Symbyosis

Chapter Thirteen: Guidance

Once again Izuku was standing in the wooded area where he and Yagi practiced with One for All, eyes closed. The older man was standing in his usual spot, wearing that over sized suit that made him look much smaller than he was in his small form. 'Small' was something of a misnomer, as even in his small form he was quite tall. The more slouched posture and the bagginess of his clothes just made him seem much shorter than he was. Izuku had once again taken off his shirt and stood only in a pair of gym shorts and his shoes. He was concentrating on his breathing as he searched for the power of One for All at his core. It was resting there, as daunting as ever and seemed to be vibrating as if in anticipation.

Izuku clamped down on a sudden spike in his nerves, and fought to maintain his even breathing. Once calmed again he reached out to the power, and this time allowed the power to roll out very slowly into his body. He could feel the power moving in sluggish waves across his entire being. A low and steady buzz seemed to percolate in his limbs and his heart beat a little faster in his chest, but no more than if he'd just been exercising. It took a lot of concentration to maintain the minor control he was managing, and it didn't feel like there was much more power in him than normal. The important part was that there was no pain, and none of his plates had extended without his input.

"Good," he heard Yagi say, "Whatever you're doing now seems to be working." Izuku slowly opened one eye to look at his teacher, and then the other. "One for All's power is just slightly visible, but it seems like the output is quite low." He saw the man raise a fist and smile. "About how much would you say you're channeling right now Midoriya?"

Izuku took a moment to get a feel for the amount of energy he felt coming from the power in his core. "I'd say," he hesitated a second before continuing, "About two percent? Maybe." It seemed like more of a question than a statement but that was about how it felt to him. "It's taking a lot of concentration to keep the majority of the energy from spilling out all at once."

Yagi hummed. "There will be a time when you'll need to let out some of that power all at once, but for right now just keep focused on keeping the output low and steady." He noticed that the longer he held the flow of the energy back the more fatigued he was becoming. There was a slow buildup of soreness in his muscles, and it felt like he was learning to use his quirk all over again.

"I'm starting to get a little tired." Sweat was beginning to bead on his forehead and back, he could feel the air getting colder as it started to build up. After a minute or so he could feel his breath getting less steady and it was getting harder to maintain the output.

"Go ahead and stop then," Yagi said. "You've made some major progress already, so there's no point in pushing too far for now." He bent down and grabbed one of a few bottles of water that were sitting near his feet. He tossed it to Izuku and watched as he drank a third of the bottle in one go. Yagi's expression was hard to pin down, but Izuku thought he saw a bit of pride there, and he had to fight back a blush at the thrill that went through him.

"It feels like I just got done with a light jog." Izuku took a moment to catch his breath. "I can't use very much of the power yet, and if I'm not careful it feels like it might all come rushing out." He grabbed a towel from his bag and began to wipe down the sweat from his body. Yagi watched him with a curious look on his face.

"Care to share what helped you overcome the issues you were having before?" Izuku looked up at him and felt himself flush a little. When Yagi raised an eyebrow at his reaction, it just made him flush even more.

"Uhh..." Izuku took another drink of water to stall for a moment and a deep breath to try and reign in his emotions. "I was talking with Uraraka and she told me how it felt when she used her quirk to float."

"Oh?" Izuku looked away from Yagi and buried his face in his towel. Why was Yagi looking at him like that? He peeked out from the fabric to see a knowing smirk on the older man's face and Izuku had to force down an embarrassed moan that threatened to break free from his throat. "She said it felt like waves coming out from her center," his voice was slightly muffled by the towel. "I used that to work on my own quirk, then thought I could try to apply it to One for All." Without looking back at Yagi he grabbed his shirt from where he'd draped it over his bag and pulled it back over his head.

"Waves huh," was all Yagi said. But Izuku could still see that knowing smirk on his face and wasn't sure what to make of the look in his eyes. "You have good friends Midoriya my boy." He couldn't really tell, but he might have caught a bit of a smug undertone to the statement, but he couldn't be sure without asking and there was no way he was going face more humiliation to find out.

Izuku knew he was right, but he still couldn't stop the blush that colored the tips of his ears. He nodded, not trusting himself to speak just yet and they walked back toward the school building. They stopped just before the edge of the trees, and as had become ritual during these morning sessions All Might took on his hero form and left first. After a long count to thirty, Izuku followed and went about his business. First to the changing rooms and then to class.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Todoroki Shouto always arrived at school a full half hour early. It was a habit that stemmed from his constant avoidance of his father. Todoroki Enji was seldom ever home for long, and Shouto was aware of that fact. His habits were developed to minimize his contact with the Number Two Hero in every way possible. As he sat in his seat waiting for class to start, he reflected on what he had seen that morning as he entered the UA grounds.

All Might had left a copse of woods and headed towards the main building, something unusual but not entirely noteworthy. What had caught his attention had been the emergence of Midoriya Izuku from the same copse of trees only a few moments later. It smacked of something off about the relationship between the Number One Hero and his meek classmate. Shouto did not often dwell on anything that was not related to perverting his father's wishes and depriving him of his pride. In the upcoming sports festival he had decided to win using only his ice powers that he had inherited from his mother, as nothing would tweak Enji's nose more than Shouto's success without the use of the half of his quirk that had been handed down from his father.

Shouto was strangely bothered by the evidence that Midoriya was receiving personal attention from All Might. While he was sure that his classmate's quirk would not hold any weight against his own, there was a nagging feeling in his mind that he could not fully ignore. As he thought of the recent and future events, Midoriya entered the room dressed once again in his school uniform. He saw the other boy spare him a glance, but as they had not talked more than a few times since the start of the school year neither boy said anything.

To his surprise, Shouto found himself wanting to speak to Midoriya. He felt an urge to move from his seat and confront his classmate about what he had seen, but he resisted that impulse. He kept telling himself that it wouldn't matter if there was special tutoring going on, it would only make his victory in the sports festival that much more satisfying. He watched as the other boy pulled out his notebook, not one of the notebooks that he used for their classes but a separate notebook that he seemed to constantly be scribbling in.

Shouto felt his teeth clench. It was irrational to feel this way, and he knew that it was none of his concern what his classmates did with their free time as long as it wasn't against the law. On the UA grounds it was perfectly within the rules to use one's quirk in a training capacity. Since Midoriya was under the supervision of a teacher, there was no breach of school rules nor any laws. The logic was sound and it should have meant the end of his problematic thoughts, but still his brow furrowed and his jaw stiffened.

"Is everything alright Todoroki?" He resisted the urge to whip his head around to see who had spoken. He schooled his face back into its normally cool expression and then turned to his left. Yayorozu Momo had entered the classroom and made it to her seat without his noticing, which only irritated him further. He had no problem with his seatmate, but the fact that he'd been so preoccupied with Midoriya that he had not sensed her approach in any way simply amplified his discontent.

Taking another moment to collect himself he replied, "Fine Yayorozu." Before he could slip back into his thoughts she gave him a questioning look. She placed a hand on her chest and straightened her posture just a bit before clearing her throat.

"If you're sure," she said, "But as the vice representative for our class I want you to know that I'm always open to hearing your problems if you need an ear to listen." The smile she gave him made him pause, forestalling his planned response. He hadn't thought much about Yayorozu beyond giving her his vote during the class election. She seemed like quite a nice girl, and here she was offering her assistance to someone she barely knew.

"I appreciate the offer." It was all he could think to say. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew that his feelings stemmed from his situation at home for the past ten years. The root of his problems always went back to Enji – to Endeavor. It was nothing he hadn't contemplated before, but speaking these thoughts and divulging his memories to a stranger – even a kind one like his seatmate – was not done as a matter of pride. Still, there was a flutter in him that was both familiar and foreign at her nod of acceptance.

There were maybe five more minutes before homeroom started, and Shouto found himself drifting back to the scene he had witnessed that morning. He could admit that it bothered him, and he could understand that the feelings were irrational. What he could not understand was why it had such an effect on him. As Aizawa entered the room he pushed the thoughts behind him. At some point he may have to confront Midoriya about his relationship with the Number One Hero, but until then he would fully apply himself to both his classes and his training. There was nothing that would stop him from winning the sports festival for the first years, and he would do it with not a lick of flame.

There would be no pride for Endeavor in his win.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Izuku

His head whipped around to stare at the opposite end of Gym Gamma before he could stop himself, and once he realized that the voice had come from Kish he blushed at his error. "I haven't done that in ages," he muttered to himself. "What is it Kish?" It wasn't often that Kish reached out to him if he was concentrating, so he was curious as to what would cause him to break with his habits.

I am concerned that you aren't socializing enough as part of your high school life. As I understand it, social interaction is integral to the development of a young mind such as yours and it worries me that you have spent so little of your time here simply relaxing with your friends. Izuku could feel the concern that Kish was projecting in his mind. While he was sure that Kish's worries were valid, he was a little taken aback by the suddenness in which he had brought it up. Kish had guided him in many ways during their time together, and his well being was always at the forefront of that guidance.

Kish had shepherded his physical growth by advising him on his dietary standards, always explained complex ideas and concepts in easy forms for him during study, and made sure that he didn't rush into things without thought – though Izuku often did so even when warned. Making a chagrined face he shook off his thoughts and grabbed his water bottle from nearby as he took a break to address his mentor. "You might be right about that, but shouldn't my priorities be on advancing my abilities and making sure I'm ready for what's ahead?" He knew that while there were still around twelve years until Kish would no longer be able to guide him, he didn't want to waste any of that time. He slid down the nearest wall and sat against it while waiting for Kish's reply.

It is not a waste to spend time with those you care for and enjoy the company of. Kish had never taken much of a hand in his social life, and he wasn't sure what to make of the intercession. It had always been on his own judgment before to make friends and spend time with them. I know that both Yagi and I have tasked you with missions beyond what someone your age should have to deal with. I also know that when you focus your mental acuity that you can be single minded in pursuit of your goals. Izuku had long gotten used to the formal way that Kish spoke, and had no problem understanding the sentiment behind the words. Still, he wasn't sure just what his long time passenger was getting at.

"I'm not sure if I should take that as a compliment or something else entirely." He found himself rubbing the back of his neck subconsciously. Kish was never one to dish out inappropriate praise and he was not a harsh critic either. If Izuku had to describe Kish's manner of guidance it would be 'measured'. His mentor was not one to say what was not true nor anything that was unnecessarily based on opinion. Facts and a tempered application of logic had been a constant in Izuku's life since the age of seven.

My species is a solitary kind, he said, we are well equipped for many cycles of travel across the emptiness of space. Your species is social by nature. His tone had shifted from one of soft worry and urging to a solemn and almost shameful regret. It has taken me many years to truly understand the subtle differences in the way you humans interact. I have always left you to your own devices when it came to being a part of the world that surrounds you. I fear that in the gap of my understanding you have suffered a deficit of much needed interaction with your peers.

Izuku tilted his head, and pondered what Kish was getting at. "I don't think I've been lacking in a social life," he thought back to his days in both primary and middle school. "Sure I wasn't the most outgoing person in the past, but between my old school friends and my family I think I've done well for myself. I even made some friends since starting here at UA," he motioned across the gym to places where Uraraka, Iida, and Kirishima were practicing with their quirks. He was proud when his mind flitted to their quirks for only a moment each before he refocused on Kish. "Besides that, it wasn't easy to make friends while Bakugo kept being himself all over the school hierarchy."

There was a brief moment of contemplation as Kish gathered his thoughts. Izuku could tell that the conversation was far from over. Even thought what you say is true, I still feel as thought that I have been lax in my guidance. I think I have come to understand what social interaction means to your kind. If Izuku had gotten his stubbornness from anyone other than his parents, he was sure Kish had instilled much of the trait in him. The alien was not one to give up once he'd come to a decision, and while he thought of Kish as his best friend there were no counting the number of times they had gotten into one of these back and forth debates over his guidance. I think it would be good for you if you skipped your afternoon training session tonight and made plans to hang out with some friends for a change. Progress on your quirk is coming along nicely and you have found some success with One for All as well, but it would be disastrous if you overdid things and undid all of your progress.

Izuku didn't think that he was overdoing things, even if he had been training both morning and night for almost a week straight. He paused as the previous thought played again in his mind and suddenly he was a little more aware of where Kish's concern was coming from. Since he had acquired One for All, he had not spared time for much of anything besides training and studying. There was a week and a half before the sports festival took place, and perhaps it would be okay to take a day or two and spend some time with his friends.

He did remember telling Naomi and Taro that they would hang out sometime soon, and the upcoming weekend would be a good time to follow through on those plans. The more he thought about it, the more he understood that Kish was right. His long time friend was usually spot on in his assessment, though Izuku had been able to dissuade him on a handful of occasions when his understanding of human customs had been inadequate. Still, it never took him long to understand where he was wrong and he adjusted accordingly, and it was one thing that Izuku admired about the voice in his head.

"Midoriya," he looked up to see Mr Aizawa standing over him, "Everything alright over here? You're not overworking yourself are you?" Izuku pushed himself to his feet and shook his head.

"No sir," he said, "I was just taking a break to think about some things." As he spoke he dusted off the seat of his pants and started stretching a bit to loosen up for continued training.

"Reasonable," Aizawa said. "Your quirk training is progressing well. I've noticed you're attempting to create a shell around yourself for better defense." His comment seemed natural but Izuku wasn't sure why he had made it. While he had been giving advice to the class individually for a few days now, he hadn't said much about Izuku's training. "Where did you get the idea from – if you don't mind me asking." Izuku raised an eyebrow in response but quickly followed up with an explanation.

"When I had my episode last week," he started, "Recovery Girl said that I could have been rolled into the infirmary, and I thought that sounded like an idea I should explore." Aizawa raised a hand to his chin and scratched at the scruffy beard that resided there. He had a contemplative expression as he raised his eyes to the ceiling momentarily.

"So it's not just a defensive technique," he began, "but a way to possibly increase your mobility. That sounds pretty logical, though it's a leap that few would think to make." Izuku thought that maybe he saw a sparkle in his teacher's eye, but it was gone before he could confirm that he'd seen it. "How did you plan on making it work? Are your plates detachable?"

Izuku nodded. "I can remove them, but it can be kind of painful if I do it too suddenly and it takes at least half a day for the plates to regrow." He rubbed at an empty spot where he'd cracked one of his plates that morning during training with One for All. "If I relax properly and have eaten a decent meal it takes about eight hours for my plates to grow back in," he tapped at one of the fully grown plates before continuing, "but since my plates are only about the size of a ten yen coin* I can expand them out and discard them if necessary."

"Alright," his teacher mused, "So that means the technique can be used several times a day at most, but one or two uses won't make you unable to fight if needed." He made a vaguely sweeping gesture, "How do you plan on targeting while you move?" It was a good question and Izuku had given it a good bit of thought already.

"If I'm going to be stationary, I can cover myself completely with plates and that will be a solid defense," he made a fist as a demonstration, "but if I want to move I can leave spaces in my shell in about the same pattern as a soccer ball so that I can still see where I'm going." He opened his fist a little to make spaces between his fingers. Aizawa nodded in something approaching approval and hummed.

"A well thought out approach to using your quirk for multiple purposes." One of those creepy stiff smiles appeared on his face. "Keep me updated on your progress Midoriya, and class is almost over so you should go ahead and get changed." His teacher turned and walked away, starting to round up the other students as he made his way around the gymnasium.

Izuku reflected on the conversations he'd just had with both Kish and Aizawa, and he was glad to have so many people in his life that had decided to look out for him. A small smile made it's way onto his face as he gathered up his things and started for the changing room doors.

(*A ten yen coin is about the size of a United States quarter dollar coin.)

A/N: So what do you guys think of this chapter? Doing Shouto's perspective was something I've been thinking about for a while, so I hope I did well enough. I like the idea of Aizawa taking more of a role in Izuku's development, and while he wont be 'dadzawa' here by any stretch of the imagination, I feel like he should be more of an involved teacher when it comes to his 'problem children'. I also wanted to give All Might a bit more of an interest in Izuku's life beyond being OFA's successor. Thoughts?

I also wanted to give you guys a bigger glimpse of Kish and Izuku's relationship. They don't always agree on everything, so I definitely wanted to portray that here, thought Kish is still right in this case. You can only focus on training and studying for so long before yo burn out. Down time is important after all. So next chapter will be all about Izuku's downtime. We'll get to catch up with Naomi and Taro, look in on how Inko's been doing, and have a surprise encounter out and about.

Hope you enjoyed!

~AQ