Archeologist Deku

Training: ie, Unexpected Result

The next day, Vlad King's students arrived early in the morning, just in time to witness a scene of horror. Class A was being pushed to the limit. Tiger led the physical quirk users, while the others were led by the other various members of the Pussycats. Aizawa was working on those who required further training with quirk control. But what horrified them was how they were being trained.

The one that grabbed their attention immediately was Kaminari. Literally strapped to a car battery, he both powered and was shocked by it as he used his quirk. Momo was the next to be seen, forced to eat and create at the same time. They collectively gulped as Midoriya goaded Iida on after stopping near them, and saw Monoma practicing copying and using copied quirks... "Ah, you've finally arrived, Class B! You are a full half day behind Aizawa and his class. So, let's get you started!"

Ibara Shiozaki, when born, was considered a gift by everyone. An innocent girl with a connection to nature often considered divine... but what really inspired her to heroism was her idol: an ancient, little known man by the name of Jesus Christ.

She originally found his text when exploring a vintage book store. She'd loved going to that particular one because of all of the botany knowledge she'd learnt, as her quirk meant that her hair could become whatever style vines she nedded. When Ibara asked about it, the clerk responded: "That? That's an old book based on pre-quirk religion." He had looked it over once, "The Bible... yeah, I'm not sure what it's about, but I know it's way older. It's 2301... I think this supposedly took place at year 0. I don't know anything else though."

She read through it, and the old testament didn't make sense... why believe that God would be vengeful? But then, when it got to the new testament, things changed. Jesus had abilities that were beyond anything that quirks could do... and yet he helped people instead of hurting them. He fed the poor, treated those who oppressed with kindness... all while being the son of God. God seemed to have reformed as well in the eyes of humanity, becoming a beacon for good.

And then she found the line that stuck out to her the most. When evil was more numerous than good, "Sell your cloak to buy a sword."

That was why she chose to be a hero, to fight evil. Her parents didn't understand why she was as dedicated to the word of God as she was, but as it was a force for good, they didn't really object. Even if she was the only member of an ancient cult.

And now, she knew that this training camp was going to be a trial to prove her worth. Using her vines, she navigated through the Beast's Forest at high speed. Iida was behind her, training to become more maneuverable, while Midoriya sensei... led by example, and kept running before them.

Admittedly, her curiosity was peaked as soon as he entered the room for the first time. His hair color matched her own, he wore a strange exo-suit which was far older than anything she'd seen besides her beloved Bible... and he was a genuinely good person. He had no desire to be a hero, but still did what he could, all while quirkless. The USJ, he took down an inhuman monster, the encounter with the villain at the mall... there are whispers of something else he did before... and all while he was their age. In her mind, whether he believed it himself, he was a hero.

As they moved, she noticed how graceful his movements are, as the metal legs extended around a log to avoid tripping, his leaps and bounds... and it was this distraction that caused her to slam headfirst into a tree. Shocked, she fell back, groaning slightly in pain. She rubbed her head.

"Are you ok?"

Looking up, Midoriya had extended a hand to her. Sunlight broke through the trees, illuminating him in a sunbeam while appearing divine. He waited for me? It was then that she found herself captivated by his face, and its handsome qualities. He's...

He still offered his hand, "Need a hand?"

Snapping out of her thoughts, she said, "Thank you, Midoriya sensei..."
"It's no problem, Ibara." He noticed that she was a little unsteady on her feet. "That was a nasty fall. Can you walk?"

"I think so..." She tried to walk, but a new dizziness made her fall into Midoriya. Face flushed red with embarrassment, she then replied, "I... I guess not..."

Izuku nodded, his own nervousness showing slightly. There was only one way to fix this: "Well, since I can't carry you on my back due to the suit, I'm going to have to carry you in my arms. Is that ok?"

She nodded, not trusting herself to speak. When he picked her up, she still cried out slightly, "Eep!"

As he ran back, she hugged him around the neck to not lose the balance. When he arrived back, a few of the girls were slightly jealous of the vinette as she was brought to the main cabin. Setting her down on the sofa, he explained to Vlad King that she receive a concussion during training and needs some time to recover. Nodding, "I'll take care of her from here."
"Thanks."

She was going to say something, but then stopped herself. He's a teacher, and explained he can't have a relationship with students! And yet...

That evening, everyone was busy working to help prepare the food. Ibara absentmindedly chopped carrots. She couldn't get the mental image of her teacher out of her head, and it was distracting. It was then that Kendo, handing her the next bag of carrots, called out to her. She wasn't paying attention, and only when her ginger classmate poked her shoulder did she snap out of it and nearly hit her with the knife. Fortunately, the blade was still pointed down.

The redhead noticed her distracted nature. "Jeez, Ibara! You seem to be off today, is everything alright?"
"Huh? Oh, yes. It is. Sorry."
She narrowed her eyes. Ibara was never like that, and Itsuka knew it. "Are you sure?"

For the first time, the vinette was nervous. "I do not know what you are referring to..."

"You've been daydreaming ever since..." it was then that Kendo put the pieces together. Her eyes widened for a moment, and then she grinned madly. "Oh, I know now..." She leant close and whispered, "You fell for Midoriya sensei..."
Her face went red, and she wanted to deny it, "I..."
"It's ok, I won't tell. But... you did hear he's leaving at the end of the semester, right?"

That brought her out of the "What?"
"Yeah. He'll be heading back to the US. I heard it from Class A. If you're going to make a move, do so before he leaves."

And so, she was left to cut more carrots as Kendo was needed elsewhere.