My Hero Academia: From The Ground Up

Chapter 15: Follow Up

The girl put Izuku down on his feet. She appeared to be about their age wearing a purple and red costume that looked homemade, complete with a red cape that stopped halfway down her back.

"Are you alright?" She asked.

Izuku blushed and took a step back to gather thoughts. "O-oh, I'm fine. Thank you."

"Great! Uh, yeah. Hi! I'm Mariko." She said with a smile.

She stumbled forward, prompting Izuku to then catch her and help her stand up.

"Sorry! These high heels aren't the best for me." She sighed and looked down at them.

Izuku saw them and agreed. "Yeah those don't look very good for a hero."

"Oh no no. I'm... I'm not a hero. I just dressed up for the occasion! Although I've always wanted to become one someday."

"Hey! Me too!" He smiled.

"Really? What's your quirk?" She asked excitedly.

"I.... I'm quirkless." He admitted.

"Me too...." She frowned. "Who says that has to stop us?"

Izuku looked back to Bakugou and Uraraka who were watching them talk, visibly impatient about it. "I...have to get going. It was nice talking with you, Mariko!"

Mariko looked from him to where he was looking, at his two friends. "That's okay! Lemme leave you my phone number. Oh! I'm so sorry, I never even asked you what your name was!"

Izuku blushed deeply. "I-I am Izuku M-Midoriya!"

"It was so nice to meet you! Gimme a call sometime! O-or a text. Whichever is better for you!" She smiled and handed him a small torn off piece of paper with her phone number written down on it.

"Happy Hero Festival!" She called and clumsily ran off in her high heels.

He smiled big and put the paper in his pocket.

"Hey, nerd! I've waited enough for you today!" Katsuki called to him.

"AH! RIGHT!" Izuku blushed and ran up to them.

Ochaco didn't say a word to either of them as they walked off toward the stairs to the private rooms up above the convention area.

The three friends now faced a wide hall with a few doors each leading to large empty meeting rooms. But for the festival, many were being used by celebrities and pro-heroes alike as break rooms.

"Children! In here!" Their larger-than-life hero All Might called to them from the closest door.

They smiled and ran inside. "All Might!" They addressed him. Izuku bowed with great exaggeration of them all.

"Ha ha! It's great to see you all again! Did you think I'd forget?" The hero said with a welcome and contagious smile. He was currently sitting at the large table in the room enjoying a simple sandwich.

"Well you forget that one little girl's name you visited in the hospital." Bakugou said.

"EHEHE! Don't remind me!" All Might smiled nervously as a large drop of sweat formed on the side of his face. "Anyway, how have each of you been? I'm sorry I haven't been able to keep as good an eye on you as I said."

"I think Izuku should go first." Ochaco smiled.

Izuku turned red. "I-I uhm."

"Until he finishes stuttering, I'll have you know I'm top of the class!" Katsuki stepped forward. "And we'll be done with junior high forever by next week! I've mastered my quirk and I'm ready to apply to UA!"

Ochaco turned to Izuku to see if he was mentally ready to speak next. Showing no sign of improvement in his stuttering fit, she stepped up next. "Same with me! I'm able to control my quirk and lift up to 136 kilograms for five minutes!"

"Fantastic, you two! And what of the stuttering wonder here?!" All Might asked teasingly toward Midoriya.

"I'vebeenlearningkarateandI'malmosttomyblackbelt!" He said all in one breath.

"Eh?" All Might asked. "You haven't happened to have developed a quirk over these last few years, have you? Some people are late bloomers. I've heard of a few who gained theirs in junior high years! But only a few."

"Um... No, All Might-sensei. Still quirkless." Izuku said in shame.

"Well, does that change anything I told you that night last time we spoke?" All Might leaned forward in his chair.

Izuku shook his head in silence.

"How have your hearts been?" The hero asked. "You have each grown physically but what are you motives? Do you still want to use your talents to be heroes?"

"Yes, sensei!" They cheered in unison.

"So how have each of your been preparing to be heroes in other ways? With what limitations you have, you all seemed to improve and I'm proud!" He smiled.

They each smiled proudly back. Izuku lifted his head.

"But I need to know if you took my advice about your hearts." He continued.

"Katsuki can be a bit negative and rude, but he's become a part of our friendship circle!" Ochaco said wrapping her arms around each of the boys beside her.

Bakugou glared ahead then shoved her arm away. "Yeah, whatever."

"Excellent!" All Might stated loudly.

Ochaco looked to Izuku and pulled her arm away awkwardly.

"I want you all to continue strengthening your hearts. And your trust in each other. One day when you're all heroes, you won't need to work together as much as you do now. But it doesn't take a mind-reading quirk for me to see the chemistry between you three can be used to build each other up! Just don't let any teenage drama tear you apart!" All Might counseled.

"Teenage drama?" Katsuki asked.

"You know! I'm sure your parents all taught you about that time in your lives when your bodies are changing and about the birds and the bees and-"

"OKAY! THANK YOU, ALL MIGHT-SENSEI!" Ochaco shouted.

She and Izuku both had tomato-red faces. Even Katsuki had a light blush in his cheeks.

"Right right! But you know what I mean." All Might said. He looked down at his watch. "Well, I think you three should get some time to enjoy the rest of the festival down there while you can! I'll be here in meditation for the rest of my break."

"A-All Might? Will we get to talk to you again?" Izuku asked sheepishly.

The hero took a moment of silence to think. "Possibly! If you all heed my advice, I'll see you in the big leagues."

"Do you think UA would except a quirkless?" Izuku asked.

All Might was once again confronted with this question by this same boy. "Young Midoriya, with a heart like yours, the people to train you to become a hero will see your potential as I do."

Katsuki and Ochaco began to walk out of the room. Izuku smiled and followed after them.

"Good luck, children!" He called.

"Goodbye, All Might-sensei!" They called back.

As they shut the door, All Might reclined in his chair and quickly shrunk down. "Ahhhh. Finally."