My Hero Academia: Limitless

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "I should probably go get her."

"Who?" Yaoyorozu asked.

"Kaori." I activated my quirk, picturing the ice-covered hallway where I'd left Kaori.

The world shifted, and suddenly I was staring at an empty stretch of capture tape.

"Of course," I muttered.

"Looking for someone?"

I turned to find Kaori leaning against an ice formation, completely untied and wearing that insufferable smirk.

I raised an eyebrow at Kaori. "How'd you manage that?"

Her smirk widened. "I could give you a demonstration. Your room, tonight?"

I almost laughed. She was good, I had to give her that. Two could play at this game.

"Sure," I said, matching her casual tone. "Tonight work for you?"

For a split second, surprise flashed across Kaori's face. Then her grin turned predatory. "Perfect. Should I hold onto you when we teleport, like you did with Yaoyorozu to reach the roof?"

I rolled my eyes. "If you're that desperate for an excuse to touch me, just say so."

Kaori's eyes glinted dangerously. Before I could react, she closed the distance between us, draping her arms around my neck. She looked up at me, those bright blue eyes boring into mine.

"Who said I needed an excuse?"

I blinked, momentarily thrown off balance. This close, I could smell her perfume - something light and floral, with an underlying scent I couldn't quite place. Her body was warm against mine, a stark contrast to the icy surroundings.

For a moment, I considered calling her bluff. But the look in her eyes... there was something there beyond just playful flirtation. A challenge, maybe. Or a test.

I grinned, wrapping an arm around her waist. "Hold on tight."

The world shifted, and suddenly we were outside the building. I let go of Kaori and took a step back, hands in my pockets.

"Debriefing room's this way," I said, turning to walk toward the main campus.

Kaori fell into step beside me, her earlier boldness replaced by a thoughtful expression. "You're not easy to rattle, are you?"

I shrugged. "Takes more than a pretty girl to throw me off my game."

"Oh? And what would it take?"

I glanced at her, catching the genuine curiosity in her tone. "That's for me to know and you to find out."

We walked in silence for a moment before Kaori spoke again. "Your quirk... it's not just teleportation, is it?"

I hesitated. There was no harm in confirming what she'd already seen, right? "No, it's not. Why do you ask?"

"Just curious." She twirled a strand of hair around her finger. "It's an interesting quirk. Limitless, was it?"

"That's right." I studied her profile, trying to read her expression. "Yours is pretty interesting too. Some kind of strength enhancement?"

Kaori's lips curved into a secretive smile. "Something like that."

We reached the debriefing room before I could press further. As we entered, I noticed the rest of Class 1-A was already present, gathered in small groups and discussing the exercise.

Conversations paused as we walked in. I caught several curious glances, a few raised eyebrows, and at least one poorly hidden smirk.

I walked into the debriefing room with Kaori beside me, and the change in atmosphere was immediate. Todo burst into tears, rushing forward with his arms spread wide.

"BROZZAR!" he wailed, nearly tackling me. "YOU'VE FOUND HER!"

I side-stepped his embrace, letting him crash into a desk. "Found who?"

Todo sprang up, tears still streaming down his face. "A woman who appreciates the finer things! The way she moved, the way she fought - pure elegance! And that outfit!" He turned to Kaori, clasping his hands together. "Tell me, what's your type?"

Kaori blinked, then grinned. "Tall, strong, and just a little bit dangerous. Why?"

"Alright, that's enough," All Might's voice boomed from the front of the room. "Everyone take your seats. We need to discuss the exercise."

I slid into an empty seat, grateful for the intervention. Around me, my classmates were still exchanging looks and whispers. Kaminari leaned over from the desk behind me.

"Dude," he whispered, "what was that on the roof?"

"Which part?" I asked, keeping my voice low.

"You know which part!"

Before I could answer, All Might cleared his throat. "Now then, let's analyze the performance of both teams. Who would like to start?"

Yaoyorozu raised her hand. "The villains showed excellent coordination. Todoroki's ice created an effective defensive perimeter while Sakurada engaged in direct combat to prevent us from reaching the objective."

"Very good!" All Might nodded. "And the heroes?"

"They got distracted by flirting," Bakugo muttered from the back.

"YOUNG BAKUGO," All Might interrupted, "please save the explosions for training exercises. Now, who would you say was the MVP of this match?"

"Yaoyorozu," Todoroki said immediately. "Her strategy with the tesla coil was well-executed."

Midoriya raised his hand. "But Nakamura managed to capture Sakurada while maintaining his defensive position."

"Did he, though?" Ashido giggled. "Because it looked more like she captured him."

"Several times," Jiro added with a smirk.

I kept my expression neutral. "The capture tape didn't work."

"Oh?" Kaori's voice carried from across the room. "Is that what we're calling it?"

Todo burst into fresh tears. "THIS IS BEAUTIFUL!"

"YOUNG TODO," All Might's voice strained with forced patience, "please contain your... enthusiasm. Let's focus on the tactical aspects of the exercise. Young Todoroki, your ice control was impressive, but perhaps too widespread. You left yourself vulnerable to electrical attacks."

Todoroki nodded. "I became too focused on offense and forgot about environmental hazards."

"And Young Sakurada," All Might turned to Kaori, "your combat skills are remarkable, but your primary objective was to protect the bomb. Why did you choose to engage directly instead?"

Kaori shrugged. "I figured the best defense was a good offense. Besides," she glanced at me, "I had to test something."

"Test what?" Midoriya asked, already pulling out his notebook.

"That's classified." Kaori winked.

Todo slammed his hands on his desk. "THE CHEMISTRY! THE TENSION! This is exactly what I've been talking about, brozzar! When two souls-"

"Young Todo," All Might cut in, "please save the romance analysis for after class. Now, regarding the use of quirks..."

I tuned out slightly, my mind returning to that blue flash when our quirks had collided. Kaori had said she was testing something. Did she know something about Limitless that I didn't?

A paper ball hit the back of my head. I unfolded it to find a note in Kaminari's messy handwriting:

'Roof date after class? ;)'

I crumpled the paper and tossed it back without looking. There was a satisfying "ow" from behind me.

"And finally," All Might was saying, "the property damage. While some collateral is expected in these exercises, destroying the entire roof was... excessive."

"Sorry about that," I said, not feeling particularly sorry. "Got carried away."

"'Carried away'?" Uraraka echoed. "The whole building shook!"

"Yeah, what kind of move was that anyway?" Kirishima asked. "It looked super manly!"

I shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. "It's... complicated. Might be a new aspect of my quirk, but I'm not entirely sure yet."

Midoriya's eyes lit up. "A new aspect? That's incredible! Can you describe what it felt like? Was there any physical manifestation? Did you-"

"Alright, settle down," All Might interrupted, though his smile held a hint of fondness. "We can discuss quirk developments another time. For now, let's move on to the next match."

The class quieted as All Might pulled out a set of balls from a box. "The next teams will be... Aoi Todo and Fumikage Tokoyami versus Katsumi Bakugo and Izuku Midoriya!"

I leaned forward, suddenly very interested. Bakugo and Midoriya on the same team? This ought to be good.

Bakugo's face contorted into a scowl. "Fuck that! I'm not working with that nerd!"

"Language, young Bakugo," All Might chided. "And I'm afraid this isn't up for debate. The teams have been decided."

Midoriya looked like he was about to pass out. "Um, All Might, sir? Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"Of course!" All Might boomed. "Heroes must learn to work with all kinds of partners. Now, get ready. You have ten minutes to prepare."

As the chosen students filed out, I caught Todo's eye. He grinned and gave me a thumbs up.

"This will be most enlightening, brozzar!" he called. "A true test of compatibility!"

I snorted. Leave it to Todo to find some deeper meaning in a random team assignment.

Once they were gone, the rest of us gathered around the monitors. I found myself standing next to Kaori again.

"So," she said, her voice low. "Care to elaborate on that new quirk aspect?"

I glanced at her. "Not particularly. Why the interest?"

She shrugged, a small smile playing on her lips. "Professional curiosity."

Before I could respond, the monitors flickered to life. The camera panned across the new battle stage - an abandoned warehouse district.

"Oh man," Kaminari groaned. "Bakugo's gonna blow everything up."

"Not if Midoriya can keep her in check," Uraraka said hopefully.

I raised an eyebrow. "You really think Midoriya can control Bakugo?"

"Well... maybe?"

On screen, the teams were taking their positions. Todo and Tokoyami had claimed the top floor of one of the warehouses, while Bakugo and Midoriya approached from opposite sides.

"BEGIN!" All Might's voice echoed through the speakers.

Immediately, Bakugo rocketed forward, explosions propelling her through the air.

"Kacchan, wait!" Midoriya called, stumbling after her. "We need a plan!"

"My plan is to win, you useless nerd!" Bakugo shouted back.

Inside the warehouse, Todo turned to Tokoyami. "My friend, shall we show them the power of true compatibility?"

Tokoyami nodded solemnly. "Indeed. Dark Shadow, prepare yourself!"

The shadowy creature emerged, its yellow eyes gleaming. "Ready when you are!"

Todo clapped his hands together, a determined grin on his face. "Then let us dance!"

Outside, Bakugo had reached the warehouse. She blasted the door open with a powerful explosion, smoke billowing out.

"Come out and fight me, you extras!" she yelled.

Midoriya finally caught up, panting heavily. "Kacchan, please! We need to work together!"

Bakugo whirled on him. "I don't need your help, Deku! Just stay out of my way!"

As they argued, a flash of movement caught my eye on the monitor. Todo had appeared behind them, his hands poised to clap.

"Oh shit," I muttered.

"What?" Kaori asked.

"Watch."

Todo clapped, and suddenly Bakugo and Midoriya's positions were swapped. Bakugo, mid-explosion, found herself facing the wrong direction. The blast sent her flying backwards into Midoriya.

"What the fuck?!" Bakugo yelled as they tumbled to the ground.

Todo's laughter echoed through the warehouse. "Ah, the dance of partnership! Shall we try again?"

Bakugo scrambled to her feet, rage twisting her features. "I'LL KILL YOU!"

She launched herself upwards, palms crackling with explosions. But as she reached the second floor, Dark Shadow burst through the window, slamming into her.

Midoriya watched in horror. "Kacchan!"

He clenched his fist, green lightning crackling around his arm. With a yell, he punched the air, sending a massive shockwave towards the warehouse.

The building shuddered, windows shattering. Todo and Tokoyami stumbled, caught off guard by the attack.

"Interesting," Kaori murmured beside me. "He's improved."

I nodded, studying Midoriya's form. "Yeah, but look at his arm. That one punch did some serious damage."

Sure enough, Midoriya was cradling his arm, his face contorted in pain. But he was moving, heading into the warehouse after Bakugo.

Inside, chaos reigned. Bakugo was unleashing explosion after explosion, trying to hit the constantly moving Todo. Tokoyami and Dark Shadow provided cover, keeping Bakugo at bay while Todo used his quirk to disorient her.

"Stay still, you bastard!" Bakugo roared.

Todo laughed. "But where's the fun in that? Come, let us continue our passionate duel!"

He clapped again, and Bakugo found herself suddenly facing the opposite direction. She stumbled, off-balance, and Dark Shadow took the opportunity to slam into her again.

Midoriya reached the second floor, his good arm raised defensively. "Kacchan! We need to work together!"

"Fuck off, Deku!" Bakugo snarled, launching herself at Todo again.

Todo clapped, and suddenly Midoriya was in Bakugo's place. His eyes widened in surprise as he found himself on a collision course with Dark Shadow.

"Oh no," he squeaked.

Dark Shadow batted him aside, sending him crashing into a stack of crates.

"Young Midoriya!" All Might's voice crackled over the speakers. "Are you alright?"

Midoriya groaned, pushing himself up. "I'm okay!"

Bakugo, meanwhile, had managed to corner Todo. Her palms sparked dangerously. "Got you now, you dancing freak."

Todo's eyes darted around, looking for an escape route. But Bakugo had positioned herself perfectly - there was nowhere for him to swap to without putting himself in more danger.

"Well played," Todo conceded. "But the dance isn't over yet!"

He clapped, and suddenly Tokoyami was in his place. Bakugo's explosion hit Dark Shadow full force, sending Tokoyami flying backwards.

"Tokoyami!" Todo called out in alarm.

Bakugo grinned savagely. "One down, one to go."

She turned, searching for Todo. But he had disappeared.

"Where are you, you coward?!" she yelled.

"Kacchan, behind you!" Midoriya warned.

Bakugo spun around just as Todo reappeared. He clapped, and suddenly Bakugo found herself outside the warehouse again.

"What the- DEKU!" she screamed in frustration.

Inside, Todo helped Tokoyami to his feet. "My apologies, my friend. Are you alright?"

Tokoyami nodded grimly. "I'll manage. But we need a new strategy. They're more formidable than we anticipated."

"Indeed," Todo agreed. "Their lack of teamwork is actually making them unpredictable. We must-"

He was cut off as the wall exploded inwards. Bakugo stood in the newly created hole, her eyes blazing with fury.

"Enough games," she growled. "Let's end this."

She launched herself forward, explosions propelling her at incredible speed. Todo barely had time to react, clapping his hands to swap places with a nearby crate.

The crate exploded into splinters as Bakugo crashed into it. She whirled around, searching for her target.

"Kacchan, wait!" Midoriya called out, stumbling into the room. "We need to work together!"

"I don't need your help, you useless-"

Todo clapped again, and suddenly Midoriya was directly in front of Bakugo. Her eyes widened in surprise, her hands already sparking with another explosion.

Time seemed to slow down. I leaned forward, my breath caught in my throat. Was Bakugo really going to-

At the last second, Bakugo twisted her body, sending the explosion off to the side. The force still knocked Midoriya back, but it wasn't a direct hit.

"Watch where you're going, nerd!" Bakugo snapped.

Midoriya blinked, surprise written across his face. "Kacchan, you... you didn't hit me."

"Of course not, idiot! I'm not trying to kill you!" Bakugo's face was red with anger - or was it embarrassment? "Now get up and make yourself useful!"

A slow grin spread across Todo's face. "Ah, the blossoming of true partnership! How beautiful!"

"Shut up!" Bakugo and Midoriya yelled in unison.

They glanced at each other, startled by their synchronization.

"Well, well," Kaori murmured beside me. "Looks like they might actually work together after all."

I nodded, my eyes glued to the screen. "This just got interesting."

Back in the warehouse, Midoriya had pulled himself to his feet. He stood beside Bakugo, his good arm raised in a fighting stance.

"Kacchan," he said, his voice steadier than before, "I have an idea."

Bakugo scowled. "This better be good, Deku."

Midoriya whispered something to her, too low for the microphones to pick up. Bakugo's eyes widened, then narrowed thoughtfully.

"That's... not completely stupid," she admitted grudgingly.

Todo and Tokoyami exchanged wary glances.

"They're planning something," Tokoyami warned.

Todo nodded. "Indeed. We must be prepared for anything. Dark Shadow, can you-"

He was cut off as Midoriya suddenly charged forward, green lightning crackling around his legs. Todo clapped, ready to swap him with Bakugo.

But as soon as Midoriya's position changed, he used his momentum to sprint in a new direction. Todo, caught off guard, clapped again.

This time, Bakugo appeared in Midoriya's place. But instead of attacking, she grabbed Todo's arms, holding them apart.

"Now, Deku!" she yelled.

Midoriya leapt forward, his fist drawn back. Green lightning intensified around his arm as he prepared to unleash his quirk.

Todo's eyes widened in realization. Without his hands free, he couldn't swap anyone. And Tokoyami was too far away to help in time.

"Well played," Todo said, a hint of admiration in his voice.

Midoriya's fist came out, the air sending Todo flying backwards. He crashed into the wall, slumping to the ground unconscious.

"Todo!" Tokoyami called out in alarm.

Dark Shadow surged forward, but Bakugo was ready. She unleashed a massive explosion, the light forcing Dark Shadow to recoil.

"It's over, bird brain," Bakugo growled. "Give up."

Tokoyami looked between his fallen teammate and the two advancing heroes. After a moment, he raised his hands in surrender.

"You fought well," he said solemnly. "We admit defeat."

"HEROES WIN!" All Might's voice boomed through the speakers.

The class erupted into cheers and excited chatter. I leaned back, a small smile on my face.

"Impressive," Kaori said. "I didn't think they'd actually pull it off."

I nodded. "Bakugo and Midoriya make a scary team when they actually work together."

"And Todo?" she asked. "What did you think of his performance?"

I considered for a moment. "He's smarter than he lets on. That quirk of his... it's more versatile than I initially thought."

Kaori hummed in agreement. "He certainly kept them on their toes. I wonder how he'd fare against your teleportation?"

I raised an eyebrow at her. "Fishing for information again?"

She grinned, not even bothering to deny it. "Always. Knowledge is power, after all."

==========

[Next time on "My Hero Academia: Limitless"]

"Well, folks," I lounged back in a plush studio chair, adjusting my tie, "that's a wrap on our hero training arc. Todo took quite the hit there, but knowing him-" 

The wall behind me exploded. Todo burst through, debris raining down.

"BESTO FRIENDO!" He grabbed my shoulders. "Did you see my moves? The way I used my quirk to-"

"Todo, you're supposed to be in Recovery Girl's office."

"Ah, details." He waved it off, dropping into the chair next to me. "More importantly, did you notice how I calculated the exact swap timing with Dark Shadow's-"

"Todo."

"-and then when Bakugo came in, I knew her explosion pattern would-"

"Todo."

"-which really proves my theory about thigh development ratios in combat scenarios-"

I turned to the camera. "Before he launches into another hour-long analysis, please add this story to your libraries and drop those power stones. Next week we'll-"

"Oh! Speaking of the future," Todo interrupted, "I heard a rumor about a-"

I slapped a hand over his mouth. "No spoilers. And seriously, get back to Recovery Girl before she-"

Recovery Girl's voice echoed from offscreen: "AOOOOOI TODOOOO!"

Todo paled. "Would you look at the time! Besto friendo, I leave the rest to you!" He vanished through another wall.

I sighed at the camera. "Stay tuned, everyone. I should probably go make sure he actually makes it to the infirmary this time..."