"You did well against All Might - using your words to get into his head and distract him was very cunning!" Nedzu praised the boy, beady black eyes glinting. "If you don't mind – and, of course, Recovery Girl willing – I'd like to go against you next, Midoriya."
"The fight stops the moment you're injured," she warned.
Izuku nodded, following the principal back into the battlegrounds. He knew Nedzu's Quirk relied on probabilities, and he remembered watching the final exams in his first year, where Kaminari and Ashido had been paired up with the ferocious, furry creature and stood no chance against his impressive intelligence with their close-range electric and acid Quirks. It was likely that the principal didn't pack much of a punch, due to being so small with no visible muscle mass, so he was probably going to cause some mischief another way and try to indirectly take down the student.
Izuku paced down the street, ears alert for any signs of collapsing walls or things out of the ordinary. All he had to do was find the ambiguous animal, and he would win – but finding him was most of the struggle. There was a rumble, and his stomach dropped with dread. Slowly, hesitantly, he turned around, staring down the road as the concrete vibrated under his feet.
And, oh, of course Nedzu had somehow discovered a literal bulldozer that most definitely wasn't in the city before.
It was ploughing down the road at a frankly alarming speed, tracks cracking concrete and kicking up dust in its wake. The principal sat in the too-big seat, sipping from a cup of tea as he calmly drove towards the boy, who could only stare in wide-eyed shock as it approached. Metal railings whined and warped as the blade pushed against them, inevitably being broken and crushed, guided along the ground with a horrible screech. Debris from the previous fight had also been collected, leading to a disconcertingly large pile of stones being shoved closer, gaining in height and gradually looking like it was about to topple over at any second.
Izuku finally gave into his instincts, leaping up at the last second and landing behind the vehicle, only to spot a multi-shank ripper attached to the back of the bulldozer. Nedzu was already backing up, and the dangerous tool almost nudged against the boy's ankles as he hopped backwards before shooting to the side, wall-jumping his way to a roof to collect his thoughts as they started to form a vague plan. The building shook as the bulldozer careened into it, collapsing part of the lower wall before reversing, only to come in for a second blow.
Realistically, if he was just thinking about himself, then all he needed to do was bounce around the city until the vehicle ran out of fuel and he could incapacitate the enemy. However, he wanted to keep property destruction to a minimum, and if it was a real scenario then he needed to be wary of civilians in the area, not to mention it would be best to take down the villain as quickly as possible to give people peace of mind.
Another slam rattled the city, and Izuku gripped onto the edge of the roof for support until the tremors passed. It clearly wasn't an average bulldozer if the speed and manoeuvrability were anything to go by, and he was willing to bet that the front blade would raise up to protect the cabin the moment Izuku showed signs of attacking, regardless of the angle he came from. Although his punches were strong, he would likely break a fist if he tried to hit the vehicle, and it was too sturdy to be knocked over.
He'd shown that he was smart enough to create a distraction when fighting All Might. He'd also revealed a lot of his power and ability. Anyone would've been able to analyse his fighting style and predict what his next logical move was going to be, but with a Quirk that heightened that presumption into almost certainty? That would be difficult to tackle.
So, really, when faced with the probabilities, the only logical thing to do was to be illogical.
The building leaned forwards, finally crumpling under the damage. Izuku let out a yelp, playing up his fear as he tumbled down with it, seeming to regain himself enough to dart out the way at the last second and stand in the middle of the street, leaning crookedly and holding a hand to his dipped head as if he was injured in the fall. He wrinkled his nose in a wince and gritted his teeth, firing up his Quirk with wild eyes and facing the bulldozer head on, fists glowing and hair fluttering in the fluctuating air currents caused by his power.
Izuku waited for a few moments, forcing his expression to appear increasingly desperate, before rushing forwards, feeling the thrum of machinery rattle in his ribcage. The blade started to raise the moment he bent his knees, acting as if he was about to leap towards the cabin, but at the last second he let his eyes flutter shut. His body crumpled over the pile of debris, his Quirk dissipating in a fizz of green sparks. He rolled down the side of the rubble closest to the machine, peeking through his lashes and feeling his heart beat in his ears as the massive tracks rolled closer, unable to stop in time.
The wheeze of machinery indicated the blade lowering back down, and he put his plan into action, powering up One for All to tear apart some of his gym uniform and simultaneously kick off a red shoe as he clung to the bars between the treads of the vehicle, completely concealed. Izuku watched as shreds of blue fabric fluttered down, getting crushed under the bulldozer and hopefully being enough to briefly panic Nedzu before realisation kicked in, which would be the boy's window of opportunity. His ride finally slowed to a stop, shutting down and leaving an overwhelming silence in the absence of the loud engine. A faint click sounded, followed by a patter of frantic, small footsteps.
"...Midoriya-kun?" Nedzu called, worry in his usually serene tone as he moved to check the front of the vehicle. "M... Midoriya-kun?"
He padded around to the back of the bulldozer, choking in a sharp inhale as he noticed the items of clothing, crushed, dirtied, and scattered on the ground. Izuku felt a stab of guilt, but wasn't about to give up his one opportunity that he'd worked hard for. The boy let go of the bars, swinging himself up onto one of the tracks, igniting his Quirk in a triumphant flash and leaping forwards.
Nedzu glanced over his shoulder, but couldn't react in time before he was pressed, face-down, on the concrete. Izuku raised a threatening fist, breathing heavily and grinning.
"I concede defeat," the principal whispered shakily, getting to his feet and brushing off his suit when he was let up. "That was... ingenious, Midoriya-kun. Very cruel, but I can't deny the effectiveness. Once again, you've proved your wits to me. I'm quite impressed."
Izuku found himself bowing briefly, rubbing at the back of his neck when he straightened back up. "A-ah, sorry about that. I couldn't think of a better way to beat you, so I just..."
"No, no, I understand! It was grim and brilliant of you, thinking of a specific way to draw me out. However, I must say it was a rather reckless move that you definitely shouldn't attempt in a real battle," Nedzu admonished, tilting his head and scratching at the scar over his right eye. "Well, we'd better be heading back – I'd imagine Aizawa-kun is impatient for your fight."
They made their way back to the viewing room in a thoughtful sort of silence. The moment Izuku entered, All Might stepped over and lightly smacked his skinny hands down on the top of the boy's head and under his chin, causing his teeth to clack together unpleasantly. Izuku stuck out his painful tongue, rubbing at his hair and squinting up at his mentor with something akin to betrayal in his gaze.
"That was for making us think you'd been crushed," he grumbled, turning around sulkily, leaning over the desk.
"Sorry, Toshi-san," the boy muttered, sounding distinctly less apologetic and a little more bitter than previously.
Aizawa raised his eyebrows, glancing between them. "You're on a first-name basis?"
"Todoroki-kun thinks I'm All Might-san's illegitimate son and Toshi-san is embarrassed about it," Izuku said cheekily, as if that explained everything, standing confidently in a way that gave them a glimpse of the Pro Hero he had been and would be in the future.
"Interesting." The teacher's lips twitched in the ghost of a smile.
Toshinori had his forehead on the desk, his bony arms caged around his head as if to block out the embarrassment. "You're grounded, Izuku."
"Oh no," The student whispered like it was a real threat. "All Might-san..."
"Face the consequences of your actions, my boy." He tilted his head, his face framed with a bent elbow, blue eyes bright and teeth glinting in a smile sharp with vengeance.
"Midoriya, time is ticking," Aizawa called from the doorway, unravelling the bandages from his arms and pulling the patch off his cheekbone, unveiling a familiar scar that wasn't quite as prominent as in the other timeline.
"Right! S-sorry, sensei!"
Even if the grounds were partially collapsed along the main road, they returned once more. It was good practice for a different sort of terrain, anyway. At some point, the bulldozer had been removed, although the miniature mountain of mess remained. Izuku blinked at it for a moment before reaching down and grabbing a crooked section of metal fencing that had been broken off in the previous fight, feeling like it could be useful but not entirely sure what for. He turned to the nearest building that wasn't in danger of crumbling and snuck inside, pressing himself into a dusty corner with his gaze on the door.
Aizawa was strong, but not strong enough to break down walls. If he wanted to fight the boy, he'd have no chance of a surprise attack, which would be impractical. Of course, Izuku couldn't hide inside forever, but he only needed a brief interlude to gather his thoughts.
He'd seen the way the man fought many times and knew exactly how his Quirk worked. Aizawa primarily relied on stealth, sticking to rooftops and excelling in initiating unexpected combat which meant he usually won, since most villains had a tendency to focus on their Quirks, rather than physical skills. Izuku was no stranger to sneaking, but there was no denying that he was better at fighting than hiding.
The student glanced down at the twisted metal in his grasp, frowning thoughtfully. Aizawa was also proficient with his capture gear, but that couldn't be used very intricately. If Izuku held the fence in front of him and got wrapped up, there would be a little extra space for him to move that could be exploited. Or he could throw it as a distraction and possibly cause his enemy to flinch enough to blink, giving another chance to win. Or maybe... He got to his feet, a plan solidified in his mind as he darted back out onto the street, sticking to the shadows and keeping One for All surging throughout his form so he'd anticipate an attempted attack.
His breaths were slow and shallow as he padded along, scanning the skies for any sign of his teacher. There was a rush of air as his Quirk sputtered out, significantly slowing his dodge but not hindering him enough to get caught. He whipped around, hopping onto the wall and digging his fingers into a small crack before leaping up higher, narrowly avoiding the strips of solid fabric as they swung for him. Aizawa jumped up onto the roof, causing Izuku to take a cautious step back, raising the fence like a shield as he surveyed his enemy's defence.
"It's good to see you're not useless without your Quirk," the man commented drily, snatching a handful of capture gear and letting the rest swirl around his head.
"You learn a lot when you're Quirkless for fourteen years," he quipped with a sardonic smile that rapidly shifted into something more playful. "Plus, you were pretty insistent on training our class without allowing us to use our Quirks to make sure we were prepared for any situation. Honestly, sensei, if I didn't know any better I'd say you actually like us."
"I don't want any of you to die," he deadpanned, black hair suddenly falling back to his shoulders as he blinked.
Izuku rushed forwards, raising a fist as if to punch, only to feint at the last second and spin, doing some fancy footwork to build up momentum before raising a powered up leg and slamming a heel down on the back of his teacher's neck, right on his vertebrate. He twisted out of the way before his limb could be wrapped up, dropping down as he felt his Quirk fade once more but being swift to roll to one side and immediately hop back to his feet.
"And you don't just punch, either. You're full of surprises," Aizawa stated dully, but the boy could hear that faint shift in his tone that indicated actual pride.
"Thanks, sensei. It came about after I shattered all the bones in my arms too many times and permanently injured my hands." He grinned, a bright sparkle in comparison to his dark words.
"...what the hell did you even go through, kid?" The teacher sighed, launching forwards and sending ribbons shooting ahead.
Izuku's expression morphed into one of barely-concealed suffering as he flipped to the side. "...a lot."
He adjusted his foot, lowering his stance to stoop under a swipe and retaliate with another kick, hitting the side of Aizawa's knees and causing him to stumble with a hiss of pain. Even without his Quirk his attacks were brutal and swift, moving like a river and flowing from one fighting style to the next, shifting from defensive to offensive in a split-second and barely pausing for breath. He was a formidable machine when he put his mind to something: truly, a force to be reckoned with.
Aizawa started backing up, realising he couldn't win in close quarters. In a moment of foolish overconfidence, Izuku let his guard down, and in a second his arm was seized, restricted within a reel of capture gear. The teacher tugged, trying to knock his student off balance and break his defence, but the kid wouldn't budge, muscles flexing and teeth grinding together as he pressed his shoes against the ground. He slid forward an inch, hastily sliding the fence over his shoulder like a bag strap in order to free up his other hand and press it against his straining forearm, hoping to regain the upper hand.
Another twist of grey fabric shot out with the intention of immobilising him entirely. Aizawa blinked, and in an instant Izuku had broken free, kicking off the ground and grabbing the fence, threading it through the capture gear as he arced upside-down before slamming the metal spikes into the concrete, pinning down his teacher's weapon and immediately appearing behind him to land another solid kick to his back. The man overbalanced, encumbered by the tight link, stumbling a few steps forwards with flailing arms before steadying and rapidly shedding his capture gear, raising his fists for a fight.
"Smart," Aizawa muttered with a heavy breath, taking slow steps around to mimic the boy and try to gauge his next move.
Izuku could see many weaknesses, but the majority of them were the man's mostly-healed injuries, and even if he did have the inclination to hurt his teacher, Recovery Girl would have his head. He paced cautiously, keeping a smile locked in place despite the ache in his freckled cheeks, scanning both his opponent and his surroundings for an inkling of inspiration. An idea struck him across the face and the moment Aizawa blinked, he was off, tearing the fence from the ground and flinging it at the man before scooping up the reels of stiff fabric and shoving them over his head, recalling the lessons he'd been given on how to use it and internally thanking his alternate self for asking the man to teach him.
When Aizawa raised his arms to block and moved to dodge the fence, Izuku sent forward a wall of dangerous ribbons, successfully restraining the teacher who struggled for a moment before resigning himself to his fate.
"You win," the man said, a smile pulling at his lips that he didn't bother to hide. "Nice job, Problem Child."