"So you really went with Deku huh?" Izumi tapped her pen on the list of agencies to choose from.
"You still gonna give me a hard time about it?" Izuku frowned, his body shaking as he did his chair exercises.
"No... I'm just thinking about that one time you asked mom to help you pick out a name." Her grin spread wide as he jerked upright.
"Izumi!" He covered his face feeling embarrassment. "Why do you gotta bring that up?"
"What? What?" Ochaco came up and over curious as to what was going on. "What's that face for?"
"He's just embarrassed because when we were kids he used to come up with all kinds of names, and they all reflected on our dad."
"Izumi stop, I'm begging you!" Izuku looked at her pleasingly.
"Let's see... there was Mighty All Man, Mighty Boy, All Might Junior-"
"IZUMI!!!" He shouted at her his face bright red as she and Ochaco giggled.
"Awww that's so cute!" Ochaco held her cheeks wiggling. "Young Deku, huh? You must have been so adorable."
"Want to see?" Izumi asked and Izuku snapped his head in her direction holding his hot face.
"Izumi you didn't..."
Izumi smirked evilly and she pulled a picture from her bag showing little Izuku in his All Might Pajamas. Next to him was a pouting blonde child in the same pajamas. Bakugo glanced over and his own face went bright red.
"GAH! DAMN IT HALF PINT WHERE THE FUCK DID YOU GET THAT?!"
"From your mom, naturally." Izumi smirked at him.
"What is it?" Ochaco peeked and her face went bright as stars. "Whaaaaa so cute!!! Oh my god is this Bakugo? He's so adorable."
"Hey let me see!" Kirishima jumped over and snickered at Bakugo. "Oh man, you're so precious Bakugo."
"Bitch! Give me that picture!" Bakugo launched
Izumi smacked his hand away and stood on the desk to keep the picture out of reach of him and Izuku.
"Ah, ah, ah... Just consider it an eye for an eye." She pointed at the bandage across her face. While the rest of her wounds were fully healed, her eye would have permanent damage. Bakugo grunted at her then snagged her bag ransacking through it. "HEY! Don't go through my shit you jerk!"
"Ah ha! I knew it." He pulled out another picture that had Izumi cursing and jumping on him. The picture flew out of his hands and landed in front of Todoroki. He blinked in surprise and lifted the picture of the little girl in pigtails clinging to her brother protectively as Bakugo photo bombed (literally) in the background.
"Hmmm? Is this you, Izumi?" Todoroki asked holding the picture. He blinked when she quickly snatched it away and held it to her chest. "What? It's a good picture."
"That's... mmmph." She turned her head away, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, and a little inner joy. Ochaco leaned into Kirishima holding her mouth.
"Oooh what's this?"
"Love is in the air." He whispered back.
"If you didn't want anyone to see it why did you bring it to school? Todoroki asked leaning forward. Izumi fidgeted a little at his stare and she slipped the pictures back in her bag.
"My dad... He's got a big album going and was asking me all kinds of question about our childhood. So I told him I'd ask Bakugo's mom for some."
"Most of our pictures from that time were destroyed from accident that killed our mom." Izuku explained and stood up to rub Izumi's shoulder. "We were all really happy back then."
"Yeah, I guess." Izumi's face turned sad and she pulled out her chair plopping down in it. "Didn't last very long though."
~Lunch~
"Hey, have you guys decided what agency you want yet?" Ashido asked pouting at the list in front of her.
"I'm going to Mt. Lady!" Mineta declared, not much of a surprise to those around him.
"Little perv..." Izumi muttered and looked to Bakugo. "What about you, explosion boy? You choose anyone yet?"
"No... and stop calling me that." He grunted and eyed the places that had requested him.
"It's better than the other hero names you were coming up with. You trying to be a hero or a villain, Bakugo?"
"Lord Explosion Murder suits me!" He said with confidence and huffed through his nose. "It shows I'll kill anyone who stands in my way."
"Geez why not just call yourself Short Fuse... or Mr. Explodey head. " She tugged on the ends of his hair and had him jerking away.
"Leave me alone! My name was fine but that stupid woman wouldn't let me use it so now I'm stuck with my own name. So just shove it, half pint!"
"Deku-kun what about you? Have you decided?" Ochaco leaned over him and had him jerking upright and snapping out of his murmurs.
"Eh?" He blinked and rubbed the back of his neck basically. "No... not yet."
"You're really thinking hard about this aren't you?" Tsuyu asked.
"Yes well... I'm not entirely sure who to choose.. And there's so many..." He flipped through the long list. "I didn't expect this."
"You won the tournament, Zuku." Izumi pat his back. "Naturally you're gonna have the pick of the litter."
"Well you have a lot to choose from too Izumi..." he looked down and saw she'd already signed the papers and filled it all out. "Huh? You chose someone already?"
"Yeah... let's just say I got an offer I couldn't refuse." She replied coolly and took Izuku's list from him scanning through trying to figure out what best suited him.
"Who did you choose?" Curious, Izuku picked up the paper and Uraraka leaned over his shoulder. Shock registered on both their faces. "EH!? ENDEAVOR?!"
Todoroki's head shot up in surprise, but Izumi didn't flinch or move and just continued to browse through her brother's paperwork.
"Why Endeavor?" Bakugo narrowed his eyes at her. "I thought you hated the guy."
"I do hate him..." she set the papers down and clenched her fist. "That's precisely why I chose him."
"Huh?" Izuku blinked and scratched his cheek. "I don't get it."
"Endeavor is the most self absorbed, obnoxious, and difficult man I've ever met..." She glanced at Bakugo... yeah, no, Endeavor even beat him out. "Despite all that he's respected, admired, and even loved by the public eye. He's second only to dad and I want to know why." She picked up her paper narrowing her eyes. "On top of that he's got experience that only a top hero would have. This internship is important. If I'm gonna succeed I need to set aside my personal feelings and really focus on my goal. "
Shoto stared long and hard at her, then down at his own paper. He'd still been conflicted on whether to choose his old man... but Izumi's logic made sense. He gripped his pen tightly and filled out the form, sealing his decision.
The door to the classroom burst open and Tetsutetsu wandered in and his face lit up when he saw Izumi.
"Ah! Izumi-chan! Wanna have lunch with me?" He shoved the other students aside and crouched down beside her like an eager puppy. "I'll buy you a pot sticker plate."
"Hmmm?" She glanced down at him, blinking herself out of her deep thought and offered him a smile. "Alright."
"YES!" He jumped up and took her hand in his. "I've got this great spot where we can..." He paused when he noticed her eye. "Whoa... you still haven't been healed yet?" He touched her face and Todoroki's pen snapped in half, his flames flaring out causing the students around him to jerk away frightened.
"She has been healed... her eye is permanently damaged." Izuku told Tetsutetsu.
"Are you serious?" He looked down at Bakugo and whacked him over the head. "Don't you know how to treat a girl you asshole! I hope you apologized!"
"OW! Grrrr..." Bakugo slammed out of his seat and turned to but heads with him. "I did fucking apologize! Back the fuck off, you B-class side character!"
"HAH!? Just what kind of language is that for a hero!? You've got some nerve!" Tetsutetsu huffed and ctossed his arms looking at Kirishima. "How can you stand this guy Kirishima?"
"Uh well..." Kirishima scratcged his cheek.
"I've got nerve?" Bakugo glowered. "This isn't even your class, the fuck are you even doing here?!"
"I'm taking my Izumi to lunch!" Hr annpunced proudly, his soft puppy look returning.
"My Ixumi?" Izumi's brow twitched. "Tetsu you know-"
"She can take herself to lunch, she doesn't need you drooling all over her feet." Bakugo snarled in response and the two grabbed for each other shoving and punching, Kirishima getting in on it trying to pull Tetsutetsu off but just ended up getting punched for his trouble.
"Ugh on second thought, I'm not all that hungry..." Izumi felt a line of sweat drip from her brow and she got up and rounded the table from the other side. "I think I'll go see if Mavis finished my costume adjustments."
"Wait for me, I'll go with you." Todoroki told her and followed her out, the two of them leaving the group to bicker.
Izuku sighed at the three way argument, and watched Izumi leave. His sister was fitting right in, and finding her stride. She knew what name she wanted, what appearance she wanted, and even what agency to choose. Aizawa's words suddenly came to play in his mind. He and Izumi were on different paths with different goals... His goal was to become the Symbol of Peace like his father. Hers was to become a hero who could protect what mattered. They seemed like similar notions... but the more he thought about it... the bigger the rift between them felt.
"Izumi..." he held his chest wondering what this sudden panic in his heart was.
~Support Course~
"Ah if it isn't my favorite hero!" Mavis lifted his goggles up brimming as Izumi walked in. "What's this, you've brought a friend?"
"Todoroki Shoto," he bowed politely. "It's nice to meet you."
"Ah yes, you're the one Izuku fought in the Semi-finals... such amazing abilities. I've got some babies that would surely come in handy for that marvelous quirk of yours." Mavis told him ecstatically, forever the salesman.
"Babies?" Todoroki's face remained poised, but with some curiosity in his eyes.
"It's what he likes to call his inventions. He's a bit of an eccentric but he's got some great stuff." She picked up a set of gloves admiring the tips of the fingers.
"Oooh I see you've taken a liking to my talon gloves. They're specially designed for scaling walls."
"More like scalping heads..." She said with a wince as she pricked her finger on the edge. "These things are sharp. That's a bit dangerous isn't it?"
"Yes, but they're designed that way. The metal inside is one of the hardest substances known to mankind, and can pierce through nearly anything, allowing the wearer to dig into the sides of buildings, mountains, and other inanimate objects. Best part is..." he pulled the glove on and the claws rounded out to tips. "They're retractable."
Intrigued Todoroki poked his head around at the various items curious about all that he had to choose from.
"Ill keep it in mind. I came to see if my costume was ready."
"It is, I designed it myself. Oh and Eva says your order is in as well. I'll text her and have her bring it up."
"Order?" Todoroki asked pushing a button on accident and sending a pair of jet roller skates zooming off the table and smashing into the wall. "Oops."
"Yeah..." Izumi slipped behind the dressing curtain to try on her costume. "I'd rather not have to do my hero work half blind so I ordered some specialized contact lenses that will help me."
"That's good... I wondered if you'd have to go wandering around with an eye patch. Did Bakugo really apologize or did he just as that?" He heard the sound of clothes unzipping and had to fight off a blush.
"He did, but in his usual Bakugo way." She told him and made a sound of discomfort. "I should have known better than to give you free styling choice, Mavis. This is hardly the look I was going for."
"Really? I thought it would suit you and your body type well." Mavis grinned. "Powerloader approved of it, and it shows off your prime features."
"It shows everything off, I'm not shy but how the hell are people gonna take me seriously looking like a tart?" Izumi complained.
"Is it really that bad?" Todoroki asked pulling back the curtain.
" Baka don't look!" Izumi blushed crossing her arms over her chest. The tight black leotard showed off her assets alright. She had a compact body but lovely legs and full hips and breasts. The tight stretchy fabric left little to the imagination with its swimsuit style cut. Her shoulders were left bare in the sleeveless cut but she adorned a pair of elbow length gauntlet gloves in black with leather wrist guards. The top of the bodice was shaped like a V, accented green, and dipped just enough to peek at cleavage. Around her hips was a utility belt that matched the green accents in her knee high boots, tights, and eye mask.
"Wow..." he pulled out his phone and snapped a picture. Izumi gawked.
"Why the hell did you take a picture?"
"I wanted a new background..." He admitted and Izumi choked and jumped trying to make a grab for the phone.
"Baka! Delete it!"
"Do I have to? I like it." He told her blatantly keeping the phone out of reach with his superior height.
"That's not the point! Damn it I said delete it! Come on Shoto please!" They both froze... Izumi on her tiptoes, hand stretched up, his right hand intimately on her hip, and both their faces showing surprise and embarrassment.
"Sh-Shoto?" Todoroki let go of the phone. Instead of catching it she let it slip to the floor at their feet. Their palms pressed together now and lowered to the side. The fingers laced intimately together and Izumi felt her heart beat hard in her chest.
"It... just slipped out." She said, her eyes flicking back and forth from his face to the floor, unable to look him directly, but unable to keep her eyes away from him.
"Right..." He lifted her hand to his lips. "Well feel free to let it slip again, whenever you'd like."
"Oh... okay." She pulled her hand back and clasped them behind her back. Her head lowered to the floor and she stared down at her own picture on his background screen. Instead of it being a full body shot as she'd expected, her entire face filled the screen, the look of stern annoyance and shock matched with her mask made her look... fierce. "Do you really like the picture?"
"Yes..." He bent down to pick up his phone.
"Okay... you can keep it then." She stepped back and tried to give him a confident smile, but it came off nervous. "I'll consider it a fan photo."
"Thank you," he said with a little laugh and pocketed his phone.
At that moment Eva came in, bubbly as ever, carrying a parcel.
"Well hello there, honey. Long time no see! Oh don't you look fabulous!" Eva beamed and set the box down to come over and admire. "Edgy and sexy, oh just imagine the upgrades you can do once you've got your license!"
"Thanks Eva..." She cleared her throat and fidgeted uncomfortably.
"I'll leave you to your fitting..." Shoto told her and stroked her hair back behind her ear. "...but in all honesty I wouldn't change a thing."
"Alright..." She indulged herself. Leaning into his hand she closed her eyes and enjoyed feeling the warmth of it. "Then I won't."
Once Shoto was gone Eva was beaming, little hearts around her head from watching the two of them acting all lovey dovey.
"You two are so cute together!"
"Shut up, Eva..." Izumi rubbed her cheek still feeling the warmth then turned to her. "You have my contacts?"
"Oh yes, here..." She opened the box and handed them to her. Instead of a simple pair of medical contacts, these were specially designed. As soon as Izumi slipped them on, the focused and adjusted like a camera lense allowing her to see perfectly again.
"Excellent!" She beamed and picked up the pamphlet that came with it so to memorize the proper care of them.
"If you read the manual thoroghly you'll see that it comes with all kinds of cool functions... here." Eva flipped the switch and Izumi gasped a bit. The lenses adjusted again, slitting like a cat and suddenly she had night vision. The eerie glow of her orbs stood out in the dark and had Mavis shuddering.
"Wah... creepy, but very efficient." The lights turn back on. "Don't these babies change color as well?"
"Yes, the colors and several other settings are voice activated. Take them with you, play with them."
"So cool..." Izumi admired them in a mirror, speaking various colors to try out. "Thanks a lot Eva." She reached into her bag and produced a picture of her dad and his signature on it. "Payment as promised."
"Awesome! I'm happy to help, anytime, Izumi-chan!" She cuddled the picture to her chest.
"If so... I do have one more request." She squinted her fingers. "Just a little one."
"Name it..." Eva beamed eagerly at her. "What do you need?"
"Internships are coming up..." Izumi took off the mask and stared down at it. "I'm pretty sure Izuku and I are going to be separated for the first time since we were babies. I want a token... something the two of us can have, that we can look at and be comforted by."
Eva's smile was slow and sad.
"You two are very close aren't you?"
"You have no idea..." Izumi teared, and the lenses readjusted trying to see through the water and she cursed a bit, sniffing. "He's always been by my side... I knew I could do my best knowing he would be around cheering me on. It's hard, so hard knowing that even for a week we won't be able to see each other, watch each other grow. To be honest..." Izumi looked up and let out a shaky laugh. "I'm frightened by it."
Eva held her heart and set her free hand to Izumi's shoulder.
"Leave it to me, Izumi-chan. I'll take care of it."
~Ask Briry~
Briry: I went with a Wonder Woman/Sailor Moon inspired look for Izumi. I gave it more of a punkish vibe with the black and green accents instead of the bright and bold colors it originated from. Opinions?