The Apex Hero: Bioterror

Chapter 11

Tsuyu actually ended up joining Izuku's clique that he'd inadvertently formed after their conversation. She was always tense, but that's to be expected when a prey animal is knowingly in the presence of an apex super predator. But she was pleasant to have around.

In preparation for the sports festival, Alex taught Izuku a few tricks. First was the palm strike, an attack that, with enough mass put behind it, caused a small shockwave that knocked back almost anything in front of it. Then he taught him the Critical Pain Devastator.

That one wasn't for the sports festival as it was so much in the event another Nomu showed up. Since they seem to be a bioengineered weapon of some kind, it's possible each one is completely unique, and if he's going to be consuming more of them, it's better to focus all the excess biomass into a single point instead of destroying everything around him.

The final trick he taught Izuku was the shield ability. A wall of biomass that would completely block any kind of attack. The Nomu's shock absorbent ability was added to it, but Izuku felt like something was missing. And he knew just the person to fix that.

As a hero school, UA naturally had training facilities that were tailored to be used by rather heavy handed individuals. The perfect place to find a certain manly redhead. "Yo, Kirishima."
The redhead lands one last hit on a punching bag before turning to Izuku. "Oh, hey Midoriya. You're not here to threaten me about the sports festival too are you?"

"I don't threaten people over competition. I threaten people if they talk hot shit and can't back it up. Either way, it's not why I'm here. I actually had a question about your quirk that's been bugging me."
Kirishima drapes a towel over his shoulder. "Fire away man."
Izuku pulls out his notebook. "Your quirk turns your skin into a thick layer of jagged stone, but if a piece is chipped off, does it turn back into skin or leave a mark when you transform back?"
"I... have no idea."
Izuku forms his claws. "Care to find out?"

Izuku walked away with several chunks of organic stone. The smaller pieces he Consumed, but he kept the bigger ones as souvenirs. Better memorabilia than endless smiling posters. His father helped him test out the new shield formula with Kirishima's genes now thrown into the mix. Couldn't be expected to get it perfect the first time.

He went though a few variations before getting it just right. Too tough and it cracked too easily. Too shock absorbent and it got soft, becoming susceptible to piercing and slashing attacks. Sparring with his father on the beach, feeling the rush of a real fight, altering and perfecting his techniques, those two weeks flew by.

Before the event started, everyone was in the locker room, psyching themselves up for their big introduction to the crowds. Of course, Izuku only needed to let tendrils spread over his body and he was "dressed" and ready to go, so he was mostly waiting for everyone else, leaning against the wall and submerged deep in the Blacknet and double checking the formulas for his powers and transformations. Of course, not everyone was courteous enough to leave him be. "Midoriya."

Izuku opens his eyes to see none other than Todoroki standing before him. He did not appreciate his concentration being broken, and it showed on his face and in his voice. "What?"
"From an objective standpoint, I'm better than you."
Izuku raises a brow. 'Wow, and I thought Katsuki was up his own ass.'
"But your drive is obviously a cut above everyone else, and you said you bled in order to earn your place here, as have I. So I'm going to beat you."

Izuku leaves his place against the wall. "Did you not see what I did to the last person who thought declaring war was smart?"
"Come on guys, this isn't necessary."
"The difference between me and him is that I plan on standing my ground."

The two lock eyes in a stare down, neither willing to back down. Izuku stared into mismatched eyes that hid spite and aggression behind a cold facade. The eyes of a fellow predator, willing to fight with claws and teeth if necessary. And he smiled. "Oh, I like you."

Exiting the concrete hallway, Izuku could practically smell the adrenaline rolling off the cheering crowd. It made him antsy for a fight. After an introduction from Present Mic that painted 1-A in a very biased light compared to the other classes, Midnight called Izuku onto the stage. "Now for the one who broke the entrance exam records set by All Might himself back in his youth, I give 1-A's own Izuku Midoriya as player rep!"

Izuku stood before the microphone, contemplating his words. "Despite what Present Mic would have you believe, our wills were not made of steel on the day we were attacked." Feeling called out, the voice hero nervously pulls on his collar. "Many of us feared for our lives, and we learned a very important lesson. One we probably shouldn't have learned until much later in our lives. If you want to be a hero, you must carry on with the fact you might not live to see retirement." The crowd's mood becomes rather somber quite quickly.

"There very well might be a day that we don't get to go home, a day our families will never see our faces again. Despite what people will say about us, we did not win, we did not test our mettle. We survived. Barely. By the skin of our teeth. Some of you hate us for being in the spotlight." Several of the general education and 1-B students shuffle on their feet, suddenly feeling very guilty. "But we didn't want to be here. We do not want your reverence, your pity, or your hatred. If only for now, for this event, we want nothing more than your respect. Show us that courtesy, and it will be returned in kind... except by Bakugou, but he doesn't respect anyone."
"The fuck did you say you piece of shit?!"
"Dude, you're kinda proving his point."

"But with all of that out of the way, I do genuinely look forward to seeing everyone do their best today. Push their boundaries, test their limits. Go Beyond. Plus Ultra! Thank you for listening." As he descended from the stage, all was silent. And that silence was broken by a single pair of hands. Tetsutetsu had started clapping. And that sentiment quickly became infectious, spreading between the classes and into the stunned crowd of onlookers until the entire stadium was echoing with applause.