#wimtbah

[deusvervewrites]

Midoriya and Joyato’s Hero costumes from Chapter 26 of my fic, What it Means to Be a Hero!

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WIMTBAH Izuku, Haigha Izuku, Aspect Izuku, and ITDW Izuku all meet. How does it go down?

Ah getting the whole gang together huh?

Well, ITDW!Midoriya is currently 4, so he'd think the other hims are the coolest thing he's ever seen and wonder if he'll get cool Quirks like Haigha!Midoriya and Aspect!Midoriya did. Neither of them know how to bring up what actually happened to them. He'd also be thrilled to see that yes, he can be a Quirkless Hero, because WIMTBAH!Midoriya is doing it

Aspect!Midoriya might assume there's something supernatural about Haigha!Midoriya, but wouldn't voice anything just to be safe.

Hilariously, Haigha!Midoriya would assume that Aspect!Midoriya went through something like he did only to use Scanning, see that he's Quirkless, and freak right the fuck out.

WIMTBAH!Midoriya is simply vibing and analyzing Quirks

They're all jealous of ITDW!Midoriya for having Star and Stripe as a mom.

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Midoriya Himiko aka Carmilla in costume and with her sword! Both with and without makeup!

The colors are a little brighter than I expected because my monitors can’t agree on what colors are, but I’m really proud of this one. I think I’ve figured out how I’m going to be doing my shading/highlights from now on.

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The Midoriya siblings from my fic What it Means to Be a Hero. They’re hanging out in Himiko’s dorm room. What’s in Izuku’s notebook? One of their friends perhaps? a Quirk discussion? Whatever it is, they’re both super into it.

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If anyone asks, this is the plot of What It Means to Be a Hero.

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WIMTBAH meets CFA and Brass Knuckles Au. How does that go down?

Oh geez

CFA!Midoriya would be excited to meet two Quirkless Midoriyas. All three of them are taking private lessons from Nedzu, but different lessons, so as soon as they realize that they'd start comparing notes to improve their understandings of the material.

They'd also compare gear, since they'd have very different equipment. And CFA!Midoriya has more than just a gun

Also WIMTBAH!Midoriya would teach them both his special Quirk-blocking martial arts and god help us all. And that would lead to BK!Midoriya teaching them some of Knuckleduster's moves because that's what they needed.

CFA!Midoriya and WIMTBAH!Uraraka would also get some training together that would result in Uraraka getting into support gear earlier than in canon.

[deusvervewrites]

List of Original Characters in What It Means to Be a Hero

A list of original characters and their Quirks from my BNHA fanfic, What it Means to Be a Hero. List will be updated as characters are introduced.

Last edited September 15, 2021

Class 2-A (Previously Class Z)

Ido Uchiage (He/Him) The Momentum Hero: Vector

·         Quirk: Reverse. Inverts the vector of a moving object.

Heakiru San (She/Her) The Princess Hero: Rapunzel

·         Quirk: Hair Control. User can manipulate her hair as though it were its own limb. Commonly forms a limb out of her hair.

Inazuma Rakurai (She/Her) The Thunder Hero: Stormwatch

·         Quirk: Static Shock. User produces a powerful lightning blast from her fingers.

Wani Numachi (She/Her) The Alligator Hero: Wanigator

·         Quirk: Alligator. An alligator mutation quirk. The user is covered in scales and has a tail, claws, and a short alligator snout. User also has eye protection from water.

Ekitai Nagare (Pronouns vary) The Liquid Hero: Phantasm

·         Quirk: Liquibody. User’s body takes on a liquid state and becomes malleable. User can become entirely liquid or partially liquid to alter their appearance.

Fumen Namioto (He/Him) The Maestro Hero: Fantasia

·         Quirk: Sonic Music. The user converts the music they play into sonic waves. Requires the user to be playing an instrument or singing.

Utsuwa Takeshi (He/Him) The Arsenal Hero: Saber

·         Quirk: Weapon Manifestation. User can create weapons of any kind, provided the user is familiar with the item. The weapon appears in midair and can be created with an initial velocity. The weapon vanishes after a few seconds. Overuse severely taxes user’s stamina.

Miburui Myakudo (He/Him) The Sensing Hero: Nightquake

·         Quirk: Tuning. User can feel vibrations traveling through objects, allowing them to be aware of any and all movement within a certain range.

Shiazu Irori (She/Her) The Hearth Hero: Flare

·         Quirk: Firebolt. User can create and launch a small fire attack. While the fire itself is small, it can be launched with considerable force over a range of 120m.

Class 2-C (Previously Class Z)

Ikegi Narimei (He/Him)

·         Quirk: Enhanced Smell.

Class 2-J (Previously Class Z)

Kakubyoga Biju (They/Them)

·         Quirk: Skywrite. User can draw/write in the air by tracing with their fingers. The slower they move their finger, the longer the lines remain.

Kikushiso Omoi (He/Him)

·         Quirk: Thought Sound. Can literally hear someone’s surface thoughts by listening. Works better on people who think in internal monologues but can grasp basic abstract thought from people who don’t.

Class 2-H (Previously Class Z)

Hari Nuime (He/Him)

·         Quirk: Spindle and Thread. User creates an unbreakable needle and thread, which can be used to stitch things together. After 1 hour, the created items fade but the objects(s) remain fastened together.

Haguruma Zokukin (She/Her)

·         Quirk: Fine Metal Control. User can telekinetically manipulate small amounts of metal (Based on mass).

Class 2-B

[Name Not Yet Revealed] (She/Her), Pinpoint

·         Quirk: Weakpoint Visualization. User can see the weak point in any object.

[Name Not Yet Revealed] (She/Her), Riverbank

·         Quirk: Hydro Surge. User can generate and direct water streams from their hands.

[Name Not Yet Revealed] (He/Him), Carver

·         Quirk: Claws. User can transform their fingernails into long, powerful claws.

[Name Not Yet Revealed] (He/Him), Tether

·         Quirk: Tether. User can create a tether connected to anything they are in contact with, and later attach that tether to something else.

[Name Not Yet Revealed] (He/Him), Barrier

·         Quirk: Force Field. User can create a wall of force that extends about a meter across in front of them.

[Name Not Yet Revealed] (She/Her), Needlepoint

·         Quirk: Spikes. User can grow spikes from their body.

[Name Not Yet Revealed] (She/Her), Bolt

·         Quirk: Dash. User can move forward extremely fast, but only in short bursts. Turning is impossible during a dash.

[Name Not Yet Revealed] (She/Her) Drain

·         Quirk: Drain. User absorbs energy through physical contact. This can be electrical energy, stamina, or any other source of energy. This energy is converted into the user’s stamina.

Class 1-A

Joyato Hikari (She/Her) The Bright Hero: Polaris

·         Quirk: Nightlight. A series of red markings crisscross the user's body, emitting a very faint light. The user can control the intensity and wavelength of the light at will.

Pro Hero

[Name Unrevealed] (She/Her) Wildcard

·         Quirk: Unnamed Sentient Quirk. Little has been revealed about this Quirk, except that it possesses some level of awareness.

[Name Unrevealed] (She/They) Airflow

·         Quirk: Air Resistance. User can alter the air resistance with 5 meters of themselves. Slowing/speeding up projectiles or making it harder to move.

Villain

Kinzoku Hagane (He/Him)

·         Quirk: Steelheart. User can telekinetically control nearby steel, up to a total of half-a-ton of weight.

Other

Joyato Hibana

·         Quirk: Glowing Eyes. User can emit a faint glow from the eyes. This can be harmful to the user at higher intensities. User’s eyes are naturally more resistant to light damage.

Joyato Atataka

·         Quirk: N/A

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Future Toga meets WIMTBAH Toga and Adalheidis Toga

WIMTBAH Himiko would find this incredibly uncomfortable. They are all at the very least happy that they're all living happily now

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The one thing both polycules agree on is that Eri is adorable. I wonder how WIMTBAH would react to healed AM. I imagine Izuku dying when Ennead!Isuku calls him dad.

Literally everyone agrees that Eri is adorable. She could end international conflict.

It would be a major relief for the WIMTBAH trio that Eri could eventually help Yagi have a much higher quality of life once she's gotten her Quirk under control

Midoriya would feel a fun new emotion somewhere between mortified and vindicated

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Internship Arc Postmortem

As stated in the end notes of Chapter 50 of What it Means to Be a Hero, instead of my usual notes of each chapter, I’d cover the entire arc in one post after the fact.

Spoilers!

TOKYO INVASION ARC

Chapter 51:

Was not expecting such a response to the idea of Stain fighting Nedzu and Izuku. Seeing everyone comment on that ‘upcoming’ fight while knowing that Stain was going to die to Overhaul was a little surreal. Killing Stain mid-narration was something I thought would help sell just how deadly Overhaul is and I’m honestly still proud of that scene.

Airflow! An Underground Hero oc, and the first Original Pro Hero to appear in person in WIMTBAH. While her role is limited, I’m still fond of her. Who knows? Maybe she’ll be important later.

This chapter ends on a foreboding note. Not the same cliffhanger as 50, but a warning that the nightmare has only just begun.

Chapter 52:

Eri is secure, but Stain is dead and the Heroes only somewhat know why Overhaul wants her. Probably the bleakest chapter opening since 31, to be honest. Eri rewinding Inko is something I’d been debating since the early planning stages of this arc. I ended up keeping it in as it helps a lot of things progress.

And, of course, this chapter marks the beginning of the League’s attack on the Tokyo Metropolis. The Tokyo Invasion has begun

Chapter 53:

We finally get our first look at the new LoV lineup thanks to the Meta Liberation Army being dismantled early. The Tokyo disaster is bad enough that even prefectures as far as Fukuoka are looking at potentially taking in victims.

The scene with Mt. Lady is one of my favorites in the fic so far. Especially since it’s right on the heels of Stain’s death. And we get to see Uraraka’s new ferocity.

Himiko and Brave vs the Noumu is an interesting parallel to the first Noumu fight. Himiko is forced to tackle another super strong regenerator, but she has her weapons this time, and a Pro Hero backing her up.

Chapter 54:

I’ve been planning the conversation between Geten and Endeavor for a long time. There was a point where I wanted Izuku to be the one to tell Endeavor he was acting like an MLA member, but that didn’t line up with the plans I had for him and Shoto, so I found a place for it here.

And then there’s Endeavor on Trigger. Reduced from a proud and cunning man to a walking sun lashing out mindlessly. Now that I think about it, that’s a lot like what he did to himself. Endeavor is canonically intelligent, able to keep up with Izuku’s Quirk ramblings, and his skill is undeniable. But he turned himself into a monster to feed his ego. And now the League has turned him into a literal monster of sorts.

Chapter 55:

Checking in with Kirishima and Tetsutetsu. This scene is mostly to help show just how many people are affected by bringing in more characters, even inf their contributions aren’t as impressive.

Mr. Compress takes the stage! I wonder how important that will be...

The Uravity and Miruko vs Kinzoku fight. First of all, Kinzoku is just fun to write. He’s such a pretentious asshole. But he keeps trying to be dramatic in front of Miruko and Uravity. Miruko interrupting one of his monologues is my personal highlight of this fight. Eventually, he drops the theatrics and tries to sucker-punch Mt. Lady.

Mt. Lady is an interesting character. Of all the Heroes introduced in My Hero Academia’s first chapter, she is not who I’d have picked as one of the most stalwart, but here we are 300+ chapters later and she’s proved me wrong. And I wanted to give her some of that character development. And here, she instinctively dodges an attack, accidentally letting the building fall. And she’s devastated, trying her hardest to save everyone in there.

I wanted Uraraka to have a big Plus Ultra moment. Here it is. Pushing herself far past her limits to keep this building from falling.

And last but not least, Himiko holding the line against the Noumu until All Might finally arrives. Brave staying in the fight despite his injuries. Himiko losing her biggest advantage against the Noumu and fighting on. I’m pretty proud of this little fight.

Chapter 56:

Momo: Wow, I’m feeling slightly more confident in myself! LoV: sets tokyo on fire Momo: D:

I had no plans when I wrote this scene, honestly. I just knew Fat Gum would cheer up/distract Yaoyorozu and went from there.

Hawks vs Endeavor. It’s not really a fight, honestly. Hawks is one of the few Heroes that can exist near Endeavor without being instantly incinerated. It’s a bad matchup for a head on fight, but that’s not Hawks’ goal.

I think this is the first scene in the arc that confirms civilian casualties.

The thing about Hawks’ quirk affecting his brain is something I stole from another fic, Drowning Together by Zirconium40. It’s not for the faint of heart, but it’s not really dark fic, if that makes sense. It’s one of those Quirk headcannons that I heard and went “oh yeah that makes sense.”

Hawks is also the only Hero who remains in contact with a central Control through the arc. He’s also the only focal character cooperating with other Heroes who aren’t the Heroes he happened to be with when everything went sideways.

I’ve been excited to write All Might vs the Regenerator Noumu. It’s an interesting look at the reasonable use of force. He’s essentially killing it over and over until it stays dead, because doing anything else risks civilian and hero casualties. It’s probably the most brutal I’ll ever write All Might.

Brave waving off All Might is a hard choice on his part. It would only take seconds for AM to get them both to safety, but those seconds could cost who knows how many lives.

Chapter 57:

It’s Mirio! And the flying Noumu from several chapters ago! Now in a completely different ward! It made good time.

The Hawks section is mildly non-chronological since he’s engaged with Endeavor for basically the entire disaster, and cutting away all the time would break flow. But Hawks successfully evaded Endeavor until he collapsed. But playing chicken (no pun intended) like he had to means it wasn’t a flawless victory.

A quick check in on two of the Class 1-A kids who live in Tokyo. I wanted to show that Heroes-in-training or not, these are all just kids. And they’re in the middle of a major disaster. They’re terrified.

Himiko and Brave are fine!

Mei and Melissa on I-Island getting too into their work again. And they’ve finally gotten around to recreating Midnight’s Quirk, something I’ve teased for like 20 chapters or so. They’re getting breakfast because of time zone differences between Japan and I-Island.

What chaos.

So Chapter 58 is the first ‘aftermath’ chapter. We have a handful more chapters showing off the direct aftermath before an interlude arc and the Term Final Exams.

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the mention of the heroes v villain exam trope got me thinking bc honestly, the practical simulations of the hero course have a lot of untapped potential. like, of course theres the classic team battles and spars that a lot of fics will fill out class time with, but consider: theres so much to heroics in mha that isnt just fighting! maybe its a stealth centric lesson where someone like hagakure can shine! an information gathering assignment where they need to pull truth out of rumors! hell, im pretty sure theres an entire forest on campus! let them do a class there and get them out of their typical urban/industrial sets!

and like,, theres no setup necessary for it! just toss em into any situation u please! no need to go "oh theres this specific villain, and these students just so happen to be on the right work studies, or any other setup for the Situation At Hand, blah blah," it is simply class time and they are here to learn and perhaps have some fun with their friends!

(this isnt really to say that there are no fics out there with stuff like this, mostly just that i would very much like to see more, so like,,, if anyones got some recs,,,)

(tbh writing this makes me want to get better at writing so i can play with these characters like lil action figures. alas, ive got stuff to do :(

What it Means to Be a Hero had at least two of those and that's genuinely because I was mad about how canon gives us so few canon classes.

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I also heard that Endeavor’s reputation is seriously burning up.

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Griff's 849's Ennead meets WIMTBAH's triad of Izuku/Ochako/Tsu after both groups fully forms. What happens?

@griffinguy24 what do you think?

For one thing they'd find it funny that their polycules overlap. At least one Asui would joke that she's responsible for both of them forming only to see the reactions and realize she's correct. Hatsume and Melissa would love to see Midoriya's gear, especially since 'they' made it

Don't know how the Ennead would react to Midoriya Himiko.

I can only imagine the analysis session with two Midoriyas and Yaoyorozu while discussing the differences in their respective One For Alls (WIMTBAH ignores the 'kills the user' aspect, 849 has the bonding Quirk, Uraraka hasn't met the vestiges ["The what?"] yet)

Probably ends in them all having a big training session

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Every time lately I work on my Quirkless!Izuku fic I keep having to double check and make sure I'm not referencing you excellent fic by accident.

(I've been waiting to use that image since I got the message that you followed me)

I don't know what to say! I'm flattered that you enjoy my work!

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So basically, in order for Hawks to realize the HPSC is bad, they kinda need to do something like in "What It Means to be a Hero" wherein their orders to him stop making since in a "this is for the greater good" sense? Like when that version of the HPSC ordered Hawks to look into the identity of the Quirkless UA Hero Course Student while Tokyo was in the middle of a terrorist attack?

I based Hawks' characterization in that fic off of that scene where he does backtalk the Commission and seems to have his reservations about them

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You know, we never saw what Lady Nagant’s heroic ethics class in WiMtBaH was like. Would you be willing to tell us?

Lesson one: Don't accept assassination contracts.

In actuality it would be a lot about conduct on the field, when lethal force is and is not acceptable, how to prioritize the rescue to ensure minimal damage from an ongoing threat, and that kind of thing.