Izuku stopped right in front of her and smiled.
"Yaoyorozu. Got a second?"
Momo blinked, her posture perfectly straight as she mentally adjusted to the conversation she'd just anticipated.
"Of course. Is something wrong?"
Izuku leaned slightly forward, lowering his voice so only she could hear him.
"I've got a proposal that could give you an edge in the fight."
The blush was immediate, rising from Momo's neck to her cheeks as her hands curled into trembling fists against her skirt.
"M-Midoriya kun," she began in a tense voice, "if you're talking about what I think you're talking about…"
"Exactly," Izuku confirmed without beating around the bush. "I want to use my Quirk on you before the match."
Momo took a deep breath, her shoulders visibly tightening.
"That is… extremely inappropriate," she murmured, glancing sideways to where All Might was answering a question from Tsuyu. "It was already mortifying enough the first time in the hallway, and now you're asking me to repeat it voluntarily in front of…"
She cut herself off when she noticed several heads nearby starting to turn in her direction.
"Not in front of anyone," Izuku clarified quickly. "We just need a couple of minutes alone."
Momo stared at him in disbelief.
"And how exactly do you propose we get any privacy in the middle of a class with twenty students watching?"
Izuku shrugged.
"Tell All Might you need a tactical team meeting."
Momo opened her mouth to protest when the logic of the idea finally caught up to her brain. Technically, it's completely valid, she reasoned while biting the inside of her cheek. Professional teams always have strategy meetings before major operations…
"No," she said anyway, crossing her arms. "Absolutely not. It's too… too…"
"Too embarrassing!" Momo burst out in an urgent whisper. "Do you have any idea what I felt the last time? It was mortifying, Midoriya kun. Completely mortifying. And now you're asking me to do it voluntarily when…"
"You saw what Ochako did out there," Izuku interrupted gently. "She pulled off things she'd never done before because my Quirk unlocked capabilities she didn't even know she had."
Momo went quiet, processing the words.
"And you think that I…?" she began in a hesitant voice.
"I know you've got hidden capabilities too," Izuku confirmed. "I saw your full manual, Yaoyorozu. I know exactly what you're capable of. The question is whether you're willing to find it out for yourself."
This is unacceptable, Momo thought as she felt her resolve crumbling. He's handing me exactly the argument I can't refute.
"Five minutes," she finally caved with a defeated sigh. "And this had better work, Izuku kun."
Izuku gave her a pat on the shoulder.
"Trust me."
Momo turned on her heel and walked over to where All Might was finishing up his explanation. She raised her hand with formal elegance.
"All Might sensei?"
The number one hero turned toward her with his brilliant smile.
"YES, YOUNG YAOYOROZU?"
"With your permission," Momo began, in the most professional and academic tone she could muster, "I'd like to request five minutes for a tactical team meeting before the exercise begins. Considering the strategic complexity of the defense scenario and the importance of optimal coordination between partners, I believe it would be prudent to establish clear communication protocols and…"
"GRANTED!" All Might cut in with a thumbs up. "FIVE MINUTES FOR TEAM STRATEGY! EXCELLENT INITIATIVE, YOUNG YAOYOROZU!"
Momo nodded formally before turning toward Mineta, who was already walking in her direction with his chest puffed out and an ear to ear grin.
"Maximizing our potential as the hottest pair in U.A.! Please tell me the plan involves physical contact!…"
Momo stopped right in front of him and held up a hand in a stop gesture.
"Mineta kun, stay here."
Mineta blinked several times, trying to reconcile what he'd just heard.
"W-what?"
"I said stay here," Momo repeated firmly as she turned and walked straight to where Izuku was waiting on the other side of the room. "I'll be back in five minutes."
Mineta's expression shifted from confusion to horror as he watched Momo walk away with Izuku toward a secluded corner of the observation room.
SHE JUST ASKED FOR A MOMENT TO COME UP WITH A STRATEGY, RIGHT?!, his mind screamed as his hands clenched into trembling fists. WHY IS SHE GOING OFF WITH MIDORIYA?! IT'S ME! I'M HER TEAMMATE! I'M THE ONE WHO SHOULD BE HAVING THAT PRIVATE MEETING WITH HER!
All Might, still standing at the front of the room, watched the scene with growing confusion as a bead of sweat started forming on his temple.
Why did she leave young Mineta behind and go with young Midoriya?, he wondered as his smile developed a slight nervous twitch. Isn't Mineta supposed to be her partner for this exercise?
He decided not to ask.
Today has been weird enough already, he concluded with resignation. I'm not even going to try to understand what's happening anymore.
In the farthest corner of the room, Momo stopped beside Izuku and glanced nervously behind her to confirm nobody could hear them.
"Okay," Momo whispered, her hands trembling slightly at her sides. "We've got five minutes. How do we do this?"
Izuku looked around, sizing up the situation.
"Here's fine. Nobody's paying attention to us."
Momo closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
This is experimental methodology and nothing more, she reminded herself as a blush threatened to cover her face. A controlled scientific process to optimize combat performance…
"Momo," Izuku said softly, "are you ready?"
She opened her eyes and nodded once.
"Ready."
Izuku reached out his hands, and Momo braced herself mentally for what was about to happen. But right before Izuku's fingers made contact, she spoke again:
"Wait."
Izuku stopped immediately.
"What's wrong?"
Momo bit her lower lip as she stared at the floor.
"I just… I just want you to know this doesn't mean I'm comfortable with the situation," she murmured in a barely audible voice. "It's still extremely embarrassing and completely inappropriate from any acceptable standard of social conduct."
Izuku smiled.
"I know."
"And when this is over," Momo continued as the blush intensified, "we're going to have a very serious conversation about the appropriate limits of physical contact between classmates."
"Understood."
"And if you ever tell anyone about this…"
"Never," Izuku promised sincerely.
Momo took one more deep breath before nodding.
"Proceed."
Izuku closed his hands around Momo's breasts through her hero costume.
The contact was immediate, firm, and completely comfortable. Izuku's fingers sank slightly into the red material of the costume as he applied gentle but steady pressure. Momo gasped, her knees trembling as a wave of sensation climbed from her chest to her brain.
Oh my God, she thought, gritting her teeth. It's exactly like last time. Worse, even. At least in the hallway it was an accident.
Information began flowing into Izuku's mind.
[CREATION, MOMO YAOYOROZU] [BOOST MODE ACTIVE]
[MOLECULAR RESTRUCTURING -> ENHANCED]
[ORGANIC MATTER CREATION -> ACCESSIBLE]
[INSTANT MATERIAL ANALYSIS -> UNLOCKED]
Wait!, Izuku thought in surprise as he scanned the data. Organic matter? That means she can create…?
"Yaoyorozu," he said quietly, keeping his hands firmly in place, "your Quirk just unlocked a new capability."
"W-what?" Momo managed, her hands clenching into trembling fists at her sides.
"You can create simple organic matter," Izuku explained. "Wood, plant fibers, natural silk… anything that isn't alive but was produced biologically. And your creation speed just tripled."
Momo's eyes went wide.
Organic matter?, she repeated in her mind as she processed the tactical implications. That means I could create reinforced wooden shields, natural fiber ropes… the applications are practically infinite.
"There's more," Izuku continued. "You can analyze materials by touch now. You don't need to memorize the molecular composition of every object you want to create anymore. You just have to touch it once and your Quirk registers it automatically."
Momo felt like her legs were about to give out under her.
"That's… that's completely unexpected," she whispered, her breathing turning ragged. "Are you sure that…?"
"Completely sure," Izuku confirmed as he finally pulled his hands away from her chest. "Try creating something."
Momo held out a trembling hand and thought of the first object that came to mind: a standard oak combat staff. She activated her Quirk. The staff appeared in her hand in less than a second, perfectly formed and polished.
She stared at the object in amazement.
"I've never… I've never created wood before," she murmured as she turned the staff between her fingers. "I didn't even know it was possible."
"It is now," Izuku said with a satisfied smile.
Momo looked up at him, and for the first time since the conversation started, her expression had shifted from mortified embarrassment to iron determination.
"Thank you, Izuku kun."
"You're welcome. Now get out there and show them what you can do."
Momo nodded once before turning and walking back to where Mineta was still standing, a look of tragedy painted on his face.
All Might raised both hands toward the class.
"TEAMS! PREPARE TO MOVE TO YOUR STARTING POSITIONS!"
******
Momo stood on the fifth floor of the building designated for the exercise, staring at the fake nuclear weapon while Mineta bounced anxiously beside her.
"Yaoyorozu san," he began excitedly, "I've got the perfect strategy. Hear me out. You create a giant trap with your Quirk while I hide behind…"
"No," Momo cut in without even looking at him.
"Huh?"
"Stay by the weapon," she ordered as she walked toward the window and placed a hand against the glass. "Don't move from that spot unless I specifically tell you to. Got it?"
Mineta opened his mouth to protest when he saw the expression on Momo's face.
That look is terrifying… she's dead serious!, he thought, swallowing hard as a chill ran down his spine. When Yaoyorozu gets like this, she definitely has a plan… and that plan definitely involves me suffering.
He hesitated for a second, tensing up.
B-but… she looks amazing when she's this focused… NO, FOCUS, IDIOT! Better do what she says before something explodes… or worse, I end up as the bait!
"G-got it, Yaoyorozu san."
Momo touched the window with her open palm, feeling the molecular composition of the glass. Wow, she thought as she registered every detail. So this is instant material analysis. Fascinating.
She activated her Quirk, and her skin glowed as lipids converted into solid matter. In a few seconds, she'd created a small electronic device the size of a matchbox, which she carefully placed in the corner of the room.
"What's that?" Mineta asked curiously.
"A homemade motion sensor," Momo answered as she walked toward the hallway. "It'll alert me when Jiro kun and Kaminari kun enter the building."
She spent the next two minutes creating a full web of traps across the first three floors of the building. Plant fiber wires, tensioned inches above ankle height in the hallways, formed the first line of defense; pressure plates hidden under the dust on the floor completed the trap, and a series of small mirrors positioned at precise angles gave her full line of sight from the fifth floor.
This is easier than it should be, she thought as she created the last mirror and stuck it to the wall with natural resin. The enhanced creation speed is letting me build defenses that would normally take me ten minutes in less than two.
The intercom roared through the building.
"LET THE BATTLE BEGIN!"
Momo ran back to the fifth floor, sliding up next to the window as she checked the mirrors she'd strategically placed to monitor the lower floors.
In the observation room, Izuku leaned forward in his seat as the screens showed Jiro and Kaminari cautiously entering the building through the front door.
Come on, Yaoyorozu, he thought with anticipation. Show them what you can do.
Jiro moved first, her hero earphones amplifying every sound in the building while Kaminari covered her from behind.
"You hear anything?" Kaminari asked quietly.
"Nothing yet," Jiro murmured as her eyes scanned the empty hallway in front of them. "But that doesn't mean there aren't traps. Yaoyorozu's way too smart to let us walk in without any resistance."
They took three more steps before Jiro's foot caught an invisible wire tensioned inches above the floor.
CLICK.
"Shit!" Jiro yelled as she dove to the side.
A plant fiber net dropped from the ceiling, spreading out in the air as it descended toward where Kaminari was still standing. He raised both hands and unleashed an electric discharge that burned the net before it could catch him.
"That was close!" he panted as smoke rose from his palms.
"Keep moving," Jiro ordered as she got to her feet. "If we stop, we're gonna…!"
Another trap went off: this time, a reinforced wooden plank came loose from the wall and slammed into Jiro's shoulder with a dull thud.
"AGH!"
Kaminari grabbed her before she could fall.
"You okay?"
"Yeah," Jiro grunted as she rubbed her shoulder. "But Yaoyorozu's definitely taking this seriously."
On the fifth floor, Momo watched everything through her mirrors with a concentrated expression.
First trap: failed. Second trap: minimal damage, but forced them to spend energy, she catalogued mentally. Kaminari kun already used electricity. If he keeps going at that rate, he's going to hit his limit before he reaches the fifth floor.
She placed both hands against the concrete floor and activated her Quirk. Cement mixed with standard mineral aggregates, she registered as she memorized every detail. Perfect.
"Yaoyorozu san," Mineta called from his position by the weapon, "what are you doing?"
"Getting ready for the next level," Momo answered as her skin began to glow.
In the observation room, Kirishima leaned forward with wide eyes.
"Wait, what's she…?"
The screen showed Momo creating something massive, her stomach glowing as lipids converted into matter at a speed none of them had ever seen before: she'd created a full barricade made of reinforced wood that completely blocked the stairway between the fourth and fifth floors.
"HOW?!" Mina yelled from her seat. "That should've taken her at least a minute!"
"Young Yaoyorozu is operating at peak efficiency," All Might commented, watching with growing interest. "Remarkable."
Izuku leaned back in his seat with a satisfied smile.
This is what someone looks like when they finally understand the true scope of their own power, he thought with pride.
Jiro and Kaminari reached the fourth floor without further incidents, but they stopped dead when they saw the wooden barricade completely blocking access to the stairs.
"Since when can Yaoyorozu create structures that big, that fast?" Jiro muttered as she examined the wall.
Kaminari placed a hand against the wood and let electricity run through his fingers. The material charred slightly, but the structure didn't budge.
"This is gonna take a while to get through," he admitted with frustration.
"Then we don't go through it," Jiro decided as she plugged her earphones into the amplifiers on her costume. "We blow it up."
She aimed both amplifiers at the barricade and released a concentrated sonic wave.
BOOM
The sound slammed into the wood with explosive force, splintering the surface without breaking through completely.
On the fifth floor, Momo felt the vibration through the floor.
Jiro kun is using her maximum output, she calculated quickly. Three more waves like that and the barricade will give. I've got about thirty seconds.
She activated her Quirk again. This time she created something completely different: organic roots that emerged and expanded downward through the cracks and crevices of the building.
Mineta watched with bulging eyes as the roots disappeared into the floor.
"Y-Yaoyorozu san… what the hell is that?"
"Structural reinforcement," Momo answered calmly. "I'm going to make it a lot harder to reach us up here."
Jiro's next sonic wave hit the barricade just as Momo's roots wove themselves into the structure from below. The wood shuddered but held its position.
"What?!" Jiro yelled in disbelief. "That should've destroyed it!"
Kaminari frowned as he spotted tiny roots peeking out from between the cracks of the barricade.
"I think she's reinforcing it from the inside while we attack it," he said slowly. "She's adapting to our attacks in real time."
Jiro clenched her teeth.
"Then we change strategy. Kaminari, break it with electricity. Max power."
"But that's gonna…"
"Do it!"
Kaminari took a deep breath before placing both palms against the barricade and unleashing everything he had.
CRASH!
The barricade collapsed, leaving the path to the fifth floor completely open. Kaminari staggered back with steam rising from his hands.
"Ugh… I went over the limit," he mumbled as his brain started to fry. "Wheeeey…"
"Kaminari, focus!" Jiro yelled as she grabbed his arm. "Just one more floor!"
They dragged their exhausted bodies up the final stairs, emerging on the fifth floor with heavy breathing and trembling muscles.
The room was empty except for the fake nuclear weapon in the center and…
"Where's Yaoyorozu?" Jiro asked as her eyes scanned the space.
"Right here."
They both spun around just in time to see Momo emerging from behind a column with her hands already glowing as she activated her Quirk. In less than a second, she'd created an organic shield made of laminated wood reinforced with interwoven plant fibers.
Jiro didn't waste a second and fired a sonic wave straight at her.
Momo raised the shield. The attack slammed into the surface with a roar that shook the entire floor, but the shield absorbed the blow without cracking.
"Impossible," Jiro whispered. "That attack should've gone through anything you could create."
"You should update your assumptions about what I can and can't do," Momo answered calmly as she lowered the shield.
Jiro tensed her muscles, bracing to launch another attack when she heard a mechanical click directly above her head.
What…?
She looked up just in time to see a compartment opening in the ceiling, revealing a container full of thick amber liquid.
"Shit!"
The resin poured down like a thick cascade, covering her completely before she could move. The sticky liquid spread across the floor, trapping her feet against the tiles as more resin fell over her arms and torso.
Kaminari, still in idiot mode, took a step forward to help.
"Wheeeey… Jiro chan is…"
His feet sank right into the pool of resin spreading across the floor. He tried to lift one leg, but the organic material had already bonded to his boots with relentless force.
"Sticky!" he yelled in a slurred voice as he flailed his arms. "Really sticky! Wheeey!"
He lost his balance and fell backward, landing right in another pool of resin that glued him to the floor.
Jiro fought against the thick substance, pulling with all her strength, but the resin had hardened enough to keep her completely immobilized.
"What the hell is this?" she demanded, glaring toward where Momo was watching the scene with a calm expression.
"Natural tree resin," Momo answered as she walked around the sticky pool. "A form of organic matter that's particularly useful for crowd control situations. It hardens on contact with air but keeps enough elasticity to avoid permanent injuries."
"VILLAIN TEAM WINS!"
In the observation room, the silence stretched for a moment before Kirishima yelled.
"WHAT WAS THAT?! YAOYOROZU JUST CREATED RESIN! ACTUAL TREE RESIN! AND SHE TRAPPED JIRO AND KAMINARI WITH A TRAP SHE SET UP BEFORE THEY EVEN GOT THERE!"
"Young Yaoyorozu's tactical planning was…" All Might paused, searching for the right words. "Exceptional. Truly exceptional."
Izuku crossed his arms with evident satisfaction as he watched Momo helping Jiro free herself from the resin on the screen.
She did it, he thought with pride. She finally got to see part of her potential.
Ochako leaned toward him with a mischievous smile.
"Izuku kun, did you have something to do with this?"
"Maybe," he admitted, smiling back at her. "Why? You wanna do it again?"
Ochako flushed.
"N-no way! I was just… asking."
Momo emerged from the building with Mineta bouncing happily beside her as he celebrated a victory in which he'd literally done nothing except stand next to the weapon.
"WE WON! YAOYOROZU SAN AND I WON TOGETHER!" he yelled as he jumped around.
Momo ignored him completely as she walked straight to where Izuku was waiting by the entrance of the observation room.
Finally, Momo extended a hand.
"Thank you, Izuku kun."
Izuku shook her hand with a smile.
"You're welcome. Good work out there."
"About your offer to train together…" Momo began as she slowly withdrew her hand.
"Did you change your mind?"
Momo took a deep breath before answering.
"Let's just say… I saw tangible results today. From an academic perspective, it would be illogical to turn down such an obvious opportunity for optimization."
Izuku's smile widened.
"Translation: yes."
A light blush appeared on Momo's cheeks.
"…Yes."
******
That afternoon, Izuku walked home with Ochako beside him as the sun began to set behind the buildings of Musutafu.
"So," Ochako began in a casual tone as she kicked a pebble on the sidewalk, "now you're gonna train with Yaoyorozu san too."
"Yeah," Izuku confirmed. "Does that… bother you a little?"
"Not at all," Ochako replied. "Actually, it's great. More people training together means we all get better faster, and we'll figure out the mysteries of your Quirk even quicker, right?"
"For sure… Honestly, I'm really happy Momo said yes."
Two incredibly powerful girls as training partners, he thought as they turned the corner onto their street. My Quirk is finally starting to make sense. Although… why do I have the feeling this is about to get a lot more complicated?
Ochako walked beside him in silence, lost in her own thoughts.
Izuku kun is putting together a team of enhanced girls, she reflected as she stared at her shoes. Should I be worried? No, no, of course not. We're just friends training together. That's all. Right?
She looked up at him, watching his profile as he walked with his hands in his pockets and a relaxed expression on his face.
Right?
*******
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Where are your Power Stones, my dear readers? Well, if we hit our goal of 600 Power Stones before the Sunday reset, I'll release 2 bonus chapters on top of the regular schedule. Thanks for reading, and have a wonderful day!