“Now then. For today lets focus on improving our Ultimate moves.” Cementoss explained as we stood one again in front of the gyms concrete pillars. “Previously I charged you all with a ‘two Ultimate move minimum’. Those who have not met this goal yet will focus on development, and those who have will focus on even further improvements.”
That meant me as my first ended up not reaching that threshold, especially after my ‘second’, Phantom Parade, was the same thing but improved upon. The goal was to have separate moves that could be used in a difficult situation to gain an advantage after all.
Only problem being that I was out of ideas. I had already hit a road block in what my Quirk could be used for, with my current fighting style and Hero image that is, and it's not really recommended to have moves swap between these things. One or two of the ideas I had would require having extras with my costume or found around the place like using projectiles with my Quirk.
I’d have to be an Idiot to focus on that, and anyway, my current costume didn’t exactly have room for pockets what with it being mostly skin tight like Mirkos, though a thicker version was in the works for the cold days winter has brought.
With how my Quirks restrictions take place, if I could change, even slightly how it worked, then there were dozens of ways I could go about it. Unfortunately, I decided the best course of action was to use my telekinetic Quirk as a Physical booster.
Aaah but the sheer speed and mobility it grants me has been amazing.
But I’ve been pacing in circles now for half an hour easily, feeling like a solid blockage is standing between me and furthering myself as a Hero.
I wouldn’t call myself top of the class in the slightest and with how determined everyone is I just see myself slipping further and further behind...
“Uh hey, Miwaku!” Kirishima called out, walking up to meet me with a couple scorch marks on his hardened skin.
“Bakugo’s moved on to movement tests so, do you think you could fill in and help with my practice?”
“Yeah, sure. Not been doing much here myself but I don’t have the power output of you other training buddies so it’ll probably be an endurance game.” I replied.
“That works! I’ve been needing to even out the harden around my body so try aim for those awkward areas.”
Kirishima and I have trained against each other before, though its always been in the gym when I couldn’t go to Gunhead for practice, and when Kirishima had some energy to burn.
Sometimes there would be competitions on the weights with Kirishima winning with anything arms or shoulders and me winning on legs. Core workouts were usually more endurance based and so were a little more balanced. They’d end the moment Midoriya lifted our records casually beside us.
That kid’s unreasonable even without the Quirk working in his favour.
The battle was brought to an early end when Bakugo decided he wanted something solid to blast into again, and as there was roughly ten minutes left, I was more than happy to head out a bit early.
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It had been the last class of the day, but I didn’t feel like I had pushed myself at all. So with the sun starting to dip low in the sky I made my way out of the city, and to the derelict, run down mall I had met Mirko at.
She was still out and about being a Pro Hero, and we never really talk as she is neither part of an agency or looking for a sidekick, her tutoring was over in that regard. Still, this remained a special place to test myself after all these months, and that was exactly what I was going to do. It’s seven o’clock and the sun has just finished setting, lets see what I can do before curfew.
Before the last session ended, she gave me a time as a part benchmark, part showing of what a high ranked Pro Hero could do. Using her powerful legs Mirko bounced in, and out, of every shop in the mall in just 40 seconds. I was no Pro, so with a timer in hands, my goal by tonight was 2 minutes.
First run will be a baseline.
Kicking off towards the first shop, I tried taking in all the surrounding rooms, as with the age of the place there were quite a number of holes littering the walls along with the latent debris from their creation. As I moved between both sides of the mall I debated whether anything goes, as I could probably cut this time down by slipping through the gaps to hit multiple rooms at once.
Similar to my tactic the first time Mirko brought me here, though this time there was the aspect of trying to prove myself to myself instead of trying to meet a Pro Heroes standard. The distinction is important as I’m trying to match up to Mirko’s time through her strength and skills so I should probably follow the same ‘track’ that she does.
About half way through the mall, I realised that while my Quirk was helping me put one foot in the doors before almost instantly changing direction, I was definitely losing a lot of time travelling between point A and point B.
Not that I was slow, but Mirko was on a different level altogether.
Stopping the clock on this first run and the time stands at 3’11... not quite what I expected exactly but, I could shave off a few seconds reaching the second floor to start, and I could use some of that trigonometry stuff we’ve been doing classes on to find shorter lines for where the mall opens up...
Let’s give it a shot.
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*huff
2’32... shit.
I’m shaving less time off each attempt, and 4 rounds in I’m running out of optimisations...
Midoriya could probably get it first try!
Forget following Mirko, I’ll use my fast cornering to follow through on the same side of the mall before switching over at the other side... that’s got to be faster, right?!
god i hope this works
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SLAM
It Hurts.
Damn it, everything’s hurting so much.
7 runs at 2’14
...
I don’t need to do this!
I could stop right now.
No one would know!
It’s soo late
I could just call it a night!
so why?
why can’t I JUST STOP?!?!
GIVE UP!!
I don’t need this?!
I’ve done all I can already?!
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almost
there
Just... this.. one more... one last go...
That’s enough.. right?
SLAM
My foot hits at an awkward angle as I land on some rubble.
WHOOSH
My stomach twists in on itself as I leap for the second last room.
BAM
I hit the wall, using my shoulder to violently stop all momentum, before launching back off, arm dangling limp by my side.
It’s faster this way.
SMACK
I hit the floor, dropping down for the final stretch...
just... need to... stop the clock...
I force out another burst from my Quirk.
It almost brings me to my knees as I feel another tear open up through my stomachs old scar.
The watch was right there.
My Quirk refused to respond.
My legs were rebelling.
So... as my eyes started to droop, and my blinks became longer and longer... I used my working arm, and crawled.
My hand it the watch, but I wouldn’t know the time until a whole 30 hours later.
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‘I dropped the tough guy act and cried.'
'I wasn’t tough like Midoriya, or strong willed enough to just shrug such injuries off.
I don’t know how long I lay there, falling in and out of consciousness, one point feeling like I had lost something just out of my reach before my eyes closed for a final time that night’
> A/N: Ch 13 - Into The Woods
Final time - 2’03
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