Hey everyone!
Shoutout to my reader Pope Yoda I for the comment that got me thinking. I've decided to start nudging Izuku's characterization in a slightly softer direction a little sooner than I originally planned. The goal is to make him come across as genuinely more concerned rather than the calculated, self-serving version you've been seeing up until now. I was originally saving that shift for the USJ arc, but honestly, dropping some early hints of it here feels like the right call too.
Thanks so much for your patience, and I hope you all have a wonderful night!
Izuku looked at Ochako with a grateful smile while he watched her enthusiasm. From day one, she had been the girl who'd trusted him most, supporting him even when his Quirk seemed completely useless. If he could do this in a respectful way, or at least make it less awkward for her, he wouldn't hesitate.
"Alright," Izuku rubbed his hands while his mind was already working on the experimental protocol. "Ochako, I wanna test the dual zone contact with you too, to see if the effect's consistent across different users."
Ochako approached with small steps, stopping in front of him with her hands clasped at chest level.
"What do you need me to do, Izuku-kun?"
"First we're gonna establish a baseline," Izuku extended his right hand. "You still remember how the normal Boost feels, right?"
Ochako nodded.
"Yeah, I've felt it a few times now. It's amazing, it makes my Quirk work way better and it gets rid of the nausea almost completely."
"Perfect," Izuku placed his right hand over Ochako's left breast.
She gave a small jolt at the contact, but didn't pull away. The warmth of her body filtered through the uniform fabric, and the soft beat of her heart pulsed against his palm.
This comfort... Izuku thought as he felt the softness under his hand. There's definitely someone in the design department who understands the right priorities.
[QUIRK ANALYSIS INITIATED]
[BOOST MODE: ACTIVE]
"Try to float that desk," Izuku pointed toward the heaviest desk in the classroom.
Ochako extended her hand toward the metal desk and activated Zero Gravity. Her five fingers touched the cold surface, and the desk began to lift with a smoothness that shouldn't be possible for its weight.
"Yeah," Ochako confirmed as she watched the desk float. "With the normal Boost it's a piece of cake. The desk feels lighter than a sheet of paper and... look! No nausea at all! I could keep it floating all day if I wanted."
"Good," Izuku withdrew his hand. "Now comes the interesting part."
He positioned himself behind Ochako, close enough for her to feel the warmth of his body against her back.
"Ochako, if you start feeling uncomfortable just tell me and I'll stop right away," Izuku said in a low voice.
"I-I-Izuku-kun?! Ah... y-yes, I'll be okay! I get that this is for training, right? It's... it's just that you're really close... But don't worry! I trust you, let's give it a try!"
Izuku placed his left hand on Ochako's hip, right where the curve of her glute began. With his right hand, he wrapped around her waist from behind and slid up to her right breast, pressing softly.
"Ngh... I-Izuku-kun..."
[DUAL ZONE CONTACT DETECTED]
[MAMMARY TISSUE + HIP/GLUTEAL REGION]
[BOOST EFFICIENCY: 175%]
"Try to float more desks," Izuku instructed. "As many as you can."
Ochako extended her trembling hand toward a whole row of desks at the other end of the classroom. All five of them lifted effortlessly, floating in the air alongside the solid metal desk that was already suspended.
"What the...?! This is incredible! Izuku-kun, this is on a whole other level!" Ochako's eyes went wide with awe. "It's completely different from the normal Boost. I can't even feel the weight of the objects."
Momo watched from the side, scribbling furiously in her notebook while her cheeks kept a pink tone.
"The data is consistent," she announced as she reviewed her notes. "Dual zone contact produces approximately seventy five percent additional improvement compared to single contact, regardless of the user."
Izuku kept the contact a moment longer, analyzing the information he was getting thanks to his Quirk.
[EXTENDED DUAL ZONE CONTACT DETECTED]
[ANALYZING LATENT POTENTIAL...]
[CRITICAL DISCOVERY: BERSERKER MODE UNLOCKED]
[USER: OCHAKO URARAKA]
[WARNING: HIGH RISK ABILITY - REQUIRES CAREFUL SUPERVISION]
What? Berserker Mode?
[BERSERKER MODE - OCHAKO URARAKA]
[EFFECT: Complete suppression of nausea response + Massive area leveling capacity (Sub-Urban scale) + enhanced aggression response + reduced pain sensitivity + loss of combat restraint]
[RISK: User loses rational judgment during activation. Fights without holding back. Can cause severe collateral damage. Requires external supervision to prevent friendly fire incidents.]
[SUGGESTED APPLICATION: Last resort combat scenarios where maximum destructive output is required regardless of consequences.]
Izuku felt his eyes widen with surprise.
Ochako... has a berserker mode just like Midnight-sensei.
He withdrew his hands slowly, thinking about the information.
Who would've thought someone so sweet and gentle had such a destructive side hidden away? This girl could turn into a total destruction machine if the situation calls for it.
"Hehe... my heart's still racing. But tell me, Izuku-kun... what does the data say?" Ochako called out as she turned to look at him, her cheeks flushed. "Did you find anything new? If this helps us help more people or be better support on missions, I'm willing to try anything!"
Izuku looked at her, seeing the pink-cheeked girl with the warm smile he had known since day one.
"Yeah," Izuku replied as he turned to look at both of them. "I found something really interesting about your Quirk, Ochako, but we'll need to do more tests in a safer environment before I can fully explain it."
Ochako tilted her head with curiosity.
"Is it something good?"
"It's something incredible," Izuku confirmed with a smile. "It's also something dangerous if it isn't handled properly."
While Ochako kept her eyes locked on the suspended desks, marveling, Izuku stepped closer to Momo and lowered his voice to a murmur.
"Write this down: Berserker Mode," he said. "I'll explain on the way."
Momo raised an eyebrow and scribbled the term in her notebook without asking any more questions, then closed it with a satisfied sigh.
"The preliminary data is promising," she murmured as she reviewed her equations. "If dual contact in zones with different tissue composition produces a one hundred seventy five percent multiplier, then triple contact could reach two hundred fifty percent, and quadruple contact would hit three hundred twenty five. The theoretical maximum with full body contact would be four hundred percent."
"Exactly," Izuku nodded. "That's why I need to keep investigating. Understanding the exact limits of my Quirk could completely change how team hero operations work."
I'm officially a pioneer in the field of training super powerful heroines, he thought with pride. My hands are definitely miraculous.
"We'll need to document all of this properly," Momo announced in a professional tone. "And share the results with Principal Nezu. If your Quirk really can multiply other heroes' effectiveness up to four times their base capacity, it has massive strategic implications for the future of hero society."
Ochako looked at the clock on the wall and her eyes opened with alarm.
"Oh no! It's so late! I gotta go right now, my mom said they'd call me to check on me and I don't want my parents to worry if I get home after dark. I'm sorry, I gotta go!"
She grabbed her backpack with hurried movements while Izuku and Momo also started gathering their things.
"I'll walk you home," Izuku offered as he slung his backpack over his shoulder. "I don't want you walking alone at night."
"Aww, Izuku-kun!" Ochako smiled warmly. "You're so thoughtful! Thank you so much, I'd love that!"
Momo tucked her notebook into her designer bag and looked at both of them with a thoughtful expression.
"If I may," she began politely, "my private transport is already waiting at the entrance. Given that safety is a priority for U.A. students, it would be my pleasure to take you both in the family limousine. It's very spacious, and that way we could continue going over today's theory."
Izuku blinked.
A limousine?
"A l-limousine?!" Ochako started waving her hands frantically in front of her face. "No, no, no! That's too much! We don't wanna get the seats of such an expensive car dirty! Besides, the subway is super fast and only costs a few yen!"
"It's no trouble at all," Momo insisted with a kind smile. "In fact, it would be reckless of me to let you walk alone after dark when I have the means to ensure your safety. Besides..."
Her smile turned slightly playful.
"After everything we did today, I'd consider it rude not to offer you proper transportation."
Izuku exchanged a look with Ochako, who shrugged with a resigned smile.
"Well," Izuku said as they headed toward the door, "if you insist, Momo. Thanks a lot."
The three of them left the classroom and walked through the U.A. hallways toward the main entrance.
Izuku glanced sideways at Ochako, who was walking next to him with her backpack bouncing slightly on her back. He needed to explain the Berserker Mode thing now.
"Ochako," Izuku started as he slowed his pace, "about what I discovered when I did the dual zone contact with you..."
Ochako turned to look at him with curiosity.
"Yeah?"
"My Quirk unlocked extra information about your ability," Izuku explained. "It found something called Berserker Mode."
"Berserker Mode?" Ochako repeated the word with uncertainty. "Sounds... intense."
Momo, walking on the other side of Izuku, took her notebook out of her bag and opened it to a blank page, ready to take notes.
"It's exactly what it sounds like," Izuku continued. "An altered state of your Quirk that removes all the natural limiters."
Ochako blinked several times, processing the information.
"Limiters?"
"Your nausea response, your control over how much weight you can manipulate, your pain sensitivity, your combat restrictions," Izuku listed as they walked. "Berserker Mode would suppress all of that. It'd turn you into a total destruction machine."
Ochako stopped dead in her tracks, and Izuku and Momo stopped too, forming a small circle in the middle of the hallway.
"Me?" Ochako pointed at herself in disbelief. "A destruction machine? I've never even fought seriously in my life! I can't even watch violent movies without covering my eyes!"
"That's why it's dangerous," Izuku replied seriously. "The mode would suppress your natural inhibitions. It'd ramp up your aggression response and remove your rational judgment."
Momo scribbled rapidly in her notebook.
"So... it seems to be a latent feature that only unlocks under certain conditions."
Ochako stayed quiet for a moment. Her fingers fidgeted with the strap of her backpack while she stared at the floor.
"So... could I hurt someone without meaning to?" she asked in a low voice.
"Yes," Izuku admitted. "In theory, you could cause sub urban scale destruction. Whole buildings floating out of control, structures collapsing, people trapped in midair... all while you fight without holding back."
An Ochako without inhibitions is terrifying, Izuku thought. She'd also be incredibly powerful if we ever need pure brute force.
Ochako let out the breath she had been holding.
"I get it," she said finally. "So... we're not gonna try it?"
"Definitely not," Izuku confirmed firmly. "Not until I understand my Quirk better and figure out how I could supervise that state safely."
"First we need more research," Momo added as she closed her notebook. "Proper documentation, a controlled environment, safety measures... it's not something we can test in an empty classroom."
Ochako nodded slowly, still processing all the information, and they resumed walking toward the entrance.
"It's weird thinking I have something like that inside me," Ochako murmured. "Something so... violent."
"It's not violence," Izuku corrected gently. "It's power. And like any power, it can be used to protect or to destroy. The difference is who controls it and why."
Ochako looked at him with a small smile.
"You're right, Izuku-kun. If I ever need to use it to save someone, at least now I know it's there."
They reached the main entrance of U.A. The black limousine gleamed under the lights with a shine that screamed money. The driver, an older man with silver hair and an impeccable suit, opened the back door with an elegant motion.
"Welcome, young ones," he greeted with a formal bow.
Ochako gulped audibly while she looked at the inside of the vehicle. The cream colored leather seats looked more comfortable than her bed, and there was a flat screen built into the divider next to a minibar lit with blue light.
"Please," Momo gestured for them to enter first.
Izuku climbed in first, sinking into the seat with an involuntary sigh. Ochako followed him, moving cautiously, trying not to break anything.
Momo got in last, closing the door while the driver started the car.
This limousine probably costs more than everything my mom has earned in ten years, Izuku thought as he looked at the padded ceiling. And Momo treats it like a regular taxi. Class differences are brutal.
During the ride, Momo took out her notebook and started reviewing the day's equations. Izuku looked out the window while Ochako tried not to touch anything that seemed expensive.
"Izuku-kun," Momo pulled him out of his thoughts, "going back to what we were discussing... have you considered the possibility that Berserker Mode could exist in other users too?"
Izuku turned to look at her.
"It's very possible. Midnight-sensei has one, Ochako has one... maybe it's a latent feature that's more common than we think."
"What worries me," Momo continued as she turned a page in her notebook, "is how to identify who else might have it without necessarily activating it. The risk of accidental activation during regular training would be..."
"Catastrophic?" Izuku finished. "Yeah, I know. That's why we need to be extremely careful with the dual zone contact tests. We can't just go around touching everyone to see what secret abilities they have."
Although it's strange. With Midnight-sensei I only touched her breasts, so maybe it's because hers are bigger than Ochako's, or maybe things just work differently for an experienced heroine.
Ochako, who had been listening in silence, jumped in with a timid voice.
"I still can't believe I have something like that. I mean... aggressive? Out of control?" She pointed at herself. "It sounds like I'd be a completely different person."
"That's why it's an alteration of your Quirk," Izuku explained. "Ochako in Berserker Mode wouldn't think like normal Ochako."
Momo nodded in agreement.
"In theory, Berserker Mode is designed for emergency situations where maximum destruction is necessary. The user loses rational judgment during activation, which means someone else has to be there to supervise and stop them when needed."
Ochako stayed quiet. Her fingers fidgeted with the hem of her skirt while she looked out the window.
"So I could hurt my friends without realizing it?" she asked finally.
"In theory, yes," Momo answered honestly. "That's why we're not gonna test it any time soon."
Silence filled the inside of the limousine for a moment, broken only by the soft sound of the engine.
Then Momo leaned forward and opened the minibar. She pulled out a tray of snacks from the refrigerated compartment: imported cookies with golden edges, French chocolates wrapped in foil, and small bottles of exotic fruit juice in glass.
"Please, help yourselves," she offered as she set the tray on the center seat.
Ochako stared at the cookies in awe, as if they were precious artifacts in a museum.
"A-are you sure? These cookies look... really expensive."
"They're just cookies," Momo replied with confusion. "My family buys several boxes every week."
Ochako took a cookie with trembling hands and bit into it carefully, as if it might shatter into a thousand pieces if she applied too much pressure.
Her eyes opened wide with total awe.
"Oh my god, this is delicious!" she exclaimed. "What is this?"
"Belgian butter cookies with Madagascar vanilla extract," Momo answered with the same casualness someone would use to describe an Oreo.
Izuku bit into one and had to admit it was probably the best cookie he had ever tasted. The butter melted on his tongue with a richness that made supermarket cookies seem like dry cardboard.
Money really does buy happiness, Izuku concluded. Or at least incredible cookies.
He tucked two cookies wrapped in a napkin into his jacket pocket. Momo saw him do it and smiled, saying nothing.
The limousine turned a corner, heading into a more modest neighborhood. The apartment buildings here didn't have doormen or marble entrances.
"It's right here," Ochako pointed toward a five story building with narrow balconies. "The white one."
The limousine stopped in front of the entrance. The contrast between the luxury vehicle and the building was so stark that several neighbors walking down the street stopped to stare.
Ochako hurried to grab her backpack, clearly aware of the looks.
"Thanks so much for everything, Momo-san!" she said goodbye with a quick bow. "And thanks for walking me home, Izuku-kun! See you tomorrow!"
"Wait," Izuku stopped her before she could open the door. "Take these."
He passed her the two cookies wrapped in the napkin.
"I know you're too shy to grab them yourself, so I stole a couple," he explained with a smile.
Ochako looked at the cookies, then at Izuku, and her expression softened with gratitude.
"Thank you, Izuku-kun," she whispered before stepping out of the limousine.
The driver closed the door behind her. Izuku and Momo watched her walk toward the building entrance, waving at a neighbor who was smoking on a balcony.
"She's a good person," Momo commented as the limousine started moving again.
"The best," Izuku confirmed.
There was a moment of comfortable silence while the vehicle navigated through the streets toward Izuku's apartment.
"Izuku-kun," Momo spoke again, her voice more serious. "I've been thinking about the implications of your Quirk."
"What implications?"
"If you really can amplify other heroes up to four times their base capacity, then your tactical value is incalculable," Momo explained. "It also makes you a target."
Izuku frowned.
"A target?"
"Villains aren't stupid," Momo continued. "If they find out there's someone who can multiply hero power, they'll want to eliminate you or capture you. You're a massive strategic threat to them."
I hadn't thought about that, Izuku admitted mentally. I've been so focused on developing my Quirk that I didn't consider the consequences if the information leaks.
"That's why we have to be careful about who we share this information with," Momo said firmly. "Principal Nezu is trustworthy, but beyond him... we need to keep this secret as long as possible."
"Agreed," Izuku nodded. "We'll keep the circle small for now."
The limousine stopped in front of Izuku's apartment building, a modest but well kept place. Izuku grabbed his backpack and got ready to step out.
"Thanks for the ride, Momo," he said sincerely. "And for all the cookies."
"My pleasure," Momo replied with a smile. "See you tomorrow in class, Izuku-kun."
Izuku stepped out of the limousine and walked toward the entrance of the building. When he turned to wave goodbye, he saw Momo watching him from the window, her expression thoughtful.
I'm definitely gonna need a bigger plan, he thought as he walked into the building. If my Quirk is really this valuable, things are gonna get complicated fast.
He climbed the stairs toward his apartment, his mind already working on the next steps. Ochako had a Berserker Mode, Momo could create complex organic matter, and he was the only one who could unlock all that potential.
********
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