Training Parters
Post Deku vs Asta
The shock of coming into the Colosseum for the first time was like being hit by a flash bang (something Midoriya isn’t that unfamiliar with thanks to a certain other hero). The moment Midoriya stepped out of the white door and into the stadium he was greeted by applause and loud greetings from various figures in the stands. The suddenness of it all stunned the Young Hero, only his eyes could move and they gazed across the stands. He was surprised to be able to recognise some of the figures. Wolverine, Spider Man, Superman, it was a room full of heroes. The feeling was surreal but also overwhelming. He felt like a lost soul who shouldn’t belong. And it’s the duty of heroes to guide lost souls.
All Might: Don’t worry young Midoriya.
A booming voice cuts through the crowd. One that he had heard for nearly his entire life. His figure, hidden in the crowd, leaped into the air and landed with a crash in front of him. He stood up tall and proud, and brandished a smile that saved millions.
All Might: I am here!
His awe inspiring presence commanded attention and Midoriya was quick to attend.
Deku: A-All Might! W-What are you doing here?! Where are we?
The Young Hero inquired with eagerness and confusion at his idol’s presence in this strange environment. The Symbol of Peace gave him a hearty laugh before responding.
All Might: We’re in a place full of great people. There’s a lot to explain so for now you’ll have to wait. Come, someone else is waiting for you.
Deku nodded at his Hero but quickly caught a glance at his opponent a few feet away. He was conversing with Superman and an individual dressed in an orange gi and bore spiky hair. They appeared to be greeting him, not too dissimilar to how All Might came to greet him.
All Might: Midoriya?
All Might called from a distance.
Deku: Oh, coming!
—
All Might and Izuku made their way back to the stands, where the Young Hero was being greeted as a newcomer by those around them. Their welcomings felt a bit too much for him, especially given that he felt like his loss that resulted in his death shouldn’t warrant such a warm reception.
Deku: I’m sure I died back then. I’ll have to ask All Might how I’m still alive. Did he get into a fight as well to come here? I wonder who he fought… and if he won.
As he walked through the crowd he began feeling like he was being watched. A lot of eyes were on him but these gazes felt different. They felt cold, apathetic and hateful. Quickly scouring the crowd his eyes landed on various people who, despite their different appearances, all gave him the same gaze. A bald man in a suit rested his head against his fist while looking at him, behind a metallic mask someone glared at him with a piercing feeling of disinterest, the one-eyed gaze from a cracked face met his, and another’s gaze hid beneath a skull helmet that made his eyes glow red.
These were villains, and there were more than Midoriya realised. Mixed in with the crowd of heroes and nobody seemed to bat an eye at their presence. As he swapped between each villain’s stare with a slowly growing anxiety, he absentmindedly made his way over to where All Might and one of his friends were staying, accidentally bumping into his leg in the process.
Shoto: You ok Midoriya?
Deku: Todoroki! You’re here too?!
Shoto gave his friend a nod. He was acting very nonchalant about the whole thing, which didn’t help Deku’s understanding of where they are and why. On the seat left of Shoto, someone leaned forward to get a better look at Deku. He had a scar on his face, very reminiscent of Shoto’s scar.
Zuko: So you’re Deku, the upcoming symbol of peace?
Deku: Uhh, yeah.
Deku replied in shock at how this mysterious person knew about him and his special role.
Zuko: It’s nice to meet you. I’m Zuko, the Fire Lord.
Aang: And I’m Aang and this is Toph. Welcome!
Next to Zuko a young, bald boy with an arrow tattoo on his head interjected and extended an eager hand to Midoriya, who gladly took it and shook it while his own hand shook with nervousness.
Deku: Uhhh, t-thanks. Ummm…
Izuku was nearly lost for words but luckily his mentor brought him back to Earth.
All Might: Midroiya, sit down. The show isn’t over yet.
Deku: Oh- right!
—
Deku: So, this is a place where people fight for fun… to the death?
All Might: Correct.
Deku: But why?
All Might: To test your limits of course! And everyone likes to watch a good fight too. Just think of this as a more… brutal version of what you see in the Sports Festival.
Shoto: Though, you don’t really get to choose who you fight to the death.
Deku: Really? What’s the selection process like?
Shoto: We don’t know but those who’ve been here longer suspect it has to do with personalities and abilities. The more similar your powers and personalities are, the higher chance you’ll be paired in a fight.
Deku: So when’s my next fight?
Shoto: I don’t know. All Might’s last fight was apparently 3 years ago and mine was 2. We haven’t had another one since.
Deku: Huh? Are they that stingy on who they let fight?
All Might: Well, there’s apparently a vast world out there with tons of people. Heroes, villains and everyone in between that this place brings in to fight. I’d consider us lucky if we can get more people from our home to join us. Bonus points if they win of course.
Deku: O-Of course. Wow so, am I going to just keep this loss record on me until they bring me back in to fight?
Shoto: Yep. Don’t worry, some people here have worse records than that.
Deku: What about you, Todoroki?
Shoto: I won my fight against Zuko but All Might lost his.
Deku: W-WHAT! You lost?!
The Young Hero was baffled at the concept of his hero losing a fight. Not because he can’t imagine that happening but because he could recognise that All Might’s body looked a lot like how he was in his prime. To be able to defeat the world’s Number One Hero at his best would require a terrifying amount of power.
Deku: But you look like how you were when you were in your prime!
All Might: I am in my prime body! starts flexing It feels great to be in this body again. Which only made the fight that much better. Don’t worry Midoriya, I had the greatest time in my life during that fight. If you want to watch it yourself you can go check it out in the archives. Maybe find some time to get to know him as well. He has a student of his own and I think the two of you could learn a lot from each other.
Shoto: There’s no need to be so tense. I’ve seen the fight, he doesn’t die a brutal death if that’s what you’re worried about.
Deku: Oh, ok I see.
Later that night, Deku entered his new dorm. It was an exact one-to-one recreation of his dorm room back in UA. All Might figures decorated the walls and he made a silent note to not invite anyone into his room. Midoriya settled down and began changing out of his hero outfit and into some sleeping attire. All Might suggested he spend a few days here before going back home, which left Deku unsure of what he wanted to do. His goal is to follow in his hero’s footsteps and become the next symbol of peace, so he thought that he could maybe continue his hero training here in the meantime. Perhaps he can even ask some of the other heroes to mentor him like how the heroes in his world mentor aspiring heroes through agency internships. He decided to ask All Might if such a thing is possible in the morning.
—
Deku: I don’t understand. Why won’t they help train me?
All Might: It’s not that they’re not willing to. Many people here are willing to lend a hand to each other in times of need but to be someone’s mentor requires time and dedication. Something they may not have to spare with their responsibilities back in their worlds.
Shoto: You could ask them to be your sparring partners instead.
The Half-Cold Half-Hot Hero interjected with.
Deku: What do you mean?
Shoto: I mean you can ask people here to fight you for fun. Most won’t turn it down, especially since no one can kill anyone here. You can start with the guy you just fought or you can check out the library and gaming room. If you're short on time, you can quickly look at them in action through the archives.
The One For All Prodigy gave his friend’s words some thought. While fighting Asta again would probably lead to the same outcome, there were plenty of other fighters here who could potentially be a better match for him. And so Deku would spend most of his Colosseum days reviewing the archives as well as reading, watching and playing anything he could get his hands on in the Colosseum to research potential sparring partners. In his room, he documented various combatant’s strengths and abilities and how they could potentially interact with him. He would weigh his chances of victory and if the fight was overwhelming in either his or his opponent's favour then he would discard the idea of fighting with them. Afterall, he wants a fight that will put him to the test.
After months of research he found many promising rivals and he would visit these combatants time and time again to ask for a fight. While some were hesitant at first, they quickly came around as time went on.
Of course, despite how many people he found the opportunity to spar with, the Young Hero obviously has his favourites.
Mega Man
Getting the Classic Fighting Robot to agree to a sparring match was not easy. Despite being a walking arsenal, Rock was a pacifist at heart and wasn’t interested in needless violence even if it was on friendly terms, something Deku could sympathize with but he still wanted to fight him regardless. After all, he’s got so many different quirks and he’s got so many different weapons, it’ll be a battleground of constant adaptation and quick thinking. The perfect training for dealing with unsuspecting and tricky foes.
Deku: Please! I’ll find a healer for us after the fight too, I promise. Please!
Deku was almost begging for Rock on his knees. It made for an awkward scene in the cafeteria, to see a supposed hero pleading to another hero to fight him.
Mega Man: I-I don’t know. I just don’t feel like it’s necessary.
Deku: But it could benefit both of us. I’m a close-quarters fighter and you’re a strictly ranged fighter. We could both learn how to better handle these kinds of enemies if we trained together.
Mega Man: I’ve never really met a close-combat robot who I couldn’t defeat.
X: Are you forgetting about me?
Astro Boy: Me too.
Rock waved off his friend’s comment. While Deku does have a point, Mega Man’s catalogue of villains who’ve traditionally utilised melee weapons is rather small as range is a powerful tool in his world. And so he doesn’t see himself needing to subject himself to this sort of violence for the training if he may not need it.
Mega Man: Sorry but I don’t want to fight you.
Astro Boy: Such a stickler to peace.
Mega Man: And that’s a problem?
Astro Boy: No, but what’s wrong with a good ‘ole fashioned sparring match.
X: I agree, there really is no downside to this Rock. None of you can die and it’s pretty easy to fix you up with a few energy tanks.
Mega Man: But what about you Deku. Won’t you get hurt?
Deku: Oh, I hurt myself all the time. You don’t need to worry about me.
The 6 robots, Rock, X, EXE, Star Force, Zero and Astro Boy, all look at each other with concern on their faces. The only one who doesn’t seem to be that worried is Volnutt, who is the only one in the table to have read the entire MHA manga (up to this point in 2022) due to not having anything better to do (F-you Capcom).
Rock takes a deep breath before asking one last time.
Mega Man: Are you sure you want to do this?
Deku: Yes I do!
Mega Man: Okay… because I’m more worried about hurting you than anything else.
Deku: That’s ok. The pain is part of the learning. I just need to learn to adapt to it.
Zero: This kid’s something else.
Astro Boy: Seems too eager to be a symbol of peace to me.
X: Well, he is still growing.
Deku: That’s right. And as a result I still have a lot to learn.
Mega Man thought about it one more time before conceding.
Mega Man: Alright, I’ll fight you.
Deku perked up at hearing Rock agree. His bright eyes and big smile embarrassing Rock with second hand embarrassment.
Deku: Thank you so much! I promise this will be worth your time.
—
Despite its name, the rainbow road that surrounds the Colosseum doesn’t really see that many races. Most of the speedsters are too busy being in other places to regularly use it and so it has been used as an unofficial arena. For some reason, the Colosseum has no dedicated arena for friendly spars (Boomstick: That’s quite the oversight Wiz.) and so combatants have taken to using the rainbow road as a substitute. Its adjustable size means the width of the track can be made as wide as needed to compensate for a fight and the settings computer at the entrance to it allows for combatants to customise the road itself, from a range of rocky mountains to a ruined city. These settings existed to spice up the locations for racing but it had the unintended side effect of allowing for fights to take place in almost any kind of environment the combatants wanted.
Mega Man: What environment do you prefer to fight in?
Deku: Hmmm… a city. Preferably one with no people.
Mega Man: This thing can’t make people. Don’t worry.
Rock gets to work, working the settings of the track. Deku watched in awe from the window as the rainbow road stretched beyond the horizon and concrete roads and buildings began to rise from the ground. He had not been specific as to what city he wanted so Rock just decided to simulate Tokyo. After he was done he told Deku to follow him onto the road. Midoriya was fascinated by how well the city had been created. It looked identical to real life Tokyo. The pair walked for a bit before stopping in front of the Tokyo Tower.
Deku: Woah, all of this just for a race track?
Mega Man: Yeah, we don’t know what went wrong in the heads of the people who made this place. You’d have to have a few screws loose to put so much effort into a racetrack but neglecting an arena for this place.
Deku: So… is this where we’ll fight?
Mega Man: Yeah. Do you want to start now?
Deku: Hold on, let’s get some distance. You stay here.
And with that, Izuku ran down the road until he was 100 feet away from where Mega Man stood. Cupping both hands in front of his mouth, he shouted.
Deku: Ok, ready!
[Now playing: Data Charge]
Mega Man nodded and began transforming his left hand into his Mega Buster. Meanwhile, Deku began charging One For All throughout his entire body.
Deku: One For All, Full Cowling!
From where he stood, Rock could see green electricity sparking from Deku’s body. Pointing his Mega Buster at him, Rock began charging his shots.
Deku charges forward and gets about 50 feet before leaping to the side. He lands on the side of a nearby building before leaping off of it and bounces between the buildings surrounding the Tokyo Tower. Rock tries to keep track of Deku’s movements but is having trouble following his trajectory. Eventually, he fires his charged shot at one of the buildings, having correctly guessed Deku would land on it. But just before the shot hits-
Deku: Transmission
Deku uses Gearshift and rushes in front of Rock, much to the Robot’s surprise.
Deku: Second Gear! Third Gear! Top Gear!
Landing three successive punches on him, each punch connecting faster than the last, he launches Rock into the sky. Utilising the energy he had built up from his jumps, Deku uses Fa Jin to catch up to Rock and appears just above him, ready to punch him down. But before he could land his punch he notices Mega Man looked different. Instead of his traditional blue armour and helmet, his armour was white with hues of purple. Suddenly, Deku was knocked higher into the air by blizzard winds.
Tundra Storm
As Deku flails through the sky, Mega Man lands and switches to his Dive Missiles and fires them into the sky. Deku uses the air pressure generated from his kicks to dodge around and destroy the missiles. He uses a powerful kick to send himself diving toward the ground but Mega Man dodges the landing and fires a Flame Blast at Deku, which explodes into a pillar of flame. Undeterred by the heat, Deku launches a Blackwhip at Mega Man and ensnares the Mega Buster. He pulls him in for a powerful attack.
Deku: Detroit Smash!
The smash sends Rock flying through one of the nearby buildings. Emerging from the other side, Rock slides on the floor for a moment and finds himself in a small courtyard. He looks up and sees Deku about to charge through the hole he came from. Deku leaps forward and dives through the hole just as Mega Man fires a Drill Bomb through it.
Deku: Low Gear!
Lowering his velocity, Deku uses Float to get around the attack- Danger Sense suddenly flashes through his head and an explosion rings behind him as Mega Man detonates the Drill Bomb manually. Deku flies straight into Rock, who flashes red while connecting an uppercut into his chin.
Mega Man: Power Gear!
The enhanced uppercut sends Deku crashing into the upper floor of the building. Using Smokescreen, he periodically covers his position.
Deku: He’s stronger than I thought. Overwhelming him with speed seemed to work. Need to stay on his flanks and avoid staying above him for too long.
With that he leaps out and begins leaping between the buildings in the courtyard in an attempt to overwhelm Mega Man with speed. Rock fires multiple shots but Deku uses Smokescreen in combination with his jumps to cover the sides of the buildings with smoke to conceal his landing and take-off trajectories. With this, he’s able to land multiple strikes against the Blue Bomber.
Mega Man: He’s almost as fast as Quick Man! Well, two can play that game.
Switching to Gemini Lasers, Mega Man fires a barrage of them around him. The lasers bounce off the walls and floors, making navigating harder for the Young Hero.
Deku: He’s countering with this? I expected him to use his Speed Gear to counter my speed.
Three lasers hit Deku from different angles, killing his momentum. Before he’s able to take-off again he’s hit by a Spark Shot. Taking advantage of his opponent’s immobilised state, Rock fires a Blazing Torch shot, which flies up before arcing down and pinning Deku on the ground with its impact. As Deku crawls out of the small crater he is quickly forced to dodge a Charge Kick but fails to dodge the follow up Top Spin attack.
Mega Man: Speed Gear!
Scratch that; he fails to dodge the follow up, Speed Gear enhanced, Top Spin attack. The flurry of blows knocks Izuku away and even manages to draw some blood too.
Deku: Need to get some distance. St. Louis Smash Air Force!
Deku releases a massive amount of compressed air through his kick, the wide area of effect of it preventing Rock from dodging, causing him to fly out of the courtyard and onto the roof of a far away apartment.
Mega Man: Does this kid have as many special attacks as states in the US or something?
Deku leaps up from the courtyard and begins jumping across buildings to get to Rock. Activating Speed Gear again, Mega Man starts firing multiple charged shots at Deku. Deku dodges a few of the shots before activating Gear Shift again and rockets forward. Mega Man tries to tag him with Hornet Chasers but Deku is too fast for them to catch up with. He fires a Blackwhip at the building Rock is on and begins swinging himself around it, using his centripetal force to increase the strength of his next attack.
Deku: Gotta knock him out now before he can use any more weapons. One For All- 45%!
With Speed Gear running low, Rock quickly switches to Power Gear and fires an Atomic Fire shot at Deku-
Deku: Faux 100%
Only for him to burst straight through it-
Deku: Manchester Smash!
And into Mega Man’s chest. The impact sends Mega Man flying through the air but Deku isn’t done yet.
Deku: He can still use other weapons in this state. I need to finish him off before he can utilise any of his time stopping abilities.
Combining both Gearshift and Fa Jin, he catches up to Mega Man’s body and positions himself above him for the finishing blow. As Deku readies his next attack, Mega Man’s colour scheme switches to a reddish-purple.
Deku: Time to end this! OVERDRIVE!
Deku prepares his 120% attack and he extends his arm to connect the punch. But the punch doesn’t connect, his fist stops 5cm away from Rock’s body, which just leaves the air pressure to launch the Blue Bomber into the ground. Deku was confused, until he felt he was suddenly yanked into the air by an invisible force.
Gravity Hold
Mega Man hits the ground with a crash. As he struggles to get up he disables Gravity Hold and looks up to see a bunch of cars, benches and rubble have also been shot into the sky alongside Deku. Deku uses these props to get a footing before diving toward Rock as fast as he can. But just before he can reach him, his colours change again to a dark purple.
Time Stopper
[Music pauses]
Mega Man activates Time Stopper just as Deku is a few centimeters away from connecting his fist with him. Taking this moment to breathe, he drops some Hyper Bombs down and places them on the soon-to-be impact zone. Rock starts walking away. After a while, he turns back around and counts down the remaining seconds of Time Stopper while charging up one last charged shot.
Mega Man: 3 2 1
[Music resumes]
Time resumes, Mega Man fires, and Deku finds himself punching a bile of bombs with all his might. The explosion reaches 3/4s the height of the Tokyo Tower and rings throughout the makeshift city.
[Music stops]
Despite being caught in the blast radius, he was on the outer edge of it so Rock only took minor damage from it, on top of the major damage already taken from Deku. Reverting back to his iconic blue hue, Rock makes his way over to Deku, who lays face first on the ground in the crater made from the explosion.
Mega Man: Deku! Are you ok?!
Rock races down to help the Young Hero up, who groans in pain.
Deku: You have… too many weapons to keep track of…
Despite his injured state, Rock found Deku’s comment amusing.
Mega Man: Hehe, well I don’t usually carry this many weapons around at once.
Deku: You’re telling me… Let me lie down here for a bit.
Mega Man carefully laid Deku on his back before collapsing on the ground next to him. The two laid together in a comfortable silence for a while.
Deku: You’re incredibly strong. With a hero like you, I’m sure your world has found its peace.
Mega Man pondered for a moment, thinking if he should reveal to Deku how things really are in his world.
Mega Man: I guess you could say that… I’m sure your world will be doing great too once you become the next symbol of peace.
Deku: Hopefully…
They continued to lay there for a few more minutes until Mega Man helped Deku back to the Colosseum.
Deku: That was a good fight. Let’s do this again sometime.
Rock Lee
As part of his research, Deku watched both his mentor’s fight against Might Guy and Might Guy’s student’s fight against Sanji. He could see where All Might was coming from when he told him it was one of the greatest fights he’s ever had. However, watching Sanji vs Rock Lee left Deku confused. Rock Lee didn’t really show much martial prowess in the fight. His rushed transformations gave Midoriya the impression that he was a brash fighter who relied more on raw power than actual combat skill. A stark contrast to Might Guy, who proved to be able to match All Might’s strength with his skill alone before using any transformations.
Wanting to know more, Deku headed over to the library to learn about Rock Lee. Turns out, this ninja student has a lot in common with him. Just like him, he started out with aspirations to be a greater person. Just like him, he lacked what it took to reach those aspirations. Just like him, he met a mentor who trained him to become the person he aspired to be. The main difference Deku noticed was that Rock Lee wasn’t given any special powers by Might Guy. There was no need to inherit anything, just hard work and training.
Deku: That kind of strain would kill a quirkless person. I guess the human limitation is different over there than it is for us. If only we had that high limit. I could’ve achieved my dreams of becoming a hero in a different way… but then I wouldn’t have taken after All Might’s role. Hmm…
It’s food for thought but not something the Young Hero is interested in at the moment.
—
Deku wanders through the Colosseum, hoping to be able to find Rock Lee and ask him for a sparring match. As he searches, he runs into Rock Lee’s master, Might Guy.
Might Guy: Oh hey! You’re All Might’s star student right? Izuku Midoriya, Deku, next in line to be the world’s symbol of peace! It’s nice to see you around here.
Deku: Oh, it’s nice to see you too sir.
Might Guy: Please, just call me Guy. What are you doing out here?
Deku: Actually, I was looking for your student.
Might Guy: Oh, Lee. I think he might be in the gym. Come on, let’s go meet him together.
Deku: A-Alright, sure.
The two green heroes make their way to the gym. As per Guy’s prediction, Lee was there, putting away some weights. The weights were labelled at 10,000 tons each.
Guy: Lee! Didja have a good workout session?
Lee: G-Guy Sensei! Yep, I managed to surpass my last record.
Guy: That’s the spirit!
The Old Master and his Student embraced each other in a hug. Meanwhile, Deku stood to the side unsure of what to think of what he was seeing. While he would say he and All Might have a close bond he wouldn’t go as far as to say it’s this close. Lee and Guy even seemed to be tearing up as they hugged, which made Deku feel awkward for being here. Like he's intruding on something he shouldn’t be seeing. Truth to be told, neither Lee or Guy mind.
Might Guy: By the way, you remember Deku right?
Guy asked his student before thumb pointing in Deku’s direction.
Rock Lee: Of course. faces Deku You’re All Might’s student. It’s great to finally see you in person.
Lee extends a hand to Deku, who shakes it in earnesty.
Deku: It’s nice to meet you too. All Might has told me great things about you too. Um, I was actually wondering if you and I could have a sparring match?
Upon hearing this request, Lee’s smile grew bigger.
Rock Lee: Of course! When do you want it?
Deku: Oh, is later today ok?
Lee gives Deku a thumbs up.
Rock Lee: Sure thing. We’ll meet at the rainbow road.
—
2023
Rock Lee was waiting at the rainbow road for Deku to arrive. They’ve been going at it for a year and have managed to find a flow that allows Deku to learn something from their fights. During their first few matches, they both learned very quickly that Deku’s immense mobility and arsenal of quirks made it very difficult for Lee to keep up, even with the 7th Gate.
So to keep things fair and interesting, and for the sake of Izuku learning something, they decided to limit what Deku can do during their sparring sessions. Deku can only use One For All to empower himself. No usage of Blackwhip, Float, Smokescreen, Fa Jin or Gearshift. Danger Sense can’t really be turned off so it gets a pass. No usage of smash attacks as well. The goal in these fights is for Deku to rely more on his hand-to-hand skills in combat to defeat Lee.
Due to not needing the immense speed of Gearshift and Fa Jin, the makeshift arena is allowed to be flatter. Lee usually just sets the track to a forest and then clears an area himself.
Lee dusts off his hands after throwing away the last tree to make a 100 foot by 100 foot long arena. Hearing rustling behind him, he turns and sees Deku emerging from the trees. Wasting no time, Lee initiates the fight.
[Now playing: Unlimited Percent]
Lee: You ready?
Deku takes a deep breath and charges One For All throughout his entire body.
Deku: Ready!
The two lock eyes before charging at each other.
Lee opens with a flying kick, not dissimilar to his master’s dynamic entry. Deku blocks the kick with both arms before grabbing his leg and swinging him around. Deku then tosses Lee away, who easily recovers and leaps into the air. He attempts to land a falling strike but Deku dodges his landing. Deku attempts to throw a punch at Lee to keep him down but Lee uses the smokescreen generated from his landing to conceal his movements and reveals that he has winded up a kick aimed at Deku’s head.
Lee kicks Deku in the head, stunning him, and allowing Lee to unleash a flurry of punches and kicks at him. Throughout the onslaught, Deku perseveres, and manages to catch both of Lee’s fists heading toward his head. Using his smaller stature as leverage he pulls himself up to dropkick Lee in the chest, sending the Youthful Beast flying backwards.
Deku uses this opportunity to rush at Lee. Lee side steps Deku’s charge but Deku plants a hand on the ground and uses it to pivot around and swing a kick at Lee. Lee dodges with a backflip. The two get back on their feet and begin trading blows. Punching, blocking and parrying, with Lee getting the upper hand in the end. He manages to punch Deku away and immediately follows up with an uppercut to the face.
Lee: Come one! Remember what I taught you?
As Deku tries to get his bearings, Danger Sense rings through his head, allowing him to dodge another punch from Lee. Deku then counters by elbowing Lee in the gut before following up with his own uppercut. Deku leaps to Lee’s eye level to deliver a kick, knocking Lee back. When Lee gets back up, Deku attempts to follow up with more attacks but Lee skillfully blocks and deflects each one. Eventually, Deku lands a somersault kick, which knocks Lee off-balance. Using this opening, he leaps over Lee and delivers a powerful drop kick, knocking Lee down again and cratering the ground.
Deku jumps back to get a breather while Lee gets up. Still in the crater, he smiles while wiping the dirt off his face.
Lee: Now we’re getting somewhere. First Gate, open!
Lee’s mind clears itself of its inhibitions, allowing him to take on Deku with more clarity but not with too much power yet.
Lee: This is only a training match. You’ll earn the other gates when you’ve pushed me with your skills.
Lee takes a stance, gesturing to Deku to continue with the fight.
Deku runs back in and tries to punch Lee but Lee diverts Deku’s punch, causing him to trip behind Lee. When he turns around, Lee kicks Deku in the chin, smacking him out of the crater. Deku then tries to land more hits but Lee is able to deflect each blow, knocking Deku off balance each time, though he doesn’t follow up. Each time Deku is knocked off balance he tries to carry that momentum into another attack but Lee simply diverts his strikes again. Eventually, Deku lands a kick on Lee’s face by amping up his usage of One For All for a short burst of power. He tries to follow up with a gut blow with his elbow but Lee deflects it down. Undeterred, Deku tries to continue his assault with a roundhouse kick but Lee dodges back to avoid the attack.
Deku: Crap
Lee: Trying Sensei’s moves huh? I’ll show you how it’s done.
Lee kicks Deku in the head before getting on the ground and performing a handstand spin into the same break dance sweep kick Might Guy used against All Might, knocking Deku off balance before finishing it with a somersault kick to the face.
Lee: Not a bad try.
Lee begins charging up a powerful punch.
Lee: But still not good enough.
Lee punches but Deku catches his fist, surprising the Taijutsu Master. Electricity begins pouring out of Deku’s body.
Deku: Not good enough? I’ll show you what I’ve learned.
Deku shoves Lee back and charges into him, leaving a trail of green lightning behind. The impact causes Lee to roll around on the floor. When he finds his footing, Deku rushes up behind him and punches him in the back. He then performs a roundhouse kick on Lee’s side to turn him around before pivoting the leg he used to kick onto the ground, using the remaining energy in it to launch himself up to Lee’s eye level and perform a series of spinning jump kicks. When he lands he dashes away, leaving Lee dazed and searching around for Deku’s position. Unable to find him, he looks up to see Deku preparing a falling strike. Lee jumps out of the way of Deku’s crash, and out of the way of his slide kick but is too slow to dodge Deku’s next attack, where he punches Lee in the gut before balancing himself on one foot and spinning himself around to deliver multiple hits at once, like a top spin (hmm…). The ending attack launches Lee back and he barely manages to catch a charging Deku by the arm and tosses him back.
Lee: Sixth Gate of View, open!
A green aura engulfs Lee’s body and his skin turns brown.
Lee: Hidden Lotus!
The two green warriors begin dashing around the arena at immense speeds. Their clashes create shockwaves that blow the leaves off of the surrounding trees. At one point during these clashes, Lee manages to swipe Deku’s legs off the ground. He kicks him into the air and leaps up behind him to prepare his Front Lotus attack. He successfully wraps Deku up and begins spinning him around as they fall. Panicked, Deku taps into a bit more of One For All’s power and breaks out of the wraps, much to Lee’s shock, and delivers a powerful kick to Lee’s chest. The kick sends Lee flying out of the tree clearing and into the forest. When Deku lands, he immediately calls out for him.
Deku: Lee, are you ok?! I didn’t mean to hit you that hard! Aww crap, I lost a bit of control of One For All back there.
From across the trees, he could hear Lee shout back.
Lee: I’m fine! But now that you’ve won…
Deku: Not really how I’m meant to win this.
But before Deku could dwell on how he accidentally took Lee out with strength rather than his skill, the aura of the Sixth Gate cuts through the forest and makes a new clearing that stretches between him and Lee.
Lee: You’ve got me curious. You’ve grown a lot since you got here, so why don’t you show me what the next symbol of peace has to offer. Seventh Gate of Wonder, open!
The white aura of the Seventh Gate engulfs Lee. Recognising this as his most powerful state, Deku immediately understood what Lee wanted from him at that moment. Steeling himself, he began channeling One For All throughout his body again to an even greater degree then before.
Deku: One For All- 45%!
Seeing Deku’s body exude even more power than before, Lee releases the Seventh Gate’s ultimate attack.
Lee: Daytime Tiger!
Air pressure resembling a tiger rockets forward from Lee and toward Deku. A moment flashes before Deku’s eyes and he catches the blast by the teeth. He struggles against it before finally halting its momentum.
Deku: You want my best? Here it is!
As he says this he leaps through the Daytime Tiger and dissipates it. For just this once, they can break the rules they made, and so he begins charging his own special move.
Deku: DETROIT SMASH!
Lee charges forward to meet Deku’s smash with a flying kick. The two yell at the top of their lungs as their attacks clash, creating a shockwave that knocks over all the trees in a 150m radius.
[Music stop]
When the smoke clears, Deku is revealed to be triumphant over his opponent. Lee laid on the ground tired, his leg broken but he was too exhausted to care. Deku’s arm also took a serious injury from the clash and he held it in pain as he sat on the ground. The two basked in their pained silence for a few minutes.
Lee: Hehe, you’re really going places kid.
Deku: O-Oh, thanks.
Deku replied bashfully. He then sighed.
Deku: I was hoping I would’ve been able to beat you fair and square this time though.
Lee merely smiled at Deku’s lamentation.
Lee: Don’t sweat it. I think you’re doing well for the role you’re filling in.
Deku returned the smile. They continued to sit together in silence before Deku helped Lee up with his uninjured arm.
Miles Morales
Miles was not one of the combatants Deku initially considered fighting with. While he found a lot of things about the Young Hero to be impressive, he didn’t think he would be able to keep up with him in a fight. When Miles heard that Deku was going around asking people to fight him, he was eager to join the fun.
Miles: Come on. Are you worried that I won’t be able to keep up?
Deku: Sort of, yeah.
Miles: Well there’s no need to worry. A spider man is all about holding back. I’m a lot stronger than you think.
Deku: I know you guys hold back. But I don’t think even without those restrictions you can face me head on.
Miles: Come on, give me a chance here. I’ll prove that I’m a worthy challenger for you. Just you wait.
Eventually, Deku relented and the two got into a sparring match. In the end, Deku won but it wasn’t as easy of a win as he thought it would be. While Miles was demonstrably weaker than One For All’s power, he was a surprising match in speed and quick thinking. His web slinging skills outmatched his utilisation of Blackwhip and his greater familiarity with his spider sense made him a slippery target compared to his own usage of Danger Sense. His invisibility made him hard to track and he even used it to turn Deku’s own Smokescreen against him. And while he was weaker, his Venom Strike packed a punch. So despite his loss, Deku gained a new respect for Miles.
From there, they continued to spar and while Miles has pretty much never won he has come close many times. Which has turned into his measurement of winning, the closer he can get to beating Deku the more he considers the fight a win.
—
2024, not long after MHA’s last chapter
It was time for another fight and Deku had already assembled the rainbow road to take the appearance of New York City. Right now, he was sitting at the edge of an apartment complex, looking up into the sky above the Colosseum while he waited for Miles. He stared into space and the stars in the sky while absently fidgeting with his old hero costume, Costume Zeta.
Behind him, Miles slowly descended down from a taller building, with a piece of a sandwich in his mouth. He walked up to Deku and took a seat next to him.
Miles: You know, apparently those two constellations have been fighting for almost 10 years now.
Deku: Really? I had no idea…
The two sat together, staring up into space for a while.
Miles: By the way, congrats on becoming a teacher.
Deku: Oh, thanks.
Miles: I know it probably isn’t the job you wanted as a kid but at least you’ll be a hero in a different way.
Deku gave Miles a confused look. If he knew he had become a teacher then he must’ve already known that he had an armored suit as well to continue doing hero work.
Deku: Well, I haven’t completely left the hero's life behind.
Miles: mid bite of his sandwich What do you mean?
Deku: Have you been reading my story?
Miles blinks at Deku a few times before pulling the bread from his mouth to respond.
Miles: Alright I’ll admit. I only got the cliff notes of what happened to you after your final fight.
Deku: Hehe, well, to avoid spoilers, I still have a way to fight villains if I need to.
Miles: I gotta get around to finishing your comics.
The two continued staring up into space for a while. Admiring the stars, the constellations, Unicron’s prison, etc. Eventually, Deku stood up.
Deku: Well, are you ready? It’s been a long time since I’ve used these powers. This is the only time I’ll be able to relive using them.
[Now playing: Only One True Hero]
Deku clenches his fist and it crackles with green lightning. He turns to Miles and uncharacteristically gives him a mischievous smirk.
Deku: Are you ready for another loss?
Miles shoves his food down his mouth before standing up and pulling his mask down.
Miles: Just you wait.
He leaps to the other side of the roof.
Miles: I’ll show you just how much I’ve gotten better at kicking your butt.
With that he fires two webs on either side of Deku and pulls himself to launch a kick at him. Deku smiles and blocks the kick while stepping back, allowing both of them to fall off the building. As they fall Deku grabs a hold of Miles’ foot while placing his other hand in front of Miles’ chest.
Miles: Huh?
Deku: Delaware Smash!
With a flick of his finger he launches Miles away. Miles tumbles through the air before coming to a stop at an elevated rail line. Deku stops his fall with Float and uses Blackwhip to ensnare the upper floors of the building they were on. Grabbing the whip with both hands he pulls, fracturing the upper floors of the building, before swinging around to sling the chunks of debris at Miles.
Deku: Nice thing about this place is that there’s no need to worry about collateral damage.
Miles jumps and weaves between the chunks of debris. He leaps through the window sill of a chunk of what used to be a bedroom and webs it afterward before swinging it back at Deku.
Miles: This yours? You got some nice sheets!
Deku gathers One For All into his fist and punches the chunk to bits. He moves to float above Miles before crashing down. Miles dodges the landing and tries to punch Deku but Danger Sense warns him of the attack. Deku dodges back, causing Miles to miss, and allowing Deku to follow up with a punch of his own. The two trade hand-to-hand blows before Miles grabs both of Deku’s arms and rolls on his back to kick Izuku a few blocks down the rail line. As Deku skids along the tracks Miles fires a beam lightning from his hands, forcing Deku to block.
Miles: Come on, we don’t wanna be late for the train do we?
Behind him, Deku could hear the sound of a subway train approaching. The Venom Beam stops, leaving Deku surprised and open to a web grenade that pins him to the front of the train.
Deku: No, we don’t. One For All- 30%
Deku bursts out of Miles' webbing and flips onto the top of the train car. Miles leaps into the air as the train approaches and attempts to land a flying kick on Deku, who dodges. Miles lands on the train just as it enters a tunnel. Though it’s hard to see, Deku could tell Miles went invisible to try and conceal his movements. Deciding to test their senses, he pushes Smokescreen to its limits so that both of them are invisible to each other. Within the cloud of darkness, their Spider and Danger Senses alert them to each other. They swing into the darkness, missing, hitting and clashing with each other. Eventually, Deku is able to grab a punch from Miles and smash him down into the train car.
Miles hits the floor with a crash and his invisibility falters. But as Deku tries to follow, Miles goes invisible again. Deku’s eyes search the car frantically but Danger Sense is not picking him up. Finally, it procs and Deku barely dodges an electric infused web shot flying past his head. Another one flies past the other side of his head and then he realises Miles is going to drop kick him in the face into the wall. Acting based on instinct, he charges forward with One For All and collides with Miles before he can attack, stripping him of his invisibility. They crash out of the front window and out of the tunnel. The surroundings have gone from a city to an industrial zone. Deku punches Miles down the track and Miles tosses a web grenade as he flails through the air. Deku dodges to the side and the train passes by. Deku assumes Miles was on the other side of the train and takes a moment to breathe, intending on waiting for the train to pass before continuing to fight. But the train cars are suddenly shoved violently into him from the other side by Miles. Deku falls off the rails and uses Blackwhip to swing through the factories. Miles follows suit with his own web swinging.
The two fly through the air, trading blows as they go. Deku alternates between swinging with Blackwhip and leaping around to build up energy for Fa Jin. Miles swings between and into factories, pulling up debris to throw at Deku, who begins controlling their trajectory using Blackwhip and Gearshift. Deku then surrounds himself with all the debris Miles has swung at him and uses Gearshift to accelerate all of them in Miles' direction. Seeing this, Miles activates Reverse Flux.
Miles: Hey, those were my gifts for you.
Using his bio-electricity to attract all the debris to him before blasting it away. Deku uses this opening to charge in with a punch but Miles reacts just in time for their fists to clash midair, electricity spewing from their bodies.
Midoriya wins the clash and knocks Miles back but Miles webs Deku’s chest and pulls him down with him. The two crash into separate buildings. Deku recovers first and runs out of his building, only to turn and see Miles had picked his building up and is carrying it above his head. Miles throws the building at Deku, who destroys it with a smash.
Deku: Smash!
As Deku destroys the building, Miles rushes in and punches Deku into the air with a Venom infused punch, before catching him with his webs and slamming him into the ground. As Deku tries to get back up Miles begins pummeling him with multiple Venom punches.
Miles: Stay down!
Deku fights through the blows and retaliates with his own punch, which Miles dodges and prepares for a Venom Smash.
Deku: Transmission
But before he can land it Deku retreats with Gearshift. As Miles misses, Deku comes back to deliver his three gear punches, launching Miles high into the air. As Miles flies up he fires a web with his left hand down at Deku. Deku fires a Blackwhip up with his left hand. The two threads meet, then their eyes meet, and they begin charging up for the final clash.
Deku and Miles rear back their right arms.
Deku: One For All- 45%!
Miles shoots a pulse of electricity through his web and through the Blackwhip to interrupt Deku’s attack.
Deku: Argh!
Miles pulls up with all his might. Deku pulls down with all his might. Green and blue electricity fill the air.
Deku: SMASH!
Their fists clash one more time and the resulting shockwave of air pressure and electricity shuts down the industrial zone.
[Music stops]
In the end Deku wins the clash, breaking Miles’ arm and launching him back up into the sky. Both of Deku’s arms are fried. The right one is exhausted from being pushed while the left one is literally fried from the powerful pulse of Venom that Miles sent into it. Deku couldn’t help but think.
Deku: If we weren’t restricted in any way, could he produce enough electricity to kill me? That blast really hurt. Maybe if we weren’t held back he would’ve won that clash.
Snapping out of his thoughts, Deku floats up to Miles and catches him by his suit with his teeth. Miles, barely conscious, holds his right arm in pain.
Miles: So you’ve incorporated that smile of yours into your moveset?
Deku floats back down to the ground before letting Miles go.
Deku: No, it’s just that both my arms are fried.
Miles: Ha, only one of my arms is cooked.
Deku: Is that a win for you?
Miles: I’ll take it as one.
The two sit comfortably in silence for a while.
Miles: Hopefully one day, we’ll get a Death Battle. Then we’ll see who’s truly stronger without our restrictions.
Deku gave Miles a smile and a nod as a response.
Deku: That would be fun. Even better if it gets set up like All Might’s fight.
Miles: Yeah, it’d be pretty awkward if it started like how mine did.
Both of them stand up and begin walking back to the Colosseum.
Miles: Why doesn’t this place have a dedicated hospital again?
Deku: Maybe they just trust the fact someone with healing powers will be around.
Miles: Man the guys who made this place are stupid.