Chapter Text
Kikumi slammed feet first on a wall. She had only a moment to react as Mirko came flying at her in the midst of a spinning roundhouse. Kikumi pushed, launching up and over Mirko, Float keeping her suspended in the air briefly.
“You’re pretty good at avoiding attacks, kid.” Mirko grunted while grinning up at her. “But if you want to win a fight you have to make some of your own!”
Kikumi smirked and cut Float off. She fell rapidly, faster than gravity should pull her. Mirko’s eyes were wide for a moment before they narrowed as Kikumi twisted herself into a falling axe kick. Mirko caught her foot easily.
“Poor choice kid.”
“I was going to say the same.” Kikumi triggered Float again, twisting her weight and bending her knee. Her other foot slammed hard into the rabbit hero’s ribs. Mirko grunted but didn’t relent her grip, instead reforming it and pulling Kikumi down hard. Loose dirt was blasted back by the impact on the ground.
“Ha! Now that’s it.” Mirko released her and set up her next attack. “Using that hovering trick to gain leverage?”
“Not quiet.” Kikumi lifted one hand and slammed it down hard. Dirt and small chunks of earth flew up, disrupting Mirko’s strike. It gave her just enough time to throw her body into a spin, coming up on her hands before launching into the air. “You can’t gain leverage from nothing, I simply used it to gain leverage from you.”
“Nice one!” Mirko launched up after her body turned and prepared a drop kick. Kikumi smirked and matched the movements. “Oh kid, you’re nuts!”
The two met in near mirrors of each other. At the moment of impact however the two were close enough to see the matching grin on the other’s face. Mirko extended first, with far less force than she could have. Kikumi’s own strike held little force, aiming to jump off Mirko rather than attack.
“Alright.” Mirko slid back as she landed, a single flip orienting her onto her feet during the fall. Kikumi hovered just above a beam on the third floor. “I think that’s enough.”
Kikumi settled on the beam and jumped down. Mirko watched her land and roll, offering a short nod of approval over the form. Kikumi eyed her warily for a moment but relaxed quickly when Mirko made no movements.
“Do you wish for me to go over what I did wrong?”
“Nah, I don’t need to know what you think you did wrong, I need you to know what you did do wrong.” Mirko waved her off. “No need to waste time. First, and I’ll forgive this one, you knew I was there and did nothing about it.”
“It is unwise to start violence simply because there is a hidden agent.”
“Kiddo, people don’t usually hide because they’re helping you.” Mirko’s voice was a total deadpan. “You need to be ready for violence to break out at any moment when you know someone is hiding.”
“And I presume the reverse is true?” Kikumi gave a short nod of appreciation at her current mentor’s words. “I cannot presume that a cloak of shadow means my opponent is not simply waiting for my move.”
“Sure.” Mirko said. She put a hand on Kikumi’s shoulder. “Bigger deal though, you’re telegraphing your moves. Not a big deal, your still a first year, but when you use my moves and do that we’ve got issues.”
“So your offer was a corrective measure?”
“Nah, got suckered into it by a buddy, can’t back out now.” Kikumi only offered a half hearted glare in response. “You stood out.”
“Hm, well I am glad for it then.”
“You should be.” Mirko’s ear twitched and her eyes narrowed as she looked out for a moment. “So, third thing, you’re quick and have a good head for dodging.”
“When the greatest harm comes from within I must learn to avoid the harm from without.”
“Yeah yeah, you’re too strong for your body.” Mirko rolled her eyes and snorted a brief laugh at the look she got. “Stay good at dodging, get better at staying in your range when you do it.”
Kikumi hummed in thought. She tended to prefer moving in straight lines, it was far easier to control as it usually required one move. The problem was of course that no matter how fast you could do it a ninety degree turn still required you come to a brief but complete stop. Arcing paths still had slow downs but there was an obvious solution she could implement.
Instead of a straight line or arced path she could move at larger angels, launching herself rapidly. She hummed again, it still felt like the wrong solution. There was something she was missing here. Considering five percent, plus her own quirk was all she could handle of sustained use. Kikumi’s head snapped straight at that.
“Someone had an idea. Alright, let’s rumble.” Mirko cracked her knuckles and surged forward.
“Shoto.” Endeavor stared down at his daughter as she tugged the strap of her bag. “During the festival you used your fire rarely and only once in direct combat.”
“I was trying not to hurt anyone.” Endeavor said nothing. He was content to give her the time to find the right words. “My lack of knowledge is what would have caused that.”
“I’m glad you understand that.” Endeavor took a deep breath and looked up. He was, he meant it, it was a point he’d tried driving home. It was just a starting point but it was further than she had gotten in four years. “Good, tomorrow night we’re patrolling in Hosu, today and tomorrow you train with me and Burnin’”
“That’s right kid!” Burnin’ came in loud and grinning. Shoto blinked but didn’t otherwise react, Burnin’s grin only got a little wider there. “The three of us are plenty fireproof, so no worries if you put a little too much in.”
“I suppose that is wise.” Shoto conceded. She nodded forward. “Shall we start then?”
Endeavor turned and started walking without another word. There was little need for more now, conversation could wait. Burnin’ laced her fingers behind her head and followed after, Shoto not far behind. He had a training room specifically set aside already, one that they wouldn’t need to leave for most of the day.
“To start, we have dummies.” Burnin’ tapped one of them once they had arrived. The first is already set up. “Designed to ignite at half the heat in half the time for a person to start suffering third degree burns.”
“If you can avoid harming these, your control will be more than enough to avoid harming a person.” Endeavor stepped forward and thrust his hand forward. Flame filled the gap, engulfed the dummy and lasted for barely a second. When it ended the dummy was slightly singed at the edges of its ‘clothes’ and nothing more. “We’ll start with some test and then start with you trying not to burn us.”
“Us?”
“Me and the boss.” Burnin’ said. “You’ve got real heat kiddo and your ice means you feel none of it. I’ve got pretty good temperature sensitivity.”
“Burnin’ is who we usually send to building fires.” Endeavor said. “Her ability to detect temperature deep within the flames proves useful.”
“Aw shucks boss, that’s just my job.” Burnin’ waved him off. “I’ll have an idea what your fire would do to a normal person.”
Shoto nodded and set her things down in the designated area. The stated training plan didn’t ultimately last as long as they all thought. They quickly realised her control was imprecise, she had burned three of the dummies to a crisp and was flabbergasted when it came time to test against Burnin’. The sidekick had frowned after her first attack and didn’t stop with her second or third.
Ultimately a few hours later, with her jacket and shirt forgotten Shoto stood panting as Endeavor took a deep breath across from her. He glanced at Burnin’ and she shook her head. Shoto huffed and glared forward, not at either of them but something meant for her. Burnin’ looked thoughtful before she snapped.
“That kid at the festival pissed you off didn’t she?”
“Not… exactly.” Shoto said, her tone embarrassed.
“Frustrated, annoyed, whatever same thing.” Burnin’ said rapidly, waving her off. “You brought your fire out in force. You’re not even reaching baseline heats against us.”
“And you think making me mad will fix this?”
“Punch me.” Shoto blinked. “Come on, punch me.”
“Why would I- This is quirk Training- I don’t-” Shoto looked to her father and found the man staring curiously with his arms crossed.
“Punch me. You’ve got a good handle on your ice and it looks like fire isn’t coming.” Burnin’ had her usual grin on as she spoke. That last part caught Shoto. “So you’re going to punch me.”
“This is ridiculous.” Shoto said and didn’t move.
“I disagree.” Endeavor cut in. “Knowing how to fight without your quirk is a useful skillset. One that starts with punching.”
“One punch kid, then we go back to bashing our heads against a wall.” Shoto’s gaze snapped back to the sidekick. “Come on, it’s not like you can hurt me.”
“You are not punch proof.” Shoto was flabbergasted now.
“Yeah… but you’re so adverse to hurting someone you’re not going to throw a proper one anyway.” Shoto blinked and stared and shook at that. Burnin’s leaned in. “Alright, let me try something else. Do you think you’re the only one that knows?”
Shoto’s nails dug into her palm. Burnin’s gaze flicked down for just a moment.
“You got to experience it once and it’s a whole thing.” Burnin’ stepped back. “One madman with a fire quirk and you think you’re half a weapon now? Is that really it? You’ve got the control-”
“Stop.”
“What? Telling it like it is?” Burnin’ was glaring now. “Four years ago, eighteen years of life and one time. I was eight the first time.” Shoto took a deep breath through her nose. “It happens, it’s part of the job.”
“He was there for me.”
“Every punk with a fire quirks got a bone with you kid. This guy’s not special.” Brunin’ stepped closer again. “He’s the same as any other villain thinking they’re an archnemesis. Just a flunked out loser who can’t handle his own inadequacy.”
“That’s-”
“You’re brother, I know, doesn’t change anything. The kid’s parents decide they don’t want him to burn to death and he-” Burnin’s head snapped to the side. She took a stumbling step back and rubbed her jaw. She could take the moment to see the frost on the floor, her boss’s oversized facial hair and the shocked teen still mid swing in front of her. “There we go.”
“Moe.” Her eyes flicked to her boss. Endeavor didn’t relish in the fear within them but it also didn’t sour his mood this time. “I see your goal, don’t repeat it.”
“Got it boss.” She gave a two finger salute and looked back at the kid. Shoto was still looking confused. “There, you took a swing, nothing held back and I’m still standing.”
“I don’t see how that’s helpful.” Shoto said after a moment.
“Eh, it’s simple. Do it again but with your fire.” Burnin’ flexed her jaw and set her usual grin back in place. “Then, tomorrow night you put that fire to use on patrol.”
“Alright that’s enough for today.” Tenya slumped as his new mentor said the words. His breath was ragged as he looked the room over. Footprints littered every surface, mostly Torino’s. “Got closer in that last bout kid but not close enough.”
“I can hardly keep up.”
“Because you’re running.” Torino huffed. He looked no less annoyed than he had before. “Hard to stay with someone moving solely in straight lines when you have to turn.”
“Yes, which is, as I said before, a weakness is something to overcome.” Tenya took in a breath and straightened. “That said, I am beginning to question your methods.”
“Eh, give me the week at least.” Torino wasn’t dismissive but rather demanding. It was a tone that left no room to argue. Tenya wasn’t above admitting that was fair. “Come on, let’s get something to eat, we’ll try again tomorrow.”
Tenya followed him to the small kitchen area. His mind was racing throughout the dinner and into the night as he worked on what few assignments he had. By the time he and Torino went to bed Tenya found himself lost in thought. It wasn’t long before he couldn’t stay still any longer. He walked back into the main living area and sat down.
Something about what Torino had said was sticking with him. Because he’s running. That’s what he did, it was how his quirk worked. Obviously his temporary mentor was trying to impart some lessons. Torino seemingly left his lessons in everything, an unorthodox teaching style but one Tenya was going to exploit. If there was a lesson he would learn it.
The process was frustrating of course.
“What other than running am I to do?” Tenya said, quietly, as he looked around the room. He had engines in his legs, there wasn’t a lot that lent itself to. They let him move his legs faster and generate thrust and that was just about it. Even the heat from them wasn’t useful for much. “Movement and thrust…”
Tenya nodded to himself and retired for the night.
“Gran Torino sir.” Tenya said partway into their morning breakfast. The aged hero paused and Tenya took the cue to continue. “I believe I will be able to land a hit today.”
“Do you?” Torino set his food down, the last piece, and gave Tenya a considering look. “Well than, I’m going to finish my breakfast and once I have you’ll clean this building top to bottom.”
“Unless?” Tenya leaned in, hands pressed firmly on either side of the table. After only one day he had a pretty good idea where this was going.
“I think you know.” Torino was grinning. “So… still confident kid?”
Neither moved for nearly a minute. The two simply stared each other down. Total stillness from the two speedsters. Torino moved first but Tenya reacted faster. The table legs on Tenya’s side buckled, splitting apart as he forced the table down. Torino grinned, kicking straight up and smiling into the right angle.
Tenya caught the plate with one hand and, with his engines burning, slammed his knee into the edge of the table. The wood slab rocketed up over Torino’s head just as he finished his flip. His feet hit the surface unexpectedly as his quirk triggered and he veered off course.
“Ha!” Torino laughed, recovering fast and surging towards Tenya. “Now that’s it kid!”
Tenya grunted, throwing the plate up as his engines hummed. He twisted and rocketed aside. Torino himself made a dead stop, turning to angle upwards.
“I don’t think so!” Tenya called. Torino turned his head, seeing the boy crouched against a wall, that hum getting louder by the moment. Tenya kicked off, the asymmetric nature of his thrust and his lack of experience sending him into a half flip. A flip he seemed to have accounted for as he snatched the plate from the air.
“What happened to running?” Torino corrected course, launching into his typical dropkick. Tenya was slow, this technique new and unrefined, so he didn’t avoid the strike. No instead he moved in between the moment of Torino’s impact and his exit, enough to send the elderly man into a spiral as Tenya skid across the floor and into the living room.
“Ground slides provide more friction, less distance…” Tenya muttered. He shook his head and bent back, Torino flying over his head. The wide grin on the pro’s face brought one to Tenya’s own. “I thought you didn’t want me running?”
“I didn’t expect you to start drifting!” Torino hit the wall and rocketed off. Tenya traced the unending ricochet cycle and nodded once. Drifting. It hadn’t been the original idea but perhaps a mix…
Tenya’’s engines burned as he planned. With a single nod they ignited. His stance asymmetric, not even shifting into a run, sent him in an arcing path. The carpet helped and already Tenya could think of notes, ideas for support gear. He cut the left engine off, sending him into a spin as he tossed the plate up and over Torino.
“Not this time!” Torino said as he redirected himself around Tenya’s attempted strike. “You figured out a new trick, kid! But that’s not gonna cut it.”
Tenya grunted and kicked off, snatching the plate again just before Torino could get it. This rapid exchange continued for nearly ten minutes. Tenya’s movements getting more and more refined, less sloppy on a moment to moment basis. He only slipped back in progress when he added a new movement scheme in, and Torino? Torino was laughing like a madman as he ramped up the speed.
Torino was moving in nearly exclusively straight lines by the end while Tenya was continuing in his arcing paths, gliding across the room in imprecise paths that spoke of potential. Torino smirked, bounced off a wall and smacked the edge of the plate. The teriyaki went flying and two more bounces sent him straight for it. The plate flashed in his vision, briefly cutting off his path and letting it fall. Gran Torino though corrected quickly with easy, only one more bounce taking him back in the path.
“Sorry kid!” He called as he reached out.
“Funny.” The humming from Tenya’s engines was loudest now. “I was going to say the same!”
There was a thud of high impact and the two stopped. The remains of their tailwinds dispersed what little loose articles remained as the two stayed in place. Torino’s hand around his prize and Tenya’s fist planted firmly under the man holding him up. Torino broke the silence first, offering a lone cough of discomfort.
“So… you can throw a punch?” He said with a chuckle. “Well, looks like a patrol tonight.”
“I- of course I can punch… oh.” Tenya carefully let his mentor down. “It wasn’t about running was it?”
“Nope. Didn’t think you’d find a way to keep up. You’ve got a lot of speed kid, how many punches have I seen you throw?”
“If you watched the sports festival- two… today.” Tenya looked ashamed for a moment. “Hm… perhaps Midoriya may have pointers?”
“I’d focus on those new moves of yours kid.” Torino interrupted Tenya’s thoughts. “Seemed complicated enough to need a lot of work.”
“Yes.” Tenya said after a moment, nodding in approval rather than agreement. “I believe you are right. In the meantime however, shall we start again?”
“Like you have a choice. But that ending won’t happen again.” Torino wiped his face, clearing whatever crumbs from the last of his meal remained. “You get one.”
“Doctor tell me, what Nomu are ready?”
“Other than the ones you had me set aside for tonight? Only one.” All For One drummed his fingers. “I suppose many of them could be used in an emergency but their potential would be cut off.”
“Hm, we’ll have to rely on recruitment then, a shame.” All For One leaned back. “I doubt Tomura will succeed today so that will have to wait. In the meantime I believe we should… educate ourselves.”
“Hm, I still don’t believe your recruitment plan is viable.” The doctor didn’t follow the train of thought further. “But… I do believe several of the quirks we saw would serve as excellent additions to our Nomus. That hardening quirk… it’d be much weaker of course but a nomu that serves a similar roll to Gigantomachia…”
“Prepair a list in your free time, we’ll narrow it down later. In the meantime doctor, prepare a suitable containment Nomu.” All For One reached out, a shadow across the room twisting as he flicked his wrist. “I’d rather not lose anything to poor planning.”