4 Chapter 4: Moving forward and research (2/2)

Recap:

"But it felt real! I remember it clearly, no blurry details or fading images, every bit of info from those displays I can recall with ease, although the second was less helpful, perhaps if I had had that sample it-"

(I included this since it's been three days and it helps jogs your memory)

Luckily Izuku was alone, otherwise he would have had to explain why he shot up like a rocket, and nearly face planted into his desk. The cold compress fallen on the floor, forgotten.

"A sample," Izuku gasped, "the second pedestal needed a sample of something! The first showed Kacchan's quirk, but the other had no sample to draw data from. I got so hung up on the info displayed being related to my own notes, I didn't even consider that the first pedestal likely had needed a sample to display that info at all. The question wasn't - what is that place? - but rather, what do I need a sample of to unlock it!"

Midoriya went over the memories of the previous days events for what felt like the tenth time, only now he was looking at it from a different perspective. He somehow had gotten a sample of Kacchan's quirk, but how? It couldn't have been Bakugou using it on him, he had been singed and burned by the explosive boy's power for years, whenever he thought the teachers weren't paying attention.

Making a mental checklist, Izuku began mumbling out possible options of what could have happened the previous day. "Skin contact is right out, since I've made contact with Bakugou's skin many times in the past - whether I wanted to or not – perhaps breathing something in? Possible I guess, but I'm around people (and Bakugou) all the time, so it should have triggered sooner if that was the catalyst. Shirai said I had bruises and not cuts, so nothing could have gotten in an open wound. That leaves only one way my body could have "acquired" the sample: by ingesting it. But what did I swallow?"

Based on his injuries and what he remembered, Bakugou's fist had impacted not only his jaw, but also nailed his mouth, meaning that's when it must have happened. Then, the memory of his morning diagnosis demanded his attention, Shirai-senpai's words giving him the answer:

"Thankfully none of the blood that was around your mouth belonged to you, since your teeth and jaw weren't cut or broken."

None of my blood…

The final piece of the puzzle had slide into place, like a Tetris block falling into the last remaining gap.

If it wasn't my blood, then it had to be Kacchan's! He cut his hand on my teeth, blood got into my mouth,- "and when I ingested it I blacked out, which is why I can still remember being hit and landing on the ground, I hadn't swallowed the blood yet!"

It was a solid theory, with the data to back it up, but like any theory it needed to be tested before it could be called fact; however, for Izuku that didn't matter, a smile graced his lips, one that looked far more appropriate on his face then the grimaces and fearful eye's that he usually had. He did what he was best at, thinking his way out of problems, and it had worked, although now he needed to somehow get more blood.

Midoriya conceded that he would sadly have to wait. Going out and about to get a blood sample from someone else wasn't going to happen, at least until his mother deemed him well enough to leave the house. Speaking of his mother, she was the only person he had access to right now, and unless she somehow cut herself while making dinner, he would have to be the one to make her bleed, and that would NE-VER happen. So, Izuku acknowledged the fact that he would need to wait just a little longer to get his answers.

Just a little more time, to maybe get what I have been denied for so long…

The next few hours passed by quickly, Inko checking on her son like clockwork, and before long dinner came and went for the Midoriya's, Izuku keeping his discoveries to himself. At least for the time being. He kept his mind busy by watching reports on heroes from the other day, and catching up on the homework that he was supposed to have been doing that whole time. It was an early turn in that night, telling his mom he wanted to get plenty of rest, which she gladly agreed with. In truth he wanted to rest and heal as fast as possible, the quicker he "recovered," the faster he could convince his mom to let him go back to school.

Heh, imagine that, I'm actually excited to go to class!

Three days came and went, Izuku's bruises were still visible, but they didn't hurt anymore, and while it took some persuading, he had managed to convince his mom that he was ready to go back to class. And so, it was with this that Midoriya found himself at the school gates once more, the sun was high, and the cherry blossoms were blooming all around the school grounds. Spring in Musutafu was already well under way.

Fear normally followed Izuku as he ascended the stairs to get to class, but today there was none, instead replaced by giddiness at putting his plan into full effect. He had come up with what he thought was a good strategy to acquire a sample of blood, and what better place to enact it then a school full of kids, who hurt themselves all the time while running and playing.

As he walked through the halls, he could hear whispers around him, pointed fingers and staring eyes accompanying them. He was used to stuff like this due to his Quirkless status, but he caught enough of what the different groups were saying to realise that it had to do with him being put in the hospital by Kacchan, and not his lack of powers.

The situation only got more obvious when he arrived in class, plenty of kids were already there talking amongst themselves, but all eyes shot to him when he walked in. Some looked surprised, others showed pity, and few even had… respect? Izuku began to sweat under everyone's gaze, all the attention he was getting, usually people ignored him, unless Bakugou enlisted them to help torment him.

A-heh, I guess news of me getting knocked out by Bakugou, and taken away in an ambulance has gotten around…

Taking his seat in the back, Izuku pulls out everything he needs for class, while doing his best to ignore the looks and whispers. To his relief, it seems Bakugou was doing the same, keeping his eye's forward, and not so much as glancing at his usual punching bag.

I guess even he feels bad about what happened, although if I'm right he's not actually guilty of knocking me out… on the other hand if him thinking he did keeps him away from me for awhile then I guess that's a good thing.

It didn't take long for the teacher to arrive, taking notice of Izuku and welcoming him back to class, hoping his recovery was going well, something he had never done all the previous times Bakugou had beaten him.

Hypocrite, a small part of Izuku remarked.

Regardless of his feelings towards how he was treated, Izuku needed to focus and get through class. Notes were taken, assignments were given, and while the day seemed to drag on for Midoriya, the bell for recess eventually rang out.

Keeping his eye's open, and senses aware, Izuku went outside with the rest of his fellow students, waiting for the perfect opportunity. Thankfully he didn't have to wait too long, in fact not even halfway into recess a second grader scrapped her elbow as she fell off the jungle gym. Honestly, Izuku had expected that he may have to wait a week or longer for something to actually happen, but whether through luck, or divine intervention, he could begin his testing now.

Rushing over, Izuku kneeled near the crying kid, and asked with a soft voice if she was alright.

"N-no, my *sniff* elbow hurts really bad!"

"May I look at it, uh-?"

"Nnnnn, Aika."

Izuku turned over the black-haired girls right elbow, and just as he thought (and hoped), a nice bloody scrape adorned her skin. While seeing someone in pain was not something he really wanted, this was just an accident, and even if he hadn't been hunting for a sample of blood, he would have helped her anyway.

"Aika-san," Izuku spoke softly, "it's not too bad, but it is bleeding, I have some tissue in my pack that I can use to stop it."

A quick nod was all the answer he needed. Reaching into his pack Izuku brought out the tissues he had brought from home, he offered a sympathetic smile as he gently pressed the white fabric to her cut, Aika flinching in response.

"I'm going to take her to the nurse, so she can clean and bandage her elbow, alright?" Izuku asked, addressing Aika's friends who had gathered around the two.

Hearing no disagreements, Midoriya helped her to her feet and began walking to the nurse's office, keeping pressure on her elbow as they went.

Doing his best to keep her distracted with small talk, Izuku decided to fish for some information. "So, Aika-san, what's your Quirk anyway?"

The teary-eyed girl perked up at this, "Oh! It allows me to extend my fingers into sharp claws!" Aika punctuated this by turning her fingers into three-inch-long pointed talons, reminiscent of a witch's hand.

"That's really cool Aika-san, what can you cut through?"

"Mmm, at the moment wood is the hardest thing I've been able to get through, but one day I will tear through metal like my DAD!" The seven-year-old "shredder" almost looked ready to bounce up and down, if it wasn't for Izuku's grip on her elbow.

Before Izuku could ask anything else, they both arrived at the nurse's office. Knocking on the door, the two entered, and after a brief explanation Aika was told to sit on the bed while the nurse gathered some bandages and a clean cloth.

While the nurse was distracted fixing up Aika's scrape, and Aika herself had her eye's shut, Izuku managed to pocket the blood covered tissue the nurse had told him to throw away.

His duty done, Izuku excused himself and left the office, the sound of a happy "thank you!" following him as he walked down the hall. Out of sight, he pulled the tissue out of his pocket and placed it in a zip lock baggy to keep it safe. A toothy smile grew on his face, reaching to his eyes as he put the baggy in his backpack.

Now I just need to wait until tonight.

Izuku sat on the edge of his bed, the sun having set hours ago, and his mom fast asleep. The day had come and gone by without issue, Kacchan and his cronies continuing to keep their distance after the incident. He was alone, wearing just a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt, while gazing down at the tissue with browned dried blood sitting in his hands.

"This is so gross," Izuku whispered to himself.

He grimaced, as all the excitement of his plan working began fading away, the realization that he needed to eat a tissue stained with someone's dried blood dominating his thoughts. Izuku had never sworn, but the f-word certainly felt appropriate right now.

Alright Izuku, just get it over with, you always knew you needed to work harder then others, and this is just one more trial in your way. If you don't do this, you will always wonder what might have been if you had gone through with it. You need answers, so just do it!

Before he could think about it anymore the tissue was stuffed in his mouth, biting off the blood-soaked part, and doing his best not to gag as he swallowed the metallic tasting fabric.

The mattress groaned as Izuku fell back on the bed, a soft thud accompanying his body as it went limp, although he didn't feel the soft sheets beneath him, nor the warmth of his room, as everything had gone black.

Izuku was standing in a towering spire, with smooth white floors, and dark alcoves covering every wall, as it continued up into an endless star lit sky. Before him lay three pedestals: the left showing an orange and yellow DNA strand (Bakugou's Quirk), the middle displaying nothing as before, and the right…..

The right one had a hovering DNA strand as well, tinted with different shades of Beige.