MHA : Evolving : Chapter 20

' Izuku '

Panting, Izuku ran through the Labyrinthine obstacle course his 'tutors' had somehow convinced Cementoss to set up. Not only were The Big Three hunting him in this place but they'd brought along their friend Yuyu Haya who was eagerly joining in the torturous training session.

He couldn't even stay in his more durable form as the Labyrinth changed sizes as he changed areas and while he fit some places, others were too narrow so he had to switch back.

"One, two I'm coming for you!" Hado's voice echoed through the cement labyrinth, somehow both eerie and adorable "Three, four better hit the floor."

Not even bothering to question it, and knowing that Hado tended to give clues away from her overdramatic sense of presentation, he just barely dodged the wall blasting in, her shockwave going where his head had been.

"Five, six we're full of tricks!" the voice of Haya whispered in his ear as Izuku hastily scrambled to avoid her latest attack, still feeling the 'spirit gun' attack singe him as he escaped the girls and rounded the corner only to run face first into Amajiki.

"Seven, eight…I'm just the bait." The nervous boy said with a shaky smile as Izuku paused for a moment confused, realization hitting him just as Togata's fist uppercut him from the floor.

"Nine, ten, we'll be sure to do this again!" Togata happily declared as the cement walls finally lowered, the four third years approaching to help him up.

"Was the song really necessary?" Izuku sulked giving them an annoyed look as the third years, apart from the still timid Amajiki, nodded smugly.

"Training should be FUN!" Hado declared happily.

"…How was that fun?!" Izuku resisted the urge to face palm at the bluenette's antics.

"It was fun for us." Haya smirked, high fiving Nejire who bounced around happily, likely just having too much energy to properly contain.

"That's just cold Hado." Izuku grumbled while the bubbly girl pouted.

"Uuuuugh, just call me Nejire already!" she flailed like a grumpy kitten "It's so much cuter than my last name!"

"And you can call me Mirio if you want!" the taller blond offered with a grin, Haya and Amajiki not extending similar offers.

"I'd say just call him Tintin." Haya snickered "Most of our class does it."

"You're a mean little sidekick Yuyu." Mirio pouted at his friend who blew a raspberry at him.

"I'm gonna be Nejire's sidekick, that means I can keep sassing you as much as I like." Haya sounded quite smug about her logic too.

"Wait, who's Midoriya gonna be the sidekick of then?" Mirio tilted his head curiously.

"Obviously he's gonna become the sidekick to that Yanagi girl."

Nejire rolled her eyes like it was common knowledge.

"They're just so cute together!" Izuku felt himself blushing as Nejire gushed about him and Yanagi being 'the cutest firsty couple ever' even if they weren't actually dating, a fact she happily ignored every time it was brought up.

Hearing the door to the training facility open, he saw Aizawa enter looking eerily somber.

"Midoriya…we need to talk." The four third years all shared a glance, clearly surprised by the tone as well as Aizawa led him aside, a glance showed Izuku's friends waiting for him outside the building.

"Is something wrong sensei?" Izuku felt his nerves rising even as he tried to squash them down, this probably wasn't anything serious. Maybe his teacher just got told he'd have to take a long car ride with Present Mic or something.

"If this is about the whole Sports Festival thing where I have to give a speech as student rep don't worry, I've been working on what to say." Having to talk in front of people admittedly still sounded terrifying though.

"Midoriya…" Aizawa sighed, looking more tired than Izuku could ever remember seeing him before "There's no easy way to say this. There was an incident earlier today.

A serial killer going by the name 'Muscular' went on rampage with his quirk and was confronted by the Water Hose heroes. They…I'm sorry." Izuku felt like his legs were about to give out as memories flashed through his head.

Seeing them show up to save him from the Sludge Villain.

Their encouragement as they took him to a proper quirk specialist and set him on the path for proper training.

Sending them an email, telling them about how he got into UA.

Getting a reply, a promise that they'd be watching his performance in the Sports Festival and would be happy to have him do his Internship with them, maybe even his eventual work study.

But now… "They're gone?" his voice shook and he didn't bother to stop the tears he felt fall from his eyes, his teeth clenching as a surge of anger rocketed through his body.

He wanted to find this 'Muscular', he wanted to break him "Where's the one who killed them?" Izuku's tone was dark and ominous.

"Escaped to lick his wounds." Aizawa shook his head, not bothering to hide what would likely become public knowledge "They managed to destroy one of his eyes and badly injure him so he'll be underground for at least a while to recover.

I… I know what it's like to lose someone important to you Midoriya, someone who inspired you." Aizawa placed a hand on Izuku's shoulder comfortingly "Part of why I push you kids so hard is to do my best to make sure you're ready for this world we live in, to try and ensure talks like this don't have to happen.

I won't tell you to not want to stop their killer, I'd be a hypocrite if I did. I just want you to promise me two things."

"W-what things?" Izuku felt his stammer return for a moment, confusion at his teacher's words overriding his blood boiling rage, even if only for a moment.

"First, you don't run off and try to be a vigilante about this." Aizawa looked him in the eye.

"Don't throw away your life or your future for revenge. Train hard, be determined to stop him if you ever meet him, but don't run off and fight him now."

"And…and the second." Izuku hated how much logic there was in his sensei's words, but he knew damn well that if that monster had been able to kill heroes as amazing as the Water Hose duo, then he'd likely tear Izuku apart.

"Become a Hero they could be proud of."

...

' All For one '

"There we go." The good Doctor finished his work, removing his gloves as he finished Tomura's latest examination, "The bullet holes are healing up quite nicely. The scarring won't go away but you shouldn't lose any of your mobility so long as you do the exercises I instructed you to."

Tomura scowled at that as he got off of the doctor's table, griping his cane with a murderous expression.

"I'll make them pay"

Tomura's voice was raspy as he used the hand not clutching at the cane to scratch his neck "All of them. Those damned 'heroes', those fucking brats, everyone. They'll all pay."

"Yes, I'm sure you will young Tomura." All For One nodded to his embodiment of destruction, the villain in training still showing the wild desperation he'd had ever since he was a child

"But how do you intend to do that?"

Tomura looked at him in confusion as if that was a trick question, eyes flitting over to a tank with a Nomu inside. "Now, now, you can't rely on my power and resources alone if you wish to grow Tomura." All For One chided.

"The UA Sports festival is coming up soon. So, in that spirit of 'education' I have a bit of homework for you. Watch the Sports Festival. Study the students from the class your attack failed with. Write up an intended plan for each and every one of them, and then come back to tell them to me."

"Yes…Master." Tomura scowled irritably at being denied new toys and having homework assigned before Kurogiri warped the boy away.

"He's far from ready." A new voice pipped in, four screens lowering down, each one allowing the four other acolytes he'd trained to speak to him "Too brash and not having the power or skill as of yet to back up his boasts or ambitions."

"He lacks a goal, lacks direction." The oldest of his acolytes spoke up thoughtfully, his screen confirming he was still in America "More than that he lacks a personal rival to truly push him. Someone that he wishes to overcome for his own reasons rather than just that they're your enemy."

"Perhaps that teacher who survived the attack, Eraserhead right?" the third acolyte asked from his current location of Egypt, having been down there to recruit a new ally for his own goals.

"I wished to capture him for my own experiments actually." The fourth, and youngest acolyte apart from young Tomura spoke up "My goals are making steady progress but he would certainly be a valuable resource."

"Do you wish for me to return to provide aide Boss?" the last Acolyte, currently in Germany, asked "I could get my crew together and be back in Japan in a couple days."

"No."

He shook his head "He still needs to learn. And I have a couple other resources I can call upon if need be to assist him. Tomura is not ready to learn of you all, not yet. Continue running your budding empires and contact me should there be any complications. Dismissed."

With a wave of his hand, the calls ended and the four went back to their various duties and plans.

"Think Tomura will be smart enough to use the Sports Festival to try and scope out All Might's successor?" the good doctor asked, having kept silent while he spoke to his disciples.

"One can only hope."

...

' All Might '

"I've done more thinking on the matter of candidates and I've narrowed down the list further." All Might stated to Nezu, Gran Torino, and Sir Nighteye, the four of them being the only ones meeting that day.

"To start with, I've decided to remove miss Hado from the running as while I'm sure she'll be a splendid Hero, I feel she lacks the necessary…" he paused to search for the right word "attention span, to use the power safely."

"…Fair." Nezu nodded with a shudder, likely thinking what his strength would do with someone as chaotically energetic as Nejire Hado.

"From the first years I'd say the top picks would be Itsuka Kendo, Eijiro Kirishima, Reiko Yanagi, and Nirengeki Shoda." All Might cleared the table of all but the five dossiers.

"I would like to bring young Midoriya into our confidence eventually though, once Aizawa feels it's a good time. The boy's quirk would make him an excellent sparring partner for my successor while they learn to properly control their newfound strength.

Not to mention should the worse come to pass and All For One returns, or a successor of his vile empire, and a new symbol is needed, he'd be on hand."

"Hope for the best, prepare for the worst." Gran Torino nodded.

"I have no issue with bringing the Midoriya boy into our fold eventually." Sir Nighteye nodded "I spoke with him after my lecture, and he showed a truly impressive intellect. Mirio speaks highly of him as well."

"What of your four first year candidates?" Gran Torino looked at their files curiously.

"Young Kendo and Kirishima are already physically fit enough to receive the power right now if I so chose." All Might nodded, happy to explain his reasoning.

"Kendo is an excellent heroine with a good tempermant from all I've heard. And while her quirk itself is simple, it would pair well with the enhanced physical abilities of One for All which I can train her more on."

"You couldn't teach a fish to swim brat. I'd end up being the one to train her." Gran Torino chided, swinging a cane at All Might's head. It was only due to years of Recovery Girl doing the same that he was able to dodge it honestly.

"Yes…well." All Might coughed.

"Next is young Kirishima. His hardening ability should help him withstand the strain of One For All the most of the various candidates. His quirk runs on stamina so the boost to his physical abilities would truly be a blessing there."

"Shoda and Yanagi however are not physically ready to receive your quirk." Nezu noted, the small mammal sipping some tea.

"Not even close." All Might shook his head "But I think their quirks would likely pair the best with One for All from those that remain. Shoda's quirk already lets him do a second impact that will always be several times stronger than the first.

Using his quirk with even a fraction of One For All's potential would be able to make his output far exceed my own. His noted tactical abilities would also be a benefit." Those were something he himself had only gained through the school of hard knocks.

"And miss Yanagi?" Sir Nighteye asked, flipping through the more detailed dossiers now that they had a narrower selection.

"Her telekenisis currently only lifts what's roughly the weight of a human being." All Might grinned "But with the potential of One For All it could evolve to be comparable to the strength the quirk gives me! It would also be distinctly different from my own abilities and style to help hide the true nature of this sacred torch."

"Well with the Sports Festival coming up, I'd say the best bet we have right now is to test these students." Nezu gave a eerie chuckle.

"Let's see what they're capable of!"

...

' Aizawa '

"So, how'd it go?" Kan asked him as he entered the staff lounge, a hot cup of coffee waiting.

"He didn't take well." Aizawa took the drink gratefully "I hate having to tell a student their Mentor is dead. Especially if they're just a first year." The look of anguish and denial never got easier to stomach.

"They were good people." Kan rumbled, raising his own coffee in a silent toast to the fallen heroes.

"I made sure to bring Midoriya's friends along so they could make sure he got home safely." Aizawa copied the gesture.

"After this though I'm going to be a bit selective on any potential Internships he goes to though, want to be sure that whoever mentors him won't make the situation worse."

"The tension between our classes isn't helping things either." Kan winced "With how riled up they all are I wouldn't be surprised if some of them went deliberately looking for more than they could chew to try and one up the other class."

Draining his coffee and refilling it, Kan looked at him "I was actually thinking of a new training exercise to implement after the Internships. Two on two combat matches but each partnership is made from a Student of each class.

Force them to get along and work together. Given we already have three students each that are actually part of a friend group together they'd make good first choices, show the rest that getting along won't cause cats and dogs to start falling from the sky."

"I'll think about it." Aizawa promised "Right now…right now I just want to go home and fucking sleep."

...

' Izuku '

Sitting at his desk, Izuku stared at the photo of him standing with his mom and the Water Hose heroes, the married couple having even signed the picture after it was taken. Knowing that they were gone now, that all he had was memories, it hurt.

Picking up a piece of paper, Izuku started reading over the speech he'd been preparing for the Sports Festival. He'd been watching videos online about all the speeches past Student Representatives had given, speeches from various pro heroes, and even political ones.

It was bright, it was cheerful, it…meant absolutely nothing.

Angrily tearing apart the speech, Izuku slammed open a new notebook, writing down thoughts as they came to him.

He could always edit it later to flow but for now he had to make a real speech. Something that was uniquely him, that embraced identifying who he was trying to be like the Sports Festival was meant for.

'Be a Hero they'd be Proud of' had been his teacher's words.

"I will be."

...

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