Chapter 3: Forge Your Body Into A Weapon!
Wake up, boy. Izuku woke up slowly, his body protesting the early rising. He groaned, looking at his clock to see the numbers 4:00 AM blinking back at him. He blinked groggily, before turning around and putting his covers back up, no reason to wake up this early on a weekend after all. I said wake up! He jumped up, his heart pounding in his chest. We have work to do, boy! It's time for you to learn the proper way to use a sword. Izuku's weariness faded instantly, his chest warming up in his excitement.
"Right, I'll get ready now!" He jumped out of bed, tripping over his sheets in his rush, before running into the bathroom and running out again in record time, anticipation overflowing from his body. Running out of the door while yanking his jacket on, he started walking to Dagobah. 'I wonder what I'm gonna learn today' Izuku thought as he walked. 'Maybe I'll learn how to do that fire wave thing I did against the sludge villain, or how to summon full fire instead of just heat from my sword, what if I learn how to burn away my emotions like Soul can do!'
Izuku's daydreaming was cut short by the feeling of sand under his shoes. Looking up and seeing the pristine beach, he was still amazed by the work he'd put in to clean his new training area. 'It looked so…impossible the first month.' He remembered the fear and nerves that had flooded his body when he was first tasked with cleaning the beach. 'This is what hard work can accomplish. This is what I can do when I truly try my best. Now let's get started on my Quirk'! He felt his body heat up again, his determination stoking his soul and filling his body.
"What are we going to do today, Soul?"
First, summon me to your hand. Izuku complied, the wonder at the simple act of using his Quirk as strong as ever as he did. Now, swing downwards, using both hands. Just swing, don't try to call any heat forward. Izuku felt his eagerness dwindle at the simple instructions, but he knew better than to get on Soul's bad side, he still shivered at the reprimand he had been given when he panicked about future tests. Slightly dismayed, Izuku grabbed the handle anyway, awkwardly fumbling with the sheath as he pulled out the blade, and, gripping it firmly with both hands, he swung down as hard as he could. He yelped in confusion and slight alarm as he stumbled forwards with the weight of the blade, his feet searching for purchase on the sand before he fell forwards and on his face, the blade sticking up from the sand beside him. He moaned as he stood, tasting and feeling sand in his mouth. Spitting it out viciously, he rubbed his mouth before he was fully recovered. As he stood, he noticed something, or, more specifically, a lack of something. He couldn't hear Soul. 'Knowing Soul, it's either laughing at me, or super upset with me for falling, but I can't hear it. Is it because I'm not holding the sword?'
He looked over at the sword sticking out of the sand, and noticed a slight vibration around it. Cringing in anticipation, he reached out and grabbed the handle. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Soul was laughing harder than Izuku had ever heard him, the boy noticed. I-I thought you would stumble a bit, maybe fall on your knees, Soul wheezed through the laughter. I didn't think you'd eat the sand BAHAHAHA!
Izuku could feel his face fall until he was staring at the sword in his hand with a perfectly deadpan expression, unimpressed with the sword's continued mocking. Eyebrow twitching, he cleared his throat, feeling his anger rise as the sword continued to laugh. Eventually, the laughter tapered off, as his Quirk calmed down, a small giggle escaping every now and then.
Well, the Quirk caught its breath. You gave me a real good laugh, kid, but you can't do that in a fight, so I'm going to be teaching you the basics before we get to any fire stuff.
Izuku's ire faded, his attention focusing on his Quirk as it continued to speak.
First things first, you have to learn to unsheathe me properly. You can't fight anyone if it takes you 10 seconds to get your weapon ready, you'll get killed instantly.
Izuku winced, partially at how blunt his Quirk was, and partially at the realization that the sword was correct, his lack of skill would get them both killed.
Luckily, I'm here to help. The sword said. Your mindscape, fortunately for us, keeps a record of everything you've ever even skimmed over. That book you read on martial arts when you were 10? I've gone over it and learned it. Izuku knew what book Soul was talking about, He had picked it up hoping he could use it to be a hero, but hadn't been able to understand the words in it at the time. He gave up on it then, and had forgotten all about it until now, when Soul brought it up.
The videos of hero's fighting Villains? I've learned them. I've analyzed every fight you've seen for 5 times longer than you did.
Get ready kid, I'm going to run you into the ground. Before you can learn how to use a sword, we have to make your body a weapon, we'll start with barehanded martial arts!
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Izuku vomited into the sand for the second time that day. His lungs felt like they were about to pop out of his throat, chest aching as he sucked in the cold morning air, his heart was pounding wildly against his rib cage, and his legs were twitching, barely able to handle his weight as he stood hunched over trying to catch his breath.
Straighten up! Soul snapped, his tone strict and unyielding. Hands behind your head and take deep breaths, you have two minutes before you have to run again.
Izuku straightened slowly, flinching as his legs and back protested the further strain, and inhaled deeply, savouring the small break he could get from his relentless torturer. He had, true to his Quirk's word, been put to work immediately. Your stamina and strength are high, Soul had said, giving Izuku a little time to preen before cutting him down. But your speed and flexibility are absolutely terrible! You can barely touch your toes, and you run like a turtle trying to die! Izuku huffed a small laugh as he recalled the 15 minute lecture the Quirk had given him on the state of his body, and immediately regretted it as his throat seized and he coughed uncontrollably, expelling all the air he'd been breathing in one violent wheeze. Run up and down this beach, Soul had demanded. It's about 5 kilometers round trip, and the sand will give you two of the things you need most; balance, and speed. Izuku had been confident when he started, surely running wouldn't be worse than the multiple tonnes of trash he had cleaned off of the beach! That confidence had lasted until the end of his first round trip. What are you stopping for? Soul had asked sharply. I didn't say stop, boy. Do it again. After the third round trip, Izuku had vomited, the strain of running 15 kilometers at the highest speed he could muster all while trying not to trip on the sand or slow down pushing his breakfast out of his body.
Break over, boy. Soul's voice pushed him into action, his body starting to move as he ran to finish the last stretch of his fourth loop. His speed had dropped drastically by this point, he was jogging more than anything, but he continued. 'A hero doesn't give up' Izuku thought, his eyes blurring as he approached the end of the beach. 'A hero fights with everything they have, to save everyone they can. I'm gonna be…' As he reached the finish, his body swayed, falling as he lost control of his limb. 'A hero too!'
He couldn't stop panting, his chest tight as he tried to breath. He squirmed, his body unwilling to listen to his brain as he tried to stand. Gotta get up, he urged himself. Soul's gonna be upset, I gotta get up and run again. Tensing his core, he prepared to try to stand again. Enough. Soul's voice rang out. Izuku let his head fall to the ground, disappointment filling his heart. 'I couldn't do it,' He thought despondently. 'I wasn't strong enough.'
That…was better than I expected kid. Izuku struggled to lift his head out of the sand again, confused at the sudden compliment. I thought you would collapse after 15 kilometers, or ask for a break after you vomited the first time, but you just kept going. Izuku heard a tinge of…pride? In his Quirk's voice. That drive, that willpower to keep going? That's what you need to be a Hero, and you? You have it in spades, kid. Izuku grinned at the sky and forced his arm up and into a fist, his body protesting his actions. "Of course I do," His voice came out lower than usual and shaky from the work he had put himself through, but he still tried to force out as much confidence as he could. "I'm gonna be the number one, after all." His arm fell to the side as his body gave out. He stared at the sky, listening to Soul laugh uproariously in his mind.
Good! We must reach the peak before we can implement true change!
Izuku thought back to his childhood, to the bullying, the baiting and the beatings, and hardened his determination.
"We'll burn it to the ground, Soul." He whispered "We're gonna burn it to the ground and rebuild it from the ashes." With that, Izuku staggered to his feet and took a deep breath before staring down the beach. "What else is on the list for today, Soul?"
'Well, nothing?' Soul coughed awkwardly in his head. Izuku nearly faceplanted at the sudden change of attitude.
"What do you mean nothing?" He asked, incredulity colouring his voice. "There's gotta be something else!"
I mean, yeah, but you're not exactly in the condition to be trying it right now kid. You can barely stand!
"I can keep going!" Izuku protested "I'm not finished yet!"
Yes, you are. Soul's brief bout of immaturity evaporated Your body must be pushed, hammered like the steel of a blade, but if you hammer steel too hard, work it too long? It shatters, irreparably. You need to stop here, you're going to kill yourself.
Izuku tamped down the urge to argue rapidly rising in his stomach. He knew Soul was right, that he had to pace himself lest he destroy his body and his future, but he needed to work harder. Izuku didn't just want to be a hero, he needed to be one. The desire to be a hero was weaved into his very being, there was nothing else he could settle for. The faster he could grow, the stronger he could get, the more people he could save. 'But who can I save if I end my career before it even starts?' The question rose in his mind. He needed to listen, he decided, despite the feelings of inadequacy burning in him.
"Fine," He grumbled. "But is this really all I'm going to do for the foreseeable future? Just running up and down the beach?"
Of course not! From now on, we'll split your running up instead of making you do it all at once. 10 KM at the start of our training, footwork drills and stretching to make you more flexible, and another 10 KM at the end!
Izuku blanched, his earlier bravado leaving his body as he became keenly aware of the pain in his legs. Adding more work on top of that, and the thought of even more being added in the future sounded like a death sentence! 'A death sentence would be a child dying in his parents arms because the Hero who came to save them couldn't get there fast enough, or was too tired to help and got himself killed.' He paled further as that thought crossed his mind, imagining running to help only to see the aftermath, helpless and useless as he watched a family die. He steeled himself, no one had helped him, he had to be stronger. He would be the one who helped, not the one who needed help, he decided.
"I'll do it." He stated. "I'll do whatever you tell me to do, but you better make me the best hero this world has ever seen."
You'll shine brighter than the sun, kid.
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Izuku could feel sweat trailing up his forehead and his arms burning as he tried to hold the position his Quirk had put him in.
5, 4, 3, 2, 1, anddd done. Take a break.
Izuku let his arms collapse and fell out of the bridge, his aching back hitting the ground and forcing the air out of his lungs. He lay there panting for a second, feeling the blood leaving his head now that he wasn't upside down anymore, before sitting up and taking a deep breath.
You can hold the bridge for 30 seconds now. Soul noted. Your core flexibility is quickly reaching standard, now we need to maintain that along with hip flexion and shoulder mobility. You need to be able to block attacks from any direction, and if you want to learn the fighting style I have lined up for you, you're gonna need a lot more hip and leg movement.
Izuku listened, still catching his breath, as his sword outlined future steps to both increase and maintain flexibility.
If you don't use it, you lose it. Soul lectured. This is especially true for flexibility, your joints will reset if you don't keep stretching them out, and then we'll be back to doing this again. Do you want that?
Izuku imagined having to redo the past month of training, memories of his body contorting as Soul watched and demanded more flashing through his mind, jumping in and out of a ladder on the sand and sprinting through the beach. He shook his head furiously, sweat dripping down his forehead.
Good. Now, you should be flexible enough to start learning how to throw a hit. Unfortunately, while I can teach you how to strike, punching the air won't do anything to help you prepare to fight Villains.
Izuku cocked his head to the side. "So what are we going to do?"
We're going to a gym. Izuku's stomach felt like it was climbing his rib cage.
"A-are you sure we need to do that?" His voice came out choked. "Can't you just teach me with like a-a punching bag or something?" He hated how desperate his voice had become. He had a Quirk now, no one was going to beat him up anymore!...right? But what if they found out he had been Quirkless? There's no way they would be kind or even apathetic towards him after that, they'd treat him like the people at school did! He couldn't do this, he didn't want to do this.
Breathe, child. Soul's voice was strangely gentle, Izuku noted, his breaths coming out faster and faster as he continued to panic. Breathe! Izuku sucked in a breath, snapping out of his anxiety at the sharpened tone his Quirk took.
"I-I'm sorry." He gasped out. "I didn't-I didn't mean to-"
It's alright, child. You've been dealt a difficult hand in life. But you must overcome this fear of others if you want to be a Hero.
"I don't have a fear of others!" Izuku protested, still catching his breath. "I-I'm just nervous of what'll happen if they find out."
That is what fear is, child. Soul's voice was gentle again, like it had been before his first time entering the chamber. That will be your biggest obstacle to achieving our goal. Not villains, or bullies, but yourself. You have to face the demons inside you before you fight the ones that walk the streets.
"Ok." Izuku let the breath shudder out of him. "Ok, I'll do what-I'll do what you tell me to. You haven't led me wrong yet." He managed a weak smile.
And I will do my best not to in the future. Now get up, it's time you learn how to hit someone properly.
Izuku stood. He wasn't happy about his new training schedule, but he needed to learn if he wanted to be a hero.
"So, what gym should I go to?" Soul snorted.
What makes you think I know? You haven't exactly looked into them before."
Izuku blushed, he forgot how limited Soul's knowledge actually was when he acted so all-knowing every time they spoke.
"Well, let's go look at some together then." He sighed. "If we're lucky, we can find one sooner rather than later."
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'I didn't mean like this!' Izuku screamed internally, his face and mind equally blank as he looked down at an orange haired girl with teal eyes, eyes that were currently glaring up at him as he frantically searched for a way to appease her. His thoughts drifted to how he had gotten himself into this situation, he had been talking under his breath to Soul, when they spotted a gym on the side of the street they were walking on. Calling the gym "shady" was an understatement. It's signboard was hanging crookedly, the building walls were cracking and peeling from age, and it overall looked like it was on its last legs. Soul, in his now typical fashion, had pointed it out with a laugh, calling it the "rattiest gym he'd ever seen" and Izuku, in his typical fashion, had defended it with a mutter a bit louder than he had intended. The girl had heard him say the words "ratty" and "gym" and had marched out, demanding an explanation.
"Well?" She demanded. "What were you saying about my grandpa's gym?"
'T-t-t-TOO CLOSE!' Izuku's brain shorted out, not used to girls, or anyone, for that matter, being this close to him other than for the express purpose of beating him up. 'Though' He thought idly, 'I might not mind if it was her.' His eyes involuntarily fell down to her crossed arms, taking note of the muscle cording her forearms and biceps before snapping back to her eyes.
HAHAHAHAHAHA! Soul was cackling in his head, incredibly unhelpfully, Izuku thought.
Izuku felt the heat rushing to his face increase at Soul's laugher and at the unintentional look before he rushed to answer.
"I-I said that it w-was probably less ratty on the in-inside than it looked on the outside!" He sputtered out, heat overwhelming his cheeks. The girl raised her eyebrow, clearly unimpressed.
"Uh-huh, and who were you talking with about our gym?" She took an over-dramatic look around, craning her neck and shielding her eyes from the non-existent sun. "I sure don't see anyone!" Soul's laughter only grew in volume.
"M-m-My Quirk!" He yelled out in his panic. Wincing and lowering his volume, he tried again. "My Quirk is sen-sentient, it talks to me in my h-head. It said that the gym looked ratty, and I think it's r-rude to judge things off of just a look." The girl's face showed zero belief in him.
"Uh-huh, and is your 'sentient Quirk' telling you what to say right now too?" She asked sarcastically.
'Actually it's laughing in my head.' He thought sardonically, Soul's continuing wheezing a backdrop for all of his thoughts.
"I-Im being serious!" Izuku insisted. "I-I'm sure your grandfather's gym is incredible!" Her face brightened as she heard him.
"Then, you'll sign a membership here, right?"
"U-uh I'm not sure about that but-" He was cut off as her face inched closer to his, the smile turning deadly as she did.
"You WILL become a member of our gym." It wasn't a question anymore.
"Y-Yep!" He squeaked out, face hotter than ever as he tried desperately to lean away from her.
"Great! Come on in!" As she dragged him into the gym. Izuku could only hope that he was right about the gym being better than it looked.
Entering the gym, Izuku felt his hopes rise. The gym was definitely more roomy than he had thought, the ring in the middle taking up about half of the available space and surrounded by three punching bags and some workout equipment on it's sides. Izuku's observation was cut short by a gruff voice calling out.
"Itsuka." The owner of the voice emerged from a small office that Izuku hadn't noticed. A tall, muscular man walked out, ducking underneath the door sill and looking towards them. He was older, probably around his late 60's if Izuku had to guess, his red hair streaked with grey and pulled back into a ponytail, exposing the tribal-looking markings on the corner of his v-shaped hairline, the lines running down the sides of his face. He was wearing a black kimono, the white under-robe peeking out from the collar and the sleeves, along with tabi socks and black sandals. The top of his kimono was loose, showing the corners of the tattoos as they continued down onto his chest. Izuku started sweating seeing the man approach them, he had no idea who 'Itsuka' was but the man walking towards him was giving off an incredibly dangerous aura, his body clearly well-trained and used, judging by the scars on his arms made visible as he lifted his hand to cover his yawn. Izuku's mind screamed at him to run, and he was finding it hard to resist, his feet shifting back involuntarily.
Child. Soul's voice was deadly serious. Izuku felt whiplash from the sudden stop in laughter, but still listened to the Quirk. This man is the real deal. You have to try your best to learn from him, he will increase your training far more than I could even hope to.
Izuku had to agree. Despite the fear the man's presence caused him, he could see the proof of his strength in his muscle and scars. As he scanned the red-haired man, he noted the posture he took even in the guise of being relaxed. His arms were slightly raised, palms open as if to block or catch a hit, and his left leg slightly ahead of his right, ready to block a strike to his lower body. Izuku nearly jumped as the man vanished and appeared in front of him, his body lowered to look him in the eyes.
The man hummed as he eyed Izuku up and down, before grinning.
"You've bought a good one, Itsuka!"
The orange haired girl, or Itsuka, he supposed, spoke up incredulously.
"This chump?" She asked, her voice a mixture of ridicule and disbelief. "I bought him in here to make him pay for a membership, and you're telling me he's something special? No way Grandpa Renji!"
The man, 'Renji' Izuku noted, huffed in slight disappointment, turning to his granddaughter.
"You've got a long way to go if you really think that, Itsuka." Renji turned back to him, the hair on Izuku's arms raising as he did. "Tell me, kid, what's your name?"
"M-Midoriya Izuku, sir." He replied, tacking on sir in the hopes of appeasing whatever this man thought of him.
"I'm Abarai Renji, but you can call me Renji-sensei from now on." He pushed forward, ignoring both Izuku and Itsuka's protests. "Tell, me, Izuku, what did you notice about me in those few seconds you were analyzing me?"
Izuku blanched, fearful of having antagonized the menacing man. "Y-you caught that, sir, I mean, Renji–sensei?" He corrected the title as the man raised an eyebrow at him.
"I did. Your answer?"
"U-Uh, right. Um, I noticed your, uh, body first?" He cringed as Itsuka snorted in disbelief. Before she could say anything, Renji lifted his hand up, the girl falling silent as he did. He rolled his hand at Izuku, motioning him to continue.
'Fuck it' Izuku thought, his fear driving adrenaline through his body. 'I'll give him what he wants.'
"Your body is very muscled," Izuku began, heart racing. "It might not look like you have that much muscle since your clothes fit loosely, but the brief moments it clings to your chest as you walk shows the muscle present, and your arm does the same when you lift it. You have scars all over your arms, and there's some peeking over your kimono top too, meaning you must have fought often, and most likely lethally looking at some of these scars." He motioned to the corner of a deep gash at the top of Renji's collarbone. "A strike that deep and that close to your neck had to have been on purpose, meaning you probably fought illegally, either underground tournaments or cage fights. You're still here, and old, so you must've survived all of those, meaning you're incredibly dangerous." Izuku could faintly hear Itsuka's disbelief, a gasp this time, but was too zoned in to pay it any attention. "Your posture when I walked in was defensive, you covered your vitals with your hakama sleeves to make sure no one could get them definitively, and your palms were open and towards me like you were preparing to catch a swing. Your leg was forward and raised slightly on its toes, meaning you were ready to block a hit to your lower body, and/or kick back. Lastly, the tattoos on your chest and face are incredibly noticeable, meaning you're either a current yakuza or an ex one who isn't ashamed of your past. So, in conclusion, you were an illegal fighter for the Yakuza, a dangerous one at that, and they probably have a strong presence here for you to be unashamed of your tattoos."
Izuku gasped as he came back to his senses, he looked wildly around him, worrying he was about to get killed for his disrespect, until Renji laughed in amazement. Izuku stared at him in disbelief, not noticing Itsuka giving him the same look, until the man stopped laughing, a stray chuckle escaping him still.
"Man kid, I didn't think you'd figure out all of that from that small glance! I thought you just noticed I was dangerous, not all the rest!" Renji wiped a small tear from his eyes. "You're a bit wrong though, I was a Yakuza, but more recently, I was a Vigilante. I got roped into a Vigilante group after their leader beat me in a fight, and before that I did fight for the Yakuza. The tattoos are out because I helped take the group down, not because I'm proud of them or because they're still around."
Izuku nodded faintly, still wondering why he wasn't dead.
"I like you kid, tell you what, what's your goal for the future?"
Izuku's eyes zeroed in on the man, his fire stoked by the question.
"I'm going to be a Hero, Renji-sensei, and I'm gonna change the system while I do it."
Renji laughed again, a deep laugh that erupted from his stomach.
"That's good, kid! That determination will drive you a long way!"
Izuku smiled slightly, "I've heard that before, sensei."
His new mentor nodded, his laughs dying down. "I'm sure you have kid, I'm sure you have." He said, before clapping his hands together.
"So, how can I help you? What are you trying to learn?"
Izuku smiled, more confident this time as he started explaining his needs to the man, both men accidentally ignoring the orange-haired girl on the side, who looked between them in shock before huffing in anger and leaving, slamming the door behind her.
Once Izuku had finished explaining what he wanted to learn and the basics of his Quirk, Renji started to think, now sitting down ringside, he cupped his hands over his face as he did. Izuku watched eagerly, waiting for his surprise sensei to guide him. Izuku's felt his anticipation continue to rise as the man sat, jumping up as the man snapped his fingers.
"Muay Thai." The man said, a smile spreading across his face. "You're gonna learn Muay Thai, specifically a subset of it called Muay Tae."
Izuku smiled, but was slightly confused. "I've heard of Muay Thai before, but what do you mean a 'subset'?"
"Muay Thai has seven different types of fighters, from heavy punchers who eat hits on the way to punch you out, to Muay Plum, a grappling and clinching based fighter who eats hits before pulling you to the ground. Muay Tae is a style based around kicking, the fighter uses push kicks called 'teeps' to maintain distance before shooting off a round of kicks.' Renji explained. "The point of the style is to make people suffer for even trying to get near you. The second someone comes at you, you throw out as many kicks as you can, and if you do it right, you'll at least slow them down, if not completely debilitate them with the kicks." Izuku was listening intently, the style sounded good, but he wasn't quite sure why it was suited for him. His legs weren't especially long or muscular compared to the rest of his body, and he couldn't help but be disappointed, he had always imagined himself punching when he thought of being a Hero, emulating All Might.
"The reason you're going to be focusing on kicks," Renji continued, oblivious to izuku's struggle. "Is because of one big, sharp reason." Izuku felt his eyes widen as comprehension dawned on him. "That's right kid," Renji seemed to have noticed his understanding. "You have a sword, your hands have to be the least involved in your fighting style unless you don't wanna use it. Muay Tae will let you keep your hands a bit safer, and help you keep range in case you decide to pull it out in a fight. It's the best option for you and your Quirk that won't result in you neglecting your body or your Quirk."
Izuku was nearly jumping in place now, he couldn't wait to get started!
"How are we gonna start?" Izuku asked, his impatience leaking through into his voice. Renji grinned before pointing to one of the bags lining the side of the gym.
"You see that?" Izuku nodded, slightly confused. "Go kick it." Izuku suddenly wasn't quite so impatient. Sighing, he moved to the bag touching it with his hand before squaring his body into the best imitation of a fighters stance he could manage.
"Let me guess," He grumbled. "Only stop when you say I can." Renji raised an eyebrow at him, confused.
"No?" Izuku felt his hopes rise, "200 on each leg should be good!" and then felt them fall. Renji moved towards him, his eyes scanning Izuku's form.
"This isn't a terrible boxing stance, but you're not doing boxing. Stand like this." Izuku looked closely as Renji took up his stance, arms raise to a little below elbow height with his hands open, palms facing outwards. His left leg was forward, raised slightly onto it's toes as he let it bounce, and his right leg back and steadier but still able to move. He was leaning slightly forwards, his chin tucked. "Are you left or right handed?" Renji asked, returning to his normal posture.
"Left." Izuku responded.
"Then put your right leg forward as your lead leg instead of the left like me. Your lead leg is the one that you'll use for lighter, faster hits, while your back leg is going to be your weapon of choice for heavy hits. For fast hits, push off with your back leg, and turn your shoulder slightly into the direction of the kick, or to the left for you. The power of your kicks comes from the torsion you can generate with your hips and abdominals, so really focus on those when you hit." Renji kicked the bag, once at what Izuku assumed was fighting speed, and once slower to demonstrate. Izuku was taking furious mental notes, his hands twitching as he itched for his notebook and pencil to write it all down. "For heavier, more powerful kicks," Renji continued to explain. "Push forwards with your right leg, switch your legs with a little shuffle-step, and then turn your upper body about 45 degrees to the right. As you throw your leg forwards, you're gonna throw your left arm down and keep your right hand at your face for defense, that'll help you generate some extra force in your kicks." He demonstrated again, once fast and once slowly, before turning to Izuku.
"Now you try." He motioned at the bag. "I'll be right here watching every one of your 400, and I'll let you know if your form slips."
Izuku prepared himself, jumping up and down to loosen himself up before squaring himself with the bag and throwing his first of many kicks.
Izuku limped into his house, his shins were numb with pain, and his legs could barely hold up his weight, but his sense of accomplishment wasn't diminished by the aches of his body. He hobbled his way into the kitchen, his mom nowhere to be seen but a plate of food covered with a note attached sat on the counter.
Working late today, left some food for you. Make sure you eat it all, my little Hero needs to get his protein in!
Izuku wasn't sure he'd ever stop feeling the giddiness that rose in him when his mom supported his dream. He had fantasized about it for so long, and now it was a reality. Part of him still couldn't believe he had reached this point, he considered as he heated up the plate of food, it had been just over a year since the days he had feared Bakugo's retaliation too much to train properly, and now he was learning how to fight? It just felt so…unreal to him. As he finished his meal and put it in the sink, he wrote his Mom a little note of appreciation before crawling his way up the stairs and into bed, falling asleep almost instantly.
Inko walked into her home a few hours later, noting with relief the food she left had been eated. She walked over and saw a new note on top of hers, reading it she smiled and let out a watery laugh as tears formed in her eyes.
Thanks for the food Mom! I'm training hard to be your number one Hero and son, I'll make you proud.
Signed, Your Little Hero.
"You already have, honey." She mumbled happily, "You already have."
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Izuku longed for the days where he could wake up without his body aching. He remembered his beach cleaning days fondly, when his biggest worry was the next piece of trash and not the risk of his shins breaking clean in half. Three months in to his Muay Tae training and his body was expressing it's dissatisfaction every waking moment since he'd started. 'Still,' Izuku considered, stretching as he left his bed. 'At least I'm improving.' His training had been going more than smoothly, according to Renji-sensei he was above the level of most amateur fighters by now, and could probably "Absolutely destroy" an untrained thug on the streets. Izuku wasn't as sure about his skills. While his time with Renji-sensei had started melting the cold block of fear in his mind, he was still scared that he wouldn't be enough to keep those people. Bakugo had left him when he was determined to be useless, his Mom, while kind now, hadn't supported him then, and he had grown up being ostracized for his uselesness. The people in his life now, like Renji-sensei, All Might, and his Mom, wouldn't they leave him too if he couldn't keep up? 'Mom only started supporting me when I got a Quirk.' He remembered, his face souring as the now familiar thought came to mind. 'Same with All Might. And Renji-sensei doesn't even know how useless I used to be, but he'd leave for sure if he did.'
Izuku's thoughts continued to spiral lower and lower as he left his house, his face stormy as he tried and failed to expel the negativity from his head. As he entered the gym, he started fumbling with his key card, seeing the orange-haired girl 'Itsuka' He remembered, standing in the ring with her gloves on, seemingly warming up. She turned towards him at his entrance, and smiled viciously underneath her helmet, sending shivers up Izuku's spine. His feet shuffled immediately, ready to run before Renji-sensei popped out from behind one of the ring posts, smiling at his pupil.
"Hey kid!" He greeted cheerfully, failing to disperse Izuku's nervousness. "We're gonna be doing something a bit different today, you," He pointed at Izuku. "Are gonna be fighting my granddaughter over there!" His finger moved to Itsuka, who clenched her teeth and pounded her fists together. Izuku gulped, it was like he could feel the anticipation pouring off of her body in waves, it was bearing down on him like the air had become heavier around him. He shuffled again, his legs starting to tremble a bit as images of Bakugo flashed through his mind, the oppressive aura surrounding the girl reminding him of the same aura that emanated from his childhood friend. He startled as he felt an impact against his chest. Looking down he saw shin pads, a helmet, gloves and a mouth guard being pushed into him by Renji-sensei's arm. He looked up again to see the man smiling at him.
"Get in there, kid. I believe in you." The words did nothing to help Izuku feel better, if anything, it made him feel even worse. He was about to get pummeled and let his sensei down at the same time. He was frozen, the pressure of the situation freezing his legs to the ground before he forced them to move. Slowly, jerkily, he made he way to the other side of the ring, beginning to strap his equipment on.
"Soul, what do I do?" He muttered, his breath quickening. "She's gonna kill me!" He waited for the familiar, soothing voice of his Quirk to call back to him, but felt and heard nothing. "Soul?" He asked again, panic mounting. Before he had time to ask again, he was dragged to his feet by Renji-sensei, and was led to the middle of the ring. He looked around frantically, begging anyone to help him out, get him away from the inevitable loss, and the cruelty that would follow it.
"Alright kids, touch gloves." And just like that Izuku's fate was sealed. The world faded out. He could hear his breath whistling through his ears, his heart pounding in his chest and he could feel sweat dripping down his forehead. He tried his best to enter his stance as he reached out and touched her gloves, but his legs were shaky, and his arms wouldn't move right and he couldn't breathe and they were gonna hate him-
A fist connected with his jaw, he hadn't tucked his chin in his panic and it cost him. He wheeled back, forgoing his stance completely, and tried his best to dodge or block hits. He felt like the world was closing in around him, the hits were connecting but the fists were starting to look smaller and smaller in his eyes, until they resembled the ones that beat him that day at the creek. He had only wanted to help, why were the hitting him? He curled up, his head coming down and his arms going further up, trying to protect his head. He hadn't meant anything by the gesture, his body just moved on its own, so why was Kacchan beating him up? Why were his friends helping? Wasn't he their friend too? The punches stopped. Izuku looked up, the visions of Bakugo and his friends fading as he saw the girl he was supposed to be fighting, tears in her eyes as she glared at him.
"Why aren't you hitting me back!" She cried out, her fists clenched the best they could be around her gloves. "Do you think that you'll hit me too hard, or that I'm 'too pretty' to get hit?!" She marched towards him, he scrambled back as she got closer until his back hit the post. "Well, I'm not! You won't win! I don't care if Grandpa is teaching you instead of me, or if you do want to be a hero! I want to be one too! I'm not fragile!" Her voice cracked at the last syllable before dropping to a whisper. "I-I'm not useless." Izuku's world cleared at the last sentence. What had he done? In his panic, his fear, he had subjected this girl to the same treatment he had gotten, he had ignored her feelings. She must've been suffering, Izuku realized. A random boy coming in and taking her grandfather's attention. It must've felt like a slight against her for being born 'wrong', and now that same boy was in front of her, and he wasn't even tryingto hit her? She probably felt ten times worse.
'If I can't help her,' Izuku felt his determination rise as his body did, his feet squaring towards her in his practiced stance, his body no longer shaking. 'What kind of Hero will I be?'
"You're right." He said, his voice calmer now. "You're not useless. And I'm sorry. Let's try again."
She scoffed but put her hands up, desperation leaking from her like water from a pipe.
"Don't try to act all confident now, rookie." She sneered. "I don't care if Grandpa trained you, I've been training way longer than you."
Izuku shoved the fear that rose in him down at the words, burying it, no, burning it away as he smiled.
"I don't know about that," He teased, adrenaline pumping through him. "He said I was pretty damn good."
She scowled, before darting forwards, her hands close to her body, and swayed. She was a boxer, Izuku realized, meaning her Quirk probably focused on her hands. His thoughts drifted for a brief second before he pushed himself back to the present. He watched her approach closely, and still almost missed the moment she pushed forwards. She ducked as her back foot rocekted her forwards, almost disappearing from his vision. He managed to look down before she threw an uppercut, and leaned back, throwing his right arm down to gain momentum.
'This is my chance!' She was slightly off balance, not having expected him to dodge. He hesitated for a split-second, not sure about hitting her, before remembering her words, the raw emotions that had poured out of her. Steeling his heart,he squared his feet to her, turned his torso 45 degrees to the right, threw his right hand down, and launched a kick at her with his right leg, holding back slightly. It was still sparring, he reasoned, no one goes all out when sparring, right? He watched her eyes widen, surprised at the retaliation, before they sharpened, the desperation leaking from her seeming to ebb as she saw him fighting. She raised her arm to her face, blocking the kick from connecting with her head, but the block was too hastily made, his kick slammed through, forcing her elbow to connect with her head and shaking her up. She stood up quickly, but swayed slightly, her left arm rising slightly too high.
'Chance!' This time, Izuku didn't hesitate, his body moved with the memory of the tens of thousands of kicks he had done over the past month, and he rocketed his leg into her ribs. Her body contorted around his leg, and she let out a quiet 'oomf' as the air was forced out of her lungs. She staggered back, looking up at him. First, it was disbelief, then, it was satisfaction, and finally, she smiled ferociously, he had proven himself.
'Now I gotta survive the aftermath.' He prepared himself as she lunged towards him. The same way she had done at the start of the fight, this time, he wouldn't lose himself in the past, he would fight to save Itsuka from hers and overcome his here and now! He launched another kick, preparing for either a dodge or a hit but was surprised when she caught it, cradling it between her arms and her ribs.
"I'm a kickboxer" She said, grinning up at him. "Don't get too caught up in my arms, rookie." She yanked on his leg, cocking her other arm back as she waited for him to get in range.
'Gotchu.' Izuku thought, his mind uncharacteristically vicious. He waited for her to throw the punch before ducking under it, his palms hitting the ground and supporting his weight in a semi-handstand as he threw his other leg up and forwards towards her head. 'Manji kick!'
She hadn't seen it coming, but managed to lean back just enough so his foot clipped her chin rather than connect fully with the side of her head, but kept hold of his leg. Izuku cursed, he had hoped to make her let go of his leg with his earlier move, but she had just barely dodged. He twisted his body slightly more, his caught leg aching at the decision, until he was facing the opposite direction from her before throwing his foot back in a flurry of mule kicks. This time she was forced to let go, stumbling back to avoid the storm of hits. The two regained their balance, Izuku favouring his right leg as the pain of his ankle and knee twisting in her grip made it's presence known, and Itsuka stumbling slightly from the two connecting head kicks. They both took a slight break, circling each other as they eyed each other up. They rushed back in, trading hits and grapples, Izuku could feel his stamina draining, he hadn't trained as much as her, after all, and while kickboxing didn't suit itself particularly well against Muay Thai, she had obviously supplemented her learning with some sort of grappling technique, one that made his kick much more dangerous to throw. Izuku saw her smiling, and a smile rose to his face as well, unbidden.
'This…' Izuku thought, catching a punch on his arm before swinging an elbow back. 'This is so much fun!' Izuku couldn't recall the last time he had had this much fun, his blood pumping and sweat flowing, adrenaline rushing through him as he gave his all against someone who was doing the same. 'It feels so-so good!' He cocked his arm back, throwing a cross. When she dodged, he let the momentum carry his body forwards, nearly flipping over before catching himself in a handstand. 'One more time!'He threw his leg forward, his other leg on the ground adding that much more power to his strike. 'Manji Kick!'Itsuka ducked, her body lowering as she squatted to dodge his leg. "I've seen that one already, I won't fall for it again!" She cried out as she prepared to throw her fist at his exposed abdomen. Izuku knew he would be out if she got him now, he had no defense, his arms were both still on the ground and his leg still in the air, but-
'I don't want this to end yet!' He snarled as he put all his weight onto his arms, ignoring how they screamed in pain, lifting his grounded leg up to follow the already-thrown kick, resulting in an odd, horizontal cartwheel, before swinging it towards her with all the strength his core could eke out.
"Bet you haven't seen this one yet!" His face contorting into a victorious grin, there was no way she could dodge this now! Even as the thought crossed his mind, she smiled back, victory in her eyes.
"I did, though?" She fell into a bridge, the second leg swiping just over her face. He fell over, his arms unable to maintain the position in the face of his leg's huge momentum, and she took the opportunity, pinning him to the matt with his arm in one hand and her palm on the back of his head. He felt her yank his hand back, torquing his shoulder until it was just slightly painful. He squirmed for a moment, but fell limp soon after, his body too tired to muster up the energy to even try escaping. He let his left hand, pinned under her knee, tap the ground three times, and she rolled off of him, falling onto the mat herself if the sound she let out was any indication. He rolled over, facing the ceiling. He could feel the pain all over his body, from blocked and landed hits, could feel the sweat caking his body and cooling, could feel the exhaustion rush over him, but, more than anything, he could feel the exhilaration of the fight coursing through his veins. He let out a laugh as he stared at the ceiling of the gym.
"That was fucking awesome." He breathed out, still panting from the exertion. "God, I should've done that sooner!"
Itsuka snorted next to him, turning his head towards her.
"Yeah, you should've. Wanna tell me why you had that weird 180 mood switch?" She had said it sarcastically, not really expecting an answer, but Izuku, running on the high of his fight, answered anyways.
"I used to get beat up as a kid. Like a lot. When you started punching, I had a bit of a flashback or something to one of the worse days. I didn't get my Quirk until like, last year, so they all hated me for being born wrong. That's why I fought back properly." He turned to her, his eyes shining with grit. "You aren't useless. They all used to call me useless for being born Quirkless, but you aren't useless for being born a woman, you did just kick my ass, after all." Itsuka's eyes widened, before she turned her eyes to the side.
"I know that, idiot." Her voice was quieter, and slightly wet. Izuku pretended he hadn't noticed.
When the two of them got up, they were greeted by Renji-sensei, who was ecstatic about their fight.
"Itsuka, your grappling has improved so much! And I've never seen you fall into a bridge that smoothly before either!" Izuku snickered as the tough-as-nails girl who had just beaten him blushed and pulled her ponytail in front of her mouth, hiding from her grandpa's compliments. His snickering was quickly cut off by Renji-sensei moving on to him.
"And Izuku! What a performance! The start was a bit rough but man you really got it together! That cartwheel kick was something else, I don't think I showed that to you!"
It was Izuku's time to blush as Itsuka laughed.
"W-well I kinda just…moved?" He said, unsure himself of why he had done it. "I couldn't think of anything else that wouldn't leave me completely wiped, I mean she had my leg in a lock, I had to go for something big to make her let go. The Manji kick was just the first thing that came to mind." Renji-sensei laughed enthusiastically.
"Great! Keep practicing that, what did you call it? Manji kick? Yeah, keep practicing that. Itsuka here," He ruffled her hair, her face growing redder. "Has been practicing since she was a kid, and you nearly took her head off!" Itsuka scowled at that, the effect ruined by her bright red face.
"You've still got a long way to go before you beat me, rookie, don't get the wrong idea!" She glanced over at him, her eyes softening. "But, you, you weren't that bad." She said quietly, her face still bright red. He smiled back at her, reaching his hand out for her to shake.
"You were pretty good too, Itsuka." He said as she shook his hand, ignoring the small 'eh' she let out at hearing him say her name. "But," His smile turned competitive and he gripped her hand a bit tighter. "I'll be trying my best from the start, next time. I'm gonna beat you!"
She smiled, her hand gripping his back just as tight, if not tighter. "You can try! But uh, why are you calling my Itsuka?" Izuku looked back at her, his head cocked slightly to the side.
"Well, that is your name, isn't it?"
She laughed, her mind apparently connecting dots that he hadn't known existed.
"Ohhh, yeah that's what grandpa calls me, but my full name is Kendou Itsuka."
She laughed even harder as Izuku felt blood rush to his head. "You look like a strawberry!" She cackled.
"I-I called you your first name? Oh my god I've been calling a girl by her first name in my head for months!" He continued to mutter about impropriety and disrespect, Kendou laughing by his side while Renji-sensei watched them with a sweatdrop forming on his forehead.
"What am I gonna do with you two?" He smiled, exasperation replaced by fondness. He clapped his hands together. "Alright, enough of that! You two still have exercises to do!"
The two groaned, but rose, albeit unsteadily, and got to work. This time, however, they worked together, not on opposite sides of the gym, or on different days, they laughed and joked with one another, encouraging each other and working harder than ever.
When Izuku got home, he had to waive off his Mom's concern over the bruises all over his arms, explaining a sparring session to her had taken a while, and by the time he had manage to peel her crying body off of his, the exhaustion of the day crashed into him like a car. He barely managed a shower before he collapsed in bed, out like a light.
He opened his eyes. It didn't feel like he had been asleep for long, he thought, still groggy. He yawned, reaching over to his bedside table to check the time, freezing as he touched stone instead of wood. He shot up, tensing and then relaxing slightly as he recognized the pipe hallway from his first test, he was in his mindscape. He followed the pipes, luckily no heat or pressure bearing down on him this time, walking until he reached the chamber of his soul. The bonfire in the middle of the room burned bright, brighter than when he had last seen it, and he walked towards it, entranced by the light.
We have much to talk about, child. Soul's voice rang out.
"Yeah, we do." Izuku's voice was cold, he could remember the panic he felt before his fight with Kendou, the overwhelming fear and the desperate attempts, the pleas to speak with Soul. He had begged the Quirk to speak with him, and had been left wanting.
"Let's talk, Soul."