BNHA: Singularity

"I'm bored..."
With school being closed to facilitate the police's investigation and an internal security review, Izuku found himself with the day off and no plans. If it were the past, he would have spent his free time modifying patents or conducting market research. However, while that was still an option, his diminished Intelligence and Dexterity made it comparable to playing his favorite game on inferior hardware. He could; it simply wasn't as enjoyable.
*ding*
"Hmmm?"
Since his phone was set to chime only if there was an emergency or a high-priority message, Izuku was both surprised and not to find he had received a text from Nezu.
'If it isn't an inconvenience, please make your way to the school as soon as possible. There are matters of paramount importance we would like to discuss with you.'
"There go my chances of asking one of the girls on a date..." muttered Izuku. However, despite this utterance, he practically leaped out of bed to prepare. There were only a handful of reasons Nezu could be calling him in like this, most of which were extremely beneficial. Thus, after telling his mom the police needed to ask him a few follow-up questions, Izuku ran to the school instead of taking the train...
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Surprised by how quickly Izuku had reached the campus, Nezu, once again accompanied by All Might and Tsukauchi, remarked, "You're here much sooner than I expected, Midoriya-kun. Were you in the area when you received my message?"
Adopting a wry smile and rubbing the back of his head, Izuku revealed, "Sensei's text mentioned this was a matter of paramount importance, so I came running as quickly as I could. My maximum speed is faster than the trains at the station, so I...may have violated the provision prohibiting the use of Quirks without a license..."
Though Tsukauchi frowned upon hearing Izuku's admission, Nezu and All Might were all smiles as the former exhaled a light chuckle and mused, "I appreciate you treating this matter seriously. However, as the Principal of UA, I'm obligated to ask you not to violate the statutes of the Association in the future."
Without waiting for Izuku's response, Nezu shifted his gaze to Tsukauchi, asking, "Well then, shall we be off?"
Nodding his head, Tsukauchi rose to his feet while Nezu hopped down from the sofa, the duo hastily departing so that All Might and Izuku could be alone. Their sudden and swift exit caused tensions within the room to become palpable, but Izuku did his best to appear calm despite sitting as straight as a rod.
Leaning forward and linking his fingers together, All Might's expression and tone were solemn as he revealed, "The duo you identified as Tenko Shimura and Oboro Shirakumo have disappeared from their confinement. According to the medical team responsible for their treatment, a strange black liquid burst forth from their mouths, swallowing them before the on-site security had a chance to respond..."
Though he wasn't surprised by All Might's words, Izuku couldn't prevent a discontent frown from marring his face. Tomura was a key player in many of the future events he wished to avoid. If All Might had killed rather than apprehended him, All-for-One would either need to reveal himself or bide his time rearing a new successor...
Believing that Izuku was upset because the man who had targeted him and his friends had gotten away, All Might adopted a somewhat forced smile, assuring, "Worry not, young Midoriya. We have competent people working around the clock to uncover their location. We'll locate and have them in custody before you know it."
Forcing a smile of his own, Izuku replied, "I pray that's the case...that Quirk, Decay, seems like it could cause tremendous harm if allowed to be unleashed at its full potential..."
Recalling the danger he had felt when Tomura attempted to touch his face, All Might couldn't help nodding in response to Izuku's words. Then, with a resolute look, he said, "Alas, that isn't the reason I called you here. Rather, in light of recent developments, there's something important we need&ndash;no, we 'must' discuss..."
Waiting for Izuku to steel himself and reply, "I'm ready..." All Might went on to reveal the origin of his combined Quirks, One-for-All, the fate of its many wielders, and the responsibility thrust upon them. They had been engaged in a more than one-hundred-year struggle to defeat a man who referred to himself as All-for-One, the Symbol of Evil.
As his name implied, All-for-One had the power to steal the Quirks of people he touched, utilizing them for his own purposes or transplanting them into others. Doing so had allowed him to become the shadow ruler of the world, as, with the exception of One-for-All's wielders, there were none who could oppose him. Even then, until All Might's generation, every single user of One-for-All had been slain by All-for-One.
Listening to All Might recount his past, Izuku's body was incomparably tense. He was well acquainted with everything All Might was revealing, but hearing it in person hit differently. The gravitas of All Might's words placed legitimate pressure on him, leaving him completely speechless in their wake...
Meeting Izuku's gaze, All Might's body began exuding steam as he said, "I'm telling you these things for three reasons, Midoriya-kun. Yesterday's events revealed that my nemesis, All-for-One, may still be alive. If not, a person with a very similar power has appeared. Thus, if you are to inherit my power in the future, becoming the Ninth Successor of One-for-All, you must be prepared for the possibility of facing off against the greatest evil this world has ever known...can you do that? Can you stare into the abyss of evil without flinching?"
Overwhelmed by the intensity of All Might's words, Izuku found himself unable to respond. He honestly wasn't sure he had what it took to face off against a genuine monster like All-for-One. However, if he sat back and entrusted everything to others, there was a 'very' good chance he would come to regret it. Thus, as the silence between him and All Might lingered, Izuku's expression gradually hardened, culminating in the response, "If it must be done, I would rather it be me than someone else..."
Having already lived and sacrificed himself once, Izuku felt he had less of a right to live in this world than others. He may have the memories of the original Izuku, but he was ultimately an 'outsider' taking advantage of his previous life's knowledge for personal gain. If he didn't give anything back at all, he would have done more harm to this world than good. And Izuku hated having red in his ledger...
Though it took a little longer than he would have liked, Izuku's response brought a smile to All Might's face. After all, while the desire to be a Hero was required to wield One-for-All, it was far more important to possess a strong will and a spirit of sacrifice. Most aspiring Heroes sincerely wanted to help others, but very few would walk into a situation knowing there was a strong possibility they would die...
Canceling his 'muscle form' transformation, All Might abruptly changed from a 220cm, 255kg mountain of muscle to a lanky, borderline skeletal man with a gaunt face and sunken eyes. It was an exceptionally drastic transformation, but Izuku didn't flinch, asking, "Is this the side-effect of overdrawing your power?"
Shaking his head, All Might raised his dress shirt to reveal a vicious scar that radiated from his rib cage like a webbed impact crater. Just looking at it would cause others to wince, but All Might just exhaled a sigh, his voice surprisingly deep and gravelly as he explained, "During my battle with All-for-One, I received an injury that damaged most of my internal organs and annihilated my stomach. Now, I can only wield my power for around three hours before compromising the total amount of time I have left."
Letting his shirt fall, All Might, better known as Toshinori in his current form, met Izuku's gaze as he added, "This is the true reason I became a teacher at UA. While teaching here, people won't expect me to appear as frequently as I used to. It allows me to save what little power I have left to teach the person that will become my successor..."
Swallowing hard, Izuku would be lying if he said he wasn't nervous while asking, "Does that mean...?"
Nodding his head, Toshinori replied, "If you're willing, I would like you, Izuku Midoriya, to inherit my power and, if possible, become the next Symbol of Peace. I believe that your Digitalization Quirk may be the only power that can adapt my own before the next great battle. I don't know when it will occur, but if All-for-One is truly still alive, it's only a matter of time before he strikes..."
Understanding better than anyone just how right Toshinori was, Izuku no longer hesitated, nodding his head with a firm resolution in his eyes. He still believed his Quirk was more than capable of securing his position in the world, but with monsters exceeding Level 1000 appearing, he simply didn't have time to take things slow. Not when most of the major events he was knowledgeable of occurred during the original Izuku's first year in school...
Seeing the determination in Izuku's eyes, Toshinori plucked one of the luminous golden hairs from his head, grinning like a skull-faced demon as he said, "Now, if you've prepared yourself, eat this."
"..."
Though he knew it was coming, Izuku still deadpanned in response to Toshinori's words. However, eating a hair was far less disconcerting than imbibing All Might's blood, sweat, tears, or saliva. Thus, after a moment of silence, Izuku forced a smile and asked, "Can I put it on a bagel and wash it down with some coffee...?"
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A few hours after ingesting All Might's hair, Izuku was in a training room prepared by Nezu, his exposed upper body caked in sweat as he fended off the never-ended swarm of ghost-like opponents wearing trenchcoats and black bodysuits, clones provided as a courtesy of his Mathematic's teacher, Phantom Hero: Ectoplasm.
Though Ectoplasm was far from the most physically capable Hero, even losing his legs in the line of duty, his ability to create upwards of thirty-six ghostly clones made him a difficult opponent. At the very least, that was the case for ordinary opponents and Villains.
With azure blue electricity crackling around his body, Izuku repelled six of Ectoplasm's clones with the wind pressure generated by his hand. Then, in the same series of motions, he executed a sweeping sidekick, creating a blade-like shockwave that bifurcated the clones and left an impression in the reinforced steel wall behind them.
"This is incredible..." muttered Izuku, unable to keep a smile from his face even as his body screamed in protest. After all, not only was he adapting to the energy flowing through his body, but every time he defeated one of Ectoplasm's clones, his Experience would increase upwards of 1,500 EXP in a single go. It was indescribably exhilarating...
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Name: [Izuku Midoriya]
Quirk: Digitalization, Transfer, Stockpiling, Singularity, Gearshift(sealed), Fa Jin(sealed), Danger Sense(sealed), Blackwhip(sealed), Smokescreen(sealed), Float(sealed)
Current Level: 16-&gt;19 (54,108-&gt;88,295 EXP)
Effective Level: 485
[Attributes]
Strength: 50-&gt;680(A/N: With OFA Activated)
Agility: 50-&gt;680(A/N: With OFA Activated)
Vitality: 100-&gt;2720(A/N: With OFA Activated)
Intelligence: 62
Dexterity: 50-&gt;680(A/N: With OFA Activated)
Luck: 15-&gt;30(From Leveling-Up)
Free Attributes: 0
Rerolls Available: 2
[Perks]
[Bronze Skin], [Fleet-footed], [Lesser Regeneration], [Healthy Body], [Sharp Mind], [Nimble Fingers]
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After defeating all of Ectoplasm's clones, the lightning crackling around Izuku gradually receded, followed by his plopping down and sprawling out his arms and legs.
"Oh, gods...this pain is worse than when I began exercising for the first time..."
Though the power granted by One-for-All was incredible, enough to make Izuku feel like an idiot for not getting his hands on it sooner, the sequelae were no joke. He could sustain boosting his attributes by 10x fairly easily, but 15x placed a massive strain on his body, similar to Goku overusing the Kaio-ken.
Approaching the downed Izuku, Toshinori remarked, "Your Quirk truly is amazing. Being able to control the output of One-for-All immediately after receiving it is more than I could have hoped for."
Trying and failing to force himself to a seated position, a wry, pain-tinged smile adorned Izuku's face as he replied, "Yeah, but if I use too much, my body feels like it's going to burst. I'll need to experiment with my attribute distribution until I figure out a good balance."
Nodding his head, Toshinori extended Izuku a hand, helping the latter to his feet as he said, "Now, let's get you over to Recovery Girl. The Principal is already pulling strings to ensure you can 'grind' Experience efficiently in the future. For now, just focus on comprehending your new power without overdoing it."
Resisting the urge to point out they should have brought Recovery Girl to him rather than forcing him to go to her, Izuku's pained smile broadened as he said, "No worries on that end. My Intelligence is a bit low right now, but I became a fairly meticulous person during the two years leading up to my enrollment. I won't do anything crazy."
"I'll take your word for it," responded Toshinori with a smile. He still vividly recalled the scenes of Izuku charging into a group of robots and climbing the 0-Pointer. Izuku may not be 'conventionally' reckless, but he definitely had his moments...
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After Recovery Girl fixed him up with a simple kiss, Izuku returned home to get some rest. At the very least, that was his intention before pulling out his phone and discovering quite a few missed texts.
Though most of the messages were random conversational texts, Izuku's brows perked up when he thumbed through a text from Mina asking if he wanted to hang out. It was from earlier that morning, but there was plenty of light left in the day. In fact, it wasn't even noon yet.
Before responding to Mina's invitation, Izuku read through his remaining messages to ensure he wasn't inadvertently 'ghosting' anyone. Once that was done, he typed a quick message explaining why he hadn't responded sooner before commenting that he would be happy to hang out.
Less than ten seconds after Izuku sent his text, his phone buzzed. That was a good sign, but Izuku was momentarily confused when he read the contents of Mina's message, stating, 'Great. We're at the Star Arcade near Tatooin Station. Hurry on over.'
("We...?")
Realizing he was being invited to hang out with a group, various thoughts pervaded Izuku's mind. As far as he was aware, none of the other boys were particularly close to the girls in Class. In other words, there was a decently high probability that the 'we' Mina was referring to was Ochaco, Tsuyu, or some of the other girls in Class.
Though he would be lying if he said he didn't have second thoughts, Izuku quickly replied, 'Sure. On my way.' without asking for clarification. Being the only guy among a group of girls was 'dangerous' for a number of reasons, but Izuku wasn't too concerned. After all, the girls in his Class were nothing like the 'me-too' era party girls he would encounter at the nightclubs in his previous life...
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"Over here, Izuku-kun~!"
Following the sound of Mina's voice, Izuku looked over at the arcade's concession area to find a smiling, predominately pink girl flagging him down. More importantly, at least at a glance, she appeared to be alone. That was unless you noticed the blue and pink tank top floating next to her.
("This girl is turning into one hell of a wingman...") thought Izuku, making his way over to the girls' table with a smile. Then, instead of focusing his attention on Mina, he took a moment to direct his smile to the presumed location of Hagakure's invisible face, saying, "Hey there, Hagakure-san. I didn't expect to see you here."
Before Hagakure could respond, Mina narrowed her eyes and covered her mouth, snickering like a mischievous imp before saying, "See, what did I say, Hagakure-chan? This guy is nothing if not thorough when it comes to hitting on women."
Though it was invisible due to her lack of hand and wrist accessories, Hagakure rubbed the back of her head and laughed nervously in response to Mina's words. As for Izuku, he gave a casual shrug and replied, "I'm not going to deny it. When it comes to cute girls, I can't help presenting them a bit of lip service."
Crossing her arms, Mina maintained her smile as she said, "So you say, but you haven't even seen Hagakure-chan's face. How can you say she's cute?"
Shaking his head, Izuku's expression became 'serious' as he asserted, "I'm not just saying it. I know for a fact that Hagakure-san is one of, if not 'the' cutest girls in Class. My intuition about these kinds of things is never wrong."
Cupping her cheeks with her hands, Hagakure averted her invisible eyes, unable to meet Izuku's 'intense' gaze as she said, "I'm not 'that' cute..." in an uncharacteristically timid tone.
Raising his hands in a mock surrender, Izuku appended, "I won't press the matter if it's making you uncomfortable, but remaining silent won't change my opinion. If you weren't invisible, Hagakure-san, I'm certain you would captivate the entire school with your beauty."
Clapping her hands together, Mina exclaimed, "Okay, I think that's about enough out of you, Casanova! Save the flirting for if the two of you go on a date! For now, let's focus on playing games, singing karaoke, and having some fun~!"
Seemingly just as eager to escape Izuku's praise, Hagakure pumped her invisible fists, exclaiming, "Yeah! Let's have a blast~!" in her usual, bubbly tone. Her face, ears, and neck were an almost luminous shade of red, but thanks to her invisibility, neither Izuku nor Mina could see them...
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After schooling Mina in various fighting games and singing his heart out at Karaoke, Izuku was in a phenomenal mood as he made his way home. He hadn't managed to get on a first-name basis with Hagakure, but he knew it was only a matter of time. After all, while she might be invisible, Izuku could 'sense' Hagakure sneaking peeks at him throughout the impromptu hang-out. To confirm this, he would periodically turn toward her, smiling as he stared at the approximate location of her face, causing her to startle like a kid caught trying to steal a cookie.
As she had been invisible since birth, Hagakure was accustomed to going unnoticed and being able to observe others without getting caught. Izuku suspected that, so long as he gave the invisible girl the attention she very clearly desired, Hagakure may very well be the 'easiest' girl to approach in the entire Class. Well, her and Yaoyorozu. Izuku got the impression that if he were prepared to take responsibility, Yaoyorozu would permit him to do whatever he wanted.
With such thoughts in mind, Izuku pulled out his phone and sent a quick text to Yaoyorozu, asking what time 'she' wanted him to come in. That way, even if he were just a minute or two early, it would probably leave a deep impression on the intelligent but exceedingly sheltered 'ojou-sama.'
Catching Izuku a little off guard, Yaoyorozu's response came immediately, stating, '7:30 AM should suffice. I look forward to seeing you then.'
Responding with a quick 'likewise,' Izuku returned his phone to his pocket, raised his gaze to the sky, and smiled. The escape of Tomura and Kurogiri still weighed heavily on the back of his mind, but he felt calmer and more confident than ever. Just by tensing an invisible 'muscle,' he was able to channel a seemingly endless amount of energy through his body. It would take time to master, but knowing he could level small buildings, produce powerful shockwaves, or leap hundreds of meters whenever he wanted was, for lack of a better descriptive, euphoric...
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With Yaoyorozu asking him to come in at 7:30, Izuku made certain he was on campus by 7.
As anticipated, Yaoyorozu arrived a few minutes before she asked Izuku to come in, resulting in a rather adorable expression of surprise when she noticed he was already present.
Since her desk was two places behind Izuku's, Yaoyorozu made her way toward him as she asked, "Midoriya-kun? How long ago did you arrive...?"
Adopting a faint, slightly teasing smile, Izuku replied, "When I read your text and saw that you were looking forward to seeing me, I couldn't help arriving a little earlier. Witnessing the adorably surprised look on your face made it more than worth it."
Contrasting the other girls in Class, Yaoyorozu, seemingly oblivious to the fact she was being teased, adopted a smile of her own as she replied, "I see. I'm glad my reaction could boost your spirits. You seemed pretty out of it the other day, so I'm pleased to see you back to your usual antics."
"..."
Not expecting such a 'considerate' response, Izuku couldn't help feeling a little ashamed. He recovered fairly quickly, but the notion he shouldn't be playing around with such earnest girls briefly crossed his mind.
Exhaling through his nose, Izuku adopted a far more genuine smile as he said, "Thanks, Yaoyorozu-san. And sorry for worrying you. I had a lot on my mind that day."
Shaking her head and crossing her arms in a way that inadvertently emphasized her breasts, Yaoyorozu proudly asserted, "No need to apologize. After all, we promised to look after one another. I'm merely returning the favor you showed me previously."
"..."
Feeling even more awkward, the smile on Izuku's face cramped as he yielded to the compulsion to rub the back of his head. He didn't expect his past words to be used against him so suddenly, but it wasn't a 'bad' feeling. Rather, more and more, he was starting to realize that all the girls in Class 1-A were kind, considerate, and genuinely good people...
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With Homeroom starting at 8:25, Aizawa made his way into the classroom with a notably more haggard appearance than usual. He was clearly going through something but carried on as if it was just another day, his tone as flat as his expression as he said, "I have only a single announcement. One month from now, in the second week of May, UA will be hosting its annual Sports Festival. This is a tremendous opportunity you only get three times before graduation. As such, for the next month, most of your Foundational Hero Studies classes will be optional. If you would rather spend your time in the gym or honing your Quirks in UA's state-of-the-art training facilities, you are welcome to do so."
Directing his gaze to Izuku and Yaoyorozu, conveniently located in the same corner of the room, Aizawa added, "It is the responsibility of the Representative and Vice Representative to submit a copy of everyone's training itineraries and ensure the necessary forms are submitted before utilizing the training facilities. Can the two of you handle that?"
Without missing a beat, Izuku adopted a smile and responded, "Easily." Yaoyorozu was a little less sure, but hearing Izuku's response compelled her to offer a nod, adding, "We'll do our best." in a resolute tone.
Nodding his head in approval, Aizawa said, "That'll be all, then..." before surprising nearly everyone by promptly departing the classroom. Luckily, UA High's Sports Festival was one of the most popular events in the entire country, further broadcast throughout the world. It had even replaced the Olympics in Japan, so even if Aizawa didn't provide a proper explanation, it was fairly easy to gather information on past events...
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With Nezu knowing about the attack in advance(or at least being aware that 'something' might happen), the response of UA's resident heroes and the police was exceptionally swift. Literally dozens of squad cars and a handful of SAT teams arrived within minutes, accompanied by a veritable army of paramedics and other emergency services.
Unfortunately, shortly after All Might leaped into the fray, Aizawa and Thirteen forced Izuku and the rest of Class 1-A to evacuate before the former returned to provide support. As a result, Izuku wasn't present to witness All Might taking on the burgeoning League of Villains. Instead, he was forced to remain a 'safe' distance away, protected by a group of local Pros that included Kamui Woods, Mt. Lady, Death Arms, and Thirteen.
"Man, this sucks," remarked Kirishima. "We should be in there lending a hand, not sitting out here like school children!"
Ever the stickler, Ida responded, "While my spirit burns just as intensely as yours, Kirishima-kun, the fact remains that we 'are' still in school! If we attempted to assist at our current level, we would only get in the way."
Unable to refute Ida's words, Kirishima slumped his shoulders, reiterating, "This really sucks..."
"..."
Though he didn't disagree with Kirishima, Izuku couldn't help frowning slightly. He had the advantage of being able to see a person's Level and stats, but even if he didn't, he didn't think it was appropriate for kids to be on a battlefield. Such settings were common in anime, but in reality, it was pretty fucked up.
Noticing the glower on Izuku's face, Ochaco leaned over slightly, hands behind her back as she looked up at him and asked, "Is everything alright, Izuku-kun? You seem really tense."
Adopting a practiced but reassuring smile, Izuku replied, "Thanks for your concern, Ochaco-san, but I'm alright. This incident has shown me that I need to get stronger, that's all."
"Hmmm..."
Though she could tell Izuku wasn't being completely truthful, Ochaco didn't press him to reveal his true feelings. Instead, she caught him a little off guard by facing forward, a resolute light appearing in her eyes as she said, "We'll do it together." in a firm tone.
Turning to look at Ochaco's profile, Izuku was about to say something when the former, seemingly realizing her words could be taken out of context, quickly added, "As a Class! I meant we should work hard to get stronger as a Class...!"
Attracted to Ochaco's outburst and embarrassed flailing, Mina appeared with a teasing smile, asking, "What's going on over here? Are the two of you over here flirting while everyone else is distracted?"
Stamping her foot, Ochaco loudly replied, "It isn't like that, Ashido-san! Izuku-kun and I are just friends...!"
Instead of responding to Ochaco, Mina started at Izuku, narrowing her eyes in amusement as she teased, "You hear that, Izuku-kun? Looks like you've been friend-zoned."
Resisting the urge to grab and pull Mina's flexible horns, Izuku shook his head, an unperturbed smile developing across his face as he said, "That's fine by me. All I've ever really wanted was to be everyone's friend."
Without waiting for Mina's response, Izuku shifted his gaze to Ochaco, winking as he added, "At least for now."
Though she already had a slight blush on her face, accenting the two permanent blush marks adorning her cheeks, Ochaco's face became bright red when she heard Izuku's playful remark. If they weren't in the midst of a crisis, she very well might have used her Zero Gravity Quirk to float away...
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Several hours after the 'USJ Incident' concluded, Izuku, once again, found himself summoned by Principal Nezu. This time, however, the venue was the teacher's lounge. Also, instead of the two of them, All Might and a rather plain-looking man that had introduced himself as Detective Tsukauchi were present.
While Izuku sat next to Nezu on one sofa, All Might and Tsukauchi sat across from them, the latter taking the initiative to say, "I apologize for asking you to be here when you've already given a statement. However, I've learned from Principal Nezu and All Might that you possess a Quirk and information that could prove useful to our investigation."
Immediately following Tsukauchi's words, All Might appended, "Fear not, young Midoriya. Detective Tsukauchi is someone you can trust. He and I go way back, so you need not conceal anything before him."
Nodding his head, Izuku replied, "I understand." in a firm tone. He didn't have a strong impression of Tsukauchi from the anime, but he vaguely remembered him being one of the few entrusted with All Might's 'secret.'
Supply a nod of his own, Tsukauchi said, "I appreciate your willingness to cooperate," before pulling out a palm-sized pocketbook. He had several queries of his own, but he first wanted to get through the questions Nezu had petitioned him to ask, first and foremost being, "Were you aware that a group of villains would attack the Unforeseen Simulation Joint before it occurred?"
Without hesitation, Izuku answered, "Yes. I did not know precisely when they would attack, but I knew it would occur."
Detecting no falsehoods in Izuku's words, a benefit of his Lie Detection Quirk, Tsukauchi gave a curt nod and asked, "Do you possess a 'perk' called Intuition that allows you to sense when an incident may occur...?"
Though he realized what was happening based on Tsukauchi's line of questioning, Izuku didn't panic, answering, "Yes. It's a benefit granted to me when my Luck attribute reaches 100."
Furrowing his brows slightly, Tsukauchi commented, "It would be best if you answered my questions honestly."
Feigning shock, aided by the fact he 'was' surprised, Izuku asked, "What do you mean? Was there something wrong with my response...?"
Adopting a serious expression and tone, Tsukauchi revealed, "My Quirk allows me to tell when someone is lying or being deceitful. When I asked if you possessed a perk called Intuition, my Quirk flagged your response as false or misleading."
"Ah..."
Pretending as though he had just realized the problem, Izuku's expression relaxed as he explained, "I mentioned this to Principal Nezu and All Might previously, but my Quirk allows me to redistribute my attributes. I 'was' in possession of the Intuition perk before this incident. I have since invested in attributes that would help ensure my survival."
Sensing no falsehoods in Izuku's words, the somewhat grim expression on Tsukauchi's face faded, replaced by an awkward smile as he said, "I see." in a curt tone. Then, without missing a beat, he proceeded to ask, "Are you a spy that has been sent to infiltrate the campus and report on its vulnerabilities?"
Adopting a genuinely offended look, Izuku responded, "No. I enrolled in UA to protect people. I would never do anything to jeopardize the safety of my fellow students. At the very least, not intentionally."
Inserting himself into the exchange, as if he wasn't the one who tasked Tsukauichi with uncovering Izuku's intentions, Nezu asserted, "I believe it would be best if we moved on from this particular line of questioning. I do not wish to keep Midoriya-kun here any longer than is necessary."
"Understood..."
Returning the palm-sized pocketbook to the interior breast pocket of his trenchcoat, Tsukauchi asked the question Izuku had been anticipating for quite some time, specifically, "Were you able to ascertain the identities and Quirks of the Villains who attacked USJ? We hope to create a profile on them before conducting the official interrogation."
Regaining his smile, Izuku pulled out a pocketbook of his own, handing it over as he explained, "I didn't have time to inspect each of them, but it was fairly obvious who the ringleaders were, allowing me to memorize their statuses and subsequently record them. What struck me as particularly odd was that each and every one of them possessed multiple Quirks."
Hearing Izuku's explanation, the expressions and bodies of Tsukauichi, All Might, and Nezu tensed. It didn't help that one of the names recorded in was someone Nezu recognized. He had memorized the names and faces of virtually every student that attended UA. Especially those that had lost their lives before having a chance to graduate...
"Shirakumo-kun..."
Similar to Nezu, All Might and Tsukauichi also recognized one of the names recorded in the pocketbook. However, as there were multiple families with the name 'Shimura,' they didn't immediately assume there was a connection between 'Tenko Shimura' and the Shimuras they were thinking of. More accurately, they 'refused' to believe it.
Catching Izuku a little off guard, All Might, wearing an uncharacteristically grim expression, said, "We thank you for your assistance, but I believe it's time you made your way home, young Midoriya. But don't worry. I promise to offer you an explanation in the future..."
Nodding in approval, Nezu calmly appended, "I believe that may be for the best. Thank you for your time, Midoriya-kun. And, please, take care on your way home."
Though he didn't expect to be released so suddenly, Izuku didn't hesitate to rise to his feet, offering a respectful bow to the grim trio as he said, "I'll be leaving first..." before rising to his full height and promptly departing...
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With the school contacting each of their parents to apprise them of the situation, Izuku's return home was met by his mother's tearful embrace. He did his best to assure her that everything was okay, but it wasn't until three hours later that he was able to escape her coddling. By then, he had 999+ text notifications, the result of Mina inviting everyone in the Class to a group chat.
Instead of reading through the past messages, Izuku typed a simple, 'Just got home. How is everyone doing?' with a concerned emoji. The moment he did so, dozens of responses began to fill the chat, followed by several people messaging him directly.
After reading just a few of the responses, a wry smile adorned Izuku's face as he typed, 'It's good to see that everyone is in high spirits. And thanks for your concern, but I'm fine. I'm probably about to hit the hay, though. Feels like it's been a long day.'
Though most people took the hint, wishing him a good night, Izuku's DMs were still blowing up with messages from Ochaco, Tsuyu, and Mina. They had been present when he was 'escorted' away by Detective Tsugauchi's subordinates, so they were understandably concerned.
As it was fairly 'refreshing' to be popular, Izuku didn't mind staying up to alleviate the girls' concerns. He approximated his chances with Mirko to be less than ten percent, but that was predicated on her permitting him to apply for an internship. If she didn't watch the UA Sports Festival or didn't care about accepting an intern, his chances effectively decreased to zero. In that case, he would have very little choice but to turn to the girls in his Class if he wanted to enter a relationship...
Recalling Ochaco's inadvertent remark about growing stronger together, a faint smile developed across Izuku's face. He wasn't ashamed to admit that, in the past, Ochaco was the girl he was least interested in getting to know. His personal ranking placed Hagakure at the top, followed by Jiro, Yaoyorozu, Mina, Tsuyu, and then Ochaco. Not because she wasn't cute, but because she was the most 'vanilla' among the girls.
Now that he was gradually getting to know Ochaco better, Izuku couldn't deny she was growing on him. She was an incredibly kind and caring girl, and the tiny pads on her fingers were as cute as they were soft. She also had an incredible figure, so Izuku didn't think he would lose out by dating her. Rather, with her Zero Gravity Quirk, they would probably have a blast 'experimenting' with its uses...
With such thoughts in mind, Izuku stayed on his phone until around 10 PM. Then, after wishing the girls good night, he dragged his feet over to his computer, exhaling a weary sigh before grabbing the nearby box of tissues.
Teenage hormones were a pain in the ass. Hopefully, it wouldn't be much longer until he had someone to deal with his urges for him...
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Chapter 21: Chapter 21