5

Chapter 5: Gym Time – Part IISummary:

Quirk Analysis of:

Momo Yaoyorozu - [Creation]

Koji Koda - [Anivoice]

Eijiro Kirishima - [Hardening]

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

"So, who's next?"

"If it's not a problem, I'd like to try," Momo looked around the group, seeing Koda nodding sheepishly and Kirishima giving a thumbs up. She thanked them and stepped forward.

"Yaoyorozu, I've seen you create many objects from your skin in the past two days, so I imagine you should be able to make almost anything. Is there a stockpiling component to your Quirk? Seeing as you have that book to go with your costume, I imagine there is also some kind of memory component to it..."

"Yes, you're right on both accounts," she nodded, letting him see up close the creation of one of her signature items: matryoshka dolls. "My body stores fat and turns it into the molecules I require. It is denser than usual because of that, but not enough to cause discomfort. To produce a certain object, I need a clear mental image of its molecular structure. Constructs that require multiple different parts are also possible, but they demand more concentration and base material. The higher the mass of a creation, the longer the time I need to produce it. The only things I cannot create are living organisms."

"Very detailed, thank you. Let's see..." He moved forward pointing towards the arm she'd just used. "Could you make another wooden doll?"

She complied, interrupting the process as Izuku abruptly yelled, "Stop!"

The creation was now half-finished and stuck to her arm, and didn't appear to be about to fall. Izuku poked it and even turned the girl's arm to prove that it wouldn't detach due to gravity.

"As I suspected. You are able to stop your creation midway, and it won't budge. It's like a part of you now."

"Ain't that bad?!" Mina showed a worried look, shared by some others.

"I don't think so. Yaoyorozu, are you able to let it fall like this? Don't complete the creation, just let it detach itself."

She nodded, closing her eyes to concentrate. A second later, the half-matryoshka hit the floor.

"That was easier than I thought it would be," she exclaimed, surprised by the immediacy of the action.

"Why wouldn't it be? If you're not completing it, it shouldn't take you any longer. Do you think it took less energy to create, or was it just the same as usual?"

She brought a hand up to her chin. "I wouldn't know precisely... But yes, I'd say it was slightly less tiring."

Izuku smiled. "Perfect! So, we've seen that you can leave your creations partially unfinished, and that they would just stick to your skin if you don't release them yourself. That opens so many doors!"

"How?" Ochaco asked, unsure. "Incomplete things wouldn't work properly, would they?"

The greenette clicked his tongue, raising a single digit. "That depends on what she's making. Of course, complex devices require their full build or most of it to function properly, but that's not the case for a lot of stuff."

He turned to the black-haired beauty again. "Yaoyorozu, do you know the structural formula to produce iron and titanium?"

"Of course," she replied, "the periodic table was one of the first things I had to learn by heart."

"What's titanium's number? Ribbit." Tsuyu asked, just to prove her right.

"74. Group 6, Period 6. Melts at 3410 °C and boils at 5930 °C, the highest recorded. Density of 19.30 grams per cubic centimeter." She replied, deadpan but proud of her knowledge.

"A very rare and robust metal, yes. Now, let's make a couple things. I'll need an iron bar, about a meter in length. Then, you should produce a titanium gauntlet on you hand and forearm. Don't complete it, just keep it halfway created on your skin, and only on the backhand side. There should be nothing on your palm."

She proceeded to fulfill the requests. Izuku took the provided shiny new metal bar, hefting it and letting one end hit the ground, the bar issuing a clean sound.

"Does this satisfy the requirements?" She asked, showing off her arm, now covered in a simple-looking gauntlet that shined under the artificial light.

"Splendidly. Now, I want you to hit this bar with all the force you can muster." He raised the metal line, keeping it between his hands. "If I'm correct, it shouldn't hurt a bit."

"That's not really reassuring, Midoriya," Kyoka pointed out.

"But he's been right before now, ribbit." Tsuyu shrugged.

Following the frog girl's certainty, Momo nodded. "Alright. Just be careful, I don't want to hurt you."

"Oh, don't worry about me. Just give me the best you've got." He met her eyes, issuing a challenge.

She responded in stride by striking the bar precisely in its middle, bending it and making Izuku slide a couple of feet backwards.

"Yeah!" Kirishima yelled. "That was a good punch!"

"Good job," Izuku smiled, holding up the now bent bar. "Though I would suggest giving your hits a bit of a twist near the end."

"Sorry, I'm not used to dealing direct hits," she confessed, a bit surprised by the result of the experiment as she looked at her arm. "I can't help but feel unbalanced. It's heavy."

"Of course, it's titanium. But you didn't feel a thing, didn't you?" He asked, sounding certain of his previous assessment.

She shook her head. "No, apart from a slight tingle, it doesn't hurt at all."

"If your skin is in the process of producing an object, it merges with said object until it's completed. So, for you, the protection you could get from a half-made armor is actually far greater than the one you could get from a complete one. Your skin might get bruised anyway under a layer of plate, but if your skin is the plate, which can also be easily discarded and replaced, you won't get hurt. Cutting attacks aren't gonna do much against that." He explained his reasoning, letting her mull over his words.

Momo was clearly deep in thought, but a fire was growing in her eyes. "So, by only partially producing my armor, I could both lower my lipid usage and get an increase to my protections. Simple, yet effective... But I should take into account bashing attacks and the risk of hitting walls or the floor with my back. My skin may be covered, but my insides would be just as defenseless as they typically are."

"They would. But that can easily be taken care of by creating a layer of padding or an airbag. You seem pretty smart, Yaoyorozu, I think you can imagine how many uses this kind of creation could have, right?"

Challenging Momo's intellect was the best way to make her grow faster. The girl wasn't made to sit on laurels; her mind would be one of the greatest of their generation.

"Who needs a sword hilt when the blade can grow out of your hand? What could cut you if your own skin can become the strongest alloy on the planet? Who would risk staying in close range when you can produce a flamethrower from your fingers? Even producing acid isn't out of the question."

"Wait, acid?" Mina raised her head. "Wouldn't that be like copying my Quirk?"

Izuku nodded, eager to get to the point. "She wouldn't have the same resistance you possess, Ashido, but every weakness can be compensated for with proper preparation. Bases can cover you and neutralize any acid that would otherwise touch your skin, and since it would still be fused with your skin you wouldn't be hurt either way. But there's more! What do you know of Midnight's Quirk?"

She tilted her head to the side. "The R-Rated Heroine? I believe it's called [Somnambulist], and it allows her to emit a sleep-inducing aroma from her skin. Effective, but can be countered by simply avoiding to breath it in."

"Yes, but what do you think that aroma is?" He looked at Momo, hoping she would get his meaning.

Her eyes widened as she came to understand. "It can be reproduced... I could replicate her Quirk if I knew the right formula!"

Their classmates gasped as Izuku's smile turned into a grin. "Yes! [Creation] would let you copy any non-living product of Quirks!"

"Oh my god, that's amazing!" Kyoka cheered, followed by Ochaco's "Incredible!"

Mina jumped up, catching the heiress's sleeve. "Yaoyorozu! I've got to teach you how to use [Acid]! We can be walking hazards together!"

"Uh... Thanks?" Momo wore an uncertain smile, a bit taken aback by the sudden support and offer. She was coming to understand the full scope of her Quirk's potential.

Izuku knew that face. She was thinking about how much she'd have to learn and how she could cram it into as short a time as possible. Ever the efficient goddess.

"I hope that works for you, Yaoyorozu," he smiled amicably, "Your Quirk is great; it's only your imagination that sets your limits. Go beyond."

She returned his joy as the group yelled "PLUS ULTRA!" and started laughing.

"Thank you, Midoriya. It's more than I would've thought possible. Even Quirk specialists didn't reach such a conclusion. You're incredibly gifted in Quirk analysis."

He shrugged. He couldn't take all the credit, after all. "I had some good teachers. Now, Koda? Kirishima?"

The bigger teen moved to let the red-haired fellow pass, but Eijiro simply patted his back.

"You can go first, big guy. I ain't in a hurry, and seeing you all so excited is great for me."

Koji gave a wry smile to Eijiro's sharky grin, but accepted his goodwill anyway.

It always took a long while before Koji could really feel comfortable with others. Sometimes the dangers they faced as a class would help, but sometimes they would make things worse. He would usually end the latter loops early.

Izuku had needed a really, really long time to get a good understanding of Koji. But there was one thing that made the whole effort easier.

Izuku raised his hands and started gesturing. "Would you be more comfortable speaking like this?"

The animal-speaker's eyes shot open from the surprise, standing still for a couple of moments. The group watched in awe as the timid boy smiled far more sincerely than they had seen from him in the past two days. "Yes. Thank you. It's easier."

"I'm happy to help," Izuku replied. "Your Quirk is called A-NI-VO-I-CE, correct? I believe we would need to experiment a lot with it to discover your limits. Was it hard to use during today's battle?"

Koda looked downwards a bit. "Yes. There were only mice to hear my voice. I had hoped for birds, but I was not lucky."

"I see. Still, you did a good job." Izuku replied, taking a chance to bolster his friend's ego. He desperately needed it. "In your case, I can suggest to train your voice to go farther. Maybe someone" -not something, to Koji animals are people too. - "could have helped if you had been just a bit louder. Also, perhaps you should add a feed dispenser or insect containers to your costume. Even having a couple of friends is better than having none, wouldn't you agree?"

"I do, you raise some good points," Koji nodded with a shaky smile. "Though I don't know how I feel about insects..."

"They're just a different type of animal, and I'm sure they will be happy to cooperate. In their eyes, you're the terrifying giant," Izuku tried to hearten his friend, managing to make Koji stop shaking like a leaf at the prospect of handling anything that could crawl.

"Last but not least, I suggest you find a really good friend to keep with you. A trained hawk would probably be the best, and it would be easy to get approval if added to your support equipment requests. Or, you could try and test your luck with a cat... They may be fickle, but they're good at running away and can get anywhere. And I don't think anyone at school would deprive you of a service animal, if you asked for one."

He saw that Koji seemed a little intimidated.

"Sorry, was I moving too fast?" Izuku tried.

The teen shook his head. "No, sorry. It's just that... I'm worried that I may start to care too much for one friend and cast aside those I don't know because I'm forgetful. And what if they get hurt? I... don't want that..."

Izuku held a sigh. Anima was a pure soul, sometimes to a fault. Every animal he was using was in danger, since he was doing hero work. Would he refuse to send creatures in troublesome scenarios because of that fear? No, that couldn't be allowed to happen.

"Koda, please, calm down. You don't seem like the person to neglect a friend because of another. Just worrying about that is proof of your good heart. And about getting hurt... Koda, isn't that a part of our work? We Heroes put ourselves in danger so that civilians may be safe. If your friends decide to take a risk to help you, who are you to stop them?"

"Hypocrite," the voice in the back of his head called.

- Yeah, yeah. Shut the hell up. Always in the worst moments... -

Izuku maintained a comfortable distance from Koji, but was sure to meet his gaze. "Everybody has to make choices. Your animal friends want to help you. I'd like to be your friend too, and I think that, for your own safety, you should find more friends to keep around at all times. I don't want you to be defenseless, Koda."

Koji remained in place for a few second before nodding. "Thank you. I will think about it. You're very kind, Midoriya."

"Right back at you," he ended the hand-to-hand conversation, having the teen move back to the group.

"That was... Wow." Denki said, amazed.

"Indeed, I've never seen someone speak sign language so fast. Have you been practicing recently or were you taught at an young age?" Momo inquired, curious.

- Neither. The teacher's right in front of you. - "I've learned about it from a friend some years ago. It was the only way to communicate with him, and I didn't want him to feel excluded."

"That was nice of you, ribbit."

"Thank you, Tsuyu," he said, enjoying the compliment before turning to the remaining student. "Kirishima! Last but not least?"

"You said it!" The spiky-haired teen raised his fist and bumped it on his chest. "So, whatcha got for me?"

"Well, let's run a couple of tests first... Yaoyorozu, would you be so kind as to prepare some more bars?"

"Of course, iron and titanium?" she replied, already working on taking the two out of her arm.

"Yes, plus two made of stainless steel and tungsten carbide, if you please."

She completed the order, and Izuku stepped towards Eijiro, bars in hand. He never quite enjoyed this part of the process, but it was necessary for the musclehead's specific type of Quirk training.

"Now, from what I've seen your Quirk is a transformation type that hardens parts of your body. Simple, but effective at close range. Do you know what your current limit is?"

Kirishima put a hand on his chin, contemplating the question. "Not really? I was strong enough to crush those robots in the entrance exam though."

"Right, those were probably a mix of iron and various stuff. Are you comfortable with testing how much you can take?" Izuku asked, showing the newly-made beams.

"Ha, I bashed my fists against walls for training. This will be nothing!" he grinned and took a defensive position. 

Izuku nodded, grabbing the first bar: iron. With a swift motion he impacted it against the teen's arms, making it bend halfway down its length. 

"Not even a chip," Eijiro happily said. 

The greenette took the tungsten and repeated the process, throwing the resulting bent rod to the ground.

"Didn't even feel that." He heard the redhead say so, but he didn't miss the slight cahnge in tone. That reckless bravado of his...

Izuku smirked. "Thought so. Now grit your teeth."

The stainless-steel hit was on another level compared to the first two. They all heard the crack echoing in the chamber, and the defender took a step back, holding the contused arm with the other hand.

"Sorry, was that too much?" Izuku showed concern by moving closer and offering a bandage, which Kirishima refused.

"Nah, it's alright, just a bit of numbness. I can go on."

He clicked his tongue. "No, hurting yourself further won't do us any good, and would instead give us false data. Stainless steel is your current one-layer limit."

"Hey, I can-" Eijiro raised his head, a look of confusion on his face. "Wait, what do you mean with 'one-layer'?"

Izuku smiled and raised his unbent bar. "Just that. Your defense is made of just one-layer of skin as of now. What do you know of skin anatomy?"

"Uh... nothing?" Kirishima responded, as confused as ever.

Izuku looked towards the ponytailed girl, expecting some encyclopedic knowledge in her second field of interest. 

"Skin is composed of three main layers: epidermis, dermis and hypodermis. While the dermis makes up to ninety-percent of the thickness and the hypodermis is the most useful for me, since it stores fats, I believe Midoriya may be asking about the epidermis, the surface layer." She responded, concise to let him elaborate. 

"Yep. The epidermis is what we may call the 'protective barrier' that shields us from bacteria, germs and the elements. And it's actually composed of five strata, or layers. I think that your hardening may be working only on the outermost strata, the stratum corneum." He put his finger on the teen's arm, clicking against the durable stone-like spot.

"You can get this much defense with only the first one. You've increased something that should be as thin as a fifth of a sheet of paper to scales about two-centimeters thick. How much more defense could you get if you could expand that to the stratum lucidum? And then all the way to the stratum basale? And then all the way to the bottom of the dermis?"

Eijiro looked down to his durable arms. He met Midoriya's gaze with determination. "How do I do that?"

"Try and try again. Imagine a suit of armor under your first one, like rocks piled upon each other or ice layers growing and covering each other. Start with something small, like a hand or an arm. When you're comfortable with that, try something bigger." Izuku explained, adding his own advice to the end. "And most of all, don't give up if a few tries fail. You've got to be as thick-headed as you want to be strong, Kirishima."

He was answered with a row of shark-like teeth as the teen started concentrating his Quirk on his hand. "That's not even hard for me! AAAAH!" 

Kirishima started hardening his skin, looking for any progress as he put his all of that small spot. A minute passed, then two, then three. No one was saying a word, supportive and captivated by the spectacle.

Izuku could see how the guy's expression was beginning to falter due to fatigue; pushing one's limit is always a struggle. But it was one he knew how to overcome.

He started circling around the redhead, who was none the wiser. Tightening his grip on the cold metal in his hand, he spoke as loudly as he could: "Kirishima, block!"

As he saw the spark of recognition in the teen's eyes, Izuku swung the steel bar fast.

The impact was stronger this time and as loud as a bell chime, and the result was vastly different.

The beam was bent toward its end, in the point where it had impacted against a four-centimeters thick block along the back of Eijiro's hand. The difference was clear even to the naked eye.

"Congratulations, Kirishima," Izuku smirked as he moved the bar away and showed it to their classmates, "you've just reached a two-layer defense."

Eijiro's eyes moved quickly between his hand, the bar, and then back to his hand again as the hardening disappeared. His breath was heavy, but it had been worth it.

"Horn Buddy! You were amazing!" Mina jumped to hug her friend.

"That was so cool!" Denki rejoiced, joining the festivities.

"I must say, I didn't expect a surprise attack to do the trick. Your methods are shockingly effective, Midoriya."

"Thank you, Yaoyorozu. Sometimes, shock therapy is the best solution." Izuku gave a friendly nod as the survivor of his methods patted him on his back.

"Liar," the voice spat. He ignored the sentiment and wish to throw up.

"It really was! I didn't know what to do, then you went swoosh! And I didn't even have to think! It just happened!"

"Happy to be of use," the greenette continued, turning towards the rest of his classmates. "We've still got time. Want to train some more?"

Yeah, they were always eager to learn.

Letting the energy surrounding his body fade little by little, he helped Eijiro and Tsuyu up as they groaned about his lack of anything closely related to "holding back."

Oh, if only they knew.

"Good job guys, you're definitely improving!" he praised with a proud expression. "But I believe we're done for the day. We'll have to talk about costumes another time. Once again, thank you for your time, Ectoplasm-sensei."

The black specter shook his head. "Think nothing of it, Midoriya. You've shown me a great deal of improvements in such a brief timespan and it was a marvelous spectacle. I expect a great many things from you trainees."

A chorus of thank yous followed the professor as they stepped out of the gym.

"Say, do you want to get a bite to eat?" Denki asked to the group. "We could talk about costumes there."

Mina agreed in an instant. "I don't know of many places around these parts, but we could try our luck!"

"I do," Izuku interjected. Oh boy, did he know. It would be a miracle to find a single plate he hadn't tried in a thousand-mile radius. "There are a couple of places to choose from close to the station, if you want. Cheap, but very good."

"I'm in!" Ochaco readily agreed at the mention of cheapness, "What about you girls?"

Tsuyu looked thoughtful. "I was supposed to go back home and cook for later, ribbit. Do you think I could have the leftovers?"

"There's no need for that. You can order a couple more plates, on me." Momo gently offered.

"I couldn't-"

"Please," the heiress insisted, "money's no object, Asui. I'd rather help out a classmate."

The frog girl paused for a second, then nodded back. "Thank you, ribbit. But please, call me Tsu. We're friends, not just classmates."

The smile on Momo's face reminded Izuku all too well that he wasn't the only one that had been virtually friendless for years.

"I could go for some meat after a day like this one," Eijiro grinned as his stomach rumbled.

"I'm in too. And so is Koda." Kyoka said, pointing with her jack to the boy behind her who was nodding energetically despite the shyness.

"I'm hungry!" Mina grabbed Izuku and Ochaco by their arms. "Let's go!"

Izuku sighed at his family's antics, but he wouldn't have it any other way.

The door to the teacher's lounge slid open slowly, with care.

Shota's ears picked up on the tic in the step of the teacher entering, recognizing him without a need to open his eyelids. Ectoplasm's prosthetics.

Aside from that detail, only Nishida was that careful. Hizashi and Nemuri were never that calm, and they would have already interrupted his nap by now.

Ah, Ectoplasm, someone who could recognize the need for some sacred silence.

"Eraser Head."

Or not.

Aizawa held back all of his grudges as he replied. "Need something?"

"Not really," the specter said, "I've just supervised some extra training for some 1-A students."

- Already? Did I scare them that much? Eh, mission accomplished. -

"Good for them." He hoped the conversation would end there, but he had no such luck, as the door swung open with much more force, letting in his two biggest migraine-producers.

"Hey! Nishida, how's it going? Here to take care of some homework?" Present Mic asked, being annoying but not as loud as he could be.

"It's only the second day, Hizashi, give the guy a break," Midnight sighed and went to sit on the couch to Shota's right. Noticing how the other two were positioned, she raised her sight towards the math teacher. "Sorry, were you two discussing something?"

Ectoplasm shrugged. "I was just about to tell Aizawa how his class's extra training went. I have to say, I'm quite jealous of those kids' potential."

That managed to get him to respond, despite still not wanting to open an eye. He took a look with one, just to be polite. "Yeah, I know. I didn't have to expel a single one this time. Not by much, but I'll take it."

"I can only imagine." He saw the specter's smile grow a bit, even if it was hard to distinguish given the state of his teeth.

Mic practically jumped on the other sofa. "What's going on with those little listeners? Awesome Quirks? Some drama? Come on, spill!"

Nemuri shook her head. "Again, we're only two days in! We've seen their practical exams and files, Hizashi. There shouldn't be anything we don't already know about."

And that's when Nishida started laughing.

"I wouldn't know about that, Kayama. You'd be surprised. This afternoon, I saw more growth in two hours than I do for most classes in a whole year."

"What do you mean?" the heroine asked, suddenly more interested.

"Nine students came in following that Midoriya..." He started, before being interrupted.

"The one that almost beat the school's entrance record?" Hizashi asked. "Damn, the kid that destroyed the zero-pointer is already gathering a club?"

"Any girls in there?" Midnight asked, a glint in her eye.

"Yes, but what does that-"

"Nishida, ignore them and continue, please," Shota shot down his longtime friends with a "stop wasting my time" glare.

"Right. The kid had me come to supervise the training, and I must say, I'm deeply impressed. He dealt with all of his classmates with extreme care, managing to find solutions to problems that most Quirk specialist would have given up on. He gave them hints to let them figure out a lot by themselves, stepping in when necessary to bring forth incredible ideas. I'm not sure, but I believe he may have completely altered how we should view some of their Quirks. For example..."

Ectoplasm kept going about the kids' work for a while, but each story seemed more incredible than the last.

If what he was saying was true, they'd completely misunderstood the Quirks of their students. Their potential had skyrocketed in a handful of hours.

How many inept Quirk counselors and doctors were to blame for that kind of mishap?

How many others didn't understand what they could be able to do if only they had the right guidance?

They exchanged theory after theory about what the students had managed to do, how much more room there was for them to grow and how they would need to adapt their lesson in the future.

Vlad, Snipe and Cementoss had joined in at some point, drawn by the heated discussion.

Thirteen, Hound Dog, Power Loader, and Lunch Rush had come in later but were just as prepared to join the debate.

Shota had even gotten up from his comfortable position lying down, as incredible as that was.

They had found the recording of the kids' hours in the gym, and had promptly started to examine it in detail. More than once.

As they mulled over Ectoplasm's experience, they finally heard the sound of the tiniest steps in the school.

"And here I was wondering why all of my staff was stuck in their lounge well over the school's closing time..." Nezu said, a slight spring to his step and pride in his voice. "Nishida must have told you of what happened with class 1-A."

- Well over what- Oh. - It was nighttime. None of them had realized. How the hell had he not realized?

Toshinori, in his smaller, much more human form, and Chiyo entered last.

Learning about All Might's damaged body and time limit had been a blessing in disguise. Of course, knowing that the inimitable Symbol of Peace, the insurmountable peak of Hero society, was about to fall hadn't been good for the heart. But Shota had agreed on his decision to reveal the secret to U.A.'s staff. Not because they needed to know or for some good-natured bullshit about how keeping secret was bad, no. It was because that had given everybody an extra gear. Everything they were teaching mattered all the more now, as any one of their kids could grow up to be the next Number One. They had to step up their game, and they had all risen to the challenge.

He hadn't expected someone like All Might, who he had always thought of as a bit of an oaf, would have the clarity of mind necessary for such a choice... but he appreciated being proven wrong.

Being a pessimist had its perks.

As the last two came into the room, their eyes fell onto the big screen where the transformation of Momo Yaoyorozu was happening.

He knew she had an almost infinite potential, given her Quirk, but to see how it could be used... Just like that, a hero that could have been better suited to deal with rescue and support missions had become a primary candidate for combat encounters. There were edges to smooth and learning to be done, but the idea was incredible by itself.

Recovery Girl clicked her tongue, a smug grin covering her face. "Ah, I knew that little green bush would be a whole lot of trouble."

"Young Midoriya..." All Might looked at the video in amazement. Was there more pride in his voice or more surprise?

"It's a sight to behold, isn't it?" Hound Dog offered, sharing his appreciation. "He's not perfect but, being a Quirk counselor myself, I can say that he's doing a much better job than most would."

"Damn, he's doing a better job than most teachers would," Vlad added, ending with a bit of hearty laughter.

"I'd love to see what else he could do," Snipe mumbled, moving his sight onto 1-A's homeroom teacher. "What do you think, Aizawa?"

Shota clenched his jaw for a moment. His first assumption had been exactly right: the kid had been holding back. He just couldn't have expected by how much.

He was a Problem Child through and through.

"He's got potential," he admitted. "But I think that as educators, besides learning what we can from his methods, we should be looking for what we can do for him. He's been there for his classmates, but have you seen even one of them offer to return the favor and help him with his Quirk?"

The sudden unveiling of that detail brought forth some noises of agreement.

"Well said, Aizawa," Nezu interjected, taking a stand in the middle of the group. "I trust you all to take care of our new generation, as always, but remember that we have never lived through more delicate times. Our students need us just as much as we need them. Special case or not," the chimera moved his gaze over the whole group, briefly stopping to look for All Might's own, "we shall be there for every single one of them. Go Beyond!"

"PLUS ULTRA!" the chorus of voices replied without missing a beat.

"Plus Ultra," Shota nodded as he raised himself, getting ready to leave for his heroic night shift.

He'd look out for that little, worrisome, incredible, problem child.

In his own way, of course.

Notes:

And here is the second part.

I love messing with Quirks, Momo and Eijiro are especially fun to write about.

Do I hear something about a class representative coming up?

Leave a kudo or a comment if you like!

Thank you for reading! 'till next time!