ATOMIC STRUGGLE

1「do my best」9

"That villain stuff sucked, sure," Kirishima commented as the lunch bell rang, Cementos having just exited the classroom. "But I'm pumped for these games!"

"We put on a good show and we're basically on the road to being pros!" Sero elbowed him with a grin.

"Yeah, this is why I'm even here in the first place," Sato cracked his knuckles as Tokoyami nodded.

"We get so few chances, we have to make the most of this."

"My, what's a boy to do?" Yoyama did a bunch of poses. "I stand out even when I'm standing still. That means the scouts won't be able to take their eyes off me!" He gave Kota a look. "Don't you agree?" The victim of the fake french nodded quickly.

"Ugh, you're so lucky Shoji. People are bound to notice your unique quirk," Kaminari commented as he sat on a desk as Jiro, Yaoyorozu and the person in question were around him.

"Sure but what matters is that I show them how useful I can be," The dupiarmed student exacted, and Jiro smirked.

"No doubt you'll make a scene too," She snickered at Kaminari as he growled at her in turn.

"This is gonna be nuts," Midoriya noted as he saw his classmates' reactions. "Everyone's so excited.."

"Well yeah of course we are," Iida sprung out of his seat. "We enrolled at this school with the sole aim to become heroes!" He made some moves. "So naturally we're all getting fired up."

"Wow Iida, those are some interesting moves," Asui commented. "Ribbit."

"You have to be excited too, right Midoriya?" The class rep made some motions with his hands as he sort of put the greenette on the spot.

"Well yeah of course I am, and also nervous.." He looked up at the ceiling.

"Deku.. Iida," Uraraka gained their attention, looking a bit off. "Let's do our best in the sports festival."

"Uraraka, what happened to your face?" Midoriya was on guard with his eyes wide as Iida adjusted his glasses curiously.

"Seriously, what's up?" Ashido asked. "You're normally like the most laid back girl ever."

"EVERYONE!" The girl got into a pose a bit more hardcore than Aoyama's from earlier. "I'm gonna do my best!" She yelled.

"Yeah!" Several people around her cheered, but some didn't, so she turned to face them.

"I said I'm gonna do my best!"

"..Got it," Kirishima and Sero sweatdropped along with Sato and Tokoyami. "You okay? You kinda look like you're losing it.."

"Ready to go, Midoriya?" Izak asked as he sauntered towards the back exit where everyone was congregated.

"Oh, uh yeah," The boy nodded, then flinched. "Crap, I forgot to text All Might.."

"Well, hopefully this talk doesn't take long, so why don't you go eat with your friends like you usually do, but come back a bit sooner," Izak proposed.

"Sure! Thanks, that's really flexible of you," Midoriya smiled rigidly. "I'll contact him now."

"Do that," Izak nodded, then turned and made his way out of the classroom.

"Hey," Bakugo was waiting for him outside the door. "Why are you talking to Deku?"

"There are some personal matters I need to sort out with him since it's been bugging me," The teen answered.

"Something about that borrowed power, right?"

"So you know," Izak's eyes narrowed, causing the blonde to scoff.

"Less than you do, apparently. He just told me he was trying to turn a borrowed power into his own, which made no sense. But," He gazed at Izak solemnly. "If you're saying that's how it really is, then that's how it is. I won't pry yet, but don't expect me to just take this crap laying down. Got it?"

"Wouldn't ask you to. So," The maroonette tilted his head. "Wanna eat lunch together?"

"Sure, why not," Bakugo scoffed, and so off they went down the hallway. Somehow, the blonde's atomic activity was more relaxed than usual as they walked, so Izak assumed that the new knowledge must have given him some sort of peace, either that or he was taking a while to actually process the news.

The line was as long as usual, but the two managed to get their food with relative ease, and found some seats across from each other. Neither felt the need to talk as they ate, and then they were dumping their trash and heading back to class. There were about seventeen minutes left before class resumed as Izak and Bakugo arrived in the classroom, both going to their seats and chilling.

Three minutes passed before Midoriya showed up, poking his head in the door and sweatdropping at the two people that scared him more than they probably should. Bakugo didn't acknowledge his existence, but Izak just stood and sauntered his way over to the greenette.

"All Might is waiting for us in one of the faculty lounges," The greenette informed as they started walking, and Izak nodded.

"Kay." The walk was silent, the greenette making it more tense than it needed to be. Eventually he stopped in front of a door, knocking softly.

"All Might? We're coming in," He called, then slid the door open. There sat the number one hero in his fake form, three tea cups out with one in front of him and two across from him.

"Hello young Midoriya, and young Morgan! Have a seat," He greeted with his usual grin.

"Sure!" Midoriya did so, his body relaxing now that he was in a familiar presence. But then, an old conversation came to mind, the one where Sero had said Izak was more powerful than All Might, causing him to stiffen again. He really hoped that claim wouldn't be tested right now.

"So, young Midoriya told me you wanted to speak with both of us, so you have the floor, young Morgan," All Might said, so the maroonette nodded.

"Thank you. I just wanted to clarify that both of you are holders of One For All, correct?" He said. Both of their eyes widened, All Might's more so than Midoriya since he had sort of felt it coming from how Izak had approached him for this meeting.

"..How do you know about One For All?" Midoriya decided he needed to ask, since his mentor didn't seem to be getting over his shock.

"The genetic makeup of your quirks was identical, which should be impossible," Izak explained as he leaned back in his chair. "The only time I've heard of this sort of thing was from one of the doctors at the lab, who talked about his mentor and his ever-changing rival, the one that possessed One For All, the power that could be passed from person to person."

"Hold on," All Might's eyes were still wide, but now his tone was more grave than surprised. "Are you saying the lab you were raised in was in league with All For One?"

"That's what the doctor said his mentor's name was, but who knows," Izak said with a shrug. Midoriya didn't know what they were talking about, but it sounded like All For One was the enemy All Might mentioned in terms of his injury. And by the look on All Might's face, it seemed like this was a big deal.