Determined

Chapter 2 ~ Hope Gained

For the rest of the school year and the summer break beyond it, Katsuki and Izuku had trained, mostly focused on combat. "You gotta be ready for any kind of shit in the exam, and a distress signal isn't gonna help you when everyone's competing," he'd said.

They concentrated on hand-to-hand combat first, with no quirks, so as to give Izuku a chance to get comfortable with fighting before incorporating his quirk.

So he still wore gloves when fighting with Kacchan, and had learned a lot from doing so.

Despite Kacchan not using his quirk, the raw power he put behind his attacks were explosive, using both his weight and speed to beat the absolute crap out of Izuku. And while the green~haired boy did build some muscle over the year, his punches were nowhere near as powerful. So he focused on speed and stamina, using his smaller form to evade Katsuki's attacks and wear him out. If there was one thing about the taller boy Izuku realised he could exploit, it would be how the rage behind every attack makes him fatigued over time.

But that doesn't deter his overwhelming power and the fact the Izuku has to also be faster and have more endurance. So Izuku had started running every morning and night. He was determined to mark himself up in speed so he could one day out-fight Kacchan.

He then began to adopt the angry boy's creative outlooks on his quirk started experimenting with it, making sure to focus in chemistry class to think of new ways to enhance his range of uses. He would still never in a million years touch someone with all five fingers but he wanted to see how flexible it was, so he'd kept a notebook dedicated to findings on his quirk, and further investigated not only different tricks, but also ways to overall improve his mobility.

For example, he found that if he split the air around him as he ran, his speed was significantly faster without the air resistance. It also increased his momentum however so it was easier for him to flop face-first into the ground and easier for it to hurt. So he needed to be sure that when in combat, an attack like that wouldn't miss.

While Izuku still idolised All Might, he no longer wished to be an all powerful symbol of peace like him. No, he wanted to be a reassurance to the more underrepresented citizens with less flashy quirks. He wanted to show not that I am here but that you are here too. If he were to make it the the hero world with fame, he would make sure to reach out to those who struggle with themselves and help them create their own paths. Perhaps he could even be a UA teacher, he mused.

His unfortunate mind rant resulted in him not noticing the green sludge creeping out of the sewers and approaching him.

"A medium-sized body... to hide in..." a voice warbled behind Izuku, causing him to whip around just in time for the green sludge to consume him.

His entire body felt cold and slimy, his lungs compressing but the liquid invading him prevented them from expanding again.

I can't breathe!

Izuku thought about taking him glove off and subduing the villain, but the flashback to that shriek of pain from his attempted kidnapper...

There has to be another way...

He tried clawing his way out, but to no avail as the villain simply squeezed harder and the weight on his chest became heavier. His vision blurred at the lack of oxygen and the feeling of the cold sludge in his lungs burned.

I can't... breathe...

In the distance of his fading consciousness, a faint 'I am here!' before promptly passing out.

***

SlapSlapSlapSlapSlap.

"Are you alright there young man?"