Analytics

Chapter 1 Taste Test

"So it has come to this." The hero's voice was resonant, and the speaker fell into a combat stance.

His opponent smiled ferally, bouncing back and forth on the balls of her feet, "Bring it on."

Seconds ticked by, and then came the rush as the fighters threw themselves at each other. The dark skinned woman in off white ducked under a branching jab that extended far past her opponent's arm, then leapt into the air as he tried the same trick with a kick. She gave him no time to counter, her foot slamming into his head, sending him flying as she used his body as a springboard.

Even as he landed she was charging at him again, and his kip up only put him in position to be kicked into the air, his body rising from the hammering kick to his chin. She leapt after him, grabbing him as he tried to recover, swung him down into the concrete and then drove her knees into his back as she landed for good measure.

He managed a groan, but couldn't react as she rolled off him and grabbed his shoulders in the same fluid motion. He went flying again, but this time she followed him with a series of vicious kicks that stunned him and sent him sprawling.

Kamui Woods did not rise again.

"Mirko wins!" A voice announced, and she made a pose. "Flawless victory!"

Kirishima put his controller down and shook his head and then looked at his opponent, "Man, how do you do that?"

Midoriya's iron concentration relaxed a fraction, his smile fading in confusion, "Huh? What do you mean?"

"You've beat everyone we've thrown at you. You never said you were a pro at Pro Hero Fighter! You're unbeatable!" There was a chorus of agreement from the Bakusquad (sans Bakugo himself who had sneered at playing when Kirishima brought his console to the common room).

"How are you so good?" Kaminari asked, not quite concealing his frown.

"Oh, that's easy. I let you pick first." The words came out as if they were the most natural thing in the world.

"What?" The word, spoken in unison, was flat.

"Well, after you choose, haven't you noticed I picked someone to counter your choice?"

Ashido pouted, "Actually you start muttering and then pick someone."

Izuku laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head, "I-I guess."

Kirishima had ignored the exchange, falling into a thinking pose, "So you figure out who would be the best fighter to counter ours." He frowned thoughtfully, "But how did you figure it out?"

"Well, Kamui Woods is a dexterity ranged specialist, right?" There was an exchange of looks and then a hesitant nod, "To fight someone like that I try for someone who can counter it. Someone faster, who gets in close, but can deal with his aerial fighting style. Mirko was the obvious choice."

"What about Ingenium?" The question nearly floored the group; as Iida hadn't said a word since he sat down to monitor the game.

Izuku rested his head on his hand for a few seconds, mumbling under his breath before looking up and shaking his head. "Ingenium has the speed to keep up with Kamui, and he's stronger than Woods, but his aerial abilities are far more limited. I could probably do it, but it would have been a lot harder."

Iidal looked like he swallowed a lemon, but didn't try to disagree.

"So who would you choose to fight Mirko?" Sero asked, intrigued.

"Against Mirko? A ranged specialist with some grappling. Gunhead would be a good choice, maybe Fourth Kind would be able to pin her? It still wouldn't be an easy fight. She's ranked number five for a reason."

"What was that about Gunhead? Uraraka asked from the kitchen.

"Deku thinks he can beat Mirko." Kaminari replied with a smile.

"In Pro Hero Fighter." Izuku added hastily.

Uraraka grinned and pumped a fist, "Yeah!"

Tsuyu popped out alongside Uraraka, finger to her cheek, "So who would you choose if your opponent chose All Might?"

All eyes were on Izuku as he laughed, "Well we all agreed not to play All Might since he's so powerful," The Bakusquad nodded in agreement, "but if my opponent did choose All Might the solution is obvious." Izuku smiled widely, "I'd pick All Might."

The questions continued for some time after. Details were slowly drawn out of Izuku, as was their source: his almost obsessive observation of pro heroes. It wasn't until dinner that Izuku eventually saw a reprieve.

Iida watched his friend retreat to his room, but the conversation stuck with him. His thoughts on Ingenium were at the forefront of his mind that night. The details that came out when he asked about other fighters versus Ingenium were enlightening. Izuku had put far more thought into his brother than he had previously had any reason to believe. Learning that Izuku spent almost as much time studying heroes as he studied in general was an eye opener.

He resolved to talk to his friend the following morning. He did not expect being beaten to the punch though. Seeing Izuku sitting across from Sato in quiet conversation gave him pause. But Izuku spotted him and waved him over with his trademark smile. Sato gave him a not unfriendly look, but wasn't quite happy.

"So, what have you two been talking about?"

"Sato was asking me about what he could do to improve how he fights." His muscle bound classmate flushed, but Izuku seemed to miss it in his enthusiasm, "And I want to help, but there's something we need to do first, and I wanted to ask you to come too."

Iida blinked, wondering what he could have in common with Sato, their fighting styles couldn't be more different, "O-of course."

Izuku positively beamed, "I won't be able to set it up until next week, but I was hoping you could help me get the forms I'll need to fill out. We'll need a training area and some testing equipment, and maybe a small stipend for supplies."

Iida raised an eyebrow, and exchanged a glance with Sato. They shrugged, not quite in unison and Iida went to look up the necessary forms.

A week went by. Midoriya was tight lipped, taking the forms from Iida and turning them in to Aizawa without showing it to the class rep (which left Iida scandalized), and even being asked to stay after class by Aizawa on Thursday. Even more disturbing was that he hadn't been reduced to a stuttering wreck when Aizawa asked.

It wasn't until Friday when he came into the common room with a satisfied smirk that he even tipped his hand, tapping Sato on the shoulder and giving Iida a pointed look before walking away. Neither of them cared that their exit was made in a less than dignified rush. By that time the suspense was killing them.

Izuku was looking around, checking to make sure they were alone when they found him. He smiled when he saw them. "I hope neither of you have plans for tomorrow," he said without preamble, "because starting at nine AM we need to be in testing room C-10 in the quirk research building."

"Nine AM?" Sato said at the same time Iida said, "Quirk research building?" Sato glanced at the class rep, "Uh, maybe you should go first?"

Iida nodded, "Midoriya, I don't mean to complain and I'm sure you have something in mind, but weren't you offering to help us with how we fight?"

Izuku's smile remained fixed, "You'll have to wait until tomorrow to find out." His smile dropped for a moment, and he looked serious, "Please don't be late, I don't think Aizawa-sensei or Recovery Girl would appreciate coming in on days off only to find you coming in late."

"Aizawa will be there?" Sato asked, vaguely horrified.

Iida, looked concerned, at the mention of Recovery Girl, "Is whatever it is you're asking us to do dangerous?"

Izuku's eyes widened and he waved his hands frantically, "No, no! Everything should be fine, I swear!"

Sato frowned. What passed for 'fine' in Midoriya's book didn't meet his definition by any means. Iida would have agreed if he had voiced that opinion, but both remained silent. Grudgingly the strongman sighed, "Fine. I'll be there."

Iida nodded in agreement and Izuku sighed in relief, "See you then." He said, and headed back to his room, passing by Jirou on his way.

The next morning came all too quickly for Sato Rikido. He wouldn't necessarily consider himself a night owl or an early bird, but the sheer amount of sugar he consumed often lead to longer nights than early mornings. He wasn't a zombie on the weekend mornings like Kaminari or Ashido tended to be, but he liked to sleep in a bit. Midoriya had put paid to that for this weekend, so he ambled down to the kitchen to make himself a pick-me-up.

Apparently he wasn't alone since Iida was in the kitchen as well, but to his surprise he was arguing with Midoriya who was standing stolidly in front of the fridge for some reason. "Will you please move?" Iida wasn't even attempting to mask the irritation in his voice, "This obstinacy isn't endearing."

"Sorry Iida." Midoriya said with a shrug, arms barred in front of his chest, "But you can't have any orange juice right now."

Sato watched with vague interest, mechanically getting coffee ready. His hand groped in the cupboard, but missed what he was going for. He blinked, looking up, his face scrunching in confusion. Where had the sugar gone?

"Sorry about that Sato, but you'll have to take your coffee black and sour." He paused, "Wait, bitter, it's bitter right? Sorry, I don't really drink it myself."

Sato blinked at Midoriya owlishly, "Why?"

"Well, I'd give you the milk, but then Iida might be able to get his orange juice." The green haired hero shrugged sympathetically.

Iida shot him a confused look, and then returned to Midoriya eyes wide, "Are you trying to starve both of us of what we need to activate our quirks?"

"Wait, you need orange juice for your quirk?" Sato scratched his head, "I didn't know that."

Iida almost ignored him, not quite looking his way as he responded, "I didn't think anyone knew," he offered, eyes fixed on Midoriya who kept the smile fixed on his lips, "How did you know?"

"Your brother mentioned it in an interview a few years ago. And you have at least one cup every morning." Midoriya checked his wrist, which lacked any sort of watch, "Wow, look at the time, we better get going if we're going to get there before Aizawa and Recovery Girl." He grabbed Iida's wrist, not unkindly, and marched over to Sato, dragging his larger friend behind him with seeming ease, and seized his wrist as well.

"Midoriya," Iida stumbled, his center of gravity thrown off by Midoriya's hold on him, "we have half an hour!"

"Don't you usually like being at least half an hour early?"

"Well, yes, but…"

"Then we're almost late by your standards."

Sato wondered if he would survive the day.

"Midoriya, was that really necessary?" Aizawa's voice was dry as usual as his student dragged the other two in behind him.

"Sorry," He looked shamefaced, "Couldn't let them sabotage the experiment. They would have gotten what they needed if I didn't stop them."

Aizawa rolled his eyes as Recovery Girl approached, checking their wrists and proceeded to give Izuku a lecture. Iida rubbed his wrist, his expression no more pleased than hers, but Sato couldn't help but look at Midoriya with renewed fascination. He hadn't resisted like Iida apparently had, but Midoriya hadn't shown any difficulty in leading him along. Just what was up with his quirk?

After the browbeating was finished Recovery Girl huffed, "Both of you please sit down behind the curtain. Despite how you got here," She shot Izuku a frown, "this could prove quite beneficial to both of you. Please remove your shirts." Izuku, still red faced from the healer's screed Izuku gave them a hasty wave before they moved behind the private changing area Recovery Girl had set up. She had them sit and wheeled over a tray of electrode monitors, which she proceeded to place on their chests and heads. They were cold and sticky, but the sensation faded in seconds, after which the patches practically disappeared from their senses. Thankfully Sato didn't need anything attacked below the waist, but Iida was relieved to learn all he had to do was roll up his pants legs to have some attached to his calf.

"There." Recovery Girl leaned back and smiled, "All ready to go. Put your shirts back on." She wasted not a minute more, heading out from behind the blinds.

Iida slipped his shirt back on carefully, unwilling to knock off any of the glued on monitors, "I just wish I knew what we were doing."

"Well, they can't keep it secret for much longer." Sato commiserated, and then walked around the curtain. The room was stuffed with all the normal training equipment, but modified for testing. The sheer number of weights on display was staggering and there was a machine to register punches. For Iida there was a treadmill almost ten meters long. And off to the side Izuku was fussing with the contents of two tables, one he couldn't tear his eyes away from.

It was loaded to the brim with sugar, mounds of the stuff. The regular white mound had caught his eyes at first, but there was more than just that. He blinked and approached, vaguely aware that Iida was following, but drifting off to Izuku's other side. Absently he spotted different types of orange juice sitting on the table.

"What is all that?" He asked, causing Izuku to jump a little. He reached out for a grainy blond colored sugar.

"Ah," Izuku was practically beaming, "That's Turbinado sugar. But we should really start with what you usually use. That's regular sugar right?" He picked up a notepad and pen expectantly.

Sato nodded distractedly, reading labels, "Yeah. That or confectioner sugar."

"For dusting? Or inside your recipes?" Izuku was already scribbling down notes.

"Depends on the recipe." Sato looked at him, "What is all this?"

"I have to ask the same question." Iida murmured from the other side.

"Today we're going to be analyzing different methods of powering your quirks. I want to see if different sugars have different effects on you. Will increased sweetness increase your power? Will sugar substitutes give you any power? Or are they something you should avoid? Does the glycemic index pay a role?" His head whipped to Iida, and he seemed almost giddy, "Will pulp affect your engines? Do juices from different oranges affect to horsepower? Does fresh squeezed orange juice give you better performance? Will other citruses have an effect?"

"Uh…" Iida blinked, "I just drink what my mother bought me and my brother." He admitted, rather lamely.

Izuku's eyes widened sharply and his pencil was back in his notebook, "Did she run any analysis?" Iida's mouth opened and closed like a fish, and he shook his head. Izuku ducked his head, "Sorry. First we need to test base load. Find the minimum you need to get your quirk working."

The tests lasted most of the day. Izuku carefully measured out dosages while Recovery Girl monitored vital statistics with Aizawa. Discussions started as Recovery Girl began pointing things out. Neither Sato nor Iida could hear it though. Izuku was as much a taskmaster as Aizawa, urging them to their maximum potential. But at least he cheered them on as they went.

By noon they were both sweating so much that Recovery Girl called a halt so they could eat and then re-secure the electrodes. The lunch was carefully neutral to their quirks, rice noticeably absent from Sato's plate just in case, and Izuku went over the test results so far. "It looks like you should avoid orange juice with pulp Iida. I've noticed you start flagging a bit quicker when there's pulp in juice you're testing. You also move a little slower."

Iida's eyes widened, "I guess it's a good thing I don't like pulp."

Izuku nodded, tapping his pencil on the notepad, "That might be a natural mechanism, like how people are turned off by the smell of food that has gone bad." He glanced up, "Are there any citruses you dislike?"

"Grapefruit." Iida responded instantly.

"We should test that, just to see." Izuku murmured, missing Iida's wince. "But on the bright side the orange juice you usually drink is within the top five best performing juices so far."

"Anything about me?" Sato asked tentatively.

Izuku smiled, "So it does seem that different sugars are having different effects. It's obvious that the artificial sugars don't work at all." Sato nodded at that. His quirk hadn't even activated when testing them, "But the good news is that they don't seem to have any detrimental effect, so you can have them if you want something sweet and don't want to affect your state of mind."

"Good to know." Sato said, and resumed eating.

"I've also noticed that the glycemic index does seem to have some effect. The lower the score, the less power you can draw from it, but at the same time it has less effect on your mental state and they last longer. Something like agave nectar or lactose might be a better idea for extended rescue work."

"That's a good idea." He may be super strong when having those, but he was still stronger than he normally was, and that was nothing to sneeze at. He would still be useful, and it barely hindered him mentally, which could mean a lot for rescue work.

Izuku flipped a page on his notepad, "You were strongest when you took high glucose foods, but they have had a drawback on your thought process. It might be a good idea to make some sort of special liquid drink, something you can take before or maybe even in combat. Something like invert sugar, a mix of different sugars, something to give you a quick rush of strength, but one that won't hinder your reasoning. Add in one of the middle glycemic index sugars in case you can't end the fight immediately, something to keep you in the game." He descended into muttering of potential ratios while Sato sat in silence, taking in the briar thicket of reasoning. It never seemed to end, going on and on, his lunch sitting untouched.

"Uh… hey Midoriya?"

Sato finally broke through the wall of words, and Izuku looked up shamefaced, "Sorry, I was rambling." He scratched the back of his head and gave a weak smile.

"I just wanted to say thanks for this." Sato gave a little shrug, "I don't think I would have thought of any of it."

Izuku's face colored and he tried to play it down, frantically waving his hands, "Oh, it's nothing."

Iida was having none of it, "It is, actually. I don't think I would have even considered the questions you've been asking. This could be a great help for both of us. Thank you."

Sato took the torch back, "You've spent more time thinking about my quirk than my quirk councilor did. He didn't ask half the questions you have."

It was Izuku's turn to open and close his mouth like a fish for a few seconds before turning his beet red face towards the table.

Recovery Girl shook her head. If only Izuku had someone like himself guiding him through the difficult adjustment to One for All, she wouldn't have been quite so busy with him.

"So who's next?" Aizawa's question made Izuku start. They had only just finished testing, Iida and Sato were having the monitoring equipment removed as Izuku went over the data and analyzed.

"W-what?"

Aizawa didn't roll his eyes, but it was implied by his look, "Izuku, please don't act like you've only been thinking about Iida and Sato's quirks. You've been in my class for months; do you think I haven't learned anything about how you think?"

Izuku chuckled nervously, "Whoever asks next, I guess?"

Author's notes: So, this was originally going to be part of Sometimes All You Need is a Cheerleader. It will probably be referenced in that story, since I think Izuku would totally love analyzing people's quirks like this. Of course, not all quirks function the same way, so not everything has the same testability. It will be more generalized, I suppose. But I have come up with different things to go over with several other classmates (not all of them. Bakugo would rather set himself on fire than get advice from Deku and I have *nothing* for several of them, sorry Ojiro!). Next up will be one of the girls in the class!

Oh, and if anyone spots any science errors, please let me know. I did my best with referencing glycemic index and glucose, but it was mostly limited to Wikipedia.

I have ideas for: Uraraka, Jirou, Sero, Momo, Kaminari, Kirishima