at the next crosswalk so he can catch up to her. Izuku waits impatiently for the crossing signal to change and, when it does, he jogs across the street to her.
"Hey, 'Zuku!"
She calls.
"Hey, Pony!"
He says as he takes up his spot next to her.
"So, what's the project you need this engineer's help with?"
She asks, looking at him as she cracks her knuckles.
"I want to make a weighted suit to have a more passive type of training but I need it to be too heavy to legally make it myself."
Pony huff as she rolls her eyes,
"I just want you to know that you can lift more than is fair."
Izuku chuckles,
"I know, you've told me before."
Pony huffs, crossing her arms.
"Good. You deserve to know."
Izuku shakes his head as he tries to bury his laughter. They don't talk much the rest of the walk, simply leaning into each other.
--------
When they reach the address Hina had given Izuku his phone buzzes in his pocket. He pulls it out and closes his GPS tab before sliding it back into his pocket.
"That house is fucking massive."
Pony says. Izuku nods.
The house is huge, though there aren't as many windows as one might expect. Izuku pulls out his notebook and opens the piece of paper, double-checking that they have the right address.
"This is it."
Izuku says. He starts walking up to the porch and Pony has to jog a bit to catch up to him.
"So you're just gonna knock on the door of some random rich engineer you've never so much as exchanged names with before?"
Pony asks, stopping beside him on the porch. Izuku nods as he raises his hand to knock. The sound rings out around them as Pony sighs, crossing her arms. A moment later the door opens, revealing a girl with bubblegum pink hair, large goggles on her head, and soot coating her face and clothes.
"Hi, strangers!"
She says, sticking out her hand. Izuku smiles as he takes it in his. She shakes his hand vigorously.
"I'm Hatusme Mei."
She says, finally letting go of Izuku.
"What can I do for you?"
She asks. Izuku unzips his backpack and pulls out his notebook.
"I was hoping you're mom could help me with this."
He says, holding out the diagram for his suit. She takes the book from his hand and her pupils dilate and constrict, occasionally her iris even appears as if it's spinning. Finally, her head snaps up and her eyes return to normal.
"This is so cool! Oh, please let me be the one to make it! I'm licensed."
She reassures. Pony tilts her head,
"How? You look like you're our age."
Hatsume nods,
"That's 'cause I am. But being the daughter of a well-revered support engineer has its perks."
She says. Suddenly, a woman who looks a lot like Hatusme, minus the eyes, appears behind the girl.
"Mei, dear, are you scaring the guests?"
Mei twists her head to look at her mother,
"Nope! I think they came to talk to you about making this,"
She holds up the diagram to show the woman,
"But I wanna make it. Please!"
The woman hums, studying the notes for a moment before looking down at her daughter.
"Alright. So long as it's okay with them."
Mei turns to them, hope brimming in her eyes. Izuku smiles, nodding,
"Yeah, of course!"
Mei squeals and grabs his wrist, dragging him out of the house.
"We're going to my lab!"
Mei calls over her shoulder.
"Okay, dear. Don't forget to ask for their names!"
Her mother calls back. Mei stops suddenly, spinning to face the other two.
"Oh, right! What are your names."
"I'm Midoriya Izuku."
Izuku introduces. Mei hums and turns her attention to Pony.
"I'm Tsunotori Pony."
The girl says. Mei nods, turning back around as she leads them around the side of the house.
"You already know my name."
She says as she unlatches a side gate and leads them into what is supposedly the backyard. The grass is pristine, and there are even a few flower beds lining the fencing far away from the large shed on their side of the yard. The grass around the shed is a little longer than it is everywhere else.
"This is my lab!"
Mei says, gesturing to the building.
"Don't worry, it's bigger on the inside. It has a basement!"
She explains as she throws open the doors. The inside of the shed has both Izuku and Pony gawking, though the boy is just a little better at hiding it.
The walls are lined with counters. Most of them are covered in different parts and tools, except for the one at the back. A large blueprint hangs above the space and there are cups of pencils lining the space below it.
"So!"
Mei says, bringing their attention back to her as she holds out the diagram.
"Anything that's not here you want?"
She asks, leading them to the back table. She grabs a blank piece of paper from the file in the corner of the table and lays it out in front of her.
"Actually, do you think you could make it so the weight can be adjusted?"
Izuku asks. Mei nods enthusiastically.
"Yeah! Do you want it to be obvious that it's a weighted suit?'
Izuku shakes his head. Pony watches as the two go back and forth. They become more animated as they talk and, eventually, they're bouncing ideas off each other for inventions other than the weighted suit. Pony finds a chair in the corner of the room and pulls it out, settling down. She smiles as she watches Izuku become more animated, happy he finally has someone on his level to talk to about his analysis. She had tried in the past, but she was mediocre at best.
Eventually, Pony pulls out her phone to check the time.
"Izuku! We have to go if we're going to get home on time."
Izuku looks up from the blueprint he's pouring over with Mei,
"Really? I didn't think we were here that long."
Someone knocks on the door to the lab, startling all of them.
"Mei, sweety! I'm heading out for a meeting."
"Okay, mom!"
Mei calls back. She looks down at the blueprint she had been working on with Izuku before looking back over at them.
"I have everything I need to build it. Are you sure this is all you want?"
Izuku nods, pulling his wallet out of his bag.
"How much?"
Mei tilts her head,
"You want to pay me?"
Izuku nods,
"Of course. Since it weighs so much how's ninety-nine-thousand-eight-hundred?"
Mei blinks at him and Pony rolls her eyes.
"Why do you just have that much cash in your wallet?"
Izuku shrugs,
"I've been saving and I keep forgetting to deposit it in my account."
Izuku hands the money to Mei, who takes it tentatively.
"This is my first real commission…"
She mutters under her breath. Suddenly, she looks up with stars in her eyes,
"This will be the best thing you will ever own."
Izuku smiles,
"I don't doubt it!"
Pony steps forward and gently takes him by the arm, leading him out so they meet their curfew.
--------
A few days later Izuku and Pony return a few days later when Izuku gets a text from Mei saying the suit is done. Mei meets them at the gate to the backyard and there's a clear bounce in her step as she leads them back to her lab. She throws the doors open with a flourish, revealing the shirt sitting on a mannequin in the middle of the room. She bounds over,
"Ta-da!"
She says, throwing her arms out toward it. It looked like a relatively normal shirt, though if you really got up close to inspect it did look just a tad bulky.
"I can't lift it myself."
Mei admits and she grabs a pamphlet from one of the nearby tables.
"But the weight can be adjusted! You just have to do it manually. She presses a button on a nearby remote and the mannequin spins to show them the back of Mei's creation. She leads them closer, running her hand along a barely there seam.
"This right here is something I designed myself a few years ago! It's a zipper that you can undo with a regular magnet."
She produces one from her pocket, running it along the seam. It undoes slowly, revealing labelled weights inside the fabric.
"You can add or remove weight from here, depending on your needs."
She grabs one of the weights from the wall, lifting it easily. The other weights slide around to fill the gap before settling.
"You can only use the weights I produce, though. Otherwise, it'll look all lumpy and they won't adjust themselves as you add and remove."
She holds the weight she took back up and, after a moment, the others slide away, leaving a perfectly sized gap for the new one.
"You can also only fit a hundred weights at a time, though you can mix and match their weights."
She runs the magnet along the seam again, this time starting from the bottom. It threads together again, practically disappearing into the fabric of the suit. Izuku beams,
"This is amazing! I'm sure there's a market for them, too. You could patent it if you really wanted."
Mei shrugs,
"You help me with it! Your name would have to be on it, too."
She says. Izuku shakes his head,
"I helped with the notes a bit, sure, but you're the one who actually built it."
Mei raises a brow, jogging over to the blueprint table and holding up a replica of what was in Izuku's notebook, though it had a few extra details and notes.
"You're the one who designed it."
Izuku looks over at her, a serious expression taking over his face.
"I don't think I'd be much help, I don't know the first thing about this type of stuff. Plus, I don't really want my name on it anyway. If this is a legal thing I'm more than willing to sign my portion over to you."
Mei huffs, setting the blueprint back down on the desk.
"Plus,"
Izuku adds,
"Your seal is already on it."
He gestures to a barely-there stamp on the bottom of the shirt, an uppercase 'H' surrounded by wrenches on either side like a wreath. Mei scowls for a moment before sighing,
"Fine. But it will have to wait until I take over my parent's business when I graduate. Then I'll be fully licensed and I'll be able to make the weight adjustment automatic instead of manual. I don't want to go to jail again…"
She mutters the last part under her breath. Izuku just nods, grinning, while Pony stares at the other girl, her eyes slightly wide.
"Fine by me."
Izuku says. Mei huffs, waving her hands in a "get out" motion.
"Now take it and go! I need to know if it needs adjusting."
Izuku laughs, hauling the shirt off the mannequin.
"Alright, alright! We're going."
Pony waves as they leave the lab,
"We'll see you later!"
She calls. Mei waves back, watching as Pony holds the gate open for Izuku before slipping out herself.
Pony yawns as she leans back on Izuku's back, watching his arms bend and move as he pushes up and eases himself back down.
"Stop shifting your weight!"
He scolds, trying half-heartedly to look up at her before moving his gaze back down to the sand. He raises one of his arms, draping it across Pony's lap as he shifts, taking a moment to make sure he has his balance before going back to the steady easing up and down. Pony huffs, taking his hand in hers and fiddling with his fingers. Small specks of green glisten on his skin, though they're too small to be considered scales. More like the buds the scales might grow from. She can only see them if she lets the light hit them just so and looks close, but she sees a few all the same. She hums, running her fingers around the dots.
"I'm switching arms now."
Izuku warns. Pony hums, letting go of his hand and accepting the other as he once again shifts his weight. She dusts the sand off his hand and begins bending and straightening the fingers. Suddenly, his weight shifts slightly and Pony looks down to see that he had raised onto his fingertips. She huffs,
"Seriously?"
Izuku chuckles,
"I'm training. Shush."
Pony rolls her eyes, but concedes. Though she moves so that her weight isn't spread across his back quite as evenly as before in retaliation. Izuku groans but doesn't complain further, merely accepting it. He switches to his other hand a couple minutes later, before finally lowering onto both arms once again.
"Think you can get up for a bit?"
He asks, once again trying to look up at her.
"I wanna try this thing I saw online."
Pony hums, draping herself across his back and leaning the back of her hand against her forehead like the characters she had occasionally seen in period dramas.
"I don't think I can! Your sheer strength intimidates me to the point of paralysis."
Izuku huffs a laugh, twisting slightly so he can see her better.
"Seriously?"
Pony laughs, shaking her head as she pushes herself off Izuku's back.
"This thing better be cool as shit."
She says, settling into a criss-cross position a couple feet away. Izuku sends her a playful glare as he once again pushes himself up. He starts off in a normal push-up position first, but then his legs are moving off the ground, his body is swooping up, and he's straightening out into a handstand. He looks around his arm at Pony, who's looking at him with wide eyes.
"That cool enough for you?"
He asks, a teasing lilt to his voice. Pony huffs, resting her chin on her palm, her elbow propped up on her leg.
"Do it again."
Izuku laughs but lowers himself back to the ground. His toes barely brushed the sand, however, before he was pushing back up into a handstand. He repeated the movement a few times before Pony finally gets up, deciding that he likely won't be stopping anytime soon and that her time would be better spent practicing her quirk. She stretches a bit before detaching three sets of horns from her head. She moves all of the horns in a different way, practicing her multi-tasking while Izuku continues his new pushups beside her. Occasionally he'll shout over tips or opinions, but they mostly stay silent, content to merely be in each other's company.
--------
The sun is beginning to lower on the horizon when the two finally gather on the sand, sitting side-by-side and leaning into each other. Izuku is shirtless, the weight suit and the t-shirt he had been wearing underneath both lying on the sand next to them. Their hands are entwined between them. Izuku lifts his free hand, spreading scales down from his elbow to the tips of his fingers. The slowly fading light catches on the shining green, causing them to glisten. The scales are all a smooth oval shape, tightly knit in an impenetrable armour. After a moment of allowing the scales to shine, he extends his nails, watching as they blacken and sharpen, curving at the tips as they lengthen into needle-sharp claws. The scales shrink back into his skin as the claws extend. Izuku huffs.
The dragon had told him weeks ago that he had been ready to learn how to use his hybrid form. The dragon had said that he hadn't been in the right circumstances yet, that there was some kind of activation requirement, but he was getting kind of tired of training the same skills over and over again. Especially since it was just drills at this point and it had become easier and easier to win against Pony, though there were still those times that she won they were becoming rarer.
Pony watches as he switches between his claws and scales for a bit before reaching behind them to dig around in Izuku's bag. After a moment, she pulls out his notebook on the Devil Fruit powers and flicks open to a random page as she starts to read. Izuku glances over at her for a moment before turning his attention back to his arm.
"It's too bad Mei couldn't figure out how to fix that water weakness."
Pony says. Izuku hums,
"I think that it's a genetic thing. I have ideas written out on page one-hundred-fifty."
Pony hums, flipping through the book until she finds the aforementioned page.
" Since Mei couldn't find any way to combat it, this leads me to believe the weakness is due to a mutation. Specifically a mutation to my mechanoreceptors. It's likely that they no longer detect pressure properly while I'm submerged in water. Since I become unable to breathe and it feels as if my lungs are constricting when I'm submerged I think that they detect more pressure than they should, leading to the symptoms above. However, it's only this severe when I'm fully submerged. When standing in still water simply up to my knees nothing happens, up to my waist causes minor difficulty breathing, and up to my neck or above constricts my lungs to the point that I can't breathe at all. This leads me to believe that the mutation only really takes effect when I'm submerged."
Pony continues to read through his ideas for different attacks and training, leading to her being caught completely by surprise when Izuku jumps onto her, claws out but dull. She shrieks, tossing the book at his face. It bounces off, landing in the sand nearby as he huffs. Pony grapples with him and they roll around in the sand, laughing and shrieking as they trade places over and over. Eventually, Pony becomes too tired to continue, patting the ground two times to let Izuku know she surrenders. He rolls off her, lying down on the sand next to her as she pants, trying to catch her breath.
--------
Over the next ten months, Izuku and Pony spend most of their time together training, studying, and visiting Mei. The girl helps them design their hero costumes, and Izuku help her with a few of her designs so they don't blow up as often. Mei occasionally joins in on their training, participating in their sparring matches and, perhaps inadvertently, helping them with their strength training when she gets them to help her carry parts and materials.
Sometimes she'll go over notes she has on her computer with them, which include ideas for support items they could use, notes on their quirks, and, occasionally, ideas for other heroes. What she doesn't show them, however, are some of the notes she keeps separate from Izuku's file. She knows that his being described as a monster would upset him, and she doesn't want to lose one of the few friends she's managed to make. She just can't think of a better word.
Due to his body's durability, he'd be able to survive any severe weather conditions. She's certain that if he were to be swept up into a tornado he would survive without so much as a scratch. In fact, the only weakness she's been able to discover him to have is his inability to survive in stagnant water.
--------
Izuku walks alongside Pony on their way to UA. They smile as they walk, both dressed in their middle school uniforms. The closer they get the more kids their age they see heading in the same direction. When they finally reach the entrance to the school.
When they reach the gates Izuku stops, staring up at the shining glass building. The sun reflects off the glass, providing little chance to see inside the school. Pony leans into him for a moment and they're just about to step through the gates when Bakugou appears in front of them, glower on his face.
"Why the fuck are you two even here? How many times do I have to tell you, Deku, that I'm going to be the only one from our school to make it into UA."
Izuku rolls his eyes, causing Pony to snicker as they finally step through the gates and onto the school grounds. Bakugou doesn't take to being ignored, however, and storms closer.
"It's not like they'd let your little girlfriend in, anyway. Freaks like her don't get into UA."
Pony stops suddenly, causing Izuku to stumble a bit. She turns to Bakugou, glaring. A shimmer alights in his eyes at finally getting a reaction.
"You think they'd let you in over either of us? You've been bullying Izuku and ten months ago you told him to kill himself. But you're going to get in anyway because the only thing you have going for you is your flashy ass quirk, which is all this school really looks for, isn't it? But you don't deserve to be here. You don't deserve to be a UA student, let alone a hero."
Her words are full of vitriol and hate. She spits at Bakugou's feet, causing him to stumble back before she storms away, dragging Izuku along with her. He doesn't look back as he's dragged away, a small smile blooming on his face as pride blooms in his chest.
--------
Pony drags Izuku into the main auditorium, where they're separated into smaller groups. Once Izuku's group is full they're led to one of the classrooms and instructed to pick desks at least one over from each other. Once everyone is seated Cementoss, the teacher overseeing their room, hands out the test pamphlets, pencils, and erasers.
"You may begin."
He says as soon as everyone has their exam. Immediately, the sound of scraping pencils and flipping papers fill the room.
Izuku finishes the test quickly and is the first to hand it in. When he walks up to Cementoss the man takes his test and points him back in the direction of the auditorium after handing him a sheet of paper with a letter in the top left corner and silhouetted robots beneath.
Izuku steps into the empty auditorium, double-checking the sign outside to make sure he's in the right place, before taking a seat near the front to wait out the remaining hour of the written portion of the exams.
--------
Izuku waves when he sees Pony enter the room. She smiles when she sees him and plops down in the seat beside him. The auditorium fills quickly from there and, eventually, all of the seats are taken. Low muttering fills the room as they wait for someone to enter to explain the physical portion of the exams. As if summoned, Present Mic bursts into the room from one of the side doors.
"Can I get a yeah!?"
He calls, eyes roving over the applicants. No one calls back, though a few whisper to their neighbour. Present Mic seems unfazed, however, likely used to the lack of enthusiasm, and carries on.
As Present Mic explains the robots and point system to them, Izuku has to force himself not to roll his eyes as he tries to relate to them through outdated references. He listens to the man's entire presentation, though, not allowing himself to zone out as he takes in all of the important information, comparing it to the sheet Cementoss had given him.
Present Mic is just about to finish his speech, something Izuku can see based on the way he's breathing, when a boy with blue hair and engines in his legs stands from his seat, waving his sheet in the air.
"Excuse me, sir, but there is still a robot left on the sheet. If this is a printing mistake it is incredibly unprofessional of UA to give all of their applicants' incorrect information."
Izuku watches as Present Mic's smile stiffens, though marginally.
"I was just about to get there! That is the zero-pointer. As the name suggests, it isn't worth any points. It's just there to be an obstacle. Best if you just run away from it. Now then, head out to the bus with the same letter as the letter at the top of your sheet. That's the arena you're in."
Pony immediately leans over Izuku's shoulder, taking his sheet from the desk in front of him. She holds it up next to hers before smiling and handing it back.
"We're both arena C!"
Izuku smiles, huffing a laugh as he follows her out to the line of buses. They find bus C quickly, clambering on with the others. The bus fills with a tense silence of nerves and anxiety. Izuku and Pony lean into each other, having managed to snag seats next to each other.
The bus ride feels both long and short, and as it pulls in front of the gated entrance of a fake city, Izuku breathes a sigh as he tenses. He had Pony are some of the first off the bus, which also means they're the first to be confronted by the robots. Two of them come forward, each carrying a pile of UA gym uniforms. Izuku and Pony are handed one each and pointed towards the changing rooms, a small building off to the side.
The changing rooms quickly fill as the others in their arena flood off the bus. Izuku and Pony are, of course, the first to emerge and they nab spots close to the gate at the front of the crowd. Pony starts stretching and Izuku copies her. The area around them becomes crowded and hard to stretch in, but they make do. Eventually, Present Mic steps out onto one of the two towers on the corner of the walls.
The gates start to slide open just as he starts to speak and Pony and Izuku take off, sliding through the gap. Two robots wait for them on the other side. Izuku punches through the middle of the three-pointer in front of him, ripping out a bundle of cords and letting it fall to the cement in front of him before taking off. Pony stabs her two-pointer through the eye with a horn before leaving it, taking off in the opposite direction from Izuku.
Laughter rings out from the top of the tower as the other applicants simply watch, stunned.
"Well, what are you waiting for?!"
Present Mic calls,
"There aren't any countdowns in real life!"
The others finally enter the arena, though some are still hesitant. Present Mic watches them for a moment before slipping back inside the observation room. His smile blooms when he sees the minor panic inside.
"The cameras didn't even catch his movements!"
Midnight calls, throwing her arms out to draw Present Mic's attention to one of the monitors, where Izuku was shown standing over the remains of another robot. Present Mic raises a brow,
"Really?"
Nedzu nods, sparing him a glance from his seat. All Might, who's in his small form in the back corner of the room, squints at the green-haired boy before pointing something out.
"Are those weights?"
He asks, gesturing to the boy's wrists. Nedzu nods,
"They are! He submitted a special request form in order to have them approved for the exam. I believe he has them on his ankles, as well."
Aizawa scowls,
"So he's purposefully making this more difficult for himself."
Nedzu nods,
"But you must admit if he does this well with them, is he really inconveniencing himself? Or is he attempting to make it fairer for everyone else?"
Aizawa hums. His attention is drawn away from the monitors, however, when he sees Nedzu's paw heading for a set of controls he hadn't seen the mammal use.
"What are you doing?"
He asks a touch of nervousness in his tone. A sharp grin spreads across Nedzu's face,
"Testing him."
Aizawa's eyes widen slightly before snapping back to the monitors as one of the robots near Izuku moves in a way they aren't programmed to. It snaps its head to look at the boy despite there being no way he showed up in its censors. Aizawa momentarily looks over to Nedzu's paws, watching as he presses buttons and flips switches on the control panel in front of him.
His attention is once again drawn back to the monitors when the robot begins creeping forward behind the boy's back. He seems oblivious as it creeps forward, raising its stinger as it does so. The boy cocks his head to the side as the robot creeps forward. Just before the stinger stabs down, the boy spins around, grabbing it in one hand, glittering scalds spreading up his wrist and over the tips of his fingers as he rips it off. He jumps, grabbing hold of the bot's head.
The sound of creaking metal and snapping wires fills the air as Izuku lands behind the bot, head coming off in his hand. He drops it to the ground and the sound of it clattering fills the air just before the metal body it was taken from. He makes eye contact with one of the nearby cameras, embedded in one of the street lights. He doesn't hold it long, quickly moving on to find more bots to destroy.
--------
Pony runs down the street, six horns floating around her and ones much smaller than normal growing on her head. A one-pointer runs around the corner, straight toward her. Two of her horns shoot forward, one striking the bot straight through the eye and coming out the other side while the other slices through the wires keeping the head attached to the body.
She's just jumping over the crumpled body of the robot when the ground begins to shake, causing her to lose her balance upon landing and scrape her knees on the cement. She looks up to see a giant looming robot. As it takes a step forward, the ground shakes beneath it and the buildings in its way break apart, sending debris falling to the floor.
Pony watches as one particularly large piece falls onto a girl with a brown bob. She screams though it seems that only Pony hears it as all the other applicants in the area flee from the zero-pointer. She jumps up, taking off toward the girl. She has to fight her way through the crowd but, eventually, she breaks through to the other side. Her hooves clash against the uneven ground and she lands on her knees next to the girl, who looks at her with teary eyes.
Pony grasps the edge of the slab of cement holding the girl down and, just as the robot takes a step forward, she throws it off and the girl screams, one of her hands coming up to stifle her sobs. Pony flinches at the sight of her clearly broken leg though, luckily, no bone is sticking out of the skin. She looks up at the quickly approaching robot and makes a quick decision.
She rips a strip of fabric from her shirt and hovers it in front of her mouth.
"Bite down on this."
The girl looks confused but does as she's asked. Pony takes hold of her leg and waits for the latest tremors from the robot's steps to subside before forcing the bone back into place. The girl's screams are muffled by the strip of cloth in her mouth. Pony hauls her up, her pupils dilating as the robot's foot comes up above them, casting them in shadow. The two hobble out of the way. Pony stumbles when the foot sets down, mere inches away, but she doesn't stop. They go as fast as they can, the girl doing her best to hold as much of her weight as she can handle.
Pony turns when she sees green glittering out of the corner of her eyes. She turns to see Izuku running toward the robot. The scales recede as his claws extend. He jumps up, his claws sliding into the metal, acting like ice picks. Small sparks pop from the holes he creates as he scales the bot. It stutters in its steps a few times before he reaches the top. When he gets to the head he hooks his claws into the back panel and rips it open, causing the metal to fold and screech. He tears apart the wires inside, not caring for the rain of sparks that rain from inside.
The robot finally stutters to a stop and Pony finally stops. She helps the girl slide down the wall of a nearby building before sitting down herself. She watches as Izuku jumps down from the robot's head, claws receding and scales glittering up his legs. When he lands, a small crater forms in the cement. He doesn't seem to care, though, simply rising and running over to the girls. Pony doesn't quite notice him at first, to focussed on the robot's foot, which was placed directly where she and the girl used to be.
"Are you okay?"
Izuku asks, worry written all over his face. Pony huffs,
"I'm fine. Are you okay?"
She turns, directing the question at the girl beside her. She already knows that Izuku is fine. The girl takes a deep breath before nodding,
"My leg is still broken but other than that…"
Pony nods, giving her a reassuring smile. The buzzer finally sounds, ending the exam, and Present Mic's voice comes on over the speakers.
"That concludes today's exams! If you are injured, please stay where you are and Recovery Girl will come to you. If not, please make your way to the gates."
He repeats the message a few times before finally cutting out. Izuku settles onto the ground next to them, unwilling to leave until he was sure they were both okay.
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Recovery takes a while to show. She kisses the brown-haired girl first, handing her a small plastic bag of gummy bears before moving on. She gives Pony a quick kiss, not listening to her platitudes, but she completely skips over Izuku.
"I know you're fine. You created a crater."
She says, sparing the hole a glance. Izuku chuckles, nodding. He helps the other girl up and walks beside Pony as they make their way to the gate.
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Tired from the tests, Pony and Izuku take the train home to the boy's apartment, not wanting to make the long walk to Pony's house. They greet Inko, both giving her a quick hug before settling onto the couch. Izuku turns on the TV and they pick a movie to watch off Netflix.
Pony leans into him, brushing her tail against his leg and pressing a gentle kiss to his lips. He smiles, hugging her closer to his side as he returns the gesture.