4 Stirring The Pot
Life has been great ever since I revealed my Quirk. Katsuki and my previous bullies no longer bother me. Though, it amazes me even after weeks since it happened that the school managed to blow off the incident as just a minor Quirk malfunction. But then again, these were the people that ignored Katsuki's history of bullying just to keep his record clean for him to get into U.A.
Should I have expected them to tell the truth? Nah, not really. Although, in this case, I guess it kind of would be in my favor considering how close I came to literally killing the brat. I was also the one to suggest we use our Quirks, so… yeah...
That aside, my training has progressed swimmingly. Or at least it had been until right now, when I arrived at Dagobah Municipal Beach to find two people that I shouldn't have been surprised to find stealing my training spot.
"Lemillion, I swear to god, you better not be training by cleaning up this beach! That was my idea," I shouted as I approached the two startled figures in the distance.
"How did you know exactly what I was doing with just a glance, little man?" Lemillion, or current second-year student at U.A. Mirio Togata, asked.
"Like I said it was my idea to train my body and Quirk while also helping the community or whatever."
"Is that true, young man?" The skeletal true form of All Might crawled out of Mirio's shadow and asked.
"Hmm," I sized All Might up before a twisted idea took root in my head. With a knowing smile and a brain that screamed at my idiocy, I casually said, "Nah, it was your idea. Right… All Might?"
Immediately, frowns settled into their faces as I just revealed that I knew one of the number one pro heroes greatest secrets.
Why did I do that? I'm not really sure myself, seeing as logic dictated it wouldn't award me any benefits to reveal such a card this early on in the timeline. Perhaps I just did it out of boredom or arrogance. I mean, why not stir the pot when I came to this world with powers a plenty and hardly a set goal in mind?
"Don't worry, you're secrets—" I took a full second to look at both Mirio and All Might and wink at each of them, "—are safe with me."
Yeah, I think I'll assign the cause of my actions to "probably" arrogance.
"Who are you?" All Might asked with utmost solemnity.
"Why should I tell you?" I chuckled, realizing that I probably had a thing for gravely annoying people.
"Sensei, should I..." Mirio gestured with his eyes and following them, I found that they lead to his belt; where several handcuffs were located.
"What? Are you going to arrest me just for knowing that the number one pro hero can't work for more than a couple hours each day?"
The sight of Mirio choking and All Might cringing sparked the sadist in me to add, "Would you go as far as killing me if I told you I knew about… Mr. Eight," I gestured at All Might, "and Mr. Nine," I gestured at Mirio.
Though Mirio looked confused, All Might looked the most upset I'd seen him, ever. At this point, it might have actually been getting a little dangerous for me to keep taunting him, but I just couldn't help myself and say, "I mean, this would be the ideal place to silence me, no? No witnesses, and all."
Only the sound of the waves crashing on the beach front remained as minutes dragged on before All Might took a deep breath and… pulled out his phone.
Snap.
"Oi, did you just take a picture of me?" I blinked at him.
"Yes, young man. I did. Now come, young Togata, for we must investigate who this strange boy is." All Might said as he started heading towards the stairs that led out of the junkyard of a beach.
"Hmph! Whatever, just don't steal my training materials in the future," I yelled at them before they left my line of sight.
...
Not one week later, while I was carrying around trash on the beach while under the effects of Haste — a Synergist Paradigm Spell I picked up after evolving the brand to Stage 3 — Mirio popped out of the ground right in front of me; effectively scaring me half to death.
"What the fuck, Lemillion!" I dropped the broken microwave I'd been carrying on him, but it just fell through his body. "Permeation is such a cheat fucking Quirk," I cursed.
He was in his hero costume and thus not naked as he seemingly materialized out of the ground and said, "You sure know a lot." He looked hesitant as he added, "But, now is not the time for questions, though you'd probably not answer them anyways… Today," he pulled out an envelope and handed it to me, "I've come with an invitation."
"Really?" I turned my nose as I took the envelope, "Couldn't you have just given this to me like a normal person and avoided making the Support Department make this out of your DNA?" Had that not been the case, there's no way the "invitation" would have remained as intangible as Mirio under the earth.
"Anyways… Principal Nezu of U.A. wants to talk to you."
"The rat-mouse-bear thing? Nice," I flashed him a thumbs up as I opened the envelope and quickly read through it.
"Ravager," I chanted, after reading through the letter.
"Fire," I casted, obliterating the letter and leaving naught but ashes and a bit of scorched sand.
"Lead the way, my soon-to-be sempai," I said, and we went on our way to the prestigious hero high school.
…
"Welcome, Midoriya Izuku," Nezu said the moment Mirio led me into his office. "Feel free to take a seat and enjoy a cup of tea."
"Thanks," I nodded, without caring in the slightest that he had learned my name.
"Well, with that out of the way, I have an offer for you."
"Let me guess, it involves guaranteeing me a spot in next year's class of hero course students?"
"Oh?" Nezu's ever-present cheerful smile stayed as he asked, ""How'd you know?"
"It would only benefit you to do so, no? To keep me in check for knowing All Mights secrets while also enlisting me, a future world class pro hero, in your school."
"You seem to think highly of yourself. Perhaps due to your recently awakened Quirk?"
"I'd like to think that there is more to my character than just the overpowered Quirk, but yeah. Having a Crystal Heart will doubtlessly allow me to quickly grow stronger; become a better hero faster still."
"Does that mean you already had plans on becoming a hero?"
"Can you think of any other way I might be able to get a license that let's me freely use my Quirk in public?"
"Not if you want to use your Quirk to its full potential, no."
"So, what's this offer anyways?"
"It's simple really," Nezu said as a gleam crossed his beady black eyes. "I'll make a personal recommendation for you and let you try out at the Recommendation Entrance Exams, and if you get in, which I don't doubt will be the case considering the various abilities you've shown so far, I'll cover all your expenses should you chose to attend school here."
"And the catch is..?"
"You have to live on campus, in the dorms we are going to build for next year, for the length of your high school career."
"Hmm… Will there be a curfew?"
"From elven at night to five in the morning seems reasonable, no?"
"Can I request some for some days to exceed that curfew?"
"That'll depend on the reason and whether or not you'll have a chaperone with you..."
"Will my peers count as chaperones?"
"...Maybe."
"Hmm..." Consciously, I started making a face as I debated whether or not to ask for something extra, before throwing caution to the wind, "Can I add a condition?"
"That will depend on the condition."
"I want… how should I put it… training partners to prepare myself for the Entrance Exam."
…
Nearly a month later...
"Togata, switch with Hado again. You clearly aren't hitting me as hard as you could be," I shouted while holding a horse stance.
For as overpowered as my Quirk was, training some of my Paradigms was more akin to torture than anything else, really. Currently, to develop my Sentinel Paradigm specifically, I had to take punishment from external attacks and practise my defensive techniques.
I often called into question whether the fact that assuming the Sentinel Paradigm boosted my defense to ridiculous levels was a blessing or a curse as I could only improve by tanking hits from anomalies like the next One for All user and Ms. Wave Motion over yonder.
It didn't help my case that Hado, in her inexhaustible enthusiasm, was more than happy to pick up for her friend's slack and attack me with the ferocity of a starved wolf. With her insane Wave Motion Quirk, she could turn her stamina into tangible power and blast me with the force of a semi truck. Over and over… and over again.
'Mediguard!' I called internally and externally activated an aura of white that healed me even as Hado went to town on my body.
I was left conflicted most of the time we engaged in this kind of practice as the pain was both quick to fade due to my supernatural defense and constant healing, but Hado never delayed more than a second before following up her attacks. To simplify the process, it was like stabbing myself with a thumb tack repeatedly, but only feeling the initial jolt and not the prolonged numbing sensation.
At least the pain was worth it, seeing as my Sentinel Paradigm had already reached Stage 3 and Hado constantly cheered to herself that I was the most resilient thing she could use her Quirk on to develop her stamina. Additionally, instead of using Mediguard, I could switch to my Medic Paradigm and train that whenever she needed to take a break.
Mirio on the other hand, was a much better training dumm— I mean, partner when it came to developing all my other Paradigms. Out of everyone I'd met so far, he was the scariest person I'd actually fought against. Seriously, even after being subject to every Saboteur Paradigm debuff spell I knew, he could effortlessly beat me with a single hand; even as I tried with all my might and used everything I had in my arsenal of abilities.
Clearly, he had already been trained well by Sir Nighteye, seeing as he rarely even needed to use his Quirk to mop the floor with me. Well, at least for now that is…
We'll see who will have the last laugh after I fully evolve all my brands and grow out of the skin-and-bones body the original Midoriya left for me. I still have a hell of a long way to go before reaching my peak potential.
