"Guess who got their quirk yesterday!"

Neito stood proudly in front of his kindergarten class, hands on his hips.

"Woah!"

"No way!"

"What is it!?"

"C'mon, you gotta show us!"

Smiling smugly, Neito waved towards a pink haired girl. "It's better if I have a partner to help."

"Okay," the girl chirped, bouncing out of her seat. When she approached, Neito gripped her arm for a second before stepping back. He held up his index finger, a beautiful red rose blooming from the tip.

Gasps from all around and the girl whose quirk he copied stared at him in open shock. "You- you stole my quirk!"

"Nope!" Neito assured her with a grin. "My quirk is Copy! I can copy other people's quirks!"

The praise and excitement he had expected from his classmates didn't come. Instead-

"That's pretty lame."

Huh.

"Yeah, not very cool."

Wait.

"He's stealing. Stealer!"

But-

The pink haired girl stuck her tongue out at him. "He's a copycat!"

"Yeah! He's a copycat!"

"Copycat! Copycat! Copycat!"

Copycat.

It was a nickname that followed him throughout his elementary years into junior high. Sometimes it was meant in good taste, light teasing that he normally could brush aside, if it had not been for a certain person who sought fit to put him down whenever she saw the chance.

"Oh wow, you gotta be kidding me."

Neito's shoulders tensed, but he continued to rifle through his locker as if he hadn't heard.

"You mean Monoma is going to try to become a hero? The Copycat?"

"Like, dream on."

"He's had that same dream since elementary, the useless copycat."

Neito paused at that voice. Ureha Ueno. The most popular girl in his school. Also the most vile. And she had been the girl he had copied when he first showed off his quirk to his kindergarten class. And it was she who continued to make his life hell, spreading rumors and using her popularity against him. He wished he could find a reason for her behavior, but he was wise enough to know that some people just wanted to put others down.

Footsteps behind him. He made to grab his stuff and leave, but a hand slammed into the locker over his shoulder before he'd even pulled his bag free. He froze.

"Really, you have to know that someone like you isn't going to get far as a hero," Ueno spoke from behind. He looked at her in the corner of his eye. Jade eyes sparkled mischievously beneath a bob cut of pink hair with black streaks. He quickly fixed his gaze back on his locker when she smirked at him with dual colored lipstick much like her hair. "Always having to borrow other people's quirks and for what? A measly few minutes of acting like you own a useful quirk? All you are is a copycat." She leaned in close, her breath on his ear as her finger traced the bottom of his locker. "You'll always be a shadow of those around you, Ne-i-to."

A black rose sprouted from his locker and released a cloud of pollen. Almost immediately a sickening aroma assaulted his senses. He stumbled back, retching as Ueno laughed and laughed. Her cronies laughed too. The students walking nearby stopped to laugh at him as well.

As the world spun around Neito, all he could think about was how unfair life was to those with the misfortune of having quirks that people looked down upon.

...

Present Day

"Is everything okay, Monoma?"

Neito blinked, his thoughts clearing as he took in Midoriya's concerned look. He smiled. "Yeah, sorry. I'm good." He coughed audibly. They only had a few minutes until the last group got back. He had some rough ideas, but he wanted to pick Midoriya's brain to see what he had. "Alright, what are your thoughts on winning? You seem to have everyone's quirks and their uses pinned down pretty much from the moment you hear about them."

"Well, I wouldn't say that," Midoriya rubbed his head, acting humble. His brows furrowed. "Kendo is a martial artist, and that plays to her quirk's strength, Big Fist. My guess is that she'll use them to surprise her opponents by enlarging and shrinking them during a fight. She might also be able to create some powerful winds by swinging her hands around."

"Yep and yep," Neito nodded with a smirk. "As I said, you can pretty much figure out someone's strengths straight from the get go. So what about weaknesses?"

"Well, she's mostly a close-range fighter," Midoriya pointed out. "Some range due to the winds she might be able to produce, but that would probably only be able to keep her opponent off balance. But she won't be able to do that while in a small room or hallway. So we should avoid fighting her in one of the big open rooms where she'll be able to enlarge her fists all the way. Our best bet is fighting her in a hallway, where she won't be able to use her fists to as great effect as she would be able to do in the open."

Neito nodded slowly. He agreed with Midoriya's assessment of Itsuka down to a T. "Okay. What's your take on Honenuki?"

Midoriya tapped his chin in thought before pulling out his notebook, flipping to a page. Neito moved over to his side to see it better. Not only did it contain information such as possible quirk usage, but it also included a quick rough sketch of Honenuki in his hero costume. It wasn't colored, but it consisted of the orange armored pieces Honenuki wore over his black jumpsuit. He'd even taken the time to draw the tufts of hair that stuck out from beneath his roundish helmet.

He's an amazing artist, Neito realized. This kid has so many talents, yet was beaten down for what I'm assuming was pretty much his whole life. The thought tasted bitter. He didn't know just how rough Midoriya had had it (he did get a pretty good idea from the way Bakugou treated him though), but he did know how it felt being mistreated.

Bullied, Neito corrected himself. Call it what it was.

"His quirk is softening," Midoriya began. "He specified back on the first day that he could soften any non-living thing. He might be the most dangerous of the two. He can destabilize our footing, the walls, the ceiling... But he's capable of swimming in it." Midoriya paused at that, glancing up at Neito. "You can copy his quirk."

"I can," Neito confirmed, wondering where he was going with this.

A grin spread across the greenette's features. "Assuming that he gets better mobility to swim through his softened material from his quirk, then you could theoretically do the same thing. He might even swim underneath the surface. His helmet might come with a snorkel or something. I wonder what would happen though if he accidentally got some of it in his mouth? Does it retain the properties of what it was as a solid, or does it become 'drinkable'?" His smile turned into a soft frown as he realized he had begun rambling. "Well, you would have to get close enough to him to actually copy his quirk in the first place."

"Leave figuring that out to me," Neito said. "I assume you'll take on Itsuka then?"

"Y-yes," Midoriya hesitated. "It's the best option. You would fare better against Honenuki should you be able to copy his quirk, while I know how Kendo fights now somewhat, so-"

"Midoriya," Neito stopped him by placing a hand on his shoulder. When the boy flinched, Neito quickly retracted. Of course. Stupid. He forgot about the scars. "Look, that is the best option, and I fully agree with it. It gives us the best chance at winning. That is, unless we're the heroes. If we are, then all we simply need to do is bypass them and get to the bomb."

"Yeah, but then Honenuki could just soften the ground around the bomb, making it nigh impossible to capture," Midoriya said with a wry smile.

"...Crap, you're right."

"Anyway, Honenuki might be good at close-range fighting. If he's a good swimmer, it stands to reason he's fairly fit. That's what we should be worried about, since if his Softening is activated by touch, then it might be deactivated the same way. It does level the playing field, but-"

"Or make it go topsy-turvy y'know."

Both Neito and Midoriya yelped as Setsuna's floating head grinned. "Sorry, was this a private strat meeting or was anyone invited?"

"Get!" Monoma shoved her head away. "It's up to us to strategize! No outsiders allowed!"

"Oh fine," Setsuna's head sighed as her body walked over. Once reattached, she clapped both boys on the back. "C'mon boys, I expect a great match from the both of you! Mumbles, you got one darn smart brain up there, and paired with Neito's... slightly above average intellect, you guys should have no trouble."

"Gee, thanks," Neito remarked dryly as Midoriya went pink and fumbled with his words.

Setsuna's grin was full of sharp teeth. "I only say it as it is, Copycat."

Her attention was directed to behind them as Komori, Tsuburaba, Shiozaki, and Shoda came back down the stairs, so she missed the look on Neito's face. A soft smile had graced his lips. She hadn't realized it, but that was just the thing he had needed to hear. It brought back memories. Memories of when light had finally shone in the darkness that had engulfed his life.

...

Neito's Past

It was the first day of his last year in junior high. He'd finally transferred out of his old school, so now he would be starting fresh. Fixing a smile on his face, he stepped into homeroom. Class had already started, but that was fine. He had to introduce himself.

"Everyone, this is our new transfer student," the teacher announced from the front of class. "Go ahead and introduce yourself."

"My name is Neito Monoma," he gave a short bow. "It's a pleasure to make everyone's acquaintance. And my quirk," he paused briefly. This was it. This would either make or break his final year. "My quirk allows me to copy other people's quirks."

He had expected silence. Or maybe jeering. What he got left him dumbstruck. A polite clapping broke out as the teacher indicated where Neito would be sitting. He found his seat in a daze, unsure if what was happening was actually real.

"Hey hey, Monoma, right?"

Neito glanced up from his desk to see a head turned around looking at him. Like, actually turned around. He jumped in his seat, nearly knocking his chair over. The head cackled as it sat on its neck, but turned completely 180 degrees to stare at him. Monoma would have guessed an owl quirk if not for the fact that it appeared that her head was entirely separated from her neck.

A gyaru, Neito noted as he took in the girl's exaggerated makeup and darkish-blonde hair that was obviously dyed, as well as the black face mask underneath her chin.

"Yes," he answered tentatively.

"Oh, don't worry, I don't bite." She grinned, mouth full of sharp teeth. "Much. Anywho," her head moved closer to his, forcing him to lean back in his seat. "Your quirk lets you copy others? That's pretty neat, Copycat. Hey, you should try copying my- HEY!"

"Leave the poor guy alone, Set," a ginger haired girl sighed from the seat next over as she used an enormous hand to pluck the gyaru's head and place it back on her neck the right way. "Class is starting."

"You never let me have any fun, Itsu," 'Set' whined, but focused her attention back to the front of class where their teacher was giving her a serious look.

The day after that went by uneventfully. It was nothing like his old school, where everyone knew who he was thanks to Ueno. He didn't have to endure any jeers of "copycat" or remarks about his dreams of being a hero. It was... nice. A good change of pace.

He avoided the gyaru girl, purposely finding a hidden corner in one of the hallways to eat. He knew it wasn't necessary. This was a new school. Ueno couldn't influence anyone here. It was a chance to start over. No more hiding away just to enjoy a nice quiet lunch.

Oh how he wished it were that easy to break a habit. The rational part of his brain told him he had nothing to worry about. The irrational part, the one who had been in control for so long, urged him to stay away from others, especially the gyaru who called him a copycat. He didn't want to risk having another popular girl torment him and make his transfer here mean nothing.

By a stroke of fortune, nothing happened during school. It was after school hours when the incident occurred. He was walking to the train station when someone stepped out from a side alley, thrusting a fistful of roses into his face. A wave of dizziness overcame him and he barely felt himself getting dragged into the alley and thrown onto the ground.

"Well well, funny I should run into you," Ueno remarked, squatting down to stare at him. "When you never showed up to school, I was getting pretty worried. Turns out you went and decided to switch schools. Not very nice y'know, not telling your childhood friend, Neito."

Neito wanted to laugh sarcastically. He wanted to sob. He did neither, the effect of her roses still making his head spin. Instead he shut his eyes, trying to clear his head, having already accepted his humiliation. Because Ueno was surely planning it. She always was.

"I bet you had a pretty nice day," Ueno patted his cheek. "Being around people who don't know who you are. Having not heard any rumors about the copycat. Gosh, using other people's quirks without permission. Getting them into trouble all because it was their quirk at the scene of the crime. Truly shameful, Neito. Why, surely it would be my duty as a future hero to let the public know just what kind of person you really are."

Neito burned with anger. But when he lifted himself up in a crouching position and met her gaze, that anger burned away and was replaced with resignation. He couldn't do anything to stop her. He never could, nor could he now. It was his fate-

"Yo, what's going on down here?"

Neito and Ueno both looked at the mouth of the alleyway where, of all people, the gyaru girl stood, blinking curiously. "Hey, that a friend of yours, Monoma?"

Neito just stared at her in disbelief, unable to form words. Ueno stood, grinning sweetly. "Oh yes. Just catching up you see. We went to the same junior high until he transferred."

"Catching up," the gyaru echoed. "Huh. Cause it looks to me like you're bullying him."

Bullying. She said it so bluntly that it threw Neito for a loop. I mean, that... it is what this has all been, hasn't it? Bullying. I... never really wanted to put a name to it...

Ueno's eyes narrowed. "Move along, bitch. This isn't your business."

"Oh, dropping the innocent act already?" The gyaru smirked, sauntering into the alley, settling her right hand on her hip while the other rested in her skirt's pocket. "Wondering just how much I already overheard?"

"It doesn't matter," Ueno wore her own smirk. "No one will believe you. Neito here already has an infamous reputation, y'know."

"A reputation of your own creation, I assume?" The gyaru's eyes had narrowed. "Do you take pleasure in tormenting others?"

"Just him," Ueno said sweetly.

"Hey, just-" Neito finally found his voice. It sounded weak even to him. Resigned. "Just go. You don't need to get involved here."

"Oh how chivalrous of you," Ueno mocked sarcastically. "Shut up. She already picked a fight with me. Sorry honey, but looks like you'll end up a part of this new ghastly rumor I'm blossoming here."

"I ain't leaving," the gyaru informed Neito with a shake of her head. "Sorry, I just can't do that. I want to be a hero, so I can't just let someone get beaten down and just turn my head away. Nuh uh, not gonna happen."

Ueno sighed heavily. "Too bad. I mean, not like I was gonna let you walk out of here anyway."

The gyaru showed off a shark-toothed grin. "Now how do you-"

Ueno acted, lunging forwards as she swung her right hand, fingers outstretched. Black roses sprouted from each one, their dark pollen spreading outwards. Neito's eyes widened.

"Wow, that the best you got?" The gyaru spoke, her head in the air as her body moved back. "Can't really reach me now huh?"

"I don't need my quirk to handle you," Ueno growled up at her.

"I mean, I'd argue otherwise, but that doesn't really matter." She was smirking again as something came to float next to her. Her left hand. Holding her-

Ueno's eyes widened. "You didn't-"

"Oh totes," the gyaru winked. "Been recording our entire session here. Rather incriminating, dontcha think? Oh how the turntables. Aaaaaand pause." Her thumb hit downwards. "I think that's enough to disprove all those false rumors on Monoma, don't you think?"

"Why you-!"

WHAM!

Ueno fell to the ground, dazed before the gyaru's right hand flew around to pluck the rose from Ueno's hand and swing it in her face. She gagged and proceeded to retch before she could even get her bearings back.

"Alrighty, time to go my guy," the gyaru had reattached all her body parts and was pulling Neito to his feet. She began hauling him along after her and not until they were a street away from the alley did Neito slow and pull his hand away.

"Why..." he just stared at her. "Why did you help me?"

"I already said so," she smirked. "I plan on being a hero. Not so heroic if I just left you there is it?" She frowned. "Well, it would've left a bad taste in my mouth. No one should have to deal with what you have. And I say that not even having the full story, so that should say something. And man am I glad she's susceptible to her own quirk, that was a gamble on my part."

She grinned again, placing a disembodied hand on his shoulder. "You're pretty cool, y'know. You got a nifty quirk. Being able to copy other quirks. That'd be so useful in the hero biz. Need to fight? Copy a power quirk. Need to rescue someone? Get a quirk that'll be best to help save whoever is trapped."

Neito didn't realize he had begun to cry until the gyaru's expression changed to a look of worry. "Oh hey, sorry. Didn't mean to, uh..."

"No, no, it's fine," Neito sniffed, wiping his sleeve across his eyes. "It's just... I've been called a copycat my whole life. I've been told I wouldn't be good enough to be a hero with a quirk like that."

"Bullshit."

Neito blinked at her. "What?"

"You heard me," she growled. "Bullshit. It's as heroic of a quirk if I've ever seen one. And copycat? Yeah, you are." She took him by both shoulders. "By definition, you are a copycat. Own it. It's your quirk and no one else's! It's totes unique! So show everyone who ever looked down on you that a copycat like yourself will become a great hero someday!"

Neito's mouth opened and closed. Opened again. No words would form. The gyaru just smiled and said, "Y'know, I don't think I ever introduced myself. Setsuna Tokage, nice to meet ya!"

It took a second for Neito to respond. "Neito Monoma. Oh, well, I suppose you already knew that..."

"Don't sweat it, Copycat," Tokage slapped him on the back. "Now c'mon, let's get this incriminating info to someone capable of dealing with it. We have a reputation to ruin! Good luck trying to be a hero with this kind of shit on your record!"

Copycat. It sounded different when Tokage had said it. It hadn't sounded like she was being mean or trying to belittle him. No, the way she said it had made it sound... nice.

...

Present Day

"Hold still, shroom," Komori spoke quietly as Izuku, Monoma, Kendo, and Honenuki lined up. In her hand she held a spray bottle. "N-no mushrooms should grow on you, but you'll need to be sterilized just in case."

"Wow," Izuku breathed as she began spraying him last. "Your quirk is really amazing, Komori! From the looks of it, there doesn't seem to be any sort of limit to how many mushrooms you can grow. They spread from the spores you release from your body right? But it can't just be from you. They must also spread from your mushrooms once they grow. It explains how it can get so widespread in a short amount of time. But it would be bad if it got really out of hand and spread where you didn't want them to. You can make your spores inactive, right? That's why they stopped growing once you got captured. And maybe you can also control the range in which they grow-"

"Alright alright, Midoriya," Monoma was trying really hard to not laugh as he patted Izuku's shoulder, breaking him from his analysis. "I think you put the poor girl into shock."

Izuku blinked at him, then looked back at Komori. Sure enough, the girl was just staring at him, frozen, eyes hidden behind her bangs. "Uh, s-sorry," Izuku said weakly.

Monoma let a chuckle escape. "She'll be fine. Now c'mon, let's get going."

As they followed Kendo and Honenuki towards the stairs, Toshinori's voice came through his earpiece. "Young Midoriya, only you can hear this right now. Be mindful if you attempt to use your quirk. If I think you might end up hurting yourself badly, I will step in."

Izuku glanced back at him and discreetly nodded before he climbed the stairs. He understood. If he used One For All, he wanted to utilize Kendo's training and not hurt himself. But he knew it probably wouldn't work out how he would want, so if he could avoid using it, then all the better. It was less about him hurting himself, and more that he didn't want to risk hurting his classmates in case he accidently used all 100% of the power.

I subconsciously reduced my power when I punched Kacchan, Izuku glanced down at his palm, slowly making a fist. Now that I'm aware, I can't take that chance. If I intend to use One For All at all, I'll need to be in full control. I fully believe that yesterday's training is the right road to master this power, but I just don't think I have the capability to pull it off just yet. So we need a plan that doesn't rely on One For All. Or at least, not the main plan. I'll save it for plan B.

Think then! He urged himself. Come up with a plan to counter them and pull off a victory! He glanced at Monoma, catching his eye. He nodded slightly. Monoma blinked, then grinned and nodded back. They may be outmatched in terms of power, but that didn't mean they couldn't win!

...

Kinoko stared after Midoriya as he left with Monoma. "He's shroomerful."

Reiko snorted in amusement.

...

It was just their luck that they'd been chosen as the villains for this exercise. It made winning that much harder.

We can do this, Izuku told himself over and over as he and Monoma carried the bomb up to the fifth floor, mushrooms being crushed underfoot.

"Alright," Monoma huffed as they set the fake bomb down at the far end of the large room on the 5th floor. "Straight out, the best course of action is to not stay here and protect the bomb. Kendo needs to be fought in a hallway, and since you're our best bet for that, you can't stay here. And since you need to seek her out, you can't do much to get her away from Honenuki. That's where I'll come in."

Izuku gulped. Now that they were actually here, the situation felt more real. He was going to have to fight Kendo!

No, He told himself. Not just fight. Strategize, and seize victory by exploiting her weaknesses!

"Hey, Midoriya," Monoma's voice cut through his thoughts.

"Yeah?"

"Kendo usually activates her quirk right before the moment of impact," he said. "She'll fight with normal fists and wait for an opportunity to surprise her opponent. She'll use every skill and move she knows, which includes kicks. If you want my advice, don't try to use the martial arts she taught us yesterday. She'll outperform you at every turn. No, if you want any chance at beating her, be unorthodox. It's your best chance at taking her by surprise. However, don't expect it to work much after the first surprise."

"Unorthodox..." Izuku muttered. I don't know how to fight though. It's not something All Might was really able to teach me, and aside from Kendo's lessons, I don't have any real experie-

His train of thought came to a screeching halt. There was something actually. He remembered walking home one day after school, wondering why Kacchan hadn't sought him out. Then he'd heard muffled explosions. Investigating cautiously, he'd seen Kacchan practicing his quirk in an alley while being watched by his two followers. How he used his explosions to propel himself in the air, make sharp turns, and use the walls to maneuver himself further.

I may never have practiced it, but I've had years of watching Kacchan fight to know the fundamentals. Izuku curled his hand into a fist. Aloud, he told Monoma, "Okay, I think I got a way to fight her. Or, at least a way to surprise her at least once. Got any other ideas?"

Monoma smirked. "You had some good ideas to start us off with, but I think we should spruce them up a bit to make the plan just right ."

...

"Oh they are so scheming in there," Itsuka remarked as she stared up at the building from outside. "Knowing Midoriya he's got our quirks pinned down and how to counter us. Add in Neito to the mix and you can be sure any plan Midoriya had just turned downright diabolical."

"You sound like you know them pretty well," Honenuki spoke from behind his helmet.

"Neito, yes," Itsuka snorted. "Midoriya I've really only just met. But from what I've seen, he's got quite the analytic mind."

"I've seen," Honenuki nodded. "When he was going on about Monoma's quirk on the first day. So he's likely to come up with a plan to counter us?"

"Or at least give Monoma enough of an idea to create one himself," Itsuka replied. "They're going to need to, since neither of them are starting off strong."

"What do you mean?" Honenuki sounded puzzled. "Midoriya has a stupidly powerful quirk. Honestly, I don't see how we could defend ourselves from it."

"Don't you remember?" Itsuka asked. "When he broke his finger on the first day? He doesn't have a lot of control. So if he uses his quirk, he risks breaking himself. If he's smart, he'll only use it if necessary, if at all. And Monoma needs to copy one of our quirks to be an effective opponent. All in all, we have the advantage."

"That's... good?" Honenuki's voice was laced with hesitation. He sensed a 'but'. He wasn't disappointed.

Itsuka sighed. "But that's what worries me. They're going to have some sort of plan, so we need to somehow counter that. Neito knows me, so he's likely going to try to get me in a position where I can't use Big Fist all that well. Probably a hallway. I'd also wager he might go for your quirk to copy. He knows mine better, but yours would be a tide turner considering its range."

Honenuki nodded in agreement. "It'll be tough for him to get to me though. I'm not trying to toot my own horn, but he's not going to be able to do much once I get him stuck."

"I find it hard to see how they'll break free of that once caught," Itsuka agreed. "As soon as we see either of them, hit them hard, and hit them fast. Then search for the bomb. And we are not skipping checking the first floor."

...

"LET THE FINAL BATTLE TRIAL, BEGIN!!"

Juzo Honenuki made his way into the building first, Kendo following from behind, her eyes darting back and forth as they made their way down the first hallway. Normally he wouldn't have been this on guard, but he was choosing to believe Kendo's estimate of their opponents.

Midoriya, he thought, thinking back to that first day of class. His analysis really was something else. If he can do that sort of deep thinking about anyone's quirk, then he might be able to come up with plans to counter us. But if he doesn't use Superpower like Kendo theorized, then we're essentially fighting two quirkless classmates. That thought was enough to make Juzo relax a bit beneath his armor, which in hindsight, wasn't the best decision. For not long later, he saw a flash of green bolt towards him and he had the sudden impression of a green bunny.

Juzo skidded to a halt, shouting, "Kendo!" As he dropped to one knee, planting both hands on the ground. His quirk softened the cement floor, spreading out in a straight line that encompassed the width of the hallway. As soon as Midoriya's foot hit the softened ground, he flailed and fell face forwards, spread-eagled.

"Uh..." Kendo blinked, not having any words for what she just witnessed.

Juzo rose, huffing in amusement. "That's one down-"

Then Monoma was there, running down the hallway wearing a mad grin. Juzo dropped to spread the softened ground even further, but Monoma took a giant leap and landed ON MIDORIYA!

"What-!?" Juzo moved to scramble away as Monoma used his partner as a springboard and leaped over the rest of the softened ground. He crashed into Juzo, bowling the both of them over as Kendo leaped back to avoid going down as well.

"HAH!" Monoma shouted, planting both hands on the ground. Juzo felt the ground give way beneath him as he began to sink. He was so surprised he didn't even think to activate his snorkel as Monoma grinned above. "Thanks for the quirk!"

...

Neito couldn't help but grin. Operation: Springboard Midoriya had been a rousing success. But he couldn't sit idly. Using the borrowed quirk, he quickly expanded the range of it towards Kendo, who tried running, but quickly fell. He was tempted to go after her and capture her, but Honenuki wouldn't stay surprised for long. He had to stick to the plan.

Neito dived into the softened ground behind him and swam towards Midoriya. Huh, it's like swimming in water. That's how Honenuki can swim so well while normally I'd be trapped. He grabbed hold of Midoriya and solidified part of the ground near them. He pushed Midoriya towards it and together they hauled him out of the water.

"Whew, thanks," Midoriya gasped, red in the face from having to hold his breath. His eyes widened. "Behind y-!"

Neito was already moving. Honenuki was swimming towards them, not a meter away as his hands slammed on the ground, hardening the floor, trapping Honenuki.

"He's not gonna stay like that for long!" Neito rose in a run, dragging Midoriya along. "Come on!" He risked a glance back and saw Kendo free herself by digging her oversized fingers into the wall and haul herself out as Honenuki, having freed himself, hardened the ground beneath her so she could stand on a solid surface.

"We don't have a lot of time," Neito grumbled as they turned the corner and kept running. "Remember, stick to the plan. But if you begin losing, get back upstairs if you can. We'll figure something out."

"Alright!" Midoriya nodded, eyes shining beneath his mask. Neito's grin widened. He couldn't see the boy's smile, but he could almost feel its radiance. He much preferred this over when Midoriya was looking down.

"Then let's go ahead and beat them!" Neito exclaimed, feeling a surge of excitement rush through him.

...

"I shouldn't have underestimated them," Honenuki berated himself as he and Itsuka ran after the two "villains", who had disappeared behind a corner.

"Don't worry about it," Itsuka told him as they turned the corner, ready to enlarge her fists in case they tried pulling a sneak attack. But all she saw were the coattails of Neito's costume disappearing up a staircase to the third floor.

Neito's crafty, Itsuka thought to herself as they ran for the staircase, Honenuki already bounding up. He's definitely got more up his sleeves, but what-!

Something crashed into her from above and she fell backwards with a grunt. Enlarging her fists to break her fall, she kicked the weight off and heard an oomph. Midoriya was slumped against the wall, shaking his head as he began scrambling to his feet.

"Hold on, Kendo!" Juzo, having seen Midoriya leap down the stairs past him into Kendo, turned to leap down to help, only for the ceiling in front of him to liquify and solidify, blocking him off from Kendo.

"Whoops," Monoma said from the 3rd floor, grinning in mockery. "Guess that's negative points for us, damaging the building. But it's a small price to pay to win. Now, you could soften it to make your way to save your partner, but I'm not planning on making it easy for you to do so!" He ended his monologue with a shout, slamming his hands on the stairs. Juzo ran upwards, avoiding the softened spots before pressing his hand against the oncoming softness, hardening it back in an instant.

Monoma sneered. "Killjoy." He then smirked and laughed as he dashed away. Juzo spared a single glance down before giving chase. He had to trust that Kendo could defeat Midoriya on her own. After all, he couldn't use his quirk without risk of injury, so he wouldn't use it.

Right?

...

Izuku was really starting to rethink his no quirk usage policy. He'd already guessed, but Kendo was really good at fighting. It was taking everything Izuku had to dodge her initial attacks before booking it.

...Yeah, he was running. Not very heroic, he knew. But it was part of the plan.

"C'mon Midoriya!" Itsuka shouted after him as she turned the corner. "If the plan is to distract me long enough for time to run out, that isn't going to work!"

I know! Izuku resisted the urge to yell back. Stick to the plan! Keep her thinking that I'm not going to fight! Just around this corner- He glanced back, yelped, and kept running. She was gaining on him. Whatever training he had from cleaning up Dagobah Beach, she had far more years on him. She was almost close enough to reach out with her enlarged hands and grab him.

No time like the present! Izuku decided as he sharply turned the next corner and quickly dove to the ground. He and Monoma had chosen the second floor for a reason. All the junk Kodai had thrown all the way back from the first round still lay here. While the stuff she had enlarged had shrunken down to normal size since then, there were still plenty of cabinets, chairs, and even a cracked in half table still littering the first half of the hall. And at the corner of the hall was a tape trap in the air, hidden just out of sight. If Kendo ran without looking, she'd at least get stuck for a moment. Izuku didn't dare hope for that as he dove beneath the trap, but it would serve its actual purpose by giving him more time.

He rolled and scrambled to his feet just as Kendo turned the corner. As he had feared, she began skidding to a stop while enlarging her hands, tearing through the tape sticking from one end of the wall to the other before her momentum could carry her into it.

Tokage's strategy was never going to work for me, Izuku noted as he moved, kicking off the wall towards Kendo. But maybe this will catch her off guard!

...

As soon as Honenuki took off for the fourth floor, Neito knew he'd have to switch things up. Honenuki knew that if he went after the bomb now, Neito would have no choice but to engage him head on.

"I don't have much of a choice in that regard either," he muttered, knowing the clock was ticking on his borrowed quirk as he hurried up the stairs after his opponent. He had to get back to the bomb before Honenuki found it. He could at least put up a solid defense, but he would also feel better if he copied Honenuki's quirk again.

With a startled yelp, the stairs softened and Neito found himself falling on his hands and knees. He unconsciously activated Soften when his hands touched the liquid ground, hardening it around his legs and hands. Cursing beneath his breath, he saw Honenuki stretching wide his capture tape as he slid down the liquidy slope that used to be stairs.

Quickly activating the quirk again, Neito freed himself and quickly bent back, and not a moment too soon. Honenuki stumbled as he swung out his arms at empty air as Neito quickly swiped at the outstretched hand. With a tug, he pulled himself up while tearing Honenuki's glove off and instantly grasping it with his other hand.

"Reset," Neito said with a smirk while throwing himself back. Honenuki threw a punch and it glanced off Neito's chest. The blond fell down the stairs, his hands hitting first as he softened it and sunk into the liquid. He swam while extending the softened ground further down the hall, Honenuki giving chase.

"Crap crap crap," Neito gritted his teeth as he saw Honenuki gaining on him despite the armor he wore. "These clothes, as stylish as they make me, were not made for this!"

Then he felt a hand close around his foot and suddenly he was pulled under and back. A punch to his chest again knocked his breath away and he began to choke on the liquid ground. It was viscous and tasted like cement. Suddenly he was seized in what oddly felt like a hug as he fell through the rest of the floor and into empty air.

Juzo realized his mistake the moment he made it. He only meant to incapacitate Monoma, not make him drown! Quickly, he lunged for the boy through the dark "water", capable of seeing only thanks to his helmet's visor. He wrapped his arms around him and plunged them through the liquid and out of the ceiling of the second floor. He twisted his body, touching the ceiling quickly to harden it while also turning so his back hit the ground, his armor protecting him, but it did knock the wind from him. But it was better him than Monoma, who lacked the protection.

A choking and gurgling sound urged him up. He hauled Monoma in his arms, wrapping them around the blond's waist, and thrusting. After a few tries, Monoma coughed horribly, the dark liquid splashing onto the ground.

"Oh god-!" Monoma coughed again, falling to his hands and knees. "That- That was awful!"

"Sorry," Juzo apologized, rubbing the back of his head. "Uh, if it's any consolation, it's no more harmful than water, at least with you having my quirk activated."

"G-good to know," Monoma wheezed, before slumping forwards.

...

Izuku swung the chair leg while in the air down towards Kendo, the tape he had stuck to it trailing behind. Kendo swung her hand instinctively to grab it and Izuku immediately let go, dropping to the ground. Kendo shook her hand, trying to let go of the rod, but she didn't stop moving as she ran towards Izuku, her other hand enlarging as it reached out for him.

Izuku stumbled back as he turned, leaping and kicking off a fallen chair. He heard Kendo curse and stumble on something behind him. With so much cluttering the floor, it was a minefield of tripping hazards if you weren't paying attention. Suddenly a huge slam rocked the hallway and Izuku missed the landing on the broken table, hitting the floor. He blinked, glancing back towards Kendo. She had swept all the junk littering the floor to either side to try and clear a path, only to stumble as all the tape connected to the junk, and now connected to her hand, went taut. Several snapped as she made to catch herself, but some still stayed.

Now's my chance! Izuku realized, breaking into a run. He poured all his energy into running and threw out his fist. While he didn't necessarily want to hit a girl, he knew that not only could she take it, but he shouldn't hold back just because of a reason like that. It connected with her middle, making her gasp out.

Izuku fumbled at his waist, his fingers closing around the capture tape. Then a huge palm slapped him in the side, sending him crashing into the wall. He groaned, sliding to the floor, the capture tape rolling away.

"Okay, that was pretty ingenious, albeit flawed," Kendo praised him as she freed her other hand. "Was not giving me stable ground and trying to slow me down like this Neito's idea?"

"Yeah," Izuku grinned weakly at her. "Well, his and mine. Though I got this from watching Tokage's match."

"Huh, pretty good," Kendo nodded, raising her huge hand. "Sorry about this, Midoriya, but I'm not going to let you win."

Suddenly, Toshinori's voice boomed through the intercom and both Kendo's and Izuku's eyes widened.

...

"Just try and hold out until I can take care of Honenuki," Neito had told Midoriya back while they were setting up the cluttered hallway with tape. "I think I know of a way to get his guard down. It's not a perfect chance mind you, but I'm willing to take it if you are."

Midoriya had simply nodded. "What are you planning on doing?"

Neito grinned. "Utilizing your quirk analysis skills and hopefully Honenuki's goodwill against him of course!"

Neito fell forwards, coughing horribly. He heard Honenuki drop next to him. He smirked.

"Monoma, are you oka-!?"

Neito sprung, his hand having moved to his side to grab his capture tape while he had faked a coughing fit. He yanked a large piece of tape out and slapped it on Honenuki's arm and twisted it around as he body slammed the boy. He managed to knock him off balance and both of them tumbled to the ground as Neito moved his hands quickly. Before Honenuki could react, his wrists had been bound and Neito began binding his legs as fast as he could just as a precaution before All Might's voice rang out.

"Juzo Honenuki has been captured by the villains!"

"Hold on, Midoriya!" Neito shouted, starting at a run as he left Honenuki behind without so much an apology. He was playing the villain after all. "I'm coming!"

...

Itsuka's eyes widened in shock. Neito had captured Honenuki! She'd be proud if she also wasn't worried about losing. She had to tie Izuku up and quickly-

SLAM!

Midoriya tackled her legs, knocking her over. They tumbled and Midoriya scrambled away as Itsuka swung at him with her enlarged hand, but it slammed against the wall before it could reach him and he almost quite literally slipped through her fingers.

Itsuka gritted her teeth, cursing herself for forgetting that she shouldn't enlarge her hands all the way. Then she got an idea.

Enlarging her hands, she held them up against both walls, digging her fingers in. She put all her strength into propelling herself forwards in a huge leap, clearing the rest of the debris. Midoriya glanced around, wide-eyed, but Itsuka snatched him up in her hand as she landed. He struggled for a second, before going limp, accepting defeat.

"Good, now hold still for a sec-"

A noise made her turn. Neito had leaped through a hole in the wall, from where Tetsutetsu had punched Kamakiri through earlier. On instinct, she grabbed him with her other hand. In her haste, her eyes widening upon realization, she didn't manage to restrain both of his arms.

Neito wiggled the fingers on his left hand. "Gotcha now, Itsu~!" His hand enlarged, chopping down on her wrist hard, making her wince as her grip relaxed slightly, allowing him to break free as his right hand enlarged as well. He swung his left hand in a right hook that knocked Itsuka into the wall. She groaned in pain, looking up to see Midoriya next to Neito now, having slid free from her grasp, capture tape in his hands while Neito held up jumbo sized fists, both of them standing in front of the hole in the wall.

"Good job for holding out this long, Midoriya," Neito praised the greenette. "This plan is going off without a hitch-!"

Itsuka heaved herself forwards in the middle of Neito's monologuing, slamming both fists forwards as they enlarged. Midoriya leapt out of the way, only to get slapped with her left hand while Neito tried to match her punch, only to get knocked through the hole with her right fist. With Midoriya down, she ran and jumped through the hole after Neito, entering the large room.

"Well, guess who has free reign now?" Itsuka smirked at him as he glanced up at her from the floor.

"Ehehehe," he chuckled weakly. "Go easy on me?"

Itsuka's smirk widened. "Not a chance."

...

Izuku heaved himself from the floor and hurried to the hole in the wall, eyes widening. Monoma was losing, plain and simple. Kendo had her fists fully enlarged, swinging them around, the sudden wind bursts knocking the blond off balance as he tried fighting back, none of his punches landing as Kendo would dodge beneath his strikes, get in close and punch him across the room.

He's going to lose, Izuku realized, gripping his fist. Because of me. My plan to try and hold her off wasn't good enough! I could've set more elaborate traps! I- I have to do something! But what!?

He glanced at his tightened grip. Should he... He couldn't. He didn't have full control yet. But... they would lose if he didn't try.

"So what you're suggesting is that if Midoriya spreads out Superpower across different parts of his body at the same time, it'll reduce the output overall?"

Kan-sensei's response to Kendo yesterday rang in his ears as he took a shaky breath. He could do it. But he had to figure out a way to not hurt Kendo in the process. Maybe...

Kendo suddenly swept out both hands in a huge swipe, the wind pressure from it forcing Monoma back up against a pillar where she pinned him with her hand, her other hand going for her capture tape.

Izuku moved, vaulting himself through the hole. He knew what he had to do now.

Imagine the egg in the microwave.

Monoma was struggling, but this time both of his arms were pinned to his side and Kendo's grip was super tight. He stopped, his eyes widening as he saw Izuku running their way.

Lower the wattage and let the energy flow throughout my body.

He slid to a stop about ten meters away from Kendo, feeling One For All begin to course through him and immediately felt the strain in not just his arms and hands, but his legs, feet, his entire body. The image of the egg in his head was already beginning to wobble, so he refocused all his attention on his movements as he adopted the natural stance Kendo had taught him.

Do as Kendo suggested and breathe, and focus on my body's motions! Keep them in sync!

He sucked in a quick breath and released it as he held out his left fist, his right remaining at his waist, but prepared to strike. He breathed, feeling some of his tension being released, and in the process, some of One For All's energy. He felt the power in him drop somewhat. It wasn't nearly as much as he had used against the robot in the entrance exam, nor when he had broken his finger during the apprehension test. If he had to quantify the amount of power he was channeling currently, he'd say somewhere below 50%.

He remembered what Toshinori had said right before the match started. If he thought Izuku would break himself, he'd step in. Hoping this would be enough to ease Toshinori's worries, Izuku grinned big and wide, pouring all his confidence into the expression.

Kendo had noticed him now, her eyes widening as she turned to face him.

One For All!

An image of the Sludge Villain incident appeared in his mind. How All Might had stepped in, blasting him away with nothing but the wind pressure from a single punch. Now he would try something similar, keeping most of the damage to himself.

He tightened his fist as he willed the power to decrease as low as it could go. "TEXAS-!" He pulled back his left arm while trusting out his right, putting his whole body into the movement as he thrust his fist. "SMASH!" He threw the punch, aiming not at Kendo, but to her right. A mighty wind pressure blasted across the room, shooting past her, whipping back her hair before throwing her off her feet while the main force took out a pillar and ripped a large hole in the wall, giving them a view of the outside.

As Kendo went tumbling, losing her grip on Monoma, Izuku stumbled back due to the blast, eyes shut tight as he grit his teeth. His arm felt like it was on fire. His legs shook and he realized they ached as well. He cracked one eye open to assess the damage. His sleeve had been torn away, revealing his arm littered with bruises, his index and middle finger likely broken, and the sleeve of his left arm was torn in places and the arm itself ached, but... that was it.

Izuku couldn't help but let out a cry of victory, which came out as more of a whimper as he sank to his knees. It wasn't entirely broken! He used his full arm in that punch and he hadn't disabled himself!

Shaking his head, he glanced up to see Monoma getting to his feet while Kendo lay on the ground, groaning, but making to stand. Pushing against the pain in his legs, Izuku pushed himself up and ran at the same time as Monoma, who slammed an enlarged hand over her, pinning her to the floor.

Using his free hand, he tossed something Izuku's way. "Catch!"

Using his non-injured arm, Izuku caught it, realized it was the capture tape, and stretched out a long piece using his mouth. He slid to a stop near Kendo, and with Monoma's help by using his other hand to keep her legs pinned, began tying her legs together. Once her lower half resembled a mummy, Toshinori's voice finally rang out overhead.

"Itsuka Kendo has been captured! The villain team wins!"

Wind flew around them as All Might suddenly stood in their presence, all buffed up, his muscles stretching the spandex of his suit.

" Well fought, all of you!" He congratulated them. "Now, head on down to the others and back to class while I take young Midoriya to Recovery Girl!"

Without another word, he scooped Izuku up and flashed out of there. Izuku blinked and the next second they were back in UA's hallways. All Might looked down at him where he cradled the boy gently so as to not aggravate his injuries.

"Can you walk, young Midoriya?" He asked gently.

"Uh..." Izuku had to mentally shake himself. "Y-yes? Maybe? Probably shouldn't..."

All Might chuckled. "Not to worry. I have no qualms against carrying you all the way." And so he did, but he did so now at a walk. There were no other students or teachers about, so he decided to take the time to talk. "What you did back there was risky, I won't sugarcoat it. You injured yourself again."

"S-sorry, All Mi-"

"Toshinori," All Might interrupted him with a smile. "Or Toshi. Let me finish before you go and apologize."

"S-sure."

"While it was indeed risky, you did manage to control enough of One, erm, Superpower. Not only that, but you did so in a way that not only minimized the damage done to yourself, but to young Kendo and Monoma. I daresay you're finally getting a proper handle on your quirk." He opened his mouth to say something about Izuku's "Texas Smash", but decided to wait on that. "However, you should still train more so as to not injure yourself at all. Young Kendo's method is clearly working for you, so keep on doing that."

Izuku felt warm from his mentor's praise. From All Might's praise! "Th-thank you! And I will!" He thrust a fist automatically, groaning in pain since he had instinctively used his right arm.

Another chuckle from All Might. "Now now, take it easy. Ah, we're here." Suddenly he looked apprehensive. "Now, uh, maybe you should do the explaining, I'd rather not-"

As if sensing her patient, the door to the nurse's office slammed open, revealing a very cross Recovery Girl. "Alright Toshinori, you'd better be explaining why Izuku Midoriya is back here AGAIN for treatment during YOUR lesson!"

Crap, Toshinori groaned inwardly. He hadn't regretted letting young Midoriya use One For All at the time, not when he had so much confidence in that smile of his. But now, looking at Recovery Girl, he regretted it instantly.