
A Return to the Beginning 2
Izuku made his way into the UA's main building, taking the steps up to the second floor, where 1-A was located. He paused near the entryway, taking a breath. He could do this. Walking in, his gaze flickered around the room. There was Kaminari speaking animatedly to Jirou. Iida was once again lecturing Bakugou. Mina and Tooru were talking animatedly. There sat Momo, reading a book; Izuku's mind flashed back to her laying against a building, body shattered...
He couldn't do this.
He couldn't.
Closing his eyes, he took a breath, clearing his head.
He had to do this. He stepped further into the room, running fingers through his unruly hair and looked around before moving towards his seat. Passing near Bakugou and Iida, Izuku was surprised when Bakugou simply glared at him rather than get up to his usual violent antics. Izuku sat down quietly, leaning back, trying to not think about what he'd seen. Iida with his legs ripped off. Bakugou's skull crushed. All the damage that last oh-so-powerful Nomu had done to them.
"Hey!" called a voice and he looked up to see Uraraka. "Nice to see you here. Thank you again for saving me!" she said brightly.
Chuckling, Izuku answered, "It wasn't a problem. You were probably not in any real danger, honestly, but it was possible for more rubble to fall on you with the way the robot was moving. So... I didn't want to take chances." Trailing off, Izuku shrugged at her, "I'm glad to see you you made it as well, Uraraka."
"I was really stressed for a while, but I figured I had a good shot," Uraraka said. "Oh, call me Ochako, please."
"Then call me Izuku," Izuku told her with a smile. He looked around the room, letting his gaze pause upon this person or that, before turning his attention back to Ochako. "Are you looking forward to class?"
Before she could answer, someone spoke. "If you want to make friends, get out," said a tired voice, and Izuku looked towards where Aizawa lay. He shook his head. Typical Aizawa. "I am your teacher, you can call me Aizawa or Sir. You will find your athletics clothes in the lockers in the back. Please get them and we can go to the training field; we are going to be having a Quirk Apprehension Test. There are changing rooms there, as well."
"What about Orientation?" asked Ashido as the students moved to the lockers.
"Teachers at UA are allowed to handle their classes as they please. You only have a few years here to learn to become heroes. It's illogical to bother with such things when we can focus on more important things," Aizawa stated.
That was actually something Izuku disagreed with. He'd spoken to some of class B's students over the years, and many of the things you learned during Orientation would have been useful to know. Especially Hound Dog and his therapy sessions. Shrugging, Izuku took out his athletics outfit and folded them over his arm, turning to head towards the exit. Arriving at the athletics fields, he passed by Momo and nodded towards her with a smile before leaving for the boys' changing rooms.
Changing quickly, Izuku was the first out to stand near Aizawa. The man nodded at him, and began, "All right, this is going to be a series of athletics tests in which you can use your quirks. It's illogical that schools disallow quirk usage; it's good to know what your current limits are. Bakugou, you had the most villain points in the entrance examination. How far could you throw a ball in high school?"
"About seventy-one meters," Bakugou answered.
"All right, step in the circle and throw the ball using your quirk," Aizawa said. "Anything goes as long as you stay in the circle."
Stepping into the circle with a smirk, Bakugou prepared himself. Izuku moved over towards Jirou and murmured, "Cover your ears. Trust me."
She gave him a slow look and did as he suggested right in time as Bakugou screamed, "DIE!" and threw the ball with a powerful blast.
Jirou cringed, giving Izuku a thankful look, murmuring, "That would have hurt. Thanks."
"728.2 meters," Aizawa declared, holding up a sensor. "Do your best, or else."
"Oh, this is going to be fun!" Ashido said. "He's letting us use our quirks for this."
"Fun?" Aizawa looked at her with a glare, "If you think you're here to enjoy yourself, you're wrong. Many bad things can happen as a hero, and you need to give it your all." He paused, "The person who comes in last on this test will be sent home as I will deem them without potential."
Izuku ignored the protests from the others. While Aizawa was right about the dangers of being a hero, he still disagreed about using something as simple as an athletics test as a yardstick, and Aizawa's logical ruses simply made students paranoid, in his opinion.
Soon, the tests began. With Izuku able to use Full Cowling, he wasn't terribly worried about doing well unless Aizawa decided to target him specifically. The first test paired Izuku with Bakugou, just like last time. This time, Izuku pushed himself a little, using about nine percent, his legs starting to ache from the strain. When the race began, he darted forward, green lightning flaring around him and Aizawa announced, "2.9 seconds, 4.02 seconds."
"DEKU!" yelled Bakugou, glaring at him, "Since when have you had a quirk?" Even as he yelled, Bakugou charged him. This time, Izuku didn't cower.
He didn't have to do anything, however, as Aizawa captured Bakugou in his scarf. "Stop making me use my quirk! You'll give me dry eye!" As Bakugou was bound, Aizawa added, "I don't want to see this sort of behavior again, Bakugou." Even as the fiery blond muttered, Aizawa released him, and the tests continued.
The only real change for Izuku was his own results. Ball Throw? 823m. He also came first in the side steps and grip strength test. In the end, Izuku came in second, behind Momo. It was a quite different result from his prior experience.
As he looked at them, Aizawa seemed to be considering, his gaze resting upon Mineta after a moment. "No one's going home. The threat was a logical ruse to push you to do your best. Mineta, you have to work hard, or you will be sent to the General Education department, got it?" Glancing at the rest, he added, "You can pick up the class syllabus in the classroom, they're on my desk. You may all go."
Listening to the sounds of relief from his peers, Izuku moved to follow the others towards the changing rooms.
"Man, that was rough," Jirou said with a sigh. "He was going to expel someone. Mineta got off lucky."
"Did you really think he was going to expel us?" asked Yaoyorozu, sounding confused. "I didn't; I figured it was just a threat."
Izuku chuckled softly and commented, "He expelled his entire class last year. It wasn't entirely a ruse. If he thought we weren't capable, he'd have expelled us as well."
Momo blanched, "Really?" She considered, "I'll have to remember that. Midoriya, wasn't it?"
"Izuku Midoriya, yeah. Nice to meet you," he told her as he introduced himself to her for the second first time.
"Momo Yaoyorozu," she answered with a smile. "It's a pleasure."
Parting at the locker rooms, Izuku quickly showered and changed back into his school uniform. Emerging, he headed towards the classroom to pick up the syllabus and the rest of his things. He waved to Ochako and then Momo as he passed, sliding the papers into his book bag.
"Izuku!" came a call from Ochako, "That was intense. Your quirk is something else though!"
"I don't know," Izuku told her. "I think Yaoyorozu's quirk is more interesting. It looked like she could make anything. The potential for her quirk is ... Wow." He continued, "Yours isn't bad either, Ochako. You can remove gravity from an object. That's crazy."
Yaoyorozu's cheeks colored slightly, "I don't know if it's that special, but I like my quirk."
Ochako scuffed the ground with her foot, "Mine's not that powerful."
"Are you kidding?" Izuku asked, blinking at them both. "Yaoyorozu, if you get a chemical breakdown of Midnight's gas, you could replicate it. If you get some quirk-neutral fiber clothing, you could create all sorts of chemical reactions without getting hurt, like Ashido's acid. You could even potentially replicate Bakugou's quirk as well, and possibly in an even more versatile manner." He paused, "Plus all the technology you could create with the proper designs. Your quirk is amazing!" He turned his attention towards Ochako, "And Ochako? Have you thought of what you could do in a fight with a powerful villain if you removed the weight from a heavy object and threw it at him and restored its weight? Or simply removed his gravity and let him float away?" He shook his head, "By the way, do you have to obey inertia?"
Ochako giggled as Yaoyorozu blushed. "He's right, you know. Can you create anything? As for inertia...I'm not sure?"
"Anything I know the makeup of that isn't alive," Yaoyorozu admitted. "I can create organic materials like silk, but not a silkworm, for example."
"Something to look at, Ochako." Glancing at Yaoyorozu, Izuku nodded, "That's cool. I saw you made the cannon for the throwing test out of steel. Did you ever consider making it out of a lighter, tougher, less dense material? Like graphene, perhaps." Izuku asked. He was kind of cheating, as she and he had discussed that in the future. "It might use fewer resources compared to something as dense as steel."
Yaoyorozu blinked slowly, "I never thought of that. I'd have to re-jigger some of my mnemonics but that might work." She considered, and beamed, "Thank you, one of my major problems is lipid use, this could possibly help a lot!"
Izuku smiled at her, "I'm glad to help, Yaoyorozu." For a moment, his expression turned wistful, before he shook his head. "I should go, though, I have to meet someone. See you both tomorrow?"
"Sure!" Ochako said brightly.
"Of course," Yaoyorozu said more sedately, offering a smile. "I look forward to it."
Running his fingers through the mop he called hair, Izuku smiled, "See you!" He turned and left the room. He had to meet Yagi and Tsukauchi.
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"We found Toga Himiko," Tsukauchi said as he slid into a chair opposite Izuku and Yagi. They had agreed to meet in a private room in a small restaurant to discuss matters over dinner. "She was where you'd indicated, near Rilofu Junior High School." He wrinkled his nose, "Child services are planning on having her parents arrested. According to the psychiatrists, she's this close to a quirk-induced psychotic break. Long-term quirk suppression is illegal outside prisons."
"I'm glad you found her in time," Izuku said after a moment's thought. "I wasn't sure if it was already too late. Before, she snapped and killed a boy she had a crush on. That broke her even further. She didn't even want to be redeemed."
Nodding slowly, Tsukauchi said after a moment, "We're looking for Stain. I've quietly put out the word about his quirk. We've been moving heroes with powerful defensive quirks in to focus on him so he can't access their blood."
"He's very fast and strong and uses weapons, don't forget," Izuku noted. "But that should do it. I kind of wish Kirishma or Tetsutetsu were available. Even in their second year, they could have beaten him easily. None of his weapons could penetrate their quirks."
"How was your first day?" Yagi asked as Izuku mentioned his classmates, "Did anything happen differently?"
"Well, this time around I know how to use One For All so I did far better on Aizawa's silly tests. Came in second, just a hair behind Mo--Yaoyorozu," Izuku said. "I met a few people again. I'm closer this time around to her and Ochako, rather than Ochako and Iida. I still need to talk to Todoroki and get him to accept the other half of his quirk. The last time, it took a fight in the Sport's Festival. I'd like to do better this time. Especially with the issue with the USJ probably happening."
"On that note, we're slowly looking into Endeavor's finances. We found the monetary transfer you mentioned. He shuffled it through four shell companies before it reached Todoroki Rei's parents, but it's been tracked. I've talked to a few psychiatrists. They and I are going to talk to her soon. We just need to gain access without the doctors finding out."
"That's a good idea. As I recall, her doctors were all in Endeavor's pocket. That's why she's still in the hospital. She could have been released years ago, but he didn't want her interference while he trained Todoroki," Izuku said with a sigh.
"That's good to know. Have you thought of any more information?" Tsukauchi asked.
Yagi kept quiet. He'd decided to let Tsukauchi handle most of the conversation. Detective work wasn't his strength.
"Here's a list of villains I think might be redeemable right now. Take care of these people and you weaken the League before it completely forms. One of them is Jin Bubaigawara," Izuku began as he slid a sheaf of paper over towards Tsukauchi. "He went by the name Twice. His quirk lets him duplicate people, including himself. He duplicated himself and kind of had a mental break due to an identity crisis. He isn't sure if he's the real Bubaigawara or simply a clone. Assure him that he's real and get him some help, and he could be a good man."
"We'll look these over," Tsukauchi said. "What else?"
"I'm writing it all down; I don't want to give you partial information. Stuff on the Metahuman Liberation Army, among others," Izuku said after a moment's thought.
"Wait, the MLA is still around?" Yagi asked with a frown.
"Yes, though it eventually gets taken over by the League. I'll be delivering a notebook to you soon, sir," Izuku said to Tsukauchi. "My focus right now, other than school, will be on the Shie Hassaikai."
"Why them?" asked Tsukauchi.
"Because as we speak, Kai Chisaki is torturing a little girl and experimenting on her. Last time, it took months for us to find out and save her." Izuku shook his head, "I am not letting that little girl suffer."
"Experimenting on her?" Yagi's expression grew angry, his blue eyes burning.
"Yes. She has a quirk that lets her temporally rewind living things to a previous state. He's experimenting to create bullets that remove quirks. Cutting her up for her blood and bone tissue." Izuku shuddered, "I cannot let him keep doing so. Not only for her, either, though that's a good enough reason. He presently has bullets that remove quirks temporarily. In less than a year, he'd have ones that do so permanently."
"What are you doing to do?" asked Tsukauchi. "Remember, you don't have a hero license right now. It would be ill-advised to act as a vigilante. I'd have to arrest you, even if I didn't want to."
"I'm pretty sure I know where she was staying at this time. I'm looking into things to make sure, and when I'm sure..." Izuku considered. "While I'd like to save her myself, I think it'd be best if you did, Yagi. Just do not let anyone touch you. Kai Chisaki's quirk is called Overhaul; it lets him disassemble and reassemble matter as he wishes. A single touch and he can basically cause your body to explode. You're fast enough you can go in, rescue her, and get out again before they can really act. Without her to manufacture more bullets or experiment upon, the few temporary quirk erasure bullets he has will be all we have to deal with. They're dangerous, but will run out."
Yagi nodded slowly, "Understood. Just tell me where she is and I'll be able to go in and get her out in only a few seconds."
"Stopping Chisaki is next," Izuku observed, "But once Eri's gone, his ace in the hole is gone, and ranged heroes should be able to stop him. He can heal so they have to damage his body severely though, or instantly knock him out."
"Eri is the little girl?" asked Yagi. He nodded, "She's first priority. Then we deal with this Chisaki."
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A few hours later, Toshinori Yagi stood in front of a set of solid wooden doors. He had thought things over and made a decision. Just in case he was wrong. He doubted it. Midoriya still had the heart of a hero. But what if?
Opening the door, he entered the office, "Principal Nezu? I have something to talk to you about." Closing the door, he took a deep breath. "It's about Midoriya."
He really hoped that the boy understood.
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Meanwhile, Izuku found himself wandering down Dagobah Beach. His mind was whirling, his conversation with Yagi and Tsukauchi having brought his worries to the surface. There was so much to do. Eri. The MLA. David Shield and his Quirk Amplifier.
What if something went wrong, and he made things worse?
He couldn't think like that. He so wanted to call Momo, but she didn't really know him, not now. She'd definitely be creeped out if a stranger called her wanting to talk.
The young man jogged, running across the sand as he ran up and down the beach even as the waves pounded upon the shore. He was trying to tire himself out. It'd make sleeping easier.
Nearing the end of the beach once more, Izuku sighed and jogged off the beach. He couldn't stay. He needed some sleep for the school day tomorrow.
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Later that evening, as the day turned to the next, a black-haired young woman sat up in her bed, eyes wide.
Once again, the future returned to its beginning.