11: One Small Step
Gigantomachia was a well-known entity of destructive power. Not only was he, supposedly, naturally large in stature, but his Quirk allowed him to grow in size to over fifty meters, mutating his body into a nigh unstoppable tank. During his battle with his nemesis, All Might suspected that the monster was a product of his experiments to house multiple compatible Quirks in a single body. Because this person could no longer be called as such. Gigantomachia was a monster, without question.
Seeing Izuku rushing toward the behemoth had nearly given Toshinori a heart attack, especially when he saw him change into the four-armed giant that was his equal in strength as All Might. Thank heaven the boy only intervened to misdirect the monster's attention from the frightened girl that he was obviously about to harm had he not answered his question for him.
Things only escalated from there, however, as the boy's mother, aunt, and current foster sister arrived to find him standing over a very distraught girl. As much as the man thought that the boy deserved just a little misery for scaring him so badly, he stepped in and explained the situation. Shortly afterward the real circus began as the police arrived, as well as a mob of reporters.
Again, Toshinori was thankful that he had some contacts within the police stations to keep the crowd back. Knowing that Gigantomachia was in the area was a huge scoop, and the two children were the prime targets for the media.
"After I answered him, he just seemed to lose interest in us, and went on his way," Izuku explained to one of the officers as he took the boy's statement. Another was standing by the girl taking her own statement over the situation. She had calmed down considerably after the two older women had arrived on the scene.
"You're extremely lucky that he did," Toshinori put in, "Gigantomachia is dangerously unpredictable, and if he'd been in a foul mood, you could have been added to his extensive list of victims!"
Izuku blushed but gave the man a challenging look, "Well I couldn't just stand by and do nothing!" He pointed out as the girl looked over at him, "There's no telling what would've happened, yeah, but if I didn't at least try to answer him, the girl definitely would've gotten hurt!"
"I'm not angry that you saved the girl, kid," Toshinori shook his head, "I'm angry because you just took off without even telling me." Izuku blinked just as the man reached out and hugged the boy, "Your drive to be a Hero is incredible, Izuku, but you have to think about situations like this. You didn't even think to let me in on what you were doing," He pulled back and gave the boy a look, "And if you'd been hurt because I could've acted but didn't, I'd never forgive myself."
Mina saw this and moved away from the officer questioning her, "Um, Sir?" The skeletal man turned to her.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Miss, we didn't mean to ignore - "
"Please, don't be too mad at him," the girl suddenly pleaded, "If I hadn't froze up the way I did, then that guy wouldn't have started getting angry, and your son wouldn't have gotten involved!"
[Son?] Both of them blinked, looking at each other. Toshinori smiled at them both, "It's not something you should feel sorry for, young lady," the man said, "This boy's got the heart of a true Hero, always rushing in before he can think things through." He smiled at the girl as she worried her lip, "And you shouldn't feel bad about freezing up in front of Gigantomachia of all people: even All Might thinks that guy is a monster."
"A-and I'm...well, he's not my dad, but - " Izuku stammered out, his face slightly flustered due to the fact that the girl's attention was mostly on him, and the fact that Toshirnori was chuckling softly at his predicament.
"O-oh," she blushed, to Izuku's surprise, a very pretty shade of lavender. The sight of such a unique color on her cheeks made the boy himself blush even harder. "I'm sorry, I just...you guys seemed pretty close, so I thought - "
Toshinori laughed as the boy's mother came over, "Believe me, I wish he was my son," saying this made Inko gain a very pretty shade pink on her cheeks as well, "At least then I'd have the right to smack him upside the head for scaring the hell outta me like that!"
Izuku rubbed the back of his neck, "Hehe, lucky me, huh?" He said nervously...right before his mother did exactly as Toshinori wanted and slapped the back of his head with a decent amount of force for such a petite woman, "Ow! Mo-o-om!" The boy's whine brought a giggle from the pink-skinned girl while Toshinori outright laughed.
"Let that be a lesson to you for doing something so reckless, even if you did save this lovely young lady!" Inko huffed as she nursed her hand: her son's head was a bitharder than she'd thought before smacking him.
Hearing this, Mitsuki rolled her eyes and conspiracionally whispered to Himiko, "She's in matchmaking mode." She grinned as the girl snickered.
Mina giggled behind her hand, "Well, I can honestly say that this isn't how I pictured meeting your son when you told me he was aiming for U.A. High." She said with a small look in his direction, "But...I'm glad I did...he's a real Hero." Another shade of lavender dusted her cheeks.
"Oh, that he is," Inko said proudly as she wrapped him up in a hug, "But he really needs to work on all of this running in before he thinks."
"Well, I sure didn't mind!" Mina laughed before she turned back to the police officers, "A-Anyway, I should probably get this done so I can get home. My mom's probably gonna have kittens when she hears about this." She stepped away before glancing back at Izuku, "Uh...before that," she skipped back toward him, "Could I see your phone for a minute?"
Izuku blinked in confusion. "My phone? Aigoo!" His mother discreetly pinched him from behind, "Er, yeah, sure!" He yelped as he dug his phone out of his pocket.
Toshinori sidled up to Inko while the boy gave over his phone, "Wasn't that a little too crude?" He whispered.
Inko gave the man a small look out of the corner of her eye, "Are you joking? Not only is he shy, but he's clueless when it comes to girls." She whispered back. "This might be my only chance to be a grandmother!"
"They just met," he chuckled, to which Inko simply shrugged.
Meanwhile, Mina finished tapping away at his phone and handed it back to him. "There," she handed it back to him with a huge smile on her face, "Now we have each other's numbers, so..."she trailed off a little before Izuku saw that pretty and unique blush rising to her cheeks more prominently. "If...you're ever free, we can get together and hang out, maybe?"
Toshinori nearly coughed up blood at how hard his laughter became when the boy went neon red all the way up to his hair. Inko just let out an exasperated sigh while Mitsuki and Himiko let loose with their laughter. Honestly it was the funniest thing the younger blonde girl had seen in a long time, plus she loved the feeling of openly laughing again.
"Midoriya!" Izuku's blush immediately vanished as a familiar indigo-haired young man rushed through the crowd, dodging a police officer in the process, and grabbed Izuku by the shoulders, "I leave you alone for one day, one day, and I get a news update on my phone," he pulled the boy nose to nose with him, "Wanna know what it said?"
"Uh, chance of rain on Tuesday?" Izuku stammered out nervously.
"It said a certain green-haired Hero-wanna-be nearly tangled with one of Japan's most wanted criminals!" Shinsō started shaking him violently, "Is this a thing with you, or are you just completely out of your mind!?"
"Really, Shinsō, I didn't plan for this to happen!" Izuku shouted out while trying not to bite his tongue. "It just kind'a did!"
"You call that an excuse!?" Shinso yelled, "I'm glad we're friends, but come on! You're a magnet for trouble!"
"Will you stop shaking me!?" Izuku pleaded, "I'm getting dizzy!"
"Big deal!" Shinsō shouted. "I swear to god, if I get into trouble because of you, I'm brainwashing you into wearing a green tutu!"
The remaining tension was completely broke by the brainwashing teen's arrival, and the situation quickly dissolved, leaving the small group to part ways with Mina, who was driven home by one of Toshinori's friends on the force, while the blond man helped load up all of Himiko's new clothes into his truck since Izuku's car didn't have the space to hold all of the bags.
While the ladies drove the DX Mark 10 back home, Shinsō rode with Toshinori and Izuku in the truck, "I can't believe you," Shinsō groaned, "Can't you stay out of trouble for even five seconds?"
"Well I try, don't I?" Izuku chuckled nervously, still dizzy from being shaken. "Besides, it's not like I expected to meet the most dangerous Villain in the world!"
Shinsō scoffed, "Uh-huh, and you totally didn't do it because there was a smokin' hot girl involved?" He said, much to Izuku's embarrassment, "At least tell me you got her number?"
Izuku blinked and showed him his phone, "Well, yeah, she...she..." he started blushing again.
Toshinori gave him a side-glance, "What's wrong, kid?"
"I...I totally have a girl's number in my phone!" Izuku yelled happily, prompting Toshinori to swerve while Shinsō yelled ("Are you kidding me?!").
Toshinori sighed as he patted his chest, calming his heart a little, "Young Midoriya, you are going to give me either a heart attack or an apoplexy," the man said with the brainwasher nodding along in agreement. "Besides, don't you have Young Hatsume's number in there?"
Izuku's face lit up again, "I..I have two girls' numbers in my phone?!" He looked ready to cry from pure joy before Shinsō groaned.
"How did your exams go?" Shinsō asked, hoping to get off the subject of girls in general, "Did you pass?"
Izuku's testing had gone as well as it could have gone after they left the school as Toshinori had driven him home and he had taken the test online. It was even simpler than he had imagined it. The boy would have no trouble at all graduating. Hitoshi was confident in his own academics, knowing that his school's assignments were rather lax. While on the way home, Izuku got a call from Hatsume stating that she was on her way over to celebrate the end of their Middle School lives, not even bothering to say that she had passed her exams.
That night, the Midoriya household was once again full of noise as Izuku and Mei helped Himiko with her exam and, after making sure that she had passed, (Izuku practically gave her the answers by transforming into a little grey frog-like creature with huge eyes. "How many forms do you have?" Himiko had asked). Afterward, Toshinori had ordered pizza for the evening, and was treated to the sight of some very happy teens devouring two or three of them.
"Enjoy it while you can," Toshinori said to Izuku as he munched on a slice, "Because tomorrow is when we put in more combat training."
Shinsō looked at the man, "Hey, do you think I could tag along?" He asked, "I know I can use the Support Item Midoriya gave me, but it wouldn't hurt to learn how to handle myself in a fight."
Toshinori nodded, "I don't mind a bit, Young Shinsō," he chuckled, "It'd give Young Midoriya a good opportunity to fight someone he doesn't have to worry about hurting."
Mei giggled, "Pretty sure a punch from Mr. Muscles here would hurt Shinsō just as much as it would you."
Toshinori shook his head, "What I mean is that Young Midoriya takes care not to hit me full-force when we spar because of my injury." He said with a hint of gratitude in his voice, "Which I am grateful for, but he needs to go for an opponent's weak point, or else he may never gain the upper hand in a fight." He gestured to the taller boy, "With Shinsō in the mix, he won't have to worry about any serious damage aside from some bruising and maybe a split lip or two."
Shinsō just grinned, "I think I can handle that."
Inko was worried, however, "Just...just don't push them too hard, alright?" She asked, "Oh, and Izuku? I was thinking about moving close to the school. Would that be alright?"
"You know I don't mind, but," he frowned, "If I get in, I'll be staying at the dorms. You really don't have to."
Toshinori nodded in understanding, "He's right, Inko, but I can understand wanting to be closer to your son, and your therapist."
"That would be nice," Inko said.
"I think you should enjoy yourself," Mitsuki said from the kitchen, "Lord only knows how much you deserve it after dealing with all of the crap in your life," She came into the living room with another box of pizza, "Go out, have fun, hell have a few drinks just because you can!" She gave a small glance towards Toshinori while setting the box on the table, "And maybe find a new man?"
"Pfft!" Sputtered the blond while Inko blushed crimson.
Izuku chuckled at his mentor, "You know, Mom, she's right," he said, much to his mother's embarrassment, "You doneed to go out more, and maybe have a little fun."
"And get back in shape," Mitsuki added in, leaning over to poke at Inko's stomach, "You used to be able to fit into a size four dress!"
Inko swatted her hand away with a frown, "Mitsuki, there's no way I can drop a full three sizes."
"Never say never, my dear," Toshinori said, "Look at Izuku, for example. He used to be pretty scrawny until I got a hold of him."
Inko worried her lip, "Well..."
"Hey, Ms. Midoriya?" Himiko suddenly called out, "I think we made a little mistake with my clothes."
Both Inko and Mitsuki turned to see the girl poking her head out of her room, "What do you mean, dear?" Mitsuki asked, "I'm pretty sure we got everything you wanted?"
Himiko was blushing heavily as she shyly stepped out from behind the door. Inko nearly teared up while Mitsuki just cooed happily. "Oooh, sweetheart, you look amazing!" The ashen blonde smiled at her.
"Red is definitely your color, dear," Inko agreed with her friend. Himiko had come out wearing the same red satin dress she had tried on at the clothing store. She had thought that it had been a mistake to find it in her bags, but when she tried it on, it seemed to fit better than before. She looked over toward her friends and saw that both boys had faint blushes on their faces while Mei was...why was she staring at her legs?
"Huh, maybe I am attracted to girls?" Mei muttered aloud. Shinsō whipped his head around to the girl, while Izuku just chuckled.
"That would explain a few things, but not why you don't seem to care who sees you naked, Hatsume," Izuku said nervously while Himiko had a sudden desire to hide her legs from the mechanic's view.
Inko just sighed in defeat while Mitsuki comforted her, "Well, that's one off the hopeful list."
"I know, Inko, I know," said Mitsuki while she patted her shoulder, "But just think about it. Izuku's going to pass the U.A. exams, and be surrounded by incredibly beautiful young women. And one of them could make him a very nice wife."
Izuku looked mortified, "Auntie!"
"You really think so, Mistuki?" Inko asked, completely ignoring her son's outraged cry and the laughter that was erupting from the other guests.
Mitsuki nodded dramatically, "I know so, Inko, because he's such a darling young man, not like my delinquent of a son that thinks women are a waste of time." She wiped a fake tear from her eye, "At this rate, I'll be dead before that little idiot knocks a girl up."
"Oh, there there, Mitsuki, it'll be alright," Inko said, "At least your son notices when girls show interest in him. Not like my son. He practically has to be hit in the face with it."
"Will you please stop!?" Izuku pleaded.
Mitsuki just nodded in understanding, barely containing her laughter, "You do have a point there, Inko." She said to the now tittering woman, "That lovely girl, Ashido, was practically drooling over him, but he didn't even notice until she asked for his phone. Even then he didn't think she was interested."
Izuku wanted to crawl into a hole at this pointed as Shinsō and Mei were bawling with laughter, Himiko was holding onto the wall with one arm, while the other was holding her stomach as she laughed. Toshinori had already spit up of a mouthful of blood from laughing too hard. "Seriously, just stop! Please!"
That did it: both Inko and Mitsuki burst out laughing at the boy. "I hate you guys so much right now!" He moaned as the laughter continued. "And what do you mean Miss Ashido was drooling? She didn't look that interested to me!"
Toshinori chuckled while wiping his lips with a napkin, "Maybe not romantically, kid, but she definitely wanted to get to know you more." He chuckled, "Not to stereotype, but it's been my experience in the Hero business that women tend to fawn over their saviors."
"Some of us do," Mitsuki admitted, "But not all. Ashido seems like a strong young woman, and not one to fangirl over someone that saves her." She laughed, "But then again, she sure was making goo-goo eyes at Izuku."
"She was not," the boy grumbled.
[What girl would be interested in me anyway?] He wondered to himself, [I mean, Ashido was gorgeous! Her eyes alone could captivate anyone - !]
"So you liked her eyes, too?" Inko giggled, snapping Izuku out of his thoughts.
Izuku looked at the adults, and his snickering friends, "I...said that out loud, didn't I?"
Himiko came and sat down in the remaining armchair, "Hey, I'll readily admit that I thought she was hot," the girl said as she snagged a slice of pizza for herself, careful of her new dress. "But I thought she had great legs."
"Nice boobs, too," Shinsō said, grinning when Izuku elbowed him, "What? You know you looked, too."
"Oh, come on, you've touched mine more than once," Mei giggled at the boy's reddening face, "And you've seen them, so how come you're still shy about it?"
"You have absolutely no shame!" Izuku shouted.
"Aw, you love that about me and you know it!" Mei countered with a huge grin on her face as she leaned on him.
Izuku wanted to argue, but stopped, dropping his head, "Yeah...yeah I do...dammit!"
The room was full of laughter again at the boy's expense.
僕ぼくのヒーローアカデミア
Ashido Household...
"I can't believe you had to go through something so frightening, Mina," the girl's mother said as she and her daughter stood at the sink washing dishes, "Honestly, you would think that with All Might prowling around this area of Japan, Villains would be laying low!" She sighed while scrubbing furiously, "But oh no, there's nothing but hooligans, ruffians and monsters running amok on the streets!"
Mina giggled at her mother's dramatics, "Mom, chill out, I came out of it okay," she said with a small smile, "Honestly, if I hadn't froze up when I did, I'd have been better off. The guy was just asking a question, and I couldn't even answer him!"
Her mother rolled her eyes, "That's hardly the point, Darling," she muttered, "If that young man you told me about hadn't stepped in, you could have been seriously hurt! And where were the so-called Heroes? Nowhere to be seen!"
"She's right, Mina," her father called from the living room, "Unless we're talking about the top ten tiers, then most of your Heroes nowadays aren't worth the paper their licenses are printed on." He said, "And I saw the news earlier. That Springer Hero Agency? It was totaled. Apparently that Giganto-what's-his-name tore the place apart, and he's stillon the loose!"
Mina shivered, "Good thing I got away then." She said brightly.
"Mina," her mother looked at her in concern, "Are you sureyou want to try out for the Hero Course?" She asked, seeing her daughter giving her a worried look, "You know we wouldn't mind if you just went in for General Studies?"
Mina shook her head, "Relax, Mom, you know I've wanted this since I was a kid," she looked down at her soap covered hands, "Besides...with looks like mine I can't say I'd do well in the business world."
Her mother looked at her with a small amount in her eyes, "Mina Ashido, that is the last thing I want to hear from you!" She turned to her with her hands on her hips, "You are, no matter what anyone says, a beautiful, sweet, and all around wonderful girl. And I couldn't be prouder of how you look."
Mina smiled at her. Her parents were the only people she could admit her insecurities to about her looks. Sure, racism had gone flying out the window when Quirks started appearing along with Heroes, but having a truly unique skin color like hers made her stand out more than if she walked down the street naked. There were plenty of full on mutants that looked pretty wild like Gang Orca and Centipeder, but there were few that had skin like hers. That was why Bubble Girl was one of her favorite Heroes. She had blue skin, just like Mina had pink skin.
Her mother looked similar to her. Her eyes were the same black and gold color, and her skin was a much lighter shade of pink than hers, so much so that it was barely noticeable. Her horns came from her father. The man was large, beefy, and as gentle as a lamb. But he had two small horns on his forehead that looked like little devil horns. Nothing special about either of them save for the fact that her mother could create weak acids from her fingertips.
"That goes without saying," her father said, "Though, you could have gotten my horns in a better way, my little Martian." He joked, making her laugh with him as her mother huffed. It was a little inside joke with them since Mina's crooked little horns looked like antena, something one would see on some cheesy pre-twenty-first century alien movie. Her dad joked about his daughter being part alien all the time, and she rolled with it like a bowling ball.
"What about this young man that saved you?" Her mother asked, "Didn't you say he had a Transformation-type Quirk that turned his skin bright red, and gave him four arms and eyes?"
Mina shrugged, "Yeah, it was nuts to see someone like that," she said, her head drooping a little, "But he turned back to his original self pretty easy, so I'm guessing his Quirk only changes him when he activates it." She sighed a little, "But...I kind'a liked his normal form better," she admitted while her mother looked at her knowingly, "He was...well, he was..."
"Cute?" Her mother supplied.
"Adorable!" Mina immediately blurted out, "He had this cute little mop of greenish black hair that looked fluffier than mine is after a good shower!" She giggled as she pointed to her cheeks, "And he had these freckles on his cheeks that made cute little diamonds on his face and, ugh, he had the greenest eyes I'd ever seen on anyone! I even met his mother, and they were nowhere near as green as his were! And he - why are you guys laughing?"
Her mother held a hand to her lips with a little titter going on while her father was snickering away from the couch.
"Come on, guys, what's so funny?" Mina asked with a smile on her face while her mother calmed down.
She coughed into her fist to keep her giggles at bay, "Ahem, Mina, are you sure you're not...crushing on this boy?" She asked while her daughter's eyes went as wide as saucers, "Oops, looks like I hit the nail on the head!"
Mina shook her head, "Mom, no way!" She crossed her arms in an X-shape, "I'm not the kind'a girl to go falling for the first cute face that pulls the old prince-on-a-white-horse spiel!"
"That's not how it sounds to me," her father chuckled, "I wanna meet this kid! I at least need to thank him for saving my daughter."
Mina just crossed her arms with a look in his direction, "Why? So you can pull your whole intimidation act on him?" She asked as the man shrugged. She moved into the living room and leaned over his shoulder, "Daddy, come on, the poor guy looked really timid after his Quirk deactivated. Like, he went nuclear red when I said that I put my number in his phone!"
"Oh, the innocent type?" Her mother giggled, "That's just the kind of boy you like the most, isn't it?"
Mina just rolled her eyes, "Come on, I mean it!" She sighed, "Besides..." she frowned.
Her father looked over his shoulder at her, "Besides what, Honey?"
"Guys...let's be real...look at me." She looked down at her arms, "What'cha wanna bet that I'd the only girl in U.A. that has skin like this?"
Her father stood up, turned around and placed his massive hands on her shoulders, "Now you listen to me, Mina, if that boy, or any other boy or girl has issues with your skin color then they are not worth even mentioning, or remembering for that matter. Like your mother said, you're a perfectlybeautiful young lady, and anyone should be happy if you gave them the time of day!"
Mina got kind of teary-eyed for a moment but she wiped it away quickly, "The owner of the clothing store I like said I could be a model," the girl muttered, "And she used to be one, so..."
"See?" Her father tried not to sound smug, but he failed miserably, "We're not the only ones that think you're a beauty."
Mina giggled before she hopped across the back of the couch and hugged him, "Thanks, Dad."
12: Roaring Starting Line
True to Toshinori's word, both Izuku and Hitoshi were plunged head first into combat training while also working on Hitoshi's frail form. Every day for the remaining days of January the three of them were either at the man's personal gym practicing forms of mixed martial arts, and muscle strengthening. Izuku would come home tired, but not exhausted. Toshinori knew better now than to push the boy too far.
Meanwhile, taking Mitsuki's advice, Inko herself hit the gym with her friend and foster daughter in tow. More than once, Himiko worried that the woman was going to kill herself with how hard she had started to work, but her friend was with her through it all.
By the end of the month, she was looking rather healthy, while both Izuku and Hitoshi looked...Himiko had to remind herself that one of them was actually her foster brother for the time being. Mei worked on several inventions that would get her into the Support Course rather easily, and Shinsō no longer looked like a twig.
Like Izuku, his arms had bulked up considerably, only with Izuku the verdette's frame seemed to be more lean than his violet-haired friend's. He was no less strong, however, as during their training Izuku had proven to have a very mean left hook.
Finally, in the middle of February, the time of the entrance exams for U.A. arrived.
Toshinori escorted the trio to the gates of U.A., a proud smile on his face, "You've all done wonderfully up to this point," he said to the children, "I couldn't be prouder of any of you, though I feel like I should've been able to do something more for you, Young Hatsume."
The crosshair-eyed girl just gave him a grin, "Aw, don't worry about it," she said dismissively, "If it wasn't for you, I probably never would've met Izuku, anyway, so thanks for that!"
The man just chuckled before turning to the two boys, both of them with Proto-Tools mounted on their shoulders, "You two look like Pros already," he said while the boys just smiled, "Just remember: use your heads, use your training and you won't fail."
"Yes, Sir," Hitoshi gave a short bow, "Thanks for everything."
Izuku nodded, "Yeah, thank you for taking a chance on us."
Toshinori just shook his head, "I meant what I said, Young Midoriya, and now I can extend that same sentiment to you, Young Shinsō," he smiled at the boys, "You will be Heroes. Great Heroes." He smiled teasingly, "Greater than All Might ever was at this age."
Hitoshi just chuckled, "Now that's going too far, Mr. Yagi." He said, choking up a little at the man's kind words while Izuku was slightly tearing up, knowing that the man really meant what he said.
Meanwhile, Himiko and Inko were going through something similar, "Nervous?" The woman asked of the blonde girl.
"A little," she admitted, "Are you sure you don't want me in the Hero Course?"
"Are you sure you don't want to go to the Hero Course?" Inko countered with a slight smile, "I don't mind that you want to go in for General Studies, Dear, not at all." She shook her head before she reached over and took the girl's hand and gave it a comforting squeeze, "But this is the start of your life, Sweetheart, not mine. If the General Studies Course is what you want for yourself, then that is what you need to take." She said, casting a glance over her shoulder at the trio speaking with Toshinori, "Just like Izuku wants to be a Hero, if you want a normal life, then that's fine. I can't and won't force something you don't want on your shoulders."
Himiko gave her a little smile, "You know...I wish you were my real mom." She said before hugging the woman, "I think...I wanna try out for - "
"MOVE IT DEKU!" Both of them jumped as they heard the loudest voice either of them had ever heard.
Inko had a frown on her face as she turned and saw her best friend's son stalking forward, of course he had plenty of room to move around the group, but he seemed intent on plowing right through her son and his little group. "I am not letting him get away with that today of all days!" She grumbled and bustled forward, purse brandished like a weapon.
"Dude, seriously, take the stick out of your ass and go around us," she heard Hitoshi groan as the blond boy turned his snarl on him, "We're weren't even bothering you and you just come up here like you own the place."
Toshinori looked like he was ready to intervene since the boy didn't seem to remember him in the slightest. A good threat now would probably curb that attitude of his. But the blond had already started gearing up to snap at Hitoshi when the boy was suddenly lifted from the ground and pulled away from the group. "WHAT THE HELL -?!"
He was brought face to face with a very, very angry Auntie Inko, "You say one more word, young man, and you, me and your mother will be have a very long talk about your rude, violent and disrespectful behavior." She said evenly calm. She then set him back on his feet with her Quirk, "There now, there's no one in your way, not that there was before, so be on your way." She made a shoo-shoo motion with her hand, "Go on! Scat!"
Katsuki glared at her, looking behind her for a moment and saw the nerd reaching for something on his wrist: he was finally ready to fight if the blond said anything to his mother. But the boy wasn't stupid. His mother made it no secret that if something happened to her friend on his account, then there would be hell to pay. Plus, he wouldn't go against his own mother, anyway.
He turned around...and came face to face with another bug. But this bug decided to sting him.
SMACK
Quick as a whip, Himiko Toga slapped the blond clean across the face. Dazed, confused and now growing even angrier, the boy snarled at her. But not before the girl flashed some very sharp looking fangs at him while looking at him with the coldest eyes he'd ever seen, "Don't even think about hurting my mom...or my brother." She brushed past him, "See you in the Hero Course, asshole."
Katsuki walked away without another word his cheeks glowing red...but not because he was angry. [How...wherethe fuck did...who the fuck...] His thoughts were all in a jumble as he staggered toward the school.
Meanwhile, Himiko was nursing her stinging hand, "Jeez! I didn't think I hit him that hard!" She whimpered as she waved her hand to dull the pain while Mei and Hitoshi were cracking up. "Come on, guys, it's not that funny!"
"It's hilarious!" Mei guffawed, her arms wrapped around her stomach, "Oh, gawd, did you see his face? Priceless!"
Hitoshi held out his fist to the girl, who tentatively bumped knuckles with him, "Nice work," the boy grinned at her, "Maybe he'll think twice before trying to mess with us again."
Izuku, however, was freaking out. "I can't believe you didthat!" He stammered, "I can't believe you got away with it! He's blown people up for way less!"
"Sorry," Himiko mumbled, "I just didn't like the way he was snapping at you guys like that." She shrugged, "Reminded me of what my dad used to do to me."
Toshinori chuckled, "I think you did wonderfully, Young Toga," he smirked at her, "Might be the reality check he needs...if not, then this school is gonna eat him alive." He then started moving them toward the school, "Now go on, off with the lot of you! The exams should be starting soon!"
"And Himiko, Dear?" Inko said, causing the girl to hang back. Inko then took the girl's face between her hands and kissed the top of her forehead, "Good luck in there, Miss Hero." Himiko beamed at her before following after her friends as Mei and Hitoshi slung their arms over hers and Izuku's shoulders.
Inko smiled fondly as she watched the group enter the building. "I never thought I'd see the day my son could smile like that," she said as she watched the smile on her son's face, "And it's all because of that little gadget on his wrist."
"Not so," Toshinori said, "That boy has a natural ability to attract others to him." He told the woman, "He would have been surrounded by these people even if he didn't have the Ultimatrix." He said, thinking of what could have been if he had passed his Quirk onto the boy. He could easily see a great Hero rise through the ranks if he had offered the boy his Quirk, but he also saw the dangers if could pose.
He had come to care for the boy as more than just a student. The girl, Ashido, had mistaken him for his son, and he made no move to correct her. [I do think of him like he's my own at times,] he thought with a smile, his eyes slanting toward Inko as she dabbed at her eyes with a tissue. [If only I could - ]
His phone started buzzing in his jacket pocket.
{Where are you?} It was principal Nezu, {You're going to be late for the main event!}
"Oh, dear," the man mumbled before turning to the woman, "I'm sorry to leave you, my dear, but it seems that I'm needed inside the school."
Inko nodded, "Alright," she smiled, "I have something to attend to with Mitsuki, too...but please, do keep an eye on things?"
Toshinori nodded, "Of course," he smiled, "I...we could meet up afterward for - "
"Only if the children are allowed to come along." Inko said rather quickly. She felt bad because the man seemed hurt for a moment, but even after all of the time spent with the man, she still wasn't ready to see him as a romantic interest.
"I was going to suggest taking the kids out for burgers, actually," Toshinori rubbed the back of his neck, his cheeks flushed.
"O-oh..." She almost sounded disappointed: the fact of the matter was that she was rather disappointed that he wasn't asking just her out. But she could understand wanting to treat the children after the day they were about to have.
Before either could respond, his phone buzzed again, "Oy vay, I'd better get going," he muttered, looking back to her, "Good luck with whatever you and Mrs. Bakugō are up to."
"Thank you," the woman said, flustered as well.
The man wandered off slowly, leaving Inko feeling...
She didn't really know.
Shaking her head, she turned to leave, [I have to get a handle on this,] she thought to herself, [He's a nice man, and it's obvious that he wants something more than our friendship.] She sighed, not really paying attention to where she was going. [My therapy sessions have been going so well, but I - ] She was jolted out of her thoughts as a small body came into contact with her. "Oof!"
"Ow!" The person she had bumped into yelped.
Inko blinked in shock, "Oh, I'm so very sorry, I - Oh, Miss Ashido!" Inko yelped in alarm as she saw the girl rubbing backside where she had landed. She reached out with her Quirk and lifted the poor girl off of the ground, "Oh, my dear, I'm so sorry," the woman bemoaned as the girl was set back on her feet, "I don't know what's gotten into me today. I can't seem to keep my wits about me."
"Mrs. Midoriya?" Mina asked as she was set back onto her feet, "Oh, no, I didn't hurt you, did I?"
"Of course not, Dear," she waved off her concerns, "I'm the one who should be worrying about hurting you! I'm muchbigger, after all."
Mina giggled, "Nah, I'm pretty sturdy," she said proudly before giving the woman a small smile, "You know you look really good. You've trimmed down since I met you!"
"Oh, I wouldn't say that," Inko said with a hint of embarrassment before she checked the time, "Oh, dear, you should get going before the testing starts!" She said as she ushered the girl along, "I wouldn't want you to be late on my account!"
"Oh, er, right," the girl stammered as she hurried along, "Sorry for bumping into you!" She called back.
Inko just waved as the girl ran into the building. "Hm, she's such a sweet girl." She sighed as she turned to leave. She had to meet up with Mitsuki for a short workout at their gym; she was quite determined to lose another size or two.
僕ぼくのヒーローアカデミア
The written testing areas for the Hero and Support Courses were different for each course, so Mei had to split from the group early on so that she could meet up with Power Loader. As for Izuku, Hitoshi and Himiko: the trio were all sat in front of Cementos as they took their tests. Izuku caught sight of Katsuki toward the front of the class, but the boy never paid him any attention. Instead his eyes landed on Himiko.
For a moment the boy worried that his former friend might try to get some form of payback on the girl he now called his sister before the boy in question turned away with a hint of red on his face. Izuku almost thought he was seeing things. Katuski Bakugō: blushing? Impossible.
Speaking of blushing, Izuku was doing plenty of that since a certain pink-skinned girl was sitting next to Himiko. Mina hadn't seen him, yet, but he suddenly felt a huge amount of guilt, and no small amount of stupidity weighing down his shoulders: he had never called or sent her a text once since he got her number. He shook his head, determined to speak with her after the test was done.
Thankfully the written test was relatively easy, even without the use of Grey Matter, so Izuku was confident in his answers. Hitoshi on the other hand was having a much harder time. Though, as time progressed he seemed to get into a better mind set as his answers began to come more easily.
Himiko never stopped smiling and humming while she filled out her test sheet. After about thirty minutes, she raised her hand, "Mr. Cementos?"
"Yes, Miss Toga?"
She held out her test sheet, "I'm done with my test, and I'm pretty confident in my work," she told him, "Is it alright if I turn it in and head to the next testing sight?"
Cementos smiled at her and accepted the paper, "Go right ahead. The hallways are marked so that you won't get lost on your way." He smiled and gave her a thumbs-up, "Good luck, young lady."
"Thank you, Sir." She got up and gave a little bow to him before waving at Izuku and Hitoshi before leaving.
Cementos chuckled and looked at the rest of the class, "If there's anyone else that's confident in their work, you may turn in your test sheets and move on to the next area."
Unsurprisingly, Bakugō got up to hand in his sheet and left the room. Izuku looked over at Hitoshi, who gave him a firm nod. Before Izuku moved, a taller teen with dark blue hair and glasses got up to hand in his sheet, Izuku followed closely behind him.
"?!" The wordless gasp caught his attention, causing him to turn for the briefest of moments to see Mina looking in his direction. The surprise on her face melted away into a shy, cute smile as she lifted her hand to wave at him. He gave a small shaky smile in return and waved back. Hitoshi caught his eye with a huge cat-that-got-the-cream grin on his face.
Without another word, the boy turned in his test and stepped out into the hall.
As the hour wound down, the next area filled up with hopeful students. Hitoshi found Izuku and sat down next to him, "How did you do with the written part?" He asked as Izuku worried his lip, "I know that I passed, but just barely."
Izuku nodded, "I did fine, but it's the practical that I'm worried about," he sighed as the students kept filing in. "I know that it's combat oriented, but I don't know how we're supposed to do it."
"Shooting targets maybe?" Hitoshi shrugged before patting his shoulder, "Come on, we'll do fine. Mr. Yagi trained us really well, you especially, and you've got one heck of a punch even without your Quirk going for you."
Izuku smiled and bumped fists with him, "Thanks, Hitoshi."
"Any time," Hitoshi nodded, "Where's Himiko, anyway?" He asked as he looked around for the blonde girl, "I haven't seen her since she left earlier. Didn't she decide she was gonna take the practical exam for the Hero Course, too?"
That was a good question.
Izuku knew that Himiko wasn't the social butterfly that she wanted to be since she normally stayed pretty close to himself or his mother whenever she set foot out of the apartment. She was just now getting used to Mei and Hitoshi being friendly with her. So it was quite a surprise to see the girl in one of the lower rows sitting next to a couple of girls who were chatting with her quite happily.
The look on the girl's face seemed to be strained, yet he knew enough to see that she wasn't completely uncomfortable with her situation. He was glad that she seemed to be coming out of her shell and was making a few friends. Not unlike himself.
He gulped, however, when he saw another girl take up the seat next to her. It was Ashido again. She seemed to greet the girl in a very friendly manner, that huge ever-present smile on her face. [I wonder,] Izuku thought wistfully, [If she'd ever smile at me like that?]
Hitoshi then nudged him as the last of the students arrived, "Head in the game, Izuku." He said as one of the teachers stepped up onto the stage, "Things are about to get real."
Present Mic was the one to step onto the stage, a massive grin on his face as he spoke out, "Hey, all you listeners, thanks for coming out!" He said loudly, even without his Quirk activated, "Can I get a YEAH?"
Hitoshi clamped his hand over Izuku's mouth before the boy could do exactly what Mic wanted, "Don't do it." He grumbled...only for a petite shout of "Yeah!" to come from below. Both boys looked down to see Himiko standing up with her fist pumping the air.
"THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKIN' ABOUT!" Mic shouted happily. "Now all you guys and gals are probably wondering what we're gonna throw at ya for the practical, right?" He asked before continuing on, "Wonder no more, little listeners, because our practical exam consists of a straight up robo-beat down!" The screen behind him lit up and showed three shadowy imagines that also appeared on the pamphlets that were sitting in front of the students. "As you can see from the screen and the pamphlets in front of you, there are three robots that are worth anywhere from one to three points each."
Izuku looked down at his sheet, "Huh?" He muttered out loud, "But there's four of them, not three?"
"Misprint?" Shinso suggested.
"To pass this exam, you will all have to go up against these robots, and smash, smash, smash your way to victory!" Mic went on, "With each robot you break, your chances to be accepted into the Hero Course goes up. Get enough points, and you're in!"
"Sir?" Hitoshi stood up with his hand raised, "Could I ask how many points we need to pass?" His question was met with mutters of agreement from the rest of the students hoping to pass.
Mic made a tsk-tsk gesture, "Sorry, little listener, but we'll be keeping the exact amount to ourselves." He said, "And the reason for that is so that we as your teachers get to see the best you have to offer, instead of letting you lose your mojo after hitting that point cap. So, even if you think you passed you'll have to keep on struttin' your stuff until time runs out!"
"Okay, thank you, Sir, and sorry for interrupting." Hitoshi sat back down, nervously fiddling with his Proto-Tool.
Izuku chuckled and patted his shoulder. "I have a question," said the blue-haired boy he had noticed earlier, "On the print out you gave us, there appears to be a fourth robot that you've yet to explain. If this is a misprint then it is a horrible oversight by the faculty. "
"Whoa, whoa, hold on little listener," Mic said, keeping the cheer in his voice. "I was about to explain that. That fourth robot is this schools boss robot. However, this one is worth absolute zero points. The Zero Pointer robot can be a challenge, however, so it's best that it's avoided."
"Thank for explaining, Sir," the teen said before he turned around and pointed an accusing finger...right at Himiko. "And you! You've been snickering this whole time!" Himiko yelped and pointed at herself a moment later, "It's distracting to the other students! If you're not here to take this test seriously, then you shouldn't be here at all!"
Himiko looked really uncomfortable, "Sorry..." Her face was beet red with humiliation.
Izuku and Hitoshi's blood boiled.
"Hey!" But it was Ashido that stood up to the teen, "You leave her alone, Mister!" She pointed an accussatory finger at him while the teen balked, "Everyone here's nervous enough without a stick-in-the-ass turd monkey like you making it worse!"
"Wha - ?! Turd monkey!?" Sputtered the teen.
"Alright, alright, that's enough with the chest beating ballyhoo," Mic said to defuse the situation while Ashido sat back down while Himiko was looking at her with gratitude, "Moving on, we've taken the liberty of setting up several areas for the practical exam to take place. You should have a designated area listed on your print out."
Izuku looked down at his print out, "I'm in area G."
"I'm B." Hitoshi muttered, "They probably wanna keep friends and students from the same schools from helping each other." Izuku nodded to his logic while his friend gave him a look, "Good luck out there."
Izuku nodded, "You, too."
僕ぼくのヒーローアカデミア
Himiko had never been so embarrassed in all of her short fifteen years. The practical had started out fine and dandy, she had even managed to chat with a few other girls that were hoping to get into the Hero Course like she was...but then that loud-mouth with the flagpole up his ass had called her out for her nervous giggles!
Thank God that Ashido had been there to bail her out of it!
And then there was Izuku practically glaring the guy down to leave her alone! It felt like someone had just wrapped her in a warm, fleece blanket. Now she was faced with another dilemma: she, Izuku and Hitoshi had all been sent to separate areas to fight in!
"This is not good," she mumbled as she hugged herself nervously, looking down at her sharp nails, "Okay, there's no need to panic." She told herself, "I'm strong. I know that much, and I'm quick so I can move around these things pretty fast." She said before taking a bottle of pills out of her pocket. They were blood tablets that she used for emergencies. While she couldn't use them to transform, they did give her a slight boost in strength like whenever she ingested normal blood. Plus she was feeling hungry.
She popped one into her mouth and swallowed quickly so no one would see blood dribbling out of her mouth when it dissolved.
"Pep pills?" Asked a voice from behind her almost making the poor girl choke.
Thankfully the pill was down before that happened as she turned and found Mina standing there, "Oh, you're in this area, too?" Himiko asked, glad to have a friendly face near her.
Mina smiled at her, "Yeppers, I'm here." She grinned before giving the blonde a concerned look, "Uh, I know it's none of my business, but are you okay, Sweetie?" She asked, motioning to the pill bottle, "I mean...those aren't...like, you know...drugs?"
Himiko looked at her, "What - ? Oh, no way!" She stammered, "These are just for my...well, I guess they're for my stomach?" She wasn't really lying. She was already feeling better now that she'd had one.
"Oh, good," the pink girl sighed, "I thought that jerk from the lecture hall might've pushed you over some kinda edge there for a minute." She said with a little less worry in her voice.
Himiko blushed, "Yeah, that was really embarrassing," the girl sighed.
"Hey, don't sweat it, I was the one making you laugh, after all," Mina shrugged, "So, yeah, sorry about that."
Himiko giggled, "No, it's fine, really, I was totally freaking out until you started chatting with me." She said as their group gathered outside the gates of the testing area. "I'm not really good with people, yet, but you really helped me out back there."
Mina beamed at her, "I can get along with most anyone with an open mind," she giggled before tucking a fluffy lock of hair behind her ear, "So...that guy with the green hair...that was your...brother, right?"
Toga smiled at her, "My foster brother, yeah," the girl nodded before remembering, "Did he ever call you?"
"Yeeeah, no..." she said, sounding a little upset, "I guess I was a little too forward, or - "
Himiko shook her head, "No, it's nothing like that," she told her, "Izu's even shier than I am." She explained, "Especially around girls he likes," she said with a small smile toward her, making the girl's cheeks turn lavender, "Plus, he doesn't have a lot of confidence in himself, but that's a work in progress."
"Really?" Mina seemed to perk up at that, "You think he'd - "
The gates started opening up in front of them. Up on the wall a speaker blared out, "Well, what are you waiting for?!" Present Mic's voice roared out, "There's no one-two-three-go in this school! Get moving!"
A breath later both girls found themselves in the middle of a stampede as the other students rushed in to start earning their points. "Hey!" Himiko shouted, "No shoving!"
"Watch where you're touching!" She heard Mina shout angrily. "Ow! My nose!" Himiko looked back and saw the girl holding her nose, blood dripping through her fingers.
Himiko immediately felt her hunger for blood flare up. [Oh no!] She looked away and started shoving her way through the throng of people in order to get away from the girl before she caught her blood's scent. [Oh no, oh no, oh no!] Suddenly, it hit her like a freight train: the warm, sweet, savory scent of her blood called out to her like an oasis. [NO!] In a sudden burst of speed and strength, she lept up and over the stampede of students and away from the far too tempting scent of fresh blood.
She landed and ducked into an alley, digging her pills out of her pocket, and scarfed down a handful of them. [Keep it together, Himiko,] she snapped at herself, [It's just a little blood! You can handle this! Keep it together!] Her eyes were welling up with tears as she gulped down the dissolving pills, thick red liquid spilling out of her mouth.
Her eyes seemed to glow as the blood pills filled her. It wasn't enough. Just the lingering scent of Mina's blood was driving her nuts with hunger, bringing out her savage side. Over to her left she heard the sound of an engine before spotting one of the robots that she was supposed to destroy. [Good,] the girl thought with a sense of relief, "Now I have something to vent on." She licked her lips before she attacked the Three Pointer.
僕ぼくのヒーローアカデミア
In the observation room, Toshinori was watching the ensuing chaos of the practical exams with worry. His eyes were on the young blonde girl that was having trouble with her need for blood, "Nezu, those blood tablets were a good idea," he muttered as they watched the girl desperately trying to control herself, "But I think we're going to need another solution."
Next to him, Vlad nodded, "She's acting like a recovering addict." He noted as she savagely attacked any of the mechanical menaces that came near her, but he also noticed that she was actively avoiding any of the students, "But she's obviously conscious of her actions, and she's trying to avoid any sort of temptation. But I can see the struggle."
"The poor girl," said Recovery Girl, "When she's enrolled, we'll need to see about helping her with that."
"Agreed," Nezu nodded, noting that she had already collected the required points for her to pass the exam, but he also took notice of something else. "She's also actively helping the other students. Did you notice that?" He asked of the shabby teacher next to him on the right.
Aizawa nodded, "I did," he muttered, "For someone with such an addiction, she's doing quite well. How many Rescue Points has she gotten?"
"A solid thirty," said Midnight, "At this point she's got seventy-eight points in total with Combat and Rescue Point combined." She looked over at Toshinori, "All Might, how are the two boys doing?"
Toshinori looked over at the screen that showed Hitoshi using the Proto-Tool as a rifle, "He's doing well." The man said with a proud smile, "He's got more Rescue Points than he does Combat Points, though. Not a bad thing per se: he'll definitely need some more work if he gets the required points."
"And Midoriya?" Vlad asked.
The teachers' eyes all turned to the screen that showed the young man. All Might chuckled. "Oh, he's doing just fine!" He laughed.
僕ぼくのヒーローアカデミア
"That makes twenty," Izuku said in his new voice while he looked at the molten remains of the robot he had just destroyed. The form he had chosen wasn't the most dangerous, but it was the most versatile in his arsenal. His body was now composed of a super hot inner plasma body covered by dark reddish brown volcanic rocks. His feet had a slight oval-like design with only two toes and one back toe. His head was also made of fire while his collarbone resembled a volcano which generated a fiery "hair" that covers his head, leaving his mask-like face visible with no nose or ears.
Another One Pointer suddenly appeared in front of him. He held out his hand and fired a torrent of flames at the machine. The fire grew so hot that the robot was incinerated into molten slag.
Heatblast: This plasma-based alien is a living breathing volcano! He can produce and control existing flames, adding them to his own firepower, or extinguish them at will. He can also fly by using geo/pyrokinetic powers surf on volcanic rock, or by using his flames as propulsion. His fire is so hot that it can even burn underwater, and survive extreme cold for short amounts of time, but enough time in the water will extinguish his flames, and he can't burn crystal based materials such as Petrosapiens or fireproof substances in general. Plus, his fiery body makes it super easy to find him in the dark.
"Okay, better keep moving," he said to himself before tapping the symbol on his chest and returning to normal. He ran down the street and turned a corner, finding an absolute mob of students locked in combat with several robots. Thinking quick, he dialed the Ultimatrix into Upgrade and transformed. He then molded himself onto the nearest robot that had been taken down, a One Pointer, and crafted into a more animal-like shape. "This is more like it!" He ran off on all fours, the sides of his body opening up to reveal missile launchers.
There were a few stragglers that hadn't joined the mob, yet, which gave him perfect targets. He fired his missiles, and destroyed a group of four. Two Three Pointers, a One and a Two Pointer. "And that makes thirty!" The Galvanic Mechamorph was pleased.
僕ぼくのヒーローアカデミア
Toshinori chuckled at the boy, "He's doing well," he said, "He just passed the thirty point marker."
"He's being rather subdued isn't he?" Midnight asked, "Aren't those forms powerful enough to do more damage than that?"
Nezu nodded as he recalled reading the boy's notes on the alien forms, "Indeed they are, and I believe that his lack of force is due to the massive collateral damage he could cause if he went all out in that area." He said, "You should know from how he hesitated to use his most powerful form against Cementos when we were testing them. He is quite reluctant to cause casualties."
"I remember," Midnight nodded, "And with so many students within close range, he wouldn't just cause casualties, he'd cause a massacre." She sighed, "That boy may be dangerous, as Aizawa said, but he certainly has a good head on his shoulders if he's holding himself back in this mad-dash situation."
"And that is something that we should be thankful for," Aizawa said he said as he watched the transformed teen snatch another student way from a downed robot that threatened to fall on him, "Nezu, add five Rescue Points from me onto his count."
"Five?" Power Loader laughed, "That was worth at least ten!" He said, "That's my vote. That robot could've caused some serious injuries if it had fallen on that poor kid."
Toshinori shook his head, "It was kind'a sloppy, so seven from me."
"Now now," Nezu chuckled, "Tallied up, he has more than enough to pass," he looked over at Power Loader, "Majima, I think it's about that time, isn't it?"
Power Loader checked his watch, "Ah, you're right." He grinned beneath his helmet, "Alright then, now we get to see who the real Heroes are." He chuckled almost manically as he took a remote control from his seat and pressed the large red button in the center.
僕ぼくのヒーローアカデミア
Across the six testing sights, the ground began to rumble as the streets of the fake cities opened up, allowing the giant mechanical monsters within to be set loose. In Himiko's area, the girl had calmed down from her blood induced aggression, but the hunger was still biting at her. Thankfully the robots had provided a good outlet.
When the ground started to shake, however, all thoughts of sating her gnawing hunger was thrown out the window as she looked down the street, thinking that one of the larger robots had caused damage to one of the buildings.
She wasn't wrong.
However the robot that she saw was nothing like what she was expecting. "Oh, you have got to be kidding me!" She yelled as she turned to run...only run smack dab into the last person she needed to right now.
Mina had come blundering out of an alleyway, and slammed right into her. Her nose and face still smelled so sweetly of blood that Himiko felt her mouth water almost immediately. "Toga?!"
"Ashido, we have to run!" Himiko shouted as the Zero Pointer neared them. She took the girl by the hand and started running with her. "Come on!"
"Wait a minute!" Mina shouted as she pulled out of her grip, "There's still people back there!"
Himiko stopped, her body growing cold. She looked back over her shoulder at the feet of the robot, seeing at least a dozen our so students running right out from under it. She bit her lip, thinking about what she should do. But Mina had already turned and started running toward the fleeing students to help. Izuku would never forgive her if she just stood by and did nothing. "Dammit!" She started running toward the robot.
Meanwhile...
"Come on! Move your asses!" Hitoshi shouted as he took shots at the giant machine, hoping to buy some time for the others to escape. He spotted a boy that looked like a praying mantis helping a girl with green vines for hair, "Hey, you need any help?!" He shouted out at the pair.
"We're fine!" The mantis shouted back, "But someone's caught under some rubble back there!"
"Alright, I'll take care of it!" Hitoshi didn't even need to think about it. He ran toward the area where the monster had crashed through, "Hello! Can anyone hear me!" He yelled, "Shout if you can hear me!"
A small hand poked out of a pile, waving him down, "Here! I'm over here!" It was a girl's voice that was shouting at him, "I can't get out!"
"Standby mode," Hitoshi muttered to the Tool and placed it back on his shoulder as it compacted back down. He crouched down as he reached the pile and found very petite girl with brown hair trapped under a large slab of concrete, "Alright, are you in any sort of pain? Any trouble breathing at all?" He asked when he saw no sign of blood except for some minor cuts and scrapes.
"I can hardly breathe, shroom!" The girl whimpered, "Please! I don't wanna die!"
Hitoshi got to work. The concrete slab was just barely propped up on another piece below it. [She must be caught on something,] he thought as he moved to try and lift the slab, "Alright, I'm gonna try to lift this now." He warned her, "If you feel at any time that you can move, crawl out if you can. If you can't just stay put, and I'll keep trying."
"But the robot!"
He looked over his shoulder at the gigantic machine. It didn't seem to be paying attention to them as the massive treads it moved with rolled beneath it, "Don't you worry about that oversized toaster," Hitoshi said, sweating a little as the machine was passing them by, "It looks like it doesn't actively target people." He knelt down and grasped the concrete, "Ready?" The girl nodded at him, "Okay, one...two...three!" He planted his legs, lifted with all his might, the edges of the concrete biting into his hands.
The slab moved, but the girl didn't. "I still can't move," she groaned as she struggled to get out, "My leg's caught on something!"
Hitoshi didn't answer, fearing any lapse in concentration would cause him to lose his grip, and crush the girl. His arms were burning, and his legs were screaming in protest as he lifted the slab higher. Finally the heavy slab crested, and started to fall opposite of him. Once it was out of his hands, he knelt and checked the girl over.
He found that another smaller slab was pinning her left leg down, making it impossible for her to escape. "Okay, you're gonna be fine, now." He assured her before calmly reaching down to remove the block, and help her to her feet. She scrambled to her feet, but yelped as she tried to put weight on her leg. Hitoshi cursed himself for not checking to see it was injured, and knelt down in front of her, "Hop on," he commanded.
With a small whimper the girl complied, wrapping both arms around his neck. Gyuun His face burned as he felt something pleasantly soft press against his back. [Ignore it. Ignore it, Hitoshi,] he chanted in his head while the girl settled on his back, [Cute girls do not like creepers. Don't be a creep. Don't be a creep!] He stood up, his hands tucked under her knees, [Damn, she's so light.]
"I'm sorry," the girl mumbled, "I'm pretty heavy, aren't I?"
Hitoshi shook his head, "Nah, not a bit." He smiled over his shoulder, "Now come on, let's find you some help." As he started moving toward the exit, the girl tightened her hold on him in a sort of hug.
"Thank you."
Inside the observation room, many of the teachers were applauding the young brainwasher as he carried the girl to safety. Meanwhile, Himiko and Ashido were doing their best to direct the fleeing students in their area. Fortunately the two girls realized that the monster machine only had one gear: forward.
Even as it smashed and crashed through buildings, if you stayed out of its way, then you were safe. Unfortunately, panic tended to overrule anything resembling reason, and the two girls trying to direct the crowd were having hell doing so.
"Stop pushing!" Mina shouted as one student barged passed another, knocking them to the ground. She helped them up, sending them on their way, and tried to keep the crowd moving. Himiko was in the same mess that she was as she helped a girl up from getting shoved out of the way by someone trying to save their own hide.
"Keep it moving," she told the students, not truly paying attention to the robots. If she had been, then she would have seen the large Three Pointer sneaking up on her and taking aim with its weapons,"Get into the allies, it won't follow you! Just stay out of its direct pa - ahk!" She felt a sharp, blunt blow to her back as she was propelled forward right into the path of the Zero Pointer, her head cracking down onto the street, and blood pooling beneath her brow.
"Toga!" Mina rushed forward and grasped her under the shoulders. "C'mon, girl, don't you cop out on me now!" She cried as she dragged the girl to safety. But she was moving too slow with the girl in her arms, even if she was small in frame. The Zero Pointer was coming toward them at a frightening pace.
"Get outta here," Himiko whimpered.
Mina glared at her, "Like hell I am!" She threw something from her hand as the Zero Pointer's foot came toward them. "Close your eyes, honey!" She pushed Himiko's face into her bosom while the girl cried and the monster stepped on them.
As darkness came over her she expected to be crushed...however that never happened.
Daylight came again as the Zero Pointer stepped again, revealing a hole melted into its foot where they had found safety. She looked up at Mina, who was now grinning at her with glee on her face as well as relief.
Inside the observation room, Toshinori was on his feet applauding the girl, "Well done! Well done indeed!" The man shouted happily as he smiled at the scene in front of them, "That girl is going to go far once she's gotten her license!"
Midnight laughed as the two girls got to their feet, Himiko leaning on Mina for support, "That they will," she said with a smile, "In fact, once the internships come up, I think I'd like both of them as my apprentices!"
"A wonderful idea!" Toshinori grinned in agreement. "They could learn a lot from you, Ms. Midnight!"
Aizawa frowned as his comrade fawned over the acts of Heroism, but his eyes were still on the green-haired boy as he transformed again into the burning alien, Heatblast. The Zero Pointer in his area was just as much of a spectacle as the others, but this one was causing more damage because some of the students had provoked it into attacking in all directions. It was supposed to move forward unless attacked, and on that note, it was supposed to be an unstoppable force for rookie students like these children to fear and not even think about going against.
But...
Mina Ashido had damaged one.
Hitoshi Shinso had stared one in the face, and not even flinched as he rescued a student.
And now Izuku Midoriya...was staring one down as though he -
The he looked closer, "There's a student right under that thing!" He rose, "Majima! Shut it down!"
"Right!" Power Loader said before pressing the kill switch...and again...again...and again. "It's not responding!"
"Oh, my -!" Recovery Girl was up in an instant running for the door, "I need to get down there!
Toshinori transformed into his muscle form and picked her up, "I'll escort you!" He said as he placed the woman on his shoulder.
"Wait!" Midnight shouted, "Look at Midoriya!"
All turned their gazes back to the screen, and saw the blazing form of Heatblast glowing dangerous hot.
Out on the field with Izuku, the boy-turned-alien was not just thinking of the robot, but the girl beneath its feet as it moved forward, "Come on!" He ground out as his body glowed with heat and the surrounding street started to melt, "Come on! Hotter! Go even hotter!" His yellow flames shifted to white...and then began to turn blue, "Come on!" Behind him, the blue haired boy that had called out to Himiko watched in shock as the fiery being melted the asphalt beneath his feet.
"What is he doing?" He wondered out loud before looking toward the giant's feet, catching sight of the girl, "Oh no -!"
With the roar of a jet engine, Heatblast shot off of the ground like a ballistic missile, rocketing toward the Zero Pointer. "ON THE SPOT SPECIAL MOVE!" He thrust out his arms in front of him, "FINAL BURST!"
The burning pyronite soared over the stunned girl, her eyes wide with awe as he slammed into the giant mech, crumpling the outer shell, and pushing it back with tremendous force as a small explosion went off from the impact as the crumpled metal gave way to the heat, melting away. Heatblast then blew right through the machine and out the other side, but not before the intense heat coming from his body set fire to the inner workings. Flames as hot as a volcano spread through the Zero Pointer, melting the insides into molten metal while it poured out of every crack and crevice.
[Damn!] Heatblast saw the molten metal pour from the dying machine, while the girl was still trapped. He blasted back to the ground and made a quick change to Fasttrack, blurring across the street and scooping the girl up just before a stream of molten metal splashed down on her.
BEE-BEE-BEE - "Ah, nuts!" Fasttrack yelped as the Ultimatrix ran out of energy. - BWOOO
In a flash of green the feline speedster was gone replaced by plain and ordinary Izuku Midoriya trying to put on the breaks (very large emphasis on trying here). He was already speeding away from the burning machine, so when he tried to stop, not only did it not work, but he tripped, forcing himself to tuck and roll so that the girl in his arms wouldn't get hurt. Fortunately the boy from before was there to stop them.
He sped up to them and stopped their advance with engines coming out of his calves. [What speed!] The teen thought as he stopped the green-haired teen, [He was moving faster than anyone from my family!]
"Are you two alright?!" The teen asked.
"Ow...yeah, but I'm really - Ulp!" The girl started before she turned green and vomited (thankfully missing her savior) while Izuku groaned, his eyes swirling around dizzily.
"Spinning...everything's spinning 'round and 'round," the boy muttered.
A horn sounded overhead, "And that's the game, Listeners!" Present Mic called out, "Time's up! If any of you have any injuries, please head to the infirmary right away, please, and if you need help, be sure to ask for it."
僕ぼくのヒーローアカデミア
Fortunately or unfortunately, Izuku, Hitoshi and Himiko were all in the infirmary afterward.
Izuku for a slight concussion thanks to his Ultimatrix timing out at the absolute worst moment. He was holding an ice pack to his head. The girl he had saved, Ochako Uraraka, was being treated for a sprained ankle and severe motion sickness. Hitoshi was there for a few minor scrapes and bruises, while also keeping the young girl he had rescued company while Recovery Girl worked on her fractured leg.
Himiko also had a slight concussion after being shot from behind and landing on the street too hard. She was sporting a bandage wrapped around her head with an ice pack of her own against it. She was also sucking on a straw from a styrofoam cup so no one could see the blood inside (Vlad had made sure to give several bags to Recovery Girl just in case). Mina Ashido was also present for a broken nose. The only one of the group not present was -
Mei Hatsume came into the infirmary looking like she'd just been dumpster diving."Man, you guys look crap," she said loudly: they all looked at her pointedly as she also had a few minor burns on her face and hands whlie also being covered from head to toe in soot. She took one look at her friends and grinned, "So, how'd it go for you guys?"
Izuku moaned in pain.
Himiko held her head, "So loud!" She moaned with Mina rubbing her back.
"D'ere, d'ere, sweetie." Mina said with her nasally voice. Her nose was bound up at the moment, so she sounded a little off.
"What the hell happened to you?" Hitoshi asked since he was the only one in any shape to actually inquire. "What did you do? Blow up the classroom?"
Mei rubbed the back of her neck with her tongue sticking out playfully, "Yeeeah, I kind'a did, ehehe?" She admitted, almost sounding proud of herself.
Hitoshi looked at her. Izuku actually sat up, giving the girl a look that said "seriously?" before falling back onto the bed with a groan. The brainwasher shook his head, "My god, why can't I have normal friends, and not these whacked out maniacs?"
Mei giggled, "Aw, you love us and you know it!"
He frowned at her, "That line is gonna get old one of these days!" Hitoshi growled a little too loudly for the foster siblings, both of them groaning pitifully. "Er, sorry guys."
Recovery Girl chuckled, "You kids these days," she shook her head, "You should all count yourselves lucky. The Zero Point robot in Mr. Midoriya's area malfunctioned quite badly." She said as she looked at the poor girl holding her stomach, who looked remarkably like the girl whose leg she was working on, "If he hadn't destroyed it, I'd shudder to think what would have happened to you, young lady."
Ochako just smiled shakily, "Y-yeah, I almost b-bought the farm out there," she said as she gave her savior a small smile. "Thanks a lot, by the way."
The boy in question just shook his head, "I'm just sorry that I almost screwed it up so badly," Izuku muttered, "I didn't think that I'd heated the robot up so much that it actually caught on fire."
Hitoshi grumbled, "You and your transformations." The boy pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Wait," Mina said, looking at the boy, "I thought you were some kind'a four-armed strong dude?"
Ochako shook her head, "No, he...actually, he changed from some burning guy to this blue, furry cat thing that was really fast!" She said a little loudly in her excitement.
"My head," Izuku and Himiko moaned as the girl's voice worsened their collective headaches.
The girl blushed, "Oops," she pressed her fingers to her lips, "Sorry." Unfortunately for her, her Quirk activated and caused her to lift off the bed, "Oh, oh no!"
Mei cackled loudly, setting off another round of hisses and pained moans.