[15] Metamorphosis

"Good luck," Momo whispered as we split up.

I nodded, then headed towards the stairs. Time to find Bakugo.

The building creaked around me as I climbed. My senses were on high alert, listening for any sign of movement. A faint explosion echoed from above. Third floor, maybe?

I reached the third floor landing, pausing to listen. Nothing. I took a step forward-

BOOM!

The wall to my right exploded outward. I threw myself back, barely avoiding the debris. Through the dust, a familiar silhouette appeared.

"Deku! I've been waiting for this!"

I straightened up, meeting his gaze. "Hey, Kacchan. Nice entrance."

He grinned, feral and excited. "Shut up and fight me!"

Bakugo launched himself forward, hands sparking. I sidestepped at the last second, feeling the heat of his explosion brush past me.

I spun, aiming a kick at his back. Bakugo twisted mid-air, catching my leg. "Too slow!"

He used my momentum to throw me. I hit the wall hard, feeling it crack.

Bakugo didn't give me time to recover. He charged, palms blazing. I ducked under his swing, driving my fist into his stomach. He grunted, stumbling back.

"Not bad, Deku," he wheezed. "When did you get so much stronger?"

I shrugged, keeping my guard up. "I've been training."

"Bullshit!" Bakugo snarled. He came at me again, explosions propelling him forward.

I braced myself, then at the last second, dropped to the ground. Bakugo flew over me, unable to stop his momentum. I grabbed his ankle as he passed, yanking him down.

We hit the floor in a tangle of limbs. Bakugo's elbow caught me in the jaw. I tasted blood. My fist found his stomach, driving the air from his lungs.

We rolled apart, both gasping for breath. Bakugo recovered first, launching a series of explosions my way. I dodged, feeling the heat sear past me.

One blast caught me in the shoulder, spinning me around. I stumbled, off balance. Bakugo seized the opportunity, closing in.

I turned his charge against him, using his momentum to flip him over my shoulder. He hit the ground hard, but rolled back to his feet almost instantly.

"Stop running and fight me!" Bakugo roared.

I smirked. "Make me."

He charged again, but this time I stood my ground. As he swung, I stepped inside his guard, blocking his arm and landing a solid hit to his ribs.

Bakugo grunted in pain but didn't back down. He grabbed my arm, using it to pull me closer. His other hand came up, sparking.

The explosion hit me point-blank in the chest. I flew backwards, crashing through a wall. Pain lanced through my body. That was going to leave a mark.

I struggled to my feet, coughing up dust. Through the hole in the wall, I saw Bakugo approaching, hands smoking.

"That all you got, Deku?" he taunted. "I thought you were gonna be a challenge!"

I straightened up, ignoring the pain. "I can do this all day, Kacchan."

I charged this time, catching him off guard. My fist connected with his jaw, snapping his head back. I followed up with a knee to his gut.

Bakugo stumbled but didn't fall. He wiped blood from his lip, grinning. "Now that's more like it!"

We traded blows, neither giving ground. I let a few of his hits land, making it look closer than it was. No need to reveal my full strength just yet.

The fight carried us through the building. We crashed through walls, tumbled down stairs, leaving a trail of destruction in our wake.

On the senond floor, Bakugo caught me with a particularly nasty explosion. I slammed into a support pillar, feeling it crack behind me. Stars danced in my vision.

Bakugo stood over me, panting heavily. "Stay down, Deku. It's over."

I looked up at him, blood trickling from a cut above my eye. "Not a chance."

I surged to my feet, catching him with an uppercut. Bakugo's head snapped back, but he recovered quickly, retaliating with a knee to my ribs.

We grappled, neither willing to give in. I could feel Bakugo's strength starting to fade. He was running out of steam.

Time to end this.

I let Bakugo push me back, pretending to stumble. As he moved in for the finishing blow, I struck.

My fist connected with his solar plexus, driving the air from his lungs. As he gasped, I swept his legs out from under him. Bakugo hit the ground hard.

Before he could recover, I was wrapping his arms in capture tape. "It's over, Kacchan."

Bakugo struggled, but he was spent. "Dammit... how? How did you get so strong?"

I grinned, despite the pain coursing through my body. "I told you. I've been training."

Just then, All Might's voice boomed through our earpieces. "HERO TEAM WINS! The weapon has been secured!"

I blinked, surprised. Momo had done it. She'd gotten past Iida.

I stood up, offering Bakugo a hand. He glared at it for a moment before grudgingly accepting.

"This isn't over, Deku," he growled as I pulled him up.

I nodded. "I wouldn't expect anything less."

As we made our way back to the monitoring room, I felt satisfied. The fight had gone perfectly. Bakugo thought he'd almost won, that with just a little more he could beat me.

He'd keep pushing, keep trying to surpass me. And all the while, I'd be steps ahead, always just out of reach.

Bakugo and I limped into the monitoring room, battered and bruised. The moment we entered, the class erupted.

"That was amazing!" Kirishima yelled, pumping his fist in the air.

Ashido bounced on her toes. "You guys were like, pow! Bam! Whoosh!"

"I've never seen anything like it," Todoroki muttered, his mismatched eyes studying us intently.

I kept my face neutral, but inside, I was grinning. This was exactly the reaction I'd hoped for.

All Might's booming laugh cut through the chatter. "Well done, young Midoriya and Bakugo! That was quite the display of skill and power!"

Bakugo grunted, still scowling. I could practically see the gears turning in his head, already planning for our next fight.

"Now then," All Might continued, "let's break down this battle trial. Who would like to start us off? What did you observe?"

Tokoyami's hand shot up. "The fight between Midoriya and Bakugo was incredibly intense, but it seemed to lack strategy. They caused extensive damage to the building, which in a real situation could have been catastrophic."

I nodded, playing the part of the chastised student. "You're right, Tokoyami. I got caught up in the moment. I'll be more careful next time."

"That's a good point," All Might agreed. "Heroes must always be aware of their surroundings. Collateral damage can turn a victory into a disaster. What else?"

"Midoriya was totally manly!" Kirishima exclaimed. "The way he took those explosions and kept getting back up... that's true toughness!"

I rubbed the back of my neck, feigning embarrassment. "Thanks, Kirishima. I just did my best to hang in there."

"But Midoriya," Asui chimed in, "your strength is incredible. Your quirk must be really powerful."

The room fell silent, all eyes on me. This was the moment I'd been waiting for.

I took a deep breath, putting on my best sincere expression. "I've been training hard to improve my quirk. There's still a lot for me to learn about controlling it properly."

Murmurs rippled through the class. I could see the mix of awe and curiosity on their faces.

All Might cleared his throat, drawing attention back to himself. "Yes, well, young Midoriya has certainly shown impressive growth. Now, let's discuss the other half of this battle. Young Yaoyorozu, your performance against Iida was also noteworthy."

Momo straightened up, a pleased blush on her cheeks. "Thank you, All Might-sensei."

"You utilized your quirk creatively to overcome Iida's speed advantage," All Might continued. "Can you walk us through your strategy?"

As Momo explained her use of capture tape and flash grenades, I watched the class's reactions. They were impressed, but I could see the wheels turning in their heads. Each of them wondering how they would have handled the situation.

"And what about you, young Iida?" All Might asked. "What would you do differently next time?"

Iida's hand chopped the air as he spoke. "I underestimated Yaoyorozu's versatility! I was so focused on guarding the weapon that I didn't consider all the ways she could use her quirk to distract me. In the future, I'll need to be more adaptable!"

All Might nodded approvingly. "Excellent self-reflection! Remember, students, every battle is a learning experience. Win or lose, there's always room for improvement."

The discussion continued, each student offering their thoughts on the battle. I stayed quiet, observing. Noting who had the sharpest insights, who seemed to struggle with strategy.

As the battle training continued, I watched each match intently.

Todoroki's match was particularly interesting. He froze the entire building in seconds, immobilizing his opponents without breaking a sweat. Efficient, yes, but also inflexible. He relied solely on his ice, never once using the fire side of his quirk.

I glanced at the burn scar covering half his face. An old injury, clearly. Connected to his fire powers, maybe? It would explain his reluctance to use them.

Uraraka's zero-gravity quirk showed promise in rescue operations, but her nausea limit was a serious drawback. Tokoyami's Dark Shadow was powerful, but light sensitivity could be a major weakness in the wrong conditions.

"Young Midoriya," All Might's voice snapped me out of my analysis. "What are your thoughts on Ashido and Aoyama's performance?"

I blinked, quickly organizing my observations. "Ashido's acid gives her excellent mobility, but she needs to work on her aim. Maybe get some support gear that can help direct her acid. Aoyama's navel laser is powerful, but the recoil leaves him open to counterattacks. Plus, he can't use it for an extended period without getting stomach aches. They could balance each other well if they learned to coordinate better."

All Might nodded approvingly. "Excellent analysis! You have a keen eye for strategy."

I smiled modestly. "Thank you, sensei. I've always been interested in quirk analysis."

As the last match wrapped up, All Might gathered us for final remarks. "Well done, everyone! You've all shown great potential today. Remember, true heroism isn't just about raw power - it's about using your quirks intelligently and working together as a team."

As All Might dismissed the class, I hung back, listening to snippets of conversation.

"Man, Todoroki's ice is no joke," Kaminari said, shivering dramatically.

Jiro nodded. "Yeah, but did you see how he only used half his quirk? Weird, right?"

So I wasn't the only one who noticed.

In the locker room, I changed slowly, still cataloguing the day's events. My body ached from the fight with Bakugo, but my mind was racing with possibilities.

"Hey, Midoriya," Kirishima called out as he was leaving. "Some of us are grabbing food later. Wanna join?"

"Sure, I'd love to. What time?"

Kirishima grinned. "Meet in the common room in a hour!"

As the others filtered out, I found myself alone with Todoroki. He was staring at his left hand, a conflicted look on his face.

"That was some impressive ice work earlier," I said casually.

Todoroki's eyes snapped to me, his expression guarded. "Thanks."

I pressed on, fishing for information. "Your quirk must be incredibly versatile. Ice and fire, right? That's a powerful combination."

His face hardened. "I don't use my left side."

Bingo. "Oh? Is it hard to control both at once?"

"I don't need it," Todoroki said flatly. He slammed his locker shut and left without another word.

I watched him go, mentally piecing together the puzzle. A powerful quirk, deliberately handicapped. A burn scar and a refusal to use fire. There was a story there, one that could be very useful.

U.A. was full of powerful quirks and talented students. But power alone wasn't enough. It was about how you used it, how you played the game.

Speaking of… I closed my eyes, focusing on the familiar status screen in my mind. The changes were subtle, but significant.

{QUIRK EVOLUTION STATUS}

Current Adaptations:

Enhanced Strength (Lv. 5)

Accelerated Healing (Lv. 4)

Improved Stamina (Lv. 4)

Enhanced Reflexes (Lv. 4) *

Heat Resistance (Lv. 3) *

Heightened Senses (Lv. 3) *

Mind-Body Synchronization (Lv. 2)

Cold Resistance (Lv. 2)

Kinetic Energy Absorption (Lv. 2) *

One For All Sync: 4.5%

Evolution Progress: 89%

Next Potential Adaptation: Unknown

Enhanced Reflexes, up to Level 4. Those explosions from Bakugo must have pushed me further than I realized. Heat Resistance too - no surprise there. Heightened Senses... interesting. Maybe all that chaos sharpened my perception.

But Kinetic Energy Absorption, that was unexpected. Had I been unconsciously redirecting some of the force from Bakugo's blasts? The possibilities were intriguing.

A slow smile spread across my face. Hopefully, this new adaptation, whatever it turned out to be, would be a game-changer.