Chapter Text
“It makes sense if you think about it.” Momo ignored the shocked looks her statement had caused while at the same time activating Creation, producing a wooden spoon at her wrist which fell neatly into her hand. “Zero Gravity to Gravity Control is a logical shift due to an awakening but when you add in everything else?” She shook her head and started to stir the wok in front of her. “It only makes sense that another Quirk would be influencing the change.”
Kyoka stopped chopping vegetables to give Momo a blank look. “How the hell does any of it make sense?”
Kosei, on the other hand, glanced over from his place at the grill and nodded. “I mean, I can kinda see it as well.”
“I can’t.” Mashirao scoffed while moving around the others in the open air kitchen to deliver a series of serving trays. “Like I don’t doubt what Uraraka told us but a Quirk that you can transfer? Let alone one that comes with other Quirks?” He shook his head.
“To be fair they didn’t know it was going to give her additional Quirks.” Kinoko giggled as she waved a hand and created a small fairy ring of edible mushrooms on the table in front of her before she started to pick them and place them on her own cutting board. “Just super strength.”
“And the allowance for the voices of those that have passed on to speak within her mind.” Ibara reverently whispered, dropping the tongs she was using to make a salad to clasp her hands. “A confirmation of not just the soul but also the afterlife. Truly the Lord has blessed her and by proxy us.”
Unseen by Ibara, her declaration/observation caused the others in the kitchen to stop what they were doing and stare at her. The religiously devout woman completely missed the awkward silence that had enveloped the space until, eventually, Kyoka coughed, bringing the other’s attention to her.
“Well ignoring the, um, religious implications.” She pointed one of her jacks toward Momo. “You still need to explain how it makes sense.”
“Multiple Quirks make more sense than a generic explanation of ‘Space’ as a Quirk.” Momo raised an eyebrow at her girlfriend. “Or can you explain how a dragon made of blood is space-like?”
Kyoka held up a finger and opened her mouth to respond only to stop before a single sound could even come out. Slowly she lowered her finger and closed her mouth as a frustrated sigh escaped her. “I can’t.”
“So then it is only logical that another Quirk would be the cause.” Momo gave Kyoka a sympathetic smile. “If it makes you feel any better, dear, I didn’t even consider the possibility until we were told that is what it was.”
“I’m still trying to wrap my head around two Quirks that have been around since the Dawn of Quirks.” Kosei muttered just loud enough for the other to hear him over the sizzling of the grill. “And that one of them was held by the same man for centuries.”
Kinoko nodded along as Kosei spoke. “For me it’s the fact that there was a monster running everything from the shadows for just as long.” Her body visibly shivered. “I’m just so shrooming glad that he’s gone.”
“That they, and thus we, have confirmation of his passing is a blessing to be sure.” Ibara gracefully glided across the kitchen and placed her finished dish on a counter. “It shall be interesting to see what our Lord wishes for One for All now that its opposite has left this earth.”
Ibara’s words brought the others up short. Kosei and Mashirao blankly stared at Ibara as they processed her words while Kinoko nervously shifted in place and chewed her lower lip. Meanwhile Kyoka and Momo shared a quick worried look.
“Well we know that All for One died after Uraraka got One for All so it’s possible that it will just fade after her passing.” Momo shakily tried to explain away the nervous feeling that had settled in her gut. “When one vanishes it makes sense that the other will as well. But only after the current holder passes on.” Her smile slowly hardened into something more substantial. “Which for Uraraka won’t be for many years.”
“Y-yeah it’s probably something like a ‘remnant of times long past’ or something.” Mashirao’s tail nervously swished from side to side. “I’m sure it will just… end.” He winced a little.
“I’m sure all of you are correct.” Ibara’s normally serene countenance faltered slightly as a look of worry flashed across her eyes. “It’s surely just a gift left behind by the Lord.”
“Or there’s something else coming.” Kyoka muttered under her breath so quiet that nobody heard her.
++++++++++++++++++++
“Good job everyone.” Yawara clapped his hands together as his body contorted itself back into a regular form, dropping both Tetsutetsu and Rikido in the process. The two men let out a pair of soft grunts as they hit the ground before standing and shuffling back toward their classmates.
Yawara gave the young men a reassuring smile. “Real Steel you did great but rely too much on your Quirk to keep you safe.” He placed a hand on his own chest. “An unbreakable defense means nothing if you can be pinned down and removed from the fight.” He turned toward Rikido. “Sugarman, you have the opposite problem. Sugar Rush gives you incredible strength but if you’re against an opponent who can take the punishment then you’re left open the moment your Quirk stops. Tomorrow you’ll work with Pixie-Bob on improving how your body handles the intake of sugar and how it affects your brain function”
Both Tetsutetsu and Rikido nod. “Yes sensei.”
“We’ll end the group sessions there.” Yawara panned a look across the students assembled in front of him before his eyes darted toward the giant clock Shino had set up in the field. “We still have a half hour until we end for the day so I want to see some one-on-one fights. Would anyone like to go first?”
“I would sensei!” Ochako raised a hand and called out the moment Yawara had finished speaking.
“Alright, first we have Uravity.” Yawara motioned toward his right side prompting Ochako to take her place there, facing her classmates. “And who wants to be her opponent?” A few seconds quickly turned into a minute as the nine other students awkwardly shifted in place. None of them seemingly eager to go against Ochako.
And here’s where dividing up her friends from her training group bites us in the ass. Yawara mused to himself as the silence continued. He let it last a few more seconds before finally letting out an audible sigh.
Ochako’s nervous cough in response caused him to turn toward her. “Sensei I can-”
Yawara raised a hand to cut her off, lowering his voice so only Ochako could hear him. “No. You still need to spar and I have an idea on how to solve this.” His body twisted unnaturally around so he could face where Shino, with Izuku acting as her assistant, was helping another batch of students. “MANDALAY!” He waited until his team leader had acknowledged him before continuing in a slightly lower volume. “Can you send Analyst over for a moment?”
He, alongside a curious Ochako and a confused looking group watched Shino relay the order to Izuku and then the young man in question lightly jog his way over to them. Approaching, he flashed Ochako a quick grin before coming to a stop and looking up toward Yawara, smile still firmly in place. “Yes Tiger-sensei?”
Yawara returned Izuku’s smile with one of his own. “Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?”
A brief flicker of confusion darted across Izuku’s face. “Of course.”
“Am I right in guessing that you and Uravity train together outside of class?” Yawara paused as Izuku nodded. “If you don’t mind sharing. What’s the current record?”
Immediately Izuku opened his mouth to respond only to stop and look toward Ochako, a small grin playing at the edge of his lips. “With or without One for All?” Ochako let out a frustrated huff at the comment which only prompted Izuku’s grin to grow and a chuckle to escape him.
“With.” Yawara answered while fighting back a chuckle of his own.
“With?” Izuku’s brow scrunched up for a millisecond. “Uravity is currently at thirty-seven to my thirty-five if we’re using our standard rules.” He ignored Ochako’s proud little laugh at the score in favor of focusing on the pro hero.
“And what are your ‘standard’ rules?”
“All Quirks, all gear but One for All can’t be used above ten percent at any point during the fight.” Izuku easily answered. “He motioned a gauntleted hand toward his battle boots. “Though I’m the one that is usually using gear.”
“I see.” Yawara turned to face the nine other students that made up his group. “And under those rules, who here do you think could beat Uravity?”
Izuku’s answer came even before Yawara had finished speaking. “All of them.” The light of recognition appeared in his eye to what Yawara was doing as he saw the shocked looks on his classmate’s faces. Got you sensei. “Red Riot and Real Steel can take anything that Uravity deals out which buys them time to find an opening of their own in order to win the fight. Jack Mantis might have some issues at the start getting a hit in but Uravity’s only defensive Quirk is Blood Dragon and that has a time limit on its usage. He just needs to wait it out before getting a good hit in and potentially ending the fight. The same could be said for Tailman, Spiral and Sugarman though their methods of avoiding Uravity’s attacks would be different from one another.” Izuku turned to look toward Juzo. “Mudman, on the other hand, would just need to bait Uravity into a trap of sorts by weakening the ground with Soften would hinder her movements while at the same time buying him chances to take her out.” Finally he waved toward Kojiro. “Bondo would be similar to Mudman but instead of weakening the ground he would need to wear her out with layers of Cemedine before subduing her with a large enough burst when she’s out of energy.”
Izuku paused to take a breath. “In fact since everyone is going to be a front line hero I’d argue that they should be able to fight her at roughly fifteen to twenty percent instead of ten. They don’t have the limit of being Quirkless after all.” He finished with a small shrug.
“I-” Yawara started to speak only to be cut off as Ochako took an aggressive stomp forward.
“None of that crap, Izu, you’ve been holding your own against fifteen percent for the last two weeks!” Ochakos’ natural blush darkened the moment the words left her mouth as her brain processed that she had just admitted to cheating.
Izuku blinked a few times before pointing an accusatory finger toward Ochako. “Y-You’ve been cheating!?! No wonder you have a win streak going!”
Now it was Yawara’s turn to cut someone off as he took a step forward, placing himself between a bashful looking Ochako and a mildly annoyed Izuku. “The two of you can talk it out during your free time. We still have training that needs to get done.” He gave the pair a pointed look.
Izuku and Ochako shared a quick glance before the pair nodded. “Yes sensei.”
“Good.” Yawara motioned back toward Shino. “Rejoin your group Analyst.”
“Yes sensei.” Izuku repeated once more before turning to leave, but not before he maturely stopped to stick his tongue out at Ochako.
Fighting back a sigh, or a squeal, at the couple’s display, Yawara turned his attention back toward his own charges. “Alright. Let’s try this again.” He motioned toward the open space next to him. “Who wants to fight Uravity?”
“ME!” Came the reply form nine different throats.
++++++++++++++++++++
“Day three kiddos. You’re almost halfway there.” Tomoko beamed out toward the assembled students in front of her. “Assignments for the day are on the board. Please join your groups and sensei at the designated area also listed. We start in five minutes.” She took a step to the side just as the crowd surged forward to skim the board for their names. Scanning the students for a moment she quickly spotted the head of curly green hair she was looking for. “Midoriya! Can I talk to you please?” She watched as Izuku said something to his friends before he jogged over and came to a stop in front of her.
“Yes Ragdoll-sensei?”
Tomoko cast an appraising eye over the younger man before giving him a bright smile. “How do you feel about tackling a group on your own today?”
Izuku stared back for a moment, not saying anything, until he slowly nodded his head. “I don’t have a problem with it. I mean… Nezu has me run sessions in the analytics gym on campus so this shouldn’t be too different.” He cocked his head slightly to the side. “Can I ask why?”
“Of course.” Tomoko waved a hand toward the other side of the clearing in front of their base where Yawara and Ryuko were patiently waiting. “Tiger and Pixie-Bob are going to be working together with the frontline heroes today instead of having them separate like we have been doing.” She turned back toward Izuku. “Mandalay wanted to handle the long range heroes so that leaves me with the more support oriented. But we were thinking that a few students could use a bit more of a specialized lesson.” She gave him a reassuring smile. “If you’re comfortable with it we, as in your teachers as well as the rest of the Pussycats, want you to work with the Tsutsumis and the Tokoyamis today.”
Izuku took a moment to mull over the request before asking. “What did you have in mind?”
“Well we were hoping that between the five of you you could find some way to extend the range that Akina and Kaishin can be apart or, failing that, something to assist Fumikage and Dark Shadow communicate better when it is darker out.” Tomoko shrugged. “Both of them said that those are their top concerns when it comes to being a hero and something that needs to be improved.”
“And you want me to act as a mediator or sounding board between them?” Izuku raised a hand to his mouth and started to mutter. “I mean the Tustsumis are in 1-B and the Tokoyamis are in 1-A and we haven’t had any cross class lessons since the Tustsumis joined so there hasn’t been any chance for them to train together. I know they’ve talked outside of class a few times but I think that it was more about having a sentient Quirk or a partner not really about adapting things for heroics. So getting them together could, actually, help point a way toward increasing Kaishin’s limit or Dark Shadow’s control.” He nodded to himself a few times before turning back to look at a wildly grinning Tomoko and, next to her, the shocked faces of the very people he had just been muttering about.
“Oh.” A blush quickly consumed Izuku’s face. “Uh, how long have you-”
“A while.” Dark Shadow cheerfully answered with a cackle.
“I take it you have a plan then, cousin?” Akina teased with a smirk while Kaishin chuffed lightly at her side.
“A bit of one.” Izuku admitted before turning toward Tomoko. “I think we can take it from here.”
Tomoko threw her head back and laughed. “Have fun!” She gave them a wave before making her way over toward where the students she was teaching were waiting.
The five of them watched her go before Izuku turned toward the two sets of siblings and clapped his hands together. “Ready to get started?”
“Of course!” Dark Shadow crowed as his form shifted around Fumikage in order to hover just next to Kaishin. “You know I’ve been meaning to ask you. How do you keep your instincts at bay?”
Kaishin stared back at his fellow sentient Quirk for a moment then shook his head. “I practice feeling what the little one is feeling instead of what I am.” A small smile curled the corner of his feline mouth. “Like how I know that you’re not actually a bird for me to catch but a Quirk.”
“A BIRD!?!” Dark Shadow squawked, in the process not helping his case. “I am a being of shadow and fury! Not a bird!”
“And yet you are bird shaped.” Kaishin rumbled in an approximation of a chuckle. “But I can help you focus on your brother’s emotions if you help me in turn.”
Dark Shadow, still slightly put out, clacked his beak a few times but eventually settled. “With the distance issue?” A large shadowy wing motioned toward the gap between Akina and Kaishin.
Kaishin nodded. “Narutally.”
“Well I just pay attention to our link.” Dark Shadow pointed toward the thin line of darkness that attached himself to Fumikage’s back. “It took a bit of practice but I was able to find a way to stretch it out so I could go as far as I needed.” The Quirk’s head tilted to the side in a bird-like fashion. “But you and your sister don’t share a link like we do.” His glowing eyes narrowed. “At least not a visible one. What sort of limits are you running into?”
“We have a hard limit and a soft limit.” Kaishin started to move forward while at the same time Dark Shadow did the same. “See we know if we…”
Unseen by either Quirk Fumikage, Akina and Izuku watched them leave. “Do you think they even know we’re here?”
“Doubt it.” Akina snorted and began to follow the pair of Quirks a moment before Kaishin hit their soft limit. “But you know if anyone is going to be an expert in what a sentient Quirk could do.” She shrugged.
“We truly are about to witness a mad banquet of knowledge on this day.” Fumikage intoned as he too started forward.
“I’d prefer a mad tea party.” Izuku muttered under his breath with a chuckle but joined the others all the same.
The trio continued in silence for a few meters until Akina asked a question that had been bugging her. She turned to face Fumikage. “So why was Dark Shadow attempting to get away from you?”
“He wasn’t.” Fumikage’s feathered head somehow managed to blush. “Growing up we’d…” His voice dropped to a whisper that neither of his companions could hear.
“What was that?” Akina prompted as she fought the urge to grin.
Fumikage let out a long suffering sigh. “Growing up we’d sometimes want a snack after we’d been put to bed so Dark Shadow would…” He looked away from Izuku and Akina. “...dart under the door and to the kitchen to get it for us.”
Both Dark Shadow and Kaishin paused at Akina’s sudden squeal and exclamation of “That’s adorable!”
Dark Shadow looked over toward his fellow Quirk. “Should we be concerned?”
Kaishin stared at his sister for a moment before uttering a simple. “No.” And turning to face Dark Shadow once more. “So you have the link and then?”
“Ah and then you simply need to reinforce it with…”
++++++++++++++++++++
What a year. Mirio’s eyes glazed over slightly as he leaned his forehead against the window and watched the forested terrain flash by. The USJ, Tokyo, I-Island, Deika… He closed his eyes and let out a soft sigh. Sir was right, the world is in more danger now than ever. And what are we even doing? He fought back a scoff. All Might revealed to be wounded and yet One for All is still around and if Sir is right that monster’s had a hand in all of this.
And with Sir missing… Subconsciously Mirio’s jaw clenched. It falls to me to continue on. To save everyone I can. To stand up as the next symbol of peace. Unbidden, the last conversation he had with mentor floated through his mind.
“You are Japan's future Togata, the next symbol of peace that All Might has been waiting for.” Mirai moved to stand by the window in his office. “I’ve told you everything you need to know about that heavy mantle save for one thing.” The willowy man turned his head so he could look at Mirio. “There is a great power that will be entrusted to you but before it can we must convince another that she is unworthy of the title.”
Mirio gave Mirai a confused look. “Who?”
“One Uraraka Ochako. A first year at your university. She must be shown that she is not worthy to be All Might’s successor.” Mirai faced the window once more. “Tomorrow I’ll be going to convince her of such but should I fail it will be up to you to do so.”
“I…” Mirio stopped at the look Mirai gave him. “I will ensure that I do so.” His worried look shifted into a fully confident smile. “But I know you won’t fail Sir.”
Mirai gave the younger man a smile of his own. “Of course I won’t.”
“Hey are you alright?”
The sound of Tamaki’s voice snapped Mirio from his memories, prompting him to turn and give his boyfriend a smile. “Just worried about Sir is all.”
Tamaki let out a soft noise of acceptance. “I know you worry but I’m sure he’s going to be fine.”
A doubt flickered in Mirio’s eyes for just a moment. “I know but he’s been missing for this long and I can’t help but…”
“But think that the worst has happened and doom spiral until you are as quiet as me in a crowd of people?” Tamaki lightly teased. “I thought being quiet and brooding was my thing?”
“Only around others.” Mirio teased right back a second before a bus shaking snore rattled the pair. As one, the two of them turned toward the back of the bus where a completely passed out Nejire had taken up the whole back row.
“You know, for someone so petite she sure can snore.” Mirio softly chuckled.
Tamaki solemnly nodded his head. “I feel bad for Yuyu.”
“Don’t. She snores even louder.” Mirio let out a laugh. “One time she woke the whole dorm she was so loud.”
“She didn’t?!” Tamaki’s eyes narrowed as he stared at Mirio.
“Ok it wasn’t the whole dorm.” Mirio’s face twisted into a genuine smile. “Just the girl’s side.”
++++++++++++++++++++
“This is different.” Hitoshi muttered under his breath as he and the others made their way toward the front of camp where Tensei and Sekijio had joined the Wild Wild Pussycats.
“The fact that our sensei are here or that they asked for everyone to join them out here instead of in camp?” Kashiko tiredly replied, a hand lifting her glasses in an attempt to rub the exhaustion out.
“All of it’s weird.” Mezo shifted his stance as they came to a stop, their small pack of friends having found themselves in the middle, everyone having spread out in the small field they found themselves in. An eye and a mouth spawned at the end of two of his tentacles which then turned to face Izuku. “What do you think, Midoriya?”
“It’s obvious they have something planned.” Izuku’s head turned from side to side as he took in the area around them. “And… I think this area is more open than it was when we arrived.”
“It is.” Emily answered. “There were trees along the road until we got to the clearing with the house.”
“So four teachers, a freshly cleared area and an unusual gathering point.” Itsuka summarized. “So we’re going to have to fight something.”
“Or someone.” Himiko corrected, raising a hand to point toward a bus that had just appeared around a bend in the road higher up the mountain. “I’d say whoever it is is a few minutes out.”
“We need to be ready then.” Kaishin’s voice was low enough that it rumbled the ground more than their ear drums. “This smells of a trap and is making my mane stand on end.”
“A trap set by our teachers.” Ochako mused with a smirk. “And a fight on top of it.” She twisted to look over at the much more awake Kashiko who had summoned Chart into her lens. “Any ideas?”
“They’re still out of range but the second they are I’ll let everyone know.” Kashiko smirked.
“Wall hacks are the best hacks, kero.” Tsuyu chuckled before turning serious. “Should we make a plan?”
“Open ground with little to no cover against unknown opponents with unknown parameters for what the fight may entail.” Akina glanced down at her clothes and winced. “And we’re only in our gym uniforms…”
As one the rest of the Izu-Crew mirrored Akina only to collectively wince.
“Shit.” Ochako muttered while Izuku slowly shook his head.
“So a fight that we’re not meant to know is coming without us being properly geared.” He looked up and glared slightly toward the assembled pro heroes who appeared to be ignoring them. “I’m guessing that they’re not involved then.”
“Pro heroes versus students without costumes or gear doesn’t seem like a fair fight.” Emily agreed. “Should we warn the others?”
Himiko shook her head. “Yaomomo knows something is up as does Neito.” She nodded toward each of them in turn as both Momo and Neito talked in hushed tones with those around them. “I think we need to brace ourselves and go from there.”
“That’s assuming we’re going to be working together.” Mezo pointed out. “They could separate us.”
“Or run one-on-ones.” Itsuka agreed, her hands flexing as she slowly got herself ready for a fight. “More than a few ways this can go down.”
“All of which are stacked against us.” Hitoshi groaned. “Even if we’re fighting as both classes together we can assume they planned for it.”
“And that they know what our Quirks are.” Ochako huffed, her cheeks puffing out into the smallest of pouts. “So what now?”
“Now we wait for them to get into range and Sekigai to tell us what we’re up against.” Izuku turned toward the woman in question. “In range?”
“Not yet.” Kashiko answered as Chart consumed both of her lenses instead of just one. “I have a position on the road set as far out as I can manage. The moment they cross we’ll-”
“Recon!”
Nearly every student jumped at Tensei’s shout before half turned to face the teacher and the other half turned toward the woman in question who, in turn, stared blankly toward the front.
“Uh, yes sensei?”
Tensei gave her an unreadable look. “If you could drop Chart for us we would appreciate it.”
“O-of course sensei.” Kashiko stuttered out while doing as instructed and allowing Chart to fade from her glasses.
“Thank you Sekigai.” Tensei gave her an appreciative smile. “Now then can all of you gather round and we’ll explain what we have planned for the day.” He waited for a minute while the separate groups made their way into a single mass in front of him. “Good now today’s training is going to be a bit… different from what we’ve been doing all week.”
“Today, instead of training in small groups, you will all be working together in a special test that Dean Nezu put together for all of you.” Sekijiro picked up the thread. “You will not pass or fail as a group in this scenario. Instead each of you will be assessed as individuals and how you react and work with others to tackle the challenge.”
The members of the Wild Wild Pussycats started to spread out along the edges of the cleared area as Sekijiro spoke, the four heroes maintained blank looks while they took up what were clearly preset positions. At the same time the bus that had been spotted earlier appeared around the bend in front of them and slowly made its way down the road.
Tensei glanced toward the bus as it came to a stop behind the two teachers before turning back toward his students. “I have full faith that all of you will succeed.” He gave them one last smile and took a step to the side just as the doors to the bus opened and three familiar looking people stepped out.
“No way!”
“Why are they here?”
“It’s the Big Three…”
“Powerrrrrrr!” Mirio shouted and struck a pose just in front of the first year students and slightly ahead of a nervous looking Tamaki and an excited Nejire. “Hello first years!” A light gleamed off Mirio’s teeth as he flashed everyone a bright smile. “How’s training camp going?”
“Hard.”
“Rewarding.”
“Fun!”
“Exhausing…”
Mirio chuckled at the various replies he received. “Well I’m sure that-” He didn’t get any further as Nejire, who had until now been struggling to stay in place, suddenly darted forward toward the two members of the crowd she recognized.
“Kohai! Shinso! It’s so good to see you! How have you been? Have you been training? Relaxing? Spending time together?” She darted through the air around the pair. “OHHH everyone’s here!” She darted from place to place as she circled the entire Izu-crew. “Hi! It’s been so long since I saw all of you! Well not that long but long enough and I can’t wait to train with all of you and-” Finally she spotted Akina and Kaishin. “THE FINAL MEMBERS!” Immediately she zipped to float in front of the pair. “Oh I was told so much about the two of you! It’s so nice to finally-”
“Whirl-chan!” Mirio snapped, his uncharacteristically harsh tone startling both of his classmates. He took a deep breath before continuing in his more regular voice. “We need to get started.”
“Oh!” Nejire flashed Itsuka and the others a quick smile. “Don’t worry it will be fun!” She exclaimed a second before flying off to rejoin Tamaki and Mirio.
Ignoring the pair, Tamaki watched the bus they had arrived on slowly pull away. “Our fate is sealed…”
Mirio clapped Tamaki on the shoulder. “Everything will be fine!” Turning on his heel, he continued to smile toward the collective group of first year students. “Now are you ready for your test?”
A few shouts of ‘yeah’ made their way out of the collective noise of agreement.
“Great.” Something in Mirio’s smile turned slightly more cruel as he skimmed the crowd and locked on to Ochako and Izuku. “Your test is simple. All of you against the three of us. The first group to be taken out is the loser.” A cold light appeared in his eyes.
“Go!”