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Part 2 of ja0s Blank Canvas AU
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Blank Canvas: Convictions

Summary:

This is part 2 of my Blank Canvas AU. If you have not read the first part, you should do that before starting this. ;) On to the summary!

Izuku and Hitoshi have done it. A Quirkless and a Villain have faced every challenge and set back and have successfully fought their way into the Hero Course. Now all that was left was to become Heroes. Easy, right?

This next part of the series follows their start in the Hero Course. Friends reunite. New bonds are made. Lessons are taught and learned. All in hopes of becoming Heroes to make a better world. If the world lets them that is. Will their convictions hold out? Only time will tell!

(Updated every other week on Tuesdays!)

DO NOT REPOST! I HAVE ONLY POSTED ON AO3 AND FANFICTION.NET. ANYWHERE ELSE IS WITHOUT MY CONSENT. (Except for Ann with the Russian translation)

Chapter 1: Reunite

Notes:

Welcome to part 2 of Blank Canvas! :D Sh-sh-shout out to Heracelio on FF.net for suggesting making this a series! It's going to help organize the story so much. Again, if you haven't read part 1, please do so or you're going to be hella confused. :P

As of the end of part 1, Izuku and Hitoshi have been accepted into the Hero Course, Bakugou's consequences have been decided but not implemented yet, and Chizome has been tasked to look into Endeavor.

Now coming at the start of part 2, we're going to start with Shouto visiting Rei. As I was writing this interaction, I came upon the same issue as the fourth meeting with Stain. Where it was meant to be one chapter but became way too long. This time 24 pages. So! To keep the flow of the conversation intact and as a celebration of this turning into a series, y'all are getting a double update! :D I won't do this for every conversation where most will have clear distinctive parts. Like Izuku and Hitoshi's meeting with Nezu of talking of transfer then the confrontation and then the last few bits with Nezu's reflections. But the ones I deem need to be intact will be kept together as best as possible when I see fit. ^____^

For the first time in this story, I'm giving a MANGA SPOILER WARNING. If you've been here this long, you know I refer to the canon heavily. Manga, anime, Vigilantes spinoff, etc. Taking any and all details I can to interweave into the story for characters and plots alike. We're going to be learning more about the Todorokis and so there will be manga spoilers twisted differently to suit my needs for the story. An FYI to those who are anime only.

Anyway, thank you for reading Blank Canvas and I hope you enjoy part 2 just as much! :D

Linktree to all the things!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

The world was on fire. Flames fell repeatedly from the sky. The ice stood no chance against the heat. Every spire and spear of cold cracked and melted away against the fire’s power. Again and again, the ice was pelted with flaming blows. Chipping away at the cold hard surface to force the ice’s own inner fire out into the world.

But the ice did not want the inner flames to escape. Fire was dangerous. Runs too hot. Only causes pain and anguish. The cold tried to fight back against the heat. Attempted to harden its frozen walls to keep the fire out and away from its own inner flames. To prevent the cursed internal heat from tainting the world.

The ice refused to allow its inner flames to become the same as the attacking fire. The same fire that had battered and burned many others of fire and ice alike before. Bringing nothing but agony and suffering upon anything that crossed the fire’s path. Anything that attempted to stand up against the flame’s overwhelming power.

The barrage of fiery attacks continued and no matter how much the ice fought back, there was nothing the cold could do to stop the heat. The frozen wall was cracked and breaking apart yet still the ice refusing to surrender to the fire’s whims. However, with each heated blow, the cold was finding it harder and harder to resist. To fight back. To not become what the fire wanted the ice to be. The cold feared that once the heat broke through, the attacking fire would consume the ice’s own inner flames and there would be nothing left.

No ice. No fire. Nothing. All either destroyed or consumed into the whole. No remaining trace of what the cold with the inner heat once was. Destined to become what the ice always feared to be. Oppressive overpowering fire.

With one final fiery blow, the frozen wall shattered releasing the inner heat and the ice was no more.

Grey and blue eyes shot open in the dim morning light. The boy of two-toned hair, right white as snow and left red as blood, laid on his futon panting from the nightmare. Only it wasn’t just a nightmare, but his life in dream form. Shouto gripped his sheets trying to ground himself in reality.

Everything hurt.

His body had been tired already from the previous day’s fights and all he had wanted to do was to go to his room to rest. But the youngest son of Endeavor knew the man wouldn’t allow him such a luxury. Wouldn’t allow him any respite from his training. Especially after he had lost and placed in ‘lowly’ third. But not only that. No. He had lost to the lowest of the low in his father’s eyes. The weakest of society in his opinion.

Shouto, the ‘masterpiece’ created by the Number Two Hero, had lost to one who was Quirkless.

‘How could you allow yourself to fail against that worthless scum?’

But Izuku isn’t worthless nor is he scum. He is my friend.

‘You are my masterpiece, Shouto. Created to surpass me with my own fire.’

But it’s not your fire. Izuku said it’s mine.

‘My blood flows through your veins. As my progeny, you are destined to eclipse my legacy.’

Your blood does not define me. Mother said as much all those years ago.

‘You need to give up this childish rebellion. You are meant to replace me. Surpass me! To fulfill my ambitions and follow me down the path to supremacy!!

I don’t have to nor do I ever want to be anything like you, you bastard of an old man.

Shouto would become a Hero. The kind he wanted to be. For his mother. For his friend. For himself. He would use his ice, his fire, to be the Hero he had always wanted to become. Not just some puppet for that bastard to use, but as himself and with his own power.

I have to get stronger. Have to take hold of this fire and make it my own. To take back my life that the old man has been trying to take away from me for years. But it is mine. My life. My Quirk. Mine and mine alone.

It would be difficult to wrap his head around using his left side in combat. Not surprising after years of repressing his fire. Refusing to use it to spite his old man. But now, after Izuku reminded him of what he wanted to be, Shouto knew he had to use his left side, his fire, in order to be the best Hero he could be. Had to take hold of this power he was given with both hands, right and left, to save others and keep them safe. A challenge for sure but one he was more than willing to face head on. But first he had to get up. Easier said than done for as soon as he tried, Shouto let out a grunt of pain.

Oh, right. Everything hurts.

“Shouto?” came from a voice beside him.

Huh?

The head of evenly split white and red turned to see his sister lying on the edge of the futon beside him. Fuyumi sat up as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes, still wearing her clothes from the previous day. Beside her was an open box that held bandages and other first aid supplies. Hinting at why she was there.

Ah, she must have helped move me and patched me up after…training.

After waking up a little more, the sister asked, “Are you feeling alright, Shouto?”

The youngest Todoroki laid there as he assessed his hurts. He could feel where various burn marks rested on his body. His ankle was sore from when he had twisted it in a failed dodge. Though he was no longer cold from using his ice repeatedly in an attempt to keep his father at bay. The training had been more intense than usual and despite having used his fire for a moment when he had fought Izuku, his instincts took over and he found himself unable to use his fire against his father. No matter how much the bastard demanded it.

‘You finally accepted your purpose even if just for a moment when you used the fire I gave you. But you allowed yourself to lose to that weakling. You will never surpass All Might if you continue like this.’

You’re wrong. Izuku isn’t weak. He’s the strongest person I know. Never allowing anyone to hold him back or say he can’t just because he doesn’t have a Quirk. He’s more of a Hero than you’ll ever be, you bastard.

“I’m fine,” Shouto answered, earning a skeptical look from his sister.

But he was fine all things considered. Sure, the training had been harsher than usual, but nothing he hadn’t experienced before. He was used to it. And complaining about his aches and pains wouldn’t help anything. It never had before.

“Are you sure?” Fuyumi pressed, hand extended hesitantly as if she wished to provide some form of physical comfort but wasn’t sure if it was wanted. “Last night, the…’session’ seemed a little more…intense than usual. You had more injuries than normal.”

“I said I’m fine,” Shouto said more sternly than he meant too. Fuyumi looked guiltily down at her lap as she retracted her hand, making him feel guilty as well. He took a calming breath before saying, “Sorry. I just…I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Alright,” his sister responded quiet as a whisper. There was a moment of silence between them before she asked, “Are you really going to see mother today?”

Shouto laid there staring at the ceiling. Contemplating if he still wanted to go through with the long overdue visit. To finally face his mother again after so long. After that night. But as he thought about it, about everything Izuku managed to dig up with his words, the fact that it had been so long resolved his decision to go to the hospital and finally meet his mother face to face.

“Yes,” he said with a determined though still neutral expression on his face. “I know it’s been a long time since…then. But Izuku helped me realize something about myself yesterday. I decided it’s been long enough. I need to see her.”

He turned to look up at his sister who sat beside him. Trying to convey his conviction on the matter. Her grey eyes searched his own of grey and blue for any hesitation or misgivings. Which there were some considering he didn’t know if his mother would even want to see him. Not after what happened that caused her to be sent away. But he didn’t let anything show in his eyes having years of experience of hiding his emotions under a mask of neutrality. It had been easier to hide all that while growing up than let Endeavor use any of it against him in training.

Seeing nothing, Fuyumi let out a conceding sigh and said, “Alright. I don’t know if it’s a good idea and I’m not sure how father will react, but I’ll help you get ready to see her. He’s not here by the way. He left early to go on a business trip for a few days.”

“Ok,” Shouto replied simply though internally he was grateful the old man was gone.

It meant that he was granted a reprieve from training for those few days. Able to visit his mother in peace. And could see his friends without having to worry about the bastard. Which reminded him.

“I want to go to the sleepover,” he declared suddenly, gaining a surprised look from his sister. “He’s not here so he can’t say ‘no’. Even then I would have gone anyway.”

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea either,” Fuyumi commented, brows furrowed in worry. “Seeing mother may be pushing it, but going to a friend’s house while he’s away?”

“He’s not our jailer, Fuyumi,” Shouto insisted with a firm tone. “You’re an adult and I’m my own person. He doesn’t get to dictate everything we do. Not anymore.”

The sister looked at him with a concerned look but eventually relented with a nod. Wordlessly, she began to check the bandages she had applied last night and started replacing ones when needed. Shouto closed his eyes not wanting to see the damage. None of his injuries were anywhere that would be visible. Always in places that could easily be hidden like his upper arms and legs as well as his torso. Never on extremities like his hands, feet, or head.

The scar I got from that day is the only noticeable mark that bastard allows to blemish his precious masterpiece.

This wasn’t the first time Fuyumi had helped patch him up after a session. Though the injuries he had gotten from this latest one were more severe than usual. But ever since mother left and his eldest brother was lost, his sister had taken up the mantle. Before her, it was Touya who had helped him after training. He remembered the feeling of rough hands applying burn cream and bandages with a gentle touch. Hands that had progressively grown coarser, calloused, and wrinkled as time passed until they were gone all together.

Shouto didn’t know what happened to his brother. One day he had been there and the next he wasn’t. Father never spoke of it nor had the youngest Todoroki ever felt brave enough to push for details. The old man only ever said he was gone and wasn’t coming back. Eventually claiming that Touya had died and left it at that. Even set up a household shrine with a picture of the eldest Todoroki son. One of him when he was younger as it was the best photograph of him they could find. Forlorn blue eyes looked out under a head of white. Showing no happiness as such a feeling was seen as a mere distraction in the Todoroki household.

I hope you are well where ever you are, Touya. I hope it’s some place nice.

“That should do it,” Fuyumi said after checking the last bandage. “Do you need any help getting dressed?”

“No, I should be fine,” Shouto replied as he attempted to get up again. He let out a pained grunt as his sister helped him to sit up. “I’ve managed with worse than this. But, uh, thanks, sis.”

Fuyumi took pause at his unexpected gratitude then smiled at her brother.

“You’re welcome, Shouto,” she said as she offered a hand which he took and pulled him up to stand.

With their combined effort, Shouto stood up wobbling slightly when he placed weight on his sore ankle. An injury he had multiple times before but still annoyed him knowing he would have to be mindful how he walked today. Despite being a head shorter, Fuyumi steadied him with ease.

“You sure you don’t need help?” Fuyumi asked, eyeing how he favored one foot over the other.

Shouto thought for a moment and then sighed as he relented, “Maybe I could use a little help. If it’s no trouble.”

“No trouble at all, brother,” the sister said with a smile.

Together, they moved to the closet and picked out his outfit for the day. A plain white shirt with a dark blue overshirt and a pair of dark jeans. The sister then helped Shouto over to the restroom so he could change and get ready. As he did so, she worked on packing him an overnight bag for the sleepover. It would be his first so she wanted him to have everything he would need.

Once he was finished in the bathroom, she helped him ice and then wrap his sprained ankle. From having treated similar injuries, Fuyumi knew that Shouto shouldn’t really be walking and instead be resting with his foot elevated. But her brother was a stubborn one and so she knew he would be determined enough to carry out his plans for the day despite the injury. It was no use arguing so she merely stressed to him to take it easy and ice or elevate it as needed as she helped pack some toiletries for the sleepover before zipping the shoulder bag shut.

“Are you absolutely sure you’re still up to going to the sleepover?” Fuyumi asked as she handed him the bag. Knowing his answer but felt the need to ask anyway. “It’ll be a new experience and you’re still recovering from yesterday.”

“I’m sure,” Shouto insisted as he slung the strap over his head and shifted the bag to hang comfortably on his back. “Izuku was very kind to offer and I would enjoy spending time with him and his friends. And I’m…curious as to what exactly happens at sleepovers.”

Fuyumi smiled warmly if but a little bit sad at her sheltered brother. He had been kept so isolated growing up even from his own family. Their father insisting that he put all his focus on training to become a strong Hero. Not to waste time on what he considered ‘frivolous distractions’. Shouto never really had any friends either other than the children of other Pro Heroes. Specifically, the daughter of the Yaoyorozu family in hopes of making a match.

But Shouto had never showed such interest in her or anyone really. Not to Fuyumi’s recollection. That is until she saw how her brother had acted with his friend Midoriya that she met yesterday. The other boy was so kind and didn’t seem bothered by the contact between them. In fact, to Fuyumi it seemed that he enjoyed it. Bringing up the question of how close the two really were to the front of her mind. But the sister wouldn’t ask him about that now. Not with all the other things he had planned to deal with today. Seeing mother and then going to his first sleepover would be quite enough for one day.

The siblings made their way through the quiet halls of the Todoroki household. The design was more leaning towards a traditional Japanese style with certain rooms lined with tatami mats and low tables separated by paper-covered sliding doors. The halls and bedrooms featuring hard wood flooring with sparse furniture spread throughout with even sparser trinkets placed upon them. The central garden consisting of a souzu fountain, koi pond, and zen garden surrounded by a roofed veranda. Even the genkan entrance where they kept their shoes held more of a traditional feel that what Shouto experienced at school.

“I’m still a little worried about you going to visit mother today,” the sister said as they arrived at said entrance. “You should really rest more after last night. And it’s been so long that a few days more wouldn’t be too bad to wait until you’re better.”

“No, I want to go,” Shouto said as he put on his shoes. “I need to go. It’s been too long already and even one more day seems too much. I’m going.”

“Ok,” Fuyumi conceded, slipping on some slippers of her own to walk him the short distance to the door. “Well, do you want me to come with you?”

The brother let out a hum in thought at the idea before shaking his head and said, “No, I think I need to go alone. For the first visit. But maybe at another time?”

The sister smiled warmly and nodded before saying, “I understand. We can go together next time if that’s what you want. I’m sure she’ll be happy to see you.”

We’ll see, Shouto thought, still unsure if his mother would want to see him after so long. After that night.

Fuyumi bid him goodbye which he returned in kind and closed the door behind him. Shouto stood there for a moment breathing in the morning air. It was clean and crisp as if marking the start of a new day. A new life. One that he would take hold of with both hands as he would his Quirk from now on. All he had to do is take that first step in an effort to change himself and his ways for the better. One he took cautiously both figuratively and literally as his ankle was still sore.

With careful attention to his steps, Shouto put one foot in front of the other being mindful of his ankle. He made his way through the streets of his neighborhood to the train station. There was a fair amount of people on it but not to the point of being packed. As common courtesy the train car was quiet with some commuters reading while others napped. The streets were the same with a good amount of people walking about doing whatever business they had on a Sunday morning.

During the commute to the hospital, Shouto found himself recalling the memories of the events of that day. Of his mother’s words filled with unease and stress as she spoke into the phone. Voicing concerns for her children and her own mental health. Of her growing fear of her youngest son’s left side. No longer seeing the child and instead the man who treated his own family with the same harshness he did to Villains when on the job. Confessing her desire to run away and leave her life behind. Clearly on the precipice of breaking and his younger self was the one to place that final straw.

The unexpected whistle of a boiling tea pot still sets his teeth on edge to this day. But he never nor would ever blame her for what happened. That was all on Endeavor.

Ever since that day though, despite not blaming his mother, Shouto had never gone to visit her. Because, honestly, he was afraid. Afraid of her reaction. The possibility of rejection. Of being unable to give his mother nothing but pain. Because it was his very existence that had driven her away in the first place. Of his left side’s resemblance to his father that served as a reminder to all his mistreatment.

But after fighting against Izuku and being forced to remember mother-and-son moments before that fateful day, Shouto finally found himself wanting to try. To take that chance and see his mother after so long. To see if she had maybe forgiven him for sparking her moment of insanity. To find out if he was worthy enough to be her son.

Before he knew it, the youngest Todoroki had arrived at the gates to the hospital. There were less people here and the street was quiet. Shouto stood there, hands in his pockets, looking up at the light blue building that housed his mother. Steeling himself, the teen took that one step forward to pass the gate and kept going towards his goal.

When he made his request to see one Todoroki Rei, the receptionists as well as the few doctors and nurses standing around looked shocked with gaping mouths. A tad unprofessional but unsurprising as staff members would be in the know of the circumstances that landed the wife of the Number Two Hero in the hospital. The scar on his face standing as proof as well. But he insisted upon seeing his mother and signed in before being instructed where to go.

The climb up to the third floor and down the hall to room 315 seemed to take forever yet no time at all. Every step weighed on his nerves but Shouto pressed forward none the less. He could do this. He had to do this. Wanted to. Needed to. In order to take hold of his life that had been out of his hands for so long.

The door to 315 was the same as any other in the hallway. Beside it was a plaque bearing the name ‘Todoroki-sama’ being the only marking to indicate who was inside. A hesitant ice wielding hand reached for the door handle only to pause and lower back to his side.

You’ve been a prisoner for too long, mother, Shouto thought as he took a steadying breath. Because of father and me as well. I want to see you. Talk to you. And maybe someday, free you from this place.

Again, he reached out with his right hand and this time took hold of the handle. As quietly as he could, Shouto slid the door open giving him his first glimpse of the woman he hadn’t seen since he was five.

Mother.

Sitting on a stool looking out the window sat the woman who gave him life. White of hair that was illuminated and sparkling in the sunlight like a fresh sheet of snow. Skin pale from remaining indoors for so long under pale teal hospital shirt and pants. A letter in her hand that was probably from his sister or elder brother. The sight left him breathless and almost unable to move.

Almost.

With another self-assuring breath, Shouto walked into the room and closed the door behind him. The room itself was sparse. A bed with light purple coverings, a table, and an accompanying small bathroom area was all that made up the room she had spent years in. There were no signs of personalization to the room. No pictures or knickknacks. No personal touches whatsoever despite how long she had been there.

Perhaps I should bring her something next time. Flowers or a plant? Maybe a book? I remember she liked books before.

Shouto silently took in the sight of his mother after so long for a few moments more. It had been years, almost a decade. But despite the distance and lack of contact, they were still connected. Still bound by blood and their history. A bond that could never completely be broken. He took in one more steadying breath before he spoke.

“Hello…mom.”

Her reaction was soft and subtle. A slight stiffening of her shoulders and a quiet gasp at the sound of his voice. Slowly, the head of white hair turned and grey eyes full of calm surprise took in the sight of him. Rei stared at him silently, expression of slight disbelief that he was actually there. Standing in the same room as her after so long.

The son stayed silent allowing his mother the time to process the situation. At the same time allowing himself to do that as well. She was here and so was he. Together in the same room for the first time since that day. No screaming or crying. No words of fear or whistling tea pots. No pain. Physically at least as of yet. It gave Shouto hope.

Has she forgiven me?

“Shouto?” Rei questioned as she turned to face him more. Her tone was still unsure. Still not believing he was really there standing in front of her. “Is that…is it really you?”

“Yes,” Shouto answered simply, not sure what else to say.

The mother and son continued to stare at each other for a few moments more. Trying to understand the situation and come to terms that the other was really there in front of them. Shouto kept a calm neutral expression on his face while Rei looked at him. Neither a smile or a frown on her own somewhat blank face.

Taking a chance, Shouto took a careful step forward, both for the sake of his mother but also for his twisted ankle. The movement caught Rei’s attention as grey eyes stared at his foot. The beginnings of worry started to grow in those eyes as they looked back up at him. The son moved to step back when she spoke.

“You’re hurt,” Rei stated, a worried knowing look in her eyes.

The comment made Shouto pause. She could tell that fast with a single step? What else would she noticed if she could tell that despite the years away from each other? Panic started to set in his heart. Panic that the mother could also see.

“Please come sit, Shouto,” Rei said, gesturing towards the bed.

Grey and blue eyes looked from the bed to his mother and back before cautiously walking forward and sitting on the soft surface. Rei remained sitting on the stool leaving some space between them. Still unsure if closeness was wanted. Still cautious.

“You noticed?” Shouto asked, his hands clenched into fists on his knees.

“Shouto…,” Rei said, reaching a hesitant left hand to place on his right one.

When he did nothing to stop her, simply watched her movements, that cool hand he remembers from long ago finally made contact with his skin again. The nostalgic touch caused him to let out a slight gasp. Grey and blue looked up to all grey searching for if she was ok with the contact. Rei smiled softly and gave a gentle comforting squeeze of her hand. The slight pressure was enough to reassure him and relax his fists a bit.

“I’m your mother, Shouto,” Rei said, a slender thumb rubbing calming cool circles into his skin. “I know it’s been a long time but I know when one of my children is hurt. You can’t hide anything from me.”

The son stared at his mother searching for truth in her words as her actions were slow, cautious, and comforting. Nothing at all like the last time they had been this close. He looked down at their hands and slowly turned his own over until he could gently grasp her cool fingers in his own. The son gave his mother’s hand a tender squeeze before looking back up into her calm grey eyes.

“I’ve missed you, mom,” Shouto confessed, feeling that if he were as quick to emote as Izuku that he would have teared up in that moment. But he wasn’t as emotive as his friend. Hadn’t been for a long time.

“I missed you too, Shouto,” Rei said, a small smile on her face. “I was sad that you never visited, but I understood why you didn’t. Not after what I did to you. Please forgive me for hurting you, Shouto.”

Her tone changed from mellow happiness to one of pleading for forgiveness. But there was nothing to forgive really. Not from her.

“I never blamed you for what happened, mom,” Shouto said, tightening his grip on her fingers for a short moment in reassurance. “You were stressed and scared. I heard what you said on the phone. That you were afraid and concerned for us. That you wanted to leave. All because of him.”

The word ‘him’ came out bitter with a grimace. Rei, not letting go of his hand, stood up to take a seat on the bed next to her son. Sitting on his left side. Shouto tried to shift away. To spare her from having to be near the side of him that reminded her of his father. But Rei only closed the gap again leaving just an inch or two between them.

Much like with her left hand, Rei reached out hesitantly with her right. Grey and blue eyes watched the hand as it rose higher and closer to his face. He looked to his mother for her reaction and seeing if what he believed she was going to do would cause her any pain. Rei merely smiled with a nod before tilting her head in silent question if her actions were ok. A moment passed before Shouto gave a subtle nod in quiet consent.

Nimble fingers cool to the touch carefully reached forward and gently brushed against his left cheek. Again, he gasped at the contact but didn’t shy away from it. His mother’s hand moved to cup his face and a gently thumb grazed along the rough edge of his scar. She took in a shaky breath feeling the physical evidence of what she had down to her own child.

Fearing that she would pull her hand away, Shouto raised his own free one to carefully grasp hers keeping it on his face. Reassuring her that it was alright. That he was okay with the touch. Because again, he had never blamed her for what happened. The gesture caused tears to well in his mother’s eyes and a wobbly sad smile grew on her face.

“I am so sorry I did this to you, Shouto,” Rei said, her voice quivering with emotion. “I was afraid I would hurt you. That’s why I said I wanted to leave because I didn’t want to hurt you. But I ended up doing it anyway. And there’s nothing I can do to take it back. What kind of mother hurts her own child?”

Hating to see his mother slowly dissolve into tears, Shouto decided on a whim to take a page out of Izuku’s book. He let go of his mother’s hands and instead wrapped his arms around her to bring her in a hopefully comforting hug. The burns and bruises hidden under his clothes protested at the contact but he ignored the pain as his mother was more important in that moment. Rei stilled in the embrace letting out a confused gasp before returning the hug in full force.

Shouto tried to hold back from reacting. To ignore the pain of his injuries in order to enjoy that moment. But the crushing pressure of his mother’s arms that finally embraced him after so many years was too much. Without meaning to, he let out a pained grunt.

“Shouto?” Rei gasped as she quickly drew back to look at him. Her worry of having hurt her son again upon seeing him after so long was clear on her face.

The mother tried to pull away completely but Shouto didn’t let her put any distance between them. He kept a firm but gentle hold of her in his arms. Only allowing her enough space so they could look at each other while keeping in contact.

“I’m fine, mom,” the son insisted which earned him a disbelieving look from his mother. Which in turn caused him to let out a sigh before he continued. “Really, I am fine. It’s just…the training session I had yesterday after the festival was…more intense than usual.”

“Festival?” Rei asked with a raised brow. “As in the UA Sports Festival? That was yesterday?”

“Yes, it was,” Shouto answered with a nod. He guessed they might not have informed her it was happening in case the sight of him fighting would trigger something. “I placed in third overall.”

A proud smile spread on Rei’s face as she reached up to cup his face again as she said, “I’m so proud of you, Shouto.” Then her expression turned sour as she realized something. “I’m guessing your father wasn’t too happy with that.”

The son simply shook his head in somber response. Rei wrapped her arms more carefully this time around her son bringing him back into a hug. Shouto leaned into the comforting embrace and nestled into her shoulder. Cool fingers found their way into two toned hair and the nostalgic sensation brought up emotions that threatened to spill forth in tear form. But still, they did not fall.

“No matter what your father says, I want you to know I am proud of you, Shouto,” Rei insisted, cradling her youngest son in her arms. “I may not have seen it, but I’m sure you did your very best.”

No, I didn’t.

‘You know, you winning by half-ass means is an insult to everyone else in this festival.’

Izuku said as much.

‘They’ve worked their asses off to be here. And are still fighting with all their might. But you…you are half-assing your way through these trials and still succeeding as if this was child’s play. For everyone to be trying their hardest while you don’t is an insult to their efforts.’

He was right. I was not putting my all into the festival.

And Shouto had paid the price. Allowing Izuku the opportunity to get in close and defeat him. Let his friend get inside his head in the middle of a match. But he didn’t regret it at all. Not after Izuku had helped him realize something about himself that he had forgotten. Had pulled the spiteful veil away from his eyes so he could see once more what his path was. Reminded him of his goals and the kind of Hero Shouto wanted to become.

‘Todoroki-kun, you have a powerful Quirk. You have the ability to channel ice and fire. That power could be used to help a lot of people. But if you don’t use and train with half your Quirk, you won’t be fighting with your full potential.’

You were right, Izuku.

‘You trusted me with your past. I understand why you’re refusing to use it. But don’t you see? By not using your fire, you’re still letting him control you.’

I was letting him control me. In a way I hadn’t even realized. But not anymore. I refuse to let my hatred for that bastard hold me back from the Hero I want to be.

“I thought I had,” Shouto said, earning a confused look from his mother as she pulled away enough to see him. “I had wanted to win using only my right side and the power I inherited from you. I had sworn I wouldn’t use ‘his’ fire in battle to show I didn’t need it to win. To be a Hero. But I was wrong.”

He removed his arms from around his mother and instead took her hands in his.

“I have a friend that helped me realize something about myself yesterday,” he continued, eyes downcast to their joined hands. “Said I wasn’t putting my all into the fights. That I was insulting my peers by not using my full power. My full Quirk. I didn’t want to believe him. Didn’t want to listen.”

Heterochromatic eyes met the other’s grey ones.

“But he was right. For years I have refused to use the fire side of this Quirk I was born with. Ever since that day…”

The cool hands in his flinched but he soothed them with a brush of his thumbs. He waited for his mother’s hands to relax before continuing.

“…since…then, I had always connected my left side with father. Had seen it as ‘his’ fire and not my own. That by using it, I would become what he wanted me to be. Rather than what kind of Hero I wanted. But my friend, he refused to let me think like that. To let my…feelings about father hold me back. Even called me out on my stubbornness in the middle of our match. Reminded me that this power is my own.”

‘It’s your Quirk. Which means it’s your fire. Your ice. Both of them make your one Quirk. Your Quirk and yours alone.’

Thank you, Izuku, Shouto thought with a fond smile. For opening my eyes to my own ignorance. I’m going to take this second chance you have given me and use it to become the best Hero I can be.

“What he said to me during our fight reminded me of before you left. The time we had spent together and what you told me about being a Hero. That I got to choose what kind I wanted to become and that my lineage doesn’t define me. Something I had forgotten until my friend confronted me about using my left side. My fire.”

A gentle squeeze from his mother’s hands showed her support of viewing the power from his left side as his own. A gesture the son returned in kind.

“He’s the reason I’m here today,” Shouto said, grey and blue eyes trying to convey it was true. “Because of what he said and what he did to help me, I finally built up the courage and resolve to see you. To take that first step to taking back my life. To see if you had forgiven me for causing you pain back then.”

“Oh Shouto,” Rei said, wobbling with emotion. The mother brought her son into another hug before saying, “You have done nothing that needs forgiving. I realized my mistake the second I…hurt you. Wanted to take it back. But I can’t. All I can do is do all I can that’s within my power to make it up to you. Please don’t ever blame yourself for what happened, okay?”

Shouto simply nodded and they both soaked in that comforting hug. For ten years, they had been apart but now that they were reunited, the mother and son couldn’t seem to get enough of the familial touches. As if making up for lost time.

“So,” Rei said as she pulled away and took his hands in hers again. “Who is this friend?”

“His name is Midoriya Izuku,” Shouto answered with a subtle fond look on his face. “He’s in the Support Course. We met the first week of school when he came to observe our Battle Training with All Might. Izuku actually was the one to win first place over all.”

“He did? That’s quite an accomplishment,” Rei said, with a smile. “Would you pass on my congratulations to him for me?”

“Sure,” the son replied with a nod. “He’s also the one I lost to in the semi-finals.”

“Oh really?” the mother asked, grey eyes full of curiosity. “Tell me what happened.”

And so, the youngest Todoroki told his mother about the match. He gave a brief explanation of how Support Course students were allowed to use their own self-made tech. Then he went into their fight. He omitted the accusations he had made of his friend not really being his friend and working for his father. Shouto knew that he had been so very wrong about that and was ashamed of himself for even entertaining the idea. For thinking for even a second that Izuku, his special friend who was the kindest and most genuine person he had ever met, could have ever worked for that bastard.

It almost made him want to go back and slap his past self for thinking such a thing.

Instead, Shouto focused on describing the fight. Every barrage of ice that Izuku had either dodged with the help of his Jet shoes or melted with his Fire mask. He talked about every jump and flip his friend had done to stay in the fight. Had stood up to the ice user and outlasted longer than any of the others who had gone up against him. Most likely could have ended the fight sooner with one of his Support Items but instead chose to keep the match going to talk some sense into him. Had told him that it was his Quirk and his alone.

“His words were what got me to release some of my fire,” Shouto finished, a small smile on his face. “Though it was only for a brief moment until Izuku used his tech on me and electrocuted me with it.”

“He electrocuted you?” Rei questioned in worry.

“Yes, he did,” Shouto replied bluntly. “It knocked me out and led to his win of the match. But I don’t regret losing to him because he was right that I was holding back while he was giving his all into the fight and the festival. He deserved to win.”

“You speak highly of him,” the mother commented.

“I do,” Shouto responded. “Izuku is the first real friend I ever had other than the other children of Hero families. But I had never felt…connected with them. Not as I do with Izuku.”

A strange smile appeared on his mother’s face as if she knew something he did not. Shouto tilted his head in slight confusion.

“Shouto, how do you feel about Izuku?” Rei asked with small curious smile.

How do I feel about Izuku?

Shouto looked down at his hands that were in his mother’s cool touch. Remembering how it felt whenever he would hold his friend’s hands instead. He could still feel the warmth of the other’s touch despite the cool one he had now. How it brought him a sense of safety and comfort that he hadn’t felt in a long time while also feeling like something unique at the same time. A state of being that he wasn’t entirely sure how to articulate into words. Though there was one word that seemed to fit pretty well.

“Warm,” Shouto answered simply as he looked up.

“Warm?” Rei inquired with a tilt of her head.

“Yes, when I’m with him, I feel warm,” the son replied, his even tone showing he was 100% serious. “His personality, his smile, his hands…”

“His hands?” the mother interjected with a lilt of surprise.

“Yes, uh, we…we hold hands,” Shouto admitted, a slight blush on his cheeks appearing only for a second as he used his ice to cool down. “When I met him the first time, he had questioned me on not using my whole Quirk from the start. I had told him I refused to use my left but he was concerned the overuse of my right would lead to injury. So, he offered to make a Support Item to help me regulate my temperatures.”

“That was kind of him,” Rei commented before gesturing to continue.

“Izuku is kind. To everyone,” Shouto stated with a small smile. Even to me after I treated him so coldly when we first met. He was grateful Izuku had given him another chance. “In order to come up with the appropriate Support Item, Izuku had asked to see how I used my Quirk. I showed him my skills with ice and of course that resulted in the built up of frost on my right side. To better understand my condition, Izuku had asked for my hand to examine it.”

Shouto took hold of his mother’s right hand and repeated what Izuku had done that day. The first time he had ever held the bi-color teen’s hand.

“His hands were warm,” he continued, eyes on the hand in his. Happy it was his mother’s but also wishing it was another’s. “It was…different from what I was used to. Your and Fuyumi’s cool touches. Father’s that are always too hot. Natsuo’s are so few I don’t remember and as for Touya…all I remember is the texture of his hands rather than their temperature.”

Both Todorokis held a solemn moment of silence for the eldest Todoroki son. In a letter, Enji had told Rei the same thing he had told his children about what happened to Touya. No specific details. Only that he was gone from the world.

“But Izuku’s hands are warm and they make me feel warm so I asked if we could hold hands sometimes and he said yes,” Shouto said, peering up into his mother’s eyes. “I don’t exactly know what that feeling is, but I know that it feels nice. Safe. Comforting.”

Rei gazed at him quietly as if assessing what he had said. She looked down at her hand in his and placed her other one on top, pushing their joined hands down to their adjacent laps. Grey eyes then turned back to her son’s heterochromatic ones.

“I think I know what you are feeling, Shouto,” the mother said. “But I also don’t want to push my thoughts on you and influence you wrongly.”

“Please, mom, tell me,” Shouto asked, grey and blue eyes subtly pleading.

“Alright, if you’re sure,” Rei said, earning a small but eager nod from her son. “I think that you like this boy.”

Notes:

Shouto and Rei have reunited! :D Is anyone else sad that we didn't actually get to see their conversation in canon? Because I am. So, like with many things that bother me in canon, I fixed it. :P All the Todoroki bonding fluff with a sprinkling of angst.

I hope you enjoyed the dream sequence at the start! I really didn't want to go into too much detail when it came to the 'training' but having it in dream form made it easier for me to write. I don't really plan to go into the training all that much because I don't really like writing, or even reading, abuse all that much. I'm fine to a certain point I guess for the angst but for me I can get overwhelmed by too much angst. Especially when there isn't enough fluff to balance which I do my best to include in this. :)

The 'Fun Facts About Japan' will continue in this part and those that follow. However since this is a double update, I'll save it for the next chapter. ;) Onward to chapter 2!

Chapter 2: Reflect

Notes:

Part 2 of the double update! More mother son fluff and then Rei reflecting on their family history. ;)

Warning again for MANGA SPOILERS to those who are anime only. You have been warned. :P

Now let's get to it!

Linktree to all the things!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

“I think that you like this boy.”

“Of course, I like him,” Shouto replied bluntly, a look of confusion on his face. “He’s my friend.”

“Yes, he is your friend,” the mother conceded, giggling slightly at her son’s obliviousness. “However, I think you might like him as more than a friend.”

“More…than a friend?” the son lilted in inquiry. “What do you mean?”

Again, the mother fondly chuckled and patted their joined hands.

“As in when two people like each other so much to the point they are more than friends,” Rei tried to explain but her son still looked confused. “Hmm…let’s see. Do you know how some people act closer with each other more than others? Like couples in movies and shows on TV?”

“No, I don’t,” Shouto answered, lowering his eyes in embarrassment. “I never had time for such things.”

The mother looked at her son with a sad expression knowing why he hadn’t had time. But now was not the time to reflect on that.

“Well…,” Rei said, searching her memories for another idea. Another way to attempt to explain. Then she remembered. “…how about in books?”

The teen sat there for a moment in thought before saying, “I’m not sure. I do like to read. Though I tend to stick to mysteries, historical fictions, and fantasy style books.”

He read mysteries to keep his mind sharp to try and figure out the solution before it was revealed. Historical fictions for the retelling of the facts of history reformed into a tale that fleshed out the events, experiencing them through characters that helped provide more sense and meaning to it all. As for fantasy, not only because the adventures were entertaining and distracted him from his situation, but also because it pissed his father off who considered the genre a ‘waste of time’.

Though with all that he has read, he hadn’t ever really paid attention to how the characters interacted with each other. No specific examples came to mind about a character expressing liking someone as ‘more than a friend’. Whatever that means. The son still wasn’t sure what his mother was trying to tell him.

“Hmm, let’s see if I can explain a different way,” Rei said upon seeing her son was still confused. She couldn’t refer to her own experience as her situation with Enji was not…conventional. “You say that when you hold hands with him you feel warm, yes?”

The boy gave a nod in reply.

“Do you feel this way about anyone else?” the mother asked. “Or is it just him?”

He thought for a moment. Reflecting on all their interactions to see if he could imagine doing that with anyone else. After some consideration, he didn’t think he could because he didn’t get the same feeling from any of his other friends. Only Izuku.

“No one else,” he answered. “Just him.”

“So, you only feel warm with him,” Rei stated with a nod. “Do you feel anything else towards him?”

Shouto gazed down at their joined hands as he considered her question. He had felt warmth from Izuku since the second time they met and officially became friends. Had even felt warm because of him having to tame a blush from time to time around him. Had felt supported by him not only because of the offered Support Item but also Izuku had made a point to be there for him from the very start. He felt comfort from the other boy’s words and their shared touches. He felt safe with him and able to share his secrets. Then there was that fluttering feeling he had felt the other day.

“Yesterday, I noticed a new feeling,” Shouto said, looking up at his mother. “A sort of…fluttering in my chest. I’m not sure what it is exactly but it doesn’t feel bad.”

“I see,” Rei responded with a contemplative look.

She didn’t want to influence her child and accidentally mislead him. Especially after not seeing him for so long. But what he was describing reminded her of the feelings she had read about in romance novels in her youth. Tales of relationships and love. Of characters growing closer and closer as their feelings for each other grew and grew. Books that showed what a relationship could be even if she hadn’t been able to experience it herself. It was then that she got an idea.

“You like to read, Shouto,” Rei stated earning a nod from her son. “I still don’t want to influence your thoughts on what your feelings could be. But I have some suggestions for reading material that might help you figure them out.”

“Really?” Shouto asked with curiosity in his heterochromatic eyes.

“Yes, I do,” Rei replied with a smile. “I’ll write you a list so you can find them later. Okay?”

“Okay,” Shouto said, giving her hands a squeeze. “Thanks, mom.”

“Of course, Shouto,” the mother said.

After that, the mother and son chatted about various things. What Shouto had been up to lately which entailed unsurprisingly training, both at home and at school, and time spent with Izuku as well as his other friends. Once he would not have made without the greenette’s influence. Ever since he had entered Shouto’s life, he had become a driving force of change. Breaking him out of his long establish shell of indifference and isolation.

At one point, Shouto received a text. Taking out his phone, he saw that it was from Izuku telling him that they was back from the meeting with Nezu and that he was welcome to join the sleepover at any time. He smiled fondly down at the message causing Rei to ask what he was looking out.

“Oh, it’s from Izuku,” Shouto answered. “He invited me to a sleepover he’s having at his house today.”

“That’s sounds like fun,” Rei said with a smile. “Are you excited?”

“Yes, I am,” he replied with a nod. “It will be my first time attending one.”

The mother’s smile turned sad at that statement. It reminded of her son’s sheltered childhood what with Enji wanting him to focus solely on training. Never really letting her child, their child, actually be the child that he was. At least her other children, or rather just Fuyumi and Natsuo, had been left to their own devices. While Touya and then Shouto had been pushed by their father to train to be the strongest Hero they could be ever since their Quirks came in.

“Shouto…this boy Izuku,” the mother said, casting a glance down at their joined hands before looking back up. “Do you trust him?”

“Yes,” Shouto answered with no hesitation. After everything he had been through with Izuku, how could he not?

“Does…does he know?” she asked, her eyes tracing the scar on her son’s face.

“Yes,” he again replied quickly.

“How much does he know?” the mother inquired further.

“I…” Shouto started before taking a steadying breath. “I basically told him everything.”

Which was true. He had told Izuku about his father’s ambitions for him and all he had done to create his ‘masterpiece’. The Quirk marriage and the training. The abuse. Had told him about how all of it had come to a head one night where his mother snapped under the pressure of his old man. Though there were some things he hadn’t told his friend yet. Like the actual extent of the training or what happened to his eldest brother. Or at least what he had been told happened to him.

“If you trust him with that much,” Rei said before gesturing to his hidden injuries. “Then you should tell him about this.”

Grey and blue eyes widened in alarm at that. He had already burdened his friend with so much of his past. Could he really burden him with this too? It wasn’t like it was anything new. Not to him. Training sessions like this and the subsequent injuries from them was just a fact of life for the bi-color teen. More than a decade of his life has been spent this way and he only had a few more to get through before he could leave that house like Natsuo did.

Then maybe Fuyumi could leave too.

He knew that his sister stayed for him. Had become his support after Touya was gone. That his rough hands that had helped patch him up until they were gone had been replaced by his sister’s cool smooth ones. That Shouto’s continued existence in that house and her need to help her family kept her from leaving and living her life for herself. It made him feel guilty but it was the truth. If he didn’t have to stay in that house with nowhere else to go, she could be free from the hell that was the Todoroki household.

‘But what if it could be sooner?’ a voice in his mind spoke up. ‘What if his misdeeds were revealed and you could be free too?’

Shouto internally shook away that thought. Izuku had helped him so much. That was true. But what could one boy do against the world? Or rather two if it was Izuku and him together. Though that doesn’t change the fact that they were still teenagers. Who would listen to the likes of them? Especially when it came to the Hero Commission’s beloved Number Two Hero. And the Hero Commission…would they ever even allow the exposure of what happened behind the closed doors of the Todoroki estate?

Probably would sweep it under the rug to keep the established order.

Rei, seeing the conflict in her son’s eyes, raised a hand to cup his cheek again to gently make him look at her.

“I’m not sure what is going on in your head,” the mother said as she slowly swept a thumb across his cheek. “But regardless of what it is, I think you should tell your friend. However, the choice is yours. Choose whatever you are most comfortable with.”

Grey and blue eyes gazed into the other’s calm grey ones and said, “I will…mom.”

The mother gave a small smile and a comforting pat to his face before letting go. They spent a while more together and even ate lunch in her room. The nurse who delivered it was kind enough to bring Shouto some as well since he was still checked in to see his mother. Both Todorokis thanked the nurse who said it was no problem before they left.

Eventually they both decided to call it a day. Rei because she wanted her son to have all the time he needed to experience his first sleepover. Shouto because he didn’t want to overwhelm his mother too much on his first visit. Though it had gone on way longer than he had expected. But the fear that his mother would reject him was long gone.

Before he left, Shouto asked if he could keep in contact with his mother between visits. They had so much to catch up on after all. However, Rei revealed that she didn’t have a cell phone nor was there a phone in the room. The son felt a bit dejected at that fact until he remembered something from earlier.

His mother had been reading a letter when he first entered the room. This inspired him to offer to write her letters which she happily accepted. She wrote down her address as well as the list of titles for him to find. Rei walked her son to her room door and they shared one more hug before he bid her goodbye. Shouto left the hospital with a subtle smile on his face overjoyed to have been reunited with his mother after so long.

Thank you, mom.

~~~

Rei smiled softly as she watched her son leave. So happy that he came to see her and had forgiven her for what she had done to him all those years go. Even if he said he never blamed her and instead Enji for it. But she still blamed herself for her weakness. Her son was so much stronger than her. Still living in that house and still enduring the harsh training. Still suffering from his father’s obsession to be Number One.

I wish you didn’t have to bear such hardship, Shouto. You are still so young. But you are not alone.

No. Her son was not alone. Rei would be there for him. Like Touya had been. Like Fuyumi and this Izuku was. She hoped to meet this friend of her son who inspired such change in him. To thank him for the care and support he had so willingly given to her son. For his words and actions that were the final push that brought her son back to her. To thank him for bringing Shouto back to into her life.

Once her youngest disappeared from her sight, she closed the door and returned to her seat by the window. Looking out at the sunlit trees, Rei reflected on what had brought them to this moment. Of their family circumstances that had molded her youngest son into the young man he was today.

Constantly kept busy with Enji’s rigorous training regimen. Isolated from his siblings for the most part during those times. Only Touya having been privy to those sessions as the first child born to fulfill Enji’s goals. Though the eldest Todoroki son had been there more as a backup successor to the Number Two Hero’s aspirations. A role he had been cast in ever since his Quirk did not meet his father’s expectations and was cemented when the youngest’s perfectly balanced Quirk of fire and ice came in.

Shouto’s Quirk was a better balance than Touya’s own which had given him the power of flames that ran even hotter than his father’s but were harmful to his own body. Which turned out to have taken after Rei’s resistance to freezing temperatures rather than Enji’s resistance to high heat. Leaving their eldest son vulnerable to burns from his own flames. A flaw that the head of the Todoroki household could not overlook and so pushed her to produce more children until a child with the perfect Quirk was born.

Until that happened, Enji had continued to train Touya though with less enthusiasm than before learning of his weakness to fire. One that most likely reminded the Number Two Hero of his own. Enji was resistant to his flames and could control the shape and temperature with ease. However, he tended to overheat if he used too much of his fire, causing his stamina to drain and impaired his actions and reactions.

This weakness was what had driven him to arrange a Quirk marriage with her in the first place. In the hopes to counter the vulnerability to overheating by combining Enji’s Hellfire with the cooling effect of Rei’s ice Quirk. To create the perfect Quirk that would finally help him reach his goals of having a Todoroki claim the Number One Hero spot. To beat All Might as Endeavor had never been able to do no matter how hard he tried. An ambition he would pass on to his progeny.

Wanting to increase the chances of having an offspring with the perfect quirk, the couple had agreed to have two children, one right after the other. After months of pregnancy and hours of labor, a screaming baby boy entered the world with a head covered in red peach-fuzz-like hair and was given the name Touya. With the kanji for ‘light’ and ‘arrow’ as a means to represent the first Todoroki child being the beacon to direct them forward.

A year later, Rei gave birth to a girl and named her Fuyumi meaning ‘winter’ and ‘beauty’ for the tiny whisps of mostly white hair with specks of red here and there. With the births of the agreed upon two children, the two Todoroki parents waited for their son’s and daughter’s Quirks to appear. Four years passed with the father and son beginning to train while the mother cared for her daughter. Enji had tried to train Fuyumi as well but she never showed any enthusiasm for it like Touya had and so he focused on his son instead much to the boy’s delight.

Once their son had turned four, the days passed with Enji becoming more and more impatient. Longing to see the results of their coupling and if their efforts had borne the fruit of the perfect Quirk. The day his fire Quirk came in was one filled with joy and triumph. The ones that followed however…not as much.

It turned out that with Touya the attempt to manipulate genetics backfired, quite literally, when they learned he could be hurt by his own flames. Despite that, the boy had continued to be eager to train with his father and the man did work with his son even if a tad begrudgingly as he was imperfect. More as a place holder until a child was born with a more suitably balanced Quirk.

So, they tried again.

When Fuyumi’s Quirk developed a year later, Enji didn’t even bat an eye at her inheriting Rei’s power to generate ice. For he had already given up on the idea of her being his successor due to her lack of ambition to follow in his footsteps. Also, because Rei had become pregnant with their third attempt. It was at this time that Touya’s crimson red hair started to turn white. Whether from stress or medical reasons they didn’t know, but it was then that Rei started to see the hints of sadness in her eldest child’s blue eyes.

Despite his enthusiasm to train with his father. Despite his aspirations to be a Hero just like him. Despite the man continuing to work with him to train his imperfect Quirk. Somehow the boy knew. That he wasn’t what his father wanted. Not exactly but close enough to keep training him. Thoughts that Touya revealed to his mother in the dead of night when she had gone to comfort her son. Ones that the mother attempted to sooth with calm words that he was more than enough as he was.

It seemed to have worked and whenever he did have troubling thoughts, Touya began to go to his mother and they would talk. Rei liked to believe that her words put her eldest son at ease. His returning to her side whenever he needed standing as her evidence. Touya seemed happier after talking with her. More confident in himself even though he still became doubtful from time to time. But enough that by the time the mother gave birth to a third child, Touya was ecstatic to meet his newest sibling.

In the hopes that the third attempt was successful, the expected boy was named Natsuo meaning ‘summer’ and ‘masculine’ before he was even out of the womb. All the Todorokis were excited to welcome the newest member to their growing family. However, as soon as Enji saw the small head of pure white fuzz, he already lost hope that his second son would be the successor he yearned for. A physical sign to him there was most likely none of his inner fire in the boy.

Touya clearly had it in him despite his red hair steadily turning white. Even Fuyumi had some signs of it in her with her flecks of red. But the pure white of Natsuo’s showed no sign that he would. However, despite that, the Number Two Hero waited those four years until his second son’s Quirk came in. Which as he suspected was not fire but another ice related Quirk that was weaker than the mother’s original.

And so, they tried once more.

Nine more months of pregnancy. More time Enji spent training with Touya, whose once red hair had eventually faded into pure white, while leaving Fuyumi and Natsuo to their own devices. On the birth of their fourth child, they refrained from naming the baby until they were born to avoid the disappointment Enji had felt the last time. Upon seeing the head of half red half white fuzz, the father proudly labeled his third son Shouto. With the kanji meaning ‘burning’ and ‘freezing’ inspired by the red and white color respectively.

Four more years passed. With the prospect of finally having the successor he longed for, Enji found new motivation in training. He had kept his focus on Touya as long as he could but Rei still found herself having to keep him from starting to train Shouto too early. Her repeated push backs made him more and more frustrated in having to wait. Leading to him lashing out at her physically for the first time. And it wasn’t the last.

Once Enji had started to train Shouto, Rei found herself between two warring brothers though the younger didn’t know it. Touya was still being trained alongside Shouto however he could clearly see that his father favored his younger brother. By day, Rei worked to protect her youngest as best she could while taking care of her other children. While by night, she worked to comfort her eldest and reassure him he still had worth outside of training to be a Hero. That he was more than his Quirk.

The day Shouto’s Quirk manifested was an especially trying day. Upon learning that the boy had developed a perfect balance of ice on one side and fire on the other, Enji was in one word ecstatic. It was then that the ‘real’ training began.

Before, despite him training the children too early in Rei’s opinion, the sessions had been relatively tame. Stretches, running, workouts, various fighting styles, etc. Quirk training as well for Touya though the building damage from his Quirk roughened her eldest son’s skin more and more as time passed. It was more due to the eldest son pushing himself too far rather than his father. Enji had already lost faith in Touya’s Quirk and so didn’t put much effort into that part of his training.

But with Shouto, Enji went all out right out of the gate. Pushing him way more than he should and well past his limits. Clearly not seeing his son as the child that he was. Only seeing the Quirk and the potential of it to fulfill his aspirations. To Enji, Shouto was not his son. He was his ‘masterpiece’. A proudly declared label that broke something in Touya causing him to attempt to attack his own brother.

Rei had not been in the room when it happened. Only Enji, Touya, and Shouto were allowed in the training room. But apparently while Shouto’s back was turned, Touya had lashed out and shot a ball of fire at his brother. The fire was so hot from his rage born of long festering resentment that the flames had turned blue. Something that had never happened before. Enji, with his years of fighting instincts, placed himself between his failure of a child and his masterpiece. Able to dispel the fire ball with ease redirecting it away from his perfect creation.

It was then that the rest of the house had been alerted to the commotion when Enji loudly dragged his eldest son from the training room. Rei and her two other children had run to see what was happening seeing the father toss the teen into his room and slamming the door shut. Shouto had followed the pair out of the training room looking as confused as his mother, sister, and his second elder brother. Seeing the rage on her husband’s face, Rei was quick to shoo the children away to their rooms.

Her sons were reluctant to go. Rei knew they were worried about their brother. Even though Shouto and Natsuo did not spend much time together, they both spent time with Touya. After training, Touya would always dutifully help Shouto with after care and treat any injuries caused by the training. He would then come to Rei to talk of any insecurities he had before leaving to spend the rest of the night with Natsuo. His younger brother acting as further support to his fragile sense of worth.

Fuyumi, her ever dutiful daughter, worried about her elder brother too. But she also knew when she could step in and when she needed to back away from a situation. Especially when it came to Enji and his anger. After casting a concerned but understanding look to her mother, Fuyumi had herded her two younger brothers away.

Enji had been pissed. More than Rei had ever seen him before. She had been scared to break the dam that was holding back his anger but knew that if she waited, the coming ire would erupt even more violently. Something she had not bargained for when she had initially agreed to their arrangement. But she was four children deep into this ‘family’ and couldn’t leave. Couldn’t she?

The argument had started with a question of what had happened. Enji’s voice had started as a gravelly growl and grew to a raging roar as he ranted about their ‘failure’ of a son. Right outside said son’s door. Rei had tried her best to calm him down or at least move the…’conversation’ to somewhere else. But that had led to him hitting her.

Having heard him strike her, the door had slammed opened and Touya charged at his father. Sending out more blue flames that surprised her as she had never seen him do that before. Though she hadn’t seen really any of his training since he was young. Enji propelled the blue fire away from himself with his own flames with ease. Sending them around him to attach to surrounding walls and furniture.

The father and son continued to fight while the mother had rushed around them trying her best to put out the stray fires with her ice before the house caught completely on fire. It wasn’t until Touya ended up accidentally hitting Rei when Enji had dodged one of his attacks that the fighting stopped. Her eldest son cut off his flames to run to his mother’s aide instead. Taking advantage of his distraction, Enji had landed a strong blow to the boy’s gut making him collapse to the ground retching up his stomach.

Seeing the teen was down, the man had spat out one last anger fueled declaration that as of that day he would no longer be training Touya. That he would waste no more time on a failure. That he was banned from ever interacting with Shouto again. With that he had stormed out of the house, leaving the mother and son on the floor where they lay. Eventually they both recovered enough to move, together going into Touya’s room to collect themselves.

As they had patched each other up, Rei had done her best to assure her son that his father was wrong. That he wasn’t a failure. But he could not accept her words as he had done before. It had been one too many times and with the ban from training he had been left with nothing. In that room, he had spouted out words laced with malice of the resentment that had been apparently smoldering within him for years. Something he had never talked with Rei about before.

The level of animosity her eldest son held for her youngest honestly scared her. His spewing bitterness had become frantic and she almost felt compelled to slap some sense into him. To break the spiral of hostility for his own brother. But she never wanted to hurt her own children. Not ever. Not when they had enough of that from their own father.

So, instead she had dragged her first-born son into her arms and held him until his angered rant turned to tears. Touya had broken down and cried into her shoulder, holding on to her as if for dear life. Which was probably true for his state of mind…as well as her own.

In the last few years, Rei had found herself having disparaging thoughts of her own same as Touya did. Not the same thoughts of in regards of self-worth but equally unpleasant. Of how her marriage had been a mistake. That she should have never agreed to marry or create children with that man. That monster. The burden that was being the wife of Endeavor was more stressful than she ever could have imagined.

Rei had found herself strained, both physically and mentally. Physically from the multiple births. Mentally from raising the children basically on her own. Spreading her attention between her four children best she could. Taking care of Fuyumi and Natsuo. Doing her best to protect Shouto. All while trying to sooth her eldest son after his father had effectively rejected him. Having already casted him aside in his mind even though he had still trained the boy until he pushed him away altogether. The mother had done her very best to comfort her son through the years but apparently her words hadn’t been enough.

It had been all getting too much. Conceiving the children. Birthing the children. Raising the children. Trying to keep some sort of order in their lives while Enji’s hell bent efforts led them into disarray over and over. It started to seem that all her efforts to keep this so-called family of theirs together was starting to be all for naught.

That night, the mother had managed to calm her eldest down at least to a certain degree. Had asked him not to hold Shouto responsible for his father’s conduct. That he did not ask to be the center of his father’s attention. That only Enji was responsible for his choices and actions. Her words seemed to have assuaged him enough to agree and he promised to not try to attack his brother again.

A year had passed after Shouto’s Quirk manifested and with it a change to their family dynamic. Her youngest had been kept isolated even more from his siblings to have him focus on training. Touya was no longer allowed to train with them though she knew he would sneak off to do so anyway in some part of the Todoroki grounds. Coming back with more burns every time he did so. Ones that he tried to keep hidden from her and treat himself. But she knew about them and tried to help him when she did. Because a mother always knows.

Despite not being allowed to train and despite being ‘banned’, Touya would still go to Shouto after his sessions with their father to help patch him up. When he would come to her after to talk, he told her he no longer felt anger towards his brother. Instead, his anger had been redirected towards his father. For his rejection and harsh treatment of them. For ignoring his siblings. For hitting his mother.

It pained her that her son felt such resentment however she couldn’t help but agree. It seemed that all their problems stemmed from the man who served as head of their family. Who ruled over them with a flaming iron fist. The one who ultimately had decided their fates. Rei as the bearer of his progeny. Touya, Fuyumi, and Natsuo as failures. Shouto as his masterpiece. Labels and roles none of them were really given a choice about.

Except…Rei had been given a choice. Had been presented an offer from the man to become his wife for the sake of bearing stronger Quirked children. It had seemed a sensible decision at the time. Her parents would be taken care of and she would have children to care for. Knowing she had wanted to be a mother since she was young but had not found a suitable partner yet. So, when this man who was a Hero had approached her with his offer, she had said yes. Because who would be more suitable than a Hero?

She had been wrong. So very very wrong. The man named Todoroki Enji and known as the Flame Hero Endeavor turned out to be far from the suitable match she had thought he would be. Pushing her to have child after child. Pushing their children either past their limits or away all together. Pushing his dominance over them all. Even going so far as to strike her when she tried to stop him or get in his way.

All of this stress and pressure to be a good mother to her children. To carry them and raise them. To keep them from losing themselves. All while Enji only cared about creating and training his masterpiece to mold them into the future Number One Hero. With no care for his other children or that his prized son was a child. A person. One who was not him but his own person who should be free to make his own choices.

But the man would not allow that. To him, only his ambitions mattered. Only his goal to create the strongest Hero to surpass All Might was important. Which was a goal Rei had agreed to when they had first gotten married, but after seeing what it was doing to her family, she found herself regretting it all. Of agreeing to a Quirk marriage and bearing his children. Because if she had known that this was the life they would be born into, she would have said no.

However, she was in too deep now. Wife of Endeavor. Mother of four. Two trained harshly and then one ultimately rejected in favor of the other. Two others cast aside. All being cared for by a mother who was doing her absolute best to keep her family together. At least her children and herself.

Rei had stopped considering Enji a part of her family after a while. For the treatment of his children. Hyper focusing on the chosen few while ignoring the others. For his treatment of her. The mother would not stop standing up for her children no matter how many times he hit her. But as time passed, despite her motherly instinct to protect, the more he hit her the more fearful she became of even the sight of the man.

That fear had festered in her much like her eldest son’s resentment. Building over time no matter what she did to quench it. To the point she had started to see the man in her own children. Growing more and more worried of lashing out at them in fear. Especially Shouto as his left side with his red hair and blue eye reminded her the most of Enji. Leading to her calling her own mother for advice more and more. Much like Touya had done when he turned to her to talk. Rei’s mother did her best to comfort her daughter. But soothing words heard through a phone only did so much.

The compounding stress. The growing fear. The resulting unwanted association of her youngest child to his monster of a father. All of it came to a head that night. Rei had been on the phone with her mother. She and Enji had had a heated argument earlier. Over the children same as ever. But he had threatened her more than he had ever before. That if she would not help him raise the children as he wanted, then he would remove her from the picture. Would send her away to never see her children again.

The thought of it terrified her. The mother’s one happiness in her life was her children. Take them away then what did that leave her? A sham of a marriage? Because that’s what it was. A farce that was a far cry from what a partnership should be. One she had agreed to but wished she never had. Married to a man who may be a Hero to the public, but to his own family he was not.

It was for this reason she had called her mother that night. To share her growing fears of hurting her own children. Becoming more like him. Rei knew she had needed to calm down. Which was why she had been making herself some tea. Only…that boiling water did not get used for tea. For her youngest son, her Shouto, had walked in mid conversation and asked her a simple question. But at his sudden appearance and the underlying stress she was still under, all she had seen was Enji.

And so, she snapped.

Rei had regretted it. Seconds after she had burned her own son. Worse than even Enji had ever done. Had tried to ice it with her own Quirk only to be yanked away from him. For his screams of pain had drawn the rest of the house to the scene of her shame. Meaning Enji had seen what she had done and so had ample reason to follow through with his threat.

Since that day, this very hospital room was where she had spent her days. For ten long years. In the beginning Rei hadn’t been allowed visitors. Especially her own children in fear she would attack them as she had done to Shouto. It was during those years she had received a letter from her husband. Informing her of her eldest child’s death. The details as to how exactly had been sparse but the fact that remained was that Touya was gone.

The doctors and the nurses helped Rei through her grief and she had managed to come to terms with the loss of her first born. As time passed in the same hospital room, she had become accustomed to a routine. Checkups, therapy,…isolation. Other than a few other patients she talked to from time to time, the workers of the hospital served as her main source of company for years and even then those moments were fleeting. No other visitors came to see her. Even Enji kept his distance though he still wrote her letters. Sparingly but it was still some kind of interaction.

Then a few years ago she had been gifted with a surprise visit by her daughter. Fuyumi had grown to a fine young woman who worked as an elementary school teacher. That first visit had filled Rei with so much joy. A feeling she hadn’t felt in a long time. After that, she would get regular visits with her daughter and soon enough Natsuo had joined as well. Bringing her tales of his life as a college student.

Being able talk with her children again was a blessing. One she had not expected to receive. Not after Enji’s threat had been implemented. But they had come to see her, choosing to include her in their lives. Or at least two of them. One was lost forever while the other…the mother had never blamed Shouto for never visiting. Not after what she had done to him.

But today…today he had come. Shouto had been in this very room after a decade. Had talked to her. Had allowed her to touch him. Held her hand. Hugged her. Told her he had missed her. That he had never blamed her for what had happened. For what she had done. Instead placing the blame on his father much like Touya did long ago. Again, she couldn’t help but agree.

So much had happened since she had been sent away. Her son becoming a student at UA and placing third in the Sports Festival. Making friends. One particular friend who Rei owed so much to even though she had never met him. She didn’t know when but she would meet this Midoriya Izuku and thank him for all that he has done for her son. And subsequently for her. And maybe someday…

…welcome him to their family.

Notes:

There ya have it folks! The Todoroki family history. Or at least to a certain point. More to learn about them in the future. ;) Thank goodness for the reveal in the manga. Funny enough I had a semi-planned backstory that was similar to the one revealed in canon. But with more support from Rei like I wrote here. The manga really helped the timeline and ages of the children as well as the progress of the madness of the Todoroki household. Parts of this were hard to write and I had to take breaks in between.

On another note, Rei hasn't even met Izuku yet and she already ships it. XD We'll learn exactly what research material she recommended in the future. ;)

Fun Facts About Japan:

Referring back to the train ride in the previous chapter, there is a certain social etiquette in Japan when it comes to riding public transportation. Unspoken rules that are taught and practiced for the benefit of everyone. One being to stay quiet during the commute. No loud conversations. No open music and instead listening through headphones. No phone calls and to keep phones on 'manner mode' which is the vibrate setting. All of this is to be respectful to others. Many people use the commute as a chance to nap and you'll commonly see people sleeping on trains and buses. Even I would at times on my way to school. I am far from a morning person so a quick nap on the way to work was nice. ^___^ So, if you're in Japan, rule of thumb is to keep quiet on trains!

That's it for the start of part 2! Next update is the start of the sleep over! :D Izuku makes a teensy confession, brings up Hitoshi's medal, the other sleepover guests arrive, the green ones notice a thing, TodoDeku fluff, conspiracy theories, and much more is in store! ^_____^ Until then, stay safe and let me know of any typos or weirdness!

Chapter 3: Our Home Is Your Home

Notes:

Sup, dear readers! It's an early update! Why? Because I'm going camping~! :D So! Since we're leaving on my usual posting day, you get this now! ;) I'm sure there are no complaints about that. :P I don't think I'll have cell coverage out there so I'll get back to you when I can. I'll be back next Monday so I should be able to get the next update up relatively on time though it may be a little later next week. We shall see how that goes. ^____^

Warning for teasing this chapter. You can blame Hitoshi for that. :P From "You're more excited than usual..." to just before "Well, whatever it is...". There are a few others sprinkled in but they're really small. Like I don't think they would warrant a warning but let me know if they do. Also some of them are from Shouto being...well, Shouto. So there's that. XD

Linktree to all the things!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

It didn’t take long for the two Midoriyas and Hitoshi to make it back to the apartment. After grabbing his bag from the back, Hitoshi fell in step with his friend as the mother led the way up to their home. With Inko in the front, neither of the boys got to see the content smile on her face as Izuku and he traded friendly conversation as they walked. She was just so happy that her son had actual friends like Hitoshi after so many years of not having any at all. It warmed the mother’s heart to know her son had friends who cared and supported him now. After many o’ stairs and Inko unlocking the door, they all entered the apartment and took off their shoes.

“Why don’t you put your bag in Izuku’s room, Hitoshi?” Inko suggested. “Then you two can change out of your uniforms while I work on lunch.”

“Sounds like a plan, mom,” Izuku said with a smile.

“Thanks for having me over,” Hitoshi said with a small nod of his head.

“You’re always welcome here, Hitoshi,” the mother assured with a soft motherly smile and a comforting hand on his arm.

A slight blush dusted on the brainwasher’s cheeks at her words and her touch. Inko did this from time to time. Offering motherly affection to him with ease. Being as kind and as caring as his friend. It was clear where Izuku got it from. It was moments like this that made Hitoshi forget for a moment that he was a foster kid with no real family. Because he had a damn good found one right here.

“Thank you…auntie,” Hitoshi said, smiling shyly as that was the first time he had ever called her that.

The mother smiled brightly at the affectionate term and gave his arm one more pat before letting go. Inko gave Izuku a kiss on the cheek and then left for the kitchen while the boys went to Izuku’s room. Upon entering, Hitoshi whistled as he always did to tease his fanboy friend about the sheer amount of Hero merch cluttering his room. A vast majority of it being All Might related. Izuku, in turn, flicked his friend’s arm in protest.

Hitoshi plopped his bag on the bed and started to take out his change of clothes while Izuku moved to his dresser to do the same. Being used to changing around each other for training, the pair simply turned their back to one another to change out of their uniforms into comfier clothes befitting a sleepover. Hitoshi opting for plain black sweatpants and a loose light purple t-shirt with a picture of the grumpiest cat paired with the words ‘I’m Sleeping, Hiss Off’. While Izuku, he saw upon turning around, had on dark green pajama pants and a homemade Hero merch shirt featuring the word ‘Fat-tastic!’ above the BMI Hero Fat Gum happily eating takoyaki.

“I’ll let Mei-chan and Shouto-kun know that they’re good to come over at any time,” Izuku said, typing away on his phone for a few minutes before putting it in his pocket. “There we go. Shouldn’t be too long for Mei-chan to come and once Shouto-kun gets here we can get this sleepover started!”

“You’re more excited than usual, Izuku,” Hitoshi said with a teasing tone. “Wouldn’t happen to be because a certain someone is joining us this time, eh?”

The greenette blushed at that and then swatted at his friend who dodged it with ease.

“Don’t try to deny it, Izuku,” the brainwasher pressed with a smirk. “You’ve got the hots for Todoroki.”

“So what if I do?!” the greenette blurted out only to quickly clap a hand over his mouth with a squeak and flushed even more red.

Finally, he admits it,” Hitoshi said with an exaggerated huff. He reached forward and ruffled his friend’s green hair then quickly withdrew his hand to avoid getting smacked. “Nothing wrong with liking someone.”

“I-I don’t know if it’s ‘like’ really just yet,” Izuku confessed, tapping his index fingers together nervously. “But I will admit there’s something there.”

“Duh. Of course, there is,” Hitoshi insisted with a friendly shove to his flustered friend’s shoulder. “What with the secret hand holding, hugging apparently, and whatever else you two do when others aren’t around.”

The greenette was looking more and more like a strawberry as he somehow got even redder. The reaction raised suspicion that there was something more between the two somehow-not-boyfriends-yet friends. The purple haired teen raised an eyebrow in question.

“W-we, um, may have sort of ended up cuddling in the nurse’s office after our fight?” the blushing boy answered with a timid tone as green eyes peeked up into purple.

The brainwasher stared at the shorter boy with a stunned look before he broke into a laughing fit. He clenched his stomach as he doubled over in laughter. Izuku, taking offense at his friend’s reaction, shoved him back and the taller teen fell back onto the bed cackling. The greenette huffed in exasperation and turned his back to the other as he crossed his arms in protest. It took a few minutes for Hitoshi to calm down but when he did, he stood back up and walked over to his friend giving him a conceding pat on the shoulder.

“Well, whatever it is between the two of you,” Hitoshi said as the shorter boy turned to look at him. “I’m happy for you.”

“Thanks, Hitoshi-kun,” Izuku said as he smiled up at him. Then a flash of realization crossed his face. “Oh! I found something of yours in my backpack yesterday.”

The greenette walked over to his desk and picked up the silver medal he had laid there next to his gold one. He then turned back to his friend and held out the medal to him expecting him to take it. But the other boy didn’t. Even took a step back away from it. The reaction filled Izuku with worry.

“Why don’t you want to take your medal, Hitoshi-kun?” Izuku asked, his concern clear on his face as he lowered his hand slightly. “Why didn’t you bring it home with you?”

Hitoshi took in the sight of his friend. His first friend and now one of his best. The one who had been the very first person to say that he, Hitoshi, wasn’t a Villain because of his Quirk. That he was the one to choose what he was and would become. Which was a Hero, not a Villain. A goal he shared with the Quirkless boy in front of him.

He could tell him. He could tell Izuku that he was an orphan. Abandoned by parents who hadn’t wanted anything to do with him after his Villainous Quirk came in. Too afraid of his Brainwashing and the evil things he could potentially do with it even though he never would have or ever wanted to. He could tell him about how he had been carted back and forth between the foster center and various foster homes since he was little. That he was once again without a house to call home and living in the center with other children with no place to go same as him. Some of which would steal the medal in his friend’s hand either out of greed, jealousy, or even simply spite. All he had to do was say the words.

No, I won’t bother him with this, Hitoshi mentally declared. It’s my burden to bear and he’s already done so much for me already. I’ve made it this far on my own. I can handle a few years more.

“Because I want you to keep it here for me,” Hitoshi replied, avoiding the real explanation as he placed his hand on top of his friend’s that held his medal.

“But why…?” Izuku questioned before being cut off.

“Just drop it, Izuku,” the brainwasher said with a hint of sternness as he pushed the medal towards the other. “Keep it here. Please.”

There was a moment of tense and somewhat awkward silence between the two before the shorter teen spoke.

“Ok…I-I will, Hitoshi-kun,” Izuku said, turning slightly to put the silver medal back on his desk.

Hitoshi let out a sigh and said, “Thanks, Izuku.”

“Of course…” the greenette said, pausing a moment and then added. “At least tell me this. Are you safe?”

Purple eyes took in the concerned look on his friend’s face. Knowing that the other knew there was more to his situation but didn’t want to press more than he was comfortable with. Knowing that if he did tell him what was up that his friend would do all he could to help him. Both thoughts were comforting that the greenette respected his boundaries but would also offer him all he could at the drop of a hat. It brought a warm feeling to the insomniac’s weary heart.

“Yeah,” Hitoshi answered, doing his best to confer what he said was true to his friend. “I’m safe.”

Green eyes studied him for a moment as if checking his sincerity before giving an accepting nod. Izuku then pulled his unsuspecting friend into a hug. Hitoshi was surprised at the action but then melted into the comforting embrace as he wrapped his arms around the shorter boy.

“If you ever don’t feel safe,” Izuku said into his chest. “You are more than welcome here. At any time. Day or night.”

“I know,” Hitoshi muttered into mess of green curls. He gave one last squeeze before pulling away. “But don’t worry about me. I’m fine, Izuku.”

“Of course, I’m going to worry about you,” Izuku retorted with a friendly nudge to the taller teen’s shoulder. “You’re my best friend, you idiot.”

“And you’re mine, Green Bean~,” Hitoshi lilted with a smirk.

~~~

At the utterance of the embarrassing nickname, Izuku swatted at Hitoshi again who like before dodged the attack. The two friends started to playfully spar when Inko called them to lunch from the kitchen. Izuku gave Hitoshi one last shove before sprinting towards the kitchen with the other not far behind hoping to get one more hit in before they were in the mother’s sight. He didn’t and Izuku gave him a cheeky grin which Hitoshi returned with a threatening smirk promising retribution later.

Lunch was served at the table and Inko proved her skills in the kitchen once again. They enjoyed a delicious meal of udon soup served with chicken, green onions, bean sprouts, and fish cakes. As they ate and chatted, Hitoshi noticed the pile of news article clippings on the table.

“Ah, auntie is making another addition to the gallery,” the purple haired teen commented.

“Of course, how could I not?” Inko said, reaching over to pinch her son’s cheek. “I’m just so proud of my baby.”

“Mom!” Izuku squeaked, swatting her hand away.

The mother simply laughed while Hitoshi cackled beside him. Izuku sent him a dirty look which only made his traitorous best friend laugh even more at his embarrassment. The greenette let out a huff of annoyance and turned back to his udon. Out of the corner of his eye, he looked at the news clippings and noticed that rather than two piles there had been in the morning, there was now only one. The positive reaction pile.

Huh. Wonder where the other one went.

After lunch, the two boys helped the mother clean up and Inko then reminded them of the paperwork they had to fill out for the next school day. So, Hitoshi and Izuku went back to his room to grab the forms for their Hero costumes and their pen cases before returning to the table. The teens worked diligently on drawing out their designs and trading notes and suggestions on each other’s work. While Inko joined them and continued her personal project of cutting out news articles adding new ones to the existing pile and making a new stack for the not so positive ones.

Time passed as they worked and little over an hour later, Mei arrived at the Midoriya apartment with her usual amount of grease stains and an overnight bag. One that most likely held a few of her babies along with her other belongings. A fact that was confirmed when Izuku helped her put her bag in his room and she immediately pulled out one of her babies she had smuggled out along with her portable tool kit. It held similar supplies as the Inventor’s Special belt she had loaned Izuku back when he had gone to USJ with the Hero Course students but was a box rather than a belt.

The greenette and the pinkette joined the other two at the table. Inko cleared off a space for Mei and placed some spare sheets of newspaper down so the inventor wouldn’t stain the table. Mei greeted the mother with her usual amount of enthusiasm before getting to work on her baby with her usual amount of hyper focus. Inko and Izuku smiled fondly at her antics while Hitoshi rolled his eyes with a smirk.

The four worked on their own little projects as they waited for the last of their party to arrive. Inko on her articles, Mei on her baby, and the two newest Hero Course students on their Hero costume designs. Izuku found himself smiling at the domestic family like feeling he got from the scene. All that was missing was…

The sound of a knock came from the front door.

Shouto-kun!

“I’ll get it!” Izuku chirped as he stood up.

“Yeah, go let your boyfriend in,” Hitoshi jeered with a teasing grin.

“Boyfriend?” Inko asked, getting up from the table at the news of that possible development.

“He’s not my boyfriend!” Izuku insisted as he escaped down the hall away from his friend’s teasing.

The son made it to the door as his mother entered the hallway. Izuku opened the door and smiled at the sight of Shouto standing in casual clothes with a bag slung over his shoulder in the doorway of the Midoriya apartment.

“Hi, Shouto-kun!” Izuku greeted with delight that his friend was finally there. “Come on in!”

Shouto gave a nod as he walked in to take off his shoes. There was something off about the way he was walking though. Izuku glanced at his mother who shot him a worried look. Meaning that she had noticed it too. Shouto may be trying to hide it but they could see that he was hurt in some way. Enough to give him a slight limp. Most may not have noticed but with Izuku’s observational skills and Inko’s motherly instincts, the pair of Midoriyas sure did. After the bi-color teen removed his shoes and stepped further into the apartment, the mother introduced herself.

“Hello, I’m Izuku’s mother, Midoriya Inko,” she said with a warm smile but her concern still showed in her eyes. “Please call me Inko or auntie. Welcome to our home and it’s nice to meet you.”

“It is nice to meet you as well, Inko,” Shouto responded, sounding formal with his introduction. “My name is Todoroki Shouto. Thank you for having me.”

“Is it alright if I call you Shouto?” the mother asked, receiving a hesitant but agreeing nod. “Why don’t we go put your bag in Izuku’s room?”

The three made their way into Izuku’s room and filed in one by one. Izuku directed Shouto to place his bag on the bed while Inko closed the door before turning to the injured teen. Her son glanced at her with worry in his eyes same as hers. Two pairs of green eyes then looked into heterochromatic ones that flicked between the two in confusion.

~~~

“What?” Shouto questioned.

“Are you ok, Shouto-kun?” Izuku asked, taking a hesitant step forward.

What?

“What do you mean?” Shouto asked, feigning ignorance.

“You were limping, dear,” the mother said, getting a shocked and subtly apprehensive look from the teen. “A mother knows when a child is hurt.”

That’s like what mother said.

‘I’m your mother, Shouto. I know it’s been a long time but I know when one of my children is hurt. You can’t hide anything from me.’

“I…” the injured teen started but stopped feeling anxious at being seen through so easily.

Then again, this is Izuku who has seen through my everything since the first time we met. Seems his mother is no different.

Grey and blue eyes flickered between the two pairs of green. One he knew he could trust in and the other showing the same genuine concern as in her son’s eyes. Making Shouto feel that if he could trust Izuku, then he should be able to trust Inko as well. Like son like mother. Though he still found himself hesitating.

‘I think you should tell your friend. However, the choice is yours. Choose whatever you are most comfortable with.’

That’s right. Mother said he should trust him. And subsequently his friend’s mother as well he would guess. But Shouto didn’t want to burden with his own problems. Not anymore than he already had with Izuku. However…perhaps he could talk about something. The parts he was most comfortable with as mother had said.

“…I had a rough training session yesterday,” he ended up admitting, but not wanting to go into any more detail than that.

A scowl grew on Izuku’s face at that, knowing there was definitely more to that than he was saying. As for Inko, a look of concerned confusion was on her face.

“Training?” the mother asked with concern. “Even after the Sports Festival?”

“Shouto-kun’s father is…” Izuku started to say, only to pause to find the right word as it was Shouto’s business to tell what was actually happening. “…’passionate’ about his training to be a Hero.”

His friend’s green eyes peeked up at him with a silent question asking if that was ok. Shouto gave a small nod to show that it was before turning back to the mother.

“My father is the Number Two Hero, Endeavor,” Shouto explained somewhat further. Inko’s green eyes widened slightly in surprise at that reveal. “He has high expectations for me becoming a Hero and demands only the best from me.”

And considering I lost and placed in only third, I expected as much. Though, even if I had won first, I’m sure the old man would have found something to complain about to use as an excuse to train.

~~~

Demands? Inko thought, looking at the injured teen in front of her in worry. Going so far in training for this child to be hurt?

The implications, no matter how vague, did not sit well with the mother. Having a child, the Hero’s own child, train ‘roughly’ after a full day of fighting seemed a bit extreme. And concerning to her. Along with the fact that the boy tried to down play his injuries much how Izuku had done when he was still getting physically bullied. Her motherly instincts were sounding warning bells in her mind.

“I see,” Inko said simply before stepping carefully forward.

Grey and blue eyes watched her slow actions as she raised a cautious hand. The mother reached out to place her hand on the boy’s arm but waited and looked into his eyes silently asking permission to touch him. After staring into her eyes for a few moments, he gave a subtly nod and she gently placed her hand on his arm.

“Shouto, I know that we just met,” Inko said, her tone filled with motherly affection. “But if you ever need a safe place to stay, you will always be welcome here. At any time. Day or night. Okay?”

~~~

Huh. That’s like what I said to Hitoshi-kun earlier, Izuku thought as he watched his mother trying to comfort his friend.

Shouto stared at his mother with his usual neutral look with only his slightly widened eyes portraying his surprise at her offer. She didn’t even know any of the details but Izuku knew that his mom’s strong motherly instincts told her enough that made the offer warranted. He was glad she did and even if she hadn’t, he would have himself.

“…thank you, Inko,” Shouto said after a few tense silent moments. “I will keep that in mind.”

The mother smiled at that, gave his arm a pat, and then let go to ruffle her son’s hair before excusing herself from the room. As soon as she closed the door behind her, Izuku turned to his friend and found himself in a sudden hug surrounded by arms of cool and warm. He instantly melted into the hug wrapping his own arms around the other and soaked in the comfort.

“Does she know?” Shouto asked into his green curls.

“No, I didn’t tell her anything about that,” Izuku answered into his chest. Being tucked under the other’s chin was nice. “I mean, I’ve mentioned that you refused to use your fire before back when we first started working on your Support Item. But I never told her anything about you or Endeavor. She’s just…intuitive when it comes to seeing someone is hurt.”

“Ah,” Shouto uttered simply.

They both stood there for a moment enjoying the hug. Neither paid any attention to the fluttering feelings in their gut. Izuku because he just wanted to enjoy the moment for what it was. Shouto because he didn’t really know what it was and decided he needed to do some research. A task that would start as soon as he found the titles his mother had suggested to him. The greenette gave one last squeeze to end the hug as they had been too long away from the others. He expected one in return but instead received a grunt of pain.

Izuku pulled away suddenly though keeping his hands on the other’s waist and asked, “Are you alright, Shouto-kun?”

“I am fine, Izuku,” Shouto assured, though his eyes were downcast while his hands rested on the shorter one’s shoulders. “My sister already helped treat my injuries. You don’t have to worry.”

What is it with my friends telling me not to worry about them?

Of course, I’m going to worry,” Izuku insisted, green eyes full of determination. “You are my friend and you’re obviously hurt. Doesn’t matter that your injuries have been treated. You shouldn’t have been hurt in the first place.”

The bi-color teen stared at him for a moment before sighing and saying, “Alright. But I am fine. This isn’t the first time training became rough and it won’t be the last. I’m used to it. Besides, I only have a few years more until I can move out of that house.”

“But you shouldn’t have to deal with this, Shouto-kun,” Izuku said, green eyes looking up at him intently under concerned furrowed brows. “You shouldn’t be used to treatment like this. It isn’t right.”

“I know, but there’s nothing I can do to stop him,” Shouto replied with a sad sigh. “No one will believe that the Number Two Hero acts like that with his own family. The Hero Commission wouldn’t allow for such bad publicity with one of the top-ranking Heroes. They would mostly likely cover it up if it did get out.”

I’d like to see them try now that Chizome-san is looking into it.

The fact that Izuku had set the Hero Killer on the Number Two Hero still have him feeling conflicted. On one hand, he felt guilty about setting a murderer of Heroes after another human being. But on the other hand, that particular human being was a flaming trash pile of a person who treated his own family like the same garbage he fought on the streets. It wasn’t right which was why his anger at the man overrode his guilt.

“Well, at least one person knows how he really is,” Izuku said, implying himself while wondering if Chizome had started to look into the matter yet. “I still don’t like it, but like my mom said, if you ever need a safe place to go to, you are always welcome here. And you can always text or call me if you need to talk, okay?”

Shouto’s neutral expression changed to a softer fonder one before pulling the other back into a hug.

“Thank you, Izuku,” the taller teen breathed into his green curls.

They stood in the hug for a few moments more before giving each other one more squeeze. Izuku made sure to be more careful this time so as not to aggravate his friend’s hidden injuries before letting go. As they separated, a picture on the wall caught the taller boy’s eye.

“Who’s that?” Shouto asked, staring at the picture.

It featured a group of three. A woman of long straight green hair that resembled Inko though the one in the picture appeared younger and had a slimmer form. Beside her was a man who was black of hair that was short and somewhat wavy and had standard male features. Between them was a bright smiling young boy with messy green curls who could only be his friend beside him.

“Oh, that’s a picture of my mom, dad, and me when I was about…five or six?” Izuku answered after he turned to see what Shouto was referring too.

“Your…dad?” the bi-color teen questioned with a confused look on his face.

“Uh, yeah?” the greenette answered, equally confused.

“But that’s not Aizawa-sensei,” Shouto bluntly said, earning a wide-eyed stare of bewilderment from the other.

“…what?” Izuku gasped, cheeks turning red.

“Aren’t you Aizawa-sensei’s secret love child?” Shouto asked, turning to look at his friend with a quirked brow.

“EH?!” the greenette exclaimed, green eyes growing wider and cheeks redder at the question. He sputtered noncoherent sounds for a hot second before he was able to get out actual words again. “Why on earth would you think that, Shouto-kun?!”

“I saw him acting close to you and ruffled your hair,” Shouto answered, his flat tone noting he was dead serious. “That’s a dad thing, isn’t it? You were acting familiar with him too and he seemed to know you based on his commentary. Not to mention you both have dark curly hair. Plus, he erases Quirks and you don’t have one.”

“Ok, first, I act familiar with him because he started training Hitoshi-kun and me since before the Sports Festival,” Izuku explained, trying to will his blush away as he counted off on his fingers. “Second, I get my curly hair from my dad, Midoriya Hisashi.” He pointed at the picture with the same counting fingers before continuing. “…who is working overseas and who you can see in several pictures around my house. Third, just because Aizawa-sensei’s Quirk erases other Quirks doesn’t automatically mean any child of his wouldn’t have one.”

The bi-color teen stood there for a moment absorbing his arguments against his theory. Clearly not liking he had been wrong but Izuku would not stand for his friend to think wrongly of him. Again. Having Shouto think he was being paid by his bastard of a father to be his friend was bad enough. Though arguably having his friend think he was his mentor’s child wasn’t so bad, it was still very very weird.

After thinking it over, Shouto asked, “Well, supposing you aren’t Aizawa-sensei’s illegitimate child…”

Supposing? Ugh, he’s going to keep thinking I am, isn’t he?

“…what about Shinsou?”

“Eh?” Izuku let out in surprise at the sudden implication.

“They have similar personalities,” Shouto offered as evidence to his theory. “Both are always tired and have dark circles under their eyes. Similar builds to their body and both have mental type Quirks.”

“Nope!” Izuku declared, spinning around towards the door to escape the conspiracy theorist. “You can stop right there. There’s no real evidence.”

He opened his bedroom door and walked out into the empty hall with Shouto not far behind.

“Have you met his parents ever?” Shouto pressed.

The sudden question made the greenette pause. Because the answer was ‘no’. The same answer to where Hitoshi lived or what his home life was like too. The only thing he knew was that Hitoshi believed he was safe.

“Well…I…um…no?” Izuku answered as he turned to face the other.

“Then it’s still possible…” Shouto replied, the conspiracy theory cogs clearly turning in his heterochromatic eyes.

~~~

Those same eyes then got distracted by yet another picture on the wall. Shouto walked towards it and saw it was a framed news article about the beach that had been cleaned months ago. Paired with it was a picture of his friend smiling a tired but still bright smile giving a peace sign with the clean beach behind him.

“Izuku…” Shouto uttered as he studied the news clipping. “…do you know who cleaned the beach?”

“Oh, um, yeah,” Izuku said, walking up to stand beside him.

From down the hall came a sudden third voice which the pair turned to see was Hitoshi who had probably come to see what was taking them so long.

“I’ll give you three hints who,” Hitoshi said cheekily and counting off his fingers with each hint. “They go to UA.”

So, a student. Or a teacher.

“Their environmental actions aren’t the only green things about them.”

Green, huh? That certainly narrows it down. Perhaps either Tsuyu or…

“And they’re standing right next to you.”

…Izuku.

“You did that?” Shouto asked, staring at his warm friend in awe.

“Well, I, uh, yes?” Izuku replied, blushing slightly as he started to fiddle with his hands nervously. “Took about ten months because it was mostly me with some help from Mei-chan at the end. But it was good for the community and I was able to prepare for UA at the same time and now a lot of people are enjoying the beach…”

“Izuku,” Shouto interjected to break his mumbling spiral. The shorter boy peeked up at his with pinker freckled cheeks. “You’re amazing.”

~~~

The pink turned red as Izuku went to try to hide his flustered face behind his hands. All while Hitoshi stood there cackling at him and his embarrassment. Shouto simply stood there watching his friend with wonder in his heterochromatic eyes. Eventually, Izuku was able to calm down and swat at the purple haired teen who was still chuckling. Hitoshi ran before he could get another hit in. Izuku let out a huff before turning back to Shouto and inviting him further into the apartment.

Mei was still working away on her baby at the table and Inko was cutting out another clipping. The mother smiled at them as they entered the dining area while Mei paid them no mind. Hitoshi had moved over to the couch to keep his distance from his easily flustered friend. Izuku sent him a playful glare at him and got a smirk in return. He stuck his tongue before turning away to see Inko stand up from the table and walk over to her son.

“Seeing as everyone’s here, I’ll be heading out, sweetie,” the mother said, a number of news clippings in her hand. “Let me know if you need anything and I’ll be back later, alright?”

She’s probably going back to UA for that meeting with Bakugou, Izuku thought as he nodded to his mother. Though why is she bringing the news articles?

Inko smiled warmly at her son before giving a quick peck to his cheek and heading out grabbing her purse on the way out the door. The motherly action was observed with interest by the bi-color teen. Though whether it was because of the action of a mother loving her son or of the boy receiving a kiss in general Shouto didn’t know. But he would keep it in the back of his mind for now until he figured it out.

Izuku gestured for Shouto to make himself at home on the couch with Hitoshi. Then the greenette was able to coax Mei, or rather steal her baby to get her to follow him, over to the couch as well. He placed down more newspaper on the coffee table and Mei promptly plopped on the floor between Hitoshi and Shouto to continue working on her baby once he placed it in front of her. The greenette smiled and shook his head fondly at his dedicated baby making friend as he sat on the couch beside Shouto.

“Well, here we are,” Hitoshi spoke from his spot on the couch leaning lazily against the arm rest. “The three Freakateers together again.”

“Ugh,” Izuku said with a roll of his eyes from the other side of the couch. “You’re bringing that up again? I thought that had died out.”

“Freakateers?” Shouto asked sitting in the middle.

“Yeah, you know like the three Musketeers but made from the ‘freaks’ of society,” Hitoshi explained. “A quote unquote ‘Villain’…”

He pointed at himself.

“…a Quirkless person who just gave a big ‘fuck you’ to society by winning yesterday…”

Izuku blushed but smiled at his words as the purple haired teen pointed at him.

“…and Mei.”

He gestured towards the pinkette sitting on the floor who turned and shot a glare at the brainwasher.

“Hey!” she exclaimed before pausing as if to think about it then conceded. “Actually, he’s right.”

The greenette and purple haired teens chuckled as she went back to working on her baby. While the bi-color teen sat there looking slightly confused.

“But there are four of us here?” Shouto inquired with a quirked brow.

“You can be d’Artagnan,” Hitoshi offered with a shrug and a dismissive gesture. “You’re still new to the group after all just like him.”

Not to mention Shouto-kun is strong and a good leader but still inexperienced in some things. Plus, he is the youngest of our group. He can also be hot headed at times and may sometimes literally be now that he’s going to start using his fire.

“What would that make the rest of us?” Izuku asked with an amused smile.

“Hmm, let’s see…Athos,” Hitoshi replied, pointing at Izuku. “Due to your protectiveness of our d’Artagnon.”

I guess that could work. I may not be the oldest which is actually Mei-chan followed by Hitoshi-kun and then myself. I don’t really consider myself taciturn and melancholy, but I did get picked on growing up so there’s that. The whole mysterious past with a Villain checks out though in a way what with my meetings with Chizome-san. Not that Hitoshi-kun knows or will ever know about that.

“Porthos,” the brainwasher said pointing to Mei. “For her extreme dedication to her babies.”

Very true, Izuku thought as the pinkette let out a satisfied hum at his reasoning while never taking her eyes off her baby. Not to mention her blunt honesty when talking about them with no consideration of her lack of tact. As well as definitely being an extrovert albeit a socially awkward one at times.

“And Aramis, I guess,” He finished as he gestured to himself with a shrug. “Since that’s the only one left.”

“I’d say more because you’re ambitious, Hitoshi-kun,” Izuku offered as a better reason, earning a surprised look from his friend. “Also, you’re loyal to your friends and would never do anything to hurt them.”

The purple haired teen stared at the greenette in awe with a dust of pink on his pale cheeks. Izuku simply smiled back at him and kept eye contact to show that he meant it. Mei continued to work where she sat while Shouto looked between the two boys on either side of him curiously.

“Damn, Izuku,” Hitoshi said after a short while chuckling slightly. “How do you always end up saying things like that? All sincere and shit.”

“I just tell it like it is,” Izuku replied with a shrug.

“Heh, yeah sure,” Hitoshi said with a huff. “Or you’re just too stubborn and kind to let someone think lowly of themselves.”

It was true now that he thought about it. Encouraging Kirishima in that park with his own words before UA. Insisting that Hitoshi wasn’t a Villain because of his Quirk after the entrance exam. Convincing Shouto that he was his own person and that his Quirk was not his father’s or his mother’s but his and his alone.

“Or hurt themselves,” Shouto added, turning his attention on the greenette whose cheeks flushed pink.

Also true. Izuku refused to let Shouto hurt himself by only using his right side. So determined to make the ice user realize he was holding himself back from his full potential allowing his feelings towards his father control him. Not to mention all the observations and suggestions the greenette had for how to help the Hero students as well as a few for the Heroes too. Like Aizawa and his goggles.

“Guess your protectiveness extends past our d’Artagnon, eh, Athos?” Hitoshi jeered with a smirk.

“It seems so, Aramis,” Izuku conceded and stuck his tongue out at his friend. Then he clapped his hands together. “Alright. Let’s get this sleepover started!”

This was Shouto-kun’s first and Izuku wanted it to be perfect. More so than his first one was which technically was a result of Izuku having gone over to Mei’s lab and the two had ended up falling asleep while working. To say Inko had been worried sick when he didn’t come home was an understatement. The bear hug the son had gotten from his mother was one for the history books.

After that, more ‘sleepovers’ happened accidentally a few more times during those ten months. While his back protested from falling asleep in odd positions, Izuku did enjoy hanging out with a friend until they both passed out. Though the Quirkless boy was too nervous to actually hold a real one as the fact he had an actually friend was still sinking in.

It wasn’t until Inko took matters into her own hands and invited Mei for an actually sleepover that a real one actually happened. With the two friends at the time, and then Hitoshi once he was added to the group, camped out in the living room watching movies, playing games, and whatever else they ended up doing. Like karaoke, charades, truth or dare, etc. Many times looking up on the internet typical sleepover activities as none of them had much experience before becoming friends with each other. Thus forming the Freakateers consisting of a ‘Villain’, a Quirkless, and Mei as Hitoshi had put it.

Now Shouto was included into their friend group and was joining them for their sleepover shenanigans. Not a ‘freak’ of society as they were but he had his own level of oddity in his life. Son of the Number Two Hero who turned out to be more of an asshole than he came off as in the media. A person with heterochromia to go along with his bipartisan Quirk that was literally split down the middle of his body. Marked by the divide in his hair color with white on the right side and crimson on the left. One who came off as cold and aloof but really just didn’t have the social experience as well as self-trained defense mechanisms built over years of living in the Todoroki household.

Hopefully Shouto-kun won’t have to stay there much longer. And he can always come here to get away from the bastard.

Taking control of the situation, Izuku asked Hitoshi to get the gaming system up and running for the traditional Mario Kart battle. With some practice rounds for Shouto to get acquainted to the game as Izuku was sure this would be his first time playing. The brainwasher gave a jesting salute before getting up to do as ordered. The greenette rolled his eyes and then turned to Shouto to tell him to just relax. Then he moved onto the most stubborn of his friends.

“And as for you, Mei-chan,” Izuku said, snatching the baby out of her hands. “That’s enough tinkering for now.”

Mei tried to steal it back but the greenette expertly launched and flipped himself over the back of the couch. A move he would never do if his mother had been there. But she wasn’t so he did. The pinkette chased after him and they ran around the couch and table as Hitoshi cackled at their antics while Shouto watched with his own look of amusement. Mei tackled Izuku at one point in hopes of rescuing her baby from the greenette kidnapper. But the Quirkless boy used his training to turn the tables and pin her down to the ground with the baby held up in the air out of her reach.

“Do you give?” Izuku asked as he panted slightly.

The pinkette under him struggled to see if she could break free. But upon realizing he had her pinned well, she relented and said, “I give.”

The greenette smiled and nodded triumphantly before letting her go.

“You can work on your babies later,” Izuku said, dodging the pinkette’s swipe for her gadget and held the device behind his back. “You already gave, Mei-chan. Now go wash your hands.”

“Aw, come on, Izuku,” Mei said with a pout as she held up her hands. “They’re only a little greasy.”

Little did not even begin to describe the dirty state of her hands. Grease and grime paired with whatever gunk was under her fingernails. How she considered that ‘only a little greasy’ was beyond him.

“Nope,” Izuku retorted. “I’m not letting you touch my controllers with greasy hands.”

“Fine, mom,” Mei shot back with a huff and a playful glare. “But what if I was a cyborg and needed the grease to live?”

“Ugh, just go,” the greenette sighed with a pointed look.

As the pinkette left to go wash up, Hitoshi said, “You know, if she did turn out to be even part cyborg, I would not be surprised.”

“Hitoshi-kun, no,” Izuku pressed.

“Hmm…” Shouto hummed from his spot on the couch with the conspiratorial gears already turning in his mind. “…could she be?”

“Shouto-kun, no!”

Notes:

If you skipped through the teasing, here's what you missed. Izuku admits to Hitoshi that there's at least something between him and Shouto though he isn't sure what yet. He also told Hitoshi about the cuddling in the nurse's office. ;)

The Freakateers is back! :D Honestly I didn't really have a plan for that when I first started this fic. But then I looked into the characters in the Three Musketeers and I was all "Oh, they are kind of similar to my characters...huh" so this happened. XD If you aren't familiar with the Musketeers, here's a basic run down from my notes of their characters:
Athos - mysterious past with villain, oldest in group, noble and handsome, taciturn and melancholy, very protective of d’Artagnon
Porthos - honest and slightly gullible, extrovert, comic relief, extremely dedicated and loyal
Aramis - ambitious and unsatisfied, sees every victory as step to greater power, extremely loyal, refuses to harm or offend friends
d’Artagnon - a young, foolhardy, brave and clever man seeking to become a musketeer, hot headed youth, leadership skills but still young and inexperienced

Sh-sh-shshout out to the peeps on the discord for ideas for Izuku's and Hitoshi's shirts. Izuku having a Fat Gum shirt is brought to you by Endangered and that it was homemade by SoFewSpoons. Hitoshi's grumpy cat and 'I'm Sleeping, Hiss Off' brought to you by Endangered as well. I am open to ideas for future sleepwear that could be used for future dorm time shenanigans so if you have any let me know! :D Hitoshi with all the cat puns shirts and Izuku with all the hero ones. ^____^

Oh! Also, my brain being its extra self, I made a drawing of the layout of the Midoriya apartment which can be found here. Enjoy!

Fun Facts About Japan:

This is more of an anecdote than a fact. When I first moved to Yachiyo, it was a big deal. Reason being was that four of us new ALTs were replacing four of the previous ones. So an influx of new meat basically. XD Because of this, we were featured in the local news paper. They took a picture of us at a local soba shop and had us hold of pieces of paper which our favorite kanji on them. Which, being newbies to Japan and Japanese for the most part, was relying on what little experience we had with Japanese combined to just kinda randomly choose our 'favorites'. XD For me, I went with 凸 read totsu ( とつ ) and means 'convex, beetle brow, uneven'. Though honestly I only chose it because it looks like a tetris piece. :P The opposite is 凹 which reads ou ( おう ) and means 'concave, hollow, sunken'.

Being in the newspaper essentially made us like local celebrities as ALTs in Japan. From it we were recognized by locals and approached because of it. Though being the foreigner you do tend to stick out like a sore thumb regardless. :P Once you go to a school, you'll also get recognized by your students in the area. I would see the kids at the grocery store all the time because they had a sitting area where they would hang out sometimes. Or when they were going to or from gakushuu juku ( 学習塾 , がくしゅうじゅく ), or juku for short, which are like tutoring centers where students go for more study time after school.

Another instance of celebrity for me was when I gave a lecture in English to help the locals practice their English listening skills. Something I wouldn't usually do but I got to rant about the importance of art education so that was fun. ^____^ Anyway, leading up to that there were posters of me at the different schools and government buildings like City Hall advertising the lecture. At my then-current school, the students told me they saw my face and when I asked where they said on a poster in the library. XD I have a copy of both the poster and the newspaper to remember my three years of being famous amongst the people of Yachiyo. ;)

That's it for this update! :D Next update we get the start of Bakugou's meeting with Nezu. Should be a blast! Though if I mean that figurative or literally I'll leave for next week. ;) Until then, be well, stay safe, and report any typos or weirdness! Oh! Also there is more sleepover to come. ;) Promise.

Chapter 4: Lay One's Misdeeds Bare

Notes:

Welcome back dear readers to another update! :D Camping was fun. Got to relax among the trees and enjoy campfires. My parents are actually part of a dirt bike club and they held a race this camp trip. It was a qualifying race for the ISDE race held in Europe and will be in Italy this year I think. I don't know much of it myself because I don't care about riding. I just go for the camping. ;P But I was helping out at registration selling event t-shirts on Friday-Sunday. Anyway, the camping in between was fun. ^____^

Alright, with this update we are delving into part 1 of Katsuki's meeting with Nezu. This meeting will be split into three parts same as Izuku's and Hitoshi's was. Not intentionally but that's just how the chapters split up. :P

Warning for swearing because it's a Katsuki pov. 'Cause explody boy and curse words go hand in hand.

Linktree to all the things!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

This is all a load of crap, Katsuki thought as he laid in bed the morning after the Sports Festival. Red eyes glared up at the early morning light stretching across his bedroom ceiling. He laid there in black sweats and tank top with his arms behind his head, reflecting on what had happened the previous day.

After having tried to show Deku his place in the world as Katsuki had always done, apparently he was the one in trouble and not the damn nerd. He had been caught by surprise when he had blasted Deku in the gut only to get yanked back as he was ensnared in clothe bindings. One second Katsuki had been in control of the situation and the next he found himself bound in his homeroom teacher’s shitty scarf on the floor.

And there had been nothing he could do about it.

Not with the bandaged man glaring down at him with most likely glowing red eyes behind his shitty yellow goggles and black hair floating around his head. No matter how much Katsuki had fought against the bindings, he couldn’t break himself free. All while his loud English teacher had been fussing over the shitty nerd who apparently hadn’t even been affected by his explosion. The shirt had been damaged but there was something else underneath that protected him. Another fucking Support Item.

Another cheat is more like it.

‘Is it though?’ the inner voice countered as the blonde remembered something the Quirkless fucker had said during their ‘talk’.

‘I’m in the Support Course and therefore am authorized to use any Support Item I have made myself.’

Deku’s words of the rule that allowed him to use those shitty gadgets of his rang through the blonde’s head. True, it was a rule that said he could do that, but in Katsuki’s mind a win wasn’t really a win if it wasn’t won using your own natural power. Which Deku didn’t have because he’s Quirkless. No Quirk means no power. So, any win he got using his gizmos wasn’t considered an actual win to the explosive teen.

Which was why Katsuki had gone after Deku’s gear.

Destroy the Support Item, destroy the cheat. That was the logic behind the blonde’s actions. That along with his ever-simmering inner rage. As his teachers had told him before UA, his fiery personality most likely stemmed from his Explosion Quirk and so was just a part of him. Many of the top Heroes with fire-based Quirks had similar personalities.

‘Like Endeavor?’ the inner voice brought up.

The internal mention of the Number Two Hero made Katsuki grit his teeth in irritation. He hadn’t meant to overhear about IcyHot’s past. Ok, he had meant to eavesdrop on the shitty nerd’s talk, but it was in an attempt to learn how the Quirkless fucker was still in the Sports Festival as well as to how he knew Half-and-Half. But the blonde did not learn either of those things and instead was subjected to hearing what Endeavor got up to behind closed doors.

Seriously. Quirk marriages? ‘Creating’ children to make a ‘masterpiece’? Harsh training of a child? Spousal abuse that led to the Peppermint fucker being scarred for life? None of those things are Heroic.

‘And yet, you beat down and berated Izuku ever since you were four. All while claiming to be a Hero. Hypocrite.’

Shut. Up.

Katsuki didn’t understand what the hell he had done wrong. Not one of the teachers, administrators, or the other extras he had gone to school with had ever even hinted at that anything he did to the Quirkless Blunder was wrong. Even agreed with him and joined in. Nor did Deku ever do anything about it.

‘Except for taking up self-defense so he could fight back.’

Ok, fine. So, the shitty nerd did do something but that just showed he finally grew a back bone instead of being a defenseless limp noodle with a stupid ass dream to be a Hero. But just because Deku could fight didn’t mean he could become a Hero without power. All the top Heroes had strong Quirks which Katsuki wanted to become whereas Deku could never be. Not without a Quirk to defend himself with.

Take away all his gizmos and what does the shitty nerd have left? Nothing, that’s what.

So yeah, this whole situation was a load of crap. Katsuki was pissed though that wasn’t anything new. He was also confused because this was the first time anyone at school had called him out on his behavior towards Deku. But now he was in trouble for trying to put the damn nerd in his place.

Who would care how I treat that Quirkless fuck? No one ever has before.

Well, that actually wasn’t entirely true. The Old Hag had tried to tell him on occasion, but rather than actually listen he just brushed it off as nothing.

‘Nor did you ever tell her what you did. What you said.’

Stop reminding me of that!

Katsuki regretted saying those words to Deku. Had regretted them the moment they had left his mouth. Telling him to jump off a roof in hopes of getting a Quirk in his next life was not Heroic at all. Baiting words said in the heat of the moment. Words he wished he could take back but once words are spoken you can’t. There was nothing he could do but try to forget and take comfort in the fact of the shitty nerd’s stubbornness to never actually carry through with them.

Standing there during the Awards Ceremony on the third-place podium had been a chore. Having to suffer through the annoying fanfare as they praised the Quirkless fucker and his Troll Doll friend for taking first and second during a fight the blonde hadn’t been allowed to even watch. Places of prestige that were meant for those born with natural power like IcyHot and himself. Yet they were both left in fucking third while Deku and that Mindfucker stood above them in the rankings.

It wasn’t right. It wasn’t how the Sports Festival was meant to be. As if someone was pulling the strings to manipulate the outcome.

The rest of that day had been shitty. Aizawa wouldn’t let him out of his sight except to change into his uniform. Shitty Hair and the other extras that followed him around kept trying to chat with the blonde, but he wasn’t in the mood to deal with their crap. Instead choosing to sit and…

‘Pout?’

Shut up!

…’reflect’, as Aizawa had told him to do, on what happened. To stew in his thoughts as he waited for his parents to show up. Bored out of his mind as Aizawa did not give the blonde his phone back until the Old Hag and his dad arrived to pick him up. But the Mummy Man didn’t even give it back to him when they did and instead to his parents.

When asked for more details as to why the Bakugous were called to pick up their son, Aizawa had informed them vaguely that Katsuki had been involved in an incident with another student. Not saying what exactly happened or with who. Rather stating the specifics would be discussed during the next day’s meeting with the principal. The Old Hag wasn’t entirely sated with the ambiguous answers but his dad was able to calm her down as always.

Dinner that night had been awkward. More so than usual as typically it was filled with bickering between mother and son with their clashing strong personalities while his dad stayed on the sidelines serving as referee for their verbal battles. But instead of that, when the Old Hag pressed him for more information, Katsuki kept quiet on the details.

‘Trying not to self-incriminate?’

Shut up!

An evening that was supposed to have been filled with self-satisfaction for proving he was the best, instead was spent with Katsuki wallowing in self-pity with a heavy dose of anger. As soon as he had entered his room, the blonde had snatched the shitty bronze medal from his bag and had tossed it haphazardly to a random corner. Not caring where it ended up as it was a reminder that he had lost.

The next morning came quickly and, after shutting off his alarm, Katsuki had laid in his bed staring at the ceiling for a while reflecting leading to where he was now. In the same position but now contemplating what the hell was going to happen in the meeting later. It was scheduled in the early afternoon since Deku and the Troll were taking up the morning with their own meeting. He wondered what on earth they could be discussing that had made the shitty nerd and his creepy friend so damn happy yesterday.

‘There is a clause in the UA bylaws that states if a student in a course other than the Hero Course places high enough in the Sports Festival, they can be offered the chance to transfer if they want to.’

Red eyes glared up at the ceiling as the blonde thought that there was no way that was actually a thing. It was either the Hero Practical or not at all. Right?

‘I’d say placing first or second is high enough to be noticed, wouldn’t you?’

The nerd had sounded so confident it had Katsuki second guessing his self-assured belief that it wasn’t possible. The Mindfucker had mentioned it when he had declared war on the Hero Course but the blonde had brushed it off as nonsense. After all, he hadn’t ever heard of a Hero who had entered the Hero Course that way. All the top Heroes that the blonde looked up to all had strong Heroic Quirks that allowed them to rise in the ranks. They were the ones he took inspiration from and were the kinds of Heroes he wanted to be. The best.

The rest of the morning dragged on as the Bakugous waited for their assigned time slot. Katsuki stayed in his room avoiding the Old Hag’s badgering. His dad came by around breakfast and lunch asking if his son would be coming down. Both times Katsuki claimed he wasn’t hungry and both times Masaru had come back with food he left outside his son’s door with wishes for him to at least eat something. A fatherly gesture Katsuki appreciated though he would never say as much to his dad’s face. It just wasn’t his style.

Finally, it was time for them to leave to head to UA and Katsuki reluctantly left his room in uniform to join his parents. The car ride was unusually quiet for the generally rambunctious mother and son who didn’t hold their typical bickering while the father was his usual quiet self. After parking, at the gate they were met by Aizawa who then escorted them onto campus. Upon entering the principal’s office with his parents, Katsuki was surprised that not only was Nezu and Yamada there who were joined by Aizawa, but Inko as well.

Auntie?

It had been a while since he had last seen the greenette mother. She would come over from time to time to have tea with the Old Hag. When they were younger, she would drag Deku along too and Katsuki would have to put up with the nerd in his own home. But as the years went by and his lessons he taught to the Quirkless boy became more…elaborate, he noticed that she stopped bringing her son with her to those meetings.

The change didn’t really bother Katsuki all that much. It meant less time he would have to spend with the damn nerd who ruined their plans to be Heroes together by not developing a Quirk. If he hadn’t been born so useless, then Deku could have been the sidekick to the blonde’s future Pro Hero status and they would have beat down all the Villains in their path. With Katsuki taking the world head on and Deku finishing off the rest.

But no. That useless ass Deku just had to be Quirkless. Had to have the stupid toe joint that threw a wrench in all their childhood plans. Ruined everything they wanted for the future. All because of an extra bone in the littlest toe of Deku’s foot. That single bone wrecked any chance of the shitty nerd joining him on the path to be a Hero. Because no Quirk meant no power and no power meant that even if Deku had become a Hero, there would inevitably come a time when he would get in over his head and die. All because of his own stubbornness and lack of Quirk.

I don’t want Deku to die. Which is why I’ve tried so hard to get him to realize he can never be a Hero. It’s too dangerous for someone without natural power.

‘Then, if you don’t want him to die, why did you tell him to kill himself?’

Fucking shut up already!

Why must his mind constantly remind him of what he had said that day? Katsuki already admitted to himself he regretted them. What more could that inner voice want from him?

‘Confess. Reveal your sins and let them be known. Opening yourself to repentance and forgiveness.’

Gods forbid if Inko ever found out what he had said that day. She would never forgive him. Ever since Inko had stopped bringing Deku over for tea, Katsuki had noticed a change in how she acted towards him. Nothing bad. Auntie was as polite as always and the explosive teen felt compelled as ever to tame his temper around her. Because Inko was kind and gave off this aura that made him want to behave when he was near her. More so than he ever does around his own parents.

No, Inko never treated him badly, but as time passed and Deku stopped coming over, there was a subtle change. She acted more distant than she had before. Didn’t treat him like a nephew as much and more like the son of a friend. Like distant family. Still connected but a sort of emotional barrier was between them. Treated him kindly and politely but the emotional distance was there.

The change hadn’t really bothered Katsuki all that much. He didn’t really do emotions other than pride and anger. They were the only ones he felt he would need as a Hero anyway. Pride to showcase that he was the best and anger as fuel to fight Villains to a pulp. So, he wasn’t affected by Inko keeping some distance between them. But why was she here now?

“Welcome!” the principal greeted from his desk, with Yamada and Aizawa standing behind him on the mammal’s left and right respectively. “Please come in and take a seat.”

The chimera gestured a paw to the seats next to Inko to which the Bakugous moved to sit down with Mitsuki on the right, Masaru on the left, and Katsuki in the middle. Inko was positioned adjacent to them on the couch on their right with some space between her and the Old Hag. The greenette gave a nod in greeting to the family with a small smile but otherwise neutral expression. Katsuki wondered why but brushed it off as he turned his focus to the principal.

“Thank you for coming, Bakugou-san and Bakugou-san,” Nezu said. “I am Principal Nezu.”

Mitsuki and Masaru both introduced themselves and, since there were so many Bakugous in one room, insisted they be referred to by their first names. To avoid any confusion as to which Bakugou was being addressed. The mammal thanked them for that and the other two teachers introduced themselves as well before the meeting really began.

“It is nice to meet you even though the circumstances as to why are not as pleasant,” the principal said with a solemn tone. “As was informed to you via email and by Aizawa-san yesterday, Bakugou-kun was involved in an incident towards the end of the Sports Festival with another student. The actions taken and words spoken during the altercation have brought up some concerns in regards to your son.”

“What did you do, brat?” Mitsuki asked, turning to her son with a hard look.

“Nothing that concerns you, Old Hag!” Katsuki snapped back with a scowl.

“It apparently does since we’re here, Katsuki,” the mother retorted, staring her son down before turning back to the principal. “What did he do?”

Instead of answering, the chimera turned to Katsuki and asked, “Would you like to tell us what happened in your own words?”

Katsuki ground his teeth as he thought what he should say. What he could admit to while keeping the rest a secret. After all, the Heroes hadn’t come in until the end of their confrontation. There was only so much they could have heard and seen. Besides, it’s not like what they had talked about what any of their business. It was between him and Deku.

“Fine,” the blonde teen huffed as he crossed his arms. A typical thing for him to do but the trained Heroes saw it as a subconscious show of defensiveness. “I ran into Deku after I lost to that fuc-freak with the mind control Quirk.”

The explosive teen tried to hold back the swear because Auntie was there. Part of the need to at least attempt to tame his temper and brash personality. His own parents and those he went to school with knew that he swore like a sailor and he had no qualms holding back. But with Inko, it didn’t feel right to swear around her. She knew he did but he felt compelled to keep it to a minimum.

“Deku and I argued about shi-stuff and he started spouting cra-nonsense about still wanting to be a Hero. Said some bull about a chance to transfer courses or whatever. Pfft, yeah right, as if that’s a thing.”

Behind the desk, Aizawa’s posture stiffened for a moment as he glared at the teen under his bandages.

“Even if it were, Deku could never be a Hero because he doesn’t have a Quirk. Doesn’t have the power to become one. Him winning the festival has to be some kind of fluke because there’s no way he could win over everyone.”

Over me.

“Deku said he was winning because of his Support Items. Which are total cheats by the way because the other courses didn’t get to use them. Deku wasn’t fighting fair so I evened the playing field. And that’s it.”

The adults in the room stared at him in silence as he let out a huff and slumped back into the couch. Mitsuki and Masaru looked confused because his explanation had been vague. On purpose because like hell was he going to say more than he needed to. They also looked disappointed for some reason. Inko did as well but it was harder and irate. As if she knew there was more to what he had said. The principal’s face remained neutral while the teachers shared the same hard disappointed look as the greenette.

“Is that all?” Nezu asked from his place at his desk. “Absolutely nothing else?”

“That’s it,” Katsuki replied, letting out another huff and wanting this to end already. It was more explanation than he had ever had to give before.

The principal studied the student for a moment with his beady black eyes before sighing and said, “I had hoped more from you, Bakugou-kun. As a student in this school’s prestigious Hero Course, we at UA hold you, as well as your peers, to a high standard. For academics, course work, and also being honest and truthful to authority. However, it seems you refuse to be so.”

Huh?

“What do you mean ‘refuse to’?” Katsuki growled. “I told you what happened.”

“A rather short, choppy summary that held little to no information as to what actually happened,” Nezu retorted with a slight shake of his head. “Is there nothing else you wish to add to your own recounting of the events that took place before the final match?”

The principal looked at him expectantly for him to say more. But he wouldn’t. Deku and Katsuki had been the only ones in that room and were the only ones that knew what happened in there. If he was going to be in trouble for whatever they were accusing him of, he wasn’t going to add anything else to that fire. So, instead of answering, the blonde teen clicked his tongue and shook his head.

“Very well,” the chimera sighed and then turned to Aizawa behind him. “Aizawa-san, if you please.”

The teen’s red eyes watched at the tired man reached into his stupid scarf and pulled out a pair of green ski-like goggles. Katsuki eyed the odd thing to keep in a scarf as the Erasure Hero handed them to the principal. The chimera then placed the goggles on his desk positioned in a way for all those in the room to see them.

“Do you recognize these, Bakugou-kun?” Nezu asked with a tilt of his head. The blonde teen quirked an eyebrow in irritation and silent question. “They are the same pair of goggles that Midoriya-kun was wearing during the festival.”

“Why would I care about a stupid pair of the nerd’s goggles?” Katsuki asked with a roll of his eyes.

“Midoriya-kun was wearing them during the incident as well,” the mammal pointed out.

“And?” the blonde teen asked with a huff of annoyance.

Get on with it already.

“Because this pair,” Aizawa spoke up from Nezu’s right. “And its matching pair…”

The tired man reached into his scarf again to reveal an identical pair in all but color being yellow instead of green. Katsuki eyed between the goggles on the desk and the ones around his homeroom teacher’s neck suspiciously as the tired man continued.

“…have some added features. Such as infrared, a warning signal, and the ability to record.”

What.

Katsuki suddenly turned pale at the implications a recording of their ‘talk’ would bring.

“I’ve watched the recording provided by Midoriya-kun already,” Nezu said, his expression neutral but his tone hinted at an underlying anger in regards to what he had seen. “It does not paint a pretty picture I assure you.”

Deku fucking recorded it? Fucking why?

“So, I ask one more time, Bakugou-kun,” the principal said, eyeing the student in front of him sandwiched between his parents. “Would you like to tell us what happened, all of it, in your own words?”

Katsuki sat there for a moment thinking. If they had a recording and knew what happened, why did they keep asking for him to say it? What difference did it make? He didn’t think having him say it would do anything so he stubbornly kept quiet and shook his head.

“Very well,” Nezu said, turning to his computer. “Then we shall view the footage instead.”

With rapid clicks on the keyboard as well as the chimera taking out a remote from his desk, the curtains drew themselves dimming the room slightly as a screen lowered from the ceiling behind the principal. Aizawa and Yamada moved to stand on either side of the desk, the tired one on the side near Katsuki and the loud one on the other near Inko.

Nezu remained at his seat as the video would be projected onto the screen as well as on his computer monitor so he could see. But mostly it was so he could watch the reactions of the parents and student in front of him. The recording was not a pleasant one to watch and he wasn’t sure how his audience would react. The positioning of the other two Heroes would be beneficial if anything did happen though.

Once the room was set up, Nezu started the video. It started with a view of the wall only to shift with the nerd’s head as Deku had turned to a scowling Katsuki who had just barged into the room. In the peripheral of the feed, Katsuki now saw there were other boxes strewn on the other tables. He had been so hyper focused on Deku that he hadn’t noticed them before now.

What do you want, Katsuki?

The greenette’s tone was flat and tired. As if the nerd was already done with the blonde’s antics and he had only just entered the room. The video continued with Katsuki demanding the answers he sought. How the Quirkless boy had made it into the finals? How exactly had he beaten all the others to end up in the last match for first place? How had Deku been cheating his way the entire time?

I’m not cheating, Katsuki. I fought my way to here same as you.

But Deku hadn’t actually. He didn’t fight with his own power as Katsuki had because he didn’t have a Quirk. Had no natural power to fight with and instead relied on those stupid gadgets of his. The ones that the blonde still considered a cheat despite the rules saying they were allowed. Which on the video the greenette had said as much. Again.

The on-screen Katsuki reiterated his thoughts of Deku’s Support Items being a cheat regardless of the rules as well as that Troll Doll also having cheated somehow. Because how else could the weak Quirkless Deku and that manipulative Mindfucker be the ones to end up in the last match. Neither of them had a strong Quirk, or a Quirk at all in Deku’s case, so it didn’t make sense to the blonde that they had placed above him. As the recording of him said again, Katsuki viewed the Sports Festival as a competition for the Hero students alone as they were the ones being scouted. To which the nerd had the nerve to sass back at.

I’m trying my absolute hardest to see things from your perspective, but I just can’t get my head that far up my ass. Do you seriously believe the crap coming out of your mouth? The Hero Course isn’t above the other courses.

But it was, wasn’t it? The Hero Course was the most sought-after program at UA and the school itself was considered one of the top schools for Heroics. Which would mean that being in said course of said school would make one above others. Make them the best. Or at least, that’s what Katsuki thought despite Deku’s arguments that he was wrong.

This is a festival for everyone to compete and show what they can do. To prove something.

And what exactly are you here to prove, Deku?

That me being Quirkless doesn’t define who I am or what I am capable of. That, despite what people like you say, I am not ‘useless’ without a Quirk. That I have what it takes to be a Hero!

That’s still a load of crap, Katsuki thought as his on-screen counterpart said as much.

The video continued with Katsuki voicing his opinion on the ridiculousness of Deku still wanting to become a Hero. He wasn’t in the Hero Course, hadn’t taken the practical to even try, and he didn’t even have a Quirk to fight with anyway. Only that dumbass gear. At his harsh but true words, out of the corner of his red eyes he noticed Inko’s shoulders tense up but did not look away from the screen. On the other side, he caught a similar reaction from Aizawa at his claim that the Hero Practical was the only way into the Hero Course.

The footage played on as Deku had actually snorted at his words. Who went on to spew that crap about being able to transfer courses if he placed high enough in the festival. As if. Katsuki still didn’t believe that was a thing because he had never heard of a Hero who did that. And even if there was someone who had, the blonde figured they would be some weak ass sidekick in some minor Hero agency. A nobody.

On the screen, the explosive teen’s face grew bigger as he stepped closer to the nerd. Attempting to use his superior height as well as his harsh but necessary words of his uselessness to intimidate the other to back down. But he hadn’t. Instead, Deku claimed he wasn’t useless and said some shit about being a ‘blank canvas’ and having the ‘potential to do anything’. Stuff about Quirks being only a tool giving a person an edge in a fight and that his Support Items were his in place of a Quirk.

And there’s nothing you can do to stop me.

Like hell there hadn’t been. The feed didn’t show Katsuki’s exploding the nerd’s glove but it certainly caught the sound of it. Inko jumped at the noise and clenched her right hand. The same one the blonde had gone after before the nerd had kicked him away.

What the hell, Katsuki?!

Honestly, the blonde didn’t know why he had done it either. It was more on instinct than anything else. His inner rage at the whole situation looking for a way out that typically was vented through his explosions. A habit developed over the years as he wasn’t one to deal with his emotions and feelings since those weren’t important to becoming a Hero. A habit he used to get rid of those annoying cheats Deku had used to force his way into the finals. Starting with that stupid gun of his.

You say these are your edge in a fight, right?

Katsuki watched as his on-screen-self picked up one of the nerd’s dumb shoe things.

Your substitute for the natural power of a Quirk. So, if you no longer have this edge…

An explosion rang out as he destroyed the gizmo. Beside him, both his parents and Inko jumped at the sound.

…that means you won’t be able to fight.

Past Katsuki dropped the shoe which clattered to the ground out of frame.

You’ll only be…

He had grabbed the other one.

…as you always have been…

The footage showed him exploding the other part of the pair as well and dropped it like the first.

…a useless Quirkless loser.

For the next minute or so, the video featured him grabbing and exploding the rest of Deku’s cheats one by one. All while the shitty nerd did nothing to stop him and just stood there like an idiot as Katsuki put him in his place. Which was beneath him. Lesser. Lower. Powerless. Quirkless. A lesson he thought Deku was finally absorbing until the greenette snapped.

BAKUGOU, ENOUGH!

Just as it had the first time, the use of his family name and not his first made Katsuki flinch. He still couldn’t place what that sour feeling in his gut was, but it grew more as he glanced at Inko. The greenette mother had a hard look on her face with tears threatening to fall under furrowed brows and her mouth was taunt in a wobbly thin line. But still, she did not take her eyes off the screen.

Now listen here, nerd…

NO, YOU LISTEN, BAKUGOU! I’m sick and tired of you and all of your bullshit!!

The Katsuki in the video growled while the present one kept silent as Deku’s rant was displayed. Talking of how long they had known each other and bringing up what they had done together as children. Of their wish to be Heroes together.

But you can’t, Deku. Not without a Quirk. You would be defenseless and just get killed, you fucking idiot.

The nerd spoke of how Katsuki had changed after Deku had been diagnosed Quirkless. Which was true. Mostly it was due to anger because Deku being Quirkless ruined those plans to be Heroes together. So, at first it was because at-the-time four-year-old him was mad that since the greenette didn’t have a Quirk, that meant they could never be Heroes together. Then it grew to him being frustrated and angry that despite not having a Quirk, the shitty nerd still wanted to be a Hero.

You just fucking can’t, Deku!

At the word ‘bully’ being uttered by the nerd again, Katsuki found himself cringed just as his past-self did in the video. He still didn’t like that word being used to describe him. The blonde wasn’t a bully. He was just trying to teach Deku a lesson that he never seemed to learn. That he was useless and weak without a Quirk. That he could never be a Hero because of it. It was at that time that the Deku on the video dropped the bomb of the words Katsuki had regretted as soon as he had said them.

You even gave me a bit of advice once. ‘If you want a Quirk so bad, why don’t you take a swan dive off the roof and pray for a Quirk in your next life.’

As if knowing an outburst was coming, Nezu paused the video as Inko suddenly stood up in a rage facing him and yelled, “YOU TOLD MY BABY TO KILL HIMSELF?”

Katsuki flinched as the greenette mother moved forward as if she wanted to slap him for those words. But she was stopped by Mitsuki who had got up and grabbed her friend into a hug. Inko sobbed into the fellow mother’s embrace as the blonde woman maneuvered them to sit back down. Leaving space between the son and his mother as she attempted to comfort his Auntie.

‘But is she really your Auntie after everything you’ve said and done to her son?’ the inner voice chimed in.

Shut up! Katsuki yelled internally as the sour feeling grew again. He had never meant to hurt Inko like that.

The others in the room allowed some time for the distraught mother to calm down. When she did, Mistuki let her go from the hug but kept a comforting hold on her friend’s hand while wrapping her other arm around the greenette’s shoulders. Not moving back to sit by her son leaving him only with his dad as some kind of barrier. But judging by the disapproving grimace, Masaru was most likely not going to put up a fight to defend his son.

Once the two mothers were situated and gave an affirming nod to the principal upon being asked if they were okay to proceed, the chimera pressed play. On the screen, the nerd said something about the blonde’s regretted words were said on the same day he was supposedly attacked by a Villain. Which Katsuki didn’t buy because that had been the first he had heard of it. But Inko let out a gasp to his right at the mention.

Wait…did Deku actually get attacked by a Villain? Well, guess that proves it. This is why you can’t be a Hero, Deku. You had nothing to fight back with and had to be saved from a Villain by a Hero. Without a Quirk, you’re useless as you always have been.

The video of the confrontation continued and depicted Deku’s explanation of how he didn’t know Katsuki anymore. He watched his own conflicted face as the Quirkless boy spouted about how he wasn’t the Kacchan or even the Katsuki he once knew. The spat-out utterance of his last name again made him flinch as he had done before.

Katsuki had to listen again to Deku laying out what he had done to the other over the years. Treated him ‘like shit’ after he was declared Quirkless. Labeled him ‘useless’ since they were four. Had used his Quirk on the other until he finally grew a back bone and fought back. He cringed once more at being labeled a Villain by the greenette. Then came the outburst of an inner insecurity Katsuki was reluctant to ever admit to. But he did.

WHAT DID I EVER DO TO YOU, BAKUGOU?!

I THOUGHT YOU WERE LOOKING DOWN ON ME!

The blonde could see the conflict in his own red eyes in the recording. Watched as he confessed his insecurities of thinking the weakling in front of him had thought he was better than him. Which he couldn’t be because Katsuki was the best. Had to be the best. Because if he wasn’t, what else could he be? It was either he ended up the future Number One Hero or nothing. Otherwise, what would have been the point of everything he had done to the point? It was then Deku confessed his own thoughts.

Are you an idiot, Bakugou?! I LOOKED UP TO YOU, DUMBASS!

The shitty nerd’s words of acknowledgement of his strength and potential to be a ‘great Hero’ was bittersweet. Good to hear as further proof of his superiority but also not at the same time as it paired with that sour feeling. Katsuki watched his own conflicted expression as Deku called him out on his desire to be the best over anything else. Stating that that wasn’t what being a Hero was all about. That it was rather to ‘save people’.

Katsuki knew that. He wasn’t some airhead blonde who was stupid like that Discount Pikachu in his class. He knew Heroes were there to save the day and protect people from danger. No fucking shit. And it’s with power that a Hero does that. The more power a Hero has, the more people they could save. Like All Might. His idol and aspiration. But that wasn’t the Hero the nerd compared him to.

Strength helps, sure, but you won’t be a true Hero with your head so far up your ass that you don’t realize the way you’re acting is nowhere near Heroic. Do you know who you remind me of, Bakugou? Endeavor.

Even though it hadn’t been what he had meant to overhear, after all that IcyHot had revealed about his own father had Katsuki not appreciating the comparison. Not. One. Bit. His past-self said as much as his face became even bigger on the screen as he pinned the nerd to the wall.

Don’t you dare compare me to that bastard.

All the adults eyed him as the recording of him growled out the word ‘bastard’ in reference to the Number Two Hero. But Katsuki said and did nothing about it. Half-and-Half can deal with his own fucking problems. He had enough as it is.

The footage went on with Deku calling him out on his eavesdropping. So what? Heroes do that all the time for espionage. To learn all they could about any given situation. He was just practicing for when he was a Hero is all. The Quirkless shit continued comparing him to that ‘flaming pile of trash’ known as Endeavor. Not saying what he had done to deserve that description but it did earn the present blonde teen another eyeing from the adults. Which he ignored as they finally got to the fucking end of Deku’s rant.

You need to rethink why you want to be a Hero, Bakugou. Do you want to be one to help people like All Might? Or do you want to be one to be the best like Endeavor? The choice is up to you.

Deku’s words had at first stunned Katsuki as his mind had worked to process them. Had offered him two choices. Either become a true Hero like All Might or a sham of a Hero like Endeavor. This or that. One or the other. A sort of yin or yang choice. Either the light or the dark. A limited selection. Katsuki didn’t like being limited. And so, he made a third choice.

Which was not to choose.

Instead, as he always did, Katsuki allowed his anger to wash over him like a tsunami. Fueling his actions as he moved to let off an explosion against the nerd’s gut out of frame. All they could see on the screen was the feral look of pure rage on the blonde’s face as he screamed. Brows furrowed deep over angry eyes. The reds of his eyes so small in his fury that his eye appeared practically white fringed with blood veins around the edges. His teeth bare and mouth open as he let out the verbal embodiment of his ire. The sight of it brought back that sour feeling in his own gut as he saw himself for the first time through Deku’s eyes.

Is that really how he sees me? Katsuki thought as he felt like he was having a ‘walk a mile in one’s shoes’ moment if even for a second. Is this how I come off to other people?

The moment felt so much longer than it was and so Katsuki was caught by surprise same as his past-self was by a flash of white. He had to watch as he was dragged away from Deku toward his homeroom teacher. All while another blonde’s face, Yamada’s, took over the screen as he checked on the nerd. It was there that the video was paused.

Katsuki found himself wondering what exactly was going to happen to him as all his actions had been laid bare. But with no prior experience to a situation like this, he didn’t know what to expect. Of the teachers actually caring about Deku and saying what Katsuki had done was wrong. Something his inner voice had tried to tell him constantly over the years which he pointedly had ignored since no one outside of his head had told him so. Surely the absence of the mass’s voice in protest meant he was in the right even though his own mind told him he wasn’t.

Right?

Notes:

The goggles recording has been revealed! There's no brushing it under the rug now, Katsuki. You've been caught on candid camera, you angry pomeranian! And now Inko knows what Katsuki said to Izuku on that day. The Villain attack/Hero rescue will be brought up again in a future chapter. For now the focus is on Katsuki and his fuck-up-ery. (I know that's not a word but I'm going with it!)

So the sour feeling is Katsuki's guilt and the inner voice is his superego trying to talk sense into him. But Katsuki either doesn't know what the feeling is or chooses to ignore the voice. Instead letting his id take over his ego when his emotions are high. For some of that psychology goodness, ya know. But as of now, Katsuki isn't aware of this but will eventually with therapy. Even if he doesn't know he's getting that yet. :P

Katsuki still doesn't believe that transferring is possible. Aizawa is going to have some fun ripping off that delusional bandaid. XD Open up those angry red eyes to a whole world of possibilities he never considered. Because I feel Katsuki would only take notice of those in the rankings specifically those at the top. Not paying any mind to those outside of the rankings like Underground Heroes. He's more of a 'go big or go home' aspiring Hero.

Fun Facts About Japan:

Since Nezu essentially turned his office into a movie theater, we'll talk about that this chapter. In Japan, there is a different social etiquette when it comes to watching movies in a theater. In the US, people trade whispered comments and such during the movie all the time with friends and family. But in Japan, that is a no-no. Instead, Japanese people are silent during the movies. I mean drop-a-pin silent. Even during the end credits which they will sit through until the end. It's kind of unnerving in a way. But it's what they do to show respect for the movie as well as the other people watching it with them. Which can throw people off when it comes to whether they like the movie or not. That happened when Star Wars was first introduced to Japan. They thought the Japanese people didn't like it because they were so quiet during the movie but that's just how they are! XD They love Star Wars btw.

Toho Cinema is the big movie theater chain in Japan. Not sure if there are others but that's the main one. We had one just one train stop over in Yachiyo which was convenient. They would offer big release movies like Star Wars, Harry Potter, Marvel, etc. The big titles wouldn't have too much of a delay in premiering compared to the US. Though some smaller titles like Moana or Incredibles 2 for example I had to wait months to see after it opened in the US. The waiting game was real. :P The most famous Toho Cinema is the one in Shinjuku. It's the one with the giant Godzilla head on top of it. XD That was what greeted me my first night in Tokyo after a day of orientation. Definitely the first of many 'oh shit I'm in Japan' moments with Godzilla staring down at me.

That's it for this chapter! :D Up next, Katsuki will be introduced to his consequences. ;) The ship of retribution will finally set sail! Until then, hope you're all doing a-okay and let me know of typos or weirdness! :)

Chapter 5: Consequences

Notes:

Another long awaited chapter has come, dear readers! :D Bakugou being told his punishments. Hope you like what I came up with!

Just a reminder that I made a change to chapter 15 of part 1 for the start of 1-A's battle training. Added Katsuki's reaction to hearing Izuku's voice even though he was disguised. Also that the second sludge villain attack did not happen in this fic. In case you forgot. ;)

Warning for swearing because Katsuki pov.

Let's go!

Linktree to all the things!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

The atmosphere was tense and Katsuki almost couldn’t stand it. Here he was sitting next to his father on the couch in the principal’s office with his mother a short distance away next to his Auntie. Before him were three Heroes looking down on him with judgement in their eyes. Aizawa was glaring at him which somehow came through despite the bandages on his face. Nezu still maintained a neutral expression but he could see the anger in his beady black eyes. While Yamada looked both angry and disappointed at him.

“As you can see,” Nezu spoke up, drawing everyone’s attention to him as he righted the room back to its usual brightness and sent the screen away. “It was at this point that Aizawa-san and Yamada-san intervened. They reported to me that they found Bakugou-kun physically assaulting Midoriya-kun and so was restrained by Aizawa-san.”

The blonde teen’s eyebrow twitched in irritation as he remembered the trapped feeling he had felt from being tied up. It had not been pleasant as Katsuki did not like to be held back by anything. Physically or otherwise.

‘And yet you hold yourself back emotionally.’

Fuck off.

“There were also broken Support Items scattered on the floor,” the principal continued. “A result of his destruction of said Support Items which Bakugou-kun was later tasked to clean up by Aizawa-san. They also noted the sizable hole in Midoriya-kun’s uniform from the explosion Bakugou-kun had let off against his torso.”

To his left, Katsuki noticed his typically calm and collected father clench his fists on his knees in anger. To his right, both mothers had a hard look on their faces. Mitsuki with one of enraged disappointment and Inko with one of sorrow and concern for her own son. Perhaps even a bit of mourning for the boy she once knew in Katsuki, but now that image had been shattered with the sledgehammer the video had served as.

“Thankfully, Midoriya-kun is a rather forward-thinking individual,” the chimera said. “For he had created and worn a sort of under armor that is resistant to fire under his uniform to prevent injury. All of this is corroborated with a report from Recovery Girl the lack of damage to his torso as well as additional video evidence from Aizawa-san’s own goggles.”

The tired man gave an acknowledging nod to the parents in the room rather than to Katsuki. Inko gave him a thankful one in return for his service and gave one to Yamada as well for his part. The blonde Hero standing near her gave her a reassuring smile and a light pat on the shoulder in return.

“However, while he was not harmed by that explosion, he was injured by an earlier one that was not caught visibly, but rather audibly, on camera,” Nezu went on, placing his focus on Katsuki. “According to Midoriya-kun, Bakugou-kun purposefully reached out and set off an explosion on his right glove that he had been wearing at the time. The glove was a Support Item that channeled electricity and so upon being destroyed, it electrocuted Midoriya-kun and will leave permanent scars on his right hand.”

Katsuki cast his eyes down to his knees to avoid looking at either of his parents or his Auntie. Not wanting to see their expressions in reaction to that. Internally he was reeling because he hadn’t meant to harm the nerd in such a permanent way. It had been an impulse in the heat of the moment to reach out and let off an explosion on the shitty glove. Not entirely a conscious decision on his part. It just…happened.

‘And set off a series of more explosions when you destroyed all his other Support Items.’

He couldn’t argue with that even though he wanted to. Even saying it was to ‘even the playing field’ as he had said before sounded like a weak argument. Even to him. In the past before the nerd learned to fight back, he had let off explosions against Deku causing injury as a means to teach him he was powerless and therefore weak. Then the next day the nerd would show up with bandages having clearly treated the burns and so never developed any noticeable scars over the years. Which also probably stemmed from a possible resistance to fire most likely inherited from Deku’s dad who could breathe fire.

Fuck. I’m starting to think like Deku.

‘Is that really such a bad thing?’

“Aside from the physical assault,” Nezu spoke. “There were some concerning comments during the, uh, ‘conversation’ that we’d like to bring attention to.”

The mammal turned to Aizawa and gave a prodding nod as he knew the Erasure Hero would have choice words to say to his student. The tired man huffed out an irked breath before speaking.

“During all this, Midoriya mention several things I’d like to address,” Aizawa drawled, his tone tired but determined as this was his least favorite part of this job but knew it was necessary. “First off, Midoriya claims that Bakugou has acted as a bully to him in the past. This is not the first time he has mentioned such a thing though it was more watered down than this.”

The hell? When did Deku start talking to Aizawa? He’s not in 1-A and has no reason to.

“While waiting at the bus before the USJ incident,” Aizawa said, earning a confused glare from Katsuki. “He told me that when he had been declared Quirkless Bakugou started ‘teasing’ him. Now I know what that ‘teasing’ was. Not to mention he said that Bakugou apparently has a tendency to announce that Midoriya is Quirkless without his consent. Thankfully having to work with his childhood bully did not affect Midoriya’s performance during the attack.”

The fuck?

“What does Deku have to do with the USJ?” Katsuki questioned with a scowl. “He wasn’t there.”

“Oh, but he was,” Aizawa shot back with a hidden grin. “Did you know, Bakugou, that Midoriya was the one to observe your Battle Training at the beginning of the year?”

“What are you talking about?” the teen said with a huff. “No, he wasn’t. If he was, I would have known.”

“You would…if he hadn’t disguised himself,” the Erasure Hero said with inner delight at the teen’s confused expression. “Which he did feeling the need to hide. Even came up with a code name. Do you remember Hiro?”

Katsuki sat there trying to remember a Hiro extra. He remembered the other extras in his class mentioning something about a Hiro not wanting Katsuki to know something. Then he remembered that weird muttering extra wearing a stupid beanie and shitty goggles all while scribbling in a dumb notebook. One that had reminded him of Deku but he had written it off as coincidence at the time. But not anymore.

That’s why that Hiro extra didn’t want me to know who he was…the nerd was Hiro all along? Deku thought…he thought he had to hide from me?

“I’m going to assume that ‘Deku’ is the ‘belittling nickname’ Midoriya mentioned,” Aizawa continued with a serious tone. “One given by you as he said to ‘label’ and ‘show’ how ‘useless’ you think a person without a Quirk is. That, along with any physical abuse to go with any additional verbal on top, is Quirk discrimination.”

“Hah?” Katsuki scoffed with a quirked brow. “How is that Quirk discrimination? The nerd doesn’t even have a fuc-freaking Quirk to discriminate against.”

“Attacking someone by physical or verbal means because they don’t have a Quirk is discrimination,” the angry tired man growled. “Being prejudiced of someone for their Quirk or lack of one is against the law. Something that should have been addressed years ago since apparently you have been bullying Midoriya since he was four.”

At this point, the Erasure Hero sent an accusing look to Katsuki’s parents. Both of whom looked guilty for not having done more to guide their son.

“I want to apologize on behalf of my son,” Masaru said with a bow.

“I do as well,” Mitsuki added with her own bow. “We knew that something had changed between Izuku and Katsuki. Inko even told me as much when they were younger and Izuku had come home with a burn. We tried to address it but Katsuki had claimed it was an accident and Izuku didn’t say anything different.”

The blonde mother then turned to her friend with an apologetic sadness.

“I am so sorry, Inko,” Mitsuki said to the fellow mother. “I didn’t know it was this bad. Katsuki never said anything about this happening and Izuku never did either when I would see him. We never even got a call from the schools nor did the teachers say anything when we had parent-teacher conferences with them. Only saying how he was on track to be a Hero. If I had known…I would have done something about this sooner.”

Then the Old Hag turned to him.

“How could you treat Izuku like this?” the woman asked, her red eyes filled with angered disbelief. “You were best friends growing up. How could you hurt someone like him? Why did you feel the need to attack him like this?”

From behind his mother, Katsuki could see his Auntie staring at him with saddened curiosity. Those dark green eyes searching his red ones for those same answers. Of how he could hurt her child as he had. An additional pair of greenish yellow eyes of the Voice Hero beside her also looked at him waiting for his response.

“Yes, son,” his father said, turning to his son for the first time since they got there. “Why did you do all of this?”

The teen shifted to look at his dad whose disappointment for his child’s actions was clear in his forlorn brown eyes. Beside him the Erasure Hero glared at him with partially obscured judging black eyes. Katsuki turned away from them to see Nezu’s own black eyes watching him. Or rather studying him. Examining him. As if he was under a magnifying glass.

Having the weight of everyone’s attention on him was suffocating. Typically, Katsuki reveled being the center of attention. But not this time. This wasn’t the typical spotlight he was used to. This wasn’t showering him with praise. This was different. This was judgment.

Judgment was not something he had experienced before. Not really anyway. No one before now had ever called him out on his actions towards Deku. No teacher or extra. Not even the Quirkless nerd himself did really anything about it except for learning to fight back. Even when Katsuki had spat those regretted baiting words, Deku had said nothing back.

His parents had tried but they had never known the extent of what he had done. Unaware of his dealings in school where the teachers and extras gave him nothing but praise for him and his strong Quirk. Doing or saying nothing about his actions and words towards the weak useless Quirkless Deku. Raising the student with the most potential to be a Hero up while pushing down the student who was destined to amount to nothing.

But now his actions, his words, were being called out. Revealed to his parents and Auntie. Scrutinized by his teachers. Ones who were also Pro Heroes. A title he still desired to claim as his own in the future. To join the ranks of those who fight back evil. To use this strong Quirk he had been gifted and become the Hero he was destined to be. Something that Deku could never be. Not without a Quirk.

Why do they care?

Auntie cared. Of course, she did. Deku was her son. But she wasn’t delusional like Deku was. She too didn’t think that he could be a Hero because he was Quirkless. He knew this because of her expressing her concern for her stubborn child’s sole focus on an unobtainable dream while visiting his parents at his house. Views that Mitsuki and Masaru shared with the greenette mother. A confirmation to his own beliefs he had overheard repeatedly over the years during their talks.

They understood it was impossible. Had known it was pointless for Deku to dream so big. That his lack of Quirk negated his aspirations. Leaving him with nothing but pipe dreams of being the Hero that saves the day. Even if he had taken the Hero Practical and had somehow managed to get into the Hero Course, the level of Hero the Quirkless fucker could have become would be next to nothing. The amount of help miniscule and negligible in the grand scheme of things.

Deku being a Hero was pointless.

This was a fact that was long embedded in Katsuki’s mind. Deku was Quirkless. Deku was useless. Deku could never be a Hero like Katsuki would be. Deku would die if he tried. Deku needed to know this before he got himself killed for his stupidity. Deku needed to get it through that thick head under his shitty mess of green hair that his useless, Quirkless ass could never ever be a Hero. Not without a Quirk.

Why did I do this? I’ll tell you why.

“Because Deku needed to learn!” Katsuki snapped in answer.

“Learn what, Bakugou?” Aizawa asked with a growl.

“Deku is Quirkless,” the blonde teen replied. “And yet, despite that he still wants to be a Hero. But he can’t. He never could once he was declared Quirkless.”

“Why is that, Bakugou-kun?” Nezu inquired as he sat at his desk with his paws steepled before him.

“Because if he became a Hero without a Quirk,” Katsuki explained. “There was going to be a time when he would be overpowered. With no Quirk to defend himself with. But because of how impulsive the stupid nerd can get, I know he would just go in fighting anyway. Getting in over his head and where else could that lead him except to get hurt or even die.”

I don’t want Deku to die.

“So, you’re saying you did all of this to prevent Midoriya-kun from getting injured?” Nezu asked, earning a nod from the teen. “I must ask you. If you were so concerned for his safety, why did you physically assault him? Why did you tell him to kill himself?”

Inko flinched at the mention of the suicide baiting. Mitsuki gave her a comforting squeeze around her shoulders as to keep her focus on the fellow mother even though she was itching with anger at her son. Masaru merely stared at his son with disappointed curiosity. Nezu still remained neutral and appeared calm. Yamada was oddly quiet for being such a loud mouth most of the time. Though he did have a lot to say but internally questioned his ability to control his Quirk due to his emotional state in the moment. As for Aizawa, he was glaring.

The tired man did not like that the teen thought his actions were justified just because the green one didn’t have a Quirk. That he couldn’t fight because he was Quirkless. It reminded him of his own childhood and how he had been judged because of Erasure. It wasn’t a physical Quirk and only took another person’s Quirk away except for mutant types. But it was enough to bring the fight to a Quirkless one. Where one could only rely on their own physical strength and training. Which is what Midoriya had done in his opinion. Except, rather than erasing the Quirks as he did, the green one instead counteracted them with his Support Items. Ones that were inspired by the Quirks of others.

“Because Deku needed to learn,” Katsuki replied.

“You said that before,” Nezu said with a tilt of his head. “But that does not answer my question. Why did you decide to use your actions and words towards Midoriya-kun in such a negative fashion? Why did you approach this concern for his safety with such violent actions and harsh words? It seems to me that attacking someone whose wellbeing you are concerned for is counterintuitive. So I ask you again, why did you do this?”

Katsuki sat there for a moment trying to come up with an answer to the question of why he had done what he did. Searching for some reasoning in his mind but was coming up blank. Because he had never thought about it before. Not even during the events themselves. Only going on pure instinct every time. Letting whatever his subconscious mind came up with happen whether with his fists or his mouth.

“I…I don’t know,” the teen admitted with brows furrowed in confusion. “I just did. And no one said anything about it before. Not once.”

The principal hummed in thought before asking, “Are you implying that no one in your previous schools did anything to curb this behavior?”

“No, they didn’t,” Katsuki muttered, clenching his fists for a moment while still having his arms crossed. “None of the extras ever said anything and even joined in. Sometimes even the teachers got in on it too.”

Inko let out a choked sob at that as it confirmed what her own child had said. That the teachers in his previous schools who had been tasked to take care of him hadn’t. That they had done nothing to protect her baby all while telling her that everything was fine. Mitsuki pulled her into another hug and quietly shushed her as the meeting went on. Both to give comfort as well as seeking some for herself. For she too was learning for the first time the ineptitude of her child’s past educators. Masaru was also reeling from that revelation and was silently stewing sitting next to his son. His own child who he apparently didn’t know as well as he thought he had.

“Why do you think they did that, Bakugou-kun?” Nezu inquired. “Why did they allow you to treat a fellow classmate like this?”

“Because they knew that I would be a Hero one day,” Katsuki offered in answer. “Because they knew what I’ve known since I was a kid. That I was born to be a Hero!”

“No one is ‘born’ to be a Hero, Bakugou,” Aizawa snapped, drawing everyone’s attention to him. “Heroes are trained. There’s no chosen one or destined bound Heroes. They’re all just people who worked their way into that position. As Midoriya has done in the Sports Festival.”

“So fucking what?!” Katsuki growled, too pissed to watch his language. “So, the shitty nerd got first place. That doesn’t mean a damn thing. He’s not in the Hero Course. He didn’t even take the fucking practical. Didn’t even try because he knew he would fail. As he would fail to be a Hero without a Quirk. The Old Hag and Dad know that. Even Auntie knows that. Everyone knows he can’t be a Hero. Deku can dream all he damn well pleases but he is never getting into the Hero Course! The practical is the only way!”

To his right, Inko let out a gasp at his words and gave him an incredulous look. Mitsuki and Masaru also stared at their son in shock. Having not known their words of concern for the Quirkless boy had been fuel for the blonde teen’s beliefs. Had influenced his views and were used as justification for his actions and words. But Katsuki’s attention was not on them and instead was drawn to his irate homeroom teacher.

“That’s where you are wrong, Bakugou,” Aizawa hissed. “Who am I?”

The fuck kind of question is that?

“You’re Aizawa,” Katsuki answered with a quirked brow. “My homeroom teacher.”

“What else?” the tired man pressed.

What else?

“What more do you fucking want?” the teen spat out with a huff.

“Other than a teacher, I am a Pro Hero, Bakugou,” Aizawa fumed. “I fight Villains in the dead of night or in the darkest alleys with no recognition whatsoever. Made quite a name for myself among law enforcement but not among the people. And do you want to know how I got into the Hero Course? By winning the Sports Festival my first year. Transferring from General Studies to the Hero Course.”

The blonde teen looked at the man as if he had grown a third head. Because there was no fucking way that could be real. The man had to be lying. He just had to! Or else that would mean that Deku was right. But Deku was never right.

Right?

“This has got to be a joke, right?” Katsuki let out with a desperate laugh. “You’re all just fucking with me. There’s no way that’s a thing. No fucking possible way.”

“We are very much not joking, Bakugou-kun,” the principal insisted. “We are in fact being quite serious.”

“Why the hell do you care about Deku?” Katsuki demanded to know. “No one cared about him before.”

“Because he is a student of UA same as you,” Nezu replied. “With all the same rights and privileges as you. Who apparently has been neglected in an academic setting prior to this, but we at UA have a zero-tolerance policy on bullying and Quirk discrimination. Both of which you are guilty of on school property. Such misconduct would warrant expulsion.”

The room fell deathly quiet at that last statement. Mitsuki and Masaru shared a look as they both thought about how on earth things had gotten this bad. Inko mentally played around with the idea of the teen being expelled even though she knew the actual punishments to be dealt out. The Heroes knew as well but were allowing the gravity of the situation settle on the trouble maker’s shoulders. While Katsuki sat there frozen at the threat.

Never in his life had he ever imagined he would be threatened with expulsion. Or with any kind of punishment when it came to how he treated the Quirkless boy. No one had said or done anything about it before. Never did anything to indicate what he had been doing to Deku was wrong. Even the shitty nerd had done nothing about it. No one had.

‘Except for Inko not taking him over to your house anymore.’

Shut. Up.

‘Him taking self-defense to be able to fight back.’

Shut up.

‘Him avoiding you and even resorting to disguising himself.’

Shut up!

‘Him making Support Items to make up for his Quirk and wielding them better than you did your Quirk.’

SHUT UP!

Him winning the Sports Festival. Not. You.’

“SHUT UP!!” Katsuki yelled aloud in hopes that the inner voice would shut the fuck up.

The rest of the room was surprised as no one had been talking for the last few moments as the teen sat there in thought. The three parents looked at the teen in worry while the Heroes with concern. Aizawa had even moved into a defensive position just in case things got physical. Which would be a very bad thing to do in the principal’s office but after having seen the explosive boy go after Midoriya with no qualms, it seemed like a possibility. One he was prepared to stop.

“I beg your pardon?” Nezu asked, breaking the tense silence.

“Why do you fucking care about the shitty nerd?!” Katsuki yelled with arms splayed open in rage. Explosions threatening to pop out of his tense hands but he held them back as he ranted. “Why now?! No one cared before. Not one! So why do you care now? He’s just a useless Quirkless nobody who will never amount to anything! Less than nothing and shouldn’t even been allowed to go to this school. Everyone knew that except for him himself. So why the fuck now do you people care? What is so fucking special about Deku?!”

“Because he is a PERSON!” Nezu snapped as he slammed his paws down on his desk. His neutral expression was gone with him now looking almost feral with his teeth bared. “He is a boy who has been mistreated by you and others for years for something out of his control. He did not ask to be born Quirkless much like how I did not ask to be an animal with a Quirk. Yet we both experienced mistreatment from people like you.”

Katsuki stared at the chimera in actual real fear. An emotion he hadn’t really experienced before now. Perhaps for a moment during the USJ attack when the Noumu had been coming right at him before All Might had pushed him out of the way. But with the principal of UA glaring daggers at him with his animal ferocity, the sight shot a shiver of fear down his spine. Nezu was being entirely serious right now.

“Midoriya-kun has always had a dream to be a Hero and help people,” the chimera continued, his expression regaining some kind of composure but was still angry. "But instead of supporting him, he was faced with ridicule for it. All because he was born without a Quirk. Genetics do not dictate who we are or what we become. If that were the case, I would still be stuck in that laboratory instead of sitting here as I am today. Midoriya-kun fought his way up the ranks yesterday same as Aizawa did back in his time at UA as a student. Used his natural gifts to come up with a solution to make up for not having a Quirk.”

“What ‘natural gifts’?” Katsuki questioned with a huff as he folded of his arms in irritation. “Deku is Quirkless. He has no power.”

“True, he does not possess a Quirk,” Nezu stated with a nod. “However, a Quirk is only one type of gift a person is given when they are born. Midoriya-kun may not have a Quirk but he has one of the brightest minds I have seen in a long while. He had managed to catch Aizawa-san’s eye on the very first day of school as he and Shinsou-kun were training for the festival. Aizawa-san took up training the two boys after school as well as brought Midoriya-kun’s analysis to my attention.”

“You mean his stalker notebooks?” Katsuki huffed as he slumped back against the couch. How the fuck do they know about the nerd’s shitty notebooks? “Deku was always writing in those like a creep. Writing about all the Quirks he can’t ever have.”

“Those ‘stalker notebooks’ hold a treasure trove of information,” Nezu retorted with a hard look that was paired with one from the tired man as well. “The sheer amount of data on Heroes in those thirteen volumes are both a gift and a curse. A gift to us Heroes who can use Midoriya-kun’s insight to become better. But also, a curse if the same information were to ever fall into the wrong hands. Which is why I took it upon myself to make Midoriya-kun my personal student for his analysis. To both nurture and protect his information.”

Deku? Nezu’s personal student? Also trained by Aizawa himself? The fuck is going on with the world. Why do the teachers care so much about the shitty nerd? He’s just a Quirkless loser.

‘No, he’s a Quirkless winner.’

Fuck.

“Your actions yesterday are unacceptable,” Nezu declared with a more neutral expression but with a hint anger still there. “As well as your views of your peers. However, no matter how much it is justified to expel you for your transgressions, I will not. For the same reason you were not disqualified from the Sports Festival which would have also been warranted. That reason being because Midoriya-kun asked for it himself.”

What?

“What do you mean he asked for it?” Katsuki asked with furrowed brows.

“Exactly that,” the chimera replied. “Midoriya-kun requested for you to not be disqualified as he claimed such a punishment would not work with you. Having learned more about your views and your past teachers’ mistreatment of both of you, I cannot help but agree with him. He also said that by allowing you to experience placing in third that it would be ‘punishment in and of itself’ to you.”

Deku seriously asked for that. The fuck! That makes that piece of trash of a medal even more worthless! I don’t need Deku’s fucking charity. Wait…what was that bit on mistreatment?

“What do you mean ‘mistreatment to both of us’?” Katsuki questioned as he loosening his arms to lean forward in search of the answer while putting his weight on his his elbows placed on his knees. “I wasn’t fucking mistreated. They let me do whatever I wanted. They did everything they could to get me into UA so I could become the Hero I’m meant to be.”

“That, in your case, is the mistreatment,” the chimera answered, gaining a confused look from the teen. “Another point that was brought up by Midoriya-kun this morning. By allowing you to ‘do whatever you wanted’, they did not teach you the necessary lessons about treating your peers with respect. Through their inaction, they instead taught you to look down on others and that your misconduct was justified. Their negligence as teachers has misguided you to where you are sitting today. Here in my office facing the consequences of your actions.”

Consequences? The fuck! I’ve never been punished by teachers before. They only ever praised me for my Quirk and potential to be a Hero. Even Deku knows that Explosion is strong and perfect for Heroics. He had said so himself.

‘But he also said you’ve let your ego take over. That you care more about being the best than helping people.’

So what? The stronger and higher ranked Hero I am, the more people I can help by taking down the Villains. Once I’m Number One, everyone will know I have the power to beat them all.

“As I said, you were not disqualified and we will not be expelling you,” the principal said. “Reason being another point Midoriya-kun brought up this morning. That when Hero schools were first developed, their intended purpose was to rehabilitate Vigilantes to become the first known Pro Heroes. To transform them from the outlaws they were to become law abiding and defending Heroes to protect the peace.”

Katsuki scowled at the inference of rehabilitation and the subtle hint of him being compared to those that broke the law. Though being compared to a Vigilante was a tiny bit better than being compared to a Villain.

‘Like Izuku had?’

Shut it.

“Now, I wouldn’t go as far as to label you a Vigilante,” Nezu said. “Even if you did use your Quirk illegally as well as in an attempt to harm another. However, your actions have put your attendance as a student of UA in a precarious position. You have looked down upon your peers and have openly attacked or attempted to attack two students. Any other school would see you as a lost cause and be done with you here and now. But Midoriya-kun seems to believe not all hope is lost for you.”

Mitsuki and Masaru looked to the principal in anticipation while Katsuki sat there grumbling to himself. Inko waited patiently for the principal to reveal the decided upon punishments for the boy who had attacked and bullied her son. As for the Heroes, the tired one and the loud one both felt an itch of impatience for the chimera to finally reveal the consequences for the explosive teen’s actions. While Nezu was savoring the moment.

“While I won’t be expelling you, the punishment must match the transgression,” Nezu announced. “While I allowed Midoriya-kun to voice his opinion as to what your punishment will be, the ultimate decision is mine as the principal of UA. Therefore, any and all punishments have been decided upon by me and I do not want to hear of any retaliation coming from you.”

The teen merely grunted and clicked his tongue in response while slumping back with his arms crossed as the chimera continued.

“You stand charged with assaulting a student as well as cheating by destroying his personal property. Despite you calling them a cheat, breaking them was cheating on your part. Taking away his advantage to become yours in turn. Similar to harming another outside of a sanctioned match.”

What?! I didn’t cheat. Bakugou Katsuki does not cheat.

“You are also charged with attempting to assault another student. Twice. Once after your match had ended and again in the nurse’s office as Recovery Girl reported to me. I will also be looking into your past records and schools to determine the extent of the charges of bullying and other misconduct.”

Katsuki sat there with a scowl staying strangely quiet as the principal talked. Trying to process what was happening to him. His parents were quiet as well as they waited to learn the fate of their son. Those in the know patiently waited for the mammal to reveal his decision.

“For these transgressions, your punishments are thus,” Nezu said, feeling internally gleeful at being able to dish out some well-deserved consequences. “In lieu of being expelled, you will be suspended for two weeks. This will be an in-school suspension and will be served on campus under teacher supervision. You will be isolated from your peers during regular lessons as well as lunch and training. You will also be banned from the internships starting in a week’s time.”

“WHAT?!” Katsuki shouted, instinctively spreading his arms wide in a hostile force of habit. “You can’t do that! The first internships are important in becoming a Hero. Being scouted for them is the whole fucking point for the Sports Festival.”

“I can and I am banning you from attending them,” the chimera growled, his anger showing through again. “The internships are a privilege, not a right. One that you are not eligible to take part in due to your own actions. Instead, you will spend that time here at UA continuing your suspension under teacher supervision. Attending a mixture of training that you would have gotten on the internship as well as remedial lessons on human decency, Quirk discrimination, and other subjects. To be taught by the teachers and other experts. You will also be tasked with writing apology letters to Midoriya-kun and Shinsou-kun for your actions against them.”

The teen folded his arms and slumped back again at that. Well, at least he would be doing something during that time. Being allowed to train would be helpful though he doubted he would get anything out of the extra lessons. Also, fucking apology letters? Seriously? He didn’t do apologies.

“In addition…”

There’s fucking more?

“…you will be required to attend mandatory therapy and anger management sessions with the school counselor, Inui Ryou also known has Hound Dog, for the entirety of your time at UA.”

Fucking therapy? Seriously?

Katsuki wasn’t some weak ass shithead who needs to talk about his ‘feelings’. He doesn’t do feelings. Only pride and anger. Those are all he needs to be a great Hero.

‘Like Endeavor?’

Fuck off!

“You will receive marks for bullying and suicide baiting on your school records once I have collected all the evidences concerned with that. You will also be on a probation status for the rest of the year. Your behavior will be monitored closely by the teachers and staff. Any misstep from you will be documented and corrected as needed.”

Great. So, he was going to be watched under a microscope. Just fucking great.

“Now, we can’t exactly have a restraining order situation here. As Aizawa-san has two open spots in his class as well as has requested to have you still in his homeroom to keep an eye on you. However, you are to stay away from Midoriya-kun and Shinsou-kun as much as possible during class time and outside of it. Until decided otherwise by Hound Dog.”

Fuck. They were going to be in 1-A with him? That’s bullshit! Stupid fucking bullshit that seriously pissed Katsuki off. That the Quirkless nobody was going to be in the same top Hero class as him who was destined to be the best. Him and his Troll Doll friend. It was absolutely incredibly fucking ridiculous.

‘And there’s nothing you can do about it.’

Damn it!

“Changes will be made to seating arrangements as to be decided by Aizawa-san. You are also forbidden from calling Midoriya-kun ‘Deku’ ever again.”

What?!

“I’ve been calling him Deku for fucking years!” Katsuki spat as he unfolded his arms and pounded his fists down on his knees. “He’s never said anything about it. What the fuck am I supposed to call him?”

“By his name,” Nezu quipped back. “His first name with his permission or his family name if not. However, I will not tolerate the term ‘Deku’ to be uttered in this school in the demeaning way you have intended it to be. Calling someone a term that means ‘useless’ in reference to their Quirklessness is another kind of bullying and discrimination. Therefore, you are banned from referring to Midoriya-kun as such.”

The actual fuck? Why would they care about that?

Katsuki didn’t get it. Didn’t understand. He had been calling the nerd Deku since they were four. Since his uselessness was revealed at his lack of Quirk. No one had said anything about it. Wrote it off initially as a misread of the nerd’s name and eventually accepted it as a habit and the norm. So engrained into the explosive teen’s mind that the thought of calling him anything else made his brain hurt. What the hell was he supposed to call the greenette now?

‘Izuku. With permission as Nezu said. Or Midoriya. As you deserve for what you’ve said and done to him.’

Having that nickname banned from his spoken vocabulary brought that sour feeling back. Similar to the one he got when the nerd stopped calling him Kacchan and again when Deku had declared he wasn’t even Katsuki to him. Instead, he was only Bakugou to the Quirkless boy.

Resorting to his family name removed any sign of closeness or how many years they had known each other. Removed any indication to their connection and childhood spent playing Heroes in hopes to become ones together. Intensified that sour feeling to one that was biting and bitter. A caustic sensation that made him feel sick to his stomach.

What the fucking hell is that feeling?

Despite having been very talkative today, the inner voice gave no answer. Perhaps it too didn’t know what that feeling was and so had no answer to give. Whatever the feeling was, it was acidic and abrasive. Burning pain in his gut that had nothing to do with his Quirk. An agonizing sensation that he didn’t even have a name for.

The blonde teen was broken from his thoughts as the principal continued speaking.

“All of these conditions to your punishment are mandatory if you are to continue to be a Hero student here at UA,” Nezu stated with a serious tone. “If you do not comply or make no effort to use this second chance we are graciously offering you, I will have no choice but to remove you from the Hero Course. Whether by transferring you to General Studies until you do show progress or, if there is none and your behavior worsens, I will be forced to expel you from UA altogether. A scenario Midoriya-kun himself agrees with despite his arguments against expelling you in the first place.”

Again, with Deku being involved in this ridiculous situation of Katsuki getting punished for something he has done for years. Never told once that what he had been doing was wrong. Not until UA. Why was UA so different from his old schools? The teen didn’t understand how he had ended up in these circumstances.

“With all that taken into consideration,” the princepal concluded. “Do you agree to these terms, Bakugou-kun?”

The adults waited as the teen sat there thinking over the proposal. Katsuki still didn’t get why he had ended up here. Sitting in the principal of UA’s office discussing punishments for his actions. Ones he has done time and time again before attending his dream school. Only to be told that the years he spent trying to teach the shitty nerd his place in the world were actually years of bullying. That he, Bakugou Katsuki the future Number One Hero, was wrong.

He didn’t understand. Didn’t know why they cared so much when no one had before. Why here? Why now? Why ever? Other than Auntie and his parents, no one had cared about the nerd. Well, Deku’s dad too he guessed though he hadn’t seen him for a long time. Not since the accident. Even then, Katsuki didn’t care for Deku’s dad all that much and he had a guess that the feeling was mutual.

Hisashi had never shown the same affection to him as Inko had. Nor to really anyone else for that matter other than Auntie and the nerd. The elusive father was more of a loner than anything else. Other than Inko and Deku, Hisashi had no family that Katsuki was aware of as the man never had talked much about his past. Even took Auntie’s last name instead of his own as he had ‘no other family than them’. Or so he said.

The teen didn’t know what Hisashi did for a living, only that it kept him constantly busy. However, despite that the father still made time to tend to his family. Even after the accident that kept them apart physically and resorted to visual and verbal communication. A change which Katsuki knew as he had heard Inko mention it at times during her visits. But other than his wife and son, Hisashi didn’t really interact with anyone else in their neighborhood. Not even the teen’s own parents who would visit the Midoriya household periodically.

Hisashi had been polite during those meetings but made no attempt to get closer to the Bakugous like Inko had. Always kept his distance from making ties with anyone. Only showing any attachment to his family and especially his son. Whenever Katsuki had been forced to join them and had to witness the father doting on the shitty nerd, the blonde felt like he wanted to puke at the sight. He and his dad never acted vomit worthy like that.

‘But would you want to?’

The answer was no. Katsuki didn’t need that from his dad. He knew that Masaru cared. Like when he had left food outside of his room earlier today. His father understood his son well and what kind of affection he was okay with. Knew that Katsuki wasn’t the mushy type. They would share hugs and calming touches when needed, but for the most part Masaru showed his affection through his actions rather than being tactile or with words. He showed he cared in his own way.

‘Then why do you care that other people care about Izuku?’

Because it didn’t make any sense. Other than their parents, no one outside of the two households had ever cared for the Quirkless boy. No one at school or outside of it. No students, no teachers, no neighbors had ever said a thing. Nor had he ever been approached by a Hero or other authority figure. Not a single damn person had ever told him what he had been doing was wrong.

Until now.

That’s what confused him. Why Katsuki didn’t understand how he got here. The teachers of UA were the first to ever tell him different. To say anything at all really. That he was wrong and that Deku wasn’t useless. That through their inaction, the teachers in his past had mistreated him. Both of them. That the nerd wasn’t just some Quirkless extra in his story to become the Number One Hero. That Deku had potential that was seen by Aizawa and Nezu who both apparently had taken it upon themselves to train the nerd. That his Quirk stalking was actually useful and dangerous. It was overwhelming and he didn’t know what to do about it.

However, despite all of that and being confused about it all, there was one thing he knew he had to do. Katsuki had to say ‘yes’. Because all he has ever wanted, ever dreamed of doing, was to become a Hero. He thought he had been on track before. He was the only one from that shitty middle school to make it into UA’s Hero Course. Had wanted to be the only one to go to UA altogether but Deku had gone the safe route and applied for the Support Course instead.

‘On purpose and with reasons in hopes of transferring after the Sports Festival.’

It was true. Katsuki didn’t want to believe it. Had dismissed Deku’s words of there being another way into the Hero Course other than the practical. Because how could that be a thing? But it was apparently and Aizawa stood as evidence to that. He had done the exact same thing Deku had done. Fought his way through the Sports Festival and beat all others to come out on top. Proving his worth to be a Hero. Meaning that Katsuki had been wrong about the Quirkless boy who had stood proudly in the first-place spot standing above him in third.

Now here he was, in the principal’s office discussing Katsuki’s fitness to be in the esteemed UA Hero Course while Deku and that Mind Fucker would be transferred to his class. For as long as the blonde stayed in that class. If he said ‘no’ here, Katsuki would probably be demoted to Gen Ed and would have to ‘prove’ he was worthy of the Hero Course. Again. But if he said ‘yes’, then he would remain in 1-A and still be able to pursue his destiny to be the Number One Hero.

It would be annoying being under UA’s microscope. Observing his every move and try to change who he was through remedial classes and therapy. Attempt to make him into something he’s not. But despite that, Katsuki was willing to put up with their bullshit in order to stay in the Hero Course. He could handle it. So, with an irritated but conceding huff, Katsuki gave his answer.

“Yes.”

Notes:

There you have it! Explodey boy has been told his punishments. With a few more revealed from what was discussed during Izuku and Hitoshi's meeting. ;) I hope I got Mitsuki and Masaru alright. There's more interaction between Mitsuki and Katsuki next chapter but for this one, the female hothead is more in protective mother mode with Inko but with underlying anger towards her son's foolish actions.

I would like to ask for advice on other consequences for Katsuki. Like what do you think would be plausible to happen with his parents at home during his suspension. Grounding, privileges taken away, scolding, etc. Or what you think Inko would do though to me I feel she will most likely stop treating Katsuki as a nephew and refer to him as Bakugou like Izuku does. Because he's lost that privilege with both Midoriyas. Also how do you think his friends will react when they find out? Anyway, let me know!

I want to thank those who gave advice on Katsuki's punishments again. You know who you are. ;) Seriously your comments helped me a lot when it came to figuring out what to do with him.

Before ultimately deciding that Nezu being the principal and all that he would be the one to dish out the spiel about Katsuki's punishments, my brain came up with a blurb of Aizawa being the one talking about it. But as seen in the chapter that did not happen. However! I thought you would enjoy reading how I imagined the hobo man dealing out the reasons why Katsuki was getting off with not being expelled and such. Enjoy!

“The only reason this punishment is extremely lenient is because Midoriya insisted it to be. He was the one to not want you disqualified from the festival. Even though that is the usual procedure. He asked for you not to be expelled. Despite that being extremely warranted in this situation. He even brought up the fact that while keeping you in the Hero Course, reluctantly, we couldn’t even keep you away from training entirely or you would fall behind more than you are right now. So you better be damn grateful for this rare opportunity and put aside your oversensitive pride and fragile ego to accept these conditions. Because if you don’t, if you refuse to take this chance to change, Midoriya has agreed to let our decision to expel you on the spot stand.”

Snap. XD

Fun Facts About Japan:

Gonna talk more about Golden Week since it's coming up next week for Japan. The term 'Golden Week' was apparently based on a Japanese radio lingo 'golden time' or 'gouruden taimu' ( ゴールデンタイム ) which was the peak time of listener ratings. It was a term used first by movie companies to promote the 'golden' opportunity so much free time provided to watch some movies. :P The term became so commonly used that it eventually was culturally and lingually associated to the string of four holidays at the beginning of May.

To so totally date this fic, due to covid craziness in 2020, Golden Week was handled differently than other years. Typically traveling is expected and anticipated with the coming of Golden Week. Lots of advertising of 'go here' or 'eat there' or whatever. But in 2020, the Tokyo governor actually discouraged traveling to help prevent the spread of the disease and advised Tokyo residents to participate in 'Stay Home Week' or Sutei houmu shuukan ( ステイホーム週間 , ステイホームしゅうかん ). The rebranded 'Stay Home Week to Save Lives' was from April 25th to May 6th.

That's it for this chapter! Up next is part 3 and the end of Katsuki's meeting with Nezu. We're going to get Inko's thoughts on the Katsuki's response to the punishments as well as her raising some concerns she has for one of her house guests. We're also going to see into Shouta's thoughts on the matter as well along with a preview to the EraserMic apartment and the cats! I mentioned the cats before, right? Or was that just on the discord...anyway! There's gonna be three! :D Until then, be well and let me know of typos or weirdness!

Chapter 6: A Step In The Right Direction

Notes:

Another Tuesday, another update. Oh would you look at that...it's another double update! Why? Because I can't help myself making some of these chapters so damn long. But I'm sure y'all aren't complaining too much, if at all, since you get more content. ;P Really it's because Inko's parts paired with the Mitsuki pov weren't long enough to be a chapter of themselves. And Aizawa's part was too long. So they got combined. Personally I find the break I chose to go with is a little awkward but it's the best I could find towards the middle of this third part. Also, another reason for the double update is because I just really want to move on from Katsuki's meeting with Nezu. I wanna get on to some more sleepover shenanigans!

Anyway, here's Inko's, Mitsuki's, and part of Shouta's reflections on another long day. Let's go!

Linktree to all the things!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

“Yes.”

Inko let out a sigh of relief when Katsuki agreed to the punishments. Perhaps reluctantly and really only to keep himself in the Hero Course as Izuku had predicted, but he said ‘yes’ none the less. She was glad that finally the bullying was being addressed. Finally, the teachers cared for her son on the same level of any other student. Well, perhaps they were a little biased being his personal mentors for one thing or another. Be it training, JSL, or analysis. But with the years of neglect, Izuku deserved a bit of spoiling to balance it all out.

The mother was also glad that Katsuki would finally be facing some well-deserved consequences. She hadn’t lied to her son that she believed he knew his childhood friend best. At least when it comes to his reactions to being disqualified and served a punishment seemingly out of the blue to the blonde teen. That he needed to be told what he did was wrong. Because no one had said anything before. Sure Mitsuki and Masaru had tried but if neither the school nor Izuku ever said anything was wrong, how would they have known what to fix?

But Inko also knew that words alone would not be enough. Words would be the key to open the door, but it would be actions that allowed one to walk through it. Because Katsuki had always been one for actions over words. But then again, actions wouldn’t be enough either. There had to be a balance of both words and actions for this to work. Which hopefully the balance of punishments combined with therapy would be enough to teach him so they could all move forward and try to fix what had been broken.

I still can’t believe he told my baby to kill himself, she thought as she eyed the teen she had viewed as a nephew since he was born. She thought she had known him. But apparently, she didn’t as she would never have imagined him doing such a thing. It was a sad realization that the boy she knew as Katsuki had grown up to be the stranger Bakugou sitting here today. Perhaps she too would start calling him by that name same as Izuku. It was certainly something she would think about.

“Very well,” Nezu said before making a note on a paper on his desk. “Your two-week suspension will begin on Tuesday when school starts up again. You will be retrieved in the morning at the front gate by a teacher who will escort you to where you will be spending the day under teacher supervision. At that time, you will be informed of your new schedule. Understood?”

Again, Katsuki let out another reluctant sounding ‘yes’. Mitsuki, while still sitting next to Inko, snapped her attention to her son and gave him a motherly whack on the head for his attitude.

“The hell, Old Hag?!” the teen barked at his mother.

“You better be grateful they’re giving you this second chance, brat,” Mitsuki said with a scowl to rival her son’s. “I honestly don’t know where we went wrong with you. But they seem to know what they’re doing so hopefully they can straighten you out.”

The two blondes continued trading growling banter back and forth paired with their usual rough housing. Inko and Masaru gave no reaction to the bickering between mother and son, long used to such interactions between the two. While the teachers witnessed the unique family dynamic earning quirked brows from the tired and loud ones as well as a slight head tilt from the smart one.

After watching the mother and son a few moments more, Nezu cleared his throat to gain their attention. Once he had it, he said, “We will do our best to help Bakugou-kun out of the situation he has found himself in. He certainly does have quite the temper though that doesn’t necessarily mean he is unfit to be here. I agree with Midoriya-kun that there is still potential for him to become a competent Hero.”

The blonde teen clicked his tongue at the word ‘competent’ earning another smack to the back of his head from his mother. The repeated act from Mitsuki prompted Nezu to speak again.

“Forgive me if I’m out of line, Mitsuki-san,” the principal added, earning her attention. “But it seems you have quite the temper yourself. Judging by the other’s reactions, am I right to assume this kind of interaction between you two is a common occurrence in your family?”

“Yeah, the brat and I argue all the time,” Mitsuki replied as she reached out to pinch her son’s cheek while he swatted her hand away.

“I see,” Nezu said with a hum of contemplation. “Mitsuki-san, is it possible Bakugou-kun’s tendency to lash out is a…learned behavior?”

~~~

The question made the blonde mother pause in surprise. She looked to her son who was grumbling beside her. Then to her husband who shared a look of concern with her most likely starting to form the same conclusion she was in her own mind. Mitsuki then turned to Inko next to her who sat there with a contemplating look before her green eyes looked into her friend’s red ones with worry. Finally, she looked down in slight horror at her own hand that she had used on her own child in front of Heroes.

Could…could this partially be her fault as well?

Mitsuki had grown up in a family of hotheads. Short tempers had been passed down for generations. It was one of the reasons she had been attracted to Masaru. He was collected and calm. The complete opposite of what she was used to. A moon to her sun. A calm to her storm. A balance. She had hoped that his calmness would help cool down her hot temper in their child. But the passed down short fuse was even shorter in Katsuki which she had attributed to his Explosion Quirk once it manifested.

And so, with the appearance of yet another hothead in the family, Mitsuki had reacted in the same way she had been raised. Rough language and tempered down but still rough handling of the firecracker of a son she had brought into the world. Masaru helped raise him in his own calm way and Katsuki would listen…somewhat. But for Mitsuki, it didn’t seem to be enough.

However, upon learning about what Katsuki had done and said to Izuku, could her handling of her own child paired with the incompetence of his past teachers morphed him into what he was today? Could her style of parenting have led her son to copy her tendency to be rough and use that same method on one of the kindest sweetest little kids she had ever met?

Mitsuki couldn’t deny that the way she had raised Katsuki had potentially played a part in her son turning out to be a bully. Taking what he had been taught from her about teaching him his lessons with a firm physical hand and harsh words and using that on her nephew in all but blood. While also taking her words, as well as Masaru’s and Inko’s, of concern for Izuku pursuing such a dangerous profession as fuel to his beliefs that Izuku couldn’t become a Hero because he was Quirkless. All this made worse by his teachers and peers praising him for his strong Quirk while joining in his harsh treatment of his ex-childhood friend.

Could she have indirectly hurt Izuku?

The blonde mother didn’t know she had started to cry until a calm hand brushed a stray tear away with a soothing thumb. Red eyes refocused to see the comforting brown of her husband’s eyes as he crouched in front of her having come to his wife’s aid in her distress. A firm friendly grip on her hand made her look down to see a hand that was not her husband’s holding her own. She followed the hand up the arm to the sorrowful green eyes of the other mother.

Mitsuki was surprised Inko would even want to touch her after all they had learned. Yes, they had been friends since high school and yes, they had stayed close all these years. But Mitsuki’s own son hurt Inko’s son. Katsuki had hurt Izuku. And Mitsuki was at fault for that. Not wholly but being even the smallest of reasons as to why her nephew had been treated so badly was the worst. How could Inko, kind sweet Inko, want to have anything to do with her after learning she had an unknowing part in all this.

But she shouldn’t be surprised. Inko was kind. Always had been. She saw the best in people and preferred to give them the benefit of the doubt. Not to say she was a push over. Oh no, Inko was fierce when she wanted to be. Case in point when she had yelled at her brat of a son when it was revealed that Katsuki had told Izuku to kill himself. Mitsuki knew what her friend was capable of from past altercations with unsavory characters who the greenette may or may not have punched for getting to handsy and/or mouthy.

So yes, Inko was kind and she was fierce. Traits that Izuku had inherited from her along with his matching green eyes and hair. Though his was darker like his father’s. What else he had inherited from Hisashi she wasn’t sure as the man kept mostly to himself. More of a loner type but he did dote on his family. Perhaps the reason why Izuku hadn’t said anything and tried to deal with all this by himself stemmed from his father’s tendency to be alone. Or it could have been a learned behavior from his mistreatment at school.

Either way, Izuku was as kind as his mother and definitely as fierce if his performance during the Sports Festival was anything to go by. Mitsuki had to admit she had her doubts about Izuku because he didn’t have a strong Quirk like Katsuki. Not that he couldn’t do anything but that she knew it would be difficult without a Quirk. But her nephew had done it and came out on top. She had been wrong and she’s never been so happy to admit that. Mitsuki felt like she needed to apologize to Izuku for doubting him and for her part in all this.

Mitsuki took a steadying breath and brought up a hand to pat her husband’s on her face while giving a return squeeze to her friend’s hand in her own. Masaru searched her eyes to see that she was okay before removing his hand to take her free one in his as he maneuvered to sit beside her. Placing himself between his wife and their son. Inko brushed an affirming thumb across her skin as the blonde mother looked towards the principal.

“You’re going to put Katsuki through therapy, right?” Mitsuki asked.

“That is correct, Mitsuki-san,” Nezu replied. “Anger management as well.”

“I see,” the blonde mother said with a nod. “Maybe…maybe I should be put into those too.”

The principal eyed the still distraught but calmer woman before answering with a pleased gleam in his eye, “It certainly would not hurt to try. I can have Hound Dog give some recommendations of potential therapists for you if you’d like.”

“Yes, I’d like that,” Mitsuki replied with a sad sniffle but grateful smile.

~~~

Inko sat there a bit surprised that Mitsuki had figured that out in a span of less than a minute. That her temper and treatment of her own son could have influenced his behavior. But then again, Mitsuki had always been a smart one. Determined too. As evident of her ardent pursuit of Masaru for a date until he said yes and then rest was history. They were two sides of a coin yet they complemented each other so well. One cool and one fiery. Both had their own way of viewing life and did their best to work together. Especially with Katsuki even though it turned out not to be enough.

While Mitsuki’s style of parenting had influenced her son, Inko didn’t hold it against her. It’s not like she had known Katsuki would turn out like this. There were multiple reasons and factors as to why he had turned down this path. One that lead to the principal of UA’s office. A person of authority who would finally do something about his bullying ways. Something none of the blonde’s past teachers had done.

And Mitsuki seems to be open to change as well.

The hothead mother had always been quick to snap at her son but it had never been to a concerning level. After all, both blondes had short tempers so it was no wonder they would butt heads when emotions were high. Masaru had always been there to keep them in check. Inko did her own part but she had never considered her friend’s rougher style of mothering would have such an effect either. But Mitsuki seemed willing to accept her mistakes and work to improve them much like Inko had been willing to admit her own faults and apologize to Izuku for doubting him all these years.

Parenting was a constant learning experience with constant trial and error. No one was perfect and the best anyone could do was to learn from their mistakes and try their best to be better in the future. All it takes is taking that first step of admitting there’s a problem and working to learn and move past it. As the phrase goes ‘live and learn’.

“That is all that I have planned to discuss for this meeting,” Nezu piped up. “If there are no other concerns, I believe we may adjourn.”

The blonde mother and brunette father nodded while the teen effectively pouted next to them. The Bakugous already were busying themselves and standing up to leave when the greenette mother raised a hesitant hand.

“Yes, Midoriya-san?” the principal asked upon noticing the gesture.

“I, um, have something I’d like to talk about,” Inko answered as she lowered her hand. Green eyes glanced at the Bakugous before looking back to the chimera. “In private?”

“Of course,” Nezu replied with a nod before turning his attention to his other guests. “Thank you so much for coming to day. I am pleased we were able to come to an understanding and agreement. Hopefully, with this matter being addressed, we can help Bakugou-kun become a fine Hero in the future.”

Said teen clicked his tongue and crossed his arms where he stood but said nothing. His behavior seeming to already be ever so slightly cowed by the situation he had found himself in. There was still a long way to go but it was a start. The teen’s parents bid their thanks and goodbyes before steering the boy to leave with them. Aizawa left with them to escort them out to the gate and Nezu dismissed Yamada to hold their continued meeting in private.

However, once they were alone and Inko revealed that her concerns were in regards to Todoroki Shouto, the principal insisted to wait to be joined again by the Erasure Hero as he was the boy’s homeroom teacher. He made sure to send a message to the tired man requesting his presence again in his office. The wait wasn’t long and before they knew it Aizawa had returned and the mammal started the impromptu third meeting of the day.

“What is it that you would like to discuss in regards to Todoroki-kun?” the principal asked as the tired man took his spot behind the chimera’s desk again.

“Well, I’m not sure if you are aware, but Izuku is currently holding a sleepover with some friends today,” Inko explained, earning a prodding nod to continue. “Shouto is one of them and when he arrived at my home he appeared…injured in some way.”

Aizawa perked up where he had previously been leaning casually against the back wall.

“Injured?” the chimera inquired with a tilt of his head as the homeroom teacher stepped forward a few steps.

“Yes, though I don’t know to what extent,” the mother answered from where she sat, bringing up a worry clenched fist up towards her mouth. “Izuku and I went to greet him when he arrived and he was clearly trying to hide a limp. Though both my son and I noticed anyway.”

“Limping, huh?” Aizawa queried, bringing a thoughtful bandaged hand to his chin for a moment. “Do you know from what exactly?”

“No, I don’t unfortunately,” Inko replied with a shake of her head as she lowered her arm back to her lap. “When asked, he tried to brush it off as nothing but it was obvious that he was hurt in some way. All Shouto said was that he had a ‘rough training session’ after the Sports Festival. Though I think there was more to it than that.”

“What makes you assume there is more, Midoriya-san?” Nezu asked with a tilt of his head.

“It was what Izuku said about it,” the mother responded. “That his father, Endeavor, was ‘passionate about his training to be a Hero’. Which Shouto added his father has ‘high expectations’ for him and ‘demands only the best’ from him. They even shared a look at one point as if Izuku was asking for his permission to even talk about it.”

~~~

Shouta watched as the principal clacked away at his computer for a moment to bring up the dual-element-wielding teen’s student profile up. He had been privately tutored through his elementary school years to then attended a private school for junior high until being accepted to UA on recommendation from Endeavor. Not the first time a student had been recommended by a family member.

The rest of his records held no major red flags. There were notes of him isolating himself from others in his previous school much like he did at the start of the year. Along with a few marks of being involved in fights though the blame was specifically noted to not be Todoroki’s fault. Which could possibly be true if those fights were started as to test the son of Endeavor, the Number Two Hero. Other than that, he had good grades and higher than average marks when it came to his physical education history.

Though there seemed to be a larger number of injuries more than they usually saw in student files. A broken bone here and there as well as reports of hypothermia, frostbite, and burns. The temperature caused ailments were to be expected what with the boy’s Quirk allowing him to wield fire and ice. Though the lack of hyperthermia to pair with the burns was odd especially since the opposite had been noted.

Not to mention the obvious scar on the teen’s face.

That particular marking caught the homeroom teacher’s attention since he first saw his at-the-time future student’s profile picture. Shouta did not know what it could be from but scars and such from Quirk related accidents were not uncommon. For example, Kirishima had a small scar over his right eye which he had overheard the teen tell his friends that it was from the first time his Quirk manifested. So, the scar on Todoroki’s face could have been a result of his own Quirk. It was on his fire side after all. However…

…what if the scar was not from his Quirk?

Shouta had assumed that the scar had been from Todoroki’s own fire, but perhaps he had been wrong. Was there something that he had missed? As a teacher and a Hero, he was trained to pick up on signs of all kinds of bad situations. Assaults, robberies, murder. Those were among many other crimes he was experienced in seeking and stopping in the streets and back alleys of Japan. But there were others he was trained to look out for out in the world as well in his own classroom.

Such as neglect. And abuse.

What was it that Midoriya had said?

‘That man is a bastard with what he’s done. A flaming pile of trash.’

Shouta remembered it had surprised him when he heard Midoriya of all people talk of a Hero in such disdain. The green one was the ultimate example of the Hero fanboy with his own room brimming with Hero merch. The tired man had seen it himself. For him to call out the Number Two Hero as a bastard, a term even Bakugou had used to describe the man, then there just had to be more to the Todoroki situation.

What was that ‘private conversation’ you spoke of, Midoriya?

The Erasure Hero shared a glance with Nezu who also seemed to have come to a similar conclusion as himself. Probably even recalling the same comment their mutual student had made of a different talk he had held about Endeavor. One that Bakugou had eavesdropped on and after it did not take any sort of pride of being compared to the Number Two Hero. Someone many could assume the explosive teen would look up to as they both had fire related Quirks and a thirst for being the most powerful. But he wasn’t at all.

‘You need to rethink why you want to be a Hero, Bakugou. Do you want to be one to help people like All Might? Or do you want to be one to be the best like Endeavor? The choice is up to you.’

From what Midoriya had said, there was apparently two very different sets of motivations between the Number One and Number Two Heroes. A difference Shouta hadn’t paid much attention to as his were also different. Preferring the comfort of secrecy and darkness while he worked to protect others. Saving people same as other Heroes like All Might but with none of the glitz and glamour of Day Time Heroes as his husband does.

Hizashi actually used his established media presence to help others in ways Shouta could not. Like with his radio show reaching out to hundreds of thousands of people through the airwaves. It was a difference between them that the tired man respected as there were so many ways to be a Hero. To save people. But what if a Hero’s motivation was not to save others? Were they still a Hero?

‘You have always been strong and I’ve always known you would make a great Hero. But you’ve let your ego take over, Bakugou. You care more about being the best rather than what’s most important about being a Hero.’

‘Oh, and what’s that, shitty nerd?’

‘Heroes are meant to save people, Bakugou. Strength helps, sure, but you won’t be a true Hero with your head so far up your ass that you don’t realize the way you’re acting is nowhere near Heroic. Do you know who you remind me of, Bakugou? Endeavor.’

The way the green one had spat out the Number Two Hero’s name had been filled with such animosity. With all the other things he had said, Midoriya had seemed to be hinting that Endeavor’s goals were not to save people as Heroes are meant to do. But rather to be the best as Bakugou has pushed himself towards apparently all his life. Was it possible the fiery man’s ambitions were so all-consuming that it leaked over into his private life? And subsequently onto his own son?

Tired black eyes scanned the principal’s computer monitor where archived camera feeds were already pulled up of the waiting rooms and hallways of the Sports Festival arena. As a creature who delivered his justice largely through surveillance means, Nezu had cameras practically everywhere except for the places like the bathrooms and changing rooms.

It was obvious to the Erasure Hero that the chimera was going to try and find that ‘private conversation’ mentioned with it hopefully having occurred on campus. He knew that Nezu was long used to searching through video surveillance for the evidence he needed. The task of finding this ‘talk’ would be well taken care of in his skilled paws.

“Thank you for bringing this to our attention,” Nezu said with a grateful nod as he turned his attention away from his computer. For now. “We will look into the matter and see if there is need for any concern.”

The greenette mother nodded in thanks that they would do something about it. For a long time she had lost faith in the expectation of receiving any help from school authorities. But as her son had told her with each new mentor that he collected, she too was seeing how different UA was from his previous schools. The teachers, the Heroes, cared for her son as much as the other students. If there was something going on with the Todoroki family, she was feeling sure that these Heroes would do all they could to address the situation.

She was about to bid her leave when Shouta spoke up about another matter he was curious about. The wonderings of whatever meeting the green one had to discuss Endeavor reminded him of another meeting that was mentioned during the confrontation.

“One more thing, Midoriya-san,” the tired man said making the mother pause in the middle of standing up. “Midoriya had mentioned a Villain attack and that a Hero rescued him. Do you by chance know what he was referring too?”

“Oh. Yes, I do,” Inko answered with a nod as she sat back down. “It was about a year ago. Izuku came home smelling like a sewer and was covered with some kind of sludge. It was the same day that the news reported All Might had taken down a Villain in the area.”

The principal started to type away on his computer again as she talked to look up the article. Once he did, he turned the monitor for her to see. Shouta moved around the desk as well to see the window housing the article filling up the screen. It featured a picture of the Number One Hero in casual clothes made up of a white t-shirt and green cargo pants holding up two slime filled one-liter bottles of Torrent brand soda along with his signature smile.

“Yes, that’s the one,” the mother said with another nod. “I had been worried that Izuku could have gotten hurt because it was so close to our home. Turns out I was right because he told me All Might had saved him from the Villain.”

She grimaced at the memory of her worry being true before she shook herself out of those thoughts.

“Izuku being Izuku, he didn’t seem too worried about being attack,” Inko continued with a brief fond look at the thought of her son. “He was more focused on the fact he had met All Might and even got an autograph from him.”

“Oh yeah,” Shouta spoke up. “I saw that in one of his notebooks. Number 13 if I remember.”

The burnt one.

“Yes, he was so excited about it,” the mother said a fond smile only for it to transform into a sad one. “Izuku has always wanted to be a Hero and looked up to All Might as his idol. But because he is Quirkless, no one really believed he could. Myself included but I believe he can now after seeing him win the Sports Festival.”

She still found herself ashamed for not believing in her son before. But she was almost glad to admit that she had been proven wrong by his actions during the festival.

“At the time, Izuku was the only one who truly believed in himself,” Inko confessed, staring sadly down at her lap. “He became stronger with all his self-defense classes. Enough that he didn’t come home with bruises and burns anymore.”

The greenette’s brows furrowed for a moment in concern at that memory. That her baby had been hurt by those who could have been his friends. If only they hadn’t seen him for just his Quirkless status. If only she hadn’t.

“That being said, he still wanted someone else to acknowledge that his dream to become a Hero was achievable,” Inko said, moving her gaze to the principal. “He told me he asked All Might if he could be a Hero. I don’t know the details, but all Izuku said was that All Might told him ‘no’. That he couldn’t be a Hero right after being attacked by a Villain.”

“Hmm…” Nezu hummed as scanned the article. “There appears to be no mention of Midoriya-kun in the article in regards to the captured Villain.” A few more clacks on the keyboard. “Nor in the official report it seems. It isn’t typical for such a detail to be left out.”

“What irks me is that from the sound of the kid coming home covered in sludge,” Shouta said with a simmering seething tone. “Indicates that not only did All Might clearly not report that Midoriya was involved in the incident, he also apparently failed to render aid and escort to a victim of a crime. Did Midoriya mention anything about going to a hospital or police station?”

“N-no, he didn’t,” Inko answered, worry growing on her face. The tired man let out an exasperated sigh and a quiet ‘idiot’ to himself as she continued. “I took him the next day just to make sure there was no infections or other injuries. He had some sludge residue in his lungs but that was cleared up quickly with one of the nurse’s Quirks.”

“I see,” Nezu said, his neutral face portraying none of his inner anger at the failure of the Number One Hero to follow procedure. “I will look into this matter as well. It is unlike All Might to make such an error.”

After seeing him teach, I find myself not surprised he did, Shouta mentally snarked to himself.

It seemed they had finally exhausted the number of topics to have covered in their meetings of the day. Certain issues reaching resolution such as his problem children’s transfers and the decision of the consequences for his other problem child. Even help for said other problem child’s mother. However, new issues have been brought up in regards to yet another problem child. Along with the big blonde buffoon being an idiot as per usual.

Before taking her leave, the mother handed Nezu a few more things to add to her box of evidence. News articles that were of a negative nature to his Quirk status. Well, it would add something to Nezu’s fire, he guessed. Once the end of the meeting was called, Shouta escorted Inko to the gate where she again thanked him for taking care of her son before making her way back home.

The tired man went back inside the school to work for a few more hours. The students may get a break after the Sports Festival, but the teachers unfortunately did not. Especially those with a homeroom. There were internship offers to go through and organize after all. Something that wasn’t typically a worry for a first-year class even though they attended internships anyway. However, what with the USJ incident and subsequent media coverage, Class 1-A of the Hero Course this year was different.

Finally, it was time to go home and thankfully Shouta did not have patrol that night. Meaning that Hizashi, who was also free from patrol, and himself could return home for a quiet evening. A short car ride later, they made their way up to their shared apartment that was positioned near the top of the building to allow Shouta easy access to the roof for patrols at night. Plus, the view was nice.

Upon entering the apartment, the two were bombarded by their pack of cat bastards. Well two of them anyway as their black shadow cat was nowhere to be seen as per usual. After taking off his shoes, Shouta crouched down to greet the white aloof one of their fur children while Hizashi scooped up the orange cuddly one as he walked down the hall to their bedroom. Once the prissy white floof had her fill of attention from the tired man, he too ventured to their shared room to change out of his Hero costume and into comfier clothes after a long mentally exhausting day.

Plus, I finally get to take these damn bandages off today as long as I keep my promise to Shuuzenji to take it easy tomorrow before school starts again. Annoying but necessary.

By the time he entered their bedroom, the loud one was already in the shower to work out the gobs of hair gel that help up his hair in its cockatoo-esque shape. Which actually didn’t take that long to wash out despite the amount. Probably some hair product wizardry that Shouta would never understand since he barely did anything with his hair other than washing it, letting it airdry, and wearing it down mostly or putting it in a bun or ponytail from time to time. Or a braid if Hizashi was in the mood to play with his hair. Something the tired man didn’t mind as having his husband mess with his hair felt nice.

Despite it not taking all that long, he knew that Hizashi liked to take his time to allow the hot water to work through his sore muscles. An activity the tired man indulged in as well and so didn’t hold it against the blonde as he would probably do the same afterward. Sure, he could join his husband or use the guest shower down the hall, but…eh, he was too lazy. Instead, as he waited for his turn in the bathroom, Shouta opted to remove his capture weapon, place it on the dresser, and then slump onto the bed face first.

Ah…comfy, the tired man thought as he snuggled his scraggly face into the dark comforter.

Honestly, he loved that bed. If he wasn’t married to Hizashi, Shouta swore he would have married their bed. Either that or his trusty yellow sleeping bag. Or both. Because other than his husband, there was no one or nothing else that knew him as well as that comfy-as-hell bed and beloved eyesore of a sleeping bag. A sentiment for the former it seemed that their cats shared as they too joined him on the bed though instead of laying on it, they opted to lay on him instead. Trapping him on the soft surface as it was sacrilege to move a cat from where they chose to lay.

Guess this is where I live now.

Resigned to his fate as cat mattress, Shouta used the time to think back over the events of the day. Well, mostly the second half of the day. Between the meetings, the one with the green one and the purple one he had time to reflect on already. The teacher was pleased that he would finally have the problem children in his class. He had already considered them his students since he had offered to train them on the second day of school.

Or was it when I first saw them training in Gym Gamma? Eh. Whatever.

Whenever it was, they were now officially in his homeroom and he would do his very best to help and guide them into the best Heroes they could be. Because they had the potential and the drive to be the Heroes they want to become. Despite being looked down on and pushed down by society, both Midoriya and Shinsou have proven, at least to him, that they have what it takes.

The second half of the morning meeting had really been part one of two with the conclusion being in the afternoon meeting with Bakugou. Shouta hid a smirk into the bed as he thought back to the explosive one begrudgingly agreeing to the punishments that had been set before him. All to remain in the Hero Course as the green one had predicted earlier. Showing that he really did know Bakugou well and what his reactions would be. Meaning that the tired man had to admit he was probably right about what would have happened if they had disqualified the trouble maker. Even though he deserved it, it wouldn’t have done anything to teach him a lesson.

But finally, Bakugou would be getting the punishment he deserved. Or at least had enough piled up to satisfy the part of him that wanted to expel the student on the spot. After all, Shouta had expelled others for less. However, he did concede the point that Midoriya made about Hero schools being meant to rehabilitate and reform people who strayed from the path. On top of that, the Erasure Hero too saw the potential for Heroics in Bakugou to an extent despite being socially stunted by his previous teachers.

We’ll make a Hero out of you yet, explosive problem child.

Notes:

Katsuki sure will be a hero, Shouta. It's just going to take some TLC to tone down that explosive personality. I'll try to do my best on Katsuki's redemption arc. Not sure if I'll go into detail with the coming therapy just yet. I'm going to let the story decide what happens with that.

Oh, if any of you have advice on what kind of therapy techniques or whatever would be good to use for this, please let me know. I've never been to therapy myself so I'm not really sure what happens there. I'll do some research into it myself of course but any advice from those with experience would be greatly helpful and appreciated. Please and thank you!

Alright. So, Inko is pleased that Katsuki has accepted, a bit stubbornly but still, his consequences. I do plan on him losing first name privileges with her but right now she's still processing all that's happened. As for her continuing to support Mitsuki, I feel that as a mother who has recently realized her own parenting wasn't the best for her child that she would feel empathy for Mitsuki in this situation. There is some healing that needs to happen, of course, but that will happen with time.

Mitsuki is having her own revelations of her parenting style. I know they draw attention to their 'unique family dynamic' in canon but do nothing about it. Lots of fics use that for bad parent Mitsuki but I don't really plan to do that here. Personally their more physical antics don't come off as that and more just typical manga/anime playing up of aggressive personalities. But that's just me and everyone is free to their own interpretations. That's just where I'm going with this. Though I do feel that the way she treats Katsuki could translate to how Katsuki treats others. Especially Izuku. So a little therapy and self-reflecting should help with that.

Inko has raised her concerns for Shouto! Now, Izuku didn't bring up his concerns with the teachers because he has years of learned mistrust for authority. Inko has that too but not as bad as Izuku because she didn't know how far the teachers had gone with mistreating her son. All she knew before this was that they brushed her concerns off as nothing and made false assurances. But Inko has actually seen the teachers at UA helping her son. Even before the issues with Katsuki were brought up with the offering to train Izuku in one thing or another. So she doesn't feel that same mistrust with UA as she had before. She knows they will help because she's already witnessed them do it. And if they're willing to do that with Izuku and Katsuki, they should be for Shouto as well. Which means that there's going to be a dual investigation on Endeavor! :D Both on the legal and illegal side. ;) Fancy that.

Nezu and Aizawa are now aware of Izuku meeting All Might before UA! And that All Might is an idiot. Now I love Dadmight and canon All Might but in this fic there's going to be some All Might bashing. Tag to be added when the time comes. ;) Not in the 'All Might is a bad person' sort of way but rather the 'All Might has forgotten what it's like to not be all powerful' way. You'll see. ^___^

The cats have been introduced! Or previewed rather. We'll get to officially meet them later. ;) Thanks to the peeps on the discord for cat ideas. The term 'cat bastards' courtesy of Endangered. ^___^

As this is a double update, I'll save the fun facts for the next chapter. Alright that's enough of my rambles. Onward to part two of the double update! As always let me know of typos or weirdness!

Chapter 7: Rumination Of A Tired Man

Notes:

Part two of the double update! Without further ado, let's get to it!

Linktree to all the things!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

The Erasure Hero reflected on all he had observed and learned about the Bakugous in the short time they had met. After he had fetched them from the front gate and maneuvered to Nezu’s office, Bakugou had seemed surprised at Inko’s presence in the room. Having been childhood friends with the green one and the blonde one’s reaction, Shouta could assume that the kid and mother at least knew each other.

Upon the start of the meeting, Shouta had found it interesting to watch the blonde mother and son interact. Yelling at each other while the father said nothing as if it was a common occurrence. Even the green one’s mother seemed used to it. While the yelling wasn’t itself concerning to an extent, it did reveal where Bakugou’s temper came from in the family. As well as raised questions of if the parents had done nothing to curb his violent tendencies or even influenced his thoughts of and actions towards others.

The physical aspect of their relationship however was concerning but with the mother taking the initiative to ask for help alleviated his worries that the issue wouldn’t be addressed. Mitsuki seemed willing to learn and change. To be better. Aware that she was hot tempered even though she seemed to have a better handle of it than her son. Hopefully with her working through her own issues will help motivate the blonde teen to work on his own.

Or he could remain as stubborn as he always is. Like he had been the entire meeting.

Trying to get Bakugou to tell his side of the story had been like pulling teeth. Which the version the teen did tell had been full of more holes than a tooth riddled with cavities. It had been interesting to watch the boy try to hold his swearing back though. His guess would be because of Inko more than anything else. Considering that the teen openly yelled at his own mother while his father did nothing of it.

At least there’s one person he tries to show some respect towards.

Nezu obviously had way more patience than the tired man did as he had given the boy multiple chances to speak. To tell his side of the story. But the explosive one had refused over and over. Which had given Shouta the satisfying moment of watching the trouble maker pale at the sight and explanation of the green one’s goggles and its special features. Leading to their little show-and-tell session and allowing Shouta and Hizashi to find out what had happened before they had arrived.

The green one had sounded so done with Bakugou’s everything at the start. Calmly, while still clearly irritated with the amount of sass he dished out, refuted each of the explosive one’s beratements. Claims of cheating via his Support Items which was a joke because tons of Heroes use Support Items every day like Hizashi and himself. Claims that the Sports Festival was only for the Hero Course students to show off their skills and be scouted. Which was true to an extent but the festival was for everyone as Midoriya had said.

It had been satisfying to watch the green one defending his dream to be a Hero. Had even laughed at Bakugou’s ridiculous arguments that the Hero Practical was the only way in. Because it wasn’t and Shouta found himself having to hold back his own snicker at the ludicrous thought. After all, if it hadn’t been an option, he the Pro Hero Eraserhead would not hold the position he did today.

That’s when the video had become rough to watch. It had been bad enough listening to the green one recount what had happened before but actually seeing what Midoriya had seen was intense. Of a fellow student, childhood friend turned bully, towering over him, yelling at him, and trying to ‘put him in his place’. Leading to the offscreen explosion that stood as evidence to what had happened to the green one’s right hand.

He had mentioned Bakugou had ‘teased’ him but I didn’t expect that.

From there it had gotten downright brutal. Watching the explosive one being kicked back and figuring the green one had prepared himself the best he could to defend himself with an injured hand. Most likely expecting to be attacked again. Instead, they had been faced with a high definition capturing of Bakugou purposefully, with ill intent, explode and destroy Midoriya’s Support Items one by one.

Midoriya before had said that he had been too stunned to do anything. Which was not surprising with that having been what he had seen his ex-friend do to all his hard work. Anyone would react the exact same way if weeks of work went up in smoke like that. He had kept watching as one after the other was destroyed until he snapped.

That was when we had shown up.

From then on, Shouta had known what to expect. At least dialogue wise. Had arrived as soon as they could and then stood just outside that room listening to their ‘talk’ choosing to wait to gather more evidence from the concerning conversation. But considering the amount of verbal and physical abuse that had transpired before they had gotten there, it made him feel guilty for not getting there or stepping in sooner. Even if he was injured, Shouta was a Pro Hero sworn to protect others.

The tired man knew that Heroes couldn’t be everywhere at once. Having experience getting there too late on more than one occasion on the job and even back in his time at UA. But this was a situation dealing with his problem child being hurt by another of his problem children. On his teaching turf no less. He should have been faster. If he had been, maybe Midoriya would not have those scars on his hand. Or less to none of his Support Items would have been broken. The Erasure Hero could have saved him sooner.

Stop it. There’s no use thinking of ‘what if’s like that. You did save him in the end. Or rather partially as the green one’s forward thinking with the under armor had technically saved himself in a way.

Again, Shouta had had to stand there and listen to Midoriya call Bakugou out on ‘all of his bullshit’. Had to hold himself back from throttling the kid when his suicide baiting came up. The tired man had not been at all surprised when Inko had stood up and screamed at the boy for saying such a thing to her son. Thankfully none of the Heroes had to step in to stop her from slapping the teen as the explosive one’s own mother comforted the other.

In those few crying filled moments, Hizashi and he had shared a look full of concern and understanding. Both had suffered through mistreatment and judgement growing up because of their Quirks. Hizashi for his lack of control and the destruction he had caused to his parents’ hearing. Shouta for his Quirk that could take other’s powers away then give it back in the literal blink of an eye. Both had been seen as bad or Villainous for their Quirks alone, but to him it seemed like a flick to the forehead compared to what this Quirkless boy has gone through.

Cast aside starting at the mere age of four by his childhood friend. Physically and verbally abused by his peers because he was seen as less than them without a Quirk. The physical proven by all of the evidence Inko had collected over the years and the verbal forever living in Midoriya’s memory. None of this addressed or prevented by the teachers of their past schools.

The fact that they had let all that happen under their supervision pissed Shouta the fuck off. Their inaction revealing their inadequacy as mentors to the youth of the world’s future. It was deplorable tutelage like this that led to mistakes in the field. Cocky kids like Bakugou get it through their heads that the job of a Hero was all about flash and rankings. Many relying so much on their Quirk that inevitably one day they would most likely make a mistake that would cost lives, where theirs or others.

The life of a Hero was filled with danger. A career among those that have the most likelihood to kill you before your time. One mistake is all it takes. No matter if that mistake was due your own negligence or a result of collateral damage of any given situation. Like a stray bullet, stray Quirk, or even tripping over your own feet.

Or being crushed by a falling building.

Shouta had to force the memories that particular thought dug up from the back of his mind. Now wasn’t the time to reminisce about that part of his high school career. A moment of epiphany turned devastation that still evoked solemn feelings of mourning for him. Just the fleeting thought of it made the tired man want to go home and cuddle with his cats in search of comfort. Which thankfully he was doing now with them lying on his back as he continued to reflect.

Once Inko had regained her composure, Nezu had resumed the footage skimming past the mention of a Villain attack and Hero rescue. When Nezu had asked about it later, Inko had revealed it was the bumbling blonde Number One Hero himself who had saved Midoriya from some kind of Villain with a Quirk that made him into sludge.

That must have been a tough power to have growing up.

With a Quirk like that and the way this current society judged people by them, it was no wonder that particular person had resorted to breaking the law. It was no excuse by any means but was an explanation as to why. In this day and age, it all came down to your Quirk unfortunately. The societal hierarchy evolved along with the genetic mutations, eventually one’s Quirk was seen as the deciding factor of one’s worth in this world.

Having a Quirk that was seen as ‘weak’ or ‘Villainous’ was bad enough. But as they were learning from hearing about the green one’s past, being Quirkless was a whole other story. Especially if that Quirkless someone aspired to be something everyone declared they could not. Like be a Hero.

Shouta could empathize with Midoriya. Having had his own dream to be a Hero laughed at and deemed impossible by everyone in his life as it seemed. Being judged by something out of his control. Hell, even having to learn to fight Quirkless as Erasure only gave him the advantage of canceling his opponent’s Quirk to even the playing field in a fight. Except for mutant types which Shouta basically had to kick their asses before they did the same to him. With the help of his trusty Capture Weapon of course.

Best seemingly sentient scarf ever, he thought as he eyed the Support Item on the dresser for a moment before closing his eyes again.

But Midoriya wasn’t even born with a Quirk like Erasure. No sort of power to help him in a fight. All he had was himself and what he actively trained and developed. Used that big brain of his to figure out how to work around that kind of setback. Really making something out of nothing. Sometimes literally as the green one had talked about his time learning how to make Support Items during training and they had made gear out of literal garbage from that beach he had cleaned up. A task that had taken ten months of dedication as a mostly solo project.

Midoriya hadn’t even started in his class yet, but Shouta already knew that he had the dedication needed for the Hero Course. The drive to push himself to be better. Stronger. To add as many tools to his belt as he can in his time in UA. Though the green one was a few tools short after what the blonde one had done. But the tired man was sure Midoriya would keep pushing forward as he has seemed to have done all his life and make them anew.

I’ll make sure he has as much studio time as possible before the internships.

Inko had said Midoriya was the only one to believe in his dream growing up. That even she doubted until the Sports Festival. Had said that her son had asked anyone and everyone while always receiving the answer ‘no’. But there had to have been someone out there who had believed in his dream to become a Hero before UA. Had seen the potential in the Quirkless boy and had told him as such.

Whoever that person was though, it was definitely not All Might. As was made apparent when Inko had revealed that the boisterous idiot, who had not only failed to properly report the crime or render aid after a Villain attack, had on top of that told the boy he couldn’t be a Hero. Crushing a victim’s dream right after a traumatic event and leaving him to his own devices.

The unprofessionalism of it all made Shouta want to strangle the Symbol of Peace. Whether in his buffed up or skeletal state. Whichever. Because the Number One Idiot should not have said that. Not just because the boy was Quirkless or a victim of an assault. But because he was a civilian. A child. While All Might was acting as a symbol of authority that societally they were basically trained to not question.

All Might had no idea what the kid had been going through. Had still been going through under their watch. Probably didn’t have the time back then to properly talk to the boy as Shouta guessed his time in his buffed-up form had been running out. Leaving him desperate to give the kid a quick answer before his time was up and he reverted back to appearing skeletal. A secret form that he had shared with the UA staff upon joining them as a teacher but was something kept secret from the students and public alike.

It had been a shock to learn that the Number One Hero and Symbol of Peace had a such a secret. A weaker form that was a result of a major injury from a fight that no one knew about. Because All Might himself had requested it to not be made public. What could possibly have been so detrimental to society about that fight? In any case, the fact that All Might had a smaller form was kept a secret.

Wait…didn’t Midoriya say something about that during the USJ though?

‘But he’s a teacher now. If he’s not careful with his time limit, he’s going to reveal his small form to a whole class.’

He knows. The green one knows. He shouldn’t know but he did. Perhaps there was more to the story of All Might saving Midoriya from that Villain. More to they’re conversation than the boy asking one question and the Hero giving one answer. It was a logical assumption to make. And Shouta was, if not anything else, a logical person.

Now he was even more pissed at the blundering blonde. He had failed to report all of the details of the apprehension of the Sludge Villain. Failed to give aid and make sure the victim was delivered to safety. Failed to keep his smaller form a secret from a civilian. Failed as a symbol of authority by telling a freshly saved victim an answer of ‘no’ to a very important question in regards to his dream on the same day the child had been told to kill himself and had been attacked by a Villain.

Not that All Might knew of the suicide baiting necessarily but still.

If it had been anyone else other than Midoriya, Shouta felt that the situation could have ended very different. Bad different. That, if the boy had even lacked an ounce of his stubbornness, instead of going home to his mother covered in sludge, the boy could have let the years of abuse and the suicide baiting get to him. Could have taken that ‘advice’ and followed through. Becoming just another number in the statistic that was the percentage of Quirkless people who committed suicide.

Perhaps in another universe, Midoriya would have done that. Either simply ending it all or actually discovering a Quirk through forced manifestation due to trauma. Or not but still internalize it all. Either using it as a reason to melt into the background, fuel to be a Hero, or even take matters into his own hands as a Vigilante. Or worse allow it to consume him whole and drop him into Villainy. Either losing his mind to negative thoughts or using his analytical brain to enact revenge on the world that had rejected him.

All were possibilities to how that day could have ended. How the course of a child’s life could change from the simple answer of ‘no’. But that wasn’t what happened. Midoriya had somehow ignored that answer and pushed forward to become what he dreamed to be. A Hero. Trained and learned new skills to become what he desired. And he had succeeded far beyond the nay-sayers’ expectations. Became the first ever Quirkless winner of the UA Sports Festival.

I wonder what All Might thinks of the green one now.

The blonde idiot had to at least see some potential from his high perch at the number one spot in the rankings. See past the paparazzi flashes that seemed to blind most Day Time Heroes. See what Shouta saw from the shadows of the Underground. That the boy had potential in spades no matter his Quirk status.

The Quirk didn’t make the Hero like with himself and Shinsou. No matter how ‘Villainous’ a Quirk seemed, it was the way the person used it that mattered. If All Might wasn’t a Hero and instead turned Villain, the world would probably be brought to its knees with ease under his overwhelming strength. Yet his Quirk was seen as Heroic because he was a Hero. But not all Heroes existed in the glitz and the glam of the day time. Some flourished in the dim darkness of night.

Underground Heroics. Little was known by the public of this sect of Pro Heroes. Their fights weren’t flashy as that would be detrimental to their work. As such, Underground Heroes used that anonymity to their advantage in the darked underbelly of society. Weaving their way across roof tops or through dark alleys to deter those with equally dark dealings. Serving a much-needed societal role that Day Time Heroes just couldn’t fill with all their flash.

Would Midoriya be the Number One Hero? Probably not. Not without a flashy Quirk to go with it. But a Hero was more than just a ranking. Heroes existed to help people first and foremost. Something that the green one has shown again and again was his intention while pursuing his dream.

Before even applying to UA as he had cleaned that beach up by himself. During the USJ attack by helping guide the Heroes and students through it all. Even through the Sports Festival the kid put helping others over a higher ranking in the first and second events. Then in the third event, round after round the green one always put the wellbeing of his downed opponent over the praise from the crowd. Going as far as to try and save Bakugou from harsher immediate punishment by asking him not to be disqualified because it ‘wouldn’t work on him’.

The over forgiving nature of the green one was concerning. That he had let the years of abuse slide because he saw the potential to be a Hero in his abuser. Had wanted the same kind of leniency that had morphed Bakugou into the bully he was in the first place. Most likely a learned force of habit from that lack of consequences by the inept authority. Hopefully one that the kid can be broken out of with the much-needed therapy.

Hopefully the same could happen for the explosive one with his own therapy. Something that was clearly also much needed after he thought back to Bakugou’s admitted insecurities about his fragile superiority. The tired man was sure the explosive blonde would be biting at the bit the entire emotional journey. Therapy was important to maintaining oneself to be a competent Hero and those who abstained due to misguided thoughts that therapy made them appear weak were fools.

There had been a hint of pride in the green haired mother’s equally green eyes when they had heard Midoriya talk back to his bully. Called him out on all of his ‘bullshit’. Hearing the spitfire come from the typically cinnamon-roll-esque teen had made Shouta hide a smirk into his scarf. The words’ harsh bite showing that this backlash had been from years of buildup. A tongue lashing that had been long overdue.

Good.

The comparison of Bakugou to Endeavor and how that was a bad thing had also been passed over as the recording had continued on. It had been concerning that such a thing was construed as bad. And now after Inko had drawn attention to Todoroki’s apparent rough training after a full day of athletics, a session that had left his student injured enough for others to notice, it was even more so. Shouta knew that Nezu was equally as determined as he was to look into that situation.

But before had not been the time to delve into that hornet’s nest. Instead, the focus had been on Bakugou and his many transgressions in that moment. First, they had dealt with Midoriya and his issues. Then, it had been Bakugou’s turn. One step at a time. And now with both of those taken care of more or less, the Todoroki situation could be addressed.

Eventually, they had reached the part where Hizashi and Shouta had entered the fray. The screen had shown the larger-than-life raging blonde screaming at the green one as the sound of another explosion blasted out of frame. Followed by a flash of white as he had watched his past-self restrain and retract the assaulter from his victim. From the corner of his eye, Shouta had caught a flash of guilt in the blonde teen’s red eyes as he had taken in his own enraged face displayed for all to see.

The video had been stopped with one blonde’s face being replaced by another as past Hizashi had approached the green one to check if he was okay. The kid’s brushing off of his disheveled state left unshown. Despite that though, the memory flashed in Shouta’s mind. It didn’t matter that the boy had thought ahead and created an under-armor suit that was fire resistant. That dismissing behavior was also a concern and another topic to broach during therapy.

As the room had fallen under a tense silence, Shouta had glared at the teen now that the Erasure Hero knew about all that had transpired in that room. Now that the explosive blonde’s dirty laundry had been aired out for the Heroes and parents to see. Well almost all as Nezu had to explain that Bakugou had used his Quirk on Midoriya leaving a hole in his uniform. Only his under-armor had protected him from a potentially devastating blow. Though his hand had not come out uninjured as Bakugou had exploded the electric glove while he had still been wearing it. Leaving permanent scars that upon mention had brought another flash of guilt from those red eyes before they were downcast to the floor in shame.

It had been then that Nezu had allowed Shouta to be the one to address the other concerning element of the ‘conversation’ besides the physical. Of Bakugou being a bully to Midoriya before attending UA. Though the green one had merely labeled it as ‘teasing’ when he had first brought it up to the tired man before the USJ incident.

Revealing that Midoriya had been Hiro all along had been oh so satisfying to the Erasure Hero. That the green one had felt so threatened by the explosive blonde that he had felt the need to hide. Both in face and in name. Creating a persona in order to remain obscure from his bully’s radar. And it had worked oh so well as the angry confusion had transitioned to angry realization.

Bringing up that the ‘belittling nickname’ as well as any physical abuse was Quirk discrimination reverted the teen’s expression back to confusion. Revealing as the tired man had suspected that the explosive blonde didn’t even consider what he had done to be discrimination as the other boy had no Quirk. But it was the lack of Quirk that was being discriminated against in this case. And it had been going on for years with no intervention from the teachers, the teen’s peers, or his parents.

How could they have let this go on for so long? Shouta had thought as he had shot an accusing glare at trouble maker’s parents.

They had apologized. Both of them. To the Heroes and to Inko. Said that they had known there had been a shift in the two boy’s friendship. That they had tried to address it when Inko had brought up her concerns when her son had come home with uniquely shaped burn marks. That they hadn’t known how bad it was as Bakugou, the teachers, and Midoriya had said nothing. That if they had known that they would have done more. Their apologetic tone and expressions rang true to the experienced Hero. Especially when they then turned to their son demanding answers as to why he had done all this.

Apparently, the point of it all was ‘because Deku needed to learn’. Learn that because he is Quirkless, Midoriya could never become a Hero. That without a Quirk he was defenseless. That the impulsive need to help others would get him severely injured or even killed. As if all of this had all been done out of some perverse form of care from the blonde. The beatings and the belittling nickname among other harsh words.

How exactly does suicide baiting factor into this ‘care’?

Evidently, it did not as the boy had sat there for a moment in thought before admitting he didn’t know why he had done it. That he had just done it and no one had said anything about it. Not just then. Not ever. Again, Shouta found himself pissed off by the past teachers in his two students’ lives. Their negligence was now his burden. One that he wholeheartedly accepted because he will right this wrong. And he knew Nezu would gladly lend a helping paw to do it.

The overwhelming size of Bakugou’s ego was so sizable that the tired man was surprised he had managed to get that big head of his through the UA gate. Thinking that he was entitled. That he was ‘born’ to be a Hero. No one was born to be a Hero. No one was born to be anything. One chooses what one becomes. One must work and fight for what one wants. Like Midoriya and Shinsou had for ranking high enough in the festival for the consideration of transfer.

When the teen had spouted his disbelief of that even being a possibility, Shouta had found himself close to snapping. It was a thing and it was possible. The Erasure Hero stood there as proof as did the transfer paperwork tucked away in the principal’s desk for his freshly acquired officially-his problem children.

The revelation that maybe possibly the explosive teen had been wrong had shown through. Displayed in desperate laughter and a desperate question asking if all of it had been a joke. It was not. None of it was a joke and Nezu had said as much. Bakugou was wrong, in trouble, and would be getting the consequences he desperately deserves.

But not expulsion.

The mention of the very much warranted punishment had silenced the teen into internal contemplation. Apparently at war with himself in his own mind as his eyes flickered from side to side. Something had been building up inside him that they could visibly see as the blonde’s brows furrowed more and more. To the point it had almost looked like it would hurt. Built up more and more until the teen had burst. Demanding to know why they cared for the boy he had bullied for years when no one else had.

In animalistic outrage, Nezu had snapped back. Letting his own experiences and empathy for his personal student fuel his carnal ire. Getting a flash of fear out of those red eyes. Thankfully, the chimera had managed to compose himself quickly though his anger had still been evident. Pushed forward revealing all the teachers, the Pro Heroes, that were willing to help the Quirkless boy as they had seen the potential in him.

At the mention of the notebooks, Bakugou was obviously aware of them. Dismissing the ‘stalker notebooks’ as nothing but creepy and a futile act recording powers the green one could never possess. But in actuality, he had. That was the whole point with his Quirk Replicating Support Items. Taking the idea and functionality of a Quirk and replicating it artificially to take the place of the Quirk he never got. An ingenious solution on his part.

Bakugou had obviously not been happy about the reveal the he wasn’t disqualified upon Midoriya’s request. Shouta still didn’t agree with it and wished he had done it anyway despite the green one’s protests. It would have been certainly warranted given he had attacked one student and attempted to attack another student twice outside of an official match. But upon seeing that bitter glowering scowl on the blonde teen’s face, perhaps there was some truth to keeping Bakugou in third being ‘punishment in and of itself’.

The boy had been confused when Nezu had said that he also had been mistreated by his teachers just as much as Midoriya had been. That their lack of action had both been a disservice to the Quirkless boy and the Hero-hopeful. Those inept hypocritical shams that dared to call themselves teachers had failed both of them and who else knew how many others.

I’m sure Nezu will be able to find out.

Their past schools were so going down. It was inevitable now that Nezu would have his beady black eyes on them soon enough. Shouta typically found his boss’s carnal glee at enacting revenge on others through paperwork and surveillance terrifying. His feral delight in taking down those who wronged him or others sent a shiver down even the battle tested Eraserhead’s spine. But for this particular project, he would gladly partake in destroying that hypocrisy of an institution of education.

Finally, they had reached the part of the meeting the Heroes and Inko had been waiting for. The reveal of the punishments. Ones that on their own didn’t seem like much. Individual tasks to be complete. But together as an amalgamation of consequences, Shouta had watched in satisfying silence as the trouble maker was shot with a long overdue dose of karma.

After citing Midoriya’s own arguments about the rehabilitation origins of Hero Schools, the punishments had been given out one by one. Two weeks in-school suspension with isolation from peers during class and train. Barred from the internships. Remedial classes and apology letters in lieu of that restricted privilege. Mandatory therapy and anger management for all three years. Marks for bullying and suicide baiting on his permanent record. Official probation status for the rest of the year and unofficial for the other two.

Like hell we won’t keep a close eye on him after what he pulled.

On top of all that, Bakugou would not be allowed to interact with Midoriya unless it was on the green one’s terms. Before the meeting, Nezu and he had discussed what to do about explosive blonde’s placement in the classes. Was it better to transfer him to 1-B or keep him in 1-A? Ultimately Shouta felt it was better to keep Bakugou in 1-A where he could keep a Quirk erasing eye on him.

As said, he would rearrange the seating chart a little to have some distance between the problem children. Keeping the green one and purple one as far away from the blonde one as he could without disrupting the seating chart too much. He’d rather not waste too much time drawing up a whole new arrangement when he could simply uproot a few students out of the whole bunch. Though he would check with his new problem children before enacting it.

All of these punishments and related rearrangements the tired man had been aware of. But he had been caught by internal surprise by the principal adding his own little caveat. Forbidding the belittling nickname Deku. It was a nice touch, he would admit. It would be a long-developed habit that would be hard to break. Slip ups were sure to happen but as long as there was some sort of effort to stop, the tired man would ignore it.

And so, the collection of mandatory punishments had stood wrapped in the fragile shroud of second chances. Waiting to be received by the explosive teen who eventually, after mulling it over in his head, had said ‘yes’. Accepting those consequences begrudgingly willing as the green one had predicted. With that agreement, they could finally move forward from the incident and allow the punishments and therapy work their magic.

Time may not heal all wounds. Even though there are scars left behind, one can still be mended. The pain remains and will never go away, but it can lessen over time and allow one to move on. To rebuild what was lost and keep moving forward. You know, Plus Ultra and all that. The problem children would get better. All they needed was the proper care. And time.

“Hey Shou,” Hizashi said as he ran a hand through his raven locks.

Shouta had been so wrapped up in his reflecting he hadn’t noticed the blonde had finished his shower and had joined him on the bed. Hizashi sat beside him carding through his hair while intermittently petting the two felines lying on the tired man’s back. It was nice.

“Hey Zashi,” he murmured as he turned his head to look up into the other’s green eyes.

“You were pretty lost in thought there,” the blonde commented while keeping up his ministrations. “What were you thinking about?”

The white aloof one seemed to have her fill and walked off. While the orange cuddly one moved to Hizashi’s lap. Allowing Shouta to maneuver to a sitting position beside his husband. Close enough to bump shoulders with his best friend.

“Just today in general,” the tired man huffed out as he laid his head on the other’s shoulder. “This year’s problem children are turning out more problematic than I thought.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean,” Hizashi said as he brought up a hand to run through his husband’s hair again while petting the attention seeking catstard in his lap. “I can’t help but feel guilty about it, ya know?”

Shouta pulled back to look at the blonde proper. Seeing the guilty expression on his face as he cast his gaze down to the cat in his lap. The black-haired man reached a bandaged hand forward to lift the other’s chin up so he could look him in the eye.

“Why do you feel guilty, Zashi?” Shouta asked with subtle concern in his dark eyes as he lowered his hand. “None of this is your fault.”

If anything, it’s mine for not looking into it sooner.

“Because I should have known something was up,” Hizashi replied with a sad look. “There were some signs I should have paid more attention to.”

“Like what exactly?” Shouta inquired with a quirked brow.

“Like after the USJ,” Hizashi explained. “I asked the Green Bean to stay after class to gi-, uh…talk to him about something.”

The tired man looked at his suspiciously at the slip of…something. But Hizashi had not and would not reveal he gave out Hero merch of his husband to his favorite student as a ‘thank you’. Not yet at least.

“Anyway, I wanted to check on him after the USJ,” the blonde one continued with a shrug. “At one point, he flinched when I ruffled his hair. But he didn’t when I had patted his shoulder before that.”

“Hmm…odd,” Shouta replied with a hand on his chin in thought. “I ruffled his hair too but he didn’t flinch then.”

“You ruffled the Green Bean’s hair too?” Hizashi asked with a grin and amused look in his eyes. It wasn’t every day that his husband showed such affection for another.

The tired man let out a cough before answering, “Uh…yeah, I did. It was, um, just before the final match.”

The blonde beamed at him, just as blinding as Midoriya’s smile could be at times. Shouta seriously needed to invest in a pair of sunglasses like Shinsou to protect himself from these sunshine people.

“The kid’s hair is soft, yeah?” the loud one teased.

“Yeah,” the tired one admitted reluctantly as he cast his eyes away from the other with a huff. Then he glanced back to green eyes as he redirected the subject back. “What else did you notice that had you concerned? Other than the flinching.”

“Oh, it was the day before the Sports Festival,” Hizashi answered. “He asked to talk to me after class and brought up concerns about commentating on the students’ Quirks. That giving too much information could be dangerous like his analysis. Which I hadn’t really thought about before but it makes sense.”

Huh. That did make sense. Smart as ever, Midoriya. Well, at least when it comes to your analysis.

“Basically, he asked if I could keep the info to a minimum to keep the playing field even,” the loud one explained. “But also, if I could keep his Quirk status a secret for as long as possible.”

“He knows it’s nothing to be ashamed of, right?” Shouta asked with a tilted of his head.

“Yeah, he does,” Hizashi replied. “But he wanted to have a fair chance same as everyone else. Didn’t want to be written off as a ‘fluke’ as he said. Something that apparently has happened all his life after what we heard and saw today.”

The tired man drew the other into a one arm hug, this time the blonde placing his head on his husband’s shoulder. A bandaged hand wove its way through his clean hair.

“I assured him he wasn’t a fluke,” Hizashi continued, snuggling into his husband while still softly petting the cat in his lap. “He said that he knew but still wanted to keep it a secret for as long as he could. At least until, and I quote, whenever he ‘got beaten’ or when he ‘won first place’.”

Huh. So Midoriya had his own declaration of placing in first. Just not as public as Bakugou’s had been.

“Well, he certainly did that,” Shouta said with an amused smirk as he gave his husband a slight squeeze.

“Yeah, he did,” Hizashi chuckled briefly before turning somber again. “But he went through so much. And then he got attack outside of a match. I know I said to ‘bring on the pain’, ‘put morals aside’, and not to be ‘afraid to fight dirty’, but I didn’t mean for that to happen!”

Shouta could sense his husband’s distress and brought him in for a somewhat proper hug. At least with two arms and the best they could with a cat in one of their laps. Thankfully, the orange cuddly one took some sort of hint and left to do other cat things. So, the tired man was able to hold his cockatoo of a partner more securely in his arms.

“You know, I know, and everyone else knows you meant that for the official fights,” Shouta assured the other, holding him close and carding through his hair. “There is nothing for you to feel guilty about. Hell, I do to because I’ve thought about looking into their past records for a while now but I never did since everything got so busy. But we are now and the situation is going to be addressed. Most thoroughly now that Nezu is involved.”

Hizashi laughed into his shoulder as a shiver ran down the Erasure Hero’s spine. Nezu was terrifying when he was on the war path. This time Shouta was on board for it but still…the principal was downright scary when he was in revenge mode.

The pair stayed there hugging while sitting on the bed for a few moments more before Hizashi had to ruin the moment. Commenting on how Shouta smelled which earned him an offended playful shove away before the tired man stalked off to shower and to finally be free of the bandages. The blonde giggled as he watched his partner leave then got up to work on dinner.

Hizashi still felt some guilt about not voicing his concerns before but he felt better after talking with his husband. Because Shouta was right that they would be addressed now. Especially with Nezu on the case. The Voice Hero knew that the chimera would dig up all the dirt he could find on the matter. Then together they could work towards helping their students.

Notes:

There ya have it! Shouta's thoughts on the Bakugous and more musings on Izuku. He's going to be keeping an eye on Katsuki for any slip ups. Also on his other problem children. Looking into Izuku's past has really opened his eyes to how the world treats the Quirkless. Even getting passed over by All Might himself. Yagi was on Shouta's dislike list before but now? Not quite the shit list but getting close. Better watch out, All Might. Hobo man is coming for ya. ;) You too, Endeavor, though Shouta doesn't know how bad it is...yet.

Shouta remembers that Izuku knows about All Might's small form. He's going to be finding out exactly why and how relatively soon in story time wise. Let's just say he's not going to be happy about what he hears.

Got a taste of domestic comfort and fluff with EraserMic. ^___^ I felt that Hizashi would feel guilty about signs he should have paid more attention to. But Shouta knows that things can fall through the cracks and that heroes aren't perfect all the time.

Fun Facts About Japan:

It's officially Golden Week! :D Thought I would go more into the holidays. First up is Shouwa day or Shouwa no Hi ( 昭和の日 , しょうわのひ ) on April 29th. Originally it was the Emperor's birthday which is a national holiday that changes with each new Emperor. Then it became Greenery Day but that was moved to May 4th and April 29th was renamed Shouwa Day in honor of Shouwa Hirohito who was Emperor from 1926 to 1989. Next on May 3rd is Constitutional Memorial Day or Kenpou Kinenbi ( 憲法記念日 , けんぽうきねんび ) that celebrates the enacting of the 1947 Constitution of Japan. Then on May 4th is Greenery Day or Midori no Hi ( みどりの日 , みどりのひ ) and is a day to commune with nature and be thankful. It originally was a citizen holiday since it's between two holidays but was made Greenery Day in 2007. These three holidays don't have any special rituals or anything at least as far as I am aware. You can find out more about them via google. :P

Finally on May 5th is Children's Day or Kodomo no Hi ( こどもの日 , こどものひ ) that is for celebrating and respecting children's personalities and happiness. Originally it was known as Boy's Day that celebrated boys and recognized fathers but was changed in 1948 to Children's Day to include girls and mothers. For this day, people display koi no bori ( 鯉のぼり , こいのぼり ) which are koi shaped windsocks that represent the different family members. Black for fathers, red or pink for mothers, and for children they use various colors like blue, green, orange, yellow, etc. but usually it's blue. And they are hung everywhere. Bridges , poles, buildings, wires strung over open areas. So many fishes fluttering in the wind. ^___^ In Yachiyo where I worked they had a ton hanging from a bridge by the river. And there were a ton hanging in the open areas leading up to Tokyo Skytree when I visited there around this time. I also have small plush keychain versions of the fishes hung up in my room.

That's it for this chapter! More sleepover shenanigans coming next update. Fun friend bonding times, Mei learns about the confrontation, Disney movie fun, a phone call from Hisashi, and talk of conspiracies! :D Until then be the best you that you can be! Oh, and let me know of typos or weirdness. ^___^

Chapter 8: Bonding Time, With Friends!

Notes:

Yes, that's a Thomas Sanders reference. :P I typically like to either do descriptive words or idioms for the chapter titles. But this one I was kind of stumped on for a bit. Though I do mix it up from time to time so yeah. This chapter gets this.

Anyway! It's fluff time with a small sprinkling of angst so it isn't too sweet. ;) Friend bonding time with lil' snippets about parents. Oh and conspiracies of course. Let's get to it!

Linktree to all the things!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

“Son of a…” Izuku exclaimed as Hitoshi sent out yet another red shell that hit his character knocking him out of first.

“Izuku, I’m home!” Inko called out as she walked through the door.

At the sound of his mother’s voice, Izuku cut off the curse that had been about to pass through his lips. Inko knew her son cursed having grown up around Bakugou, but Izuku still tried to keep it to a minimum around his mother. After all, he was her ‘precious baby boy’ and always would be. Embarrassing but a fact none the less.

Inko walked in just as Waluigi passed the finish line of the Rainbow Road map with Mei claiming victory. Followed by Hitoshi as Bowser, Shouto as Mario, and Izuku as Yoshi coming dead last after being sabotaged by his traitorous friend. Izuku shot a glare over at Hitoshi on the other side of the couch. Only Shouto serving as the purple haired teen’s one saving grace acting as a barrier from his Mario Kart wrath.

“I see the traditional competition is underway,” Inko commented with a chuckle. “Who’s getting the penalty this time?”

“Izuku,” Hitoshi said with a smirk. “Green Bean here just lost his last race landing him with the task of cleaning the dishes.”

Izuku shot him a glare at the mention of the ‘Green Bean’ nickname that he had picked up only that morning. All because Yamada just had called him that and Hitoshi latched onto the nickname as yet another way to tease him. Jerk.

“Oh good,” the mother responded with a smile. “That means I’ll have my best little helper.”

Izuku beamed at his mother’s praise before turning back to Hitoshi and said, “You hear that? Her ‘best’ little helper.”

“I’m more focused on the ‘little’ part, shorty,” Hitoshi retorted, since Izuku was the shortest of the boys but not the group as that was actually Mei.

The greenette sent another glare at his friend but accepted his fate in the self-made tradition of deciding who helped with the dishes after dinner. One that had started a few sleepovers into their friendship when Hitoshi had challenged Mei and him to make things more ‘interesting’. And it certainly had. With the knowledge of who was receiving the penalty today, Inko left them to their own devices not wanting to crowd them. She also didn’t want to dampen the happy atmosphere with talk of the meeting she had just left. That could wait until after the sleepover.

With Mario Kart done for now, they decided to move on to other activities. Though upon being asked, Shouto expressed his liking of the game as it had been his first item playing. So, Izuku made a mental note to have them play again before he left. It was nice that they had this opportunity to share these experiences with their sheltered friend.

“So, what do we want to do next?” Izuku asked, smiling happily at his friends.

He was feeling so much joy as he did each time he had his friends over. Because the idea that he actually had friends was still novel to him even after knowing Mei for over a year, Hitoshi for several months, and Shouto for about a month. Not to mention his other friends at school who were now his classmates come Tuesday. Sometimes it didn’t seem real.

“Nothing to brainy,” Hitoshi piped up as he slumped back against the couch. “My brain is still kind of overwhelmed from this morning.”

“Oh yeah, you guys had a meeting with Nezu earlier,” Mei said from the floor, having remained there even though Izuku had taken her baby away. Not really unusual for her since she seemed to prefer it to the couch anyway.

“How did that go?” Shouto asked, more so directed at Izuku but he cast a glance at Hitoshi as well.

“It went pretty good!” Izuku chirped with a smile. “Hitoshi-kun and I were offered to transfer and we’ll be in 1-A starting Tuesday!”

“Heck yeah!” Mei cheered with a fist pump. “My boys are going to be Heroes and show off all my babies to the world! Oh, I’m so excited! I can’t wait to get started on all the babies I have planned for you two. Why can’t it be Tuesday now?”

She slumped her head down on the table in typical dramatic Mei action. Hitoshi gave her a comforting pat with his foot. Said appendage was then swatted away as soon as she noticed it wasn’t a hand but his foot instead.

“Keep your gross feet away from me,” the pinkette sneered with a glare.

“My feet aren’t gross,” Hitoshi retorted, shoving his foot closer to her face. “I wash them every day. Though as for my shoes…maybe once a decade.”

“See?! Gross!” Mei squealed as she pushed the offending foot away from her.

This resulted in a strange game of Hitoshi shoving his feet in her space while she swatted them away. Izuku watched them and chuckled while shaking his head fondly at their weirdness. While Shouto eyed their antics with a quirked brow before turning his attention to the greenette.

“So, you’re really in the Hero Course now?” Shouto asked.

“Yep!” Izuku answered with a bright smile.

“A lot earlier than planned too,” Hitoshi interjected between foot jabs.

“What do you mean?” Shouto prodded with a glance between the two on either side of him.

“Green Bean here managed to talk our way into the Hero Course a whole year early,” Hitoshi answered, relenting his attack after Mei threatened to sick a baby on his ‘gross’ feet. “They were going to make us wait until the start of next school year, but Izuku said it was stupid to do that. That it would be easier to make up a month of training rather than a whole year.”

“Dang, Hero-kun,” Mei commented, hands still posed to defend herself and eyeing the purple haired teen suspiciously. “Way to use that big brain of yours.”

“It really wasn’t that big a deal,” Izuku insisted as he rubbed the back of his head. “It just didn’t make sense for us to wait a whole year. Besides, Nezu-sensei said he would have done it anyway.”

“But he wanted and expected you to make some kind of argument,” Hitoshi pointed out. “Definitely something I couldn’t have pulled off. I was willing to accept waiting a year. Then you had to go and work your magic. But seriously, thanks for that, Izuku.”

The greenette blushed at the praise and cast his eyes down shyly.

“How did the other part go?” Shouto inquired, drawing his attention back up.

“What other part?” Mei asked, confused as Izuku hadn’t told her about the second part of the meeting.

“The part of discussing Bakugou’s punishments for attacking Izuku,” the bi-color teen answered flatly.

“HE WHAT?!” the pinkette exclaimed, slamming her hands on the table while staring incredulously at Izuku who cringed under her scrutiny.

“That BakuBastard attacked Izuku after he lost to me,” Hitoshi growled with a scowl.

The purple haired teen knew that dick was going to be facing some serious consequences for that. But that didn’t stop him from wishing that they were worse for what he had done to his best friend. Izuku didn’t deserve that. But Bakugou deserved so much more than what he was going to get.

“What happened, Izuku?” Mei asked as she scooted closer to her friend.

Izuku hesitated. He still felt somewhat drained from having to had talked about it that morning. He didn’t really feel like talking about it again so soon. Or ever really. But Hitoshi knew and he had told Shouto too. He had planned to tell Mei later but in a more controlled environment.

Well, I guess this is it.

So, he told her. Not in as many words as he had that morning to his mother, friend, and teachers. But he told her none the less. Still skipping over the baited words or comparisons to Endeavor. The latter because he was sure that was the last person Shouto would want to think about right now. But for everything else he did. His words and accusations. Of course, Mei took the greatest offense when he told her about what Bakugou had done to his Support Items.

“Your poor babies,” Mei lamented with tears in her cross-haired eyes. She had moved to sit on the arm rest of the couch next to him as he had explained. Mourning the loss of all his hard work, she pulled him into a hug in solidarity. “Is that why you didn’t want me to look into your box yesterday?”

“Yeah,” Izuku answered with his face smushed into her stomach. “I didn’t want you to worry.”

Of course I’m going to worry about that,” Mei insisted as she pushed him away slightly to look at him. “And about you for that matter. You are in the friend tier of ‘best’, remember?”

“Heh heh. Yeah, I remember,” Izuku chuckled wetly as he wiped away a few tears.

“Good,” she replied with a nod. The pinkette game him another hug before pulling away as a determined look spread across her face. “Come next week, I’m going to help you remake your babies.”

“Y-you don’t have to do that!” Izuku exclaimed, waving his hands dismissively.

Knowing that Maijima had already tasked himself to going through his box of broken gear was already too much. He had already resigned himself to the fate of having to rebuild his arsenal. Even saw it as an opportunity to improve his designs. But he didn’t want to take up his friend’s time when he was sure she had other babies she wanted to work on.

“I don’t but I’m gonna,” Mei insisted and he knew from the conviction in her yellow eyes that there was no stopping her. “You have a baby emergency and I am here to help. We’re going to work our butts off this week rebuilding them.”

“Okay,” he relented with a soft sigh. “Thanks, Mei-chan.”

“No problem, Hero-kun!” the pinkette chirped with a tenacious wink and Izuku couldn’t help but smile at her in appreciation.

And he really did appreciate her future help. He was going to need all the help he could get to be ready for the upcoming internships. Though he didn’t know the details of those internships but perhaps they would find out on Tuesday what those are about.

“So, what did his punishment end up being?” Shouto asked, curious what was in store for the boy who had attacked his friend. Still not liking that Izuku had asked for the other to be disqualified when he clearly should have been.

The greenette let out a sigh before telling them what the principal had decided. When asked why they didn’t just expel him, he gave his arguments as to why that wouldn’t have been a good idea. His friends begrudgingly accepting his points even though he could see they still didn’t see the mountain of punishments as enough. While he found himself thinking that some were too much. But it was not his decision to make and rather Nezu’s. And his mentor had made his choice.

I really hope Bakugou takes this chance. He really could be an amazing Hero. If he tries.

With that heavy subject out of the way, they decided to cool down with some well-deserved Disney movies. Which led to a collective gasp when Shouto revealed he hadn’t seen a Disney movie since he was much younger. The pinkette and purplenette out of shock while the greenette with a hint of distress. Knowing that it was probably because that was when his friend’s mother had been sent away after attacking her son.

This time, Izuku was the one to place a comforting hand on his friend’s knee. It was nothing more than a pat since they weren’t alone but enough to bring a small smile to the bi-color teen’s face. And so, after much debate, they decided to start with the classic ‘The Lion King’ to introduce him to one of the best Disney films of all time. They all got comfy in their respective places on the couch, or for Mei stealing an extra cushion to sit on at her preferred spot on the floor, before Izuku pressed play.

The greenette was buzzing with energy as soon as the first note of the first song rang out from the TV. Trying his best to not bounce in his seat or to sing along with the lyrics. But he kept slipping up either humming or mouthing along. Hitoshi would glare at him jokingly whenever he caught his eye which Izuku would respond with sticking out his tongue. Mei didn’t care because she was already humming to herself anyway. While Shouto was already sucked into the movie to really notice.

That is until Scar made his appearance. Out of the corner of his eye, Izuku saw Shouto reach up to his scar with his left hand. The greenette didn’t want to draw attention to the action but also wanted to make sure his friend was okay. He placed his own hand on the couch between them and nudged the other’s leg. Grey and blue eyes turned to him in surprise. Green eyes looked from his eyes to his raised hand and back as he tilted his head in silent question of if he was alright.

Shouto seemed to think for a few moments before subtly nodding as he lowered his left hand. Placing it right on top of his resting between them. Izuku adjusted his right hand to hold his friend’s and tightened his grip for a moment to remind him he was there for him. Shouto gave him a return squeeze and a subtle smile before turning back to the movie.

As the film continued on, they held hands slightly hidden between them from the others. When something shocking would happen, Izuku could feel the Disney newbie’s surprise through the brief tightened grip. While whenever something exciting was coming up, Shouto could feel his friend buzzing with energy through their touch and paid closer attention to what would make the other so excited.

Shouto loved the movie. He really did. The animation was amazing and the songs were enjoyable. He was more of a fan of instrumental music like classical or jazz but the lyrics were entertaining. However, he couldn’t help but be distracted by the cute boy next to him. He noticed that Izuku would start to say something only to stop himself and cast an apologetic glance his way. He wondered why the other kept doing that. It was during a song taking place in a jungle that he decided to find out.

“Why do you keep stopping yourself from talking?” Shouto whispered into his ear.

The action sent a shiver down Izuku’s spine at having the other boy so close. He swallowed nervously before answering.

“More like stopping myself singing,” the greenette whispered back shyly.

“Why?” the bi-color teen asked further with a confused expression.

“Well, it’s your first time watching this and I don’t want to ruin it for you,” Izuku replied with an apologetic shrug.

“You wouldn’t ruin it for me,” Shouto insisted with a reassuring brush of his thumb. “I’d like to hear you sing, Izuku.”

A light pink flush to the greenette’s as he looked at the other in surprise before smiling brightly, “Okay.”

He started out quietly singing to himself as the song progressed. Shouto was having fun watching him sing, splitting his attention between the screen and his friend. A small pleased smile graced his face and Izuku felt like he couldn’t be happier at the sight. His good mood was what overrode his nerves and throw caution to the wind at the climax of the song.

“It meeeans~ no worries!” Izuku belted enthusiastically with a dramatically placed hand on his chest. “For the rest of your daaaays~!”

“Yeah, sing it, kid!” Mei chortled back with the movie while Hitoshi shook his head fondly with a roll of his eyes.

“It’s our problem-freeeee~!” they belted in unison. “Philosophyyyy~! Hakuna Matataaa~!”

After that, the rest of the movie became a sing-a-long with dramatic pantomiming by Mei and Izuku. Hitoshi took it upon himself to take over Scar’s role channeling his best impression of Aizawa’s intimidating faces. They even started to act out the scenes as they played out on the screen. Shouto was so entertained at their antics that he even let out a closed mouth chuckle and it was the best thing Izuku had ever heard. The sound made him beam at his friend and squeeze his hand in approval.

When the movie ended, they didn’t really have enough time for another before it would be dinner time. Instead, they decided to play a game and save the next movie until later. After looking through the Midoriya game stash they chose to play Uno. Yet another thing that Shouto was experiencing for the first time. It took him a few rounds to get the hang of it but once he did, the newbie was a fierce opponent.

As it got closer to dinner time, Inko started working in the kitchen. The teens continued their shenanigans a while longer before his mother called out to her son.

“Izuku!” Inko called from the kitchen.

“Yeah, mom?” Izuku called back.

“Come to the table,” she replied. “Your father is calling to congratulate you!”

“Ok, mom!” Izuku chirped, happy to be able to talk to his dad. Then he turned to Shouto with a smirk. “Excuse me while I go talk to my dad.”

Shouto merely hummed with a quirked brow in response while the others were a bit confused by the interaction before brushing it off with a shrug. Jumping up from the couch in excitement, Izuku headed towards the table where Inko had set up a laptop and was casually chatting with the man calling on it as they waited for their son. Upon seeing him, the mother relinquished her seat to her son and returned to what she had been doing in the kitchen.

Izuku sat down and smiled at the man on the computer. Between his two parents, Izuku seemed to have taken after his mother more than his father. He inherited her green hair, green eyes, and softer features. Not to mention the ‘sunshine’ smile as dubbed by Hisashi and his friends alike.

Hisashi himself had more refined and sharper features with short wavy black hair and black eyes. As of now, Izuku was on the shorter side being a bit taller than his mother. While Hisashi was a tall man being about the same height as All Might. A little fact Izuku kept to himself since his dad wasn’t the biggest fan of Heroes. But, with his dad being tall there was hope for him growing taller!

“Hey, papa! ‘Hisashi’buri!” Izuku said, knowing he was making the same pun he always did when they talked. But how could he not! His dad’s name was in it! “Long time, no see!”

The master of wit as ever, Izuku,” Hisashi chuckled, rolling his eyes affectionately. “So, I hear you won first place in a little competition yesterday?

“You could say that,” Izuku replied with a smirk. “If you call winning first place of the first years in the nationally televised UA Sports Festival a ‘little’ competition.”

Oh, I do believe I may have heard of that before,” his father said, feigning ignorance making Izuku giggle. “Well, congratulations on placing first, Izuku. Your mother assures me she recorded the entire thing and will send a copy to me to watch later in its entirety.

“You know her,” the greenette chuckled, thinking of the framed news article in the hallway or the pile of clippings on the table. “She likes to document everything.”

That she does,” Hisashi said with a warm smile. “It’s to be expected from a proud mother when her child succeeds. I am proud of you as well, my son.

“Thanks, papa,” Izuku sniffed, tearing up in typical Midoriya fashion.

Shouto who had followed him over, curious of this supposed ‘father’ of his friend, walked the long way around the table to sit next to his friend but not be seen on camera so as not to disturb their conversation. However, the attention was brought to him anyway as he sat down and Izuku glanced at him and smiled.

Who is that beside you, Izuku? Hisashi asked curiously.

“Oh, this is my friend Shouto-kun!” Izuku chirped, turned the laptop a bit to get Shouto in frame. Put on the spot, the other boy didn’t know what to do so simply bowed his head slightly. “He and some friends are here for a celebratory sleepover. Oh, I can introduce you to my other friends too. Hey, Hitoshi-kun! Mei-chan! Come say hi to my dad!”

A head of purple and a head of pink perked up at the call over and left the couch to join them at the table.

Oh, I wasn’t aware you had guests over,” Hisashi said. “I apologize for interrupting your socializing.

“It’s ok, papa! You’re not interrupting,” Izuku reassured him as Hitoshi and Mei arranged themselves in the camera view. “Right, guys?”

“No problem!” Mei declared with her hands on her hips.

“No worries,” Hitoshi added while Shouto simply nodded his head in agreement.

“Introductions!” Izuku chirped with a clap of his hands. “So, this is Todoroki Shouto. He won third place.”

“It’s nice to meet you, sir,” Shouto said with a bow.

Todoroki…that name seems familiar somehow,” Hisashi pondered with his hand on his chin. “Might you be related to Endeavor?

Shouto stiffened a little at that and Izuku instinctively grabbed his hand under the table in comfort. The bi-color teen glanced at him and gave a small smile in thanks before turning back to the computer.

“Yes, he’s my father,” Shouto answered, his face neutral again. “However, we don’t…see eye to eye.”

Ah, I see,” Hisashi responded, turning his attention back to his son. “And your other friends? Who might they be?

“Oh! This is…” Izuku started but was cut off.

“The name’s Hatsume Mei, resident Support Engineer genius and future CEO of Hatsume Industries, Inc.!” Mei interjected in typical Mei fashion. “Izuku and I have been working together to make all sorts of babies at school!”

“Mei-chan!!” Izuku exclaimed, face bright red making him look like a tomato. Hitoshi was cackling behind him while Shouto let out quiet chuckles beside him.

Making babies already, Izuku? Hisashi teased. “What does your mother have to say about that?

From the kitchen came Inko’s voice saying, “No grandchildren until you’re married and out of school!”

“MOM!” Izuku squeaked while hiding his face with his arms. Shouto patted his knee in comfort. “Ugh, that’s what she calls her inventions. Mei-chan, how many times do I have to stress ‘context’?”

“I think at this point she’s doing it on purpose just to mess with you,” Hitoshi commented, having recovered from his laughing fit. “I’m Shinsou Hitoshi, second place winner of the Sports Festival.”

My my, you have such interesting friends, Izuku,” Hisashi said, still chuckling slightly at his son’s embarrassment. He was just so fun to tease. Then the man cleared his throat and continued. “I’ve enjoyed getting to meet them. Unfortunately, I will have to cut this call short.

“O-oh? Already?” Izuku asked, a little sad.

Yes, regrettably I must,” Hisashi replied with a sober sigh. “You know how busy my work keeps me.

“Yeah, I know,” he said, sighing before forcing himself to smile. “Well, thanks for calling, papa. I really appreciate it.”

I’m proud of you, Izuku,” Hisashi said with a warm closed-mouth smile. “Again, congratulations on your accomplishments during the Sports Festival. To your friends as well. Now, I must be going.

“Ok, bye, papa,” Izuku said, smile a little more genuine from his father’s praise. “Good luck with work!”

Goodbye, Izuku,” Hisashi said with a warm smile. “Enjoy the rest of your sleepover. We’ll talk again soon.

Hisashi ended the call and immediately Izuku turned to Shouto with a smirk.

“So, how’s that conspiracy theory going for you?” he teased.

“What conspiracy theory?” Hitoshi asked, genuinely interested and surprised that Todoroki would be into that.

“Earlier, Shouto-kun asked if I was Aizawa-sensei’s secret love child,” Izuku answered with a roll of green eyes.

Once again, Hitoshi went into a laughing fit at the absurd thought.

“Y-you? Aizawa’s love child?” the purple haired teen gasped out. “He’s like thirty! You would have to have been born when he was in his teens.”

“I still stand by my theory,” Shouto stated with his customary neutral expression.

Izuku looked at him in confusion.

“…Shouto…you just talked to my dad,” he stressed.

“Through video,” Shouto countered as if that was enough of a point.

“Yeah…? And?” the greenette prodded.

“So, it could be fake,” the bi-color teen stated.

“How could that be fake?” Izuku asked, gesturing towards the computer.

The conspiracy theorist sat there in thought for a moment before peering intently into green eyes as he said, “…CGI.”

That single acronym spoken with such assuredness initiated Hitoshi’s laughing fit number three of the day.

“Shouto-kun, no,” Izuku said, facepalming and shaking his head.

“Todoroki, y-yes,” Hitoshi managed to gasp out somehow.

Mei had already tuned out their conversation back when the call had ended. She was already back over by the couch working on her baby again having snuck it out of Izuku’s room while they were talking. Izuku wasn’t too surprised as she had done the same thing before so he let it slide. Once Hitoshi got a hold of himself, the three boys followed her lead and joined her while the mother continued cooking. Normally Izuku would help but she always insisted on doing it herself when he had friends over.

“So, that was your dad, huh?” Hitoshi asked from his reclaimed spot on the couch.

“Yup,” Izuku replied. “I’m glad he called even if it was short.”

“Must be rough with him gone all the time,” the purple haired teen commented.

“It can be at times,” the greenette admitted. “What with him being so busy and unable to travel. But we still get to talk through video and over the phone. It’s not perfect but it’s at least something.”

“What do you usually talk about?” Shouto asked, curious of how a healthy parent-child bond functioned. Even if he wasn’t convinced that the man they had been introduced to was actually Izuku’s father.

“School. General catching up on life stuff,” Izuku answered.

“Have you ever talked about Quirks with him?” Hitoshi inquired.

“Oh? No, I haven’t,” Izuku responded with a shake of his head. “My notebooks are all Hero Quirks and my dad isn’t the biggest fan of Heroes. Plus, our talks are really short because he’s so busy, so I didn’t want to waste that time with my ramblings.”

“He isn’t a fan of Heroes?” Hitoshi asked, finding it surprising since Izuku was such a Hero fanboy.

“No and I don’t really know why exactly,” Izuku replied with a shrug. “He’s just never been a fan of their bravado and such. Maybe it’s because they’re too flashy for his taste? Too much media attention maybe? Dad’s more of a ‘behind the scenes’ kind of guy.”

“Like you were at the USJ?” Shouto offered innocently.

The reminder of the attack sent a shiver down Izuku’s spine. Shouto patted his knee in response to his reaction. While Mei and Hitoshi cast paired worried looks at their friend. Both recalling when they had heard the news of the incident. Mei after she had been abruptly kicked out of the studio and grumbled on her way home. Hitoshi when he had been on his way back to his at-the-time foster family after school was let out early.

The teachers had been called to another campus facility due to some kind of emergency. One that apparently called for all of them to go and so cancelled the rest of the day’s classes. It had been a shock for them both when they had learned later that it was because of a Villain attack at the USJ where Class 1-A had gone for training. That it was where Izuku had gone to observe them. That their friend had been caught in the middle of an apparent man-child Villain’s temper tantrum who wanted to kill All Might.

It had all turned out okay in the end. Well for the most part. Aizawa, Thirteen, and All Might had been injured during the fight, but thankfully everyone survived. Hearing about the Noumu that was apparently strong enough to give the Number One Hero a run for his money was very unsettling. It was a relief to know that Izuku had hidden away with Tsuyu during the attack and had done his best to help the students and Heroes alike.

“S-something like that,” Izuku finally answered breaking the tense atmosphere. “Anyway, he just doesn’t like Heroes but he knows that I do. We have this mutual understanding that we think differently about Heroes. So, I never bothered to talk about their Quirks with him.”

“Do you talk about Quirks with Aizawa?” Shouto asked with a certain look in his eye.

Green eyes eyed him suspiciously knowing that the other still wasn’t convinced who his father was. Which was so weird but then again Shouto could be really weird. And that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. That was just how he was.

“Yes, though not as much as with Nezu-sensei,” Izuku answered. “He is my mentor for my analysis after all. And don’t you start another theory of who my dad is because Nezu isn’t even the same species as me.”

“Unless that species is scary smart people,” Hitoshi snarked earning an eye roll from the greenette.

“Don’t go giving him ideas, Hitoshi-kun,” Izuku shot back. “You’re not immune to his conspiracies either.”

“Oh really?” the purpled haired teen asked with a quirked brow. “What’s my conspiracy, Todoroki?”

“There’s a possibility that even if Izuku isn’t Aizawa’s secret love child,” Shouto replied, looking 100% serious. “That Aizawa could be your father too.”

~~~

Purple eyes stared wide at that. Mostly out of shock but also with flickering spark of wanting. Not for being someone’s illegitimate child but of having a father. Not that anyone in that room knew that other than Hitoshi himself. Of his severe lack of parents and a wanting ache for a family even though he figured that wasn’t going to happen in the legal sense. Though apparently Izuku had some suspicions.

Out of anyone to possibly be his dad, Hitoshi wouldn’t complain if it was Aizawa. Him or Yamada. The teen had gotten to know the two men over the weeks of training. Aizawa could be dry but he shared a similar amount of snark as Hitoshi. He also had a fighting style that the teen wanted to emulate and become an Underground Hero himself. While Yamada was loud but he was a genuinely kind person much like Izuku.

His loud ex-homeroom teacher didn’t exactly show favoritism towards the brainwasher. Definitely not to the level as Izuku what with the blonde giving him freaking Eraserhead merch as a ‘thank you’. But the man had been swift to stop any situations of prejudice because of his Quirk from escalating while under his watchful glasses-covered green eyes. As well as to graciously help Izuku and him train for the Sports Festival.

Yeah, either of them would be great to have as a dad. But they weren’t. Neither of them. He was just an abandoned kid living in the foster system because his birth parents didn’t want a ‘Villain’ for a child. But it wasn’t so bad. Sure, he didn’t have actual parents but he had his friends and adults who cared about him to some extent. Like Inko and his teachers. Even Nezu who seemed to know something about him but never brought up anything specific.

‘In fact, I’m sure Shinsou-kun also knows what you have, and I had, gone through.’

He wondered what the chimera knew. His homelife? It would make sense that he was at least aware of his situation to an extent being the principal. But the teen didn’t expect the mammal to do anything about it because he was fine. He would assume he wasn’t the first foster kid to attend UA and wouldn’t be the last either. Him being a foster kid did not determine if he could be a Hero same as his Quirk didn’t.

The moment of his reaction was getting drawn out as he pondered the fantasy of having Aizawa as a dad. Or really anyone as a parent. But he needed to move on from that moment and that impossible possibility. To not draw any more suspicion from those green eyes watching him closely. The ones that belonged to his best friend and who he considered a part of his found family even if the other didn’t know that. Which gave him an idea…

“Well, if that were true,” Hitoshi said breaking the moment. “Then would that make Izuku and I brothers?”

~~~

Izuku could see the conspiracy theory gears turning as Shouto looked between Hitoshi and him. Those grey and blue eyes sizing them up for anything that could support that new theory. The greenette groaned internally at his purple haired friend feeding the conspiracy monster and throwing him back into the mix. Though he did like the idea of Hitoshi seeing him as a brother. He could certainly see himself as one with his best friend and to Mei as well. Shouto though…he was beginning to see himself as something else with his special friend.

“I could see it,” Shouto said with a contemplative look on his face. “You two act very familiar with each other. And you both have poofy hair.”

Izuku let out an offended gasp, “My hair is not poofy!”

“Yeah, it’s more…fluffy,” Mei chimed in earning a playful glare from the greenette.

“Eh, I’ll take poofy,” Hitoshi added, running a hand through his own purple locks. “Not sure how else to describe this gravity defying mess.”

The others laugh at that though Shouto’s was more of a quiet chuckle. It was then that Inko called the teens to dinner. The group of friends got up from the couch to move to the table to eat. Mei was obviously excited to have some of her amazing cooking. Izuku was excited for Shouto to try it for the first time. One of many first times he hoped to share with the boy.

This sleepover is going to be great!

Notes:

Shouto now knows that Izuku and Hitoshi are going to be in 1-A! :D You're welcome, commenter in past chapter who was wondering if Izuku would tell him. He did the thing. Also, Mei now knows what happened with Izuku's babies. Yes, she is chaos incarnate and will probably try to lash out at Bakugou when she sees him next, but for now I feel that she would be more focused on the babies.

Lots of thanks to the peeps on the discord for advice this chapter. For ideas on who would play what character in Mario Kart as well as other sleepover ideas. Like playing games and watching movies. Any that I didn't use for this sleepover I'm saving for future dorm time shenanigans. If you have any fun ideas for sleepover or just general bonding ideas for dorm time, please let me know! Oh also thanks for the help with Mei's future company name too!

Hisashi has made another appearance! :D Such a good dad congratulating his son. Too bad he's so busy. But the Midoriyas try their best to cope with the situation. If you didn't know, hisashiburi ( 久しぶり , ひさしぶり ) means 'long time no see' which is the phrase the name Hisashi is reference to. I had to make the pun because the opportunity was there so I took it. :P But anyway, Izuku got to introduce his dad to his friends! Shouto still isn't buying it though. Silly conspiracy theorist.

Fun Facts About Japan:

The kids in Japan love Mario. Not really all that surprising since the character and subsequent games originated in Japan. But they love Mario none the less. Something I used to my advantage in the classroom. Japan is more on the rote learning which is all about learning through repetition. Typically for English classes doing a lot of 'repeat after me' for pronunciation and writing a lot of notes and practice sentences. Which can get pretty boring after a while. So! To make things more fun, I always tried to do different kinds of activities other that just repeating or writing. Like games. One of my favorites being powerpoint jeopardy type games.

I collected several different versions of powerpoint games with different themes and number of questions. Various Disney ones like Frozen or Mickey and friends. Peanuts as well. (They loves Snoopy because he's cute!) My friend even made a Pokemon one which was really fun. But the one I used the most was Super Mario Typhoon that I got off of ALTopedia which is a great reference for finding activity and worksheet ideas for ALTs. (It was called Englipedia when I was working in Japan but they've updated it. :) )

Anyway, the kids loved playing the Super Mario game. I would have them get into their lunch groups which are the groups of 4-6 they would make for lunch time. Then each team would get a whiteboard to answer or if it was a first year class early in the school year they could just say their answer. I would let the teams pick a question starting with group one then group two and so on, but once the answer was revealed all the teams would try to answer the fastest. I would give them about 30 seconds or so. Once one team answered I would give a countdown from ten with my fingers. After that, any teams with a correct answer would play janken to decide the winner. Reminder that they looooove janken and would get super into it.

The winning team would either get the points for the question or the hidden penalties. Green shell you could get rid of the points of the team of your choosing. Bowser showing up would reduce your team's points in half. But the funniest one was the red shell which got rid of everyone's points. The students thought that particular penalty was hilarious. No matter which school I worked at, they all would end up chanting 'aka koura, aka koura' whenever it was time to reveal the points/penalty. XD If you didn't know 'aka koura' or アカこうら ( あかこうら ) is the Japanese term for 'red shell' in Super Mario. Anyway, every time they would do that I found it absolutely adorable and hilarious.

That's it for this chapter! Next time we're going to get an update on the villain side of things. I am so excited for the next update you have no idea. ;) It's going to be fun. But you'll have to wait to find out! Kekekeke. Until then enjoy stewing in your anticipation and let me know of typos or weirdness!

Chapter 9: Hisashi

Notes:

Another Tuesday, another update! Since so many of you are so curious about Hisashi, we're going to learn more about him this chapter! Let's see if we can set the record straight, yeah? ^_____^ Enjoy!

Linktree to all the things!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Ok, bye, papa. Good luck with work!

“Goodbye, Izuku,” Hisashi said with a warm smile. “Enjoy the rest of your sleepover. We’ll talk again soon.”

The black-haired man took in the happy expression of his son as Izuku smiled at him before ending the call. Hisashi’s eyes turned from the screen to the picture of his son that was taped to the side of the monitor for a few more seconds before closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. The image of the man began to blur, his outline hazy like a mirage in the desert. His features growing indistinct until what replaced them was what looked more like a monster than a man.

Gone was the hair, the eyes, and even his nose. What remained was a bald scarred head with only the mouth remaining as the same as before. With the false image gone, various tubes and wires appeared around him and were connected to his person. They provided him with the various liquids and solutions he needed for his health. To survive.

You see, the man wasn’t Midoriya Hisashi because Hisashi was a lie. He was a character that the man, or better known as All For One, had created as an experimental project. For decades, he had been working with the doctor, Garaki Kyuudai, in creating beings to serve as super-soldiers to follow his bidding that housed multiple Quirks such as he did.

Well, sort of.

The once-human creatures made from acquired corpses typically ended up quite mindless. Leading to them being referred to as Noumu meaning ‘brainless’. The reasons being that their bodies were reanimated from death but also because they didn’t have the benefit of a Quirk that could house and use more than one Quirk without driving the holder insane. Which All For One did and was known by as his name had been lost over the many many years he has been alive.

Whilst working on the Noumu for future projects, All For One had an idea. To not just try to create new Villains for the future through forced mutation and manipulation, but rather genetically and naturally. To father a child himself. An experiment to see if his Quirk could be inherited genetically or some variation of it at least. Possibly serving as a solution to making better Noumu that could keep their sanity and be more than mindless soldiers.

He was also curious to see if his world views and ideals could be passed down to his progeny. To see the world of corruption and imbalance of power between Heroes risen to the top, Villains pushed to the bottom, and civilians existing in between. A world view that could be learned through experience but not necessarily taught by word of mouth. He knew that it would have to be a long con type of game, but he had, if anything, plenty of time on his hands. A few life lengthening and healing Quirks were very helpful with that.

Upon destroying the seventh wielder of his brother’s One For All Quirk, All For One knew that Shimura Nana’s successor had turned tail and ran away to the US to hide from him. Good. Let them think that postponing their eventual clash of power will do any good to change the ultimate outcome. Of One For All coming back home to him where it belongs. With his enemies far away, All For One had no need to hide but decided to don a disguise for this new venture none the less.

Using one of his many stored Quirks, an unnamed one that allowed him to manipulate his own DNA, All For One had reordered his genetic code ever so slightly to create the guise of Sasaki Hisashi, a seemingly regular business man. As Hisashi, he kept most of his features the same with only a few changes such as his hair color from white to black. Sometimes the smallest of changes are all you need to hide in plain sight. As for the Quirk he would connect with this new persona, he didn’t have one in particular in mind and would let chance decide. Same as for the unsuspecting partner he would conduct this experiment with.

Once he had his character in place, Hisashi had begun to wander the city with the mind to let the universe decide, whether by chance or fate, how this enterprise would pan out. He already knew it would not happen right away doing it this way, but with how long he had been alive he was nothing if not patient. Patience that paid off after a few months when she entered into his life.

Or rather, ran into. Literally.

Midoriya Inko had been running late for work that fateful day and wasn’t paying attention to where she was going when she crashed into Hisashi. He had been caught off guard and a wisp of fire had escaped his mouth. Well, Fire Breathe wasn’t the worst Quirk to have the character of Hisashi associated with. Papers were scattered around them as they lay in a heap on the ground.

“Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry!” the woman on top of him exclaimed as she scrambled off of him. “I wasn’t looking where I was going and I’m in rush! Are you ok, sir?”

Hisashi took in the woman in front of him as he sat up. She was short of stature with long dark green hair, green eyes, and a pleasing complexion. Apparently a little frantic but polite. She would do.

“It’s quite alright, Miss…?” Hisashi assured.

“Oh! My name is Midoriya Inko,” she said with a bow, still crouched on the ground in front of him.

“Hmm…Inko. That is a beautiful name,” Hisashi said, causing the woman to blush. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Inko-san. My name is Sasaki Hisashi.”

“N-nice to meet you, H-Hisashi-san,” Inko replied, blushing more at the sudden use of each other’s first names but following his lead. It was a rather forward thing to do with someone you just met. A calculated move on his part.

“Now, Inko-san, what has you in such a hurry?” Hisashi asked, leaning forward slightly with a slight playful smirk.

Inko seemed frozen for a second, staring at him with her green glistening eyes, before she broke out of her stupor and began collecting the papers scattered on the ground. “I-I’m running late for my shift. I usually leave the house earlier than this but I lost track of the time. Oh, you don’t have to do that!”

Despite her protest, Hisashi continued helping to pick up the papers and handed them to her. “It’s quite alright and no trouble at all, Inko-san.”

When he passed the papers over to her, he purposefully caused his fingers to brush against hers. The resulting blush was a mark of success.

“Thank you, Hisashi-san,” Inko said, straightening the papers in her hands. “I-I’d like to apologize properly, but I really am running late. Perhaps we could meet for coffee later?”

“That would be lovely, Inko-san,” Hisashi replied, taking out a business card. The company and office number were fake of course. He pulled out a pen and wrote his ‘personal’ number as well. “Here. My number. Please call me when you are free and we will meet again.”

As soon as she had taken that business card and left for work that day, the rest, you could say, was history. They had met, talked, gotten to know each other, and before long they were dating on the regular. Decades upon decades of experience manipulating others proved useful in playing his part. All For One had found the task of portraying the doting partner quite challenging and entertaining. As any couple they had their ups and downs, but always came back together with him having more knowledge of how to handle Inko.

Once a seemingly appropriate amount of time passed, he took it upon himself to progress the experiment forward by proposing. His offer was met with a teary ‘yes’ of course. That was one thing that quickly became apparent as a primary trait of Inko. She was highly emotive and quick to cry whether from sadness or happiness alike.

The wedding itself was a small affair and Hisashi insisted on taking her last name. Perhaps not the norm but also not unheard of. His reasoning to Inko being that he had no living family left and would rather create a new one with her. Which was true as his brother was long dead and he did indeed desire to create something new with her. Though not necessarily the same type of family as she did.

The day that Izuku had been born was the closest he could describe as the happiest day of his life. The crying bundle of joy with a small head of dark green peach-fuzz-like hair in his arms made him so proud. All For One found he couldn’t keep his eyes off the child, his child, for long. Such small hands had a surprisingly firm grip as they grasped one of the man’s fingers. Those big green eyes that looked up at him were filled with so much potential for the future.

Once Izuku was born, All For One had taken a small sort of break from his work with the doctor. For only the first few years as they were the most formative of a child’s life. A time that the man, as Hisashi, insisted on spending with this ‘family’ he created. Though he would still meet with the doctor from time to time as well as Kurogiri to help form young Tomura to be his successor in the future.

It had not been quite by chance that All For One had found the then named Shimura Tenko. Homeless and the sole survivor of his family after the destructive event of his Decay Quirk manifesting. He had been watching the boy for quite some time. Had seen the essential crater that was once the last of the Shimuras’ household. The decayed remains of the others that had lived there which he had collected and had preserved by the doctor.

All For One observed the boy roam the streets alone. Homeless and helpless. Passersby would take one look at him and see the dry disheveled skin paired with the pained almost soulless look in his red eyes. Deciding that this child would be too much work and best left for a Hero to attend to. The Bystander Effect at its finest.

The constant rejection from civilians and lack of Hero attention was enough to teach the dejected boy what All For One knew to be true about this world. That Heroes were pumped up false idols who the populous put all the responsibility of aid and justice on. All while ignoring the small acts they themselves could have done if only they had the inclination or even the mere resemblance of intelligence to think above the weak-minded masses.

But they didn’t and this All For One used to his advantage. Offering his hand to the suffering child who after all the rejection saw his offer of aid as divine intervention. Which in a sense it could be seen as such as All For One was seen as an all mighty God among men able to collect and distribute power with ease. A status he had held if ever briefly in his long lifespan until the meddling of his younger brother got in his way. All because he, All For One, had given a stockpiling Quirk to his seemingly Quirkless brother.

That plan had backfired. To gift his brother a Quirk to force him to stand in line as everyone else did. Be in his debt inclined to do his bidding as repayment for his generosity. But it failed. His brother escaped. Formed allies. His previously thought nonexistent Quirk had mutated together with the one he had given to him to create the opposition to his own power.

One For All.

A blip in his plan that he had not anticipated. But not necessarily detrimental to his ultimate design. A world where the tyranny of Heroes was torn down and Villians could rise from the bottom of society to live life the way they pleased. A goal All For One still aimed for and the young Tenko, who he renamed Shigaraki Tomura, would help him in achieving as his chosen successor.

I wonder how Tomura would react if he ever found out about you, Izuku.

Perhaps with wrath or jealousy. For all young Tomura knew he was the only thing All For One had close to a son. The man did dote upon the boy as much as anyone would think the Number One Villain could. Gave him a roof over his head and his own personal caretaker. Gifted him the preserved hands of his destroyed family to remind him of his festered hatred for the society that had rejected him. Allowed him any media such as video games as he liked. All while training him to succeed All For One when the time came.

His work with the doctor as well as molding his added charge were attended to during his ‘work hours’. All while most of All For One’s free time was spent with his ‘family’ to raise his son. Playing house with his wife and child. Domestic meal times, family outings, movie nights. All somewhat new or long-time nostalgic activities that the man hadn’t participated in for a long time. Often too busy with his various projects over the years. Being the supposed underground Boogie Man was hard work after all.

Unfortunately, the little vacation that was raising Izuku had to come to an end in a way. The Noumu project needed more of his personal involvement than before as well as Tomura had progressed further in age and manipulatable mindset. It had been time to make a slight change to their ‘family’ arrangement.

All For One had stayed as long as he could, waiting to see if indeed his child inherited his Quirk. But Izuku’s fourth birthday came and went with no sign of any Quirk manifesting. As time passed in that mile-marker of a year, All For One went as far as to have his son and wife meet with the doctor to find out for sure. When the doctor learned that the boy was Quirkless, his first instinct had been to call All For One. A day the man remembered well.

All For One had forced yet another Quirk into their latest Noumu while the doctor checked his child at the hospital. Under a false name, of course. That was when the phone rang.

“Speak,” he ordered as soon as he answered the call after seeing it was the doctor.

Sensei, your son is Quirkless,” came the voice of the doctor on the other line, cutting to the chase as always.

There was a moment of silence as All For One let the information sink in. His son, his progeny, was Quirkless. A condition that today was becoming rarer and rarer with the continued manifestation and evolution of Quirks. A possibility that he hadn’t considered. But then again, perhaps he should have. After all, he was from the first generation of Quirks, a time where the Quirkless outnumbered the Quirked.

“Are you certain?” All For One asked.

Yes, Sensei, I’m sure,” the doctor replied. “How should we proceed?

“Hmm…” All For One hummed as he thought for a moment. “Do nothing. Simply be blunt about the matter and leave it at that. I will handle this personally later.”

Of course, Sensei,” the doctor responded before hanging up.

As ordered, the doctor had not broken the news gently to his son. As was evident when he returned home to a crying wife apologizing over and over to an equally as tearful child. All while a certain annoying bug of a human being spouted boastful idiocies from the video playing on the computer. Though it was a voice All For One had learned to tune out, more or less, ever since his son had grown obsessed with the so called ‘Symbol of Peace’.

“What’s wrong, Izuku?” Hisashi asked as he entered the room. Inko moved away slightly to give him better access to the boy. He crouching down to be eye level with his son and reached out a hand to cup the tearful boy’s cheek. “Why are you crying?”

“P-papa…” Izuku choked out between sobs. “I-I…”

“Shh…take deep breaths,” Hisashi instructed, drawing closer to his son and placed the boy’s small hand on his chest. “Follow my breathing, okay?”

He helped Izuku calm down, exaggerating his breathing so the boy would mimic him. This wasn’t the first time he had ended up this upset, being as emotive as his mother, so calming him down was a practiced act. It took a little while with how upset the boy was but he did calm down enough to talk about what had happened with the doctor.

“Papa, do…do you…e-even if I don’t h-have a Quirk,” Izuku sputtered out eventually. “Do you th-think I can still be a H-Hero?”

The question did not come as a surprise to All For One at all. Ever since Izuku had learned of Heroes he wanted to become one. He had always been such a helpful boy, aiding those in the neighborhood in any way a small child could. He even wrote little notes on his favorite Heroes in a notebook, but the observations were so crude and basic that All For One had paid them no mind. They were merely the naïve writings of a child.

“May I be direct with you, Izuku?” Hisashi asked, gaining a shaky nod from his son, stray tears still rolling down his freckled cheeks. “Honestly, I do not know as there has never been a Quirkless Hero before.”

New tears welled up in those green eyes as his bottom lip began to quiver.

“Shh, Izuku, let me finish,” Hisashi said, shushing his son. He picked up the boy and moved to sit on the bed, cradling his son in his arms. He ran a hand through green curls as he continued. “There has never been a Quirkless Hero, but that doesn’t mean there never will be.”

The boy shifted so he could look his father in the eye, his own green ones full of hope. “S-so…maybe?”

“Izuku, you know I’m not a fan of Heroes,” Hisashi replied, earning having his son cast his gaze down. The father gently placed a finger under the boy’s chin and lifted his head back up. “But that does not mean you shouldn’t still try.”

“Hisashi!” Inko hissed at him, concern clear on her face.

Judging how she had been apologizing to their son earlier, he could guess that she didn’t approve of him encouraging such an impossible dream. But Hisashi ignored her objection and stayed focused on his son. Izuku looked up at him with those green eyes full of hope with a wobbly smile and hugged him while sniffling. His youthful tears soiled Hisashi’s shirt but he paid no mind to comfort the boy.

One would think, with All For One being the Villain that society labeled him as, he would never encourage his own son into trying to become a Hero. Something that he despised. But he had a plan. Well, more of an inkling of a plan. Encourage his son, ever so slightly, to pursue his dream and let the world do the work of pushing the boy down. Learning the truth of this world as young Tomura had and turn him back to where he truly belongs. By All For One’s side.

Soon after Izuku’s Quirkless state had come out, All For One waited a certain amount of time to leave the picture physically but not altogether. Once the boy turned five and after reassuring both Izuku and Inko that he wasn’t leaving because of his son’s Quirk status and rather because of work, he continued their familial relationship through phone calls and video chats. With the occasional visit now and then to indulge in domestic pleasantries. All under the guise of laboring overseas when instead he was merely working in the Underground. Sometimes literally.

From afar, All For One watched his son grow from a boy into a young man. He was privy to Izuku’s struggles in school, despite Inko’s attempts at keeping him in the dark, as well as the methods his son took to counteract or at the very least lessen them. Self-defense was a good start and one All For One approved of. It would be a useful skill to have in the future, whether as a Hero, unlikely, or as a Villain.

They had continued to talk through regularly scheduled calls, talking about life and anything else they could fit in short bursts. Feigning ignorance to all his son’s plights as he hoped the mistreatment would fester into hate for Heroes who did nothing to save him. He also kept the calls brief on purpose under the excuse that he was constantly busy. Which he was, but not as much as he portrayed.

Then it happened when Izuku was about nine or ten. That eyesore of red, yellow, and blue of a Hero fought All For One and managed to seemingly defeat him. Causing enough damage to basically smash his head in and make it appear as though he had died. And he may as well could have if it weren’t for the efforts of the doctor in addition to the various healing Quirks he had collected over the years.

However, the attack had left him disfigured as he was today. The top half of his head featureless and scarred. But thankfully, using another Quirk called Mirage, which allowed him to overlay any image he wanted over his person, All For One was able to transform into Hisashi once more. Visually at least. With this Quirk, he was able to keep up his guise with his ‘family’ and stay in contact with his son despite the Symbol of Idiots trying to defeat him.

The years passed and his little ‘family’ continued. Society persisted to push his Izuku down while the boy pushed back, never wanting to believe what others thought of him. The level of optimism in his son was…entertaining. Definitely a trait he inherited from his mother. For All For One was pragmatic more than anything else. Though he did pride himself in being the one who Izuku inherited his persistence from.

Then something changed when the boy was fourteen. Izuku still wanted to be a Hero, but hadn’t seemed to put much effort past taking self-defense. That is until during one video call, his son had told him about meeting the Symbol of Dunces who had filled the boy’s fanboy heart with happiness growing up but had also in turn crushed his dream of him being a Hero upon meeting him. Saying it was impossible.

How delectably ironic that I, the so-called Number One Villain, would encourage my son to at least try to be a Hero while the Number One Hero would tell him it’s impossible. You’re leading my son right to me, All Might.

But just as he had thought that maybe Izuku would finally turn to his side, the boy revealed that right after Dumb Might had left, he had met someone else who had inspired him to try again. That it would be difficult, but if he found what the stranger had called his ‘edge’ that the boy would indeed be able to become a Hero. Izuku never divulged who this person was, the one who threw an unexpected wrench in his plans, but All For One knew he would learn who it was eventually.

After that, the calls that had previously reeked of hidden depression became lighter as the boy managed to find a friend after so many years without any. All For One never did appreciate young Bakugou for hurting his son over the years, but the man had hoped the experience would influence Izuku into the path he desired the boy to take. A path that his all-powerful hands could not actually force. Nor did he want to.

That however had been derailed after by this mysterious stranger’s influence. Izuku found a new motivation. He found friends. He found a new way to work towards being a Hero using Support Items. He even applied, and was accepted, into UA through the Support Course. When All For One questioned his choice, Izuku explained that he knew of a different way into the Hero Course other than the biased Hero Practical of UA’s entrance exam. One that involved doing well in the Sports Festival. An intriguing alternative though his son’s persistence to be a Hero after all these years was beginning to frustrate him.

When will you give up on this futile dream of yours, Izuku? When will you take your destined place by my side, my son?

The answers to those questions were still unknown and were ones he did not want to force. For he wanted his son to choose to join him. To realize on his own that the Heroes he looked up to were not the perfect beings they were portrayed to be. To rise above the sheep and become a wolf same as his father. To join Tomura and himself in their quest to destroy the status quo and free the world from the concept of black and white introducing an era of shades of grey.

Since his son was in the Support Course, All For One believed he had no qualms when Tomura initiated an attack on school grounds during a training session involving a class from the Hero Course. Apparently, he had been very wrong about that. For reasons Izuku couldn’t tell him because of the attack on USJ being an ongoing police matter, the boy revealed that he had been the one outlying Support Course student among the eighteen others from the Hero Course.

What were the odds of that? Of his son happening to be present during an attack he himself had helped organize with his self-selected successor? On top of that, despite being in disguise for some reason, the boy had caught the attention of both Tomura and Kurogiri as this so-called ‘admin’ that had presented on-the-spot and highly accurate analysis of their Quirks to the Heroes. Impressively enough to be thought of as an Analysis Quirk.

To think that his Quirkless son had this hidden talent that was so good that his minion and protégé both thought that he had a Quirk. Perhaps those naïve writings of a child were not so crude as they had once been. Upon realizing that perhaps his son had a talent for analysis, All For One had sent Kurogiri to search Izuku’s room for any kind of analysis, most likely in a notebook. His underling reported back empty handed with an observation of a noticeable gap in the boy’s bookcase.

During their next phone call, All For One had asked about the boy’s first notebook with the rationalization that he was merely feeling nostalgic all of a sudden. Izuku had tried to brush off his question with a vague stuttered out response saying he wouldn’t be interested as they were about Heroes but Inko had been more willing to answer. Proudly stating that it, along with twelve others, were now being hoarded at UA and that the boy was under the tutelage of the principal himself.

Knowing the Quirked mammal, with his intelligence and Hero status, he had most likely informed the boy of the danger his analysis could be in the wrong hands, such as his own. And since All For One, as Hisashi, never expressed interest in his son’s analysis before, he felt tied down by the character he create from asking Izuku about it now seemingly out of the blue. Which brought him back to the present, his son had won first place in UA’s famous bread-and-circuses Sports Festival. Something that would most likely get his son into the supposedly blessed Hero Course.

The continuation of his son’s irksome dream to be another cog in the corrupt Hero machine was…irritating. All For One had been looking forward to Izuku joining him after being rejected throughout his childhood. Until whoever that mysterious supporter was who had thrown a wrench in the boy’s progress to turn.

He would definitely have to find out who that person was and…‘thank’ them for ‘helping’ his son. For encouraging him away from his inevitable and desired fall to the Villain side of society. Or the truly free side as All For One liked to think of it. For giving Izuku the push he needy to fully pursue his naïve dream. Though perhaps there was still hope for his son coming to him yet with the reaction of the crowd upon the announcement of his Quirk status. He would have to wait to see how that affected the boy.

For now, Izuku was having a sleepover with his friends including the son of the Number Two Hero that he didn’t ‘see eye to eye’ with. An intriguing fact to know. There was also the boastful inventor who had turned her match into a live advertisement for her work. While All For One personally had no dire need for Support Items, finding good quality ones on the black market was rare making them always in high demand. Then there was the second-place winner with the fascinating Quirk that, while not specifically announced as such, the man could assume had something to do with mind control or some other variation.

What interesting friends you have, my son. I will put the recording provided by Inko to good use. There are certainly many useful Quirks among the child soldiers recruited this year.

During their call Izuku had looked the happiest he had ever been sitting among friends. His green eyes full of hope and joy. It warmed a far corner of All For One’s cold heart no matter how much he wanted to deny it. Having a child definitely had some side effects he had not take into account. For instance, pride in his progeny.

Despite his frustration in his son not coming to his side as of yet, he still found himself proud of Izuku. For fighting against everything and everyone that threatened to hold him down. Izuku had fought tooth and nail for his spot to prove he was relevant in this world even without a Quirk. It made All For One as close to happy as he could be while at the same time infuriating him that his plans did not follow through as he thought they would.

Izuku was following his dreams and proving beyond All For One’s expectations that he did indeed have what it took to be a Hero. But the man would not lose hope of his son joining his side. After all, when that loud mouth Hero, Present Mic, had revealed the boy’s Quirk status, the crowd’s reaction was delectably unfavorable to the idea of a Quirkless person seeming to be better than those with what were considered ‘strong’ Quirks.

Perhaps there is still hope of you joining me yet, Izuku.

All For One reached out one of his hands and traced a finger over the picture of his son taped to the monitor. He may not necessarily have physical eyes but he had a Quirk that still allowed him to ‘see’. One of several hundreds at his disposal. Any of which he could gift to his son when, not if, he chose to join him.

You may have what it takes to become the Hero you dream to be with your intentions. However, with the engrained perception in the collective mind that the Quirk defines your worth in this society, you may very well come back to me in the end. Once the reality of the world we live in chews you up and spits you out. Until then, my son, good luck.

Notes:

There. Dad For One is a thing. Now you gremlins can leave me alone. XD But seriously it's been fun reading all the guesses and whatnot since my hints weren't all that subtle tbh. ;) Honestly though, when I first introduced Hisashi into this fic I wasn't planning on making him DFO. Though it is a trope that I absolutely love. However, if I was going to do it I wanted it to be for a good reason while also working with what I had already established in the story. I didn't get a clear idea until around when I posted the USJ chapters in part one and I've been sitting on this reveal ever since. Ugh, the waiting was so painful! But finally we have come to this. I hope you like the DFO set up! Izuku will find out about this in the future and he is not going to be happy about it. :P

Anyway, Hisashi is DFO. Theory confirmed. I anticipate the incoming 'I knew it!'s from y'all. XD But also, here's some food for thought that I find hilarious. In all the times that Izuku has been freaking out about knowing Stain...this has been sitting in the background all along. Something that has had me cackling every single time Izuku has a freak out. You think you associating with the villain Stain is bad, Izuku? Your dad is worse. Kekekeke.

Fun Facts About Japan:

In this fic, I'm giving AFO the fake family name Sasaki and there's a reason for that. In the US, we have common surnames with Smith being the most common. Like the US, Japan also has common family names with Satou ( 佐藤 , さとう ) being ranked 1st. Among the many teachers I worked with, I met a Tanaka ( 田中 , たなか ) ranked 4th, Watanabe ( 渡辺 , わたなべ ) ranked 5th, Itou ( 伊藤 , いとう ) ranked 6th, and so on. There were three teachers named Kobayashi ( 小林 , こばやし ) of whom one I worked with when he was the vice principal of one of my schools and another worked as my supervisor for a year. But the most common family name I came across was Sasaki ( 佐々木 , ささき ) ranked 13th. In my three years and ten schools that I worked at, I met five different teachers who all had Sasaki as their family name but none of them were related to each other. In one school I even had two teachers with that same name and they were referred by their first names because of that. So that's my reasoning behind choosing Sasaki for Hisashi's fake family name. ^____^

That's all for now on All For One! ;) Next up is more sleepover stuff. Shouto attends to his injuries and Inko gives him some advice. We'll see if he takes it next time. :) Let me know of typos or weirdness and have a great day!

Chapter 10: Care And Comfort

Notes:

Heyo, dear readers! We're back with another Tuesday update! :D Hope you are all fine and dandy! This update we're going to have some bonding time with Inko and Shouto. A concerned mom worried about one of her mentally adopted children.

Btw, I'll be going camping again this weekend. Yes, we like to camp a lot in my family. :P Often while also going to various national parks too. But not this weekend. Just up north in-state to where the pine trees are. :) Anyway, I think we're coming back Tuesday so the next update may be a little late.

Linktree to all the things! This includes the discord, tumblr, and more! Join if you'd like! :D

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Dinner was delicious as always. Izuku hummed in satisfaction as he ate the nikujaga his mother so expertly made for them. The others at the table seemed to agree as they enjoyed their own bowls of meat, potatoes, and a medley of vegetables consisting of carrots, onions, and green beans. Even Shouto, who practically lived off cold soba, seemed to like it as he got seconds when offered.

Once they finished, it was time for Izuku to carry out his penalty for losing Mario Kart. Hitoshi and Mei returned to the couch and put on a random TV show while they waited. Shouto stayed in the kitchen and offered to help. He was curious about it as he had never helped in the kitchen before. His old man thought of it being ‘woman’s’ work leaving the task to his sister and being old fashioned as much as he was a bastard to his own family.

Inko took charge of washing, Shouto the task of drying, and Izuku finished with putting the dishes back where they belonged. The bi-color teen seemed to enjoy his task of carefully and thoroughly drying every dish given to him. The pair of greenettes chuckled at how serious he looked while inspecting his finished work before handing it off to Izuku. With the three of them tackling the job, it didn’t take them long to finish.

Before the teens continued their movie marathon, Mei excitedly gave the suggestion of making a blanket fort. To which Shouto asked what that was revealing he had never done that before. Which cemented the decision because now they had to make a blanket fort. Because blanket forts make watching movies, and sleepovers in general, ten times better according to Mei.

And so, Izuku with Inko’s help found as many blankets and pillows they needed for the fort. While Mei and Hitoshi moved the table in front of the couch to the side before grabbing the dining table chairs to help make their fort. Shouto wasn’t sure what exactly to do so he trailed after Izuku and served as pack mule for the blankets and pillows.

Once the three blanket hunters returned, Inko gently placed down her pile as she said, “Why don’t you three start making the fort while Shouto changes into his pajamas? I have a feeling you’re all going to pass out half way through a movie like last time.”

The three sleepover-experienced teens agreed and starting working on the fort while Inko led Shouto back to Izuku’s room. Mei also needed to change but they knew she basically had to be forced to do so. A task that the greenette teen would tackle when it was closer to bedtime.

~~~

Shouto followed his friend’s mother down the hall to his room where his bag was. He passed a glance at the framed article on the wall, still impressed that Izuku had managed such a feat. He really was amazing. The mother opened her son’s door, which was labeled with an All Might themed name plate, and let the bi-color teen enter first before following behind and softly shutting the door.

“Would you like to clean up before changing?” Inko asked, gesturing towards the bathroom.

Shouto stood there thinking the offer over. It probably was a good idea. He had passed out from the harsh training yesterday and didn’t take a shower this morning as he hadn’t really broken too much of a sweat during the ‘training’. The perks of having an ice related power. Plus, he hadn’t wanted to mess up all his sister’s hard work patching him up. But he knew he would have to changed them eventually.

“Yes,” the ice wielder answered. “If that isn’t too much trouble.”

“No trouble at all, Shouto,” the mother smiled in response. “There are spare towels in the cabinet in the bathroom. Feel free to use whatever you like to clean up. Izuku has hair products for curly hair which should be fine but you could borrow some of mine for straight hair if you like.”

“Ah, no, but thank you,” Shouto answered, not wanting to bother her too much. Plus, he didn’t even know there were hair products for different kinds of hair. It made him curious. “Whatever Izuku has should be fine.”

“Alright,” Inko said with a nod. Then her kind smile turned nervous. “Do you…do you need anything else? Like something for your ankle?”

Oh, right. She knows I’m injured.

“Probably,” the teen replied, testing his ankle that he had been favoring since this morning. It was still tender.

“Then I’ll bring over the first aid kit,” the mother said. “Is it just your ankle? Or do you have any other injuries that you need help with?”

The injured teen considered her offer. She already knew he was hurt and obviously guessed there were more. His ankle he could manage himself as he had done so many times before. Most of his other injuries on his front he could also deal with himself. However, there were some burns in hard-to-reach places that he may need help redressing like his back.

“I…might,” he answered with a hesitant tone.

Sensing his nervousness, Inko quickly said, “I could get Izuku to help if you would be more comfortable with him. We just met after all and you hardly know me. I just want to make sure you’re comfortable and taken care of. I know I worry about Izuku all the time as a mother does. And I can’t help but worry for his friends too so I…”

“No, I…,” Shouto interjected the endearing rambling that was so much like Izuku’s. “I would be ok with you. If it’s not too much of a bother.”

The green of her eyes brightened at the accepting gesture as she smiled warmly at him. It too reminded him of Izuku and his sunshine smiles. Another trait the boy got from his mother it seemed. Along with his green features and kindness. It made Shouto feel that if he could trust Izuku with his problems perhaps he could trust his mother as well.

“Alright, dear,” Inko said with another warm smile. “Do you need help removing any bandages?”

The bi-color teen nodded as he thought of the ones on his back. The rest on his front, arms, and legs he could typically handle himself. But any that he got on his back he always needed help with. A task that had been done by his eldest brother until he was gone and then his sister took over from there. He was used to others dealing with any injuries on his back. So, without much ceremony, Shouto carefully pulled off his white shirt and dark blue overshirt exposing his many dressed burns to the mother who let out a gasp at the sight.

“Is this…is this typical?” she asked, observant green eyes flitting from one spot to the next.

Shouto looked down at the several bandages that littered his torso and felt the others on his back. Then there were the various bruises scattered amongst them. When he looked back up, he could see the worry she held for him that was the same as Izuku had when he had first told him of his family life. Even after he had snapped at the other for not understanding what it was like having a Quirk like his because he didn’t have one.

Shouto still regretted spitting out the word Quirkless the same way his father would have. He knew that being Quirkless did not make Izuku any less than anyone else. Even though people like his father, and Bakugou apparently, thought so. From Endeavor he expected it and hated the old man for it, but he wasn’t sure what to think about the explosive blonde.

Bakugou had been a hothead since day one of class. All anger and explosions that apparently was his default personality and reaction to all things. Including dealing with Izuku as if he had a say in what the greenette did with his life. Shouto hated how the blonde had attacked his friend because it reminded him of his bastard of a father. But he saw a chance for change since Bakugou did not appreciate the comparison to Endeavor after eavesdropping and learning how the man was in private.

Maybe Izuku is right that there’s still hope for him. Maybe something can be done to prevent the making of another Endeavor.

Izuku saw the best in people and always had their best interests at heart. Even if they didn’t necessarily deserve it. Like Shouto when they had first met. Even from the start when he barely knew the ice wielder during 1-A’s Battle Training and called him out on his refusing to use his fire side saying it could be dangerous. Along with questioning his costume choice of covering half of himself in ice.

At the time he didn’t think much of it or really paid that much attention to the Quirkless stranger that was observing their class.  Because all of his focus had been on rejecting his old man at the time. Even the design of his costume was to showcase his refusal to use his fire side. That is until Izuku befriended him and then literally knocked some sense into him during their fight.

But after their talk about the proposed Support Item, all the times they had gotten to know each other as friends, and now his revelations during the Sports Festival, it made him wonder if he should change his costume to reflect his change of mind about his Quirk. Perhaps that was something Izuku could help him with. But that was something to think about at a different time.

“No,” he finally replied to her question because it was true. Yesterday’s training had been harsher than usual because of his father’s anger at his loss. But he did tend to come out of training with some injury or another. “Normally, there are less than this.”

~~~

‘Normally’…, Inko’s mind latched on to. The word added to her concern for the boy in front of her. Joining the others like ‘passionate’, ‘demands’, and ‘rough’ when it came to describing the training his father subjected him to. All spoken hesitantly as if to soften the potential hard topic. Cementing her belief that telling the teachers of her concerns was warranted. Though she wasn’t sure if she should tell Shouto that she had told them.

Inko knew that the Heroes would do their best to investigate the situation. As they had done and will continue to do their best to help Izuku. But she didn’t know if she should inform Shouto that he too was being investigated. Or rather his family life. Would it be similar to a police investigation? Aren’t those typically reported on a need-to-know basis while the case is ongoing until the entirety of evidence was ready to be presented? She didn’t know and didn’t want to put the investigation at risk by saying something she shouldn’t.

So, she wouldn’t. At least not right now.

Instead, the mother nimbly and carefully helped remove the bandages on his back while he worked on his front, revealing burns and bruises as they went. The burns had obviously been treated with burn cream as they seemed partially healed. However, his upper body was still a collage of angry reds and a painful mix of purples, blues, and greens. It was troubling to see a child like this. Yes, the boy was a teenager who was working his way to becoming a young man. Much like her own son but Izuku would always be her child in her eyes. Her baby. And to her, his friends were no different.

Green eyes took note of where every hurt was, wishing she could take pictures. But she didn’t want to push this beginning of trust she had built with Shouto. Pictures would be useful evidence if her concerns for the teen turned out to have substance. However, her instincts to document were overridden by her motherly ones to care and make sure the boy was comfortable. His trust in her as well as his physical health were more important right now.

But that wouldn’t stop her from worrying.

“Are you sure you’re safe at home, sweetie?” Inko pressed as she took in the wounds on his back.

~~~

Shouto sat there in thought contemplating if he should tell her. He felt he could trust her. He really did. This woman, this mother, that was taking care of him as if he was her own was kind and caring. Just as much as Izuku was. Shouto already knew deep down that she was someone who would do everything she could to help him.

But there was still that doubt there. Inko wasn’t his mother. She was Izuku’s. What weight could her voice pull if she had no relation to him? Not even his own mother could really do anything about their family situation. Though for her, being the wife of Endeavor while also being in a hospital for her mental health unfortunately negated her voice in the matter.

So, what good could come of it? She was one woman. A civilian. What was that against the Number Two Hero? Not to mention the Hero Commission that would most likely do all they could to defend Endeavor above everything else. They needed to keep their Heroes, and subsequently their power, in place. It seemed pointless to burden her with something she could do nothing about.

“I’m…fine. For now,” Shouto replied, deciding to not bother her with his problems any more than he already had. He only had a few more years in that house anyway.

Inko let out a sigh at his answer before saying, “Alright. But I’m still worried about you. I want to make sure you know that if you ever don’t feel safe that you can come here any time. Okay?”

“…okay,” the teen replied in acknowledgement. The reiteration of the invitation of using the Midoriya apartment as a safe place gave him comfort. He wasn’t sure if he would ever use it but the offer was appreciated.

“Good,” the mother said with a nod. “And Shouto?”

“Hmm?” he hummed in question.

“Can I give you some advice?” Inko asked, receiving a nod in reply. “If things get bad like this again, take pictures of your injuries.”

“Pictures?” the bi-color teen probed with a tilt of his head.

“Yes, pictures,” she replied with a sad expression. “Izuku, he…he didn’t have the best time growing up.”

“Because he’s Quirkless,” Shouto interjected earning a surprised look from the mother. He awkwardly cleared his throat before explaining. “Izuku told me about how he grew up. And about what happened with Bakugou. So, I know he had a…rough childhood.”

Like I did but for different reasons. Him for his lack of power and me for my ‘perfect’ Quirk.

“I see, then you know about the bullying I’m guessing?” Inko asked, receiving a nod. “And the fact that nothing was done to stop it in the school I assume too. But that wasn’t due to a lack of trying.”

Grey and blue eyes looked at the greenette woman curiously as he asked, “What do you mean?”

“Because I did try,” she sighed with a defeated downward look. “Over and over again I would talk to the teachers and the parents. But they all brushed it away because Izuku is Quirkless. I almost lost hope as the years passed.”

Sensing her sadness, Shouto did what was becoming a habit he had learned from Izuku. Provide comfort through physical touch and placed a cool hand on her shoulder. Green eyes that were welled with signature Midoriya tears looked up at him in surprise before giving him a wobbly smile and patting his hand.

“Like I said, I almost lost hope, but over all these years I kept record of every hurt and injury Izuku had,” the greenette explained as she wiped away a tear. “I took pictures and notes in hopes that one day I would find someone who would care. And you know what? I did.”

“You did?” Shouto asked as he lowered his hand.

“Yes, the teachers at UA,” she replied with a sniffle and a nod. “After this…incident with Katsuki, their willingness to address the issues of the situation surprised me and it gave me hope. I don’t know if Izuku told you this but they’re going to be doing an investigation into his past schools.”

It may seem strange that she would share the fact that UA was investigating her son’s previous schools. While also not sharing that the Heroes would be investigating the Todorokis. But Shouto had no connection to the schools so there was no way for them to be tipped off. However, he was directly connected to Endeavor. Not that she would think the teen would reveal it to the man. But she didn’t want to risk the Heroes’ chance to investigate and give aid to the child in front of her if it turned out to be needed.

“Really?” he said in surprise that the teachers would do that. Though they were Heroes so it shouldn’t be too much of one. Then again, Endeavor was a Hero and Shouto knew exactly what he was like. Being a Hero doesn’t necessarily guarantee that they were a good person.

“Mhm, they are,” Inko answered, letting out a somewhat wet sounding chuckle. “I gave them all the evidence I collected over the years and Principal Nezu said he would look into the matter personally. From what I heard from Izuku about him, he is someone of action.”

Shouto nodded at that. He didn’t know much about the principal personally. But he did know that Nezu was the rare case of an animal with a Quirk and that he was considered one of the smartest beings alive. Because of the latter, he knew that Nezu was called in to help with cases that needed more behind-the-scenes help that was the mammal’s specialty. But he also heard that Nezu had a penchant for savage revenge as well. He did have a reputation that preceded him after all. Izuku’s case would do well in his paws.

“With him and the other teachers wanting to help Izuku after years of no one else taking on the responisbility,” Inko said, reaching out slowly to place a gentle hand on an uninjured area of the teen’s arm. Only after getting a nod of consent of course. “I’m confident that if there is anything happening in your life that shouldn’t be, anything at all, they would do whatever they could to help you as well. All you would have to do is reach out to them.”

The bi-color teen considered the woman in front of him. She sounded so sure that they would want to help if they knew. But he was also sure that there was nothing they could do. Not when going up against the Number Two Hero, his army of lawyers, and most likely the Hero Commission as well. His hesitation showed through his silence rather than his mostly blank expression.

“You don’t have to decide or do anything now,” the mother assured him with a gentle rub of her thumb on his arm. “But as I said, if things do get that bad again, take pictures. Because whatever this is…” Green eyes trailed along his various injuries before meeting grey and blue again. “…it isn’t normal and you should never have been expected to just accept it as such. Any pictures you take could be helpful if and when you decide to ask for help. I want you to be safe, Shouto.”

Grey and blue eyes gazed into clearly concerned green and he knew she meant what she said. This woman he had only just met for the first time today was worried about him. Was concerned about his safety outside of her home. Had even offered her home as a place for him to escape if needed. Had made the effort to record what had happened to her own son in hopes to eventually be used to give him the justice he had been denied over the years. Had found the people who actually cared enough to try. Who was now offering him the advice to follow her example to help him with his situation.

Shouto was still unsure what the Heroes could possibly do against his father. The Number Two Hero was revered by many as great and powerful. His tally of resolved cases was the highest amongst the Heroes. A fact that was commonly chalked up to his perseverance on finding the perp, solving the case, and saving the day.

But the son of Endeavor knew from personal experience it was more about him needing the most wins under his belt and the fact he never held anything back whether it be his persistence or his Quirk. Because his solved cases were not the only high number he had in his stats as he was also one of the Heroes with the most casualties and property damage. However, those numbers were downplayed considerably by the Endeavor Agency’s PR department. Most likely with the Hero Commision’s help too.

As for any charges brought up against him for excessive force resulting in damages to person or property alike, those were handled by the old man’s army of lawyers. A group that worked diligently and constantly to either make the accusations go away or settle them out of court. Shouto knew this as he had overheard quite a few times his father yelling on the phone while in his office about one allegation or another. Demanding the lawyers to do what he paid them for as he was ‘too busy’ for such ‘whining’ from the ‘ungrateful masses’.

With such a backing from various agencies behind him, Endeavor seemed untouchable to Shouto. Too high up in the ranks of society to ever be taken down. Immune to the rules set upon everyone else and exempt from the consequences of his actions. Beyond the reach of the long arm of the law no matter what the atrocity he committed. But so had Bakugou apparently to Izuku and Inko for many years. Until now that is.

A teenage bully was no comparison to the sad excuse of a Hero his father was. Like a miniscule explosive fish to an enormous fiery whale. Bakugou’s misdeeds a drop in a bucket to Endeavor’s ocean of transgressions both public and private. And yet, despite the discrepancy between the two, the fact that Bakugou would actually be brought to justice for what he has done instilled Shouto with a glimmer of optimism.

The blonde bully was being punished. Was being held accountable for all that he has said and done to Izuku who he had bullied for years. And he wasn’t the only one being held accountable. The Heroes planned to also go after their past schools as well. A far more significant target for them to go after than just a single teenager. One that Shouto was sure would be handled with the upmost sadistically efficient care especially with Nezu on the case.

This gave the bi-color teen a sliver of hope. If the Heroes were willing to take down a school, what else or rather who else would they be willing to go after. Maybe, just maybe, would they have the guts to turn their justice-seeking focus towards the Number Two Hero? Though there was still doubt. Even if they did have the tenacity didn’t necessarily mean they had the means.

Shouto had no way of knowing how much influence the teachers of UA could wield. Sure, they were Heroes and were fighters for justice. He had seen so himself during the USJ attack. Aizawa and Thirteen had been quick to defend them from the uninvited League of Villains. Holding off the Villains to the best of their ability until handfuls of the students had been whisked away by the misty looking warper. Leaving the students to defend themselves until the rest of the teachers arrived to aid them.

But going after Endeavor wouldn’t be a physical fight and rather a legal one. For the most part at least. Knowing the bastard’s temper from personal experience, he would not at all be surprised if the man would resort to blows if he didn’t get his way. Wouldn’t be the first time as some of his bruises stood as evidence.

Evidence…hmm…

Perhaps that was what Shouto was missing in his speculations in regards to Endeavor and the chances of him actually receiving his deserved consequences. He always thought that nothing would come of telling someone what he was going through at home. All the ‘training’ and isolation from his siblings. That his words would be brushed aside as mere complaints from a naïve child.

But what if he didn’t use words? What if he showed them instead? Perhaps taking pictures wasn’t a bad idea. In fact, now that he thought about it he did vaguely remember Touya taking pictures at one point. It wasn’t from the beginning of his training but rather after a huge fight between Enji and Touya. One that had ended with Endeavor banning his eldest son from ‘training’. Leaving Shouto to face his father alone for hours. Forced to push himself past his limits with hyper focus on developing the most overpowering attacks he could. Which is why his typical go-to moves came off as overkill like how he had frozen the entire building during Battle Training or encased Sero in a glacier.

Shouto knew that Touya had wanted to be involved in the training. Knew that he had continued to train on his own after being banned. That he held some level of hidden jealousy of his youngest brother gaining all the attention of their father though he did his best not to show it. Touya had looked up to Enji from day one. Had wanted to be a strong Hero just like him. But his Quirk was not the masterpiece Endeavor sought in his successor. So, he was essentially cast aside mentally and then eventually physically being barred from training.

Despite that, Touya had still come to Shouto’s aid after every session in that horrid room. Helped patch him up and did indeed take pictures for reasons the bi-color boy did not know. But perhaps this was the reason why. Maybe Touya had been building up a collection of evidence to use against Endeavor. Not that it mattered now since whatever he had was gone along with the eldest son himself. But maybe he could carry on his efforts starting now.

It would take time to collect what he would consider a decent amount of evidence. Taking pictures of any and all injuries he received during training from here on out. Gathering evidence of how Endeavor ‘trained’ his son. It could take a while but he could at least try. Then, when he felt that he had enough, maybe then he would go to the Heroes for help. Maybe then they would for sure listen to what he had to say and show them.

A ‘maybe’ was uncertain but it wasn’t necessarily a ‘no’. With a ‘maybe’ there was hope for a ‘yes’. All he had to do was try. To start collecting the evidence he would need. It would take time but he had to start somewhere and the present seemed a good enough time to begin.

“Maybe we could…take pictures now?” Shouto offered, grey and blue eyes looking into green hesitantly.

“Now?” Inko asked, surprised but pleased that he was considering her advice. “Would you be okay with that?”

“Yes, uh, I would,” the teen answered with a nod.

“Alright, do you have your phone?” the mother inquired. He gave another nod and dug his phone out of his pocket, unlocking it before handing it over. “Thank you. Let’s have you stand over there and I’ll take a few pictures.”

She instructed him to stand with his back facing the door which was the only patch of Izuku’s room that wasn’t covered in Hero merch. Well except for the name plaque but that was on the other side of the door. The experienced documenter took pictures from various angles. From the front, the back, and the sides along with a few closeup shots on the more severe wounds.

“Are there any others?” Inko asked, hinting at the possible hidden ones covered by the boy’s pants.

“A few,” Shouto replied crushing that hope. “But I can take care of them myself. For the bandages and the pictures.”

“Okay then,” the mother said with a worried but conceding nod. “Is it okay if I add my number to your phone? And that I send the pictures to my phone as a backup?”

The boy nodded that he was fine with both of those things to which she gave him a grateful smile for his trust. She turned her attention to the phone in her hand and exited the camera app. She then opened his list of contacts and was pleased to see he had a fair few already in there including her son and his friends.

Inko was quick to add her own contact information like her phone number and her email as well as their address in case he forgot. Confirming her entry, she then sent the pictures she took to her own phone to have his number as well as the pictures themselves. Ones she planned to share with the principal to help in their investigation.

“Alright, here you are,” Inko said as she handed the phone back to its owner. “I’ll go get the first aid kit and put it just inside the door so you can take care of the ones you can handle yourself once you’re done cleaning up. I’ll be waiting outside so just open the door when you’re ready for my help with your back.”

Shouto nodded as he said, “Thank you, Inko.”

“You’re welcome, dear,” Inko replied with a caring smile. “Make sure the water isn’t too hot or cold and be careful washing. There are wash cloths in the cabinet as well that you can use. I’ll be just outside.”

The bi-color teen nodded again and so the mother left to go about her task. Once she closed the door, Shouto removed his pants and took a few more pictures of his other injuries after removing the remaining bandages. He then sent those to the newest contact in his phone. Really liking the idea of having a backup of the pictures. Just in case.

As promised, Shouto was careful cleaning up. He checked the temperature of the shower and found a comforting and cleansing warm. He had found an extra towel and wash cloth with ease, using the latter to gently wash his body. All the shower products smelled of lavender and mint, the soothing scents calming him down as he cleaned himself. The effect was nice and he made a mental note to possibly add similar products to his own shower routine at home. Or would the old man see that as weak.

Probably.

But Shouto didn’t care what his father thought. Not that he had much before but now he really didn’t care. His grey and blue eyes had been opened to the fact that his efforts to not be controlled by Enji were having the opposite effect. But Izuku had made him realize that by rejecting his fire side he was still letting himself be controlled. That the only way to actually reject that bastard was to take his plans for his ‘masterpiece’ and set them on fire. Ignore Endeavor’s impossibly high expectations and instead forge his own path.

Which means I need to master my fire.

But how? There were no other fire wielders in his class and he didn’t think any of the teachers had fire related Quirks. The closest to his power was Bakugou but explosions were different than plain fire. The only person Shouto knew who used fire in the most similar way to his own was unfortunately the one person he really didn’t want to ask advice from.

His father.

Wouldn’t asking for advice just give the old man satisfaction? Proof to him that his ‘masterpiece’ was finally accepting his role in life. But that wasn’t the case. Shouto refused to be that bastard’s pawn. However, if he was going to get the most useful and relevant advice on how to use his fire side, who else was better than the man himself whose passed down genes made half of the dual element wielder’s Quirk possible.

It was annoying. The fact that the best person in his mind to get advice for his fire was his asshole of a father. Shouto didn’t really want to ask knowing that it would encourage the bastard thinking he had won. But for now, he decided not to worry about it. Endeavor was away on a business trip and so would be gone for a couple more days. Instead, Shouto would focus on the here and now, enjoying his time with his friends during his first ever sleepover.

After rinsing off, Shouto turned off the shower and with the same amount of care toweled off. The borrowed towel was soft and fluffy but not as fluffy as Izuku’s hair. Once he wrapped the towel around his waist, he walked out and spotted the first aid kit by the closed door as promised. He picked up the box and brought it over to his friend’s desk. Curiously he noted the not one but two medals from the Sports Festival on the desk but shrugged it off as a simple peculiarity and nothing more.

With deft hands, Shouto opened the first aid kit and pulled out the various creams, gauze, and bandages he would need. He attended to the burns and bruises on his thighs first before putting on his undergarments and blue striped pajama pants. He then sat on the desk chair to work on his other injuries. For his ankle, he managed to find a compression bandage which he wrapped firmly but comfortably around the sprained joint before putting on his plain white socks. Then he attended to the remaining wounds on his arms and front.

The bi-color teen tried his best to treat as many injuries as he could by himself. But unfortunately, there were some he could not get to on his back because he wasn’t able to bend that way. He did try though not wanting to bother the kind mother more than he already had but he just couldn’t. Finally admitting defeat, he let out a sigh as he stood up and opened the door a crack. As promised, Inko was waiting outside in the hall and she gave him a reassuring smile as he let her into the room before closing the door.

Without much comment other than some small talk, the mother helped tend to the remaining injuries. The brief discussion of his likes and dislikes was enough to distract him from the small stings of pain from the applying of burn cream and bandages. Once she was done, she gave him a comforting pat on the shoulder as a signal. Inko watched as Shouto carefully put on and buttoned up a matching blue striped pajama shirt. Covering up all his injuries from the world as if they didn’t exist.

Out of sight, out of mind.

“Do you need anything else?” Inko asked, obviously still worried. “Like ice for your ankle.”

“No, thank you,” Shouto replied, forming a thin layer of frost on his right hand to show her. “I, uh, think I can handle it myself.”

The concerned mother couldn’t help the giggle that leaked out from his comment. She wiped away a stray tear before saying, “Alright then. But please let me know if you need help with anything. Now, let’s get you back to the others.”

Shouto let out a hum of affirmation in response and together they left Izuku’s room. The short walk down the hall still was done with measured steps to be kind to his wrapped ankle. Inko kept her pace as slow as his without a word. In no time they were in front of the door to the living room and the greenette mother held the door open for him.

Shouto took one step into the room only to be met with a pillow to the face. He stood there in shock as the pillow fell to the floor in front of him with a soft thud. From where he was, he could see Izuku across the room staring at him with his mouth open with his hand still outstretched. While Mei and Hitoshi with pillows in hand were trying to hold back laughter at his expression.

Inko squeezed her way into the room in the space left between the door and where the ice wielder had figuratively frozen in place. Green eyes quickly scanned the scene and knew that while they were gone, the fort builders had forgone their task and ended up in a pillow fight instead.

With a fond smile, sigh, and shake of her head, Inko quietly checked with Shouto asking if he was ok. He gave a silent nod still in shock as he had never been hit in the face with a pillow before. With her own nod, the mother gave him a pat on the shoulder before calmly picking up the pillow and walking over to the fort.

“This is what you three get up to when I’m gone?” Inko asked, handing the pillow back to her son who was probably the one who had thrown it based off his expression. “Did you at least finish the fort?”

“Oh, uh, yeah we did!” Izuku replied, breaking out of his stupor. “Sorry about hitting you with the pillow, Shouto-kun. I was aiming for Hitoshi-kun but he ducked at the last minute.”

“Don’t blame me for your lousy aim,” Hitoshi interjected between snickers.

“Well, please be careful,” the mother said as her green eyes passed over her charges for the night. Her gaze stayed on her son a second longer than the others conveying a silent message. Knowing he would understand as he too knew Shouto was injured. “Alright. I’m going to be in my room to leave you to your shenanigans. If you need me, don’t be afraid to ask for help.”

The group of teenagers gave their various versions of ‘yes’ to Inko who gave a final nod before leaving the room.

“Sorry again, Shouto-kun,” Izuku said as he walked over to the taller teen. “We finished the blanket fort and then we sort of fell into a pillow fight while we were waiting.”

“It’s fine. It didn’t hurt,” Shouto assured him before a hint of curiosity appeared in his eyes. “What’s a pillow fight?”

“It’s a fight with pillows,” Hitoshi answered, hitting Mei with the pillow in his hand as an example. To which she of course retaliated with her own attack that the purple haired teen dodged leading to an exchange of blows between them.

Shouto watched from the side taking in the show of a pillow fight. It was…intriguing. Literally a fight with pillows. So much different from the usual fights he was in. The attacks were softened by the use of pillows instead of bodies or Quirks. And it seemed they were having fun too as they traded friendly trash talk while laughing. It made him curious to try but he held himself back not wanting to do anything to ruin any of the bandages he and Inko had placed on his person.

Maybe another time.

“So, shall I show you the fort?” Izuku asked beside him. He too had abstained from the pillow fight to stay by his friend.

“Please do,” Shouto replied.

The greenette smiled in response and led him over to the fort. The main area was made using the couch and two of the dining room chairs with several blankets and sheets strewn over and pinned to the pieces of furniture making a roof. There were a couple blankets on one side to form a wall while on the other side was an extension to the main area.

Using the two other chairs and more blankets and sheets to make a side and back wall was another room. The table that was previously in front of the couch was placed next to this side area. On the table was Mei’s baby along with her tool kit making it a sort of mini studio in the fort just for her. Both areas left the side facing the TV open so they could all see the movie once they were in the fort. The floor inside the fort was covered in yet more blankets as well as pillows creating a cozy place to watch movies and eventually sleep. All in all, it looked comfortable and made Shouto excited to enjoy his first pillow fort.

Notes:

There ya have it! :D Inko being best mom taking care of not-her-kid-but-might-as-well-be Shouto. And Shouto is playing a part in investigation into Endeavor! Even though he doesn't know it. Making it a multi-front investigation!

More sleepover shenanigans! Pillow forts and pillow fights. Sh-sh-shout out to SoFewSpoons on the discord for the 'Shouto being surprised by a pillow to the face' idea! He so would be inexperienced and shocked by that sort of thing. Along with not knowing about pillow forts and other fun kid things. But not to worry. His friends will teach him. ^____^ If you have any other sleepover ideas, let me know!

Fun Facts About Japan:

Like every country, Japan has their drugstores. No duh. :P I wasn't sure what else to talk about this chapter's notes but Shouto used a first aid kit so I went with that. Anyway, the particular drugstore I went to in Japan was Matsumoto Kiyoshi. There you could get groceries, cosmetics, over the counter medicine, etc. It was a good place to go to get certain household necessities like toilet paper or cleaning products. Which some of them have fun names. One time I had a backed up sink and had to get some drain cleaner. The brand my supervisor recommended was called Pipe Attack or Paipu Attacku ( パイプアタック ). If you're in need of mold cleaner then Kabi Killer or Kabi Kiraa ( カビキラー ) is your friend. Which comes in handy because mold just loves Japan's humid climate. Since Japan is a country where people more commonly wear masks daily, they have various anti-fog products for glasses like the gel I used called Kumori Tome ( くもり止め , くもりとめ ) which works pretty well. Another thing that I found interesting is that they have refill packets along with the original products in the bottles and such. Like a plastic bag of sorts for soap, shampoo, conditioner, etc. that you can buy instead of getting a whole new bottle every time. Perhaps not the most interesting of facts but those were some of the Japanese products I used during my time living there.

That's a wrap much like Shouto all wrapped up in bandages! Poor kid. But everyone is going to do their best to make him feel better. The heroes by investigating Endeavor, Inko by being the kind mother she is, and the Freakateers who will shower him with friendship. ;) Next update is more sleepover shenanigans. Inspiring Disney movies, pining boys being annoyingly adorable, and sadly the wrapping up of the sleepover. But all good things come to an end eventually. We just have to enjoy it while it lasts. ^______^ Anyway, be safe and happy out there in this crazy world! Let me know of typos or weirdness!

Chapter 11: Cuddle Up With A Good Friend

Notes:

Got back from camping today and it was great as always! Sadly no campfires allowed but being among the trees was great. ^____^ This update is later that usual but it's still Tuesday! (At least for me. :P ) Thank you for your patience anyway! Hope you're in the mood for fluff because there is a lot this chapter. ;) There are several pov changes and we're getting our very first Mei pov! :D So that should be fun.

Warning for teasing in this chapter. From "It was in that moment that he heard..." to " "I see," Mei said with a smirk." The following few sentences after that are a continuation of the teasing but isn't as bad and leads up to a funny oblivious Shouto moment. Also the paragraph starting with "Izuku had tried to cover up the slipup..." but the next is fine. Then a third starting midway through a paragraph of Hitoshi speaking. It's from "Do behave yourself, Izuku..." to just before "“Do you need help with anything, Shouto?". Those are the major ones I believe.

Linktree to all the things!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

In order to decide what Disney movie to watch next, the group of teens settled for a game of janken and the winner would choose. Shouto opted out as he didn’t have a preference. In the end, Hitoshi won and chose Frozen because he was curious how Shouto would react to watching a movie about another ice wielder.

After setting up the movie to play, the three boys made themselves comfortable in the bigger area of the pillow fort sitting on the floor with their backs propped up against the couch. They were positioned same as before with Shouto in the middle, Hitoshi to his right, and Izuku to his left. Then to Izuku’s left Mei made herself comfortable in her mini studio sitting on some grubby looking towels being denied the nicer blankets until she cleaned up for bed. Though if she ended up falling asleep as is, it would not be the first time. Her babies came first before her own comfort every time. The number of sleepless nights, missed meals, and missed showers being proof.

As the movie started, Izuku and Mei were already quietly humming along while Hitoshi rolled his eyes. Shouto quietly took Izuku’s hand in his in the space on the floor between them which the greenette gladly accepted as he repositioned his hand to better hold the other’s. This connection between them allowed Izuku to feel Shouto’s twitch of surprise when the first saw broke through the ice on the screen.

Much like the latter half of the first film they watched, Izuku and Mei sang along with the songs. When Elsa first started using her ice powers, the greenette peeked up at his friend to gauge his reaction and wasn’t the only one as he saw Hitoshi was glancing over as well. The somewhat widened grey and blue eyes were the only indication of Shouto’s feeling, showing his hidden intrigue on his otherwise stoic face.

As the little girl on the screen formed snow with her hands, Shouto brought up his right hand though whether consciously or subconsciously he couldn’t be sure. But the element wielder looked between the screen and his own hand while forming a thin layer of ice over his palm. As if he was finding inspiration from the film for his own Quirk. Which would make sense since he and the character on the screen shared a similar power.

Being the analytical and prepared nerd that he was, Izuku reached into his pajama pants pocket and took out a mini notebook and pencil. Hitoshi, still side-eying their bi-colored friend saw this and rolled his eyes. The greenette stuck out his tongue but otherwise ignored him as he silently offered the notebook to Shouto. The other looked at the offered notebook with a perplexed raised brow before gently taking it from his hand. Grey and blue gazed into green as he squeezed their joined hands in silent appreciation before letting go.

Izuku already missed the feel of his friend hand in his. Somewhat regretting giving him the notebook if it kept their hands apart. But the separation was only temporary for as soon as the taller boy was done jotting down a thought, he returned his hand between them and took hold of his own once more. The act brought a shy smile to his freckled face as he brushed his thumb across the other’s skin in approval which was returned.

Just in time too as on the screen one sister accidentally hurt the other with an icy shot to the head. The hand in his gripped tighter as the somber part of the story progressed. It concerned the greenette as he began to think that maybe watching this particular movie while knowing about Shouto’s family life might not have been the best idea.

“Are you okay?” Izuku whispered as he leaned in close to his friend’s ear.

The unexpected murmur in his ear made Shouto jump slightly as he jerked his head in the shorter boy’s direction. The reaction caught the greenette by surprise as their noses briefly brushed against each other. Izuku did his best to not pay attention to how close their faces were and instead focus on his friend.

“I’m okay,” the ice wielder replied with a confirming squeeze of his hand.

“Are you sure?” the greenette asked. “We can watch something else if this is making you uncomfortable.”

“No, it’s fine,” Shouto assured with a subtle smile and a brush of his thumb. Which was true even if the movie was hitting closer to home than he had expected.

The fear of one’s own power though for Shouto it was more so for his fire than his ice. The isolation even though his was because of his father rather than self-imposed. Essentially losing a sibling though for the her it was from her isolation while for him it was because his brother was believed dead. As well as parents in a way though his were both still alive. But he had only recently reunited with his own mother today after a decade of separation. As for his father…he would be perfectly fine not interacting with him ever again if that were an option. Which unfortunately wasn’t possible in his current circumstances but a boy could dream.

Still worried but accepting his friend’s answer, Izuku turned his attention back to the movie. Thankfully the story transitioned to a cheerier tone and he quickly found himself drawn back in by the Disney magic. Singing along with the catchy songs with Mei while Hitoshi hummed and Shouto quietly took it all in.

As the movie progressed, the story had its ups and downs. Moments of happiness paired with scenes of sadness. Whenever the mood of the film would drop Izuku would check on his friend through glances and briefly tightened grips. Always receiving reassuring ones back. Periodically the bi-color teen would let go of his hand to take notes but would always reinitiate the connection. It was comfortable and comforting but above all it was warm.

As the movie ended, Hitoshi turned to Shouto with a smirk and said, “So, Todoroki, do you wanna build a snowman?”

“I’ve never done that before,” Shouto replied honestly. “But, uh…sure?”

He held up his right hand and his heterochromatic brows furrowed in concentration. Using his Quirk to make a defined shape was something he had never thought to try before. Not saying that it was impossible as his father could manipulate his fire into different shapes such as a spear. It was possible that sort of skill could be applied to both sides of his Quirk given time though not a guarantee.

Unsure of how or even if it would work, the elemental wielder focused on picturing in his mind the shape he wanted to make. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes to better concentrate. He could feel his power surging from his core through his arm to his hand. Beside him his friends watched in awe as ice started to form. Even Mei looked up from her baby to watch.

When he felt he was done, grey and blue eyes slowly opened to take in his work. It wasn’t exactly a snowman but it was…something. The form was certainly snowman, or rather iceman, shaped but was clumpier and jagged rather than round. Still, it was something and his first attempt to ever do such a thing so he was proud of his odd little iceman.

“That’s amazing, Shouto-kun,” Izuku praised with a bright smile.

“Not bad, Todoroki,” Hitoshi added with an impressed smirk. Because again, not bad for his first time trying.

“It’s like his own version of the Snowgies from the short,” Mei chimed in with a grin.

“His ‘ice ice baby’ you could say?” the brainwasher quipped.

“Yes!” the avid inventor exclaimed excitedly though missing the other’s joke. “Ice baby, meet my baby!”

The pinkette held up her baby to ‘meet’ the bi-color teen’s ‘ice baby’. Shouto was a bit confused but brought up his little iceman near the gizmo. Mei beamed at his playing along with her antics before getting back to work. Hitoshi let out a huff of laughter as Izuku giggled before offering to store the Quirk-made figure in the freezer so it wouldn’t melt. To which the ice wielder said that he could keep it as a gift if he so wished. With a bright smile and a chirped thanks the shorter boy left the fort briefly to put his new iceman away.

“So, what did you think of the movie, Shouto-kun?” the greenette asked once he was settled back in the fort.

“It was…informative,” Shouto replied while looking down at the notes he had taken. “It gave me some ideas about how to use my ice. Ways I hadn’t thought of before.”

“That’s good! Hmm…well, if you’re looking for ideas on how to use your Quirk,” Izuku said with a thoughtful hand on his chin. “Maybe you should watch Avatar: The Last Airbender some time.”

“What’s that?” the bi-color teen asked curiously.

“It’s a show that takes place in a world where people can manipulate the elements,” Izuku explained raising his fingers to count. “Water, earth, fire, air.”

“Long ago…” Hitoshi interrupted with a dramatic wave of his hand before receiving a pillow hit to the face to shut him up.

Shouto quirked a brow in confusion but Izuku gestured to not worry about it as he continued, “Anyway, each element uses different wielding techniques based on real life fighting styles. They also have a lot of different ways to manipulate each element. It might be a good source of inspiration for you.”

The element wielder hummed in consideration. A show that had people that could wield different parts of nature. Using it as a source for ideas for his own Quirk was an intriguing idea. And considering that Izuku, who was recognized for his analysis skills by Nezu himself, was the one suggesting it Shouto thought it was a legitimate good source for inspiration.

“I will have to watch that at some point,” Shouto conceded.

“Really?” Izuku replied with wide eyes and a big smile that he was taking his suggestion.

“Yes. It would be beneficial to think of new ways to use my Quirk,” the bi-color teen said with a nod. “Especially since I want to start embracing my fire. I don’t know what exactly I can do with my left side so any ideas would be helpful to me.”

“That’s great!” the greenette chirped as he smiled brightly. “I could try to help you if you want. Observe you like I did before with your ice. Though it might be more helpful to find someone who can also use fire. But I don’t think there’s anyone else in our year who can manipulate elements like you can. I wonder if there’s someone in a different year who…”

As per usual, Izuku ended up falling into a muttering spiral talking himself through various ideas of how to help Shouto train his fire side. Grey and blue eyes watched him fondly while Hitoshi rolled his eyes at his Quirk obsessed friend. Mei being Mei wasn’t paying attention to them as she worked on her baby.

Leaving the greenette to it, Hitoshi turned his focus to Shouto and asked a random question that had been bothering him, “So Todoroki, what’s with the matching pajamas?”

The bi-color teen looked down at his matching blue striped pajama set then up at the purple haired teen as he responded, “What do you mean?”

“You look like you stepped out of a movie or something,” Hitoshi replied with a smirk and quirked brow. “Who in real life wears something like that?”

Shouto tilted his head in confusion as he said, “But I’ve always worn pajamas like these. It’s what I was always given growing up.”

It was the truth. The youngest Todoroki didn’t have much say in his wardrobe. Not that he really had any particular opinion about what clothes he wore though. He was quite fine with the subdued array of colors and the overall style that he was provided. The cat shirt Hitoshi wore and the Hero one Izuku was sporting with both paired with cozy looking pants seemed comfortable enough. But he didn’t see how one could be considered better than the other. After all they were only clothes.

“I guess if it’s what you’re used to,” Hitoshi said with a shrug. “Though I prefer to mix and match myself.”

The bi-color teen simply hummed in answer. It was at this time that Izuku managed to break out of his rambling session with the mini notebook in hand full of new notes. Though when he had taken it from Shouto’s possession he didn’t know nor did he offer an explanation. Instead, the greenette inquired what they should watch next. Mei, still focused on her baby, shot out the suggestion of ‘Lilo & Stitch’ which was agreed upon by the others. They also decided that popcorn was a great idea which the inexperienced Shouto was subtly excited for.

As Hitoshi queued up the next movie, Shouto joined Izuku in the kitchen to make the popcorn. The greenette found and took out the box of popcorn packets before putting the first bag into the microwave to heat up. He then went in search of bowls for them to use which he did on a high shelf that was just out of his reach. Curse being vertically challenged.

“Do you need help with that?” Shouto asked.

The greenette turned to his friend and gave him a nod with an appreciative smile. He knew the taller boy had said it in genuine offer. However, if it had been Hitoshi offering, he was sure it would have been paired with a teasing smirk. The lanky jerk.

The two in the kitchen made quick work of the popcorn. Though Izuku did wonder if Shouto could make popcorn with his Quirk. Like if he heated up one of those stove top popcorn tins with his left hand. Which also called to question if he could cook things on his left side in general. Like maybe fry an egg or something. Or could he possibly pull something hot out of the oven with his left bare hand? Not to mention the cooling capabilities of his right side such as making ice cream. Hmm. Possible food-related Quirk experiments for another time.

Once the popcorn was popped and ready, they returned to the fort with bowls in hand. They handed out the bowls, one for each of them, before settling back in amongst the pillows and blankets. Shouto took no time in holding his hand like before. Leaving their other hands free to eat the fresh popcorn from their individual bowls.

The beginning of the film with the trial against the doctor’s genetic experimentation made Izuku question the choice of movie again. What with Shouto being the result of a Quirk marriage and all. But just like the last movie the bi-color teen assured him he was fine though silently with a squeeze of his hand. After all, Shouto had known he was born as a form of forced genetics ever since he was labeled his father’s ‘masterpiece’ so the subject wasn’t anything new.

If anything, the similarity helped him identify with the little blue alien on the screen. He also identified with the little girl. He too was basically raised by his sister after his mother was hospitalized, Touya was gone, and Natsuo escaped to college. His father was always annoyingly ever present but not in a paternal sense. Rather as the oppressive taskmaster hell bent on molding him into the perfect specimen to defeat All Might.

But those weren’t thoughts he wanted to dwell on at the moment. Too heavy for the light atmosphere of the sleepover. Instead, he pushed them to the back of his mind to focus on more important things. Such as the movie playing on the screen, spending time with his friends, and the touch he was sharing with his special warm friend.

As the movie progressed, Izuku found himself getting sleepy and nodding off ever so slightly. At one point he even ended up accidentally resting his head on Shouto’s shoulder. He immediately righted himself as he apologized but the taller teen assured him it was fine. The small smile he offered the shorter boy was enough to assuage his worries. To the point that when Izuku did it again, more on purpose this time, he didn’t retreat.

Instead, the greenette gave the hand in his a squeeze in silent question and received an affirming one back. The subtle approval made him smile as he snuggled into the warmer than usual shoulder. The new shared touch woke him up some as he enjoyed their closeness. A shared feeling that Shouto apparently felt too as his head was soon resting atop of Izuku’s own. He got a questioning short grip which he returned with ease. This touch was more than okay.

~~~

Beside them, Hitoshi side-eyed their actions with a warm half smile but said nothing. He was happy for his friends. Izuku may not know what his feelings were exactly and Todoroki’s thoughts on the matter were a mystery. However, the purple haired teen could tell that whatever they were to each other it made them happy. Which was enough for him to approve of their closeness.

Though it did make him a bit jealous. Not of Todoroki or Izuku in particular, but rather the sharing of touches so easily. Yet another thing Hitoshi had been denied growing up. No parents and no partners. No one wants to date the Villain who could brainwash you into doing unspeakable things. But on the other hand, he would rather kiss an angler fish than date any of those judgmental assholes he had gone to school with before.

That didn’t mean he was against finding a special someone for himself. In fact, he was actually very open to the idea. But he also wasn’t actively looking for that either. Mainly because his focus had been solely on getting into UA’s Hero Course. There had been a few bumps and curves in the road but he, along with Izuku, finally managed to get there. Well, starting Tuesday they will but still.

The fact that they would be starting in a whole new class was a bit stressful for Hitoshi. He hadn’t put much effort into getting to know his 1-C classmates as he hoped to be transferred out eventually. It seemed like a waste of time to make friends he was going to leave behind. Not that he had expected to make any friends anyway. His track record wasn’t the best when it came to that.

The students in 1-C weren’t the worst people the brainwasher had ever met. There were still a few who tried to bash him for his Quirk as per usual. But Yamada had been quick to shut them up and inform everyone of UA’s zero tolerance policy in regards to bullying and Quirk discrimination. A gesture Hitoshi really appreciated from his ex-homeroom teacher as no other teacher had really done that before.

UA is just so…different.

It was a recurring theme that Izuku and he had been learning since they started at the school. The teachers actually care. Not just for those with the blessed strong Quirks but everyone. The tall and the small. The confident and the shy. The Quirked and the Quirkless. All were welcome and cared for at UA. It gave Hitoshi hope that perhaps things could change for the better.

Though the brainwasher still doubted the magic would extend past the gates of UA. As if that could do anything in regards to his family, or lack of one, situation. Yeah, right. But he had already resigned himself to the fact that he would just have to wait to age out of the foster system. It was no big deal. He had been dealing with it ever since his Quirk had manifested after all. A few more years was nothing.

Besides, much like the characters on the screen who were making their own found family, Hitoshi had a pretty great one right here. It may have come up as a quip to Todoroki’s conspiracy theory, but now that he thought about it, Hitoshi found he did feel as if Izuku was the brother he never had. And Mei could be his eccentric sister too. He would be fine with that. As for Todoroki…

If…no, when Todoroki and Izuku do end up dating eventually, I am so giving him the shovel talk.

The thought brought a smirk to the purple haired teen’s face as he considered the future conversation. Probably receiving a confused and blunt answer from Todoroki like always. The ice wielder may be strong but there were certain things that he was completely clueless about. Like the fact that ‘just friends’ don’t hold hands or cuddle as much as the two pining idiots sitting next to him do.

Seriously, just start dating already.

They were adorable. Absolutely. But they were also infuriating. Definitely.

Just kiss already, am I right?

Izuku seemed to be on the right path to figuring out his feelings so he would let them be. Hopefully Todoroki was doing something similar or else Hitoshi would have to take matters into his own hands. With some help hopefully as he had no real dating experience because again no one wants to date the Villain with the brainwashing Quirk. But he would be damned if he let his best friend miss having someone special over ignorance or a misunderstanding.

The Green Bean will be happy whether he’s an idiot sometimes or not. And if that means the walking talking Peppermint Stick ends up happy too then so be it.

But that was a problem for future Hitoshi. For now, he would enjoy his time with his found family. Mei his baby obsessed sister. Izuku his Quirk nut of a brother. And Todoroki who he might as well start calling Shouto considering he was going to be his future brother-in-law of sorts. While Inko his kind mentally adopted mother was in the other room. Being able to spend time with these people was a blessing in and of itself.

With that comforting thought, the purple haired teen left the pining pair to their own devices and turned his full attention back to the movie as he stuffed a handful of popcorn into his mouth.

~~~

Mei was happily working on the precious baby in her hands. Fiddle with a part here, tighten a screw there. All while watching Disney movies in a blanket fort with her friends! What more could an inventing genius ask for? Well, there was one thing and that was for the two lovebirds next to her to stop being so adorable. Or not because the adorableness shouldn’t be stopped.

Ugh, the feeling of it being too much and yet not enough is driving me nuts.

The pinkette was happy for her fellow inventor and friend in the tier of best. Truly she was. Ever since Izuku had rushed back into the studio looking like a tomato after agreeing to a verbal contract in regards to hand holding with a certain boy. It was obvious to Mei’s keen eyes without even using her Quirk that Izuku had a crush on the boy who could definitely use a temperature regulating baby. Not that she had much experience with crushes as she always liked to keep her focus on inventing rather than romantic feelings for others.

Perhaps it could happen. Or not. Either way Mei didn’t really care all that much. Because to her the making of as many babies as possible was most important. Creating lovely and adorable inventions for Heroes to use. Like Izuku and Hitoshi would be. Her own personal guinea pigs but ones she was more emotionally attached to than normal. They were her best friends after all.

Todoroki wasn’t at the best tier yet. Not for Mei at least though she would be open to the possibility. But the boy gave most of his attention to Izuku more than anything or anyone else. Well, him and maybe cold soba. Boy can that guy pack in those noodles dipped in tsuyu sauce. It’s like he lived off the stuff much how Iida did on orange juice for his Quirk.

Oh right. Iida. I need to apologize to him.

Mei did feel bad about using her friend like that. Because after that talk she and Izuku had Mei agreed that the engine boy was her friend. Just not on the same tier as Hitoshi and Izuku were. But a friend none the less who she had used as her personal puppet to showcase her babies. Something she had felt slightly guilty about before but very much so after their talk. So, yes. She needed to apologize for what she did.

Unfortunately, that apology would have to wait. Iida had already left due to a family emergency before she could. So, she hadn’t been able to talk to him yet. But that was ok. He had more important things to worry about like tending to his brother who had gotten attacked. Her apology could wait. Perhaps for when she sees him at lunch on Tuesday.

Yeah, that would work.

For now, the pinkette chose to focus on the here and now. Her three friends near her with two being in the tier of best. One of which was in the pair of pining lovebirds who were just too cute together. Like come on. Hand holding and resting their heads together? Just kiss already.

Mei had consumed enough romance audio books, movies, and shows to know they had it bad for each other. Hopefully they’ll end her suffering watching from the sidelines soon or she would have to intervene. But how exactly? Hmm…perhaps Hitoshi had some ideas as he too seemed to find them annoyingly adorable same as her.

I’ll give them more time to figure it out themselves. But if they take too long then Operation Get-These-Two-Lovebirds-Together will have to be commenced. Official operation name pending.

But again, she would let them try and get together themselves. No use working up a sweat for something that would work out on its own. That would be wasted effort she could use to make more improved babies. Like the one in her hands at this moment. Yes, that was what she would focus on to distract her from her pining friends.

~~~

The movie continued on and Izuku’s previous tiredness was returning. But he wasn’t too surprised because Shouto’s warmth was so soothing and his contact with the other boy calming. Their heads resting against each other. Their hands conjoined between them with Shouto absentmindedly brushing his thumb against the greenette’s skin. It was…nice.

Before he knew it, Izuku had fallen asleep but he could have sworn he only closed his eyes for a second. However, it had been more than that. One moment he was watching the movie and the next the credits were rolling. Shouto’s head was no longer on his so the greenette lifted his own from his shoulder blinking the sleep out of his eyes.

Mei was still working though he could tell her energy levels were low. Hitoshi was showing Shouto some cat pictures on his phone. However once Izuku had stirred, those pretty grey and blue eyes turned their attention to him. The greenette smiled at him sleepily and suggested that it was probably time for them all to go to bed. The other two boys agreed while the girl tried to protest but ultimately agreed too.

The pinkette left to go get ready for bed with a shower and a change of clothes. It wasn’t long after that she came back in comfortable black shorts and a grey tank top with a picture of a gear followed by the word ‘up’. Since she was done, the boys took turns in the bathroom to brush their teeth before all four settled back down in the pillow fort.

Mei slept in the cleaner part of her makeshift studio gifted with the promised clean blankets. Hitoshi took the couch claiming a pillow and blanket for himself. Which left Shouto and Izuku on the floor but they were both perfectly fine with that. There were plenty of soft fluff things to make the floor cozy. With the lights out and being surrounded by blankets and pillows, it wasn’t long until Izuku fell back asleep.

A few hours later the greenette woke up in need of the bathroom. Mei was conked out to his left and Shouto was asleep on his right. Even Hitoshi was out cold on the couch. Something that Izuku was thankful for since the insomniac could use all the sleep he could get. As quietly and as carefully as he could, Izuku extracted himself from the fort and made quick work in the bathroom.

It wasn’t long until he was back and saw that everyone was still asleep. Good. He’d hate to disturb anyone’s sleep in the middle of the night. Just as carefully, he reinserted himself into the fort and settled down under the blankets to join the others in slumber once more. Only he had been wrong in thinking the others were all still asleep as he suddenly felt arms, one cool and one warm, wrap around him from behind.

“Shouto-kun?” Izuku whispered as he turned to face the other boy. “Sorry, did I wake you up?”

“No. Well, yes but it’s okay,” Shouto said quietly in the small space between them. Those alluring eyes of grey and blue gazed into captivated green. “Is this ok?”

The taller boy brushed his hands along the shorter one’s back to show he meant the embrace. The action made Izuku let out a slight gasp at the sensation of the other running his hands over his clothed skin. Another small addition to their collection of touches that made the greenette’s heart flutter.

“Yeah,” the greenette breathed out, glad that the dark hid his blush.

The bi-color teen gave him a modest but warm smile as he shifted closer to his friend before asking in want of clarification, “Cuddling, right?”

“Right,” Izuku replied with a reassuring smile and short huffed chuckle.

The two shuffled a bit until they were both comfortable in each other’s arms. They were both laying on their sides facing each other under one blanket. Izuku’s head ended up tucked under Shouto’s chin much like when they had hugged earlier. It was warm and comfortable and did not take long for both of them to fall back asleep.

The next morning found them still cuddled together though slightly shifted. Shouto was on his back with Izuku tucked into his side and his head resting on the warm side of his friend’s chest. The greenette carefully tilted his head up expecting the other to still be asleep but instead found his friend already awake reading something on his phone.

“Morning,” Izuku whispered with a dusting of pink on his freckled cheeks as green eyes were met with grey and blue.

“Morning,” Shouto mumbled back as he lowered his phone, his voice sounding somewhat rough from sleep. Izuku didn’t know why but he liked it.

“Did you sleep well?” the shorter boy asked quietly, not wanting to disturb the others.

“Yeah,” the taller teen answered as he brought a warm arm around his friend to bring him closer. “One of the best night sleeps I’ve ever had actually.”

The blush of pink grew a shade darker at the action but Izuku did nothing to stop him. Instead, he stuttered out, “M-me too.”

The pair stayed like that for a while. Izuku tucked his head back under Shouto’s chin. His green locks tickled the bi-color teen’s skin so he brought his warmer hand up to brush the strands away. The greenette leaned into the touch as he always enjoyed fingers running through his hair. Taking the hint, those warm fingers gently stroked his curls and Izuku let out a satisfied sigh.

It was in that moment that he heard the sound of a picture being taken. Green eyes that had previously been closed in contentment shot open in surprise. Izuku surged into a sitting position leaving the bewildered element wielder’s embrace. The greenette searched for the picture taker and first looked to Hitoshi who he would not put it passed to do such a thing.

“Enjoying yourself this morning, are we?” the purple haired teen jeered with a smirk.

Green eyes glared at him but saw no sign of his phone. He continued his search to Mei who was currently rubbing the sleep from her yellow eyes so he ruled her out. It wasn’t until he looked outside the blanket fort to see his mother standing there with a fond smirk while shaking her phone in front of her.

“Mom!” Izuku exclaimed in embarrassment.

“Just documenting Shouto’s first sleepover, Izuku,” the mother said innocently.

The younger greenette let out a groan while Shouto sat up beside him. The bi-color teen watched Inko walk away to go start on breakfast. Mei successfully woke herself up enough to assess the situation.

“What’d I miss?” the pinkette asked in a groggy tone.

“Oh nothing,” Hitoshi replied still smirking in amusement. “Just Izuku and Shouto being cuddle buddies in this fine A.M.”

Yellow cross-haired eyes studied the pair. Izuku was flushed in red shyness while Shouto sported a miniscule smile with no sense of shame for being caught. It was almost non-existent but nothing went amiss under her Zoom Quirk. The sight of their reactions and their close proximity to each other was pleasing to her Quirked eyes.

“I see,” Mei said with a smirk of her own.

“Not too shocking, ne?” the purple haired teen quipped.

“Not at all,” the pinkette answered. “There is definitely obvious electricity between them.”

“Quite the spark, I’d say,” Hitoshi added with a lilt.

“Yes, it hurt,” Shouto interjected with a hand on his stomach. He missed the teasing entirely but the mention of electricity reminded him of losing to his friend by a practical taser to the gut.

~~~

The other two laughed at Shouto’s comment though he wasn’t sure why. Nor did he understand why they had gotten a pillow to the face each from Izuku before his friend turned to him to apologize. But Shouto said it was fine since it was during a sanctioned match. He didn’t even really remember it all that much as it had happened so fast. All he could recall was the feel of the shorter boy’s hand on his cheek and small waves of heat as fire leaked from his left side. Then a jolt of energy coursed through his body which knocked him out. Beyond that, all he knew was that one moment he had been in the fighting ring and the next he woke up in the nurse’s office.

It hadn’t been the ending Shouto had expected for their fight. Well, the entirety of their fight wasn’t what he had expected. The way that Izuku had pushed his way past all his barriers while keeping his ice at bay with his Support Items. Using his words to break down his long-built walls enough for his repressed fire to escape into the world. Though he hadn’t expected it, he didn’t feel bad about losing to the other boy. In fact, he was grateful. Because that match had been a real wake up call to how he had been holding himself back from the kind of Hero he wanted to be.

But not anymore. Shouto would be a Hero. He would save people as a Hero should. He would use this Quirk he was born with to help as many as he could. Just like Izuku said was possible. Because his friend may be Quirkless but he had such deep knowledge and understanding of Quirks and Heroes that the element wielder would take any advice from him to heart. Knowing that it was given in hopes to help him and by extension anyone he saved in the future.

The bi-color teen looked at his green haired friend who was chatting with the others. To many, when they looked at the boy all they saw was that he was Quirkless and thereby less than those who are Quirked. Like those people in the crowd. Endeavor. Bakugou. But to those who actually knew him, Izuku was more than his Quirk status.

Izuku was kind. Seeing the best in people even though they hadn’t done the same for him. Izuku was caring. Always reaching out a hand in aid despite the years of it being slapped away. Izuku was smart. Able to pick a person and their Quirk apart to find the best solution to any given situation. Izuku was a Hero. Driven by the instinctual need to save people no matter who it was.

And now, with Izuku placing first in the Sports Festival and Hitoshi following in second, they would both be joining Class 1-A starting Tuesday. Entering the Hero Course to learn to be the Heroes they longed to become. Shouto was happy for them both and he looked forward to them being in his class. Especially Izuku as he enjoyed his company the most out of all his friends.

It was true. Shouto didn’t understand why exactly but he did. Out of the many friends he had made at UA, he enjoyed spending time with Izuku the most. Not that he didn’t care for his other friends. Which the fact that he had friends was still kind of odd to him considering how he grew up. Isolated even from his own family and forcibly given the sole purpose to surpass All Might since he was born.

But here he was sitting among friends in a blanket fort during a sleepover. A scenario Shouto had never thought was possible. Or ever entertained really. Because before UA, other than Yaoyorozu, no one else his age had shown any resemblance of genuine interest in him past him being the son of the Number Two Hero. All the students in his private junior high school who had shown any interested in him were only out for the notoriety of being close to the progeny of Endeavor.

His friends at UA however were different. At the very beginning of the school year, Shouto had fallen into old habits of staying isolated from his peers. Assuming they would only try to befriend him because of his father. As well as wanting to concentrate solely on being a Hero using only his right side. Then he had met Izuku or rather the Quirkless boy had introduced himself while questioning his lack of use of his whole Quirk.

Shouto had been cold. Not just because of the ice that had encased his cursed left side. But also by attempting to brush off the strange boy who had the audacity to question him. At the time he was a nobody. If only his past-self knew how important that boy would be in the near future. It almost made Shouto wish he could go back and knock some sense into himself for being so cold to the sunshine boy.

He couldn’t though but that was okay. Shouto was happy where they were at now. Izuku and he were friends. Not typical friends which was obvious even to him and his lack of experience with friendship. But he didn’t care. The bi-color teen enjoyed what they had. Whatever it was. Even if he didn’t know what it was, he didn’t mind not knowing because he was content. With the friendly touches and mutual understanding between them. It was calm, comforting, and above all warm.

~~~

The group of teens sat chatting in the blanket fort for a bit. Well mostly it was Izuku himself chatting with Mei while the other two would add their own comments when warranted. It wasn’t long until Inko called out that breakfast was almost ready. Meaning that it was time to start dismantling the blanket fort since the dining table chairs were part of its structure.

The greenette was sad to have to take it down but if they wanted to eat at the table they must. They didn’t completely tear down the fort as that was a task to tackle after breakfast. Instead, they broke it down enough to extract the chairs leaving the main area and Mei’s mini studio a mere pile of blankets and pillows bunched on the floor. Again, sad but blanket forts were always temporary refuges destined to be dismantled eventually. But also to be build back up again whenever desired.

By the time they rescued the chairs, breakfast was ready. The teens and mother enjoyed a meal of grilled salmon, rice, and miso soup while happily chatting together. Once they were finished, Hitoshi and Mei offered to help clean up as thanks for letting them stay over. Inko tried to say it wasn’t necessary but they insisted. Besides, they had been over enough that they knew where everything went.

While they were busy with that, Shouto and Izuku got to work on taking the rest of the blanket fort down. The other two quickly joined them after finishing the dishes. It took no time at all with all four of them working together folding blankets, collecting pillows, and separating anything that had gotten dirty like the grubby towels set out for Mei.

Once that was all put away and the table returned to its place, the four teens didn’t want to call an end to the sleepover just yet. Remembering something from earlier, Izuku suggested playing Mario Kart again since Shouto had enjoyed it yesterday. Everyone agreed and so they played numerous rounds of that. With the passing of each race, the bi-color teen was getting better and better as they played. He even managed to win two races which he was stoically proud of.

They played that game for a while before switching over to Super Smash Bros. to introduce Shouto to something new. The inexperienced boy ended up button smashing with no clear idea what he was doing but he had fun with it none the less. While the other three were beating the crap out of each other’s characters and became even more competitive whenever the Smash Ball would appear.

As it got closer to noon, Inko came back out to make lunch. Feeding the warring troops once more before they finally called an end to the sleepover. Much to Shouto’s delight, the mother decided to serve cold soba having learned the teen loved the dish. With her gut feeling about possible issues with his homelife, she figured he could use a pick-me-up.

They all enjoyed their lunch especially Shouto who ate it with his usual enthusiasm. A stoic intenseness as he carefully prepared each bite and slurped the noodles up. It made Izuku smile as he ate his own portion of the meal. The other boy really really liked his cold soba and it was endearingly adorable.

~~~

Once they were done eating, Shouto asked if he could help Inko with the dishes. Typically, she would try to refuse as she had with Hitoshi and Mei earlier until they insisted. But the bi-color teen had seemed to enjoy the activity so much yesterday that she gladly accepted the help. Izuku stepped in to help as well to put dishes back after Shouto had dried them. Forming the three people team just like yesterday.

While they were busy with that, Hitoshi had gone to pack up his bag that was in Izuku’s room. Mei double checked she had all the parts of her baby and her tool kit before doing the same. By the time they were finished with the dishes, Izuku followed by Shouto and Inko met Hitoshi in the hallway dressed for the day and ready to go with bag in hand.

Soon after Mei popped out of Izuku’s room also dressed with her belongings. She was eager to get back to her lab as she gave her version of a quick goodbye to everyone. Which was a hug for Inko, a punch to the arm for Hitoshi, a hair ruffle for Izuku, and a fist bump to a somewhat confused Shouto. The latter stared at the offered fist perplexed until Izuku mimed bumping his fists together. The bi-color teen let out a quiet ‘ah’ and mirrored the action earning not only a bright smile from the pinkette but also a snort from Hitoshi.

“What?” Shouto asked, once again confused.

“You’re like Baymax learning how to fist bump,” the purple haired boy snickered.

“Baymax?” the element wielder inquired with a curious look towards Izuku for answers.

“He’s a character in ‘Big Hero Six’,” the greenette replied. “It’s another Disney movie we could watch sometime. Or you could watch it on your own if you wanted. You don’t necessarily have to watch them with m-us.”

Izuku had tried to cover up the slipup of ‘me’ but of course Hitoshi caught it. He also caught the shorter boy in a head lock and mussed his hair with a noogie as he said, “Ah, come one, Izuku. You know you want to watch all the movies with Shouto here.”

The brainwasher eyed the bi-color boy in question with a smirk but also searching for a reaction to using the other’s first name. The element wielder seemed to be mulling over the change before looking into purple eyes.

“It’s alright…Hitoshi,” Shouto said hesitantly but the other gave him a smirk and a nod to let him know it was okay. Fondness for the gesture warmed his cool grey and blue eyes that drifted down to green where Izuku had finally successfully struggled out of the hold. “I wouldn’t mind watching movies with Izuku.”

“Oh, are we doing first names now?” Mei chimed in as she stepped into the bi-color boy’s space. The change made her excited as it was a step closer to the friend tier of best. “Then you can call me Mei.”

Grey and blue eyes looked almost crossed as he stared down at the pinkette who was suddenly up in his scarred face. He blinked owlishly for a second before responding, “Okay…Mei. Please call me Shouto.”

“You got it, Shouto!” the pinkette replied with a wink. “Welp, I’m off!”

With that, the storm of energy that was Mei put on her shoes and left. The remaining four chuckled in their respective typical levels of enthusiasm at her antics as she walked out the door.

“That Mei is quite the character,” Hitoshi commented with a fond shake of his head. “Hyper, smart, and a tad crazy. But she has her moments. I’m going to head out too. Do behave yourself, Izuku, once I’m gone.”

The purple haired teen wiggled his eyebrows suggestively with a glance at the crush of his best friend. The greenette scoffed at his teasing and rolled his eyes as he crossed his arms in protest. The mother giggled at the interaction while the bi-color teen was clearly confused. But the brainwasher offered no explanation. Merely gave the perplexed boy a pat on the shoulder before putting on his shoes and bidding them goodbye. Which left Shouto as the last remaining guest.

“Do you need help with anything, Shouto?” Inko asked.

“No, I should be fine,” the boy replied figuring she meant in reference to his dressed injuries. “My sister can help change my bandages when I get home.”

He had no hesitation talking about his injuries since both of the greenettes before him already knew about them. Inko more than Izuku since she had helped attend to them. The casual mention of them made a worried expression appear on both of their faces. An air of tension grew around them as the mother and son looked at him in concern for his homelife.

“Well, if you’re sure,” Inko said, breaking that tension. “I just can’t help but worry about you though.”

“Me too,” Izuku added.

Shouto merely hummed in response before he excused himself to go change. He appreciated their concern but he didn’t think it was necessary. It wasn’t unusual for him and he only had a few more years of his current situation to get through. Though maybe it could be shorter if he continues to gather evidence of his injuries. As well as sending them to Inko as a backup. Yes, that was what he would do.

It didn’t take him long to get dressed being mindful of his injuries. With a last check of his bag for all of his belongings, he zipped it up, slung it on his back, and stepped back out into the hall. Inko and Izuku were chatting about what they needed to get at the store making a mental list. It reminded Shouto that he too had a shopping list that he needed to attend to. Perhaps he would do that before he returned to the estate.

Both greenettes turned to him as he joined them in the hall. Izuku beamed at him as the shorter pulled him into a hug that he happily returned. It was a brief one but any friendly gestures no matter how short or small were welcome.

“Thanks for coming over,” Izuku said as they parted.

“Thank you for inviting me, Izuku,” Shouto replied, already missing the hug. He then turned his attention to Inko. “And thank you for having me over.”

“Come back any time, Shouto,” the mother responded with a brief smile. She then seemed to be contemplating something before coming to a decision with a nod and opening her arms in invitation.

The bi-color teen stared at her in shock for a moment before cautiously stepping forward and accepting the offered hug. Inko carefully wrapped her arms around his injured torso as he in turn brought his own hesitantly around her. For what seemed like forever, Shouto had been denied any sort of comforting touch such as this. And then he had met Izuku and everything changed.

Sure, it had started from an offer to help with Izuku taking a hold of his hand to better examine the side effects of using his ice continuously. The warmth he had felt from the helpful Quirkless boy had been different from the touches he had known. Promptly welcomed and enjoyed only to be missed as soon as he had let go. Leading to their agreement beginning with his own impulsive desire to experience that warmth again.

It had been surprising but pleasing that the shorter boy had agreed to holding hands. Especially since he had barely known him at the time he had asked, but they became quick friends from there. Perhaps it wasn’t the norm of what friends do as he hadn’t seen anyone else in their friend group do what they do. He wasn’t sure what they had was exactly or how it was different from his other friends but Shouto found that he didn’t really care all that much.

The uncertainty certainly didn’t discourage him from pursuing more touches with Izuku. So far they had hand holding, brushing of fingers, hugs, and cuddling. It made him curious as to what else there was to share. Perhaps he would learn more after looking into those books his mother had suggested. As well as what exactly he was feeling for the greenette who was the embodiment of the sun.

With a careful yet firm squeeze, Inko let go of the bi-color teen. She smiled at him as warmly as Izuku did as she brought up a hand to gently pat his two-toned hair. Not ruffling it as she didn’t want to mess up the parting of the two colors straight down the middle. Shouto still reveled at the small show of affection by leaning into the touch with a soft smile. With one final pat, she removed her hand and Shouto bid them both goodbye before excusing himself out the door.

A short train ride later, Shouto arrived at a the book store in search of the research material his mother directed him to find. When he did find the suggested titles, he did not find himself in the reference section as he had expected. Rather than bland books of knowledge, he found himself surrounded by colorful tomes instead. It wasn’t what he had been expecting but he simply shrugged to himself and looked for the titles his mother gave him.

He found the first one on his list and flipped it open to see what was inside. The style of the book was…different from Shouto’s typical reading preferences. There were a lot more visuals paired with the words just as his mother had said. Perhaps those would help him better understand what exactly he had with Izuku. With a nod to himself, he closed the book before adding it to his basket and continued to find the others. Completely oblivious to the odd looks he was getting from the other patrons as he went about his task.

After finding the first volume of each series on the list, Shouto walked to the cashier to make his purchases. The worker at the counter raised a brow in question at his selection but said nothing as his books were rung up. As they worked, Shouto’s eyes scanned the impulse buys next to the register.

There were various book covers in different colors and designs. Ones that granted one a level of discretion when it came to their reading material of choice. Not that Shouto was ashamed or embarrassed of the type of books he was buying. Or rather Endeavor was buying as he may be a bastard of a father but he at least provided his masterpiece with an allowance.

But much like when he shared tactile moments with Izuku, Shouto preferred at least some level of discretion. In public anyway as he had been more comfortable to share touches in the privacy of the Midoriya apartment even despite the company of his two other friends. He knew that they knew about the hand holding already. Though it was a surprise to have his picture taken while cuddling his warm friend. But he wasn’t embarrassed all too much by it. It was a commemorative photo for his first sleepover after all.

I should text Inko to ask her to send me a copy of it.

A particular book cover caught his eye during his musing. The background was a simple black but the pattern was a mix of fluffy green cartoon bunnies in various poses. Such as sleeping, stretched out on their back, sitting up, eating a carrot, and so on. It was…cute. And it reminded him of a certain warm friend.

“Will that be all, sir?” the cashier asked as they placed the last book in a bag.

“No,” Shouto answered, picking out the book cover and placing it on the counter. “Please add this.”

“Of course, sir,” the worker replied, quickly scanning the item and adding it to the bag.

With a quick swipe of his credit card and the digital exchange of currency, Shouto collected his purchases and left the store. He headed for the train station and scanned his pass before heading for the needed platform. As he waited for the train, the bi-color teen took out the book cover and a randomly selected book. After taking off various tags and stickers, he wrapped the cloth cover around the book before he started to read. The story line was simple but it kept him occupied all the way home.

Notes:

And so concludes the sleepover! :D Which was originally going to be only two parts but turned into four. As has been a common occurrence in this story for me. :P There are just so many fun ideas to play with and characterization to explore that I can't help myself!

Hope you liked all the fluff! Definitely refreshing after all the angst of Katsuki's meeting and learning about DFO. For me writing wise anyway. :P Angst is fun to explore but having fluff as a palate cleanser is so nice. Also, did I watch both Disney movies in research for this chapter? Yes, yes I did. :P

So we have the inkings of the TodoIzu operation. The operation name is pending. I got some ideas from peeps on the discord but I'm open for more. I kind of an idea of the eventual "Green Bean Support Squad" (name gifted by Spaceagebachelor ;) ) having a discussion of the name later if the boys are taking too long.

If you skipped the teasing parts, here's what you missed. For the first one, Inko took a picture of Izuku and Shouto cuddling for 'commemorative' purposes and Hitoshi and Mei are happy but can't help but tease their friend. The second one, Hitoshi used Shouto's first name for the first time. The third, is just an embarrassed Izuku, an amused Inko, and a confused Shouto while Hitoshi is being Hitoshi.

Sh-sh-shout time! :D Live_like_the_wind for the "electricity between them" convo idea. KiKillmenow, Canon, and CyreneHime for the combined idea of falling asleep cuddling under the same blanket while watching movies. Christina for the doing dishes together idea. The eating of popcorn goes to SoFewSpoons. Thanks to KiKillmenow, Christina, and boba for the Disney movie ideas and Shouto enjoying/being inspired by it. Endangered for Shouto being one to wear matching pajamas idea.

Fun Facts About Japan:

A short one this time on the use of the discrete book covers. I figure those are available everywhere if you so desire them, but I found them very common in Japan. People like to read a lot on the trains but they might not necessarily want people to know what their reading. I observed a lot of people using these book covers all the time on the train. Just a subtle act done in want of privacy. Which I can understand. I myself like my privacy which was kind of difficult to get being a foreigner in Japan. But I was perfectly happy putting on a pair of reflective sunglasses with which I could see other people staring at me but they didn't know I was staring at them. Mostly keeping to myself but having the ability to observe the people around me without them being none the wiser. Idk it worked for me. -shrugs-

Another random thing is about cold soba. I can't remember if I shared about soba before but we're going to cover it again because I can. :P There are lots of different types but I'll focus on zaru soba ( 笊蕎麦 , ざるそば ). Zaru soba is a cold dish made of mori soba ( 盛り蕎麦 , もりそば ) which are cold soba noodles served with dried seaweed or nori ( 海苔 , のり ) with a side of mentsuyu ( 麺汁 , めんつゆ ) dipping sauce along with green onions and wasabi. Cold soba is great for summer since it's cool and tasty! Also when it comes to soba or noodle dishes in general in Japan, slurping in encouraged! Reason being is that they think it helps improve the taste. Which being raised and taught slurping was bad made it difficult to do but when in Rome. ^___^

That's it for this chapter! Next up is the rest of the weekend. Including mother son bonding, Nezu's press conference, a wild retired hero pov, and the start of Izuku's first day in the hero course! :D Again thank you for your patience and I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Until next update stay safe and report any typos or weirdness as usual! :D

Chapter 12: Weather The Storm

Notes:

Welcome back, dear readers! Hope your Tuesday is going well. :) This update we're summing up the rest of the weekend and getting into the start of the green bean's and purple panda's first day in the hero course!

Upon suggestion from XysidheQueen on the discord, I've made a linktree to all the different things like the tumblr and the discord among others like twitter. Now I don't really use twitter but if that's your preferred platform feel free to message me there! So yeah, check that out if you like! I've added the link to all the previous chapters as well.

Let's go!

Linktree to all the things!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

The rest of the weekend was calm for the most part. As soon as his friends had left, Izuku was pulled into a hug by his mom. Now that they were alone, she felt free to express her distress from the second meeting she had attended the day before. Her son returned the hug and they stood there holding each other for a moment before retreating to the living room to sit on the couch.

Cuddling close together much like they had after the Sports Festival, Inko filled Izuku in on what had happened as the TV ran in the background. Not in excruciating detail but enough so that he was in the know of how the meeting had turned out. When she told him of watching the recording, Izuku didn’t like the fact that his mother had to see all that had happened but he also wasn’t surprised that Nezu had shown it. With that kind of evidence there was no way Bakugou would have been able to worm his way out of his consequences.

Even though the viewing of the recording was useful in regards to addressing Bakugou’s bullying problem, Izuku still hated that his mother had to see it. Had to witness just how messed up their relationship had become. From childhood friends to aggressor and victim. Had to be shown the harsh treatment the Quirkless boy had grown up with outside of their home. The insults, the anger, and of course the violence.

But what the younger greenette especially didn’t like about his mom watching the video was that now she knew of the suicide baiting. When she had brought that up, the two Midoriyas both became emotional messes. Tearful concern from the mother met with equally tearful assurances from the son that he never ever considered following through. That he would never be able to do that leaving his mother behind. He could never do that to her. Nor could he do such a thing to himself. Giving up on his dream, his life, because someone else told him to. He was too stubborn for that.

His mother hugged him tight as if fearing that if she let go, he would disappear or something. The son hugged her back doing his best to let her know he wasn’t going anywhere. They stayed like that for a while just holding each other until they were able to accept what had been said, remember it but let the topic rest. But it wasn’t the only touchy subject they talked about as he had to do his best to talk her down from going after All Might.

Inko reluctantly agreed to not turn her motherly wrath towards the Number One Hero. She hadn’t been as upset with the man before when she had first been told by Izuku that All Might himself thought a Quirkless Hero was an impossibility. At the time she had been in agreement after all. As well as grateful the man had saved her son from a Villain. But her feelings towards the Symbol of Peace were different now.

All Might had been Izuku’s Hero. His inspiration for becoming one himself. It didn’t matter to the Quirkless boy that he would never be on the same level of power as the Hero with limitless strength. That wasn’t what he looked up to in the Number One Hero. No, it was his drive to help in any way that he could. Whether that be fighting the most intimidating Villains or saving as many lives as he could.

However, the Hero’s rejection on top of Izuku being told to kill himself compounded even further with being attacked by a Villain all on the same day could have been enough to make him want to end his life. Thankfully Izuku was stubborn and had a strong will to live. To continue existing in this world that had been rejecting him since his Quirk never developed. Where his potential wasn’t seen until he had been accepted into his dream school and finally had teachers, Pro Heroes, who actually cared.

Despite what All Might had said, her son still held him to a certain esteem. It was All Might after all. The Hero that saved people with his signature hope inspiring smiling. A quality Izuku still aspired to emulate no matter what ranking of Hero he would become. The man’s words still stung whenever he was reminded of them but the Quirkless boy chose to use them as motivation to prove the Number One Hero wrong. And with him winning the Sports Festival over all, he hoped that he had succeeded.

The two Midoriyas were able to move past the subject of All Might and his careless crushing of the Quirkless boy’s dream. But much like the baiting words, neither would pretend they never happened. Especially the latter. Inko hated that the boy she had considered a nephew at one time had said such a thing to her baby. How could someone who wanted to be a Hero tell another who had the same goal to kill himself in hopes of getting a Quirk in his next life. After having talked about it with Izuku, it made her realize that she too didn’t know Katsuki any more and resolved to no longer refer to the boy by his first name.

Bakugou was no nephew of hers.

Inko would still stay friends with Mitsuki and Masaru though she may keep her distance for a while until the figurative dust settled. She hadn’t really thought the way Mitsuki had raised Bakugou was anything bad as their children grew up. The blonde mother hadn’t been abusive or anything to her thinking. Just more stronghanded with a characteristic tendency to be…fiery with her words. But Mitsuki had realized that maybe her parenting had influenced her son and Inko knew her apology had been sincere. Having her willingly decide to go into therapy herself should help. Maybe even inspire her son to take his own therapy seriously. One could hope.

Bakugou had reacted to his punishments as the Quirkless boy had predicted. Explosively with his ever-present anger but still reluctantly accepting them to stay in UA. Though it did surprise Izuku to learn his ex-childhood friend had done and said all that to him with some warped intention of protecting him. The greenette wasn’t sure how he had come to the conclusion of beating the Hero out of him was the best method. Obviously, it wasn’t a very Heroic thing to do.

But now he had been served his consequences. Or at least the start of them. The majority Izuku had already known but Nezu had added one he didn’t. Forbidding Bakugou from calling him ‘Deku’. The greenette understood why as it was a nickname meant as an insult. But he had been called that by the explosive teen since they were four. It would be a hard habit to break and Izuku doubted it would ever completely go away. Guess he’ll have to wait and see.

The rehabilitation of the blonde would take time. It had taken a decade for him to grow into the misguided bully he was today. Hopefully though it wouldn’t take as long to rectify his behavior and the way he thinks of the world. Teach him to curb his anger and help him realize he wasn’t the center of the universe anymore. Wasn’t the sun with all the extra planets orbiting his egotistical radiance. Rather he was a mere speck of light amongst the billions of other stars floating around in space. Neither above or below anyone else. Equal.

Bakugou now knew his punishments but that wasn’t all he learned. He knew Izuku had been Hiro. Observing his training incognito in disguise and under an assumed name. He also knew that the greenette was Nezu’s personal student and that the Heroes acknowledged the value of his ‘stalker notebooks’. As well as that Aizawa and Yamada had helped Hitoshi and him train for the Sports Festival.

Though above all of the things the explosive teen now knew, the most life changing and definitely aggravating for the blonde was that Izuku was going to be a Hero. Despite all of Bakugou’s efforts to try and convince him to not follow his dreams, he would anyway and so would Hitoshi. Together they were going to be part of 1-A and become official Hero Course students in spite of the world saying they couldn’t.

Thankfully because of Bakugou’s suspension, they wouldn’t have to interact with the blonde for two weeks. A reprieve to give them a window of time to acclimate into their new class and get to know their new classmates. Though he realized he did know a fair amount of them already. What with being friends with Kirishima, Ochako, Iida, Tsuyu, and of course Shouto. Then there were the potential friends Kouda, Tokoyami, Yaoyorozu, and Jirou who he had met and talked to during the festival. There were a few others he had interacted with too such as Kaminari, Ashido, and Ojiro.

Huh, that’s over half the class. Go figure.

The realization of that was funny to him. Sure, he had already met with all of 1-A before while observing their training and helping during the USJ attack. But the hidden greenette had been an observer. A guest to their lessons meant to mostly watch. Yet Izuku had befriended quite a number of students in 1-A before even being transferred to the class. Having exponentially more close connections to his future classmates than he had with his previous ones in 1-H.

In that class he had really only been close to Mei as they were mostly ignored by the others. They hadn’t necessarily been mean or anything to the pinkette and him. Merely seeing them as the crazy baby lady and her weird muttering friend. Mostly leaving the two friends to themselves and their strange antics. The worst they had done had been the judgmental words that were spat at him after the Award Ceremony. Ones that Mei had been quick to defend against which Izuku had appreciated but had felt it was futile.

People would believe what they wanted to believe. About the world and themselves. Of Heroes and Villains. Quirked and Quirkless. There wasn’t much one could do to change that as one single person. Yes, change can start with one person but it takes numbers for it to be effective. Much like with those who thought he could be a Hero.

At first it had just been Izuku. A Quirkless boy with a dream. His mother didn’t believe but his father thought he could at least try. No one at school thought it was possible. Not his peers nor the teachers. Bakugou definitely didn’t. Not even All Might believed.

But Chizome did.

It had taken a decade of being considered a hapless Quirkless daydreamer to meet the man who was the first to truly believe in him. A peculiar twist of fate of an aspiring Hero being pushed to follow his dream by a Villain known for attacking false Heroes. A man who had an ideal vision of a Hero and in fact saw that vision in him. Quirkless little him.

After his total of one person believing in his seemingly impossible goal became two, the numbers of believers in his dream only grew from there. Mei had accepted his aspirations with ease and even helped him brainstorm ways to achieve them. Hitoshi shared his goals while having experienced the similar shunning of his ambitions because of his Quirk status. But despite that they had worked together to get into the Hero Course. His other friends knew and supported his dream. Never once judging him for his lack of Quirk. Even the teachers, the Heroes, believed and offered him every manner of assistance they could to aid him in reaching his goal.

But much like how Mei had been one voice against many in that prep room, the bubble of different that was UA was but one facing a menagerie of needles threatening to pop it. The whole world was so much bigger than a single school. Filled with people who wrote Izuku off as soon as they learned of his Quirk status. Like the people in the crowd who had booed him.

Standing on that podium with the gold medal around his neck while the masses protested a Quirkless winner had been devastating. But he didn’t let it show as he had feared yet expected as much having heard similar jeers before. Which was why he had asked Yamada to announce his Quirk status when he either lost or won over all. Rip off that bandage and air out the wound. Get the judgment over and done with rather than let it fester.

The negativity he had expected, long used to it after so many years. However, the continued support from the Heroes had been a surprise. Pleasant yet unexpected but very much appreciated. The offers of training in various forms. Saving him from being attacked by his bully. Actually caring about his schooling as well as his safety. Wanting justice for the mistreatment he had experienced growing up. Starting with a certain explosive blonde and eventually his past schools despite Izuku thinking it wasn’t necessary. The past was the past and there was nothing they could do to change it.

But they were going to anyway even though he thought it would ultimately be in vain. UA may be different with how they viewed the Quirkless but again UA was just one school. The world outside of its protective barrier was vast and full of people who judge others by their Quirk status. Label one person a Hero, another a Villain, and yet another ‘useless’ all because of the power they were born with or, for Izuku, without. It was treatment he was so used to that he wasn’t sure what going after his past schools would do.

Then again, this was UA. A school just so different from his past ones. Filled with teachers who actually cared about their students no matter their Quirk or what course they were in. A fact he knew from personal experience with the support of Aizawa, Nezu, Yamada, Shuuzenji, and the other teachers of UA. It gave him a glimmer of hope that perhaps one school would be enough to take down another. Though he still doubted it would have any major impact on society. But much like Bakugou potentially not calling him Deku anymore, Izuku would just have to wait and see. There was no use pondering ‘what if’s when he had no power over the possible outcome. As the saying goes, only time would tell.

Well time had been busy telling tales that weekend. Yesterday especially. Hitoshi and Izuku were offered the transfers they had hoped for. The mess that was Izuku’s relationship with Bakugou was revealed. As well as the significantly less than stellar education the ex-childhood friends had received from up. Prompting the Heroes to look into and take down his past schools. Then of course Bakugou had been confronted with his misdeeds and dealt his consequences.

Now apparently it was time to address the populous though Izuku still didn’t think it would help much. But the principal had said he would and the greenette knew he was a mammal of…well, principle. Later that same Monday, Nezu held a press conference in regards of him being a Quirkless student in UA as promised. The principal defended the school's acceptance of him as there was no rule to bar someone without a Quirk to apply to UA. Or to participate in the Sports Festival with everyone else. He also cited the rule that allowed Support students to use their own Support Items so as to avoid questions on that.

The reporters questioned what would happen now that the two top students were not in the Hero Course. The chimera revealed the decision to transfer them to the Hero Course as it was the school's desire to train them and the students' desire to do so. When questioned as to why they were allowing a Quirkless person to be in the Hero Course at all, Nezu sidestepped the offhanded jab by informing them that both had desired to be a Hero when applying to UA, but one had failed the test and the other did not try for the Hero Practical at all.

The chimera explained vaguely of Hitoshi's predicament of having a Quirk that did not fit the current parameters of the Hero Practical. Not going into details of the brainwasher's Quirk or the exam itself. But letting slip they were working on improving the entrance exam to be more differentiated. Finally. Then the mammal explained how Izuku hadn't taken the Hero Practical at all. Citing his own argument points he had brought up during their meeting on Sunday.

It warmed Izuku's heart that his mentor agreed and even used his own words to defend his personal student. Showing the principal's faith in him and his dream. There were still some protests from the crowd as to why Izuku was in the Hero Course. Questions how a Quirkless person could ever be a Hero with no Quirk to defend themselves. Again, Nezu brought up Izuku's own points about how Quirks were merely tools a Hero uses in the field and how as a Quirkless person, the greenette was simply evening the playing field by making his own. Even disclosed his goal to make Quirk Replicating Support Items.

There were murmurs amongst the reporters about the concept of Quirk Replication. It's possibilities and applications. Wonderings as to who the Quirkless boy had taken inspiration from for the Support Items he had used during the festival. Concessions, some reluctantly given, that the use of Support Items in lieu of a Quirk had been effective. Especially in this case as the Quirkless boy armed with Support Items had won first place over all others in the televised Sports Festival. A bittersweet acknowledgment but a better one that Izuku had expected.

Though to be honest, Izuku wondered why him being enrolled was any of their business or their call for him to be transferred to the Hero Course. It was his life, not theirs. What gives them the right to say he could be a Hero or not? The only person who got to decide that was himself. That and, well, Nezu as he was the principal of UA. Which he had and come tomorrow Hitoshi and Izuku would be officially part of the Hero Course.

There wasn’t much the greenette could do about those who still judged him but he already knew that. There was only so much one press conference could do to persuade the people to accept him for who he was. The first Quirkless student in the Hero Course of the prestigious UA. Following his dream to become the first Quirkless Hero. A goal that he was one step closer to achieving with the help of his friends, family, and mentors.

The Midoriyas spent the rest of the day together. Stepping out briefly to go to the store for their needed groceries to restock the void left after having four teenagers in one place for multiple meals. After that, they both camped out on the couch. Inko with a book and Izuku with his Quirk Replication notebook. He wanted to get a head start on planning out his ideas for remaking and improving his Support Items. There was one week before the internships and he needed to use his time as efficiently as possible in order to be ready for whatever was in store.

~~~

In a worn down and graffitied building, Torino Sorahiko, aka retired Pro Hero Gran Torino, sat at his kitchen table snacking on fresh taiyaki straight from the microwave while checking the news. He was reading an article of UA's supposed new 'charity case'. A Quirkless boy with a bright smile sporting the first-place gold medal. The article leaned more on the biased side questioning how a Quirkless child could win the Sports Festival and then be in the Hero Course.

That part of the article he didn't agree with. He had known plenty of Quirkless people in his day and they had been able to do everything a Quirked person could just fine. He had even met young Toshinori before he had been given One For All. Perhaps lacking strength being a bean pole of a boy but with some training his strength grew. Then adding One For All into the mix just multiplied that strength by ten. Or rather eight as Toshinori was the eighth holder of the inherited Quirk.

But One For All wasn't what made Toshinori a Hero. Rather it was his heart and aspersions to help people and be the Symbol of Peace. Which One For All did help with for sure but that wasn't all that made up All Might. It was his smile and assuring words. His willingness to help everyone no matter how big or small the problem was.

So no, Sorahiko did not agree with the article on that. The boy had shown the strength to fight as well as the drive to help people as he had during the first event of the festival. This young Midoriya Izuku would make a fine Hero if he was so inclined. But there was one thing of interest to the retired Hero.

Quirk Replicating Support Items, huh?

Sorahiko pulled up the archived footage of the festival and studied the gear the boy had made. Trying to figure out whose Quirks he had replicated. Most of them the old man couldn't figure out like the shield or smoke bomb. Though he could guess some of them had been inspired by other students. Like the various electric Support Items by that blonde the greenette had gone up against and won. And the tape gun thing that was similar to the black-haired teen that had gone up against the youngest son of Endeavor. Having lost completely but had still been able to show some skill with his Quirk. But there was one Support Item Sorahiko had particular interest in.

The shoes.

The way the boy was jumping around reminder Sorahiko of his own Quirk, Jet. Though with some modifications such as the skating. His Quirk allowed him to push jets of air though his feet giving him increased speed and kicking power. He could also use it to fly short distances quickly which led to his fighting style of bouncing from surface to surface to keep his enemy confused. But he had never managed to skate. Or fly too high. The amount of air he could shoot through his feet all depended on his breathing. Pushing him to do breathing exercises to strengthen his lungs and increase the amount of air he breathed in.

Despite the differences, the similarities were obvious. To him at least, but he could be wrong though he didn’t think so. Either way it was impressive. The tech as well as the kid’s potential knowledge of the elderly Hero if he actually had replicated his Quirk. He was retired after all and the media coverage wasn't as…extensive as it was today. The boy must have done serious research to learn about him.

Because of this as well as his impressive feat of winning the UA Sports Festival without a Quirk, Sorahiko kind of wanted to meet this kid. The Quirkless boy who reminded him of Toshinori. With the origins of being Quirkless, the bright smile, and most of all the desire to be a Hero.

The kid would make a fine Hero one day despite those who thought the idea of a Quirkless Hero as absurd in this Quirked day and age. But Heroes come in many forms and the desire to help was the most important part of being one which the kid had in spades. As evident by him putting the safety of others over a high placement earlier on in the festival. Already acting the Hero before even being accepted into the Hero Course. Warming his old taiyaki fueled heart that one of the young people cared about the people more than a ranking as was focused on too much nowadays.

So yeah, he wanted to meet this kid.

~~~

Come Tuesday morning, Izuku woke up to rain. The kind of weather that was usually associated to feelings of gloom and doom. But the typical pathetic fallacy did not match his actual mood. For he was feeling the opposite of sadness and in fact actually felt a buzz of excitement under his skin as he laid in his bed. Because today was going to be his first official day in the Hero Course.

It still almost didn’t seem real and probably wouldn’t hit him until he was actually in the classroom. That or training. Maybe not even until he finally wore his Hero costume for the first time. Or rather, Hero uniform as the term ‘costume’ leaned more towards Chizome’s thoughts of modern-day Heroes serving more as a ‘role in a play’. But anyway, whenever it was, it would eventually register to his brain that he had done it. For now, though, the fact that he was now a student in the prestigious UA Hero Course was still sinking in.

After a few minutes of lying in his bed listening to the rain, Izuku got up and started to get ready for the day. He got dressed in his uniform sporting his signature disaster of a tie and packed his backpack with an additional fresh notebook to start off in his new class. The son shared a pleasant breakfast with his mother and once they were finished, he filled a thermos with coffee before putting it into his backpack. Once he was ready to go, Inko wished him good luck with an encouraging kiss to the forehead before he headed out the door with an umbrella in hand.

The rain fell at a steady pace as he made his way to school. Thankfully it wasn’t too heavy and wasn’t paired with a strong wind. Sideways rain was the worst. The weather also gave him a sort of anonymity with the cover of his umbrella and the fact that everyone was more concerned with getting to their destination as soon as possible. The reprieve from getting recognized as UA’s ‘charity case’ was nice though he knew it wouldn’t last forever. But for now, he would enjoy it.

It didn’t take him long to get to the station. Once he was inside, he shook out and closed his umbrella before tapping his student commuter pass and walking to the platform to wait for his train. As he stood there blending into the morning crowd as he did every day, a perk of being ‘plain looking’, Izuku reminisced on the long weekend. One that had been well warranted after the long Saturday that was the Sports Festival. A day that had been even longer for Izuku what with his meeting with Chizome.

Shouto-kun too since he had to deal with his father’s ‘training’.

When Shouto had shown up at his apartment hurt, Izuku had found himself feeling less guilty about sending the Hero Killer after Endeavor. Something had to be done about the Todoroki situation though he wasn’t sure what else he himself could do other than giving his request to Stain. He wished he could do more but felt his hands were tied without Shouto’s permission. It wasn’t his place and he didn’t want to break his friend’s trust by airing out all of Endeavor’s dirty laundry. At least not directly. But by proxy of Chizome gave him some sense of doing something to help Shouto.

Hopefully the man would be able to dig up some kind of evidence against the sad excuse of a father. He had to have some version of connections as a Villain since his information on the Heroes he targets had to come from somewhere. He had hope that Chizome would collect some proof enough to at the very least find a way to get the children of the Number Two Hero away from him. Out from under his influence.

At least Shouto-kun knows he can always come to us. Knows he has a safe place to go if he needs to.

Thankfully, his friend had a break from the man the whole weekend. Had been able to experience a sleepover for the first time. Playing games, watching movies, sleeping in a blanket fort, cuddling…that last one brought a blush and a fond smile to his freckled face. Anyway, Shouto had left the Midoriya apartment with new memories and experiences. Ones they could hopefully repeat and add to in the future.

It had certainly been an eventful weekend. Saturday had been the long and exhausting Sports Festival. Sunday the delightful yet stressful meeting with Nezu and then the start of the sleepover. Then Monday the end of it, sadly, but had the press conference where Nezu had defended his right to be in UA’s Hero Course. But that wasn’t all as Monday had also brought two other interesting developments while he and his mom had been spending time together.

First, someone, who had way too much time on their hands, had made a transcript of Hitoshi’s and his final match and had posted it online. With the arena being so big and the stadium even more so, the crowd hadn’t been able to hear what they had been saying to each other. However, through lip reading, that someone had been able to figure out what they had said to each other and revealed to the world all the jokes they had traded.

The reaction was mixed same as the public’s reaction to Izuku winning the festival. Some thought it was clever to use jokes to fight. Like the Smile Hero Ms. Joke who praising them for their ‘pun’derful word play as she too used humor in her work with the help of her Quirk, Outburst. However, others thought that they hadn’t taken the match seriously. But they had no idea how wrong they were about that.

The release of the transcripts of their final fight were followed by ones for their other matches. At least the ones you could see their mouths moving. Like Hitoshi’s fights against Shiozaki and Tokoyami. Or Izuku during the Cavalry Battle. But not so much the ones they couldn’t. Such as Izuku’s fights against, well, everyone before Hitoshi due to his mask as well as the smoke bomb he had used against Ashido. Or Hitoshi’s fight against Bakugou due to the sheer amount of smoke from his explosions.

There were still transcripts of what you could see of those fights. As much as the different camera angles and obscuring effects allowed. But the records of partial, and one-sided in Izuku’s case, battle banter were not a popular as the full fight dialogues. Something Izuku was thankful for primarily because of his fight with Shouto. The greenette had talked about some touchy subjects to break down the walls of his stubborn friend. All in hopes of getting him to use his fire which he did eventually.

But he would hate for his friend to out himself unintentionally and only because some rando on the internet decided to put their fight under a magnifying glass. There were still snippets they did manage to catch but none were too damning other than revealing Shouto didn’t really care for his old man. Which some found surprising as his father was a Hero like he was trying to be. While others surmised that he may be a more hands-off kind of parent leaving his child more independent and possibly not forming a close bond with his son because of that.

Oh, how wrong they were because Endeavor was a lot more hands on than they could imagine. The harsh training and even his attempts at hand picking his DNA through a Quirk marriage. But none of the bits of that were transcribed revealed those facts of his life as Izuku had mentioned them under his mask. However, the people on the internet did pick up on their, uh, ‘fight’ within their fight. When Shouto had questioned if Izuku was actually his friend or not. But they assumed whatever tiff they had been having was resolved since the greenette had cupped the other’s face at the end of their match. Igniting whispers of if it was a fight between friends or a quarrel between…more than friends.

They could speculate all they wanted because even Izuku didn’t know the answer to that.

But again, that fight among Izuku’s others where he wore his mask were not as viewed or discussed as much. People favoring to dissect the complete conversations as there was more to analyze and pick apart. Which made Izuku worry about Hitoshi and the possible reveal of his Quirk. There were theories for sure but the closest they got to guessing was that it had a verbal component. However, with Hitoshi mixing up how exactly he took control left inconsistencies in most theories leaving his Quirk thankfully mostly unknown.

All in all, it was strange for the public to be picking apart their banter when no one had cared to know before.

The second interesting thing was that the report on the recording of Stain calling for help for Ingenium had been taken down. By order of the Hero Commission was Izuku’s guess. Not surprising since it showed a Hero in a poor light while putting a Villain in a better one. But, as the saying goes, the ‘internet is forever’ and as soon as it had been posted that first time, no matter how many times it was taken down it would resurface somewhere else for people to find.

This too received a mixed reaction. Many held the belief that the recording proved nothing. That Stain was simply a Villain who had attempted to attack one Hero and then immediately had gone after another. That the call for an ambulance using the emergency app was all for the attention. While others protested that he had done it to save the Hero and started to question why he had targeted Native in the first place. Speculating that there must be some reason as the man had specifically said that Ingenium hadn’t been a target.

Izuku wondered that too. Asking himself why Native had been singled out. Knowing that there had to be some kind of corruption for the man to become one of the Hero Killer’s marks. Because Chizome was a man of reasons. While the greenette didn’t approve of the man’s methods, he knew that the Villain did not attack another without reason. Whatever it was, it was not something a Hero should do.

Those that started to question as to why Native was targeted also wondered why the Hero had waited to report the attack. Why he hadn’t just called it in rather than going to report it in person. But that question never received an answer as the Hero hadn’t been seen publicly since the incident. Most likely due to the Hero Commission’s orders though whether to protect the man’s life or his reputation was unclear.

Punctual as always, the train arrived breaking him out of his thoughts and Izuku went with the crowd as they boarded then departed same as every morning. As someone normally described as plain looking, mostly people dismissed him unless he got in their way. Which was very rare since he had learned long ago to not be in anyone’s way as much as possible. From avoiding bullies and discriminating teachers and all that. So typically, the commute to school was uneventful and quiet.

But this time, it was different.

“Hey,” a male voice whispered from behind him. “Hey you. You’re Midoriya, right? The winner of the Sports Festival?”

Izuku was startled by the unexpected recognition and looked up from his phone to see a man in a black business suit, short dark hair, and the smallest of eyes. Around him, other commuters looked up from their devices at him to see if it was true.

“Congratulations on placing first,” the man said, just as quietly with a wink and a thumbs up. “You really fought hard out there. Great job!”

More people turned to look at the greenette who suddenly found himself surrounded by watchers of the Sports Festival. Thankfully many that were close to him were supportive, giving their own well wishes amongst other comments of how he was shorter than they had thought.

Why do people keep focusing on my height?

He was being showered with kind words by strangers and it was kind of overwhelming. This was way more attention than he was used to on his morning commute. Izuku appreciated their praise though. It made him feel appreciated and acknowledged for his efforts. That is until…

“It’s definitely quite a feat,” one train goer commented. “Especially since he’s Quirkless and all.”

The people around him continued talking as if nothing was wrong but internally Izuku froze.

“Yeah, not bad for a Quirkless kid,” another added.

Why?

“I know, right?” yet another said. “Who’d have thought someone Quirkless could beat all those powerful Quirks?”

Why did it always come to that?

It was praise but with a Quirkist after taste.

Izuku had gotten used to being in UA. Surrounded by people who couldn’t care less that he was Quirkless. Who didn’t even bring it up once he told them his Quirk status. Because it didn’t define him. It wasn’t all that he was. To them, he was Izuku, his own person, and that being Quirkless was just another part of him. Same as the color of his hair, his freckles, or his name. Not the defining feature of his person.

But this was not UA. This was a public train full of regular civilians. Many who share the societal concept that the Quirkless weren’t meant to amount to much. That those born without a Quirk were the last remains of a lesser evolved version of humans. Slowly being weeded out of the gene pool as the world evolved into a higher form. To them, people like Izuku had their potential determined by two simple toe joints.

Him winning the Sports Festival was challenging those communal beliefs. Showing that he was more than that one extra joint in his pinkie toe. Many took the change in stride as these people were. Easily accepting that he had done what he did. Had accomplished such a feat despite being a ‘Quirkless kid’. Sort of the middle ground of support. Not ideal but it wasn’t so bad compared to other opinions of him.

As expected, not all that now recognized him were as supportive. Green eyes couldn’t help but notice a few people had moved away from him in the tightly packed train. While others whispered amongst themselves sending glares and judgmental looks his way. Ones the Quirkless boy pointedly ignored and instead nervously gave his thanks to those who congratulated him.

After Nezu’s press conference to defend his right to be in the Sports Festival and offered a transfer to the Hero Course, Izuku found himself labeled UA’s charity case. Not everyone thought that but a fair amount of the media did. Giving a Quirkless boy a spot in the Hero Course, a prized position that many people thought was wasted on him. However, Nezu had made certain to inform them that the rules and policies of UA were clear and stated that Izuku, as well as anyone else who was Quirkless, had the right to attend UA regardless of the course.

And so, the public had no choice but to begrudgingly accept there was nothing they could say or do to change the Hero school’s mind in regards to his admittance. Left to their whisperings and negative views of him and those like him. The Quirkless and the ‘weak’. Ones they considered to be the lesser of society.

This of course wasn’t the first time people have thought about him like that. His whole childhood was painted with being written off by others. The students, the teachers, Bakugou. Even his own mother hadn’t believed he could do it because he was Quirkless. But he had shown her wrong and she even apologized to him. Finally giving him her full support and surpassing his dad’s ‘you can at least try’ sentiments. Which Izuku still appreciated as it hadn’t been a ‘no’ but also wasn’t the ‘yes’ he had been looking for. The one he had finally found from a Villain of all people. His life was weird like that.

Anyway, Izuku figured the public’s judgment would be something he’d have to get used to. As the first Quirkless Hero Course student and as the future first Quirkless Hero. His whole student and future professional career would be under scrutiny as he was making history. The greenette didn’t really care for media attention but being the first Quirkless winner of the Sports Festival meant that he was already in the public focus. His aim to be a Hero even more so.

Let them think that way. That I can’t do it just because I don’t have a Quirk. I’ll show them. No, we’ll show them. Hitoshi-kun and I are in the Hero Course now. A ‘Villain’ and a Quirkless. Together we will show everyone we have what it takes.

The rest of the train ride was spent with him being surrounded by people quietly discussing the Sports Festival. On the train displays appeared the Train SPORTs NEWs every now and then with a report of the ‘Highlight Of The Week’ featuring a picture of Izuku himself on the first place podium. Each time the train stopped and new people boarded while others left or when the report would display again, more people recognized him with positive, semi-positive, and negative reactions alike.

All and all, the trip to school that morning was exhausting.

Since it was raining, Izuku didn’t bother waiting for his friends at their usual spot. Instead, he headed straight inside to meet them by the shoe lockers. Upon entering, he shook out his umbrella and worked on closing it being mindful of his bandaged right hand. He went to go place it in the 1-H umbrella stand on instinct but stopped himself.

Oh, right. As of today, I’m no longer in 1-H, he thought as he walked over and placed his umbrella in the 1-A stand instead with only momentary hesitation.

The thought made him feel a bit sad. Of course, he was excited to officially start as a student in Class 1-A of the Hero Course. That he knew all along that if he managed to get high enough in the Sports Festival and was offered a transfer that his placement in 1-H would be temporary. But it was still sad. Izuku wouldn’t be in the same homeroom as Mei anymore.

But I’ll be in the same homeroom as Hitoshi-kun now.

That brought a smile to the greenette’s face. He would finally be in the same class as Hitoshi. As well as Shouto. Plus, his other friends Kirishima, Ochako, Iida, and Tsuyu. And possible new friends Kouda, Tokoyami, Yaoyorozu, and Jirou. Not to mention Dark Shadow.

Being sentient, could Dark Shadow be considered a sort of honorary student of 1-A?

Anyway, Izuku would miss his class time with Mei, but they would still see each other at school. At lunch and in the Support studio. As Maijima had pointed out, he still would need to go there to work on his Support Items. Especially since his arsenal was now…greatly diminished because of Bakugou. But, Izuku decided to view this set back as a chance to improve his gear now that he had experience using them.

With the trickle of the rain, the students of UA also trickled into the school. The student entrance was full of people putting umbrellas away or taking off rain gear. Izuku spied Iida from across the room sporting a yellow green rain poncho and black rain boots. He wondered how his friend was fairing. With his brother getting attacked by the Hero Killer despite not being a target. Something that now everyone knew along with that Stain himself was the one to signal for help.

Chizome’s efforts had both hurt and helped the Hero. Hadn’t wanted to hurt Ingenium and felt compelled to help him to relieve his regretful action. A fact that was made public and could never be erased no matter how much the Hero Commission wanted it to disappear. The public now questioned if Stain actually had reasons behind his actions and wasn’t just some Villain simply out for blood. That the man was different from the crafted media image.

They have no idea just how guilty Chizome-san felt about what he had done.

But Izuku did. He had seen it in the man’s masked eyes when he had told the greenette himself. The memory made Izuku feel both happy in a way that the man had felt the need to tell him himself as well as guilty that he had such a close bond with the Villain that had attacked his friend’s brother. Had met and talked with the Hero Killer four times and had done nothing to report him. Had even shared familial gestures of hair ruffles and hugs.

What would Iida-kun think of me if he ever found out?

He hoped it would never happen. That his secret would never be revealed of him consorting with a Villain and doing nothing. The recording on his phone practically burned in his pocket. The rational part of his brain knew he should delete it. Get rid of the evidence of their meeting. But the other part, the one that held Chizome’s words most dear, couldn’t let that evidence go.

If Izuku deleted the recording, there would be nothing to show that they had been anything special. All that would be left would be his memories. The only other evidence he had ever had was that note the man had left requesting their second meeting. A slip of paper Izuku had thrown away long ago lost in the Japanese trash system never to be seen again. Burned away in some incinerator into oblivion.

The recording was a tangible, albeit it in ones and zeroes, proof of their bond. Preserved what they had become to each other. What exactly that was he didn’t know. No longer strangers but also not friends. Obviously not family as they shared no blood, but their bond felt more familial than anything else. Like…a close family friend or an unofficial uncle type figure.

Chizome-oji-san…

The thought of ever calling the man known as the Hero Killer by that honorific made him chuckled, breaking him out of his reflecting session. The greenette physically shook his head to further shake himself out of those thoughts. There was no use dwelling on ‘what if’s like that and instead focused on changing into his indoor shoes. As he closed his shoe locker, Izuku found himself being tackled by a certain excitable pinkette.

“Gooood morning, Hero-kun!” Mei chirped loudly right in his ear.

Why does she keep doing that? he thought as he playfully shoved her face away.

The greenette turned around and hugged his friend properly before letting go and saying, “Good morning to you too, Mei-chan.”

“So, you ready to become a real Hero today?” Mei asked as she changed into her own indoor shoes.

“I think so,” Izuku replied with a sheepish smile and a shrug. “Still hasn’t quite sunk in yet though. Finally being in the course I always wanted to be in, you know?”

“Not really,” the pinkette answered bluntly as usual. “I felt right at home right off the bat in the Support Course.”

That was true. The second Mei had entered the studio she had immediately started to work on her babies. Now, Izuku hadn’t been there himself as he had been observing 1-A’s Battle Training. But Mei had gushed over it with her standard amount of enthusiasm for him to get a very clear picture of it. That and hearing Maijima grumble about it from time to time. Izuku wished his former homeroom teacher good luck dealing with her without him. He would do his best to help in the studio though.

Maybe I should give him a gift basket for his efforts?

It was the least he could do and wouldn’t be the first teacher he gives a present to. A thought for the future. For now, Izuku shook his head fondly as Mei delved into a ramble about one of her latest babies as they moved out of the way to wait for Hitoshi. They stood off to the side near the 1-C shoe lockers until their friend arrived. Which wasn’t very long as Izuku spotted his gravity defying fluff of purple walking through the doors.

As soon as there was a break in the crowd the greenette waved to the other whose purple eyes found him and gave an acknowledging nod. Satisfied that his friend knew where they were, he turned back to Mei and they chatted about her favorite subject. Which was Support obviously. Though specifically they chatted about their battle plan to tackle rebuilding his babies.

Once Hitoshi had made his way over, they started off down the halls. Mei for 1-H and Hitoshi and Izuku for the teachers’ room to meet Aizawa. The walk was filled with the usual chatter of Mei and Izuku with Hitoshi adding his own comments now and then. It didn’t take long until they reached the point they would have to part ways.

“Well then,” Mei said with a strained smile that didn’t quite reach her cross haired yellow eyes where rare tears started to well. “Guess this is it.”

She’s going to miss being in the same class too.

“It’ll be okay, Mei-chan” Izuku said, wrapping his friend in a comforting hug “We’ll still have studio time together. And lunch.”

“I know,” Mei replied with a wet chuckle into his shoulder. “It’s just…no one else gets my genius in that class. And I’ll…I’ll miss you, Izuku.”

“Me too, Mei-chan,” he said with the typical Midoriya waterworks. “Me too.”

They stood there for a moment hugging with Hitoshi standing beside them. Other students walked around them giving strange looks at the group. But they paid them no mind. The three Freakateers, a nickname Izuku found himself begrudgingly accepting after the sleepover, were used to such looks and wouldn’t start letting them bother them now.

“I hate to break this up,” Hitoshi finally spoke up, giving a pat to each of their shoulders. “But we both know we shouldn’t keep Aizawa-sensei waiting. Who knows what that guy will cook up in punishment for being late on our first day?”

A shiver ran down the greenette’s spine at the thought. Yup, we got to get going. With one last squeeze, Izuku let Mei go and gave her a reassuring smile. Once released, the pinkette made a swing to pull Hitoshi into a hug as well. An attempt that the taller teen expertly dodged.

“Ah, come on, Hitoshi,” Mei jeered back with a grin. “You know I give the best hugs.”

“Not a chance, Mei,” Hitoshi sneered playfully as he laced in his Quirk. “I’m not getting ensnared into one of your death hugs.

The pinkette gave an offended gasp in response and obviously had the intention of a hug attack. Except she had responded and instead her body went lax and her yellow eyes turned white. Under his control, the brainwasher ordered Mei to go to class and his puppet dutifully followed his instructions. Purple eyes watched her for a time while the greenette beside him worked on convincing him to let her go.

Once she was a fair distance away, Hitoshi did release her much to Izuku’s relief. After she regained her bearings, Mei turned around and stuck her tongue out at the purple haired teen before waving goodbye to Izuku and walking away. The two freshly new Hero Course students both shook their heads fondly before turning around and heading to their destination.

Notes:

That's the completion of the weekend! Man, Izuku's life is just so busy all the time. But there are just so many things to explore! Thoughts, feelings, etc. For him as well as the public in regards to him being a quirkless hero student. Just so much to unpack. :P But I hoped you liked it.

Gran Torino has appeared! :D Izuku isn't only a villain magnet but a hero one as well! So All Might hasn't made the connection of the shoes just yet but he will. Gran would figure it out immediately though since it is his quirk. But I feel that All Might kind of blocks Gran out at times since in canon he doesn't include him in the tally of people who know about OFA until it's plot convenient to do so leading to the internships. Btw, Izuku won't be interning with Gran in this fic 'cause one) it would make no sense and two) I have other plans. ;P

Yep, Izuku still has the recording and he's conflicted about it. Oof, hope everything works out with that...

Fun Facts About Japan:

Japan is a very rainy place. Waaaay more than I'm used to since I live in the desert of the southwest. I would keep a compact umbrella in my bag because you never knew when it was going to rain. There would be forecasts for sure but random rain was always a chance. So umbrella is kasa ( 傘 , かさ ) in Japanese. Not to be confused for casa in Spanish for house. :P Same sound, different spelling and different language. Anyway, because rain is common a lot of places like stores or places of business like banks have umbrella stands outside. Or stores or big places like malls will provide plastic sleeves to put your umbrella in to contain the rain while you shop. Sure helps prevent big puddles of water everywhere.

The rainiest season is in summer from June to July. Then August is just hot and humid. Then there's typhoon season which is from May to October but the peak is August and September. Hurricane winds and rain. Usually falling sideways. In this chapter Izuku's mental comment on sideways rain not being fun is from personal experience. :P Very much not fun. Something that umbrellas do nothing to protect you from. The kind of rain gear Iida wears does get worn by people in Japan. Usually those on bikes since holding an umbrella while biking can be difficult.

That's it for this chapter! Next update Izuku and Hitoshi meet Aizawa in the teacher's room and we have some teacher student shenanigans. Then the two newest hero course students get to meet 1-A! :D Until then, be safe and be well! And the whole typos and weirdness bit too. ;) Tah!

Chapter 13: A Step Forward

Notes:

Greetings, dear readers! It's finally time! Thirteen chapters into part 2 and our boys are finally joining 1-A! Officially beginning their journeys to become Heroes! :D All their hard work is finally paying off. Meaning smooth sailing from here on out, right? ^____^

So, I'm kind of behind on replying to comments. If you've left a comment recently, I promise I am reading them and will reply eventually. Just been focusing more on writing than replying. Which I'm sure y'all would appreciate more 'cause that means more content.

Warnings for teasing this chapter. The first starts in the last sentence of the paragraph just before ["Congrats on making..."] and sort of ends in the last sentence of the paragraph just before [Great. Flirting teenagers...]. It keeps going for a while in the background but it doesn't pick back up until [Deciding to take pity...] and ends at [Shouta let out an exasperated sigh.]. There's one more at the very end of the chapter in the second to last sentence, but it's only one sentence.

Let's get to it!

Linktree to all the things!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Along the way to the teachers’ room, the students around Hitoshi and Izuku recognized the pair as the top two winners of the first year Sports Festival. Just like on the train, the reactions were mixed towards Izuku. Some positive praise. Others still positive but somewhat spoiled with the added ‘despite being Quirkless’ comments. Then the negative looks and whispered remarks.

Hitoshi wasn’t fairing much better. There was a similar mix of positive responses with many praising him especially on his fight against Bakugou. But others who had a guess as to what his Quirk was tacked on comments that implied it was ‘good he wanted to be a Hero with a Quirk so fit for a Villain’. While others who had possibly lost points to his brainwashing eyed him suspiciously.

The two friends shared a look full of understanding and silently decided to acknowledge the supportive ones while ignoring the rest as they went along their way. They knew they had the right to be there and that the teachers had their backs. There was nothing the naysayers could do to stop them.

Once they made it to the teachers’ room, Izuku was the one to knock. Mostly out of habit as he did so every morning ever since his notebooks had been brought to UA for safe keeping. He knocked before opening the door as he stated their names, years, and business receiving an invitation to enter. As soon as they walked through the door, Izuku suddenly found himself in a well-endowed embrace.

“Congrats on making the Hero Course, Green Bean~,” Midnight cooed as she hugged him tightly.

Again with the G-green Bean?!” Izuku squeaked as he flailed in an attempt to escape. First Yamada-sensei then Hitoshi-kun and now Kayama-sensei? What gives? “W-why?!”

“Because you are a Green Bean, Izuku,” Hitoshi snickered, doing nothing to help his friend.

“N-no!” the greenette protested, cheeks turning pink.

“Yes, you are~,” Kayama teased, nuzzling her cheek into his unruly green hair. “A small lil’ Green Bean.”

Izuku continued to struggle trying to break free while his traitorous friend just laughed. The jerk. But two could play at that game.

“Then what does that make you, you…Purple Panda?!” Izuku spat out at Hitoshi.

The purple haired teen stopped laughing considering the nickname before shrugging as he said, “Eh, works for me.”

Crap, it backfired.

“I think it’s perfect,” the R-rated Hero cooed, still clinging to the flailing teen. “A Purple Panda to go with the Green Bean. And this lil’ Green Bean has a crush~!”

Damn, I shouldn’t have confirmed it for her, Izuku thought as he blushed harder while struggling to get free.

~~~

Shouta, now bandage free, sighed at the sight of the green one of the problem children flailing while being in a bone crushing hug on the verge of being smothered by Nemuri’s ‘full figure’. While the woman who enjoyed ‘vibrant youth’, whatever that was, yammered about a crush the kid had on someone. Which he would guess was the Todoroki kid based on the hand holding and that hand placed on the element wielding problem child’s face during their match.

Great. Flirting teenagers, the tired man thought with a sigh. Yet another annoying part of the job as a high school teacher.

But he couldn’t hold it against the green one too much. After all, his feelings for Hizashi had started in high school. He had found the cockatoo of a person loud and annoying upon entering the Hero Course his second year. But as their high school career progressed, so did his feelings for the other. His spirit and energy were a compliment to Shouta’s own lack of either. The sun to his moon and all that sappy poetic crap Hizashi loved so much.

Midoriya’s bright personality certainly is a balance for Todoroki’s own stoic one. He may even be helping the other break out of his shell.

When the teacher had first met the red-and-white one, the teen came off as closed off and cold. Sometimes literally cold what with the first version of the kid’s Hero costume. Covering half of yourself in ice? Seriously? At least during the USJ attack he hadn’t covered his head with that weird red eye thing that made him look like a walking talking Terminator popsicle. At the time Shouta hadn’t thought much of it except for it being an odd costume choice, but now with the concerns brought up by Inko he started to wonder if there was more to the story behind that decision.

The kid had acted level headed during the USJ incident with his quick analysis of the situation though he went a bit overboard taking down the Villains in the Landslide Zone. But he did have the mind to not leave them frozen to succumb to frostbite. However, he acted reckless same as Bakugou and Kirishima who all three had ran in to aid All Might. With good intentions of course but as inexperienced students they were ultimately in the way even if they did help acting as distractions. Helpful but still putting themselves in unnecessary danger. They weren’t Pro Heroes yet.

Thankfully, none of them had been hurt. Partially due to Midoriya’s efforts of informing them of the Villains’ Quirks same as he had to the Heroes. As well as All Might pushing past his limits and stalling long enough for the other Heroes to come. It was following the USJ attack that the red-and-white one had started to interact more with his peers. Which Shouta could guess that the change in Todoroki was possibly due to the green one’s influence in some way. How exactly he didn’t know but he was thankful for it anyway.

He certainly has opened up more in class since the beginning of the year.

Todoroki was still quiet in class but not as standoffish post USJ. Before he had only associated himself with Yaoyorozu and even those moments had been fleeting. But after, he interacted with his classmates more, namely Uraraka, Iida, and Asui. And his interactions with Yaoyorozu grew in length and frequency than they were before. As if he was more comfortable around his peers.

Must be Midoriya’s doing. Somehow.

It would be interesting to see how the student dynamics changed once the two new problem children were officially added into his mess of a class. He had noticed the two knew some of his new classmates already. That is if the group of that had surround the green one after finishing the Obstacle Course stood as proof. Out of the nine students, six of them had been from 1-A while the other three had been the purple and green problem children with their excitable pink friend.

So, Uraraka, Iida, Asui, Todoroki, Yaoyorozu, and Kouda are already familiar with the two newbies.

There was also Tokoyami who had teamed up with Midoriya during the Cavalry Battle and lost against Shinsou. As well as apparently, they had met Jirou during the lunch break. The green one had then gone up against Kaminari and Ashido. Obviously, he had known Bakugou since before UA though the teacher would try to keep them away from each other as much as possible.

He wondered who else of the problem class the purple and green ones already knew. They had practically already befriended half the class before even being a part of 1-A. He also wondered who knew about the Hiro situation and that it was actually Midoriya under the disguise. It had been crude but clearly filled its purpose as Bakugou hadn’t realized who was under that beanie, goggles, and soot until he was told who it was.

Not bad for an amateur.

Deciding to take pity on one of his newly acquired problem children, Shouta stood up to prevent the kid’s early demise via the R-Rated Hero’s smothering. Hizashi, who had been watching the scene with amusement at his desk beside the him, also got up to join the group.

“That’s enough, Nemuri,” Shouta called out as he approached. “Stop sexually harassing the student.”

With a huff that her fun was done, she reluctantly let go of the flustered boy who immediately moved to hide behind his taller friend. Said friend who merely cackled thoroughly amused by the whole situation. Which earned him a shove from the green one in hopes of the purple one suffering from one of Nemuri’s well-endowed embraces. But the taller teen managed to dodge and move a safe distance away. The Heroine playfully gasped in disappointment but made no move to try again and merely wiggled her eyebrows at the pair of students.

Shouta let out an exasperated sigh. They hadn’t even officially started the school day and he was already tired. He couldn’t wait to escape into his sleeping bag later and could almost hear it calling for him. But first he had some things to take care of.

“We’ve still got some time before homeroom starts,” Shouta said, turning his attention to the problem children. “Now, do you two have the paperwork we asked you to fill out?”

Both of the students gave an affirmative before reaching into their respective bags for the Hero costume allowance forms which they handed to their new homeroom teacher. The Erasure Hero looked over their designs and was pleased to see they sided more on practicality than useless frivolity. He also noticed that the various Support Items proposed had notes that the green one wanted to make those himself. Or for the purple one, that either Midoriya or his excitable friend would tackle the suggested voice altering mask.

We’ll see what they can come up with in a week.

Because of the incident with Bakugou, Midoriya would have a lot to make up and recreate. Thankfully not all of his Support Items had met an explosive end but a fair number did. Though, the teacher did take notice that the costume design did not feature all of the gadgets he had used during the Sports Festival.

Huh, looks like he’s willing to learn and adapt. Good.

Since the Support Items would be made by the students themselves, an express order for the suits would be no issue within a week. Satisfied with the designs, Shouta gave an approving hum as he filed the forms into his capture weapon to send in later. Green eyes watched in fascination as he did so but the tired man said nothing. Secrets such as the storing power of his scarf added to the enigma that was Eraserhead.

“I also need you to look over this proposed seating chart,” Shouta continued, pulling out a different sheet of paper from his scarf. “It’s not ideal to have you two in the same class as Bakugou giving what happened Saturday. But the situation stands that there were two spots open in 1-A and out of all the teachers I’m most likely the best suited to deal with Bakugou should he act up.”

The two students looked over the seating chart, seeing that it mostly kept the class in place with only minor changes to provide space between the teens. To them, with a class half full of friends and a teacher at their back, both Midoriya and Shinsou thought it was a good enough arrangement. Which they then told their new homeroom teacher who nodded as he took the paper back placing it in his capture weapon again.

“Alright, with that settled, I have another matter to settle with you two,” the Erasure Hero said before leveling a glare at the pair. Hizashi and Nemuri looked between them curiously. “Which one of you was it?”

“For what?” the green one asked innocently, green eyes showing honest ignorance.

For now.

“Which one of you two problem children gave this one the idea to use puns?” the tired man growled, pointing a thumb at his husband. “I know it has to be one or both of you.”

“Aw, you didn’t enjoy it?” Hizashi pouted as he slung an arm over the other man’s shoulders. “Come on, Shouta! It was all in good fun!”

“It was unnecessary and over the top,” he replied, shoving the other off of him. “Much like your hair.”

“Hey!” the loud one squawked. “My hair is on point!”

“It makes you look like a cockatoo,” the tired man deadpanned.

“That or he has a banana on his head,” the green one quipped with a still innocent looking smile. Though there was an underlying mischievousness about it.

Shouta stared at the problem child with a mix of subtle approval as well as growing suspicion of who was the culprit. Nemuri and Shinsou watched the scene in amusement. While Hizashi looked at the green one with a face of betrayal.

“Et tu, little listener?” the banana haired cockatoo man lilted at his favorite student’s treachery.

“Nice one, kid,” Shouta said, ruffling said kid’s unruly hair who then swatted his hand away.

“Shouta!” Hizashi reprimanded with a smack to the shoulder. “Don’t encourage that!”

“Seriously, Shouta,” Nemuri added, leaning on the elbow she placed on his other shoulder. “You’ll taint this innocent Green Bean.”

“He’s not as innocent as his cinnamon roll exterior would portray,” the purple one interjected with a smirk.

“What? No way,” Nemuri exclaimed as Shouta shoved her arm off of him. “I bet he couldn’t even curse.”

“I’m pretty sure he can and does,” Shinsou asserted with a side glance shared with his friend.

“Nope! I don’t believe it. Not possible,” Nemuri denied, taking the green one’s face into her hands and turning this way and that to examine his still seemingly innocent expression. “There’s no way a Green Bean cinnamon roll like you could, should, or would ever say a curse word.”

Shouta and Hizashi shared a look knowing that the kid could indeed curse and had done so multiple times during training. While still in the R-Rated Hero’s clutches, the green one exchanged a look with the purple one who gave a smirked nod. Green eyes turned back to look into sky blue ones before he spoke a single word.

“Fuck.”

Nemuri gasped, letting go of the green one’s face as she playfully pretended to faint against Shouta. He shoved her away as he rolled his eyes at her antics. Beside him Hizashi and Shinsou were laughing while Midoriya stood there smirking.

“You’ll find that I’m full of surprises, Kayama-sensei,” the green one said with a cheeky tilt of his head.

“Such as you being the one to cause the onslaught of puns?” Shouta pressed, eyes glowing red with Erasure and hair floating about even though it would have no effect on the Quirkless teen.

“You caught me,” Midoriya said with a shrug, ignoring his attempt to intimidate. “Guess I just have a pun-chant for pun-derful wordplay and my suggestion to keep most details of everyone’s Quirks had pun-expected consequences.”

Huh.

Shouta was surprised that there had been an underlying reason other than to torture him. Which was still a possible reason as Hizashi knows how he feels about bad jokes. Probably even told the green one as much. The fink. But the suggestion was made with good intentions in mind. That was at least something.

So, he did it with the mind of keeping most of the details of the students’ Quirks a secret. Which is…logical, but the puns were still annoying.

The tired man was about to retort when the bell chimed for the ten-minute warning before class started. Sighing internally, Shouta chose to drop the subject. For now. But he was seriously considered the possibility of venting his annoyance with the teen for being the cause of his almost loss of sanity in a later training session. Which there would be ample opportunity as the two new 1-A students had some catching up to do. The tired man let out one of his signature Totoro-like smiles at the thought.

Yes, plenty of time for payback indeed.

The two problem children stared at him in worry of what that smile could mean but the teacher said nothing. Instead, he prodded the green one to get whatever analysis work he needed to retrieve before beckoning them to follow him to 1-A.

As they left the teachers’ room, Shouta spotted Yagi coming back from the copy room in his small form with a skinny arm full of papers. The tired man offered the other an acknowledging nod as he passed. For the students, the purple one gave a casual greeting showing no recognition of the man while the green one seemed more affectionate as he gave a bright smile and a wave. Reminding Shouta that the Quirkless boy knew who the skinny man was.

How do you know of this other form, problem child?

A question he hoped to get an answer to later. But not right now since the purple one was there too. Students weren’t supposed to know. Even the teachers shouldn’t really know as that kind of information could be dangerous, but had to since the man was working alongside them. But the fact that Midoriya knew and had since before the USJ as evident with his unintentional muttering made the Erasure Hero curious as to how and for how long.

Perhaps it was when All Might had saved him from the Sludge Villain before coming to UA. That could answer the question of when but not how he had found out. What exactly had happened during that meeting? Other than All Might saving the kid, failing to properly report the incident or render aid to the victim, and crushing the boy’s dreams by saying he couldn’t be a Hero after going through a traumatic event. All of which, expect for the first part about saving the kid, irritated the hell out of the Erasure Hero.

How could you be such an idiot, All Might?

Another question Shouta would like an answer to eventually. Later though. For now, homeroom. His curiosities could wait until he had the newest of his problem children situated into 1-A. Then he could think about how to get the answers he sought.

~~~

Toshinori was heading back to the teachers’ room in his small form with fresh copies in hand. Papers still warm from the machine. That was when he saw the group of three leaving the room. Aizawa with the two newest recruits for the Hero Course.

It had surprised the blonde when it was announced during the press conference held over the weekend that the top two winners had been offered to transfer. Partially because he hadn’t heard of such a thing until Aizawa had commented that that was how he had entered the Hero Course during the festival. By fighting his way through the Sports Festival, he had shown that he had what it took to be a Hero despite having not passed the practical. The younger Hero didn’t have a physically strong Quirk after all.

The Number One Hero could agree that not all Quirks worked for every given situation. There were times when All Might’s strength would be more of a hinderance than anything else. And certainly not mental types like Aizawa or the young Shinsou. Erasure and Brainwashing would definitely be useful for Hero work in the right circumstances. But when it came to brute strength they were lacking.

Shinsou being offered a transfer wasn’t what surprised Toshinori, but in fact that Midoriya was as well. Not that he didn’t fight his hardest during the Sports Festival or that he didn’t have a Hero’s heart. Because the boy did in spades. He had clearly put his best efforts into the festival and ending on top. But a high school Sports Festival was one thing, the life of a Hero was another. Far more dangerous and less regulated than a school sanctioned tournament.

Watching Midoriya throughout the festival had been a mix of horror and delight. Horror at how someone defenseless with no Quirk to protect himself was among the Quirked masses of students. Delight to watch the boy succeed with inventions and gadgets of his own making. Ones he used to clear every obstacle and even helped people along the way. Showing his Hero’s heart.

The final match of the Sports Festival did show that the boy was strong in an essentially Quirkless fight. Whatever Midoriya had hidden in his pocket the entire fight was enough to break out of the hold Shinsou had on him. But if he hadn’t had whatever Support Item it was, he would have lost immediately. That possible outcome was proof enough for Toshinori to continue thinking that the boy’s chances to be a Hero without a Quirk were still slim to none.

But that’s not how it has to be.

Truly it didn’t, because he had decided. Toshinori had thought about it long and hard all weekend. Going through the pros and cons. Evaluating all he knew about the other. His words, his actions. His tendency to act in a Heroic way making All Might believe perhaps the boy had never given up on his Hero aspirations despite what Toshinori had said to him that day. A tad foolish but commendable. Serving as added incentive to follow through his offer. Then there was the crowd’s reaction to his Quirk status reveal that mirrored his thoughts that a Quirkless Hero wasn’t possible. The boy had the heart but lacked the power.

So, he had decided.

Yagi Toshinori, aka All Might the Number One Hero and Symbol of Peace, would offer his Quirk, One For All, to one Midoriya Izuku. A Quirkless boy with so much conviction and dedication to be a Hero. Who had the required build, the smarts, and the drive to be one. All he lacked was the power to be truly accepted as the kind of Hero he had asked All Might if it was possible all those months ago.

“E-even if I don’t have a Quirk, d-do you think I can be a Hero like you?!”

“Without a Quirk, can one become a Hero like me? It pains me to say this, but I must say no, I don’t think it’s possible.”

The blonde still stood by his words to the boy that day, having not known the youth as he did now. Blue eyes had only seen a child with no power wanting to be the Hero he longed to be. To be a Hero like All Might. That kind of Hero takes strength. Power. A Quirk. A strong one at that. Toshinori felt that if he had met the boy again and had been able to see all of his hidden skills, he would have changed his mind about the boy. Would have seen the Hero within him and realized all he needed to truly be a Hero like the man was a Quirk to match his ambitions. Being the Number One Hero and Symbol of Peace was no easy task after all.

It seemed almost like fate to Toshinori. Deep in his mangled gut he felt as if this boy was destined to inherit One For All. To become his successor and carry on the grand legacy of the passed-on Quirk. So, he had decided come Tuesday morning that Toshinori would call upon Midoriya at some point to make his offer. To tell the boy of his Quirk and how it would unlock the doors barring him from his dream. Heck, with One For All Midoriya could smash the doors down instead. Ridding him of any obstacles in his path.

Toshinori knew his former sidekick Sir Nighteye, or rather Sasaki Mirai, would not approve of this choice. Knew that he had his own candidate for receiving One For All. Toshinori had looked into young Mirio Tougata and would admit that the young man did have potential. The elder blonde had even entertained the idea of approaching the third year with the offer though he was still on the fence about it. Seeing the potential in young Mirio but still wanting to explore his options when it came to his successor. Having a gut feeling that the fit just wasn’t quite right though why exactly he wasn’t sure. Staying his hand from making a firm choice.

That is until the first year Sports Festival.

The clear drive to help people was strong in the Quirkless teen. Showing that he certainly had the spirit to be a great one and reminded the man of himself at his age. But Support Items could only take one so far. Toshinori had tried them for a time but they always ended up breaking and he had to rely on the strength given to him by One For All. If that were to ever happen to the boy in the field, what would he have left to defend himself with having no Quirk to fall back on. That was what started to solidify the idea in his head of offering the boy One For All. That and the crowd’s reaction to the reveal of his Quirk status.

It’s the same as back before I received One For All. To be a Hero one needs a Quirk strong enough to back up their desires and dreams.

It was like history repeating itself. A Quirkless child with the desire to help people and be a Hero. Only to be genetically denied what they needed to fulfill those desires. But Toshinori was given a second chance. Was gifted a Quirk by his mentor to become the Hero he wanted to be. A Symbol of Peace that brought hope with his smile.

His reign as Number One Hero has been long. Enough to bring peace to this society as the single solid pillar holding everyone up. But ever since his fight with All For One, a fight he had almost lost, his time as a Hero had been progressively dwindling. With the loss of his stomach and the irreparable damage to his respiratory system, he had grown weaker over time and had developed this smaller, weaker form as a result.

Toshinori’s time remaining as the Symbol of Peace was growing steadily shorter marked by the diminishing time limit in his strong form. The time to pass the mantle was fast approaching before One For All died within him. The Quirk would still exist but with the dwindling hours he had in his stronger form, he felt there would be a time he could no longer access the powerful well that was One For All. Possessing the Quirk but cut off from its immense strength due to his own failing health. And so, just as his mentor did to him, he too would offer this powerful Quirk to a successor. Seeing a perfect candidate in the young Midoriya who he was sure would be thrilled by the offer.

Today. After school. That is when I will talk to him about the offer.

The skeletal man took out his phone from his pocket and quickly typed a message requesting a meeting with the boy though he didn’t say for what reason. Wanting the offer to be a pleasant surprise. He could still see the group of three a fair way down the hall and watched until his future successor took out his own phone. The greenette turned around to look behind him and upon seeing the blonde still out in the hall gave the man an affirming nod with another smile and wave before walking off.

And so, the matter of their meeting was settled. Toshinori smiled to himself as he continued to his destination. Pleased with his decision and confident that his offer would be accepted. After all, young Midoriya wanted to be a Hero like him. What better way than by inheriting his Quirk? Yes, it was decided. The boy would make a fine successor and become the next Symbol of Peace. He could feel it in his twisted gut. Midoriya Izuku would be a perfect fit.

~~~

Shouta side-eyed the green one next to him who had turned around to wave at someone after checking his phone. The Erasure Hero shifted his head far enough to catch a glimpse of the skeletal form of Yagi disappearing into the teachers’ room. Assuming that was who Midoriya had waved to as there was no one else in the hallway the kid would know. Or at least as far as he knew.

Wonder what that was about?

Yet another question for another time. As of now, Shouta found himself distracted by the whisperings from the stragglers around him. The two students trailing behind him were garnering attention as they walked through the halls. Not surprising since they had been the top two winners of the first year Sports Festival who were both not originally from the Hero Course. Not to mention the green one’s face being plastered everywhere being the first Quirkless winner and Hero Course student.

The whispers were quiet. Most likely due to the 1-A homeroom teacher’s presence with his reputation for handing out punishment, namely expulsions, like candy. But they were still there, easily picked up by the Underground Hero’s well-trained ears. Many were positive though some with the added caveats of mentioning one’s Quirkless state and the other’s ‘Villainous’ Quirk. Both of which pissed the tired man off.

Their Quirk or lack thereof does not define them. Idiots.

If that were true, many of those who were Heroes today would not be. Those with ‘weak’ nonphysical Quirks like Midnight, Sir Nighteye, Mandalay, and Eraserhead himself among many others. Or those with seemingly ‘Villainous’ Quirks whether by power or appearance like Vlad King, Ectoplasm, and Gang Orca. The latter who sat at Number Ten in the Hero rankings while also ranking third among Heroes who looked like Villains. And yet all of them were Pro Heroes charged with the safety of others.

These two problem children are no different from their classmates. They have potential to be great Heroes in their own way.

If the semi-positive comments pissed the tired man off, the outright negative ones made him livid. Some sounded to be out of jealousy as the matter of their transfer had already spread because of the press conference. That a ‘Quirkless’ and a ‘Villain’ in essences had ‘stolen’ those spots out from under others’ noses. While others did a poor job of hiding their judgmental prejudice of the boys’ Quirk or lack thereof.

Don’t they realize that Quirk discrimination is not tolerated here?

Shouta let out a sigh. Seems that they were going to need to remind the students of that. Either by homeroom lecture or a full-blown assembly remained to be seen. But this would need to be addressed before the situation got out of hand. For now, whenever he would hear any kind of negative comment, the Erasure Hero would shoot those students a glare causing them to scurry off in fright. If he may have found their reactions cruelly satisfying, who’s to say.

With the expulsion-reputed teacher at the lead, it didn’t take them too long to get to the 1-A classroom. The remaining students in the halls either separated to let them pass or left to get to their classes. Once the group of three did arrive at 1-A, Shouta paused at the door and turned to the newest additions to his class.

“Alright, problem children, here’s how it’s going to go,” the tired man said, barring their way into the classroom. “I’m going to go in and address the class for roll call and such. Then I’ll call you two in. Understood?”

“Yes, sir,” the two students answered with paired determined nods, the green one with a smile and the purple one with a small smirk.

“And if anyone says or does anything related to bullying or discrimination, I want you to tell me or another teacher,” the Erasure Hero added with a serious tone. “As you saw in your meeting with Nezu, UA has a zero-tolerance policy for either of those. This goes for in and outside of class. Don’t let anything slide. Got it, problem children?”

The green one and the purple one shared a look before turning back to their teacher and nodding. Looking solemn but thankful. Satisfied, the 1-A homeroom teacher made to enter the classroom but was stopped by Midoriya.

“Wait, Aizawa-sensei,” the green one called out. The tired man gave a hum as he turned his attention to the boy who was reaching into his backpack for something. Finding it, Midoriya held out that something to the teacher. “Here.”

The offered object turned out to be a thermos that was still warm. Thankfully it was not an obnoxious All Might themed one but a simple black one.

“What’s this for?” Shouta asked as he gave the green one a quirked brow in question.

“Bribery,” Shinsou answered, earning a smack from his friend. To which purple one merely snickered in response to the other’s offended pout before the green one turned his attention back to their teacher to answer.

“It’s a ‘thank you’,” Midoriya explained with a slight blush as he resituated his back pack. “For speaking up for Ochako-chan during her fight with Bakugou. I would have done it myself but Mei-chan didn’t have her PA hack on her.”

Shouta hummed again as he opened up the thermos to find blessed coffee inside. He took a whiff and asked, “Black?”

“Yeah,” the green one said while nervously rubbing the back of his head. “I didn’t know how you liked your coffee so I figured you could customize it yourself.”

The tired man nodded in thanks as he reached into his utility belt to take out a small packet of cinnamon. It may seem a strange thing to keep in a Hero costume but having it on hand made stake outs easier when it came to coffee orders. He could see those ever-curious green eyes take in his preference and most likely filing it away for later.

After adding the cinnamon and closing the thermos to give it a quick shake to mix the spice in, he took a swig of the life nectar. Shouta gave a satisfied hum and nod in appreciation to the teen at his gift with a quick ruffle of his curly green hair. The man then spun around and entered the classroom dramatic as ever with thermos in hand before shutting the door behind him. Leaving the pair of students in the hallway to wait for his signal.

~~~

Izuku took a big breath as he looked at the door of 1-A while Hitoshi and he waited. The word that came to his mind to describe it was ‘huge’. Not just in size which he figured was to compensate for those with Quirks that gave them larger than average figures. He himself barely stood at a fourth of its height. But he had seen the same size doors around the school since the term had begun.

No, this door was huge for a different reason. In what it represented. Green eyes took in the design marked on the surface of the wood of ‘1-A’ depicted vertically in red. As in the Hero Course 1-A. Walking through that door would mark for Izuku him officially entering the Hero Course. Him and Hitoshi. Yes, Nezu had declared and officiated their transfer but walking through that door would make it feel more real than just words. There are times like these that actions, not words, spoke louder and had more meaning.

From inside the classroom, they could hear the class officers running through the morning meeting. Both Hitoshi and he quietly chuckled as Iida took the lead and started doing impressions of the choppy movements they were sure his arms were doing. It was just so Iida. At some point one of them accidentally elbowed the other which led to a shoving match.

The two friends got so caught up that they weren’t paying attention to what was being said inside the classroom. So much so that apparently, they missed their cue leading to the door being slid open harshly and the pair being wrapped up in their new homeroom teacher’s captured weapon before being dragged into the room. Meaning that their first impression as new students to Class 1-A was Izuku trapped in an arm hold while Hitoshi was giving him a noogie into his unruly green curls while they were both bound together with the carbon nanofiber and steel wire alloy infused cloth.

“Why did I think it was a good idea to leave you two alone out there?” Aizawa sighed with a muttering of ‘problem children’ to himself before releasing them. “Whatever. Let’s get on with it and introduce yourselves.”

Once they were free of the capture weapon, they both scrambled to right themselves earning some chuckles from the class. Izuku stepped up first to introduce himself and said, “H-hello! I’m Midoriya Izuku. I’m a transfer student from the Support Course. Nice to meet you!”

Green eyes scanned the classroom at his new classmates. He smiled upon seeing so many of his friends and possible new ones in one place. Scanning the room from left to right, he saw Tsuyu, Iida, and Ochako. Then Kirishima and Kouda. Then Jirou, Tokoyami, and Shouto. And to his special friend’s left, Yaoyorozu. Even Dark Shadow peeked out from Tokoyami’s gut who the greenette gave a little wave to and received one back before the spirit retreated back into the bird boy. It was a nice feeling and comfort that he wasn’t starting in a class where he knew practically no one other than Hitoshi.

His purple haired friend was next to introduce himself and spoke, “Sup. Name’s Shinsou Hitoshi. Transfer from General Studies. Pleasure.”

At the brainwasher’s introduction, Izuku noticed a guilty look on Ojiro’s face from the front row. The black eyes of the tail wielder glanced at green who gave him an encouraging nod. Knowing that now wasn’t the time for any sort of apology but it was nice to know that the other boy was still feeling bad for what he had done during the third part of the Sports Festival. Hoping that the blonde would find a good time to apologize to Hitoshi.

“As I said, these are your new classmates,” Aizawa said, sipping from the thermos as he pulled out his horrendously yellow sleeping bag. “If you have any questions, I’ll give you the rest of homeroom to ask them before we move on to the next class. Something that you should really do on your own time but I know you won’t be able to pay attention if I don’t.”

With that, he retreated inside his sleeping bag and slumped to the floor for a quick nap. As apparently was normal since the tired man did nothing to stop them, Hitoshi and Izuku were then bombarded with questions. The pair shared a glance feeling as overwhelmed as the other. Thankfully, Iida taking his Class Rep duties seriously took charge of the cacophony to establish some order. There were questions of their favorite things such as color, food, subject, etc. Also, inquiries of their hobbies and interests. All topics that the pair were fine with answering. Then the topic of Quirks came up.

“Is it true that you’re Quirkless?” Kaminari asked.

Izuku studied the blonde he had won against in the first round of one-on-one battles. From his friendly expression, the greenette assumed it wasn’t out of malice or judgment but of curiosity.

“Yes, I am,” Izuku confirmed with a nod, hiding his internal worry of how they would react behind a practiced smile.

“Dang, that’s impressive,” Sero said with a smirk.

Here it comes, Izuku thought, mentally preparing himself for the expected tacked on ‘despite being Quirkless’. But that wasn’t what he got. Instead…

“Guess you don’t need a Quirk to kickass,” the tape wielder remarked further with an approving nod.

…huh.

“He certainly kicked mine!” Ashido chimed in with a grin

The pinkette sent a wink toward Izuku who blushed while a smirking Hitoshi supportively nudged him with his elbow.

“Mine too,” Kaminari added with a smile and a shrug.

“Actually, I think you kind of did that yourself, Kaminari,” Jirou snarked earning an offended gasp from the electric blonde.

Well, she’s not wrong, Izuku thought, reminding himself to talk to Kaminari about his short-circuiting problem later.

“How’d you do it?” Hagakure asked redirecting the focus back to the transfer students.

“Training and determination,” Hitoshi answered for him while also for himself.

“Paired with my Quirk Replicating Support Items,” Izuku added on.

“Quirk Replicating Support Items?” Yaoyorozu asked, her expression full of curiosity.

Izuku smiled at her interest and replied, “Yes, that’s one of my goals while here in UA. To make Support Items that can replicate Quirks. Many Quirks, though not all, have an effect that could actually be recreated through technology. Take Sero-kun’s Quirk for example.”

The tape user perked up at his name while other students looked from the black-haired teen to the greenette.

“Tape allows him to shoot tape-like strips from his elbows that are great for mobility and capture among other things,” Izuku explained as he went into analysis mode. “We could see that during his fight against Shouto-kun in the beginning when he shot out his Quirk to restrain and attempt to throw Shouto-kun out of the ring.”

Sero grimaced slightly at the reminder of his lost fight earning a comforting shoulder pat from Kirishima. The former being silently thankful he didn’t get a ‘nice try’ as he had been all morning during the tape wielder’s commute to school. While Shouto remained blank face in the back not taking his eyes off his friend.

“Also, during the Cavalry Battle, he used his Quirk to act as a capture and tether for when Bakugou blasted away from his team. Allowing them to catch and retrieve their team mate.”

There were some nods from his audience as they remembered that happening.

“Plus, during the Obstacle Course, he used his Tape to scale the robots that were blocking the way,” the greenette explained. “A move I also used to make my way past that obstacle in combination with my other Support Items.”

“Wait…,” Sero pondered before he had a look of epiphany. “You were the one with the other Tape Quirk?!”

“Y-yes, that was me,” Izuku answered with a shy smile.

“Other Tape Quirk?” Kaminari inquired with a quirked brow. “What do you mean?”

“I saw someone use tape similar to mine when the Obstacle Course first started,” Sero explained. “You know, when we were all stuck in the tunnel?”

“Oh yeah, some dude was flying over our heads and bouncing from wall to wall,” Kirishima commented. “That was you, Midoriya?”

“Yeah, it was,” Izuku answered with a shy smile.

“The first-place winner replicated my Quirk?” Sero commented with a surprised but otherwise blank look. Izuku feared that he may take offense until… “Dude, that’s awesome! I’m so honored.”

The black-haired boy was grinning from ear to ear.

Feeling encouraged, Izuku continued, “And if we look back to the beginning of the year, Sero-kun used his Tape to create traps to capture Tsu-chan and then immobilize Tokoyami-kun to secure a win for the Villain team. Oh, and he used it to help hold that Warp Villain back so Iida-kun could get out during the USJ attack.”

“Wait…” Sero said with a confused look that was shared with others of the class. “…how do you know all that?”

“Oh, um…because…” Izuku mumbled.

“Because he was there,” the low voice of the homeroom teacher interjected suddenly.

~~~

All eyes shot to Shouta where he sat propped up against the wall in his sleeping bag. While he in turn scanned over his students, secretly pleased with them though he wouldn’t tell them that. The reason why though was because there had been no negativity or backhanded compliments coming from them in regards to the transfer students’ Quirk statuses.

Good. One less class to worry about. But the Quirk discrimination I witnessed earlier needs to be addressed.

He would have to bring it up with Nezu next time he saw the chimera. Who he was sure would insist on a full blown assembly as this did involve his personal student. Nezu certainly had a soft spot for the boy, that was for sure. Hell, if Midoriya didn’t have his mother Shouta was sure the principal would adopt him on the spot. That is if he could manage to beat Hizashi to it. His husband obviously had favoritism for the kid who he had given a nickname to and possibly something else.

I bet he went and gave the green one Hero merch or something. Probably of me knowing the annoying cockatoo’s obsession of getting any and all merch of me. I’m an Underground Hero damn it. Underground Heroes shouldn’t have merch.

But Shouta knew there was nothing he could do to curb his husband’s irritating hobby. He knows because he’s tried. But Hizashi always found a way to get more having essentially a shrine of Eraserhead merch in their apartment. It was embarrassing but he didn’t have the heart to take it down because it made Hizashi so happy. Plus, deep deep down Shouta may or may not be the tiniest bit happy that his husband was his number one fan. As he was his. Banana cockatoo hair and all.

Anyway, Shouta knew that neither Nezu nor Hizashi would stand for any bullying or discrimination to happen on their watch. One, because it involved their shared favorite student but also two, because of their own experience with discrimination. Same went for Shouta as well though he refused to play favorites. They had all experienced some form of prejudice due to their Quirks or, in addition to Nezu’s case, not being human on top of that. So, no, any form of Quirk discrimination would not stand.

The tired man’s homeroom class seemed fine with his new charges. At least the ones that were here. Bakugou of course had his own certain opinions when it came to the Quirkless which he had shown during the Sports Festival as well as their meeting. But his Quirk discrimination was already being dealt with. The explosive blonde was already starting his punishments serving the first day of his in-school suspension elsewhere in the school. The Erasure Hero wasn’t worried about him all that much.

However, Shouta worried about the other Hero class. Kan ruled his homeroom with a blood manipulating iron fist but he didn’t necessarily have control over their thoughts on Quirks or lack thereof. The Blood Hero had his own excitable blonde among his students same as Shouta. Monoma was 1-B’s judgmental hothead with some sort of vendetta against 1-A. Using any opportunity to challenge and trash talk his problem class.

It made him somewhat worried about any future interactions considering Midoriya’s track record when it came to his excitable blonde peers. Shouta didn’t want to have another incident like with Bakugou. Once was already too much for the green one to go through. The Erasure Hero refused to let it happen again with Monoma.

But that wasn’t something he had to worry about now. If anything, the first time they would interact since the transfer would be the upcoming training camp being planned for the summer break. Plenty of time to mentally prepare himself to deal with the Quirk copier and his eccentric ways. They had the coming internships as well as the midterm exams to get through before he had to worry about that.

For now, Shouta would focus on his problem class who were still staring at him silently demanding for more information that just ‘because he was there’. Well…silently for like a millisecond before the class erupted into a curious cacophony. The tired man said nothing and simply gave the green one a look telling him it was up to him to deal with that. The problem child gave him a nod before turning back to the boisterous class as Shouta settled back into his nap.

“Wait, wait,” Kaminari said as Iida finally was able to wrangle the rest of the class to asking questions one at a time. “You were there? How?”

“Yeah, how?” Sero added with a quirked brow. “The only other one there was…”

If a group of people could personify the whole ellipses mood in anime, it was Class 1-A for a hot second before there was a roaring communal realization.

“EEEEEHHH?!” half of the class blared out while the other half simply nodded in acceptance.

“You, sir, are Monsier Hiro?” Aoyama asked from the front row.

“Y-yeah, I am,” Midoriya answered with a timid rub to the back of his head.

“Wait, why aren’t all of us surprised by this?” Satou questioned from the back.

Those who didn’t know looked around at those who hadn’t reacted surprised to the reveal. From where he sat slumped against the wall, Shouta eyed them as well. He too was curious as to who did not find this as new information.

“Raise your hand if you knew Midoriya was Hiro,” the homeroom teacher instructed from his sleeping bag.

Most he wasn’t all that surprised by such as the green one’s friends. The tired man had sort of expected it from Asui, Iida, Uraraka, and Todoroki. There was also Kouda, Jirou, Tokoyami, and Yaoyorozu who had known as well which was semi-surprising, but then again, they had interacted during the Sports Festival. Kirishima was more of a surprise though he and the green one had talked on the bus to the USJ as if they had spoken before so it was possible. The remaining student with one of their six hands raised was the most surprising. And not just to the tired man it seemed.

“Y-you knew, Shouji-kun?” Midoriya asked, unknowingly sating Shouta’s own curiosity. Revealing he too was surprised by him knowing.

“Yeah, I did,” Shouji replied as he lowered his hand. “With my Dupli-arms Quirk I can make different body parts including ears.” As he spoke the boy transformed his hand into an ear as proof. “It gives me a better sense of hearing than a normal person. So, I couldn’t help but overhear enough to figure it out. I also knew that you were Quirkless.”

“That’s how I figured it out as well,” Jirou commented lowering her own hand. “Though after I did, it seemed pretty obvious that it was you.”

“Again, you are terrible at keeping secrets, Izuku,” Shinsou snarked earning a punch to the arm from the green one. “Seriously, you are. Sure, Uraraka and Kirishima were there when we came up with the idea. But the rest of them you told yourself.”

“To be fair,” Todoroki interjected from the back. “Izuku mainly wanted to hide from Bakugou until the Sports Festival.”

“Thanks for having my back, Shouto-kun!” Midoriya chirped with a bright smile.

“Wait, why did you want to hide from Bakugou?” Sero asked.

“Oh, well, um…” the green one started only to be interrupted.

“Where is he anyway?” Kirishima questioned causing the rest to look over at the explosive blonde’s very much empty desk.

The Erasure Hero took this as his cue to reveal Bakugou’s…predicament the teen had found himself in. Shouta extracted himself from his sleeping bag as he stood up and slumped against the front podium. The tired man took a sip from the gifted thermos letting the liquid sit in his mouth for a moment to enjoy the flavor before swallowing.

He looked at his problem class with a bored expression as he took another sip before stating flatly, "Bakgou has been suspended for two weeks.”

"WHAT?!" most of the class shouted in response in various volume degrees and inflections depending on the student.

The only ones who didn’t were Midoriya, Shinsou, and Todoroki. Well and Kouda but he didn’t really talk all that much though he did have a surprised expression on his face. Shouta sent a Quirked glare at the rest to shut them up.

"Bakugou was caught attacking another student in one of the prep rooms before the final match,” the homeroom teacher informed them as he turned off his Quirk.

There were various questioning cries of why and who and how. Most notedly those who were part of the class dubbed Bakusquad consisting of Ashido, Kaminari, Kirishima, and Sero. But another Quirked glare shut them up once again.

"Quiet. As to who or why is privileged information and the parties involved are to choose to inform you of it or not,” Shouta explained further, shooting a subtle glance at Midoriya and Shinsou as Quirk erasing eyes scanned his problem students. "But Bakugou was caught on video and is suspended for two weeks along with other punishments for his actions. He is serving his in-school suspension alone under supervision and will be back in class after the two weeks."

Most of the Bakusquad grumbled at their desks unsatisfied with the limited information. Except for one redhead who cast a concerned but also knowing look toward Midoriya. Confirming to Shouta that they were more acquainted than they appeared to be. But what did Kirishima know about Midoriya’s and Bakugou’s relationship that would make him assume the blonde teen’s punishment was connected with the green one?

Kirishima wasn’t the only one who looked concerned. Asui, Iida, and Uraraka did as well. Todoroki too but his expression was mostly blank as usual. Only the slightest wrinkle between his heterochromatic brows revealed his unease. As for the rest of the students, there were some mutterings still wondering who Bakugou had attacked and why he had done it. But there were also comments on that they weren’t entirely surprised based off his treatment of others.

Bakugou’s explosive personality had been made clear, both figuratively and literally, since day one when he had yelled ‘die’ as he launched the ball with an explosion-fueled throw during the Quirk Apprehension Test. His continued aggression in class and training cemented that fact along with the brash yet skilled way the teen used his Explosion Quirk. His thoughts of his peers were also clear labeling the majority as ‘extras’ and only a fair few had been deemed worthy for his diminutive nicknames as he seemed to refuse to learn any of his classmates’ actual names. Seeing himself as above the others which Shouta now knew was due to his previous schools’ lack of care.

Those schools are so going down for what they did. Or didn’t do in Midoriya’s case.

Quirk discrimination cuts both ways. Negatively of course with the ‘weak’, ‘Villainous’ or the Quirkless. But also positively toward the ‘strong’ and ‘Heroic’. It was clear that Bakugou was a result of his environment. Placed on a pedestal from an early age inflating his ego to the colossal size it was today. But now, with the punishments as well as the therapy, they could hopefully deflate that balloon and reduce it to a normal size. Gods know that Bakugou needed this wake-up call to his bad attitude.

“Again, it is up to those involved to share what happened or not,” Shouta stressed. “So don’t go pestering about it. Also, I want to say that any and all discrimination or bullying will not be tolerated. Including Quirk discrimination. If you witness any, whether towards yourself or someone else, report it to me or another teacher. And if I find out any of you discriminate or bully anyone…”

The Erasure Hero once again scanned the problem students with a Quirked glare.

“…I will expel you.”

The class gave a collective nervous gulp at that declaration as the two other empty desks stood as proof that he meant it. Which Shouta sort of did but also not. If anything, he would probably give detention or suspension depending on the degree of the offense. Like with Bakugou, expelling would be a last result. But the students didn’t need to know that and the threat should be enough to prevent any discrimination from happening within his class. Perks of being a hard-ass homeroom teacher.

“Now then, before we start today’s lesson,” Aizawa drawled from the podium while taking out a sheet of paper from his scarf. “Due to certain circumstances, I have some seat changes to makes. First off, Hagakure…”

The invisible girl shifted her clothes towards the teacher to show she was listening.

“Move back one desk. Transfer any of Bakugou's things to your old desk and vice versa.”

Hagakure most likely gave a nod as she stood up to do just that while the tired man continued.

“Satou…”

The tall brunette boy sitting behind Kouda in the back perked up at his name.

“…move over to the empty seat behind Hagakure.”

The sugar user nodded as he gathered his belongings to move though his brows were slightly furrowed in confusion as to why. But his teacher offered no explanation and instead continued.

“Yaoyorozu…”

The creation girl straightened up at her name.

“…move one seat up to sit behind Satou.”

The ponytailed girl also nodded and dutifully worked to move her things. As those three students worked on changing seats, Aizawa addressed the two new students.

“For you two, Shinsou, you’ll be seated behind Yaoyorozu,” the tired man said, gesturing with his head and Hitoshi walked over to his new seat. “And Midoriya, you’ll be in the back between Uraraka and Todoroki.”

~~~

The greenette nodded and started to make his way to his own seat which also happened to be behind Kouda. Oh my gosh, we could be sign language buddies! The quiet student seemed to feel the same and signed a greeting to him which Izuku returned in kind with a smile. It was going to be nice to have someone to practice JSL with though English class was going to be interest with another person who signs. Especially with Kouda sitting directly in front of him. But it should all work out just fine. Maybe Kouda could help him practice JSL and Izuku could help him with English in return.

On his way to his new seat, he was greeted left and right. Aoyama sent him a wink while Ojiro a friendly nod. Ashido and Kaminari both offered him fist bumps which he happily returned. Tsuyu gave him a smile and head tilt. Kirishima sent him a toothy grin and his own fist bump which Izuku returned eagerly after not having had a chance to interact with the red head for a while. Iida gave him a nod and smile, though Izuku could see the underlying worry for his brother. The greenette gave him a pat on the shoulder in silent support.

He gave another smile to Kouda as he passed who sent him a shy one in return. Ochako shot him a bright smile as he sat down next to her which he gave in kind. Then Izuku turned to the other side of the classroom. Yaoyorozu and Tokoyami both sent him a nod in greeting while Jirou further forward gave him a two fingered salute with a smirk.

Finally, the greenette moved his gaze to his stoic friend, Shouto, who wore one of his subtle warm smiles now that they sat next to each other which he returned with a bright one of his own. Izuku pointedly ignored the teasing eyebrow wiggles from his insomniac friend behind the bi-color teen. Instead, he turned his attention to the front, ready to officially start his first day in Class 1-A.

Notes:

If you skipped the teasing, here's what you missed. In the first, Midnight calling Izuku a Green Bean, Hitoshi being no help, Izuku calling Hitoshi a Purple Panda in retaliation but it falls flat when Hitoshi likes it, and eventually Aizawa saving Izuku from Midnight. In the smaller second one, Hitoshi being a teasing jerk as per usual. :P

All Might is being a dumbass. Which may or may not be leading up to some future All Might bashing. ;) We'll just have to wait to see how that meeting goes. I will say that I do love All Might in canon but he can be very much an idiot at...well, a lot of times. Especially when it comes to Midoriya and OFA. Dad Might is wonderful and amazing but he's going to be more Dumb Might in this fic.

Dadzawa is proud of his problem class. Accepting the newest additions with no problem. Though he's still worried for Izuku outside of his class. Little does he know that he has nothing to worry about with Monoma. They be friends already, tired man. ;) But no matter what, the teachers of UA will protect the Green Bean.

Sh-sh-shout out to Bucket_o_Beckett for pointing out that Shouji would have possibly heard something about Izuku being Hiro similar to how Jirou did. Also to Endangered for Aizawa's coffee preference as well as the others who gave their thoughts. I also want to thank the commenter who used the term 'purple panda' for describing Hitoshi. Sadly, I can't remember who exactly 'cause I was a dumb-dumb and didn't note it but I liked it!

Also! I am still deciding final designs for Izuku's and Hitoshi's hero suits. Any ideas on design, feature, or colors are most welcome!

Fun Facts About Japan:

At the beginning of the year, homeroom classes are given time to bond. Now I don't know all that they do during that time but they do various projects as a class. Each class chooses class leaders and then a class theme. It could be something like spring or space or Disney or whatever. Then they will make a banner for the back of the class working together and each student makes a little profile picture of sorts. Like if it were Disney they would make paper cut outs of the castle or characters or special food you can eat in the parks. Or they could be funny like the one class who chose to be the Gorilla class and had a gorilla doing a King Kong pose around a volcano with the student profiles decorated as airplanes flying around him. They would also do getting-to-know you activities and post them in the classroom. All in hopes of forming a solid bond and familiarity between the students and the homeroom teacher.

The students think the word gorilla is funny because it's one of the many words they like to use to describe what their friends look like. Gorilla, monkey, mushroom, etc. One kid had the nickname onion because apparently his head reminded them of an onion for some reason. XD There was a kid that my friend taught who was describing his friend for a first year English project about introducing people. He wrote, "This is my friend. His face is potato." So silly. And it's all in good fun. All the ones I witnessed were good natured and friendly teasing amongst the students as far as I could tell. Such as one kid saying another looks like a monkey who would either agree with a laugh or insist they were a gorilla instead. Or a girl with a bob haircut would compare herself to a mushroom with cheerful enthusiasm. A silly lil' quirk of the students I worked with. ^____^

That's all for now! Next update brings the choosing of hero names! Hero Informatics will be in session. ;) Until then, report those typos or weirdness and have a great week!

Chapter 14: Make A Name For Yourself

Notes:

So, uh, guess what? I, uh...heh, I did it again, dear readers. The chapter got too long at 21 pages and I had to split it in half but couldn't keep them apart. But in my defense, we are getting four different Hero names from canon. Along with reasons and motivations behind each of them. And you know me, I'm a sucker for characterization. ;) I just can't resist! So we're getting a double update because of reasons. Which I'm sure there are no complaints about. :P

Warning for teasing this chapter. From ["Because if you do then..."] to just before ["Don't worry about it..."].

It's Hero name time! :D

Linktree to all the things!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Shouta eyed his students as the two new ones settled into their seats. Like he had said it wasn't ideal, but it was the best Shouta could do to get some distance between the two and Bakugou. Having the green one surrounded by friends while keeping the blonde one closer to the Erasure Hero and not disturbing the seating chart too much. He didn't much care for the purple one to be in the same row as his attempted attacker either but with Hagakure, Satou, and Yaoyorozu as a barrier it should be fine. Besides, Shinsou had shown he could match up against Bakugou just fine during the festival.

“Now then, today’s class will be on Hero Informatics,” Shouta said addressing the students once they were all settled in their seats.

Tired black eyes could see some students like Midoriya and Uraraka among others were excited. While others were obviously internally freaking out like Kirishima and Kaminari. Most likely expecting something on Hero laws or a pop quiz of sorts which weren’t bad ideas. However, today’s lesson was a special one that would play a vital role in their upcoming internships.

“Codenames,” the Erasure Hero announced flatly. “It’s time to come up with your Hero aliases.”

The tired man downed the last bit of coffee as the students started cheering from their seats. Being loud and obnoxious with their arms raised in celebration for the ‘totally awesome’ lesson. However, a Quirked glare and the intimidating cracking of knuckles worked wonders to shut them up.

“But first…” Shouta drawled as his hair floated back down upon during Erasure off. “…in regards to the Pro draft picks I mentioned the other day. Those are based on who the Pros believe will be ready for Hero work in the coming couple of years. Typically, it isn’t something you would need to worry about until your second or third year. However, by extending offers to first years like you, it’s the Pros’ way of investing in your potential.”

Now all the students were clearly excited at the prospect of getting offers from Pro Heroes. Though none of them matched Midoriya’s as the green one was vibrating in his seat. Uraraka was pretty close though since she was also a ball of floaty energy.

“Offers are arbitrary of course,” the teacher continued. “Any and all can be rescinded or revoked if their interest in you is lost before graduation.”

The excitement had dimmed at that somber thought but it was still there. If anything, it may motivate them to do their best and go Plus Ultra to keep hold of that interest. He would expect nothing less from his class.

“So, what you’re saying is that even if we get picked now,” Hagakure said from her knew second row seat. “We’ll still need to prove ourselves after we’ve been recruited.”

Called it.

“Correct,” Shouta responded as he took out a remote. “Now then, here are the total of draft picks for those of you who received offers.”

With a click of a button, said numbers for Class 1-A appeared on the blackboard. The draft picks were no way evenly spread out as they had been in past years. Todoroki had received the most at 4,123 offers while Sero sat at the bottom with 14 requests. Most of those who had made it to the one-on-ones had totals varying between those two extremes.

Kaminari, who had received 272 draft picks, complained at the drastic difference between Todoroki’s and the next highest which was Tokoyami with 360 offers. While Yaoyorozu, with 108, offered somber but supportive congratulations to Todoroki for his high number which he merely brushed it off as being because of Endeavor’s influence.

Then there was Uraraka, with 20, who was vigorously rocking Iida, with 301, back and forth in excitement with tears in her eyes and giggling. Which the bluenette was just going along with it for some reason rather than stopping her from giving him whiplash. Bakugou had received offers as well but since he was being barred from the internships his picks weren’t shown. And his weren’t the only ones not on display.

“Wait, where are Midoriya’s and Shinsou’s?” Kirishima asked having noticed the top two winners’ names were missing. The red head himself had received 68 offers.

“Since they are transfer students, Midoriya and Shinsou are not eligible for the Hero draft picks,” Shouta answered then turned his focus to said students. “However, this doesn’t mean that they won’t be partaking in an internship. Instead…”

The Erasure Hero’s signature Totoro grin spread on his face sending a shiver down each one of his students’ spines.

“…they will be spending that time with me to play catch up with the rest of you.”

Most of the class still held fear of his threatening grin but not his two just now declared interns. Instead, the pair let out a sigh of relief before shooting twinned determined looks his way. Well, sort of twinned. The green one gave a smile while the purple one a smirk, but both were filled with conviction. Good. Shouta wouldn’t go easy on them though they already knew that having trained together since before the Sports Festival.

He typically didn’t take on interns since working with teenagers as a teacher was bad enough. However, this year the Erasure Hero made an exception for his two newest problem students. They didn’t have as much catching up to do if he hadn’t been training with them since the beginning of the school year. Having unofficially closed the gap between them and their future classmates before they joined the Hero Course. But there were still things he could teach them.

Besides, if Shouta was a bit possessive of his newly acquired problem children, who was to say? It was something Hizashi had teased him about when he had told his husband he planned to not only take on one intern, but two. The green one and the purple one. The loud blonde had chortled at that earning a shove from the tired man making the other fall off the couch. While the cats had watched in their own versions of amusement.

Traitors, all of them.

But Shouta stood by his decision. He would mentor Midoriya and Shinsou to get them up to snuff. And if it allowed him to keep an eye on the two problem children then so be it. Gods know that the green one was a trouble magnet. Being there during the USJ and getting attacked by Bakugou before even being part of 1-A. Shinsou wasn’t much better being almost attacked by the same explosive blonde twice. It was for the best that they interned under him instead of out in the world where they could run into who knows what kind of trouble.

No, this internship was going to be informative and structured with the chaos kept to a controlled minimum. Well, as much as possible what with the chaotic storm that was going to be having the green and purple one under the same roof as his cockatoo of a husband and their three fur babies.

Oh right…that means they’re going to find out I’m married. To Present Mic of all people. Ugh. That’s going to be a headache.

But it was too late now. He had made his decision. Whatever happens during the internship in regards to the two problem children learning of his private life will stand. They will be sworn to secrecy of course or suffer the wrath of Eraserhead. Something even those of the Underground feared.

“With that settled, despite these results you will all be going on internships,” Shouta declared which made those without offers perk up with hope. “Giving all of you the chance to work alongside Pro Heroes. A majority of you already have experience going up against real Villains during the USJ attack…”

Another collective shiver spread through the class with Shinsou being the only exception. Though he too grimaced at the mention remembering that his friend had been in danger.

“…however, seeing Pros in action up close and personal is still valuable experience for all of you.”

“That’s why we need to pick our Hero names!” Satou said with a proud clenched fist.

“This is getting me so pumped!” Uraraka added from the other side of the room looking excited and determined.

“As of now, these Hero names will be considered temporary,” the tired man said bypassing their enthusiastic comments. “But take this seriously and pick something appropriate, or else…”

“Or else you’ll have hell to pay!” a female voice interrupted from the suddenly open door.

Extra as always, Shouta thought with an internal sigh as Nemuri entered the room and sashayed toward the podium.

Her Hero costume hugging all of her curves leaving practically nothing to the imagination and causing some in the class to blush. Not the most appropriate costume to wear in a high school but it was not as risqué as the version she had worn during their own time as students of UA. Which had consisted of a trench coat, belt, boots, choker, glasses, and the barest of coverings for her well-endowed chest with literally nothing else. Leaving her bare ass skin on display for all to see. In comparison, this version of her Hero costume was…tame.

“The codename you pick today could be your Hero name for life,” the R-rated Hero said as she walked with her hands behind her head to accentuate her full figure which Shouta rolled his eyes at. “So, you had better be careful or else you’ll get stuck with something utterly indecent.”

“Midnight!” the class exclaimed as she gave them a wink.

“She does have a point,” Shouta conceded as Nemuri stopped to stand beside him, dropping her arms and propping one on her hip. “Midnight will have final approval for your names. Choosing sensible names isn’t my forte.”

It was true as the Erasure Hero hadn’t even come up with his own Hero name. Hizashi was the one to chose it for him. Probably not the best idea since there were certain Hero related choices that his husband had made which he found questionable. Like his banana hair.

Thanks for that one, Midoriya.

But the tired man did admit that the codename Eraserhead was an appropriate name as any for him. Though it had at one point prompted Nemuri to gift him a pencil costume which he wore once on a drunken dare. After which he threatened to burn the damn thing except, she had rescued it and any pictures they had taken of him in it to protect them from his ire. To this day that stupid picture still popped up in their group chat from time to time.

Why am I friends with her again?

“While deciding, think of the kind of future you see for yourself,” Shouta continued as he grabbed his sleeping bag. “The kind of Hero you want to be. Because the name you choose will help you cement that image. It will let others know what you represent.”

With that, Shouta climbed into his sleeping bag and slumped against the wall once more. Willing himself to sleep before he hit the ground. Such was the skill of a habitual napper.

~~~

A name that represents the kind of Hero I want to be, huh?

Izuku thought back to the Hero names he had come up with as a child while Midnight passed out whiteboards and markers for them to use. All of them had been variations playing off of All Might as he was the greenette’s idol and inspiration to become a Hero. He accepted the board handed to him by Kouda as he recalled some of the many now embarrassing codenames he had come up with. Such as Mighty All Man, All Might Jr., Super Might, Mighty Boy, Mighty Man, Captain All Might, Super All Might, etc. Verging more on copyright infringement than a homage, but hey, he was obsessed with the Number One Hero growing up. Also, he was a kid. Sue him.

The greenette still looked up to All Might despite what the Hero had said to him when they had first met. That it was fine to dream as long as it was realistic. Which Yagi thought Izuku was doing as he had applied and joining the Support Course. Using his skills to be the ‘best hero’ he could be with his own ‘strengths’ as the man had said. Not knowing that this whole time Izuku had been aiming to be a Hero despite All Might not believing that a Quirkless Hero was possible.

But Izuku was here in Class 1-A. Transferred to the Hero Course after having won the Sports Festival using his own ‘strengths’. His analysis. His Support Items. His edge. The one Chizome had told him to find and he did. An edge that was being honed with the help of his mentors. Maijima for his Support Items. Nezu for his analysis. Aizawa and Yamada for his physical training. Even Shuuzenji eventually for first aid.

Izuku would become a Hero. Just as Quirkless as the day he was born. Replicating the Quirks of others to use as his own edge in a fight. Refusing to let his lack of Quirk hold him back from his dream. To be a Hero who saves people. One who does anything they can to help. And with his Quirk Replicating Support Items, his power set could technically be ever changing and evolving. Never tied down to one specific style of fighting because his canvas was blank as Mei had said when they had first met.

Huh…now that’s an idea.

The greenette scribbled down his thought on his board with a determined grin. It was perfect. A name he could be proud of and definitely represented the kind of Hero he wanted to be. Yes, this had to be his Hero name. With a confident nod to himself, Izuku put his board down on his desk and closed the cap to his marker before looking around at the others.

The class had been working on their codenames for about ten minutes so far. Mostly by themselves but there were still passing of comments and suggestions if someone was coming up blank. Which Izuku could easily see from the back at some of the literally blank whiteboards held by the students in front of and around him. Such as Kaminari who was complaining about having no ideas and only getting jeering suggestions from Jirou next to him.

In the back to his right, Izuku saw Ochako was hard at work playing around with combining words. Iida was already finished with his board face down on his desk. Tsuyu was still working as was Kirishima to the other greenette’s left. Izuku turned to see how his other two friends were fairing. Hitoshi was practically glaring down at his board in concentration while Shouto was simply staring at his finished work. Curious, the greenette peaked over to see what his friend had come up with hoping for some clever but simple moniker only to see he had merely written his own first name.

“Uh, Shouto-kun?” Izuku asked gaining the boy’s attention. “Are you really thinking of just using your own name?”

Shouto blinked at him before looked down at his board as he said, “I guess. I don’t know what else to write. As for the kind of Hero I want be, I’d like to be just me. Not as the son or successor of Endeavor. Just…Shouto.”

Huh. That actually makes sense in a way.

“I think I get it,” the greenette said with a hand on his chin. “It’s like your way of showing that you are your own person. Plus, your name has the kanji for ‘burning’ and ‘freezing’ for your Quirk.”

“Yes,” the bi-color teen confirmed simply.

Izuku gave him a nod with a smile in approval though in his mind he was already mourning the loss of being among the few to call his friend by his first name. It was supposed to be a sign of closeness being able to call one by their given name. And if Shouto made his Hero name his own, the using of first names sort of loses that novelty. That mark of closeness that they shared outside of their friendly touches. His thoughts must have been written on his face despite trying to keep his disappointment to himself.

“You don’t approve,” Shouto commented flatly.

“What?! No, I mean, yes…no yes? Ugh,” Izuku sputtered out with his hands waving in defense only to fall in defeat because even he didn’t know what he was saying. Ugh, words are hard sometimes. “I mean, I get why you would choose Shouto as your Hero name and if that’s what you want to do then you should. But I just…”

His voice trailed off as he scratched the back of his head nervously.

“You just what?” the element wielder pressed.

“I just…I like calling you by your name, Shouto-kun,” Izuku managed to say with a slight blush from admitting that out loud.

“Why would making Shouto my Hero name stop that?” Shouto asked, honestly confused.

“Because if you do then everyone will call you that,” Hitoshi chimed in to explain, taking a break from glaring down at his still empty whiteboard. “And Green Bean here wants to be special.”

The purple haired teen gave a wink and suggestive brow wiggle causing the greenette to blush a shade darker.

“Oh,” Shouto let out with the smallest glimmer of revelation showing on his stoic face. “But you are special to me, Izuku.”

And the blush darkened once again.

“Ooo, confessing in the classroom,” Hitoshi teased with a smirk.

“Confessing?” Shouto asked turning to the boy to his left confused.

“Don’t worry about it, Shouto-kun,” Izuku assured him while glaring at his jerk of a friend before doing his best to will his blush away. “Anyway, it’s your Hero name so you can choose whatever it is. Don’t let me stop you. It’s your choice in the end.”

The bi-color teen sat there in thought taking his words in before saying, “It is my Hero name and it is my choice. But I also don’t want to take away something special from our friendship.”

Grey and blue eyes peered earnestly into green. Izuku found himself almost getting lost in their cool and stormy depths but managed to mentally shake himself out of it.

“Really you don’t need to worry about me,” Izuku tried to insist.

“But I will,” Shouto pressed being just as stubborn.

Again, they stared at each other in a silent battle of one not wanting to influence the other who actually wanted that influence. Eventually Izuku relented as he said, “Okay. Well, if you’re not going to use your name, then what are you going to do?”

The bi-color teen let out a hum in thought as he erased his whiteboard before saying, “I’m not sure, but I was wondering if you have any ideas?”

He wants my input on his Hero name? Wow.

“Oh, well, um, you could do something related to your Quirk,” Izuku suggested, nervously at first but slowly worked towards a muttering brainstorm. “Referencing the two sides of fire and ice like your name would have. Or you could do something related to temperature. Or even balance since your Quirk has two sides to balance the other out. But you could also have it reflect the kind of Hero you want to be. You could also combine them all by playing around with different root words or even…”

The greenette continued to yammer away while the bi-color teen listened with rapt attention. Absorbing every suggestion and letting it mull around in his mind. But he wasn’t the only one getting ideas. Hitoshi became inspired part way through his rant and even Kaminari seemed to have his own lightning strike of epiphany. Not that the muttering teen noticed being in a full-blown ramble. Because when you ask an analyst like him for ideas, you better be ready for all the ideas.

Izuku was so caught up in his rant that he was caught by surprise when Midnight called out, “Alright, my lovelies. It’s been fifteen minutes! Let’s see who among you is ready to share?”

The class as a whole had a collective silent freak out at the sudden realization that they had present these. In front of everyone. Which they probably shouldn’t have been surprised by since they would be doing that to the public on their internships. But still! Give them some more warning than that.

The first brave soul to present was nonother than Aoyama. The flamboyant blonde strutted confidently to the front and stood proudly behind the podium. Beckoning the other students to look at him with anxious anticipation.

“Prepare yourselves. I present to you ‘The Shining Hero’,” Aoyama said before he presented his board dramatically above his head. “My Hero name is ‘I Cannot Stop Twinkling!’. My sparkle is undeniable, wouldn’t you agree mon amis?”

He finished with a wink as if his proposed Hero name was the most impressive idea ever. Which the class did not agree since it was a whole freaking sentence. With punctuation and everything! But he was right about that last part. The pure confidence oozing out of him seemed to make the air around him sparkle much like his Quirk. Quite undeniable indeed.

While the other students were thinking the blonde couldn’t actually be serious with that kind of name, Midnight seemed fine with it. For the most part anyway as she made a few changes to make it ‘Can’t Stop Twinkling’ instead. Still an odd choice for a Hero name but if she was okay with it then it was fine they guessed. Aoyama seemed please anyway with it giving his thanks in a mix of Japanese and French. Which was also a bit odd but if Izuku remembered correctly from the student files the boy was born in France so that made sense.

As Aoyama sat down with his approved name, Ashido skipped up to the front clearly excited to share her idea of ‘Alien Queen’. However, while Aoyama’s odd sentence name was fine, Ashido’s reference to a movie monster with acidic blood apparently was not as Midnight was quick to reject it. Which led to Izuku wondering if the Hero had an aversion to scary movies or perhaps just that character as the pinkette returned dejectedly to her seat.

The first two presentation had been so weird that the other students were feeling the pressure that they had to come up with something clever to compensate. But thankfully Tsuyu saved the day by presenting her simple yet adorable idea of ‘Froppy’ the ‘Rainy Season Hero’ that she had apparently had since grade school. Izuku agreed with Midnight that the name made the frog girl sound approachable. Plus, it was a great example for the rest of them causing the students to chant Tsuyu’s Hero name as she sat back down.

Kirishima took the stage next with rock hard confidence as he presented his idea of the ‘Sturdy Hero Red Riot’. A further homage to his favorite Hero Crimson Riot to go along with his spiky red hair. Which Midnight picked up on and pointed out leading to Kirishima gushing over his idol. Having a Hero name like that would put him under more pressure to live up to the name, but the redhead was pumped and up to the challenge.

From there, the presentations went pretty smoothly. After poking fun at Kaminari always short-circuiting his brain, Jirou presented her idea of the ‘Hearing Hero Earphone Jack’ which was easily approved. She was followed by a slew of others presenting and getting quick approval from Midnight.

Some were clever like Shouji’s ‘Tenacle Hero Tentacole’ sneaking in the word for octopus into his Hero name in reference to his dupli-arms. Also, Yaoyorozu’s ‘Everything Hero Creati’ which was creative, Ochako’s ‘Uravity’ which was a fun mix of her family name and gravity in reference to her Quirk, and Kaminari’s ‘Stungun Hero Chargebolt’ combining the words for ‘charge’ and ‘lightning bolt’. There was also Kouda’s timidly shared ‘Petting Hero Anima’ in subtle reference to his Anivoice Quirk while also meaning ‘soul’ or ‘inner self’ which could refer to his shy nature as well. Izuku’s favorite though was Tokoyami’s ‘Jet-Black Hero Tsukuyomi’ which was a very cool reference to the moon god of Japanese lore and most befitting of the dark teen.

Then there were others that were more on the nose when it came to their respective Quirks but still good. Like Sero’s ‘Taping Hero Cellophane’, Ojiro’s ‘Martial Arts Hero Tailman’, Satou’s ‘Sweets Hero Sugarman’, and Hagakure’s ‘Stealth Hero Invisible Girl’. Or for Ashido it was in reference to her looks when she came back with the Hero name ‘Pinky’. Which left only four more remaining who had yet to present.

“Choosing names has taken less time than I expected,” Midnight commented as she glanced up at the clock see they still had a good chunk of time to kill. “Not to worry though. We’ll whip out the last few and I’ll give you the rest of the time to yourselves as a special treat. More time to get to know your new classmates.”

She gave them a wink as the students cheered for the precious free time. Aizawa ruled his class like a fierce taskmaster constantly whipping them into shape, but Midnight was being more lenient even though she was the one with the actual whip. Acting as an authoritarian still to a degree but showing her soft spot for the ‘vibrant youth’ which Izuku still didn’t know what that was. It was as the others thanked her for the ‘special treat’ that Iida walked up to the front.

Izuku, along with everyone else, looked at him with worry. Wondering if he was doing okay after his brother was attacked. The greenette knew that Ingenium would be alright given enough healing time and therapy with thanks to Chizome’s efforts to call for help. But the Hero was still attacked and injured while on the job. It would be completely understandable for Iida to be upset and distracted by worries for his brother’s health. It was always difficult when a family member was hurt. Izuku knew from personal experience because of his dad’s work accident.

“Before I present my name,” Iida said keeping his whiteboard hidden as he turned his attention to Midnight. “I would like to address something if that is acceptable?”

The R-rated Hero gave a nod of encouragement which he returned in gratitude before he addressed the class.

“As I’m sure you all are aware, my brother Tensei was attacked during the Sports Festival,” Iida said with a solemn tone. “I want to assure you that Tensei will be alright. He was injured but he will recover with time and therapy.”

The Villain responsible for his injuries was left unsaid. As well as the fact that the reason why Tensei would be fine due to the Hero Killer’s efforts to both hurt and help the Hero. They all knew it with the release of the emergency app recording. But thankfully everyone knew it was also a touchy subject best left alone.

“Due of his injuries, Tensei will not be able to continue his work as a Hero until he is fully recovered,” the engine user explained. “However, I did not want the Hero name Ingenium to be forgotten while he is recuperating. Therefore…”

The class rep took a steadying breath before showing his whiteboard to the class.

“…I asked and was given permission to able to temporarily take that name to keep the Turbo Hero Ingenium in the public eye.”

Iida turned to Midnight who had a hand on her chin in thought as she considered his proposition. It was a somewhat odd approach to a Hero name. Sure, in essence all of their Hero names were temporary until they became certified as Pro Heroes. But to take on his brother’s name knowing he would eventually have to give it back was different.

“Are you sure?” Midnight asked as she lowered her hand. “This is the beginning of your Hero career. An important time to build your brand and show the public the kind of Hero you want to be. It may be difficult to build a name for yourself after you give it back to your brother.”

“I’m sure,” Iida replied with a determined nod. “I admire my brother very much. Tensei is the reason I wanted to become a Hero in the first place.”

He then turned to address the class.

“My brother has made Ingenium the Hero he is today. One who helps others when they are in need. Working quickly and efficiently in a team. Which is the kind of Hero I wish to become.”

Iida glanced down at his board with a fond look before bringing his focus back to his peers.

“I know that this is supposed to be an exercise to create a Hero name for myself. However, I don’t want my brother’s efforts as a Hero to be forgotten in his absence. I want the Hero name Ingenium to live on in order for Tensei to be able to pick his work back up as if he had never left. I know I will eventually have to take on a new name but for now I proudly accept the honor of working under the name Ingenium. To uphold Tensei’s goals and values as a Hero until he is able to do so himself once again.”

The class was silent as he came to the end of his speech. Only for a moment until the room was filled with applause. Midnight was squirming and positively vibrating with glee over the passionate declaration. His request was enthusiastically granted and he nodded in appreciation before returning to his seat.

“Excellent, now who’s next?” the R-Rated Hero asked while eyeing the three boys in the back who had yet to present.

“Guess I’ll go,” Hitoshi answered with a shrug as he trudged up to the front.

~~~

The insomniac loathed giving presentation or being put on display in front of people like this. Preferring to remain in the background because from there no one noticed or judged you. Not as much as in the spotlight. Which was why he wished to become an Underground Hero when he graduated. Having been inspired by Eraserhead to follow in his footsteps further than just using the Sports Festival to transfer to the Hero Course.

Underground Heroics seemed a perfect fit for the brainwasher. During training, Aizawa had talked about how he had become an Underground Hero after graduating from UA. Of his own plight of surviving and winning his first year Sports Festival. Of transferring and struggling to find where he fit best in the world of Heroes. Of his eventual decision to aim towards the Underground staying as far away from the spotlight as possible. For the better use of his skills as well as to keep his Quirk a secret. Making his surprise attacks more effective in the dark alleys of Japan.

The same kind of obscurity would be vital for Hitoshi’s Quirk to work in the field. He knew that he would have to rely on surprise and subterfuge when he was eventually a Pro Hero. Because if too much was known about his Brainwashing Quirk, he wouldn’t be as effective of a Hero. Deception and tricks were going to be essential to go along with his verbal arsenal of misdirection, jokes, trash talk, and more. Working as an unknown would be the best fit for the kind of Hero Hitoshi wanted to be.

Brainwashing needed secrecy of its nuances in order to be used effectively. The kind of obscurity that being an Underground Hero granted by keeping out of the spotlight. Instead focusing his efforts in the dark alleys and back streets that Daylight Heroes don’t typically frequent. Allowing the anonymity of the Underground blanket him and his Quirk in mystery. Which was something that his Hero name needed to reflect.

Hitoshi had always wanted to be a Hero since he was very young. At first because he, like everyone else, looked up to Heroes. The ones who saved the day to bring back order in this chaotic world. But then, over the years his motivations had changed or rather evolved. After his ‘Villain’ Quirk had manifested resulting in him being dumped at the nearest orphanage by his birth parents because of said ‘Villain’ Quirk. Leading to the countless placements then eventual displacements in foster homes. As well as those around him at the center and at school never really trusting him not to use his Quirk on them. Even though he had never and would never do that.

The years of ridiculed and being labeled a ‘Villain in the making’ with the perfect ‘Villain’ Quirk to make people do his bidding. After all the taunts and scorn from people who scoffed at the idea of a ‘Villain’ like him wanting to be a Hero, Hitoshi had internalized another reason to become a Hero. A reason that could be summed up in one word.

Spite.

Ultimately becoming a Hero to save people, but spite had been the fuel pushing Hitoshi through these many grueling years. The ‘Villain’ with the Brainwashing Quirk becoming a Hero would be a big ‘fuck you’ to all his naysayers. Proving that he could and would be a Hero and use his ‘Villain’ Quirk for good. Because as Izuku said, no Quirk was inherently good or evil. It depended on the person and how they choose to use their Quirk. And Hitoshi was a Hero, not a Villain. Always has been, always will be.

As Aizawa had said, their Hero names represented the kind of Heroes they wanted to be. For Hitoshi, it was to save people as much as it was out of spite. A task that would be best accomplished with his Quirk hidden under a shroud of mystery. His codenamed needed to reflect all that but also not give him away.

The brainwasher had been stumped when trying to come up with a Hero name. After all, they had only just joined the Hero Course that day. It was a bit overwhelming to be tasked with choosing their potential forever Hero names right out of the gate. Not that Hitoshi hadn’t considered various names over the years, but practically the entirety of his focus had been on just getting into the Hero Course. Barely sparing anything outside of that goal.

But now he was here presenting his chosen Hero name. One that will, if it is granted Midnight’s approval, be his codename for the full extent of his Hero career. A designation that represented what drives him to become a Hero as well as hint at yet hide his Quirk. A befuddling mystique to keep his enemies guessing. Befitting his needs and was partially inspired from Izuku’s ramblings about their Hero names referencing their goals and Quirks.

The walk to the front seemed to take forever and yet no time at all. Allowing him enough time to do a final reflection on his choice, but also suddenly find himself at the podium with twenty pairs of various colored eyes staring at him. Gods he hated being the center of attention.

There were times he was fine with it like when he had challenged 1-A and the entirety of the Sports Festival. But only because they were in pursuit of his dreams to be a Hero. His spitefulness overshadowing his dislike of the spotlight. And it had all paid off because he was here. In UA’s prestigious Hero Course in Class 1-A. About to present his chosen codename that he was confident reflected the kind of Hero he wanted to be. Laying himself bare to a room filled with practical strangers besides the handful who were his friends.

Well, here goes nothing.

“Many of you don’t know me,” Hitoshi began, purple eyes scanning his classmates. “Other than the guy who declared war on you before the Sports Festival.”

There were a few murmurs passed between the seated students as they recalled the confrontation. While Izuku sent him an incredulous look as he didn’t know the brainwasher had done that. Not that he had kept it a secret from him or anything. It had just never come up.

“But I have wanted to be a Hero since I was a kid,” the purple haired teen explained. “A goal that I’ve had ever since despite all those who thought my Quirk was that of a Villain rather than a Hero.”

There was a mix of reactions to that. Disapproving scowls from some. Such as his friends. Distressed shock from others. Like Yaoyorozu who let out a dismayed gasp behind the hand over her mouth. And unfortunately, empathetic grimaces from a few others. Such as Shouji and Tokoyami who did their best to be subtle about it.

Ah, kindred spirits.

“But I want to prove them wrong,” the brainwasher declared. “To be the Hero I always wanted to be in spite of them. Preferably Underground since that would work best with my Quirk.”

The previous variety of expressions all morphed into approving ones at his intentions. Many paired with supportive smiles and nods. Which he returned in kind minus the smile.

“So, with this goal in mind, this is the Hero name I came up with,” Hitoshi announced as he turned his board around. “The Spiteful Hero. Hoax.”

There were some ‘oo’s and ‘ah’s from the students mixed in with applause. While Midnight excitedly accepted his choice. Though over all the noise, the insomniac swore he heard an approving grunt from Aizawa but when he looked down the tired man appeared to still be asleep. Yeah, right. If Hitoshi nudged the yellow caterpillar with his foot in thanks on his way back to his seat, who was to say?

Notes:

If you skipped the teasing, here's what you missed. Hitoshi helps remind Shouto that names are special and Shouto tells Izuku he is special to him. Hitoshi called that confessing and Shouto is confused.

Izuku and Hitoshi's intern placement has been revealed! :D The tired hobo is so going to whip them into shape. Most likely going to regret the problem children learning about Hizashi being his hubby but if it was the price to pay for keeping his problem children to himself then so be it. ;P Plus they'll get to meet the cats and cats make everything better. But we'll have to see how well that whole 'informative and structured with the chaos kept to a controlled minimum' bit goes. ;)

Iida is going with Ingenium! Ugh, I can't remember who it was but someone had commented on him possibly doing that as a temporary name. I do try to keep track of who suggests what so I can thank and give credit accordingly but I'm not perfect. :P But anyway, I thought it made sense. And with Tensei getting injured but not permanently, I feel and some commenters (who I will give a shout out to later ;) ) agreed that Tenya's motivations are going to be different when it comes to Hosu. Which will be happening but you'll have to wait to see how exactly. ;P How could I not when Stain is a central character in this fic? In the background mostly but still very much present. Ugh, Hosu is going to be a shit show and I am so excited for it.

For Midnight's costume, I'm referring to the one in the Vigilantes spinoff, not the one they show when Midnight and Mount Lady are discussing risque costumes and added regulations on costumes.

Sh-sh-shout out to those who gave their thoughts on Hitoshi's hero name. Even though I went with something completely different but it was still appreciated! Also again to those who had before thought that having Tensei injured by not forced to retire for this fic. It's really allowing me to explore a different mindset for Tenya in regards the kind of Hero he wants to be as well as how Hosu will play out.

The 'fun facts' section will be in part two of the double update. But still please report any typos or weirdness. Get to it, dear readers! ;D

Chapter 15: By Any Other Name

Notes:

Part two of the double update! :D We've got two more names to go through. With so many more evolved motivations than from canon so there was a lot to unpack with them. You'll see. Without further ado, let's go! :D

Linktree to all the things!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Izuku beamed at his friend’s choice of Hero name as Hitoshi walked back to his seat. The brainwasher sent his own signature smirk back before sitting down. Now that he had presented that only left Shouto and himself to show what they had come up with. Izuku turned his attention to his friend to see if he wanted to go first or was even finished. Because the greenette was ready and would be more than fine to go first to give him more time if he needed it. But before he could say anything the bi-color teen stood up.

He watched as Shouto silently walked up to the front as their classmates whispered curiously wondering what kind of name the son of Endeavor would come up with. Perhaps something similar to Endeavor’s that expressed he was a Hero with a goal to achieve which was to become the Number One Hero.

Their queries rubbed Izuku the wrong way because his classmates didn’t know just how far the man was willing to go to reach that goal. A Quirk marriage. Having multiple children until he acquired his ‘masterpiece’. Seeing the others as failed experiments while keeping his harsh focus on his youngest progeny. Forcing Shouto to train starting from a young age. Putting so much stress on his mother causing her to snap.

The fact that no sort of investigation had been done after Rei had been hospitalized after attacking her own son baffled the Quirkless boy. But then again, this was Endeavor. The Number Two Hero who had money and influence along with an army of lawyers. And most likely the Hero Commission’s backing and protection to prevent anything happening to their precious Hero.

Good thing the Hero Killer doesn’t fall under their purview.

Before he could reflect on that can of worms, Izuku was distracted by his friend reaching the front. He didn’t get to see what he had come up with for his new Hero name. Being too distracted by either his ramblings or the other names being presented. Whatever it was though, it at least meant that the greenette would be able to continue to call Shouto by his first name. Because Hitoshi, even though he was being a teasing jerk, was right. He did want to be special when it came to having the privilege of calling his friend by his given name.

I wonder what he came up with.

The greenette smiled brightly towards his special friend who sent him a soft look back before falling back into his typical stoic expression. Grey and blue eyes scanned his audience who waited in intrigued anticipation. While Shouto hoped they, especially Izuku, liked it. The name he had come up with had been last minute taking inspiration from the greenette’s suggestions. But he felt that it would be a good name to represent the Hero he wanted to be as well as reference his Quirk.

~~~

Shouto took a steadying breath to calm himself. Not that he was nervous necessarily about being in front of a crowd. After all, he had been dragged around by his father and forced into situations that had put him into the spotlight. Namely at the various Hero events he unwillingly attended so that his old man could show off and boast about his ‘masterpiece’. Making him a sort of celebrity from a young age being constantly connected to Endeavor.

But that wasn’t what he wanted. Not before, not now, not ever. Because Enji was a terrible father and a horrible person. How the public still praised him for his brutal performance of his Hero duties. Caring more about winning with overwhelming power no matter the collateral damage he caused. As was evident from his high numbered statistics of casualties for both person and property. But again, that wasn’t what Shouto wanted to be.

Endeavor was all about firepower. Quite literally as that was his Quirk. But also, with the energy and effort he put into a fight. Holding nothing back in order to defeat who ever dared to challenge him. Shouto knew his Quirk was also strong. His ice most definitely has he had the most experience wielding his right side. And potentially with his fire once he learned to make it his own. Which unfortunately he had resigned to the fact that he would need to begrudgingly do so with the help of his old man. Something that he would get over with quickly during the coming internship as his father had sent him an offer.

Not surprising but still annoying.

However, despite him already resigning himself to having to work with the bastard, Shouto could still learn from him. It was the best option as of now even if he didn’t really want to. Again, annoying because he just knew that Endeavor would be so irritatingly pleased that he agreed to the internship. Somewhat willingly allowing himself to be taught by his old man and most likely believing he had won their long going feud.

But Endeavor would be wrong. Because Shouto was not giving up on becoming his own Hero. That had been the idea behind using his first name. Declaring himself Shouto and only Shouto not wanting any part in the Todoroki name. But he changed his mind. Izuku had looked sad about him using his first name for his Hero name. Which had confused him because it was just a name. Why would it matter? But then Hitoshi had explained and reminded Shouto that first names were special.

How could I have forgotten that?

Izuku had said it himself after their match. That friends would ‘call each other by their first name when they feel closer’. Which he certainly did towards the other boy. The one who had always wanted to help him. Who willing held his hand among their many other touches. It had seemed such a natural progression to call each other by their first names. Because he hadn’t been lying. Izuku was special to him. Perhaps not at the very start when they had first met, but very much so since the second.

Shouto knew that he was socially awkward. Not really that surprising though considering his isolated childhood. Kept away from his own family in his own home. Rei had been close until she wasn’t there after the…incident. Touya had been there for training and after care until he was suddenly gone. Shouto had only really gotten to know Fuyumi after his eldest brother was pronounced dead. As for Natsuo, he didn’t really know his other brother at all. Having had no chance to really interact with him growing up. Which was sad to be a stranger to your own brother. And then he had left to live away from home while he was in college. So, it wasn’t like he was around to allow them to get to know each other.

Which was all Endeavor’s fault.

So, no, he did not want to be connected to the bastard. Shouto wanted to be his own kind of Hero. Using his Quirk, both his ice and his fire, to help those in danger. To bring a sort of balance to this tumultuous world. Which was why he had chosen this name after Izuku had suggested so many helpful ideas for Hero names.

“At first, I was thinking of using my first name,” Shouto said as he scanned the room. “But then I was reminded that is a special thing between friends.”

In the back, his warm friend blushed while Hitoshi casually sat in his seat wearing a smirk.

“I changed my mind but that left me unsure what to choose,” he continued. “Though I liked the idea of it reflecting my Quirk and my goal to be a Hero who brings balance.”

He was going to present his choice when he was interrupted when Hitoshi snarked, “How about Frozen Fire? Y’know, ice and fire.”

Several students cast back glances to look at him for speaking up suddenly. It was partially a serious suggestion as well as a reference to the movie they had watched during the sleepover. But only Izuku and Shouto were the only ones in the room who knew that.

“Or maybe Winter Flame,” Kirishima suggested with a toothy grin.

“What about Ice Burn, kero?” Tsuyu offered with a thoughtful hand on her chin and her tongue poking out.

“CryoPyro,” Jirou called out.

This led to a slew of suggestions being shot at him from the class. Some went along with the same pattern of references to the two sides of his Quirk. Such as ‘Ice Phoenix’, ‘Frigid Torch’, or ‘Frost Burn’. While others focused on one side more than the other. Like ‘Hot Arrow’ or ‘Mistress Blaze’ for his fire as well as ‘Cryocannon’, ‘Frozen Thrower’, or ‘Comet’ for his ice.

“Perhaps you could go with Mercury?” Yaoyorozu chimed in, giving a suggestion of the more meaningful variety that wasn’t just different ways to describe fire and ice. “After the Roman deity specifically, who served as a sort of mediator and the patron of circulation for people, goods, and messages. In reference to your desire of balance.”

“Or because it’s the metal used in thermometers,” Hitoshi snarked behind her. “I got it. Thermostat Hero Mercury. ‘Cause he can controls temperature.”

“Sort of,” Izuku interjected. “But Shouto-kun’s Quirk is more of a split of fire and ice between his two sides. Which is reflected by his heterochromia.”

“Making it more of a partition of temperature,” Iida said with his usual serious expression. “What about a mix of partial and temperature such as Partempura?”

“That just makes me hungry for tempura,” Uraraka said with a longing pout for the food.

“Equator,” Ashido shot out. “Because his two sides are polar opposites and he’s split down the middle.”

“The North Star Hero Polaris,” Hitoshi said with a dramatic wave of his hand in a presenting fashion.

“How about Han Han?” Sero snickered “Like when Bakugou calls you Half-and-Half?”

That suggestion caused a spark of anger to flicker inside the bi-color teen. Not the most appreciated of ideas since it was inspired by Bakugou. Someone who reminded him of a younger version of Endeavor. But he didn’t show his dislike except for the smallest of frowns that went unnoticed by most. Except for Izuku who was well versed in his subtle expressions. There were a couple more offered ideas that referenced his appearance such as ‘ShiroAka’, ‘Peppermint’, and even a joking ‘Ketchup’ for the red part of his hair. The latter Shouto found amusing just imagining how pissed of his old man would be if he did.

“Maybe Gelocaust?” Kaminari offered, showing his intelligent side by further explaining. “Gelo is latin for freeze and caust is Greek for burn.”

“How about Gelato!” Ashido interjected in a jesting tone.

“Like ice cream?” Sero asked with an amused smirk.

“Sholato,” Hitoshi suggested to jokingly mix in his name.

“Well, his Hero costume makes him look like a human popsicle,” Ashido replied with a teasing tone. “Oh! Popsicle!”

Then the class fell into a communal brainstorm of different ice cream related names. Such as the ‘Ice Cream Hero Neopolitan’ and ‘FroYo Hero Hot Cold Swirl’. Also, the ‘Baskin Robbins Hero: Gelato!’ with included catchphrase of ‘Available In 31 Flavors’. All of these was all good and fun but the focus of the class had really devolved into the weirdest of suggestions. Like ‘Maple Syrup’ or ‘Coffee Creamer’. Even one of ‘Pokemon Hero Eevee’ with the sales pitch that he was a ‘Glaceon and Flareon in one’.

 “Enough!” Midnight shouted with a crack of her whip. Loving the youthful display but needing the class to get back on track. “Now Todoroki, if you would.”

Shouto nodded before addressing the class, “Thank you for your suggestions but I have a Hero name picked out.”

“What?!” Ashido exclaimed before whining. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“That means all our brainstorming was for nothing,” Kaminari complained while he slumped down on his desk.

“But I enjoyed hearing your ideas,” Shouto said having seriously liked them. Even if they were all for naught.

“Well then, what did you pick?” Ojiro asked bringing them back to Shouto’s actual choice.

Without much ceremony, Shouto quietly and simply turned his board for the class to see. The students read the board with murmurs of confusion while Izuku beamed at his friend’s choice of Hero name. To him it seemed perfect. But others weren’t really getting the connection.

“The Temperate Hero. Reinen,” Sero read aloud with a confused furrowed brows. “Why’d you pick that?”

There were further comments of how it was nothing like their own suggestions. Nor was it close to Endeavor as they had predicted earlier. But other than Izuku, none of them knew that Shouto had a hatred for his father that they weren’t aware of. Wanting to be as far away from anything connected to Endeavor especially when it came to Hero things.

“Fire can be too hot and ice too cold,” Shouto explained with a glance down briefly at his respective element wielding hands. “I possess the power to use both. Giving me a natural counterbalance to both sides of my Quirk.”

Grey and blue eyes connected with overjoyed green who was beaming bright as the sun at him for using the words Izuku had said to him the first time they had met. At the time ignored but now Shouto knew that Izuku had been right. That his ice and fire were a compliment to each other. Two halves of a whole making his one Quirk. Something he was finally willing to embrace after the Sports Festival. Especially after their match when the greenette had both physically and verbally beat some sense into him. Reminding him of his lost conviction to be his own kind of Hero.

“Half-Cold Half-Hot has two extremes,” he continued. “But between those is a balance. Equilibrium. A calm between two storms. Which is the kind of Hero I would like to be. One that brings harmony to the chaos of the world. Using both my ice and my fire to bring the extremes of this world back down to a calm and peaceful tranquility. Acclimate the hot and the cold to become a comforting warm.”

The class nodded at his sudden drop of wisdom. Because it would be important to have an equilibrium with a Quirk like his.

“But why ‘temperate’?” Hagakure asked, still confused why he chose that word.

Grey and blue eyes turned to her and focused on where he thought her eyes would be if he could see them before replying, “Because it’s a word that is related to temperature or weather that isn’t too hot or cold.”

The blunt dictionary-based explanation caused many in the class to snicker. Being quite a contrast to the philosophical reasoning he had given just a moment ago about wanting balance. But temperate could also refer to a middle between extremes so it seemed to fit him. To Izuku at least. Shouto was smart as well as blunt. Able to have deep thoughts while also being simple and to the point.

“As for Reinen,” Shouto said further, not sure why they laughed but pressed on anyway. “My Quirk is registered as Half-Cold Half-Hot. Taking out the ‘Half’s leaves the kanji I used for ‘cold’ and ‘hot’.”

He held the board with one hand while pointing to the first kanji with the other.

“This one can be read as ‘rei’ meaning cool, cold, or chill,” Shouto explained before moving to the other. “The second as ‘nen’ meaning burn, blaze, or glow. Together they make Reinen.”

“So, you chose a name that literally refers to your Quirk,” Hitoshi huffed out in exasperation. “How creative.”

“Thank you,” Shouto replied, missing the sarcasm. “I also like it because ‘rei’ is the same kanji for my mother’s name.”

That added comment received a chorus of soft coos at the adorableness of him choosing a Hero name that had his mother’s within it. Midnight herself squealed as she eagerly approved his choice before beckoning him to sit down. Shouto caught Izuku’s eyes as he returned to his seat and gave him a warm subtle smile which the greenette returned with a bright one of his own.

~~~

Izuku was so proud of Shouto. He had clearly grown so much since they had first met. Before he had been filled with so much hatred that had blinded him to his own goals. But now he had strong drives to be a Hero using both sides of his Quirk. No longer limiting himself to only ice to spite his father. Had even come up with a Hero name that differentiated him from Endeavor while also embracing his convictions and representing his Quirk.

Plus, the inclusion of his mom’s name is adorable.

Shouto had a better view of life now. Of himself, his Quirk, and his desired role in this world. Refusing to let Endeavor control his life anymore. Taking that control for himself and working to become the Hero he wanted to become. No longer letting his father be the dictator of his future. Even if he still had to live with the abusive man. But hopefully not for long with Chizome on the case.

As time passed, Izuku found himself feeling less guilty about siccing the Hero Killer on Endeavor. Feeling that something had to be done about the mistreatment the Todoroki family was still enduring to this day. But without Shouto’s permission to go to the Heroes for help, Izuku had turned to the only person he felt he could. A Villain who stood firmly outside of the law passing his own judgment as he saw fit.

Of course, Izuku very much hoped that Stain would not kill Endeavor but still knew it was a possibility. A potential outcome that was really the only thing that fed that remaining flickering flame of regret for asking a known murderer to look into a secretly corrupt Hero. Murder was wrong no matter the reason. The one thing that Chizome and he didn’t agree on when it came to the man’s convictions. Because the finality of death allowed no room for growth.

But there were elements of the Hero Killer’s creed that Izuku did agree with. The corruption that has been festering within the Hero rankings. The garnering of fame and money. Too much of a focus on the flash and flare of the fights that were broadcasted and viewed like a live action movie rather than the literal criminal acts that they were. Warping the role of Hero from one who put their life on the line to uphold the law and instead into a form of celebrity. Which was a concept essentially sanctioned by the ranking system organized by the Hero Commission.

At first, the rankings had been a way to hold the Heroes accountable for their actions. The better they performed their duties the higher their ranking and subsequently the higher their pay. Essentially, an incentive system to encourage them to do their job better and be compensated accordingly. Which would have been effective in a carrot-and-stick sort of way except the Hero Commission had never actually included the stick. Seeming to not notice the corruption of some of their Heroes and claiming ignorance to the offenses. Or when it did come to light, doing their best to settle the matter as quickly and quietly as possible.

And the carrot element of more money without a counterbalance had led to many Heroes having a distorted goal of making the performances of their duties more into a show. All to garner more media attention to boost their rankings in order to gain a pay raise. While the civilians watched the pageantry. Applauding for their favorites or buying merch to show their support. Profits of which went to the Heroes with the Hero Commission getting their own cut. Further turning the concept of Hero into more of a role in a play complete with merchandising to boost sales.

This Izuku was guilty of himself. His room was a shrine to Heroes especially All Might. Had even been gifted one of Eraserhead by Yamada as thanks for his efforts during the USJ attack. His collection had brought him joy and hope growing up. Feelings that had been hard to come by outside of his home. He had just been the useless Quirkless Deku after all with no friends and delusions of becoming a Hero. Taunted and teased for it because no one had believed a Quirkless Hero was possible. So, he had latched onto whatever he could that brought him comfort and kept him optimistic about the future. Which had been his analysis, self-defense classes, and of course Hero merch. Acting as a lifeline to his dream.

But Izuku had people who believed in him now. Chizome being the first and was followed by so many more. His mother, his friends, his mentors. Substantiating his belief that a Quirkless Hero was possible. He would just have to be the first. Prove to the world that he could do it. That a Quirkless person could become a Hero same as anyone else. Confirming what his friends, family, and mentors believed. A concept that filled him with awe that he wasn’t alone anymore. Bringing him the same joy and hope that his merch had growing up. But the support from other people was so much better.

Perhaps I could downsize my collection. Keep my favorites and sell or donate the rest.

With people believing in him now, he found less need for his Hero merch. Izuku was still the ultimate Hero fanboy of course. Which was why he would still keep some but could let go of the rest. Because he didn’t need them anymore. The Quirkless boy had the support of his mother. He had friends now. And teachers who cared. Not to mention the endorsement of the Hero Killer himself. Secretly of course but the man with such high ideals for what a Hero was saw within Izuku the makings of a ‘true Hero’.

The belief from all of those people, especially Chizome, filled him with so much more joy and hope than his Hero merch ever had. Well, most of it. The present from Yamada held a special place in his heart not just because it was a thank you gift from his teacher but also being one of Eraserhead. The Underground Hero he idolized as much as All Might but for different reasons.

He looked up to All Might for his reassuring smile and drive to help any and all no matter what. As for Eraserhead, it was for his dedication to being a Hero with no want of recognition but also because he essentially fought Quirkless. Using Erasure to level the playing field and make it a battle of strength rather than superpowers. Standing as proof to the greenette that a Quirkless Hero was possible. Because if Eraserhead could do it then so could he.

But the majority of Izuku’s collection didn’t have as much sentimental value as that one did. There were a few others but the rest he would be fine giving up. Because again he didn’t need them anymore. But also, because he felt guilty that he owned so much merch. A physical representation of the corruption of today’s Hero society. A bitter truth he had been ignorant of growing up but was painfully aware of now.

After having gotten to know the Hero Killer, the veil of ignorance had been lifted from Izuku’s eyes. Now he could see the truth same as him. That the world was not as black and white as he had thought. Instead painted in shades of gray. And also, that this lack of checks and balances with too much carrot and not enough stick was causing the perversion of the concept of the modern Hero. Supported by the Hero Commission and their ranking system. Fueled by the people cheering from the sidelines. Funded by the creation and selling of Hero merch.

So, yes, he would get rid of most of his Hero merch. Keeping the few with sentimental value like the Eraserhead figurine. Because now he knew same as the Villain who believed him. Could see what Chizome saw and what had led to him becoming the Villian he was today. He had seen the corruption. He had noticed that the idea of Heroes was being perverted into more actors on a stage rather than the defenders of justice. Something he had tried to expose with his words and when that didn’t work, he had resulted to actions. Working to reveal the corruption of selected Heroes of his purge and shedding a violent light on their misdeeds. But his efforts had been painted as ones of a crazed fanatic and nothing more.

That is until the recording from the emergency app was released. Causing the public to question if he was the deranged murderous Villain he was portrayed as or did he have actual reasons behind his actions. Because Izuku had looked into his victims and many of they were indeed guilty in some way, shape, or form. Though some he still couldn’t figure out just yet. Such as what Native had done to be targeted. The Hero who had been out of the public eye since the attack probably by order of the Hero Commission. Possibly to protect him physically but also potentially his reputation as a Hero after being outed for not calling the incident in sooner.

Whatever it was, Izuku knew that Stain had a reason for targeting Native. Because the corruption was real. Lying just beneath the surface but able to be found if one looked hard enough. Connected the dots to form the full picture of what this society had become. Something that Izuku hoped to maybe one day shed light on.

Perhaps not as drastic of a light like the blazing sun as that could do more damage than help. Burning the world in blistering heat like a forest fire. Cleansing the world of debris but also burning everything else along with it. Allowing in more sunlight of hope. Nourishing the soil with nutrients for new growth. Enabling future generations to become stronger and healthier. But it would be at the cost of destroying all that had been before.

No, that would not be helpful in the long run. Izuku wasn’t one to want to watch the world burn. He wanted to watch it rise. For the corruption to be exposed, sure, but in a way that it could be cured rather than outright destroying it. Because it was like an illness. An infection that was making society sick. One that needed proper healing, not amputation. Which was where Izuku differed from Chizome.

The Hero Killer believed that the cure was to literally cut the tainted parts of this society away from the whole. Whether by injury or death. Bringing grim awareness to the corruption of some. Serving as motivation for others to do better as to not become the next victim of Stain. However, his murderous and violent ways were muddling his message. Making it unclear to the masses what exactly he was trying to do.

But perhaps Izuku could help. Not by clearing up the misunderstanding of the Hero Killer’s motives because that could raise a lot of questions he didn’t want to answer. As well as raise red flags to what his own motives were. Rather he could do what he could as a Hero to shed light on the corruption Chizome was trying to bring awareness to. But in a less fatal way. Believing that taking more of a healing approach was best. Of pointing out and addressing corruption in a way that could restore the world to a better way of thinking. Of Heroes and Villains. The strong and the weak. The useful and the useless. That the world was not black and white. Not just good versus evil. Heroes against Villains. Because the world was more complicated than that.

Life was painted in shades of gray. Some cool and some warm. Whether good or bad depended on the people involved and their circumstances. Up to interpretation of the individual. Determined by what makes them who they are. Their values and goals. Whether they were an optimist or pessimist. What their reactive tendencies were to any given situation or person. Their personality that was formed by their upbringing. By the people they interacted with and the environment around them. Factors that could be the same for more than one individual but result in different outcomes for each.

Take Bakugou and Izuku. They grew up in the same neighborhood. Interacted with the same peers. Were taught in the same schools by the same teachers. And yet their childhoods were very different. Bakugou had been praised and had preened under the attention. While Izuku had been scorned and had longed for their denied support. But the favoritism had turned Bakugou into a bully while Izuku had refused to let anyone hold him back. Finally, being able to flourish once he was free from the abusive environment.

And now he was here. Finally in the Hero Course and was about to present his Hero name to his fellow aspiring Heroes. Having made it this far with the help and support from those who believed in his dream as well as his own efforts. All of which he would be forever grateful for. Because now he could fulfill his dream. Of being in his dream school and finally in the course that would enable him to further follow his chosen path. To become the first ever Quirkless Hero. Using the edge he had found to do whatever he could to help. Because that was the kind of Hero he wanted to be.

The clearing of a throat broke him out of his musings. Becoming suddenly aware of the many pairs of eyes that were on him from his seat in the back. Izuku blinked in surprise and blushed for getting lost in his own head. Again.

“Your turn, Green Bean,” Hitoshi snarked to his left.

The greenette stuck his tongue out at the jerk before grabbing his board as he stood up. Confident in his choice of Hero name and looking forward to sharing what he had come up with. His excitement almost giving him a skip to his step as he walked towards the front. The distance was short but each step felt like a mile. Because this was it. His time to show the kind of Hero he wanted to be. His own way of saying ‘I am here!’. Before he knew it, he was standing at the podium with twenty pairs of eyes staring at him. While he faced the future.

Well, here I go.

“Most of you don’t know me that well,” Izuku began, holding the attention of friends and strangers alike. “But because of my Quirk status…I had a hard time growing up. Practically no one believed someone Quirkless could be a Hero and that I was wasting my time dreaming.”

Looks of sympathy sprung up around the room like daisies in snow. As well as grimaces of understanding from those Izuku could guess also had a rough childhood. Like Hitoshi and Shouto. But also Shouji and Tokoyami who sent him empathetic looks.

“But then I finally met one person who did believe in me,” the Quirkless boy said. “Believed I had the heart of a Hero.”

Memories of when he had first been approached by Chizome coming to mind. Making him smile at the hidden connection he had with the man.

“They told me my journey to be a Hero would not be an easy one,” he explained as he scanned the class who were gazing at him with rapt attention. “Which was something I already knew. But difficult doesn’t mean impossible. I just needed to work harder than most to follow my dream. However, it wasn’t until this person that I figured out how to accomplish becoming the first Quirkless Hero. That I only needed to find my own edge to help me fight to compensate not having a Quirk.”

The condoling tension from before evolved into hopeful admiration.

“For most everyone else, that edge is their Quirk,” Izuku continued. “A tool in their belt that they were born with. One that I was born without. But I won’t let that hold me back because a Quirk is just a tool.”

Looks of contemplation about that concept swept across the field of students. Then nods of agreement that he was right.

“I was born Quirkless,” the greenette stated, feeling no shame for that fact. Because being Quirkless didn’t define him. “Without a preset skill set that I could use to accomplish my goals. But that’s okay. As my friend Mei-chan says, I am a ‘blank canvas’ and that my lack of Quirk means I have a world of potential. That without a Quirk means I have nothing to dictate what kind of powers I have or influence my self-developed set of skills. That I could become any kind of Hero I wanted to be.”

The growing anticipation was building and the class brimming with excited curiosity as he talked.

“I may not have a Quirk, but I have found my edge,” Izuku asserted. “In my Support Items as well as my analysis. They are my edge. With this edge I will finally become the Hero I have always wanted to be. One who helps others in any way that I can. Because that is all I have ever wanted to do. Help people.”

The Quirkless teen radiated confident conviction that was infectious.

“I want to be the kind of Hero that helps others,” he declared, green eyes filled with determination. “Becoming the edge in a fight that keeps people safe. And so that is what I will be. This is my Hero name.”

Izuku finally turned his board for the anxious class to see.

The Blank Canvas Hero. Edge.

Notes:

I hope you liked Shouto's hero name! I was really struggling with it because I wanted it to be unique. Which I think it is but if not, whatever. I'm going with it. :P I do get that Shouto using his own name in canon is his way of marking himself as his own kind of hero and person. But I put emphasis on names in this fic. Including when it comes to the Tododeku bits. So I wanted Shouto to have a different hero name. By the way, his quirk is registered as 半冷半燃 ( はんれいはんねん , hanrei hannen ) so this 冷燃 is what his hero name looks like for reference. Basically Shouto is Icy Hot but in his own unique way. And it is the same kanji for his mom, Rei. I promise I do my research. ;)

I also hoped you liked Izuku's name! :D I decided a long time ago that this would be his hero name. It just seemed the most fitting. ^___^ Also, we're seeing that Izuku's motivations to be a hero and impressions of the hero world are evolving. All because of one unexpected meeting on a roof top. One where so many different multiverses have sprung from. All depending on what was said and who was there. Ugh, I love fanfiction. There are just so many possibilities to explore!

Sh-sh-shout out to Seagirl Neptuna Barnacle, Endangered, SoFewSpoons, Remy, and Christina on the discord for Shouto's hero name ideas! (I believe that was everyone.) This was why I had asked which characters you identified with in 1-A other than Izuku or Aizawa. I really liked all the joke names and other ideas so I wanted to include them in the chapter. (Which is one of the reasons it got too long but I did it anyway!) And I thought it would be fun but also help organize it to connect the names with the characters you identified with. Along with some mixing and matching depending on what made sense with their personalities. ^____^

Fun Facts About Japan:

With the ice cream names in mind, let's talk about Baskin Robbins! They actually do have those over in Japan. Same logo and everything, however they don't call it Baskin Robbins. Instead they call it 'thirty-one' because of the 31 on the sign. Why? I'm not exactly sure but it could possibly be that 31 in katakana English is easier than Baskin Robbins. Plus numbers are international so if a little kid saw it but didn't know English letters would still be able to understand it's an ice cream store. That's my theory anyway but I could be totally wrong. Because they have McDonalds too and kids know the katakana pronunciation マクドナルド or Makudonarudo. Which took me forever to get right btw. Such a mouthful.

Similar to the special KitKat flavors which I will go into on a different chapter, there are Japan-only flavors of ice cream at 31. For the main flavors, there are matcha green tea, muskmelon, and dainagon azuki red bean to go along with stands like vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, etc. Then there are seasonal ones. Like for Valentine's, Love Potion 31 (chocolate raspberry truffle) or Love Potion 31 Dark (adding chocolate ice cream to the mix). Or for Easter, Easter Egg Hunt (cotton candy and melon flavored ice cream with three different colored chocolate "eggs"). Among many others. There isn't a definite list because they like to introduce new flavors for a limited time. My absolute favorite though is Popping Showers. It's white chocolate and mint ice cream with pop rocks mixed in! :D So tasty!

If you're interested, here is the link to flavors on the Baskin Robbins Japan website. It is in Japanese though just fyi, but you can at the very least see the different flavors. ^___^

That's all for this update! Next up is class 1-A shenanigans of getting to know their knew classmates. Well mostly Izuku because he has so surprises. ;) You'll see. Until then, take care and report typos or weirdness! See ya!

Chapter 16: Getting To Know You

Notes:

🎼~Getting to know aaaallll about yooooouuuu!~

And that concludes my very random 'The King And I' reference. :P Anyway! It's Tuesday again! Class 1-A learns more about their new classmates. Well, mostly Izuku because he has so many things happening in his life.

Warning for teasing from [The nickname caused Izuku to blush...] to the first two sentences of the paragraph starting with [That earned a bark of laughter...]. The rest of the paragraph is fine though. There's another part that Izuku gets more and more flustered but it's not from teasing and rather compliments.

Formatting reminder:
-Dialogue using sign language.-

Did a minor edit with the help of 'all hail the glow cloud' on the discord!

Linktree to all the things!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Upon the reveal of his Hero name, Izuku smiled at his classmates who gave their nods and comments of approval. Happy that they liked what he had come up with and their approval filled him with pride. Then the Purple Panda just had to get his own snarky word in.

“That’s pretty edgy of you, Izuku,” Hitoshi called out from the back.

“You can’t use that pun because I already did,” Izuku shot back with a stuck-out tongue.

Because he had right after their final match when Hitoshi had suggested calling his first invention ‘edge’. It was a good name for sure. But this was what he had been saving the name for.

“I think it’s perfect!” Kayama squealed, writhing in excitement. “Ten points to the Green Bean!”

The nickname caused Izuku to blush much to the class’s amusement. Especially Hitoshi who teased, “Maybe you should have gone with Strawberry Boy? Since you look like one when you blush like that.”

“D-do not!” Izuku squeaked as his flush darkened earning giggles from his classmates.

“Hey, yeah, you’re right,” Kaminari chimed in thoroughly entertained. “Strawberry Boy would have been hilarious. Either that or Tomato Man.”

That earned a bark of laughter from the brainwasher who held up an air high five which the electric blonde returned from across the room. Izuku grumbled at the teasing as he turned away to hide his reddened cheeks. An action which allowed him to catch the one-eyed peeking of the caterpillar man eyeing him with an expression of mild amusement but also one of pride as the Erasure Hero gave him a minute approving nod before going back to his nap.

That subtle act filled Izuku with so much joy. That one of his Heroes approved of his choice in Hero name. Causing him to smile brightly as he cheerfully returned to his seat. Ignoring the joking suggestions of what his codename should have been that somehow was still being discussed. Very much having devolved to being super silly ones like calling him variations of names using broccoli in reference of his hair.

Teasing wasn’t new to Izuku. His childhood had been filled with it after all. But this kind of teasing was different. Before UA, it had been jeering words spat out in malice. But now it wasn’t. Instead, it was all in good fun with friendly intentions. Still annoying at times since he would get flustered especially when it came to his sort of maybe crush. But Izuku knew that it was all in jest so he let it slide.

Now that everyone had finished presenting their approved Hero names, Midnight released them to their promised free time after she collected all the whiteboards and markers. It wasn’t a ton of time as all the thrown-out suggestions to Shouto had eaten up a chunk of it. But it had been fun so they didn’t regret it. Besides, any sort of free time was greatly appreciated.

As Kayama left leaving the napping homeroom teacher as supervision, the students of 1-A fell into easy conversation. Some even leaving their seats to sit on the desks of their friends. Izuku stayed in his seat because he was quite literally surrounded by his friends. Being sandwiched between Shouto and Ochako in the back made him really happy. He was contently chatting with his friends when the focus of the class was drawn to him.

“Hey, Midoriya!” Kaminari suddenly called out gaining his attention. “So, you copied Sero’s Quirk during the festival, right? Who else did you copy?”

“Well, technically I don’t ‘copy’ Quirks,” Izuku explained with air quotes. “The only person I know who can truly copy a Quirk is Monoma-kun since that is his Quirk.”

“Oh yeah, isn’t that the blonde spaz in 1-B?” Sero asked.

“Monoma-kun isn’t a spaz,” the greenette defended having gotten to know the other somewhat. Even considered him sort of a friend. “He’s just…passionate about being a Hero.”

And possibly insecure about his Quirk if his reaction to Izuku’s previously given compliments said anything about him. He had seemed surprised, almost, that anyone would think such a thing. Making the Quirkless teen think that maybe Monoma was a kindred spirit of sorts having potentially been judged by his Quirk status growing up. Much like Hitoshi and Izuku had but differently.

Maybe we could really be friends.

It was a possibility. The blonde hadn’t judged him for being Quirkless when he had told him. Or at least he hadn’t said or done anything bad after he had done so. Nor had he outed him during the Cavalry Battle when Monoma had tried to copy a Quirk Izuku didn’t have. Letting the failure to gain his nonexistent superpower as a ‘miss’ as one of the copier’s teammates had said. Had even given him a congratulatory nod at the end of the day before leaving.

“That’s one way to put it,” Jirou commented with a hint of snark while she twirled one of her earphone jacks.

“Yeah, the guy’s got a serious vendetta against us for some reason,” Kaminari added. “Always vehemently declaring that 1-B is going to surpass us as Heroes.”

“He seriously has no chill,” Sero said with a shake of his head.

The greenette couldn’t deny that. He had seen Monoma’s pension of acting as boisterous agitator. Like when he had left Izuku’s team alone to go after Bakugou’s instead. Purposefully riling the explosive teen up leading to their own downfall. Or was told by Hitoshi about the rant/pep talk the copier gave when he had approached 1-B in hopes of joining them for the Cavalry Battle. That apparently Monoma viewed 1-A as ‘cocky’ and thinking they were ‘greater’ than 1-B. Wanted to use the festival to show that 1-B wasn’t ‘second rate’ just because 1-A had suddenly becoming ‘stars’ after ‘fighting off some Villains’.

While it was true that 1-A had more media attention because of the USJ attack, it was far from an experience that would make one ‘cocky’. Well, maybe Bakugou but for everyone else it had been a humbling experience. Forced to face real Villains not even a full week into the school year. And Izuku hadn’t even been in the Hero Course but still had to fight for his and Tsuyu’s lives. Inventing an electric bomb on the fly and surviving by his and Tsuyu’s efforts combined. Then working together in the Control Hub to help the others in any way they could from their safe haven.

The other Hero class had no idea what it was like to be suddenly attacked by a group of Villains. Naivete due to lack of experience not allowing empathy. But surely Monoma could feel some sympathy that his fellow peers had been through a traumatic event. If he truly believed that 1-A had asked to be attacked, that was verging on victim blaming. A terrible prejudice that takes the blame that should solely be on the attacker and instead saying the victim was ‘asking for it’. Which was a horrible way of thinking and is very harmful. Something Izuku knew from experience.

He had been on the receiving end of victim blaming. Used as a scapegoat for the prosperity of others. Mostly for Bakugou’s sake so he could become the Hero he was ‘destined’ to be. While Izuku was the Quirkless Deku who was pushed down and blamed for all that was done to him. Something he had long accepted as a fact of his life. Knowing that he hadn’t asked for any of the bullying or mistreatment from his peers and teachers but feeling as if there was nothing he could do to stop it. Because nothing had ever come from asking for help or from his mother attempting to intervene. All of it swept under the rug while the injustice continued on.

But not for long.

The Quirkless boy’s past schools were in for a rude awakening now that Nezu was on their case. Izuku didn’t know what exactly his mentor would find or what he would do with it. But considering the care and effort the principal had put into confronting Bakugou with long needed consequences, the situation would be well handled in his skilled paws. Nezu did have a pension for revenge in the legal form after all. Having taken down numerous organizations from the inside out.

It was concerning if Monoma did indeed think 1-A asked for this kind of attention. Maybe he should talk to him about the insensitivity of his words. How such venom filled verbiage could cut just as deep as a knife. That one needed to be mindful of what they say and not just let anything that came to mind with no consideration how it would affect others. Or else they would be like Bakugou spitting out baiting words with the warped intention of ‘saving’ Izuku from himself.

How is telling me to kill myself ‘saving’ me, you explosive idiot?

Bakugou was finally paying for those recklessly said words. Will eventually learn to watch what he says and learn from his mistakes so he doesn’t do it again. They didn’t need another hothead blonde to ignorantly fall to the same fate. So, yeah, Izuku will probably need to talk to Monoma about his views of 1-A. Because they weren’t enemies but fellow aspiring Heroes same as 1-B. They should work together not against each other. Uniting together as a strong Heroic front to push back against the darkness ever threatening to overtake the light of the world.

“I know he can be a bit…eccentric,” Izuku finally responded, having come to the decision to talk to the other boy. “But I believe he really does want to be the best Hero he can same as you. We’re all in the Hero Course working towards being Heroes in the future after all.”

The class pondered his words for a moment before accepting them with mixed reactions of nods or hums of agreement.

“Anyway, my Support Items are more accurately somewhat altered replications than pure copies,” Izuku said, returning back to the question asked by the electric blonde. “With Sero-kun’s Quirk, his tape comes out of his elbows. While I wielded mine using a gun design instead. I also added a feature to turn it into a grappling gun as well by changing the cartridge.”

“Oh yeah, you used that for the pit part of the Obstacle Course,” Ashido said, remembering when she had called the Support students out on being able to use their gear.

“Yes, I did,” Izuku confirmed with a nod.

“What other people did you take inspiration from for your replications?” Yaoyorozu asked.

“Oh, uh, well…you for one,” Izuku replied earning a blush from the creation girl. “My shield was based on the one Yaoyorozu-san made during the USJ. But I modified it to be collapsible yet sturdy.”

-Even up against falling ice,- Kouda signed to him as the quiet boy sat turned in his seat.

“Heh, yeah, it can stand up against falling ice,” Izuku said with a chuckle while Kouda gave a soft giggle. Then green eyes turned to electric yellow. “And also, electricity.”

“Is that how you countered my Indiscriminate Shock?!” Kaminari asked incredulously. “Dude, that’s like my super move!”

“No, I did that by using another of my Support Items as a sort of lightning rod,” the greenette explained. “Actually, I got inspired by you for a couple of my inventions. My escrima rods that emitted electricity from the ends and could be connected to make a staff. That I used against you to redirect your attack away from me while I jumped in the air protected by my shield. I also used one of the rods to take Ashido-san out. I had my electric gloves as well that I used on Shouto-kun to win our fight.”

Izuku couldn’t help but send apologetic looks to those who had succumbed to his volt-turous attacks. Knowing it had been sanctioned violence but still felt bad for hurting them with his inventions. He didn’t want to hurt people but rather help them. However, he knew he couldn’t hold back if he wanted to secure an as-high-as-possible place in order to receive the coveted offer of transfer.

The element wielder merely gave Izuku simple ‘it’s fine’ with a subtle smile. While the acidic pinkette made a dismissive gesture while giving him a good-natured smile and wink. As for the electricity wielder, he looked at the Quirkless boy in awe before his expression shifted to a mischievous one.

“Copycat,” Kaminari joked with a smirk.

“You know what they say,” Izuku replied with a smile and a shrug. “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. But you will always be the electric guy and I will be the gadget guy. And as the gadget guy, I have some things I’d like to talk to you about in regards to your Quirk. Possible Support Items and such.”

“Oh, really? Awesome!” Kaminari chirped with a bright smile. “Just tell me when and where.”

“I’m not sure when exactly but possibly after the internships,” Izuku replied, shoulders feeling heavy with all the work he had instore this coming week. He was going to be so busy. “I, uh, had some ‘issues’ with my Support Items near the end of the festival. I’m going to be busy working on either fixing or replacing them this week.”

This earned various reactions. Scowls from Hitoshi and Shouto. Sympathy from others. The flash of devastated epiphany on Kirishima’s face did not go unnoticed by the greenette. Nor the quiet horrified gasp to his right from Ochako. Most likely both having just connected the dots that the ‘malfunctions’ Aizawa had referred to during the final fight commentary was perhaps connected to why Bakugou wasn’t in the room. Figuring out that the one the explosive blonde had attacked before the final match was most likely him.

Their reactions and realizations weren’t all that surprising as they both knew Izuku had known Bakugou before UA and that they ‘don’t get along too well’. Or more specifically that he ‘hated his guts’. Knew this having been told by Izuku himself on the first day of school that he ‘gets a little prickly’ when it came to anything related to the Quirkless boy. Requesting them to not mention his name around the blonde hothead to save them from experiencing his animosity towards the greenette. Had even known from the initial creation of the Hiro persona that it was all in order to hide in plain sight from his ex-childhood friend. But only now getting an inkling as to how ‘prickly’ Bakugou could be.

The greenette hoped they wouldn’t treat Bakugou too harshly once he was back in the class. Izuku did feel that he was getting the consequences he deserved. Though some seemed a bit harsh like being denied from partaking in the internships. He didn’t want to add the animosity of his classmates and friends on top of that. Especially Kirisihima or the others of the Bakusquad.

Izuku hadn’t lied when he said they could be friends with Bakugou if they wanted to. Gods knew the explosive teen needed real friends after the years of ‘extras’ following him and letting him get away with all of his bullying bullshit. From the greenette’s own table, he had been able to see the group of friends who surrounded the prickly blonde who may have acted angrily indifferent towards them. But having known him for so long, Izuku knew that if Bakugou had truly disliked their company he would have left. Refusing to do anything he didn’t want to do. Meaning that to some small degree he did find their company…acceptable.

Friendship was important. The connections made with others formed a sense of community. A support system in which one could rely and be relied on. Filling one with a sense of belonging. As well as getting to know other people. Thinking beyond one’s own person and giving the opportunity to see life through another’s eyes. All of this was important and Izuku didn’t want Bakugou to lose the few friends that he did have.

So, yes, he hoped Kirishima would stay friends with Bakugou. The redhead had been so determined in befriending the angry Pomeranian and had seemed to be making progress. Had even been able to sling an arm around irked shoulders without getting exploded from time to time. Merely having it brushed off with a scowl that hadn’t held as much heat behind it. Still acting prickly but interacting with his friend group in his own fiery way. But whether that friendship continued or not would only be determined with time since Bakugou was suspended for two weeks.

“I also like to discuss Quirks and costumes with the rest of you,” Izuku said, bringing his focus back to the topic at hand. “In my observations of your training, I noticed some weakness or issues that I’d like to address and give possible suggestions on how to do just that. Some are more pressing than others though so I’ll probably address the most problematic concerns first.”

Like Yaoyorozu-san’s costume. Seriously, who the hell thought that design was acceptable or safe to give to a teenager? Her chest is completely exposed!

“That’s very gracious of you to offer to help us, Midoriya-kun,” said creation girl commented with a pleasant smile.

“Quite so, Midoriya-kun,” Iida piped in to his right, a stern but appreciative look on his face. “I’m sure we could work together to arrange a schedule in whatever order you need to address any issues you deem necessary of fixing.”

He is such a class president, Izuku thought with a fond smile for his friend and class representative before saying, “Sure thing.”

It would be great to finally address the glaring issues he had noticed during his observations of their training. Questionable costume designs. Concerning Quirk backlash. All that Izuku wanted to discuss and help fix depending on the situation. Like he was with Shouto and the Support Item he had offered to make.

Oh, crap! Shouto-kun’s Support Item!

Quickly the greenette turned to his friend and said, “Shouto-kun, I am so sorry but I don’t think I’ll be able to work on your Support Item for a while.”

Grey and blue eyes had widened at the sudden apology and then lessened with subtle disappointment as he simply said, “Oh.”

“I really want to,” the greenette insisted. “But I have so much work to do this week for the internships. I’m not sure when I’ll be able to finish it for you.”

“It’s fine,” the bi-color teen replied even though the disappointment was still there. “I understand. I guess you won’t have any time to help me redesign my costume either then. I was hoping to get your advice on redoing it.”

“You want to redesign your costume?” Izuku asked, surprised but pleased. Because seriously, that first one was a monstrosity that needed to be yeeted into the sun. “I would love to help. Really, I would. But I have so many Support Items to fix or remake I really won’t have any time. Even with the help from Mei-chan it will be cutting it close. I’m so sorry, Shouto-kun.”

Izuku hated disappointing his friends. It was a sucky feeling that made him feel disappointed in himself for letting someone down. And somehow it hurt more when it involved Shouto. Probably due to that maybe sort of crush he had but still wasn’t sure about. If only there was something he could do to make it up to Shouto. The notes and prototypes for the Support Item were already written and partially tested. He just didn’t have anytime to finish it himself. Unless…

…maybe I myself don’t need to be the one to finish it. That’s it!

“I may not be able to help you myself, Shouto-kun,” Izuku said, earning a curious quirked brow from his friend. “But I have my notes and such for your Support Item. Maybe we could submit those with your redesign request and the Support company could use them to at least incorporate some of it into your new costume?”

The bi-color teen hummed in thought at the proposal. It wasn’t ideal as he had wished for Izuku to be the one to finish the Support Item himself. A special addition to his costume from his special friend. But he also really wanted to upgrade his Hero costume. Needed to now that he was going to work towards mastering both sides of his Quirk. So, although it wasn’t what he had hoped for, with the limitations to time it was the best solution to the situation.

“Yes, let’s do that,” Shouto replied with a nod.

“Great!” Izuku chirped with a bright smile. “We should submit that to Aizawa-sensei as soon as possible since there’s only a week before the internships.”

The stoic teen agreed with a nod. While at the front of the room, the caterpillar man eyed the pair in the back. Having managed to eavesdrop on their conversation from across the room. An approving smile was hidden in his sleeping bag at the efficient and logical conclusion to include the green one’s work with the request form to save time. As well as that the two-toned problem child was willing to change his ridiculous costume.

While Izuku had been apologizing to Shouto, the other students had been chatting among themselves. But having noticed that they had reached an understanding for their private predicament, the focus was once again placed on Izuku.

“So, you really came up with all that stuff yourself, Midoriya?” Satou asked from his seat by the windows. “That’s really impressive.”

“Yes, most impressive, Monsier Hiro,” Aoyama chimed in from the other side of the room with a wink. “With your panache it is surprising you were not in the Hero Course sooner.”

The greenette blushed at the compliments and shyly rubbed the back of his head as he said, “Well, there’s a reason for that.”

“There is?” Kaminari questioned.

Izuku cast a glance at Hitoshi who was frowning down at his desk. Green made eye contact with purple asking silently if it was okay to explain. The brainwasher gave him an accenting nod before the Quirkless teen turned back to the class.

“The Hero Practical is biased towards physical Quirks,” Izuku revealed earning confused looks from the class. “Not all Quirks can be properly assessed by the exam. Like mental type Quirks. Hitoshi-kun didn’t pass because his Quirk doesn’t work on robots. Even Aizawa-sensei didn’t pass when he went to school here. He was able to transfer because he won his first year Sports Festival. Which is where we got the idea from.”

The greenette sent a kind smile to his best friend who sent a friendly smirk back. While the napping hobo hid a dust of pink that spread on his cheeks in his sleeping bag.

“I didn’t even try though,” Izuku said as he turned back to the group. “The reason being is that there is a UA bylaw that states ‘In the Hero Practical Exam, Support Items are allowed under permission of the UA faculty as long as the Support Item directly aides in the proper use of an applicant’s Quirk. Any Support Item that does not directly affect a Quirk is barred from the exam.’ Because of this, since I don’t have a Quirk, any Support Items I could have used wouldn’t have been allowed.”

“Dude, that’s so unmanly,” Kirishima commented with a frown.

“No, not really,” Izuku responded. “Which is why I didn’t even try. Planning all along to take my chances during the Sports Festival. Something Hitoshi-kun and I had been training for since the beginning of the school year. In combat and for me my Support Items.”

And getting help from Aizawa-sensei and Yamada-sensei, Izuku thought, reminiscing on the goodwilled favoritism. It had certainly strengthened their student-teacher bonds between them.

“I’ve also been taking self-defense for years,” the greenette added, earning a clear pique of interest from Ojiro. Not too surprising since he also done training but in martial arts.

“Among other altruistic endeavors,” Hitoshi remarked with an eyebrow wiggle. “Helping people and getting little recognition for it.”

Izuku’s face scrunched at that comment. One because the brainwasher was hinting at his cleaning of the beach. An act that he didn’t really care or want people to know. Yet more and more people were finding out despite that. And two, he said endeavor which was a word the Quirkless teen had been intentionally leaving out of his vocabulary ever since he had learned what the Hero Endeavor was really like.

“W-well I’ve always wanted to help people,” Izuku said in an attempt of side stepping any questions as to what Hitoshi had been alluding to. “Even as a kid, being a Hero that helps others is all I’ve ever wanted to be.”

He hoped to bring the attention away from it by repeating what he had said before about his goal as a Hero was instead. Because he really didn’t care if people knew. Nor did he want to come off as bragging about it. He did it to help after all, not the attention. There was hope that he was successful. That is until…

“Huh, I wonder if that’s what the person who cleaned that beach thought too,” Ashido said, dimming that hope. “No one ever came forward about that.”

They still remember it?

“Oh yeah, I remember that,” Sero responded. “That beach sure was a mess. I wonder how many people it took to clean it?”

One mostly.

“Maybe a volunteer group or something,” Shouji offered through a transformed mouth on one of his limbs.

No, just me. And Mei-chan near the end.

“But why would they keep silent about it?” Jirou asked. “Something like that would be great PR for them.”

Maybe but I don’t want or need it.

“That’s true,” Hagakure agreed. “In this day and age, PR is important. Especially for Heroes.”

Sad but true. Part of the reason why Chizome does what he does.

“Well, who ever it was, it was super manly of them to do that,” Kirishima added with a manly smile.

Izuku’s cheeks were dusted pink.

“Definitely someone with some serious dedication,” Kaminari said with a smirk. “Like did you see those before and after shots. Damn, that was a lot of trash.”

“It so did,” Hagakure chimed in, a shift of her clothes showing her shiver of discomfort. “I don’t think I could stand to be around that much garbage. All the germs and tons of things to get hurt by.”

It did get gross at times, Izuku thought with a cringe at the memories of some of the more…unsavory things he had found. Though he had made sure to wear protective gear for his safety.

“They probably protected themselves with gloves or something,” Tsuyu offered with her usual calm demeaner.

You called it, Tsu-chan.

“I would certainly hope so,” Yaoyorozu said with a slight furrow of concerned brows. “To protect themselves from all manner of injuries or diseases. Either way, it was a very benevolent thing to do.”

Pink became pinker.

“Certainly, someone of noble heart,” Tokoyami interjected, surprising some of the students as he had been keeping quiet for the majority of the conversation. “Being of serves to others while seemingly having no desire for recognition for such a philanthropic act.”

Pinker became pinkest.

“Yes, they were quite altruistic,” Iida commented with choppy arm movements as he turned to ask for Izuku’s opinion. “Don’t you think…”

And pinkest finally turned to red.

Time seemed to stand still as the class slowly came to the same shocking conclusion. Connecting what they were discussing to what Hitoshi had alluded to before because of a single word, altruistic. One with so many other synonyms that could have saved him from being recognized for his ten months of hard work. Having been happy with the little he had received in that framed news article hanging in his home. Not having needed any more than the smiles of the people who could enjoy the beach again.

But it seemed that the universe had other plans as 1-A let out a communal, “EEEEEEEHHHH?!”

The greenette was personifying the proposed name Tomato Man as his blush somehow became even redder as the class stared at him in various expressions of awe. Well, most of them. Hitoshi was smirking at him while Shouto gave him a small proud smile both having already known about what he had done. Even Aizawa hid a pleased smirk at the green one getting some well-deserved recognition even though the kid didn’t want it which he could understand as an Underground Hero. Also because of how the purple one had initiated the subject but hadn’t been the one to outright reveal his friend’s secrets.

“No way…don’t tell us that was you!” Kaminari exclaimed.

Izuku was too flustered to speak so only gave a shy affirming nod.

“Holy crap, Midoriya,” Sero added.

“So freaking manly, dude!” Kirishima said in a voice filled with overwhelming feelings of the amount of manliness his friend possessed.

“Why didn’t you ever say it was you?” Jirou asked.

“Yeah, why?” Hagakure asked as well. “It made the papers. You could have used it as a way to get noticed.”

“Why didn’t you tell us, Izuku?!” Ochako demanded with a whine as she was rocking Iida back and forth much like earlier. “We’re friends!”

More and more of the students either complimented or questioned him. On why he had done it, why he hadn’t said anything, how exactly he had done it, how long, etc. On and on the interrogation went. Becoming more and more overwhelming for the Quirkless boy. His growing discomfort was noticed by Aizawa who was about to step in to take control of the situation except the greenette beat him to it.

“Because that’s not why I did it!” Izuku yelled over the cacophony of questions. Silencing the class in an instant.

Having all eyes on him was overwhelming much like their questions had been. Izuku hated being the center of attention ever since he became the target of everyone’s hostility after he was diagnosed Quirkless. Another reason why he never cared about the rankings nor needed recognition. Much preferring to blend in with the others and not always rising to the top. The only exception was the Sports Festival in order to prove his worth and earn a transfer to the Hero Course. But besides that, he would be happiest doing his best in the middle to help anyone that he could.

“I-I cleaned the beach to help train for UA but also to help the community,” Izuku explained, self-consciously evading their eyes. “That beach was a literal dump for years. No one went there anymore. I remember going there as a kid and how fun it was. S-so, I cleaned the beach so that others could make pleasant memories there too.”

“Aw!” Ashido cooed.

“That’s so sweet!” Hagakure said cheerfully.

And the blush was back as he was showered in compliments.

“Wanting to make others happy while also training…so manly,” Kirishima commented with his by now traditional use of ‘manly’.

“Your motivations make you sparkle like no other,” Aoyama added with a wink.

“There is much more to your mystery than I originally thought, Midoriya,” Tokoyami said with an amused nod.

Even Dark Shadow peaked out from the bird boy and chimed in, “Sun Boy is best!”

The spirit was quickly chided by Tokoyami who managed to sway the entity into returning within him while several of the class giggled at the interaction between Quirk user and Quirk. A humorous result of having a sentient part of one’s Quirk.

“He certainly is,” Hitoshi said with a smirk. “Even managed to get us transferred earlier than usual. From the start of next school year to the week after the Sports Festival.”

“From a year to a day?” Ochako asked in susprise. “How?”

“Because Izuku talked our way in with the principal,” Hitoshi answered with an even bigger smirk.

“One would expect that to be of your doing, Shinsou,” Tokoyami commented in a playful tone having experience with Hitoshi’s Quirk.

“True,” the brainwasher replied with a conceding nod. “But Izuku does have his own way with words.”

“It didn’t make sense,” Izuku explained with a frustrated huff. “It would have if we had made it to the third round but were defeated lower than the top three. But we placed in the top two like Aizawa-sensei did back in his first year. We more than proved ourselves. And we’re only about a month into the school year. That would take less time to catch up on with extra lessons and training than an entire semester’s worth. It just didn’t make sense to make us wait.”

There were various comments of acceptance. Such as ‘he’s got a point’, ‘if you put it that way’, ‘never would have thought of it like that’, and so on.

“See?” Hitoshi smirked as the greenette was blushing again. “A way with words.”

“Dude, the more I learn about you the more of an enigma you become,” Kaminari commented with an amused grin and shake of his head.

“Indeed, but then again he has been under a shroud of mystery from the beginning,” Tokoyami interjected while Dark Shadow poked out again giving a nod of agreement. “After all, we first met him while he was cloaked in secrecy as Hiro.”

“That’s true!” Hagakure chimed in.

“You’re right,” Ashido agreed. “Why were you in disguise anyway?”

“I, uh, well…” Izuku muttered out, really not wanting to talk about it.

Truly, he didn’t want to ruin his new classmates’ perception of Bakugou. Sure, Shouto had mentioned before that it was his way of hiding from the explosive blonde but it seemed most had forgot or let it slip their minds. While those that already knew had concerned knowing looks but none so much as Hitoshi and Shouto who were the most in the know. Beside him, Ochako who had been there at the creation of the Hiro persona looked as if she was about to explain only to be beaten to it by a certain redhead.

“It was to practice his disguising skills,” Kirishima insisted, protecting his friend’s secrets like he had several times before. “You know spy stuff. Secret mission. Code name. Disguise. Incognito.”

Thanks, Kirishima-kun, Izuku thought sending him a thankful smile earning a supportive nod in return.

Hitoshi and Shouto gave their own degrees of a scowl at not addressing the secret elephant in the room. But said nothing because it was up to Izuku to tell being one of the ‘persons involved in the incident’. While those more in the know of it being specifically to hide from Bakugou frowned amongst themselves. As for the rest who had just found out that day he had been Hiro, they were openly discussing why specifically he had done it. Unknowingly trying to open a long expired can of worms that would for sure blow up in their faces if they succeeded.

“Oh, wait,” Ashido said turning her attention to the back of the room. “Didn’t Todoroki say something about why he did it?”

“You’re right,” Kaminari responded, turning as well. “Something about hiding from Bakugou, right?”

“Come on, guys,” Kirishima said trying to intervein only to be interrupted.

“Does that mean you knew Bakugou before UA?” Sero asked over his friend. “How?”

You really don’t want to know. Nor do I want to talk about it. I did enough of that this weekend.

The greenette was scrambling to come up with a suitable excuse when he was saved by a deep voice saying, “That’s enough.”

Izuku let out a sigh as the class fell silent and all eyes turned to their homeroom teacher finally emerging from his sleeping bag. Sadly, the caterpillar had not turned into a butterfly as expected. Or would he become a moth instead if he slept in his cocoon long enough.

“I told you not to pester into things,” Aizawa drawled as he rolled up his sleeping bag. “If the newbies want to share anything about themselves, they will in their own time. For now, you are on my time. Or rather UA’s time. Homeroom has long been over. You missed the bell during your little ‘chat’. Now get ready for your next class.”

The class scrambled to get back to their seats and take out whatever materials they would need for the next period. Through the ruckus the tired man made his way to the back of the room coming to a stop before Shouto.

“Todoroki, I overheard you wanted to upgrade your costume,” Aizawa said as he took out yet another paper from his scarf. Does he have a whole filing cabinet in there or something? “Fill this out with whatever changes you desire and then go to the Support studio to include Midoriya’s notes. You can submit the request straight to Power Loader from there. He handles all requests and paper work for costumes and Support Items.”

“Yes, sir,” Shouto replied as he took the paper.

With that, the tired man gave a nod to the two-toned problem child and then the green one before leaving the classroom with sleeping bag and empty thermos in hand. Planning to wash the thermos in order to give it back to Midoriya by the end of the day before returning to his sleeping bag in the refuge that was under his desk. Teenagers were exhausting.

I need another nap.

Notes:

If you skipped the teasing, here's what you missed. Hitoshi and Kaminari talk about Izuku's hero name should have been Strawberry Boy or Tomato Man because of his blush and green hair combo.

Izuku has revealed some of the people who inspired his support items! As well as bringing up that he wants to help the class with their quirks and costumes. Which won't start until after the internships because Izuku is going to be a very busy boy. But they will happen eventually! If you have any particular grievances for certain quirks or costumes, please let me know either in the comments or the discord! I've already got a list going but I'm open to more ideas. ^___^

Monoma has been brought up again. I really want them to be friends and this talk will happen. Though I'm not sure when exactly. Maybe the training camp but that's a ways away. Idk. We'll see how the story unfolds. But yeah, his vendetta against 1-A is kind of overwhelming. Watching season 5 I just want to slap him and yell 'shut up' every time he puts on his confrontational mask. Boasting 1-B's superiority even though he's really the only one that cares about it to that extent. Just take a freaking chill pill, you spaz!

For Izuku wanting Bakugou to still have his friends, I just want to say that this is how I believe Izuku would think about it. To stay in character. Same with Kirishima helping Izuku sidestepping explaining the whole 'hiding from Bakugou' thing. There are going to be repercussions of Kirishima knowing though I'm not sure what just yet. Same with the others of the Bakusquad. If you have any ideas of how they might react, let me know. I'm still trying to figure that out but thankfully have time. Because that's not going to happen until after the internships and Bakugou is finished with his suspension.

1-A now knows about the beach! :D Izuku might not want recognition but he's getting it anyway. Though he's going to always have some sort of attention what with being the first quirkless hero student and all that. Something he's just going to have to get used I'm afraid.

Soooo...I'm just going to say this now since Aoyama is more in the fic. I do not speak French. Any and all French that pops up is from Google Translate. XD I personally find the language confusing with all the silent letters. I even have a story of the first time I saw 'filet mignon' written down and asked my parents 'what is this mig-non?' who laughed at my serious misreading of the word. So yeah, please forgive my French now and in the future. (The actual French, not my swearing. ;P )

Fun Facts About Japan:

In reference to Monoma's eccentricities, let's talk about the word 'crazy'. The students in Japan love this word for some reason. They like to use it to describe themselves or their friends. Labeling them as 'crazy boy' or 'crazy girl'. Usually the more extroverted of the students with lots of energy. They would either deny it with denying hand gestures of waving their hand in front of them. A gesture similar to how in the US you wave away a bad smell but for them it's a dismissive gesture. They would also say 'I'm not crazy boy. No, he is crazy boy.' of sorts and pass the buck. Or they would embrace it and say 'Yes, I am a crazy girl' and then do something silly. It was a fun way to friendly tease the students by asking them if they were crazy boys or girls. ^___^ All in good fun. Monoma for sure would be under the label of crazy boy.

That's it for this update! Up next is the rest of the morning classes including English with yet another reveal of one of Izuku's many secret-but-not activities. Also, we're getting a Kouda pov! So that should be fun. Until then, have a great week and please report any typos or weirdness! See ya!

Chapter 17: So Far So Good

Notes:

Welcome back! Hope you had a great week. And hopefully didn't set anything on fire with fireworks this weekend. XD Some people tend to get a bit pyromantic on the 4th of July. Crazy Americans. :P Anyway, the first day in the hero course continues with classes and 1-A getting to know even more about the Green Bean. He just has so many secrets in this fic!

We're getting a Kouda pov this chapter! I want to remind you that I know very little about sign language. I know that the grammar patterns are different but since I don't know what they're like, they're going to be similar to verbal speech. Just letting you know.

Warning for teasing. From the paragraph starting with [Midnight entered the room...]. The first two sentences are fine but the teasing starts at [She sent a knowing wink...] and ends at [Izuku chose to ignore...] which is the first sentence in the next full paragraph.

Formatting reminder:
-Dialogue using sign language.-
...
"Dialogue spoken in English."

Linktree to all the things!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Despite being in the Hero Course now, Izuku found the majority of the morning classes pretty mundane. But then again, they were the same lessons for the same subjects taught by the same teachers so he shouldn’t be too surprised. UA was still a high school and they were there to learn as high school students. The only difference was being taught by Pro Heroes but that novelty had dulled a bit since the start of the year. Not that Izuku stopped having little fanboy moments from time to time. But that was to be expected from the ‘Hero nerd’ as Hitoshi liked to call him from time to time.

During Mathematics class, Ectoplasm sent the two newest additions to 1-A an encouraging nod before starting the class. For Modern Literature, Cementoss gave them a supportive smile and nod as well. Both giving their silent support while not drawing too much attention to the pair. Then came Modern Hero Art History.

Midnight entered the room boisterous as she ever did. Excited to share her knowledge and teach her students a thing or two. She sent a knowing smirk and wink towards the greenette as soon as they made eye contact while shooting a teasing glance and eyebrow wiggle between him and his ‘crush’. The one who just so happened to be seated right next to him. It made him regret ever confirming his maybe sort of crush to the ‘vibrant youth’ obsessed Hero. Now knowing she didn’t know how to leave something like this alone.

Ugh, why me?

Izuku chose to ignore her except for what she was actually teaching. Because her subject was intriguing as it showed through art the evolution of Heroes to what they are today. Though intriguing didn’t mean inspiring at least not for Izuku. Not now that he was starting to see the world in shades of grey and that the flash and flare of the Daylight Heroes was more harmful than helpful to society. But still interesting to see the transition from what Heroes were before and eventually what they had turned into in the modern age.

For the most part though, aside from Midnight’s teasing, morning classes were normal. It wasn’t until English that things deviated from the routine. Or rather everyone else’s routine, because receiving a signed greeting from their English teacher was the norm for Izuku. A tradition that had started ever since Yamada had offered to teach him JSL between his assignments from Nezu.

As had happened many times before, Yamada signed to Izuku a greeting along with his task for the day. Which thankfully was to work on his plans for his Support Items. The greenette responded with sign and a nod before taking out his Quirk Replication notebook to continue his work. Most of the students didn’t notice still busy with their own preparations. But the interaction didn’t go unnoticed by a certain shy boy.

~~~

Kouji was so happy that the boy who had rescued him and talked to him in sign language before was now in 1-A. It would be nice to have someone to talk to in sign. Not that the animal whisperer couldn’t talk. He was just…shy. It was a lot more comfortable for him to communicate in sign and gestures than in verbal words. Something that his teachers thankfully understood and didn’t pressure him to talk aloud. They even knew sign themselves so he had always been able to communicate with them easily.

But now he would have a classmate to sign with. A friend or so he’d like to think and hoped that the other boy’s smiles and kind gestures were because he thought so too. If anything, they could at the very least sign to each other which was more than Kouji could do with his other classmates. He was still friendly with many of them but the communication between them was limited to what he could gesture and their ability to understand charades. So, it would be nice to have someone who better understood what he had to say in a way that the shy boy was more comfortable with.

When they had first met, Kouji had fearfully believed he was about to get crushed under a piece of falling ice. Had expected to be injured and fall behind in the race. So, he had closed his eyes and crouched in fear but the hit never came. Instead, when he opened his eyes, he saw a green haired boy covered in Support Items protecting them both from the debris with a shield.

Kouji remembered being surprised and unable to move as the boy had collapsed his shield and raised his goggles to reveal green eyes. They were full of concern and kindness. Qualities Kouji could identify with a sort of feeling that he attributed to his connection with animals. Like a natural instinct that came with his Quirk. The fact that the other had protected him had surprised him but he was even more shocked when the boy started to sign to him.

How did he know to do that?

Kouji had assured the mysterious boy he was fine and was internally just grateful for the help. The shy boy hated violence even though he wanted to be a Hero. But not all Heroes had to be violent. There were many out there that focused on search and rescue rather than going up against Villains. Which is what Kouji wanted to be. His Anivoice Quirk would be perfect for either of those options even though he hadn’t had much of a chance to show what his Quirk could do yet.

It was because of this lack of awareness even among his own classmates that led to the third surprise of their first meeting. The helpful boy not only protected him and signed to him, but had also apologized that Kouji couldn’t use his Quirk because it was too loud for any animals to be around for him. Had then wished him to ‘do his best’ before skating away as if on air.

I hadn’t even been able to thank him properly.

It was this that had pushed Kouji to approach the boy who had placed seventeenth even though Kouji figured he could have placed higher than that. But instead had spent his time helping others skating especially their vice president, Yaoyorozu.

Kouji, and Ashido who had been right in front of him, had witnessed the mystery boy race across the field and zap the small purple teen off of Yaoyorozu’s back. Before him, Kouji had heard Ashido give an impressed whistle and ‘damn’ before grinning as she rushed to the finish line with him not too far behind. Placing eighteenth and nineteenth respectively.

The pinkette had headed towards the rest of 1-A but Kouji detoured over to the boy who had protected him. The mystery boy was already surrounded by people which was kind of intimidating, but the shy boy pushed passed his nerves so he could thank the boy properly. Besides, those around him had all been in 1-A so the group hadn’t consisted of strangers.

When Kouji had tapped on the boy’s shoulder, he was met with those same kind green eyes but now he could see the rest of his face. Not only did the boy’s eyes emanate kindness but his entire face did. The innocence of his youthful round cheeks that were smattered with freckles and the bright smile that shined like the sun. Coming off as someone kind and caring but had a hidden strength to do what needed to be done to help others. Whether that be protecting them from debris or from others who sought to sabotage them.

The first words out of the mystery boy’s mouth had been in congratulations paired with condolences. Communicating with him verbally with no hesitation indicating that the boy knew Kouji could understand sign and verbal speech somehow. Or possibly guessed that now that the other’s mask was down perhaps he could potentially read lips. Which he could but how did the other know?

Kouji’s first attempt to ask was interrupted by a new boy who wasn’t in 1-A but was called ‘Hitoshi-kun’ by the green haired boy. They must be friends. The mystery boy had been kind enough to apologize for the interruption before addressing his friend which was considerate of him. The friends had talked about the qualifying number of students which the greenette seemed to know quite a lot about. Something that the others had found curious as well earning an explanation that he had researched the past years and had found a pattern.

He must be very smart.

Then the boy had returned his attention back to Kouji to allow him to asked his previously interrupted question. Again, very kind of him. Except he had added yet another surprise. He had called Kouji by his name before he had introduced himself. Making him wonder how in the world that this boy he had only just met that day knew he signed, what his Quirk was, and his name.

How was it possible?

That question had been answered by yet another of the mystery boy’s friends joining the group with a loudly proclaimed ‘Hiro-kun’. Earning a shocked response from Yaororozu as well as himself leading to the early reveal that the boy, one Midoriya Izuku, had been the Hiro who had observed their training. Hidden in plain sight but as to why the animal whisperer didn’t know.

Either way, Kouji had finally been able to properly introduce himself and thank Midoriya for his help. Had even offered to come up with a sign name for him as the shy boy hoped to be friends. He was still deciding but would let the green haired boy know as soon as he did. Which would be a lot easier to do since they were now in the same class and even seated right next to each other.

They had signed brief greetings as Midoriya had moved to his new seat behind Kouji. Then the next class had been all about Hero names which had given the shy teen anxiety when Midnight had announced they had to present them. But once again, she hadn’t pushed him to speak aloud and instead let his board do the talking. He would always be grateful for the consideration of his teachers.

It had been fun to see all the different names his classmates had come up with. Such a wide variety that showcased either their goals or their Quirks. Even his own was a hint at his Anivoice Quirk. Anima was a Hero name Kouji hoped he could do justice to giving his future Hero duties his best effort. To bring comfort and safety with the help of his animal friends. Well, when they were around for him to talk to. Loud situations were a weakness for him.

Maybe I should work in more rural areas once I graduate? Places with less people and more nature where animals thrive?

Food for future thought. For now, Kouji needed to focus on learning to become a Hero first. Which happened to include the same subjects as any other high school. Though the animal whisperer found himself still reeling about finding out that Midoriya had cleaned an entire beach by himself. All in order to train for UA as well as give back to the community without the want of recognition.

Midoriya already is acting like a Hero.

The greenette was just full of so many surprises. Protecting him, communicating in sign with him, knowing his Quirk and his name, and ultimately being the Hiro who had observed them. Winning the Sports Festival while Quirkless and instead using his Quirk Replicating Support Items as his ‘edge’ as he called it. Had even been able to talk his and Shinsou’s way into the Hero Course a whole year earlier. Against Principal Nezu no less! Kouji didn’t know much about the chimera personally but he did know his reputation for being smarter than most humans. But apparently there were still more surprises to come.

Most of their morning classes had proceeded as normal but it wasn’t until English that something different happened. Kouji had been taking out his studying supplies for the next class when he was distracted by Yamada walking in and signing. Something he had never done before in class as his subject was English not JSL. Encouraging all the students to try to communicate in English as much as possible in his class. Even Kouji though Yamada was very accepting of his whispered answers rather than demanding him to speak louder. The UA teachers were very understanding of his shyness.

The signed message was sent in the animal whisperer’s direction but wasn’t directed at him. Rather to the boy behind him who he saw signing back with a glance behind him. Something about Midoriya working on his plans for his Support Items. Which was curious because the next class was English and while Yamada was a pretty easy-going teacher, he still ran the class firmly and kept them on subject.

So, why would Midoriya be different?

Kouji quickly got out the rest of his supplied before turning around and tapping the greenette’s desk to gain his attention. Green eyes looked up from a notebook filled with sketches and notes on what must be his Quirk Replicating Support Items. The freckled boy tilted his head in question wondering what the animal whisperer wanted.

-What did Yamada-sensei mean about your ‘assignment for the day’?- Kouji signed.

-Yamada-sensei?- Izuku repeated the gesture back with a confused expression.

-Oh, sorry!- the shy boy signed back. -That’s my sign name for Y-A-M-A-D-A.-

He then repeated the sign name which Midoriya copied. Then the greenette let out a giggle.

-Wait, so your sign name for him is ‘loud’ with the sign for ‘ya’?- Midoriya snickered quietly. -That is so perfect for him.-

Kouji couldn’t help the blush that crossed his cheeks. It was a sign name he had given the Hero in his mind. This was the first time he had used it with anyone before. Perhaps a bit on the nose but it did fit the man quite well which was why he had picked it. A shy smile spread across his face now that he had someone to share that sort of thing with.

-Yes, it is,- the animal whisperer signed back. -So, what did he mean? Do you not study English with Yamada-sensei?-

-Oh, no, I don’t,- Midoriya replied after putting down his pencil. -I’m actually fluent in English.-

-You are?!- the shy boy silently exclaimed with wide eyes. -How?-

-My dad works in the US and I talk to him once a week,- the greenetted explained with a smile. -He thought that it was an important language to learn for business and such, so he taught me English starting when I was young.-

-Wow, that’s really impressive,- Kouji replied with his own smile. -My English is okay, but it isn’t my best subject.-

-I could help you if you’d like,- Midoriya offered. -I help some of my other friends with English too. Like H-I-T-O-S-H-I.-

The greenette finger spelled the name before pointing over at Shinsou who was setting up his own English supplies.

-Thank you. That’s very kind of you,- Kouji replied but then realized what the boy behind him had signed. -Wait, ‘other friends’? Does that mean…we’re friends?-

Midoriya blushed and seemed to hesitate before signing, -I mean, I’d like to be if you do.-

-I’d like that too!- Kouji signed back in excitement. -I’m still coming up with a sign name for you but I’ll let you know as soon as I do.-

And perhaps they could come up with other sign names for their friends, classmates, and teachers too. A few of which Kouji had already come up with on his own but never had the chance to use before. But with a new sign friend came sign names. Plus, it would be fun to figure out the best ones.

-Thank you, Kouda-kun,- Midoriya responded, getting a happy smile from the shy teen for remembering his sign name. -Please take all the time you need. No rush. I’m just honored that you want to give me one.-

-Of course,- the shy teen signed before asking. -Well, if you’re already fluent in English, what do you do during class instead?-

-You know how I told you I was learning sign?- Izuku asked, earning a nod. -Yamada-sensei is the one teaching me.-

-Really? Wow,- Kouji replied with a shocked expression. -Yamada-sensei sure is good at teaching.-

-And multitasking,- Midoriya added. -The man is a Pro Hero, teacher, and radio host. On top of that, he’s taken it upon himself to teach me JSL while he teaches English to everyone else. It’s a wonder he hasn’t collapsed from exhaustion.-

-He does have a lot of energy,- the animal whisperer signed with a giggle. -I had considered using ‘hyper’ in his sign name but decided to go with ‘loud’ instead. Seemed less mean.-

The greenette let out a bark of laughter at that gaining the attention of those around him. But he simply waved them off before going back to their otherwise silent conversation.

-That would have been perfect too,- Midoriya signed, still snickering slightly.

Kouji giggled as well before asking, -What are you going to learn today for sign? I could help you like you offered to help me with English.-

-That would be awesome!- Midoriya replied clearly excited for having a study buddy. -Though I’m not working on JSL today.-

-You’re not?- Kouji signed earning a shake of the other’s head. -Then what are you going to do for class?-

The greenette hesitated before taking a deep breath. He turned his open notebook around for Kouji to see before signing, -At the end of the Sports Festival, I had…‘issues’ with some of my Support Items. I need to either rebuild or upgrade them before the internships.-

The shy teen looked over the notes for the shoe attachments the other had used during the Sports Festival. There were scribblings were everywhere and some were either erased and rewritten or crossed out altogether. Being a perfect example of chaotic organization that somehow worked but still seemed confusing at the same time.

-So, you only learn JSL part of the time in English class?- Kouji asked as he looked up from the notebook to see the nod from the greenette. -What do you do the rest of the time?-

-I get assignments to work on my analysis skills,- Midoriya replied.

-Analysis?- Kouji questioned. -What do you analyze?-

-Quirks mostly,- the greenette replied. -I grew up Quirkless but I always wanted to be a Hero. So I started to analyze Hero fights and Quirks to see if I could figure out how they worked. Looking for strengths and weaknesses. Ways to get around a Quirk even though I don’t have one. Because no matter how strong a Quirk appears, there’s always some weakness to them. Like a time limit or point of exhaustion from using it too much.-

Kouji hummed with a hand on his chin in thought before signing, -That is true. Like with my Anivoice, it’s hard to find animals to talk to in loud places.-

-Like during the Sports Festival,- Midoriya commented. -But you still did pretty well even though you couldn’t use your Quirk.-

-Says the person who won first place,- Kouji joked earning a slightly blush from the other.

-Well, I had something to prove,- the greenette replied with a shrug. -That the Quirk doesn’t dictate if you are a winner or a loser. That you don’t need one to win. Because Quirks are simply tools used to accomplish a task. I just built my own tools instead.-

-And use them very well,- the animal whisperer complimented gaining another shy blush from the other. -So, your analysis is how you got your ideas from your Support Items?-

-Yes, it is,- Midoriya signed, briefly flipping through his notebook to the pages on his Tape gun to show him. Giving him a moment to look over his notes before continuing. -Like I said before, some Quirks can be replicated to a certain degree through technology. For example…-

He flipped over to a different set of pages in the notebook.

-…my fire mask is based off my dad’s Fire Breath Quirk,- he continued and then proceeded to point out some of the sketched features with accompanying notes.

Kouji scanned over the pages with interest even though most of it he didn’t understand. Not having much experience when it came to how Support Items worked internally. But the notes describing what he had used for inspiration and how he replicated the effects were still fascinating to read.

-These are really good,- the animal whisperer signed. -Did you come up with these as part of your analysis assignments?-

-No, I came up with these either before UA or during studio time,- Midoriya explained. -Typically, when I’m not learning JSL, I’m working on assignments given to me by N-E-Z-U.-

-Why would he give you assignments?- Kouji asked.

-Because I’m his personal student,- the greenette replied as if it was nothing special.

-You’re his…,- the shy teen started to sign in shock only to be interrupted by Yamada calling the class to order as the bell rang for the start of the period.

Kouji quickly turned around to put his full attention on the lesson. Well, mostly. In the back of his mind, he was still reeling on yet another surprise from the mysterious boy behind him.

A personal student of Principal Nezu’s, huh? Wow.

~~~

Hizashi smiled to himself as he prepared for his next lesson. Partially because of his usually cheerful personality but also because his favorite student was conversing in sign with the shy Kouda. Making friends while also trading offers of help for their various languages being learned. Which Hizashi so totally supported. Peer mentoring was a great way to both teach others and reinforce your own learning.

Today’s lesson wasn’t too complicated. Just a continuation of the grammar point they had started last week. No biggie. Plus, the Green Bean would be busy all week working on his Support Items so no JSL on top of teaching English for a while. At least not until after the coming internships. Which he was actually really excited for since Shouta had chosen to take on his two ‘problem children’ as interns. Citing that it was because they needed to ‘catch up’ as he claimed but Hizashi knew it was because his husband didn’t want to give his students up after just getting them in his class.

The Dadzawa is strong this year.

Shouta hated that term even though it was so freaking accurate. Thank Nemuri for coming up with it when they all started working at UA together. Because no matter how much he denied it, Shouta so acted like a dad towards the students who managed to remain in his class. Proving their potential while also worming their way into the caterpillar man’s heart no matter how much he denies it. And this year he had only expelled two from his class while the year before he had chucked the lot of 1-A into the expulsion bin.

Shouta must really see a lot of potential in his class this year.

Which was good. While Shouta was a hardass when it came to his teaching method, more than Hizashi could ever be, the blonde couldn’t deny that the tired man’s method did work. He had a sort of sixth sense when it came to potential and had weeded out those who didn’t pass his standards so that those who did could flourish and bloom. Ever pushing forward to go Plus Ultra and become the best Heroes they could be.

It worked for Shouta and his students for him to teach that way. Pushing the students to work past their own limits to become better and stronger. As for Hizashi, he preferred a gentler and more fun approach when it came to his teaching. Not wanting to subject his students to the kind of rote memorization boringness that he had gone through during his own schooling. Much preferring to make his lessons fun and interactive as much as possible to get the students excited and using English in a more natural way. Because academic and conversational English can be very different and not always interchangeable.

Today was one of the calmer days though. Further practice that was more in line with more traditional teaching methods like worksheets. Focusing more on reading and writing rather than speaking and listening. Well, other than him speaking to explain and the students listening to him talk. But that was neither here nor there. Just a regular class to continue their education of the English language.

Hizashi called the class to order as the bell rang and began with his usual class warm ups. The lesson was going smoothly as always of reviewing vocabulary and grammar and then transitioning into the topic of the day. Writing notes, explanations, and examples on the blackboard for the students to copy in their notebooks. Then walking along the front row of desks to hand out the worksheets and giving each student the correct number of papers to pass back before returning to the front.

“Uh, Yamada-sensei?” Kirishima called out.

“Yes, little listener?” Hizashi responded.

“I think you miscounted,” the redhead said, holding up a single paper in his hand that was meant for Kouda behind him. “We need one more for Midoriya.”

Said greenette was shaken out of the ‘zone’ he was in at the mention of his name. Green eyes looked up to greenish yellow ones in silent question of what to do. Hizashi signed that he would take care of it earning a nod of green fluff before the teen turned his attention back to his notebook.

“Actually, Midoriya doesn’t need one,” Hizashi replied, receiving confused looks from many of the students. Obviously not the Green Bean’s friends who probably already knew of his proficiency in the language. “He’s already fluent in English and so has other assignments during this class time.”

“Man, you’re already fluent, Midoriya?” Kaminari interjected, gaining the greenette’s attention who was sporting a shy flushed expression on his face as he nodded to confirm. “Damn, dude. That’s really impressive.”

“C'est vrai,” Aoyama chimed in. “Being fluent in a second language is no easy feat.”

In the back, the Green Bean’s freckled cheeks were growing pink from the compliments.

“If I may ask,” Yaoyorozu said as she raised her hand. “When did you learn English?”

Before answering, Midoriya looked to Hizashi to see if the tangent was alright to continue. The blonde nodded in reassurance that it was. The subject may not be what he had planned but it was still about English so he was fine with it.

“I’ve been learning English since I was little,” Midoriya explained with a shy smile since the attention of the class one solely on him. “My dad works in the US and he thought it was an important skill to have for the future.”

“Could you say something in English right now?” Hagakure asked curiously.

“Like what?” the greenette replied.

“I don’t know,” the invisible girl replied. “Anything!”

Izuku was about to cheekily reply ‘anything’ in English but was interrupted.

“Do a meme, Izuku,” Shinsou suggested with a smirk.

Sure, but which one? the greenette thought, suddenly lost in the vast memeverse.

“Maybe a song?” Jirou offered as she was a fan of music.

Well, I’m not really much one to sing.

“Oh! How about a joke?” Ashido chimed in.

Now that’s more my wheel house.

But his classmates weren’t giving him a word in edgewise with more and more suggestions to say this or that. There were so many that he wasn’t sure which one to go with now. Sensing he was feeling overwhelmed, his teacher decided to step in.

Why don’t you just introduce yourself?” Hizashi offered in English to save his favorite student from the onslaught of suggestions.

Green eyes connected with his own full of gratitude for the life line before giving a nod. The teen cleared his throat and in perfect English said, “Hello, my name is Izuku Midoriya. I’m fifteen years old and I live in Musutafu, Japan. My favorite food is katsudon and I enjoy analyzing Quirks. I hope to help you all to become the best Heroes you can be. Let’s work hard together. Nice to meet you!”

He finished his little speech with a bow of his head as the other students applauded.

“Dang, you sound like a native speaker,” Sero commented.

“I know, right?” Kaminari chimed in. “I didn’t understand parts of what he said but it sounded perfect.”

“Even the accent was parfait,” Aoyama added with a chef’s kiss gesture.

“You’re just full of surprises, aren’t ya?” Ashido commented with a grin.

“Indeed, he is quite the enigma,” Tokoyami interjected. “Who knows what other mysteries lie in wait.”

“I do,” Shouto said attracting everyone’s attention. “He’s a personal student of Principal Nezu.”

His revealing statement was offered bluntly before Midoriya could do anything to stop him. It’s not that he cared if people knew having told Kouda earlier but having it announced like would draw a lot of attention to him.

“YOU’RE WHAT?!” many of the students exclaimed.

Like that.

Hizashi watched the chaos sprung from that reveal entertained by 1-A’s antics. They were a very expressive group of students that was for sure. Every class was different with their own personality. Some were boisterous like this class while others like his homeroom were more subdued. Which put a dampener on the many times the blonde had tried to rile his homeroom up with a health dose of yelling ‘yeah’ first thing in the morning.

Our homerooms are like the polar opposites of us. Shouta’s is energetic like me while mine is more lowkey like him. Go figure, right?

“Alright, alright,” Hizashi called out taking control of the situation. “Yes, Midoriya is Nezu’s personal student. He can tell you all about it if he’s up to it after class. Now let’s get back to the lesson, yeah?”

“Yes, Yamada-sensei,” the class replied in unison.

As the majority of the students turned their attention back to their worksheets, Midoriya signed a quick ‘thank you’ before turning back to his notebook. Hizashi smiled at his favorite student before getting back to the lesson. The Green Bean was doing just fine in his new class and the Purple Panda seemed more comfortable in 1-A than he ever had in his short time in 1-C.

The loud man was still sad that he no longer had Shinsou in his class. Having grown attached during their training sessions together that had allowed him to get to know the quiet teen. Who very much reminded him of his husband at a younger age. Shinsou was essentially a mini Shouta with the same deadpan humor and perpetual look of exhaustion. Which made him wonder if the kid got enough sleep or if it was just a part of his Quirk.

Hopefully if he needs help, Shinsou knows he can come to us.

Hizashi had a lingering concern for the purple haired boy. It had started on the first day when the teen had purposefully chosen a seat in the back and hadn’t made any attempts to make friends with his classmates. Some had approached but really only traded introductions before moving on. Shinsou had kept mostly to himself much like Shouta when he had first transferred into the Hero Course.

That sort of isolation wasn’t necessarily a red flag since some people preferred to be alone. Not Hizashi of course because he was the living definition of a people person. So much so that he would so totally be the example pictured in an encyclopedia on the subject. It was why he had three jobs. Pro Hero to save people. Teacher to help mold future generations. And radio host to reach out to any of his beloved listeners through music and him yammering about this or that. Doing his best to fill the airwaves with support and encouragement both on and off the air.

What had sparked the Hero’s concern was the barely noticeable releasing of tension when it came to class introductions. Typically, teachers liked the students to say their name, age, and Quirk along with some fun fact or other. But Hizashi knew from personal experience that revealing one’s Quirk can be a touchy subject for some people.

Because of this, Hizashi had an especially soft spot for those who were in the same boat. The ones who were judged for their Quirk and labeled strong or weak. Hero or Villain. It was all subjective and total hogwash. Because the Quirk did not dictate what anyone would become in the future. Only the person themselves did that.

Unfortunately, even in this modern more evolved day and age, prejudice was still alive and well. So, it came to no surprise to Hizashi when Shinsou had voiced snippets of his own experiences with Quirk discrimination. Nothing too specific but vagaries of being labeled a Villain for his Brainwashing Quirk. Always comforted by Midoriya that he wasn’t because he wanted to use his ‘Villain’ Quirk for good.

Midoriya had his own dealings with prejudice due to his lack of Quirk. Being immediately written off just because he wasn’t born with a superpower. But being Quirkless didn’t mean he was useless as that suspended Bakugou had labeled him with the crude nickname ‘Deku’. A term that could refer to a wooden figure or puppet but also to a person who couldn’t do or achieve anything. But Midoriya was far from ‘useless’.

The Quirkless boy had faced constant scorn and ridicule for his ‘lofty’ dreams of becoming a Hero. The extent of which was made painfully clear from the events and after math of the Sports Festival.

Quirkist idiots.

But Midoriya has never let it hold him back from his dream. Had continued to push forward with his goals no matter what anyone said or did. Worked harder than the rest to achieve his aspirations and even encouraging others to do the same. Like Shinsou.

Now the Green Bean and Purple Panda had achieved that goal and were part of 1-A under the care of Dadzawa. And 1-A had seemed to accept them with ease which was so refreshing to see. Because the two of them deserved to be happy same as everyone else. Not judged by their Quirk status but by who they are as people. Because as Shouta and Midoriya said, ‘Quirks are just tools’ and only make up one part of a person. They don’t nor will ever define a person and are merely one piece of the puzzle.

There was still an itch of concern in the back of Hizashi’s head for the two students. Not so much Midoriya because they had his case well handled. Plus, having met Inko, the blonde was confident that Midoriya had lots of love and support coming from his family. Even his father who wasn’t physically in the picture but still supported him from afar.

Shinsou on the other hand…he was still worried about him. The purple haired teen had certainly broken out of his shell of isolation now that he was surrounded by friends. Had been more open about his feelings to an extent after getting to know each other. But there were times when Hizashi felt that Shinsou was holding back.

Hizashi didn’t know what Shinsou didn’t want to talk about. But he hoped that the teen knew he could come to them if he needed help. They were Heroes after all but also damn decent human beings who know how to properly treat people. None of that Quirk discrimination crap that others dish out. No, the Nemuri-dubbed EraserMic couple were great people who have always wanted to help others in any way that they can. Shouta from the shadows as well as the classroom. Hizashi on the streets, on worksheets, and on the airwaves to anyone who would listen.

He wouldn’t pressure Shinsou to reveal what he was hiding. No, he wanted the teen to be comfortable and come to them when he was ready. But perhaps the coming internship would allow the blonde an opportunity to get to know the kid more outside of school. The two students would after all be sharing an apartment for a week with him, his husband, and of course the cats.

They are going to so love the furbabies!

It would definitely be a busy week with the planned training as well as his other jobs. But Hizashi was a master at multitasking. He had to be with the three jobs he juggled with practiced ease. Always ensuring some downtime in his constantly busy schedule. Because even an extrovert like him needed time to relax. So, yes, he hoped to get to know and gain further trust from the purple haired teen. Wanting to help him in any way that he could. All Hizashi needed to know was what it was Shinsou needed help with. Whatever it is, he would be there for the kid because he deserves to be happy like everyone else.

Notes:

Now 1-A knows Izuku is fluent and Nezu's personal student! Again, I wanted Izuku to be fluent in English so he could learn JSL and the reason why I wanted him to learn that is to be better friends with Kouda. That and it would be helpful as a hero. As for Nezu, that would come out eventually so this sort of ripped that bandaid off. Hope it's not too clunky.

Apologies if Izuku seems more fluent than he should be with only learning sign for a month in story. (I know, it's only been a month into the school year since chapter 10 of part 1. XD ) Again, I'm not sure how sign language works grammar wise or for skill level, but it is canon that Izuku soaks up information like a sponge. So, it could be feasible that he would pick it up fast. Plus, he's had lots of practice having secret conversations with the teachers. Also, I just want him to have a sign buddy and be friends with Kouda. ^___^

Thanks to those on the discord for their suggestions on what Izuku should say. Though there wasn't one that seemed to fit to me so I went with the suggestion of him just going with a basic introduction instead. So thanks for that. ^___^

Also, Yamada is worried for Hitoshi though he doesn't know why exactly. More on that later as the internships commence. ;)

Fun Facts About Japan:

There are many types of personalities when it comes to students same as any school. Some are loud and boisterous while others are quiet and shy. I myself leaned more towards the shy side growing up and still do sometimes. But when I'm in my element of either the company I have or the topic at hand, I thrive. ;) Anyway, I just wanted to share one awesome experience I had at one of my schools in regards to shy kids. I believe it was my second year and I moved to working at one of the big schools in my area. Each year level had 8-9 classes so there were a lot of kids.

In one class, I remember there being a very shy girl who was known to barely talk. I tried to get her to participate best I could but she just preferred to be quiet. I would still include her best I could in my lessons during my time there and it actually paid off. It was my last week at that school and I was doing goodbye jeopardy with them as a last hurrah. The teacher had it set up that the students in their desk groups would take turns answering for their teams. Which was great and allowed everyone the opportunity to participate as well as share responsibility for their teams.

Anyway, it just so happened to be the group the quiet girl was in who won the latest round of janken and she was the representative for her group. Some answers were written and others spoken. This question had happened to be a verbal answer so I was worried she wouldn't answer. But to my surprise and joy she whispered the correct answer quietly in my ear and I was just so proud of her for speaking. It was only a whisper but she did it and trusted me enough to speak to me. ^____^ And with only working at the school for about 5 months.

Reminder that my city had us switch schools every few months or so which made it difficult to build proper trust with the students and teachers in such a short time. Which is why I was so happy that this shy girl was willing to say something to me at all. Building trust is very important in school and is vital for a good education.

Ok, long end notes are long. XD Next update we've got another lunch scene with, you guessed it, more bonding time! Along with other things. Mei apologies to Iida, Dark Shadow and Izuku have a moment, more learning about the green bean, and some other stuff in between. Again, please stay safe and be well. Let me know of any typos or weirdness and have a great week!

Chapter 18: Friendship

Notes:

Happy Tuesday, dear readers! Time for more 1-A bonding time with Mei and Dark Shadow in the mix. ^____^ Let's get to it!

Warning for teasing. A minor one from ["Good idea..."] to ["See? Told ya..."] to the point I'm not sure it needs it but just in case. Second is the paragraph starting at {Red bloomed on his freckled cheeks...] but the next one is fine. Third from ["Uh oh, Izuku..."] to ["Well, you two..."] and after that is fine.

Formatting reminder:
-Dialogue using sign language.-
...
"-Dialogue using sign language and verbal language.-"

Linktree to all the things!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

The rest of English went as normal after the revealing tangent of Izuku’s English fluency as well as being mentored by Nezu. Which would have come out eventually most likely but Shouto had spilled the beans about the latter. Simply by being his usual blunt self and answered honestly to a rhetorical question. Which Izuku didn’t hold against him but it wasn’t something he would have brought up himself because he didn’t want to come off as bragging. Being Nezu’s personal student was just a part of his education same as learning JSL from Yamada. Different from the everyone else but a much-needed differentiation so that he could use his time at UA wisely.

Thankfully his teacher was able to bring the class focus back to English and away from him. All this attention was getting overwhelming so he was grateful for the distraction. Because it wasn’t just his classmates who were paying more attention to him. The media, the public, other students in UA. All of them had a new awareness of the Quirkless teen now that he had won the Sports Festival over all those with ‘strong’ and ‘Heroic’ Quirks. It was quite the contrast from being pushed down and ignored for the most part in his past schools to this.

But once again, UA was proving to be different. Not entirely as there were still those who had passed derisive comments questioning how a Quirkless person could ever actually accomplish such a thing let alone be allowed in UA. But they were only a portion of the whole that thought that way. Many were supportive even if some were tainted with a hint of Quirkism about him winning ‘despite being Quirkless’. Still supportive though and again not the majority. There were still others who wholeheartedly accepted and endorsed his win and transfer.

I hope All Might does too.

Izuku wondered what the Hero wanted to talk to him about. His text this morning had been a surprise and quite vague. But there had been no time to ask follow up questions. He would just have to find out when they had their meeting later. The greenette was hopeful though that their talk would be good. After all, other than the backhanded comment about him reaching for more attainable dreams, their previous meetings had been quite nice. Talking Quirks and student performances after the Battle Trainings.

Those talks had been pleasant even though they were brief. Izuku hadn’t really had a chance to talk to Yagi since the one after 1-B’s training. He had been so busy preparing for the Sports Festival. And after the USJ attack, he hadn’t been asked to observe any other training sessions which he was fine with. Because again, he had been busy getting everything ready gear and training wise for the event. Effort that more than paid off in the end now that he was seated in a desk in Class 1-A and finally a Hero Course student.

The greenette was able to refine his plans for his Support Items more during the remaining class time. It was a relief to have this time to figure out what he should focus on in order to be prepared for the internships. Which his was going to be with Hitoshi under Aizawa’s tutelage. It was less stressful since he already knew how the tired man taught having trained with him and Yamada since the start of the school year. The coming week would be difficult that was for sure, but Izuku looked forward to it none the less. For training as well as getting a peek into his mentor’s personal life.

I wonder how all that’s going to go.

Did Aizawa live in an apartment or a house? Or did he just plop down wherever with just his sleeping bag as shelter? Was he married, dating, or single? If he was in a relationship, what kind of partner was he attracted to? Someone cynical and serious like himself or a polar opposite personality? Did he have pets? Which would probably be a cat if he did because he had confessed to Izuku himself through sign that he absolutely loved cats. So many questions that would be answered in a week’s time.

At the conclusion of English, Yamada gave his customary loud salutations to the class as well as a signed goodbye to Izuku out of habit. Which was returned by both himself as well as Kouda before the loud man left. This made Izuku wonder if the quiet boy in front of him would become confused with the combination of signing and learning English. He didn’t want to disrupt the other’s education after all.

The greenette tapped the shoulder of the boy in front of him and signed his concerns. Kouda was quick to say he would be fine and that he shouldn’t worry. But Izuku would anyway because he was a natural worrier much like his mother. Planning to do his best to keep any misunderstandings during that class to a minimum and maybe bring up his concerns with Yamada just in case.

The end of English brought the start of lunch. The bell brought a smile to Izuku’s face because he would hopefully be able to eat lunch with the new friends he had made during the Sports Festival. If they could find a big enough table or tables that is. Fingers crossed and all that. But if not today, they could always try again another time. They had the next three years to get to know each other after all.

“Finally,” Ochako lilted with a relieved tone. “I’m so freaking hungry.”

“Did you not eat breakfast this morning?” Iida asked as he turned to face her.

“…no,” she admitted with a hint of embarrassment.

“Uraraka-san! You must diligently eat breakfast every day,” the class president lectured with customary choppy hand movements. “It is the most important meal of the day and we all need to properly nourish our bodies to be physically fit.”

“I know~,” Ochako whined as she splayed herself out on her desk.

Izuku giggled at her tone before saying, “Let’s go to the cafeteria and get you something to eat, Ochako-chan.”

“Good idea,” Hitoshi chimed in with a smirk. “I can hear her stomach growling from here.”

“Hey!” the gravity girl exclaimed in protest only for her stomach to indeed start growling loudly making her perpetual blush darker than usual.

“See? Told ya,” the brainwasher teased as he stood up with his bag slung on his back.

Izuku was quick to do the same as he waited for his friends to finish packing their own bags. As he waited, Kouda tapped his desk to get his attention.

-Yes, Kouda-kun?- the greenette signed.

-Is the offer to join you still open?- the shy teen asked.

“-Of course!-” Izuku signed and said aloud. “-Anyone who wants to join us for lunch is more than welcome to.-”

That statement got a number of excited reactions from his new classmates. Such as Ashido who gave an enthusiastic fist pump at the idea. While others were more subdued in their interest in the offer. Like Tokoyami who gave him an accepting nod. It wasn’t before long that all of 1-A, minus one suspended blonde, headed for the cafeteria together.

It wasn’t too busy when they got there and joined the lunch line. Able to get their chosen food quickly before scouting out a big enough table for everyone to sit comfortably. Which they were able to find quite easily as if some writer made it so out of plot convenience. They trickled in to claim the blessed table one by one as they got their food. Izuku himself got gyuudon choosing to mix things up today with having beef and rice instead his usual katsudon.

Their usual group of seven gravitated towards each other and the rest of 1-A plopped themselves around them in their own mini groups. Such as Yaoyorozu sitting near Jirou or the Bakusquad minus the Baku. Izuku was happy to finally be able to share lunch time with Kirishima after so long. But he had been fine with the red head trying to work his friendship magic on Bakugou. Something that the greenette hoped the other would continue to do despite what the explosive blonde had done to him. Bakugou really did need friends like Kirishima and Izuku didn’t want their issues to get in the way of that. But he knew that it would also be dependent on if the redhead wanted to or not.

The students of 1-A were also joined by Mei who had some how managed to tear herself away from her babies to eat lunch. The pinkette took the seat next to Hitoshi who had saved it for her with his bag. While Izuku was on her other side and then Shouto next to him.

“Who’s that?” Ashido asked through a mouth full of food.

“Oh, everyone, this is my friend Hatsu-,” Izuku started to introduce only for the pinkette to interrupt him.

“Name’s Hatsume Mei, Support engineer extraordinaire!” Mei answered with her usual amount of enthusiasm and flair. She wrapped an arm around Hitoshi and Izuku each. “And these two are my best baby making partners!”

Red bloomed on his freckled cheeks and even Hitoshi wasn’t immune to the misleading comment with his own blush. Now you feel my pain, you purple bastard! The reactions varied as some sputtered out laughter and nearly choking on their food while others either cast curious looks their way or blushed as well at the declaration. The only ones mostly immune to her antics were those who had sat with them since the beginning of the year like Ochako, Iida, Tsuyu, and Shouto. Having long become immune to her lack of tact.

“What she means is that we’re best friends,” Izuku explained as he willed his own blush to cool down while worming his way out of her hold. “And Mei-chan and I both work on making Support Items or as she calls them ‘babies’.”

“Oh, you’re the one who put the class prez through the ringer during the Sports Festival,” Sero said which caused many of them to cast glances in the embarrassed engine user’s direction. “Man, that was sure…something.”

“Yeah, like watching a live advertisement,” Kaminari added with a huff of laughter. “You make quite a puppet, don’t you Exit Sign?”

~~~

Mei cast her gaze down at the teasing of her using Iida to advertise her babies. At the time she hadn’t seen too much of an issue with it with the barest amount of guilt of tricking him into it. But then Izuku had talked to her about it and pointed out they were friends. Then Iida left early so she wasn’t able to apologize and was left to stew over it all weekend. Distracting her enough to not be able to put her full attention on the babies she had smuggled out.

She was nervous. Knowing she needed to apologize and fix what she hadn’t intend to damage and hopefully didn’t break. Because friends were precious to her. Not as much as her babies but they were a close second compared to anything else. Especially Izuku and Hitoshi who were on the tier of best. But the others were still her friends as well though she hadn’t really noticed they had become that over the course of many lunches.

But even though she hadn’t noticed until Izuku pointed it out, he was right. They were her friends and as such she felt compelled to do two things this lunch. First to apologize for using Iida like she had and second to clear the muddled friendship air around her. Like a vent hood sucking up smoke after a baby mishap.

“Yeah, about that,” Mei said with a nervous chuckle. “I actually wanted to apologize for what I did.”

Her statement caused a hush to fall over the table in the otherwise noisy cafeteria. A hand was placed on her shoulder and the pinkette turned to see it was Izuku who was giving her an encouraging smile. Mei returned it with a determined nod before turning back to Iida.

“I’m not the most well-versed person when it comes to friend stuff,” she explained, casting glances at those who were frequent attenders to their lunch table. “So sometimes I don’t know when I’m going too far. Which I did during our fight. I shouldn’t have tricked you and instead told you that I wanted to show off my babies to the scouts. I’m sorry.”

Yellow eyes closed and cast down as she emphasized her apology with a bowed head. Waiting to see if Iida would accept or learn that their friendship was broken beyond repair. Because before Izuku, Mei hadn’t really had any friends. Had constantly been written off as the baby obsessed spaz which was true but she could be that and still be friends with others. Preferring the company of those who accepted all of her. Because if they couldn’t handle her at her craziest, then they didn’t deserve her in her moments of ‘sanity’.

Before Izuku, she hadn’t known how lonely she had been growing up. Sure, she had her babies to keep her company and her mom who loved her with all her heart. But after finding someone her own age who was also interested in Support was an eye opener. It was oh so good to be able to bounce off ideas with someone who actually understood. Taught by yours truly as well. They had been joined at the hip ever since she had found him cleaning the beach and he had asked her to teach him. It wasn’t until today that she realized how much she relied on their friendship.

Mei had gotten so used to having Izuku close in the same classroom. Sitting right beside her to trade ideas at the drop of a hat. But now he was in 1-A while she remained in 1-H. Not that she wasn’t happy for her friend being able to transfer to the course of his dreams, but still…she missed him. Dimming her usual manic brightness in class now that her best friend was no longer by her side.

The rest of the class had noticed due to the lack of chattering in the back. Finding a subdued Mei all alone. It had surprised her when a few had actually walked up to her during the breaks and started conversations with her. Thankfully on Support and such which she clung to the relatable topic like a life line. But it had been nice to talk and get to know her classmates more now that it wasn’t just a Mei and Izuku bubble in the back of the classroom.

The experience somehow drove that guilt further into her gut for how she had tricked Iida. Because that wasn’t what friends should do. Friends talked and helped each other. Like Izuku does for her and her babies. The pinkette now knew that she should have just talked to Iida about it instead of leading him on with talk of ‘fairness’ and ‘leveling the playing field’ to only use him to showcase her babies. But there was nothing she could do to change the past. She could only apologize and hopefully have the opportunity to move forward.

A clearing of a throat caused her to look up and see Iida as he spoke, “I will say I did not appreciate being turned into a patsy for you to present your inventions. I would have been glad to help you if I had known that was your intention.”

The pinkette cast her gaze down again in shame because she knew that now but hadn’t even considered it before. Simply too focused on how to best show off her babies and not even thinking she could have had a willing test subject for them. But again, there was nothing she could do about the past.

“Be that as it may,” Iida continued while adjusting his glasses. “I accept your apology.”

Yellow eyes shot up at that and Mei beamed at him with a bright smile. Blinding most of the table as Hitoshi beside her pulled out a pair of sunglasses without missing a beat as he continued to eat. Even Iida was affected by her joy displaying a dusting of pink on his otherwise stoic features.

“So, we’re still friends?” Mei asked earning an affirming nod from the boy. “Yay!”

With that cleared up, the pinkette clapped her hands together with glee before diving enthusiastically into her food. Feeling giddy and in a much happier mood now that she had been able to apologize and that it had been accepted. Relieved that they were still friends and she hadn’t broken a bond that was still growing. Perhaps still slightly busted from how she had treated him but could be repaired with time and care.

~~~

Good on you, Mei-chan, Izuku thought as lunch continued on. Proud of his friend for apologizing and is such a public way. If it were him, he would have done it somewhere more private. But this was Mei who gave no shits as to how others saw her. Doing a public apology was no sweat off her brow.

The display had been easily moved on from by most of the class though there was one boy who seemed more effected by it than the others. Izuku spied Ojiro across the table staring down at his food with a guilt-ridden look. Probably reminded of his own need to apologize but most likely in the same ilk of wanting to do so privately much like Izuku would. But he would get his chance eventually.

The students fell into various conversations across the table as they ate. Talk of a new video game between the Bakusquad. Sharing of new music between Jirou and those seated around her. Gushing over the newest idol news for those into that sort of thing like Hagakure. For Izuku, he went between eating and signing to Kouda while also verbally conversing to his friends around him.

Not everyone joined in the conversations verbally. Those who had more reserved personalities were content to listen to the others and only had their own comments here or there. Like Shouji and Tokoyami. Hitoshi too but his input was mostly snarky comments. Then there was Shouto who was quietly eating his food and, since Izuku’s hands were quite busy both eating and signing, satisfied himself by placing a hand on his warm friend’s knee.

The friendly gesture was small but it still brought a slight blush to Izuku’s face leading to him having to wave off any concerns. It was during one of these secretly shared touches that Izuku was surprised by Shouto suddenly jerking his hand away. Curious the greenette looked down to see why and found Dark Shadow peeking out from under the table.

Green eyes cast over to where Tokoyami was eating and intermittently talking. Obviously unaware of what his Quirk was doing. Izuku looked back down at the spirit and held his hand out waiting for permission to touch. The phantom eagerly nuzzled into his hand before settling down in his lap like a cat. The buzzing sensation was odd but not unpleasant as he petted the sentient shadow in his lap.

Beside him, Shouto watched curiously while also feeling a little put out that Izuku’s lap was currently occupied by the entity. Its presence was preventing him from being physically close with his special friend. But Izuku seemed to be enjoying himself so he didn’t want to interrupt. Though his hand still itched to touch. Not just Izuku but he was curiously how a living shadow felt. Having only had a spark of contact that felt like a static shock which was what had caused him to jerk his hand away.

“Izuku,” Shouto called out to get his attention. “Do you think I could…?”

His question trailed off as he extended his element wielding hand towards the spirit. Hovering above the shifting mass but not touching without consent.

“If Dark Shadow is okay with it,” Izuku replied as he continued to pet the sentient Quirk.

At the mention of its name, Dark Shadow peeked open a yellow eye and looked at the hovering hand. The phantom considered it for a moment before giving an accenting nod as the spirit closed its eye again. Internally delighted, Shouto carefully reached out and pet the living shadow.

“Woah,” the bi-color teen let out at the buzzing sensation under his fingertips. It was so strange yet fascinating.

“Yeah, I thought the same thing the first time I touched Dark Shadow,” Izuku said as he giggled at his reaction. “I still wonder if it has to do with static electricity or something.”

The greenette scritched behind the spirit’s ears and earned a new addition to the vibrating sensation in his lap. Is Dark Shadow…purring? Which was more of a cat thing than a bird’s. But the vibrations persisted as he continued to scratch and did not go unnoticed by the Quirk connected teen across the table.

Tokoyami had felt the vibrations through their link and looked down to see that his Quirk’s tether was sticking out of his stomach and disappeared under the table. Red eyes scanned the table for any sign of his escaped Quirk and found him in Izuku’s lap. While Hitoshi near the greenette had taken notice and decided to take a picture of both Izuku and Shouto petting the spirit.

“Dark Shadow!” Tokoyami exclaimed in embarrassment.

The phantom’s eyes shot open at the outburst and peeked its head barely over the edge of the table and let out a squeaked, “Fumi!”

The exchange drew the attention of everyone at the table as the dark teen ordered, “Return at once, Dark Shadow. Desist this invasion of personal space.”

“No!” the spirit shot back as it nuzzled closer to the greenette. “Sun boy is nice and gives good pets. He said we could see each other at lunch, remember?”

Tokoyami opened his mouth to retort but Izuku interrupted, “It’s alright, Tokoyami-kun! I did say that after the festival.”

“Indeed, you did but this behavior is most unbecoming,” the bird boy replied, crossing his arms as the dark feathers on his cheeks fluffing up in place of a blush.

“I really don’t mind,” Izuku assured him as he gave the living shadow another pet. “We are trying to get to know each other as friends as a class. And if you think about it, Dark Shadow is sort of an honorary student of 1-A as well.”

“Huh, I never thought of it like that before,” Sero chimed in with a thoughtful expression as Tokoyami silent considered the comment.

“Intriguing,” the dark teen eventually said. “Dark Shadow does also learn alongside the rest of us. Though mostly during Quirk training rather than regular classes.”

Ochako suddenly burst into a fit of giggles gaining everyone’s attention. She forced herself to calm down as she said, “Sorry! I just suddenly started imagining Dark Shadow in a uniform. It was so cute!”

“Aw, that would be adorable!” Hagakure squealed. “Dark Shadow in a little suit and tie.”

The rest of the class cooed over the concept while Tokoyami and his Quirk shied away from the attention. Shouji did his best to comfort the bird boy next to him while Izuku did the same for the spirit in his lap. The greenette knew of the discomfort of being the center of attention all too much. But as seemed to be a trend ever since he had won the festival, the focus of the group turned once again to him. Izuku was enjoying a bite of his food while continuing to pet the spirit in his lap before he was asked a question.

“So, Midoriya,” Ashido called out to get his attention. “What all this about you being Nezu’s personal student?”

The greenette turned a bit pink now that the focus was once more on him. This time thanks to Shouto’s blunt big mouth blurting out his business and Yamada’s even bigger louder mouth confirming it. He thought that the initial reveal with following storm of questions that was quickly quieted by the English teacher to get back on track was the end of it. But 1-A was proving to be quite nosy when it came to other people’s business.

“Well, I, um, I like to analyze Quirks,” Izuku explained bashfully. “It’s a hobby I’ve had since I was little. Quirks are so fascinating to me. Each is unique with different strengths and weaknesses. Which is what I was doing when I was observing your training. Figuring out any issues that need to be addressed as well as find ways for you to improve.”

“Which is why you want to meet with each of us, Midoriya-kun?” Yaoyorozu asked. “To discuss our costumes and Quirks?”

“Correct,” Izuku replied with a nod. “Anyway, Maijima-sensei showed my notes to Aizawa-sensei who then passed them on to Nezu-sensei. He liked my analysis and offered to teach me himself.”

The greenette finished with a shrug as if it was nothing special that he was being taught by one of the smartest beings on earth. Personally selected because of his analysis that was impressive enough to catch the chimera’s keen eye. Making them wonder just how smart this green haired enigma was as well as what other secrets he had yet to reveal.

But he had answered the question so their curiousity was sated for now. The rest of lunch was spent eating and chatting with Dark Shadow staying in Izuku’s lap. The spirit may be a result of a Quirk but it had a stubborn mind of its own. But the greenette didn’t mind. He had never had a pet growing up but he would pet stray cats sometimes. Plus, petting animals, or a living shadow in this case, was good for you health wise with lowering blood pressure and stress levels.

At the bell for the end of lunch, the gang broke up to gather their things and dispose of their trash while Dark Shadow reluctantly returned to Tokoyami. Many of them left to get back to the classroom in their own little groups. Kirishima cast a glance at Izuku with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes before leaving with the others of the Bakusquad. While the regular party of seven lingered behind. Izuku was chatting with Mei discussing plans for when they were in the studio together when they were interrupted by one of their other friends.

“Hatsume-san,” Iida called out to the pinkette. “I want to thank you again for your apology.”

“Thank you for accepting it!” Mei chirped. “And please call me Mei. That’s what my friends call me.”

Then she thought for a second that if she was extending this to him then she should for the rest of their friend group too.

“That goes for any of you as well,” the pinkette added to the others of their regular lunch group. “Anyone who is a friend of Izuku and Hitoshi are friends of mine.”

“Yeah, that goes for me too,” Hitoshi added with a lazy salute. “Call me Hitoshi if you want.”

Iida, Ochako, and Tsuyu all had a flash of surprise upon the realization that the two may not have considered them friends before. But their expressions morphed into their various degrees of happy. Because though they may not have thought them friends before, they did now.

“Then please call me Tenya,” Ii-Tenya offered in return.

“Tsu for me, kero,” Tsuyu added.

“Oh, me too! Call me Ochako!” the gravity girl chimed in excitedly while Izuku just beamed brightly himself at the friendliness of it all.

“Shouto,” the bi-color teen added though more towards the three who spoke before him. Having already earned first name status with the others.

And so, their friend group had become closer with the amicable trading of first names. Which Izuku found sort of funny that they were just declaring their friendship with now being on a first name basis. Even though they had been sitting, eating, and getting to know each other since the beginning of the school year. But he guessed it wasn’t too surprising with their own levels of social awkwardness. But this was UA. A school very much different in so many ways. Allowing the forming of friendships so easily. It was really really nice.

“I am pleased that we have that settled,” Tenya said with a stiff chop of his hand. “And I would like to offer my services to help you, Mei-san, to test your inventions in the future. Though preferably non-lethal ones.”

The bluenette extended his hand for her to shake on it, but the pinkette was having none of that. Instead, she smiled brightly and went in for a hug instead. Squishing the engine user tightly in her strong grip and even lifted him up in her excitement. Which caused Tenya to blush in embarrassment but also surprise at her strength. While the others giggled at his predicament.

“Much appreciated, Tenya!” Mei chortled as she put him down. “Oh, I have so many babies that would do wonders for you! Like jets for your arms or a power suit to make you stronger. Or even a…”

“I’m not sure how that would help seeing that my Quirk is in my legs,” the engine user argued as she continued to list off ideas.

The pinkette ignored his protests and proceeded to geek out and over explain how this baby or that one would be perfect for him. While the bluenette tried his best to assert his own opinions but there was only so much he could do against her own tenacity. The scene made Izuku giggle because he knew that once Mei had her mind set on something, there was very little chance of persuading her otherwise.

“Uh oh, Izuku,” Hitoshi said beside him as he leaned an arm on his green curls. “I think we’re getting replaced as ‘baby making partners’.”

The blush returned to Tenya’s face and even a hint of pink dusted Mei’s. While the other three snickered at Hitoshi’s comment and their reactions. The pinkette was quick as ever to recover though.

“Replace you two?” Mei gasped in mock offense. “Never. For shame that you would doubt me like this.”

“Well, you two just seemed to be getting along so well,” the brainwasher teased with a wink.

Izuku quickly ducked out of the way as Mei rushed at Hitoshi for his teasing. Tenya began protesting for them to stop with chopping motions. Tsuyu and Shouto watched in silent amusement while Ochako giggled as she slung an around Izuku’s shoulders. Surprising but not unwelcome. The touch was nice but there was no hint of any fluttering in his stomach from it. Not like when Shouto and he traded friendly contact.

Green eyes glanced up to find grey and blue scanning him with a blank expression. When their eyes met, that brought the fluttering feeling and they weren’t even in physical contact. He wasn’t sure if Shouto felt something similar but he did catch a flash of something in his two-tone eyes as he shifted closer to the other. Linking their pinkies as a subtle demand for his attention which Izuku easily gave with a small squeeze of their linked digits.

Tenya was finally able to wrangle Mei and Hitoshi as the warning bell rang. They left the cafeteria and the pinkette gave her goodbyes before leaving for 1-H. While the rest of them returned to 1-A to find out what was in store for the afternoon classes. The veterans of 1-A suspected some sort of Hero training of either physical with Quirks or combat or something more literary such as Hero laws. While Hitoshi and Izuku really had no idea what to expect.

The students were all settling in at their desks as the final bell rang and Aizawa stepped into the room. They sat silently as he made his way to the podium and placed down the stacks of papers in his hands. Some were thicker than others which made them curious what they were as they waited in anticipation for what their homeroom teacher would do next.

Tired black eyes scanned them portraying no real emotion as he said, “I have the draft picks mentioned earlier. As I said before, not all of you got offers. However, for those who didn’t I have a list of potential Heroes and agencies you may pick from for your internships. Those that did get offers will be choosing from those. Now, when I call your name come to the front and get your list.”

Aizawa called those that got offers up one by one with Shouto’s stack being much thicker than the rest with his large amount of offers. Once he passed those out, he instructed for those who didn’t get offers to come up and take a separate packet of the premade list of Heroes. As for the two newbies…

“Midoriya, Shinsou,” Aizawa called out as he gestured for them to come to him.

The pair walked up to the front as the others collected their papers.

“You may not be eligible for choosing your internships,” the tired man explained. “But that doesn’t mean that no one sent in offers for you. Here.”

The homeroom teacher picked up two more stacks of paper which he offered to his two newest charges. Nowhere near the amount Shouto had gotten but still a fair few. Though Izuku’s was noticeably less than Hitoshi’s. Which he could easily guess was because he didn’t have a Quirk while Hitoshi did. It made a sad resigned sigh escape the greenette as his friend gave him a comforting elbow nudge.

“Don’t let it bother you,” Aizawa said, knowing what was going through his head. “Instead of focusing on those who didn’t, consider those who did as potential allies in the future. Showing their interest in you as a promising Hero.”

“Or they just want to see the Quirkless freak up close,” Izuku mumbled to himself but the teacher still heard it.

The Erasure Hero flicked the greenette’s forehead to rid him of that self-deprecating thought. Izuku rubbed the painful point of impact with his hand with a soft ‘ow’.

“None of that, problem child,” Aizawa ordered sternly but not heatedly. “You have more than proven your worth as a person and as a student of this school. No matter what anyone else thinks, you’ve earned your spot in this class and as a future Hero. Others be damned.”

Green eyes stared into black seeing no hint of misgivings or deception in them. Showing that the Hero before him believed what he had said. Believed in him. The Quirkless boy smiled brightly at the tired man while Hitoshi pulled out his sunglasses again. The teacher rolled his eyes at the action before ruffling the greenette’s hair and shooing them back to their seats.

“Now then, problem class,” Aizawa said addressing his students who had been perusing their lists. “Internships are in one week. Have your preferences submitted by Wednesday.”

Aizawa then called Tenya up to pass out additional forms for their choice of placements. The class president was quick as ever to pass them before returning to his seat.

“Think carefully of your choices,” the Erasure Hero stressed. “Consider your Quirks as well as the kind of Hero you want to be. As some of you know, there are certain Quirks and situations that may not work well with your skill set. So, take time to consider your options. For now, go change and get to Gym Gamma for training.”

“Yes, sir,” the class replied and was quick to follow his directions.

The students grabbed what they needed before trickling out the door for the changing rooms. Before he left, Izuku was pulled aside again by Aizawa who told him that he was free to go to the studio instead to start working on his Support Items. Which the greenette was grateful for and quickly accepted the offered extra time. Any and all of his free time was going to be spent working on replacing and repairing his gear. With some breaks in between to keep his health and sanity of course.

After fetching his notebook and pen case, Izuku joined his classmates in the changing room. Wanting to switch over to his PE uniform for comfort but also because it was better to get that uniform dirty with grease than the formal one. Of course, the overalls helped with that too but they weren’t perfect. The other boys were already starting to change when he got there and Izuku was quick to follow suit.

Ha! Suit. Because clothing.

The greenette giggled to himself and his own mental hilarity. Earning some odd looks from a few but he waved them off. The others shrugged before going about their business while chatting casually.

“I wonder what we’re going to for training today,” Satou pondered aloud.

“Maybe we’ll do another Quirk assessment or something since we got two newbies,” Kaminari guessed.

“Probably not,” Izuku said since Aizawa had already assessed them.

“Why not?” Sero asked.

“Well, one, because he already knows our strengths and limits,” the greenette explained as he pulled off his shirt. “And two, I would need to physically be there for the assessment to happen.”

“Wait, what?” Kaminari asked confused. “Why wouldn’t you be there?”

“I’m going to the Support studio instead,” Izuku answered back.

“Midoriya-kun, you must not skip out on training,” Tenya scolded fully changed due to his need for efficiency. “Especially on the first day. It is essential to our growth as Heroes.”

“This is part of my training,” the greenette retorted. “Aizawa-sensei told me I could go so I can get as much time working on my Support Items before the internship week.”

“Oh, I see. Apologies, Midoriya-kun” the class rep said with an apologetic bow. “I was unaware that Aizawa-sensei was the one who instructed you to do so.”

“Right…,” Izuku replied.

We really need to work on his bad habit of jumping to conclusions.

Quick thinking was great but if you let the impulses run wild instead of investigating further, it could lead to some sticky situations. Like when Izuku had latched onto All Might’s leg after being saved from a slimy one. Only to be told ‘no’ by his idol and left on a roof top the same day he had been told to jump off one. Which could have ended badly if it weren’t for Izuku’s stubborn will to live as well as the Hero Killer paying him his first visit.

That in and of itself could be considered a sticky situation. Well, perhaps not the first time because it hadn’t been his choice to meet Stain on that roof top. More like a chance act of fate stepping in to direct his life forward. But as for the other meetings…those were done by his choice. Because Izuku could have chosen to not meet the man on another roof of his own volition. But he had. Three times. Each meeting bringing them closer both emotionally of sharing life views and values as well as physically with hair ruffles and even hugs.

Izuku had no idea what would happen if any of that ever got out to anyone. Hero, Villain, or civilian alike. There were already questions of his potential to be a Hero just being a Quirkless underdog who came out of nowhere. The fact that he consorted with but never reported the Hero Killer on top of sort of hiring him to look into Endeavor would most likely aggravate that questioning further.

Yeah, best to keep that can of worms tightly closed.

The recording burned hotter in his pocket at the thought. He really should delete it. Get rid of the damning evidence of his failure to report a Villain and even getting close to the man. Because being associated with Stain would not be helpful for his path to become a Hero. But still, the Quirkless boy wavered on doing the logical act. Not wanting to lose that tether to the first person to ever tell him ‘yes’.

Maybe I should start looking into how to code things. Nezu-sensei would probably be willing to help teach me. Seeing as how he coded the tablet he gave me.

Though it would do good for him to come up with his own code when it came to more personal information like the recording. Because even though Izuku shared a lot with his mentor when it came to his analysis and such, there were still things he would prefer to keep to himself. The potential repercussions not withstanding though they did play a part in considering venturing in coding. But not right now. First, he needed to focus on his Support Items.

“So, what gadgets are you going to work on?” Kaminari asked curiously as he’s putting on his shirt.

“Well, I have a few to tinker out improvements for,” Izuku replied with his scarred hand on his chin in thought. “But others I’ll have to start from scratch with.”

“Why’s that?” Satou inquired.

“Oh, I had some…issues with them before the last fight,” the greenette answered, catching the concerned sad look from Kirishima. He should probably talk to him about what happened. They were friends after all and he knew more than most did. “A lot of them ended up broken so I’ll have to remake them.”

“Oof, that’s rough,” Sero commented as he wormed his bulky elbows into his sleeves.

“It’s okay,” the greenette said with a dismissive wave of his hand. “It will take time and work to be ready for the internships, but this gives me the opportunity to take what I learned from the festival to improve them.”

“That’s an optimistic take on the situation,” Shouji stated through one mouth manifestation while two of his other arms adjusted his sleeveless shirt.

“That’s Izuku for you,” Hitoshi interjected as he gave his friend’s hair a ruffle. “Perpetually seeing the glass as half full.”

Izuku swatted his hand away before saying, “Better than being a pessimistic Purple Panda like you.”

“I just see life for what it is,” the brainwasher shot back with a shrug. “Not everything is sunshine and rainbows, Green Bean.”

This earned a considering look from Tokoyami who said, “Hmm, it seems you are indeed another embracer of darkness.”

Hitoshi grinned at that and was about to respond when Tenya interrupted to remind them to hurry up. He himself was fully dressed and prepared to corral them out of the changing room whether they were ready or not. The reminder prompted the stragglers to finish up quickly and head out to Gym Gamma. Izuku had planned to wait for Hitoshi to walk together before parting ways but decided not to when he saw Ojiro approaching the brainwasher. Most likely wanting to apologize now before they went off to training.

So, instead the greenette sent a smile and wave to his friend before walking off with a few of the other boys of 1-A. They chatted for a bit until Izuku had to leave them to head to the studio. He bid them goodbye and to do their best which they returned before they parted ways. Izuku was excited and grateful to start working on his Support Items. Because again, he had a lot of work ahead of him but with his notes, experience, and Mei’s help, everything should turn out alright.

Notes:

If you skipped the teasing. The first minor one was just Hitoshi teasing Ochako for being hungry and her stomach grows. The second is Mei being Mei and embarrassing her best boys that not even Hitoshi is immune to. Third, Hitoshi is teasing Mei for being 'friendly' towards Tenya. ;) While also joking that Izuku and him were being replaced but Mei was all 'hell nah, son'.

Class 1-A has officially been introduced to Mei! And she finally got to apologize to Tenya. Their even on a first name basis now along with the others in the regular lunch group! :D I had originally played around with all of 1-A being on a first name basis in this chapter but changed my mind because it felt forced. Plus, they've only just met while the seven regulars have spent more time together. Also, Tenya...good luck to him for offering to help Mei with her babies. XD

Mei is learning more about friendship and is missing her Hero-kun. But I didn't want her to be alone in 1-H. The ones who approached her were the among the ones who had Izuku's back after the award ceremony. They may not become the best of friends but they're going to be trying to include Mei more. Though that's mostly going to be in the background.

My personal MVP in this chapter is Dark Shadow because Dark Shadow is adorable and I love him so much. If anyone has any fun Dark Shadow ideas, lay them on me! Because I want Dark Shadow to have a presence in this fic because the spirit may be part of a quirk but it does have a personality of its own. Also it is canon that Dark Shadow gets pets like when Uraraka did after Midoriya learned they were in fourth place and was crying a geyser of tears. Dark Shadow was even blushing! :D Such an adorable sentient shadow.

Fun Facts About Japan:

I typically like to connect the fun fact with the chapter but I couldn't think of a particular one for this one. So we're just going to talk about school lunch in general. A typical school lunch consists of a carb, protein, vegetables, soup, milk, and sometimes an extra side. For the carbs, it's typically white rice but also was sometimes fried rice or some sort of pasta. The proteins typically was various fish but they would also have beef, pork, or chicken cooked in different ways. Sometimes super special like for the last lunch before winter break my area would serve a whole baked chicken drumstick as a special end-of-year/Christmas treat. They also would do egg omelets or tamago yaki ( 卵焼き , たまごやき ) which literally translates to fried egg and are actually slightly sweet in flavor.

Oh! Speaking of eggs, here's a random joke. How long ago did Japanese people start eating eggs? A long tamago! (You know 'ta-ma-go' like 'time ago'? :D What? I thought it was funny!)

For vegetables, they would typically be variations of salads. Most commonly with cucumbers, carrots, lettuce or cabbage, bean sprouts, etc. And often using sesame oil or goma abura ( 胡麻油 , ごまあぶら ) for dressing. They would sometimes add shirasu ( しらす ) which are the super tiny fish that are popular in Japan. They would also sometimes add, -cough- ruin with -cough-, natto but thankfully that did not happen a lot.

For soups, it was usually miso soup. Shocker, right? XD But there were others as well. The one I found most entertaining is their alphabet soup. Reason being is because they call it ABC soup. ^____^ And sometimes when I would eat with the kids on days with ABC soup, they would start taking out letters to make English words on their plates. XD As for sides, they were sometimes fruit, bread, or little tarts. Or pudding, ice cream, or jello. Not every day but every once and a while.

For a good sampling of school lunch trays, check out this blog post.

That's all for this update! :) Coming up is Ojiro's apology to Hitoshi, Izuku gets a start in the studio, and more internship talk. Until then, be well and let me know of typos or weirdness! (Also, I'm still behind on comments but I am reading them and will get back to you as soon as I can!) Ta!

Chapter 19: Calm Before The Storm

Notes:

It's that time of the week again! :D This update brings us friend times and school work. Let's just jump right in, yeah? ^___^

Linktree to all the things!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Hitoshi finished changing and was about to head out for his first official Hero training session when he felt a tap on his shoulder. Upon turning around, he found the blonde boy with the tail looking nervous for some reason. But why? Was it because he was new? Or did it have to do with his Quirk? It wouldn’t surprise him if it was the latter. Brainwashing had made a lot of people nervous and fearful for what he could potentially do with it. Even if he had only ever wanted to use it to help others rather than hurt them.

The other boys had left the room while Hitoshi waited for the tail wielder to speak. He was the one who silently asked for his attention after all. But moments passed and nothing was said between them. Wanting to speed things up so as not to be late for his first official training, Hitoshi asked, “Can I help you with something?”

There was a moment of hesitation to reply. Brief and quickly covered with words but still there as the blonde blurted out, “I need to apologize to you.”

Purple eyes widened in shock as the boy before him bowed to emphasize his words. Hitoshi blinked at the unexpected action before asking, “Why?”

As far as he knew, he had never interacted with the blonde before now. Maybe they could have during the first two rounds of the Sports Festival, but nothing really stuck out to him. There had been so many people and so many things happening all at once that a lot of it was a blur now.

“I acted very disrespectful to you during the festival,” the other explained while still bowing. “I warned others of your Quirk before their one-on-one matches with you to give them an edge.”

The brainwasher quirked a confused brow at that. Warning others of what he knew didn’t seem disrespectful to him. After all, he and Izuku had discussed all of the Hero Course students’ Quirks before the festival. Using his friend’s analysis to give them their best chances possible to hold out until the end.

“So, what does that have to do with ‘disrespecting’ me?” Hitoshi questioned, still confused. The blonde peeked up with his own confused expression. “I was warned about all of you by Izuku before the festival. Knowing what you’re up against is just strategy.”

“I know,” the other boy said as he cast his head back down. “But I didn’t warn everyone. I only warned the ones in my class and then Midoriya only because he was a semi-finalist. And I only warned them about you because I thought your Quirk was…shady.”

The purple haired teen was startled by that. Sure, he figured that they had been warned before their matches since Tokoyami and Bakugou had both come to the fight with prior knowledge of what his Quirk could be. As did Shiozaki but they had been on the same team during the Cavalry Battle. But he had thought it was just word of mouth to help a classmate, not because his Quirk was seen as ‘shady’. Being too close to ‘Villainous’ to his liking.

“At the time, I thought I was helping,” the bowed blonde continued. “But then Midoriya called me out on my Quirkist stupidity and made me realize what I did was wrong. I wanted to apologize since for my actions against you. It was wrong of me to judge you by your Quirk. I’m sorry for discriminating against you like that. You don’t have to forgive me but I sincerely look forward to working with you.”

Purple eyes stared owlishly at the boy still bowed in front of him. That’s has got to be hurting him right now. But still the blonde persisted to remain bent over to push his sincerity further for his apology. The first Hitoshi had ever gotten from another person who had judged him but realized they were wrong. With Izuku’s help of course.

Damn. The Green Bean deserves a medal of honor or something for all that he’s done to help me and others to be better.

He should get his friend a thank-you gift for everything he’s done for him. Telling him his Quirk was heroic. Being his friend. Defending him against others without saying a word. Seriously, Izuku is just the embodiment of a Hero. As if it was his destiny to be one no matter what. Maybe, he could get him Hero merch? Nah, he has so much of that already. Perhaps some notebooks or new pens. Maybe a sketchbook? He’ll have to think about it. For now, he needed to address the boy in front of him.

“I knew that some had been warned of my Quirk,” Hitoshi said. “But I didn’t know it was for that specific reason.”

The bowed teen’s fists clenched in anticipation.

“I’m not going to lie that it stings you thought that,” the brainwasher continued, earning a flinch from the other. “Growing up I was always labeled a Villain for my Quirk until I met Izuku. But you are the first to ever apologize. Which I accept by the way and want to thank you for.”

Surprised black eyes peeked up at him as the blonde said, “Really?”

“Really. Now please stop bowing,” Hitoshi said to which the other did as told without being brainwashed. “Let’s just start over. I’m Shinsou Hitoshi.”

He bowed his head in greeting. The blonde gave a relieved smile and said, “I’m Ojiro Mashirao. Thank you for accepting my apology and I look forward to working with you.”

“Ditto,” the purple haired teen replied with a soft smirk as Ojiro gave him a smaller bow. “Now, let’s get going. Don’t want to make Aizawa-sensei wait.”

A flash of fear appeared in the tail boy’s black eyes and he quickly nodded before they both left the changing room. Being the last to arrive they were quickly captured in their teacher’s scarf and chastised for being late. Ojiro was quick to claim responsibility and explained he needed to apologize to Hitoshi. He was going to explain for what but the brainwasher was quick to interrupt him with saying the situation was handled.

The Quirked red eyes of their teacher eyed the pair but neither gave him further explanation. Thankfully Ojiro didn’t try to give explanation again after Hitoshi had stopped him. Because while the brainwasher didn’t want to throw his new maybe friend under the bus after he had apologized so sincerely. As a result, they were charged to run some laps around the gym as punishment for being late before they could join the training.

They gratefully started their laps and used the time to warm up as well as get to know each other more. He shared his love of cats and cycling. Even though the latter he hadn’t been able to enjoy for years from bouncing around between foster home and not having a bicycle. While learning that Ojiro had studied martial arts for years. Starting out as a hobby and then pursued as training to become a Hero. All in all, the laps may have been a punishment but they allowed the two to get to know each other and let any past grievances become water under the bridge.

~~~

Chaos was what Izuku found upon entering the Support studio but what else was new? Mei being Mei had once again managed to make something explode and Maijima was scolding her for it. The greenette let out a huff of amusement at the scene as he closed the door behind him and walked into the room. The other people were working away at their various projects as he made his way to where they kept the overalls and put a pair on. He then walked over to his friend who was getting a lecture that would go in one ear and out the other.

“What did you blow up this time, Mei-chan?” Izuku asked as he approached.

At the sound of his voice, the student and teacher turned to him. The pinkette squealed that her friend was there and proceeded to glomp him with no care that she was smudged with grease and soot. Thank goodness he had put on the overalls before coming over. While Maijima gave him a nod in greeting.

“Izuku! You’re here!” Mei cheered as she released him. “I thought you would be busy with Hero training and wouldn’t come here until later.”

“Well, kind of hard to train when most of my stuff is broken,” Izuku replied with a sad smile. “Aizawa-sensei said I could come here instead of training to give me as much time as possible to work on them.”

“Yes, we discussed it and decided it would be best for you to utilize your time,” Maijima interjected. “You’ll be allowed to come here during the afternoon classes this week. You have a lot of work ahead of you and we as teachers of UA want you to have the time and opportunity to be as prepared as possible for the internships.”

“And I’m going to help you, of course,” Mei added as she slung an arm around his shoulders. “With the two of us working on your babies, we’ll restock your arsenal in no time!”

Arsenal, huh? I like the sound of that.

Izuku smiled gratefully at his friend while Maijima looked as if he was about to protest but shut his mouth again in thought. Perhaps thinking that having the pinkette turn her hyper focus to helping him may quell her penchant for chaos. Which was naive hopeful thinking on his part because Mei would be chaos incarnate no matter what she turned her focus on. It was just…Mei.

Rather than say anything more about Mei helping him, Maijima beckoned Izuku to follow him to go over his remaining salvageable Support Items from the confrontation. The greenette followed the man while Mei returned to her still smoking baby. The teacher walked him through his Support Items as he took out each one or, for some, what was left of them. His left glove, fire mask, goggles, and belt were fine. Including his array of bombs, extra cartridges for fuel and tape, and all the other various tools and supplies in his belt. But his Jet shoes, Tape gun, shield, electric escrima rods, and his right glove were broken beyond repair.

“We had a meeting this morning to inform the staff of what happened,” the Excavation Hero said as he walked the student through the box. “The teachers have been warned to make sure Bakugou keeps away from you. We will also crack down on any Quirk discrimination or bullying that occurs. Please come to a teacher if you ever have any more issues with that.”

“Of course, Maijima-sensei,” Izuku replied, really appreciating that UA was a school of its word with its zero-tolerance policy. “And thank you. For going through my box. I really appreciate it.”

“It was no trouble,” Maijima said with a dismissive wave of his large hand. “It was the least I could do for you after what you went through. And, even though you’re not in my homeroom anymore, you’re still my student.”

The shorter man reached up and ruffled his green curls much like a lot of teachers have been doing lately. Not that Izuku didn’t mind. In fact, he kind of liked the affectionate attention but it was just different from before. His past teachers had treated him with derision and distain. Doing anything they could to push him down and put him in a bad light. But the teachers of UA cared and they showed it through their words and actions. It made the greenette smile.

“So, what do you have planned for this week?” Maijima asked as he retracted his hand.

At that question, Izuku pulled out his notebook and showed the man his ideas. A revamp of his Jet shoes which were by far his favorite because they gave him such good mobility. Plus, skating around on air was really fun. He wanted to tweak his fire mask and goggles a little but for the most part they were good. He wanted to remake his escrima rods but with sturdier material. His shield he wasn’t sure about but would leave it for a later time. His gloves he was retiring because he had learned firsthand, his right specifically, what happens when they malfunction. As for his Tape gun and as a replacement for his gloves, the Quirkless boy had an idea. Along with a few other ideas he wanted to explore.

The Support teacher looked over his notes and approved of his plans before shooing him off to get to work. The greenette bowed to his teacher in thanks, grabbed his box, and made his way over to Mei who was elbows deep in her baby. He placed his box on the station next to his friend and unpacked the items inside. Separating the gadgets that had ‘made it’ from the ones that were almost unrecognizable.

“Oof, your poor babies,” Mei said as she eyed his damaged Support Items. “He really did a number on them, huh?”

“Yeah, he did,” Izuku replied with a sad tone. “And this is more of the censored version. It was a lot worse before.”

A pink eyebrow twitched in anger while she wore a strained smile. A subtle flicker of the ire within her for the sake of his broken babies. Small and unnoticeable by most but Izuku wasn’t just anyone. He was her best friend and so he knew how to read her well.

“I know you’re probably planning some kind of revenge right now, Mei-chan,” the greenette said with a stern look. “But you can’t go attacking Bakugou for what he did. He’s already getting punished for it. Besides, it would just land you in suspension too.”

Green eyes stared into yellow earnestly until the pinkette relented with a sigh, “Fine, I won’t sick my babies on him. Even though he deserves it for attacking you like that.”

“I figured you would think that way,” Izuku responded. “Which is why I waited to tell you what happened. Know you would probably go on a rampage after him.”

“You know me so well,” Mei snickered because it was true. She would have so totally done just that without a second thought. “But that won’t stop me from imagining it.”

“Mei-chan, please don’t,” the greenette signed in exasperation.

“I can see it now,” Mei said with a presenting wave of her hand. “Bakugou hanging from the rafters like a pinata from my Capture Gun and your tape. He would make great target practice like that.”

“Mei-chan, no!” Izuku exclaimed in protest but couldn’t stop the giggle that escaped him.

He couldn’t help but laugh at the mental image of a raging Bakugou struggling in the air. Like an enraged fly caught in a web. Something he could clearly see with the memory of seeing him captured by Aizawa when he and Yamada had come to save him from his bully. Wriggling around on the ground tied up like a ham but with no chance to escape.

Considering the laughing as a win, Mei redirected the conversation back to her favorite subject as she said, “So, what is the plan for your babies?”

“Oh, right!” the greenette said as he showed her his notebook.

He walked her through his plans and what he wanted to have her work on and what he wanted to do himself. For her, to start he wanted her to remake his escrima rods with some proposed improvements. He also asked if it was okay for her to make a bomb version of her Capture Gun to add to his many others in his belt. Mei took her assignments with glee and assured him that basing off a new baby from one of her own was more than okay. She eagerly started working using his noted designs.

As for Izuku, his first priority were his Jet shoes. He had a lot of noted changes he wanted to make and perhaps into more of a whole shoe or boot rather than just an attachment. The original design he would still remake after the internship week as an emergency set for impromptu situations, but for now the upgrade version was his focus.

His goggles, mask, and belt were going to remain mostly unchanged. Though he did want to tweak some things and restock his belt. His shield and Tape gun were being shelfed for now and he was permanently retiring the gloves. One scarred hand was enough for him. But he had an idea to replace both his gun and his gloves with one Support Item. Based off a technology that already existed and was being used by a Pro Hero, but redesigned for his own needs and preferences. Because Japan was too hot and humid to wear a scarf all year around like a certain someone.

There was one more project he wanted to work on that week which would require help from Maijima. He needed the teacher to help him get access to the technical specs on that tablet he had used during the USJ attack. It had been very handy for communication as well as knowing where everyone was. His thought was to develop a version of his own that could be used for tracking purposes. The specifics of which he was still trying to figure out.

With plans in motion, the two friends worked diligently for the next two class periods. Slowly rebuilding some of his arsenal from scratch and setting a groundwork for them to stand on. Time flew by until the bell for the last period of the day rang and the two were forced to stop briefly to attend the end of day meeting. Most students moved to change into their uniforms with plans to go home. But knowing that they would be back, Mei and Izuku were given permission to remain in their overalls.

Before the pair left, Izuku remembered that Shouto wanted to redesign his costume. He informed Maijima that the element wielder would be stopping by with the submission form and that they wanted to include his notes with it for Shouto’s Support Item. The teacher acknowledged and made a note to pull up the various files after homeroom. He shooed the two teens out of the studio and locked it before following behind the students as they all headed off to their respective classrooms.

After splitting off from the Support teacher and student, it didn’t take Izuku long to make it to 1-A. The classroom was partially occupied as the students were trickling back from the changing room. He was surprised at first that Tenya wasn’t one of the first ones back, but then he thought that the class president was probably making sure everyone got back in a timely manner. He was a stickler for that sort of thing.

While waiting for the rest of the class to arrive, Izuku received a text on his phone. Upon taking it out of his pocket, he saw that it was from All Might. The greenette unlocked his phone to find a message asking if he was free after homeroom to have the earlier requested talk. The teen replied that he was and texted Mei that he would be a bit late to the studio because a teacher wanted to talk to him. But also assuring her that he would get back as soon as he could after hearing what Yagi had to say. His friend replied with a picture of her giving a thumbs up as he received another text from the Hero stating where to meet him. The greenette was putting his phone away when he found himself suddenly being scolded.

“Midoriya-kun, you are out of uniform,” Tenya reprimanded upon seeing his attire as he entered the room. “Students are to be in full uniform for class outside of training. I insist that you go and change at once.”

Izuku let out an exasperated sigh before replying, “I have permission from Maijima-sensei to be dressed like this, Tenya-kun. I’ll be going right back to the studio after this so there was no point to change. And I’ll probably be doing this for the rest of the week.”

The engine user stopped short at that before bowing as he said, “I see. Apologies. Please continue to do as you have been instructed.”

The greenette nodded as his friend took his seat. Behind him came Ochako who commented, “Wow, Mido. Those are some grubby threads.”

“Well, you know, making Support Items can get messy,” Izuku responded with a shrug. “Rather get these dirty and not my uniform.”

“True, true,” she said as she sat down. “So, how was the studio? Tenya mentioned that’s where you were instead of training.”

“Oh, it’s going great!” Izuku replied cheerfully. “Mei-chan and I got a head start on working on my Support Items. I’ll be going right back after this meeting. There’s only a week before the internships and I have a lot of work to do.”

“Wow, guess you’re going to be busy in the studio this week, huh?” the brunette said before giving him a playful pout. “Darn, I was looking forward to training with you but I guess that’ll have to wait.”

“Yeah, sorry about that,” he said with an apologetic smile. “Maybe near the end of the week I’ll join to at least test the finished pieces. But we’ll just have to see how this week goes. Though it should go faster with Mei-chan’s help.”

Ochako gave an approving hum with a smile as the bell rang. All the students were quick to get to their seats and sit in silence as Aizawa entered the room. The end of day homeroom meeting began same as it had in his previous class but with different student leaders. Tenya and Yaoyorozu ran through the usual routine before turning control over to Aizawa and returning to their seats.

“Now then, more about your internships,” the tired man said from where he stood at the podium. “They will last for one week. I want to reiterate to think hard on your decisions. Not all agencies will be a good fit whether by the type of Hero work they do or the combination of Quirks. Such as Thirteen who would choose to focus on rescue rather than fighting Villains. So, don’t pick just any placement for your internships. Use this time to think over your decisions.”

With that, he slipped into his sleeping bag and closed his eyes for a nap leaving the class to their devices. Everyone took out their respective lists of offers or the list of optional agencies for those who didn’t. Even Hitoshi and Izuku did despite already knowing they would be interning under Aizawa. The list the greenette had was short especially compared to Shouto’s number of offers. But even so it was still something.

Looking over the offers, he noticed that many of them were from the teachers. His various mentors as well as a handful of the others like Cementoss, Ectoplasm, and Midnight. Most likely as signs of support because he was sure they knew he was off limits being claimed by Eraserhead already. All Might’s name wasn’t there but it didn’t surprise him too much. Besides, what could the strong Quirked man teach him how to be a Quirkless Hero when he hadn’t believed it was possible. Though hopefully Izuku had managed to change his mind after having won the Sports Festival. Guess he would find out within the next hour or so during their meeting.

There were a handful of other names from Heroes of various levels in the rankings. From lesser-known Heroes such as Mr. Brave to more well-known ones like Fat Gum. There was even one from Ms. Joke who he could see himself getting along with since they shared a sense of humor. It would be nice to maybe meet her in person one day.

But for now, Izuku’s choice of internship placement was already decided. Which he was fine with because Eraserhead had a similar approach to fighting that the Quirkless boy did. Through physical training as well as the use of Support Items. He could learn a lot from the man who’s only Quirked advantage was the ability to erase most other’s Quirks for a short period of time. Because they both had to train their bodies to make up for the lack of Quirked strength.

Hitoshi could also learn a lot from the Underground Hero since he wanted to become one himself. Skills in stealth and espionage. Brainwashing would be perfect for that kind of work. Plus, the anonymity of the Underground would do well with keeping his Quirk as much a secret as possible. The less people knew about it the more effective of a Hero Hitoshi could be.

The coming week was going to be hell, no doubt about that. The last month of training under Aizawa had been but the two aspiring Heroes had enjoyed every second of it. Because all the hard work and harsh training had been a means to an end. Push themselves past their limits to achieve their shared goals to become Heroes. Both willing to do whatever it took to reach that goal no matter how uphill of a battle it was.

But even though he knew under who he would be interning, it was fun to see who he could have gone with instead. Any of the Heroes who had made offers to him could teach the greenette something valuable about being a Hero. Helping him add yet more tools to his belt. Because as Aizawa said during the USJ attack, ‘you can’t be a Pro Hero with only one trick up your sleeve’. Having a variety of skills was important to being an effective Hero.

Izuku may not be able to choose where he was interning, but he was grateful that Aizawa had given him the list. The greenette may have had the disparaging thought that they were made because he was UA’s charity case or just to get the opportunity to see the Quirkless teen up close. But after having looked over the offers and seeing exactly who had made them, Izuku found himself thinking otherwise. Because in his research of Heroes as well as getting to know some of them, the ones on his list he knew to be good Heroes and people in general.

The fact that those Heroes made him offers gave him hope. They were ones who seemed to be Heroes to help others rather than for fame or money. Perhaps he could do as Aizawa had said and consider them ‘potential allies in the future’. Because maybe, just maybe, their offers were genuine even though a small voice in the back of his mind kept bringing the possibility they weren’t. Mistrust simmering just below the surface due to years of hoping for the best only to get the rug pulled out from under him again and again. Negative thoughts always at war with his optimistic side.

Maybe that was something Inui-sensei could help with once Izuku started his therapy with him. One of many things actually. Who knows what kinds of problems a childhood like his could cause? Though he was sure that Hound Dog would be able to ‘sniff’ them out. The greenette chuckled quietly to his internal pun. But seriously, he was looking forward to starting the therapy sessions. Because they had really helped after the USJ attack which made him hopeful that they would do wonders for the years of mistreatment from his past teachers and peers.

With a hopeful and satisfied smile, Izuku looked over his list once more before putting it away in his bag. Planning to share it with his mother when he got home to show her who was interested in him. Once the list was safe in his bag, green eyes turned to his friends to see how they were doing.

Beside him, Ochako was staring intensely at her list scribbling little marks here and there probably working on narrowing down her choices. In front of her, Tenya was already writing down a choice on his submission form and Izuku wondered who he had chosen and why. Hopefully nowhere near Hosu because Stain was still in operation there but then again, it was where his brother was hospitalized. Which could influence his decision but Izuku at least wasn’t too worried his friend would go after the Hero Killer.

Tenya had been acting a bit different from normal but that was understandable considering what had happened to his brother. But the greenette felt no fury from him, only remorse for the elder Iida son being injured and out of commission for a time. It didn’t entirely keep him from worrying about his friend though. Because grief could be a powerful motivator whether positively or not. And with Tenya…he did have a tendency to jump the gun like when he makes his snap assumptions.

The greenette made a mental note to check in with his friend sometime during the week. The engine user had said he was fine but that didn’t mean he actually was. Which again would be understandable because his brother had been attacked by a Villain. One who had hurt but then helped him. Who very much regretted his actions and had been forced into that unexpected situation. Though the only ones who knew to what extent was Izuku and the Hero Killer himself.

If Tenya did choose Hosu to be close to his brother, there was one thing that lessened Izuku’s worrying for his friend. The fact that Chizome had said on multiple occasions that he did not target children and had even chastised the League of Villains for doing so during the USJ. Because at least it meant the Villain did not go after children when it came to his mission. So, even if Tenya did pick Hosu and just so happened to run into Stain, there was a chance he would not be hurt. Slim but still there.

Izuku shook himself out of his thoughts because there wasn’t much use contemplating the ‘what if’s of the future. Only time would tell how the story of their lives would play out. Instead, he turned to see what Shouto was up to. Green eyes spied that Hitoshi had already put his list away and was resting his head on his arms on his desk. Probably sneaking in a nap much like their teacher was.

They are so alike it’s almost scary. Maybe there is some weight behind Shouto-kun’s theory that they’re related.

He let out a huff of amusement as he turned his focus on the conspiracy theorist himself who was sitting quietly at his desk with his eyes closed. Izuku saw that he had already filled out his form and green eyes peeked over curiously to see who he had chosen. Only for him to frown to see that it was the one person he wished his friend could get away from.

“Um, Shouto-kun?” Izuku said, earning a replied hum and the peaking open of a grey eye. “Are you, uh, sure that you want to intern with…him?”

The greenette nodded his head toward the sheet of paper with the name of the Number Two Hero written down as his first choice. Two tone eyes opened fully as he looked down at his submission form and was quiet for a moment in thought.

“Yeah, I am,” Shouto replied with a sigh. “It’ll be annoying and he’ll think he was finally ‘winning’ against my ‘rebellion’. Which he isn’t. But, if I am to learn to use my left side, who better but the man that my fire came from?”

Grey and blue eyes looked into green trying to convey his feelings. Not exactly wanting to go to his old man for anything but knowing deep down that it was the best option for him at this time. Which Izuku reluctantly had to agree with because he would be the most knowledgeable of what Shouto’s fire side was capable of. Would be able to teach him as a fellow fire wielder with an almost identical Quirk. Not ideal because it was with his abusive father but the practicality couldn’t be ignored.

“Who are you going with?” Ochako asked from behind him curiously due to the somewhat tense atmosphere.

“Endeavor,” Shouto replied flatly with no excitement.

“Number Two Hero, huh?” she said with an impressed nod. “Wow, that’s probably the highest ranked offering in the class. But then again, he is your dad so it makes sense that he would offer, right?”

“Mhm,” the element wielder responded simply.

“How about you, Ochako-chan?” Izuku asked to shift the focus off of Shouto.

“I’m going to go for the Battle Hero Gunhead,” she answered with an enthusiastic air punch and determined grin. “I ultimately want to be a rescue Hero but after my fight against Bakugou, I realized that I should probably get more battle training just in case. Like the stronger I am, the more possibilities I’ll have. Plus, I could get a different perspective from learning under a battle Hero than I would if I only focused on rescue.”

“Oh, that makes a lot of sense,” the greenette commented. “It would be another tool to your belt like me and my Support Items. Good choice!”

“Thanks!” she replied brightly. “So, you’re going to be interning with Aizawa-sensei, huh? That’s gonna be tough.”

“Oh, not really,” Izuku countered with a dismissive gesture. “Hitoshi-kun and I have been training with him and Yamada-sensei for a while actually. They helped us train for the Sports Festival. So, it shouldn’t be much different from that.”

That tidbit caught the attention of those around him who were surprised at yet another revelation about two newest classmates. Curious ears listened in as Ochako asked, “You have? Why?”

“Because Aizawa-sensei saw us training since the first day,” the greenette explained. “He overheard our plan to place high and hoped to transfer like he had. So, he wanted to help us so we could do the same.”

“Well, that’s unexpected,” Tsuyu chimed in from her seat. “Aizawa-sensei doesn’t seem the type to pick up more teaching responsibility considering he naps more often than not. But he does push us to go Plus Ultra a lot. Though usually through his ‘logical ruses’, kero.”

“Or actual threats of expulsion,” Tenya interjected bringing up memories of their first day that had ended with 1-A losing not one but two students.

Izuku had only heard second hand what had happened. That the lowest scoring student had been expelled on their first day for not taking the Quirk apprehension test seriously. Then Mineta had been removed from the Hero Course for being a sneaky little pervert and had most likely been placed in General Studies. Though Aizawa had told them he had expelled him before which was a lie. But the short purple haired teen may very well be now for what he had tried to do during the festival. Who was to say how Mineta’s talk with Nezu as a final warning would turn out?

Wanting to changed the subject, Izuku asked, “What Hero are you going to request, Tenya-kun?”

The engine user looked at his paper before replying, “Originally I was going to intern under my brother since being Pro Heroes is a family business for us. But there’s obviously been a change of plans after he was attacked. However, I would like to be close to my brother while he’s in the hospital, so I’ve decided to choose something in Hosu.”

I figured as much.

“Are you sure that’s safe?” Tsuyu asked. “The Hero Killer is still active there, kero.”

Izuku flinched at her bluntness. He already knew she was one to speak her mind but she could use to learn to be more tactful than that. Because a lack of sensitivity like that wouldn’t be helpful in a situation dealing with victims.

“I am aware of that,” Tenya replied after taking a steadying breath. “However, the chances of running into him are slim and I have no intention of going after him myself. Besides, no matter what Hero I intern under, I will surely gain valuable experience.”

“That is a good way to think about it,” Yaoyorozu chimed in from across the classroom. “We’re all bound to learn something about being a Pro Hero next week no matter who we choose.”

More or less, Izuku thought, knowing that not all Pros were the best examples of Heroes.

“Who are you considering, Yaoyorozu-san?” the greenette asked.

“I’m not sure quite yet,” the creation girl replied. “But I was considering a few such as Uwabami.”

That would be one of the less.

“I don’t think she would be a good fit for you,” Izuku stated, gaining a confused expression from her. “Mostly Quirk wise because yours and hers are very different.”

There was also another reason to not go with the Snake Hero. As of late, she seemed to be putting more effort into being a celebrity than a Hero. Focusing more on modeling and acting in commercials in lieu of patrols. She would still do Hero work of course but to him it seemed to take a back seat to her other activities. Also, he questioned her choice of Hero suit because it was basically just a dress with heals and didn’t seem practical or protective.

Though she did focus more on rescue than straight out fighting. Her Quirk, Serpentress, allowed her to utilize the enhanced senses of the three snakes living on her head. Together they could find missing disaster victims as well as locate hidden enemies. But still, even rescue missions can be dangerous while she is literally walking through rubble in heels with little protection from her dress.

“That is true,” Yaoyorozu conceded as she looked at her list again. “Though I don’t know of anyone with a Quirk similar to my Creation.”

“May I?” Izuku asked gesturing for her list.

“Oh, yes, of course,” she answered as she handed over the paper.

“Hmm…” the greenette uttered as he perused her offers. She had good number of ones that would be better than Uwabami, but there was one that stuck out as a good choice for her. “I think the best for you would be Fat Gum.”

“Fat Gum?” Yaoyorozu asked as he handed the paper back. “Why him?”

“Your Quirk uses your lipids to convert into matter, right?” Izuku inquired earning a surprised nod from the creation girl. “Then that means you need to consume a lot of food to build up the lipids you lose when you use it. Fat Gum has to do something similar since his Quirk necessitates for him to constantly eat to keep up his fat stores. You would probably learn more from him that Uwabami.”

“I see. So, that’s what Aizawa-sensei meant when thinking about our Quirks,” Yaoyorozu said before giving him a bow. “Thank you, Midoriya-kun. I’ll take that into consideration.”

“You’re welcome!” Izuku chirped, happy to help.

“You sure know a lot about Quirks, kero,” Tsuyu commented as he turned her way.

“What can I say,” Izuku responded with a shrug. “I may not have one but I’ve always found them fascinating. There are so many different kinds and each of them have lots of ways they could be used. It’s also good to figure out the weaknesses too so they can either be taken advantage of in a fight or have prevention measures in place just in case. As well as learning the strengths to be honed to become even stronger.”

“Oh, yeah, we had talked about that during the USJ,” Tsuyu said bluntly once again. “About how the Villains were probably stronger in the water and that if they had known our Quirks they would have put me in the fire zone. That’s partially why I’m aiming for a placement near water, kero.”

“That would be a good fit,” the greenette replied, side stepping the uncomfortable subject. “Though I wonder if you would have to consider the type of water? Because most frogs stay in freshwater and since your Quirk is Frog I wonder if that extends to you. But then again, you’re human so maybe saltwater possibly doesn’t affect you the same.”

“Thank you,” the frog girl said. “And I can go in fresh or saltwater. My family and I have swum in the ocean before. But it does tend to dry out my skin more than freshwater.”

“I see,” Izuku said with an intrigued smile having learned something knew about her Quirk.

He had more questions he wanted to ask but the bell for the end of homeroom rang marking the end of the school day. Well, for most people. Izuku still had his meeting with All Might and then working in the studio until Maijima would eventually kick them out. Mostly for their own health but also his sanity from having to deal with Mei’s antics. The students packed up their bags as Aizawa left for the teacher’s room. Izuku was zipping up his backpack to bring to the studio when Shouto crossed the short distance between their desks.

“I’m going to the Support studio to submit my form,” the bi-color teen stated as he shifted closer to his friend to subtly link their pinkies together. “Would you like to walk together?”

“I would love to,” the greenette replied with a short squeeze of his finger. “But I have to meet with a teacher before I go back to the studio. Sorry.”

“Oh,” Shouto said with a hint of dejection. “Who?”

“Um, Yagi-sensei?” Izuku answered though it sounded more like a question. He figured he could have said All Might but he didn’t know if the Hero would be in his buffed-up form or not.

“Yagi-sensei?” Shouto asked, not familiar with that teacher.

“He’s a teacher I’ve discussed analysis with before,” Izuku explained. “He wants to talk with me about something but I’m not sure what.”

“Ah,” the element wielder responded simply.

His expression was mostly blank but Izuku could see he was disappointed that they wouldn’t be able to walk together. Probably another dampener on the situation on top of not being able to finish his Support Item himself. As well as not being able to help him redesign his costume. Which Izuku would have loved to do but he was just too busy right now. Hopefully the Support company did a good job with whatever Shouto requested.

“I really would have liked to walk with you,” Izuku insisted with a pinkie squeeze. “I’m not sure how long I’ll be with Yagi-sensei but it shouldn’t be too long. If you, um, wanted to wait for me in the studio? You don’t have to though if you have something you need to do. So, I would totally understand if you left early. And I…”

“I’ll wait for you,” Shouto interjected into his ramble.

Green eyes widened in surprise as he said, “Really?”

“Of course,” Shouto replied. “I’ll always wait for you.”

The greenette blushed at the sincerity of that statement that his friend said so casually. Merely giving a nod and pleased hum in reply. Around them the others had finished packing up and the students of 1-A trickled out of the class in packs. Some left to go home while others headed for various training facilities.  Hitoshi and his other friends bid their goodbyes leaving Shouto and Izuku behind. The pair walked together through the halls before eventually parting ways for their respective destinations of the studio or assigned meeting room.

It was time to find out what All Might wanted to talk to him about.

Notes:

Ojiro has finally apologized! Again, I know that in canon him warning Midoriya wasn't really that bad, but it still kind of bothered me. Plus, I made it worse with him warning only the 1-A peeps who went up against him and then Izuku. A combo of prejudice and favoritism. But he finally got to apologize and they're all good now!

The rebuilding of Izuku's arsenal has begun! Several of the inventions will remain the same, but I've got some changes in mind. I'll make a post of the Hosu arc support items when we get to that point. I've got the 2.0 version of the shoes already sketched out and I'm excited to share. ^___^

Izuku has the support of the teachers. And their care and affection. FYI, teachers in Japan are more affectionate and tactile with students. Like fist bumps, hair ruffles, and such. Personally I wasn't comfortable being too tactile with students just because that's kind of drilled into my head not to from my education training. But I too would share handshakes, high fives, and fist bumps with the kids. Like the jellyfish one but saying it in Japanese that I shared in a previous chapter. I did get a few hugs though very sparingly.

Internship talk! We got some of the other's placement choices. Tenya's motivation for choosing Hosu is different than in canon since Tensei will make a recovery. But I feel that he would still choose Hosu to be close to his brother. That and plot convenience. :P You'll see. I also feel so sorry for canon Yaoyorozu for going with Uwabami so I'm fixing it. How it will affect future events I'm not sure but I'd like her internship to be more worthwhile than a commercial. Though Kendo will still end up with her. Sorry Kendo.

Fun Facts About Japan:

This is a more mundane fact about the typical classroom set up in Japan. At least as far as junior high schools go. When you're watching school centric animes, the classrooms shown are generally what they look like in real life. Desks for the students though the arrangement of the groups and rows would vary from class to class. A front desk or podium for the teacher to use while teaching or lecturing. Also sometimes another desk for the homeroom teacher to use but not always. In the front are typically two cabinets with a blackboard in between. Those cabinets would hold various supplies such as the students' subject folders, or files as they call them. As well as the outfits for those on lunch serving duty consisting of a white hat and coat paired with a mask and sometimes gloves.

In the back there's another cabinet for the cleaning supplies like brooms, rags, buckets for water, dust bins, and brushes. There are also cubbies in the back for the students to store their bags and books during the school day. In MHA specifically, those cubbies are the teal ones in the back of the classroom which is why we don't see their bags during class. They store them to keep the aisles clear and prevent tripping over bags. But also for animating convenience as well. XD

That's all for this week! Coming up is the meeting with All Might. Let's just say it goes as well as you would expect. But that's for next update! Until then, suffer in your anticipation and let me know of typos or weirdness! Have a good week!

Chapter 20: When It Rains It Pours

Notes:

Welcome back, dear readers! I hope you didn't suffer too much this last week. ;) It's time for the meeting with All Might! And guess what? We're getting a double update! :D Because I just had so much to unpack in this meeting. But I'm sure there are no complaints for more content. ^___^

Warning for manga spoilers. Talk of the origins of One For All and All For One. More than has been revealed in the anime so far. Just so ya know.

Linktree to all the things! This includes the discord, tumblr, and more! Join if you'd like! :D

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

It didn’t take Izuku long to find the room where Yagi had texted to meet him. There were several meeting rooms available near the teachers’ room to hold, well, meetings but also to receive guests like parents or other officials. Izuku found the one specified in the text and quietly knocked on the door to announce his presence. From behind it he heard a muffled ‘come in’ before he opened the door.

Upon entering the room, Izuku was met with Yagi in his skeletal form dressed in an oversized dark blue business suit with a white button up shirt and blue tie. He was seated on a green couch that had a table next to it and a stool on the other side. On the table was a hot water dispenser, a box of tea bags, and two tea cups.

“Ah, young Midoriya, please come in and take a seat,” Yagi said with a beckoning gesture.

The greenette nodded as he closed the door behind him and then went to sit on the stool so he wouldn’t get the couch dirty with his overalls. The Hero busied himself with making them both tea as he did so and placed his backpack next to him. Once settled the teen accepted the steaming cup from the man and blew on the tea before taking a careful sip.

“Thank you for agreeing to meet with me, young Midoriya,” Yagi said after taking a drink of his own tea. “I know you are very busy and are probably going to be working in the studio judging by your attire.”

“Yes, sir,” Izuku replied with a nod. “Mei-chan and I are working on rebuilding my Support Items so I’ll be ready for the upcoming internships.”

“Ah, yes,” the man said. “I, uh, heard about what happened during the festival. I’m sorry you had to go through that, my boy.”

“It’s…fine,” the teen replied hesitantly because truthfully it wasn’t but there wasn’t anything he could do about the past. All he could do was keep moving forward. “This just gives me the opportunity to improve them.”

“A good view to have on the situation,” Yagi responded with an approving nod. “Speaking of your Support Items, I meant to ask you about a certain one of yours.”

“Oh? Which one?” Izuku asked curiously.

“The shoes,” the man replied between sips of tea. “They reminded me of something but I couldn’t figure out what exactly. So, I was wondering what inspired them.”

“Oh, those,” Izuku said with a smile and a small chuckle. “Well, I’ve been basing a lot of my Support Items on the Quirks I’ve observed. Many of them on some of the students. But others are based on Quirks I’ve analyzed before UA. Like my mask is a replication of my dad’s Fire Breath Quirk. As for the shoes, they’re based off the Quirk of an older Hero. Have you heard of Gran Torino?”

Yagi was mid drink when Izuku asked that question. At the utterance of the last two words, the skeletal man was startled into a spit-take much to the teen’s surprise. Izuku started asking if he was okay as Yagi coughed and sputtered out that he was fine. He pulled out a small hand towel and wiped up split tea intermixed with droplets of blood. The sight of which made the greenette doubt the blonde was actually fine and reminded him that the Hero before him was still suffering from injuries from a huge fight about six years ago now.

It took the skeletal man a few minutes to compose himself before asking, “H-how do you of Gran Torino?”

“I’ve been fascinated by Quirks even before I found out I didn’t have one,” Izuku explained as he eyed the trembling skeletal form of the Number One Hero. “Over the years, my research skills developed more from trial and error. Eventually I was able to find information on Heroes who didn’t have as much media coverage through forums and such. At some point I learned about a Hero who had an air manipulation Quirk and I sort of fell into a researching hole to find out all I could about him. Why? Do you know him?”

The Hero before him was shaking for some reason as he replied, “Yes, I do.”

“Really? How?” the teen asked, green eyes wide with curiosity.

“He used to teach at UA and in fact was my homeroom teacher,” Yagi answered, still shaking. “But only for one year and he’s retired now. He was also a sworn friend of my mentor and helped train me after she…passed away.”

All Might’s mentor?

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that,” Izuku said solemnly. “If you don’t mind me asking, who was she?”

The shaking lessened in intensity as the man replied, “Her name was Shimura Nana.”

A gleam of admiration shined in the Hero’s eyes as he talked about his mentor. How she was kind and beautiful with a strong sense of justice. That she had taken him under her wing and helped him on his chosen path to become the Symbol of Peace. That he had adopted her philosophy that a true Hero would smile no matter how grim the situation was. It was kind of adorable to be honest to see the man before him gushing over his own personal Hero. Reminding the greenette of himself in a way.

Shimura Nana, huh? I’ll have to research her later.

“She sounds like a great person,” Izuku said after a sip of tea.

“She was,” Yagi replied with a warm but sad smile. “After she passed, Gran Torino took over my training. He was more…intense than Nana had been.”

A shiver shot down his boney back as the man remembered the harsh training he had been through. Recalling a particular experience where the elder Hero had punched him so hard in the gut that he puked. Then had been given no chance to recover receiving an uppercut to the jaw immediately after. The school nurse had not been pleased when he had arrived to her office covered in bruises after that particular training.

“Even to this day he still terrifies me,” the skeletal man admitted. “But I know now it was necessary to make me the Hero I am today. My Quirk is a lot to handle after all. By the way, since you analyze Quirks, what do you think of mine?”

“Your Quirk?” the greenette said bringing a thoughtful hand to his chin.

There had never been anything in the media saying what exactly it was or at least that Izuku haven’t been able to find. Which was saying something because his research was thorough after years of practice. The press would ask but the Hero had always seemed to sidestep answering in some way or another. Never giving a straight answer and rather vagaries about strength or even giving joke answers. Plus, as for the Quirk registry, it was mostly kept confidential but even then, the labeling of Quirks hadn’t been as specific as it was today. Quirks back then weren’t named but merely labeled by what type mostly with brief notes of their characteristics.

“Well, I know it gives you great strength that you use to fight and maneuver,” Izuku continued, mentally recalling all he had seen and read of the Hero. Along with personal experience with the Sludge Villain. “And apparently has a transformative element since you have two different forms. This and your bluffed up one. But other than your various moves, I don’t know much else about it.”

The fact the teen didn’t know any more than that reassured the man that his secret was safe. That the public had no idea of what his Quirk was which was good because knowledge of One For All could challenge everything they knew of Quirks. Because One For All was unique in that it could be passed on like traits from parent to child, but without the necessity of a genetic connection. Instead, the Quirk could be passed on to anyone as long as the current holder wished to do so. Which the one sitting on the green couch very much wanted to.

“I see,” Yagi said as his tone turning serious. “Tell me, young Midoriya, can I trust you?”

“O-of course, All Might!” Izuku replied quickly. At least, he thought so though he had no idea where this was going.

“My Quirk is a long-guarded secret and it is one I would like to share with you,” the Hero said, gaunt blue eyes staring earnestly into curious green. “But you must promise to keep this secret for me and tell no one else. Can you do that, my boy?”

A secret about All Might’s Quirk? I wonder what it could be. It must be serious to be so secretive about it.

Whatever it was, his need to learn and understand outweighed his worry as he said, “Yes, Yagi-sensei.”

The skeletal man let out a pleased hum before he began.

“My Quirk is called One For All,” he said. “And it was not originally mine. It was passed on to me by my mentor before she passed away making me the eighth holder of this power.”

Eighth? No way.

“One For All has origins from when Quirks were first starting to manifest in our society. It was a time of turmoil and chaos as society tried to adjust to a world that suddenly had superpowers. This was before the role of Pro Hero was established and the unregulated use of Quirks was rampant.”

Izuku knew some about the beginnings of Quirks. In his research of Heroes and their origins he knew that the first had been Vigilantes who had been captured and then rehabilitated. Making them the first Heroes who preceded the ones they had today.

“Within that chaos were two brothers. The younger one, Yoichi, was the first holder of One For All and the elder, whose name has been lost to history, was known as All For One.”

One for All and All For One…it’s like the Three Musketeers.

“Yoichi was born weak and seemingly Quirkless while his brother was born with a powerful Quirk. All For One allowed him to steal and transfer Quirks as he desired. A power he used to draw in and indebt hundreds of thousands of people to him as he took and gave Quirks as either reward or punishment. Eventually he became a sort of king to the hordes of people who flocked to him. Ruling over them through manipulation and oppressive power.”

A shiver shot down Izuku’s spine because he had never heard of that part of history. But it did sound similar to a sort of Underground boogey man he had read about a few times. In the dark corners of the internet were rumors of a man with a similar power but nothing concrete. As if he didn’t really exist or, as some speculated, got rid of anyone who could confirm his existence. But there was no way they could be the same person if this All For One was from the beginning of Quirks.

“All For One saw himself as a god among men. Controlling those under him to form the world in his desired image while the people praised him for his ‘blessings’. But his brother knew that All For One held no love for them and only wanted power. That he used those ‘blessings’ to control the people as his own personal puppets to play with. A game Yoichi had refused to play for years leading to All For One forcing a Quirk on his weaker younger brother.”

Izuku listened intently at the tale even though he wasn’t sure why All Might was telling him all this.

“In an effort to gain control over his brother, All For One forcibly gave him a stockpiling Quirk to give him strength. But as it turned out Yoichi wasn’t actually Quirkless. He actually did have a Quirk but it was a passive one that only gave him the power to pass on a Quirk to another person. This power fused with the stockpiling Quirk forming One For All.”

The fact that there had been a man who could give and take Quirks was shocking enough, but for Quirks to be fused together like that was insane. It was Izuku’s first-time hearing anything like that was possible. Typically, Quirks would fuse or mutate from parent to child genetically. Like Shouto and his combination of fire and ice. Before this, Izuku was under the assumption that was the only way to get a Quirk. But now he knew there had been not one but two people with the ability to pass on a Quirk outside of genetics.

“Yoichi had a strong sense of justice and attempted to defeat his brother, but All For One was stronger and won. Ever since then, One For All has been passed on from person to person in hopes that one day it can be used to defeat All For One.”

“Wait, wait,” Izuku interjected while gesturing for the Hero to slow down. “You’re talking as if he’s still around. But that’s not possible, right?”

“All For One can steal any Quirk he desires,” Yagi replied with an even serious tone. “Over the many many years, he managed to find either healing or life lengthening Quirks to keep himself very much alive after all these years. Every successor of this power has tried and failed to defeat All For One so far. That is how my mentor died and even I went up against the Villain. It was how I got this.”

A gaunt hand gestured towards his torso where the greenette knew a twisted scar marked the Hero’s gut. A morbid souvenir from a fight All Might had kept secret for the betterment of society. An injury that was slowly sapping the strength of the Symbol of Peace and shortening his time as a Hero. Learning more about the origins of his injury was horrifying. But he was still alive which means…

“You won, right?” Izuku asked hesitantly.

“I survived, yes,” the skeletal man replied, not inspiring much hope. “And I had thought I had won for many years because any trace of All For One had disappeared after our fight. But recently, I’m not so sure. Do you remember the Noumu?”

Of course, Izuku remembered the Noumu. The creature was the stuff of nightmares. Powerful and brainless despite its brain being every much exposed. Just a mindless being with multiple Quirks who had taken orders from a man child throwing a very violent temper tantrum. Who had crushed Aizawa as if he was made of paper and had withstood against All Might punch for punch until his Shock Absorption was overwhelmed. Instead of answering, the greenette merely nodded in fear that he might puke if he opened his mouth.

“The Noumu had multiple Quirks as you and that Villain, Shigaraki, had revealed during the attack. Naturally that is not possible which leads me to believe that All For One may still be out there somewhere. As to where I don’t know but if he is alive, he may have connections with the League of Villains.”

The greenette nodded because the theory made sense considering the circumstances and evidence leading to such a conclusion. But he still didn’t know what all this had to do with him.

“Why are you telling me all this?” Izuku asked, green eyes filled with apprehensive curiosity.

“As you know, my time in my Hero form is extremely limited,” Yagi answered, steepling his boney fingers in front of him with his elbows on his knees. “The time is drawing near for me to choose my own successor much like my mentor did with me. It’s the reason why I came to work at UA in the first place on Principal Nezu’s invitation.”

That made sense. It would be a lot easier to find a good successor among the Hero students. Perhaps someone with similar values and a Quirk that could potentially have a latent strength element to explain the change in power. Because if this has been a secret for so long then it would be important to give it to someone who’s sudden gaining of All Might’s strength didn’t draw too much attention to the Quirk itself.

Is that why he’s sharing this with me? Maybe he wants to pick my analytical brain to choose the right person? Which would be an honor to help continue on the legacy the Hero had worked so hard for.

“I have thought long and hard about this decision,” Yagi said as he lowered his hands. “And I believe I have found the one destined to be the next holder of One For All.”

Oh, so that’s a ‘no’ to asking my advice.

“Who?” Izuku asked, again confused as to why he was here.

“You, young Midoriya,” the Number One Hero declared as he nodded his head towards the teen. “I choose you to be my successor.”

Something in the Quirkless boy’s brain short circuited much like Kaminari when he used too much electricity. He sat there wide green eyes blinking owlishly and mouth open in shock as his brain tried to process what the man had said. All Might, the Number One Hero and Symbol of Peace, wanted to give him a Quirk, his Quirk, and make him a successor.

What.

The.

Fuck.

In the flip of a switch, his brain went from stunned silence to a cacophony of questions. Did he mean it? What made him decided on him of all people? What about others who would make great successors?  He could think of a fair few good candidates in his new class alone. Also, how in the world would they explain a Quirkless boy suddenly gaining a Quirk at fifteen? But the most important question with an infinite number of possible answers was the one that slipped out of his mouth.

“Why?”

The skeletal man chuckled at his shocked open mouth expression. He could see the gears turning behind those wide green eyes, but his shock was understandable considering the situation. It wasn’t every day that you learn all you knew about Quirks was missing an important bit of information. That not all Quirks were transferred genetically through family, but that there was one that could be passed on outside of that bond. As well as that there was a man possibly out there, still potentially alive after all these years, who could take and hand out Quirks like candy. Some of which were sweet while others could secretly hold the bitter almond taste of cyanide.

“When I first met you, I saw a Quirkless boy with dreams of being a Hero,” Yagi said. “Who desperately asked me if you could be a Hero like me without a Quirk. At the time, I was harsh when I told you it wasn’t possible.”

Green eyes cast down sadly at the reminder.

“But,” the man added, causing the greenette to look up at him. “I didn’t know you outside of those small bits of information. It had just been a boy asking a Hero if he could be one just like him. Of joining a dangerous profession without a Quirk to rely on. I was harsh, but I said what I did to protect you from reaching too far only to get hurt.”

“I-I know that’s why you said it,” Izuku said, tears threatening to form in his eyes. Because even though he had done that for those reasons, his words still very much hurt him.

“While I stand by what I said that day, I would like to make an amendment,” the Hero continued. “I didn’t know you then. Didn’t know the strength of your person or your skills and values. Didn’t know what motivated you or how far that motivation would carry you. But, after the Sports Festival, I believe I understand you better.”

Green eyes widened again as he waited to see what the Number One Hero thought of him now. Wishing and hoping that maybe his childhood idol finally believed that he could actually become the first ever Quirkless Hero. That he had proven himself to the man who had first inspired his dream.

“Being a Hero takes hard work and you certainly are willing to put that effort into your actions. Pushing yourself to come out on top. But you also are willing to place others above yourself and help those around you whenever possible. You were efficient and effective against whatever challenge you were faced with. All are the makings of a great Hero.”

Izuku beamed at the praise from the Number One Hero. He was on cloud nine with the satisfaction that All Might saw Heroic potential in him. Could now see what the Quirkless boy had all along after having proven himself through the Sports Festival. Acknowledged his skills and values as a person who has the ‘makings of a great Hero’. It was a moment he would treasure forever.

But it was only a moment.

“I commend you on your use of Support Items in place of a Quirk, young Midoriya,” Yagi stated with an acknowledging nod. “However, those will only get you so far.”

Eh?

“W-what do you mean?” the greenette asked as the moment of euphoria began to fade away.

“Using gear to reinforce one’s power is smart,” the skeletal man replied. “I myself attempted to use Support Items in the past but ultimately stopped because they kept breaking. But many Heroes incorporate Support Items into their work as Heroes. However, as helpful as they are, they can also be a trap.”

“Trap?” the Quirkless boy parroted back.

“A Hero can become too reliant on their Support Items,” Yagi explained. “Quickly becoming lost and unable to hold their own in a fight after losing them. I’ve seen too many Heroes fall into that trap and I fear with you it would be worse.”

Izuku’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion but also in anger at an inkling of what the Hero might be leading to.

“…how so?” the teen asked hesitantly.

“In your final match, you proved to be strong in an essentially Quirkless fight,” the man admitted. “Whatever trick you had up your sleeve allowed you to counter young Shinsou’s Quirk. But without that, what else could you use to break out of his hold?”

If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have answered him in the first place. But I wanted us both to show off what we could do. To make it a fair fight. Quirk versus Support Item.

“What are you getting at?” Izuku pressed, growing frustrated as his inkling was solidifying.

“You have the conviction and dedication to be a Hero,” Yagi said. “There’s no doubt about that. You are physically strong and smart with a drive to help others. But, despite all that, there is something you are lacking to be the kind of Hero you asked me if it was possible for you to become.”

“So, you still…,” the greenette uttered before taking a steadying breath. Knowing exactly what he was ‘lacking’ but not wanting his childhood idol to still think such a thing. “…you still don’t believe I can be a Hero without a…?”

The teen’s voice faded not wanting to say it out loud but the Hero finished it for him as he said, “Without a Quirk? No.”

Something inside of Izuku cracked at that two-letter word. A pinprick of pain within his heart that the man, the Hero, in front of him still didn’t believe. That he admittedly saw the potential in him but was still ‘lacking’. As if he was nothing without a Quirk.

“The life of a Hero is dangerous,” the man continued. “Especially the higher up in the rankings you are. I myself have gone up against the strongest Villains and had almost lost to the worst of them. Only able to survive because of the power given to me by One For All. Without that, all would have been lost.”

Green eyes brimming with unshed tears just stared at the Hero who was once again breaking his heart.

“You are skillful with your Support Items,” Yagi commented. “No doubt about that. But without them, I fear you would be left defenseless in a fight. Because this world is one of Quirks and the Quirkless will always be at a disadvantage.”

The greenette looked down at his lap as the first of his tears began to fall.

“It is also very different fighting in the real world and winning a school sanctioned event,” the Hero stated. “You did ultimately win the Sports Festival, but there were rules in place to keep everything fair and in order. But out there, despite all the laws and regulations, there are no rules. Villains will do anything to win and will not hesitate to take advantage in any way they can. Including ridding you of any and all Support Items and using their Quirks to overpower you.”

Izuku knew that. He had experienced that when Bakugou had destroyed his gear. Because the blonde had been his personal Villain growing up even though his intentions were to ‘protect’ him. If only he could have protected him from himself.

“But I see the potential in you, young Midoriya,” Yagi said, staring at the boy who jerked his head up slightly but still refused to meet the Hero’s eyes. “Your Support Items are impressive and you use them well. But without them, you are at a disadvantage. Which is why I want to offer my Quirk to you so that you can become the Hero you want to be.”

The Hero I want to be?

Izuku knew the kind of Hero he wanted to be. One that would help. He had said as much when he had presented his Hero name. He wanted to be Edge. The Hero who was there where ever and for who ever he could. Helping turn a fight no matter how big or small of an effort it took. Which is what he had done so far.

Sometimes it was with words. Like when he had told Hitoshi that he wasn’t a Villain just because of his ‘Villainous’ Quirk. Or when he had talked to Mei about friendship and helped her realize she had more friends than just Hitoshi and him. Or even when he had helped coordinate during the USJ attack over the earpieces or PA system. Not to mention reporting Mineta for being a creepy pervert trying to take advantage of the girls in 1-A.

Other times it was with actions. Cleaning the beach. Building that electricity bomb to protect Tsuyu and him in the Flood Zone. Comforting Shouto whenever they would share friendly touches. Also physically helping other students during the Obstacle Course or checking in on those he defeated during the one-on-ones.

And sometimes it was even a combination of words and actions. Such as his fight against Shouto trying to do anything he could to help his friend realize that it was his fire. Not his father’s but his and only his. Or giving Shouto a reprieve from his father by invited him to the sleepover. Or even just his offer to help create a Support Item for the element wielder even though he wasn’t able to finish it.

His friends believed in him. His classmates and teachers did too. And his mom. Even the Hero Killer himself believed in him. All of them saw what All Might admitted that he saw as well. But unlike all of them, the Hero before him still believed that he needed a Quirk in order to follow in his footsteps. That he clearly had the potential but he was ‘lacking’. But why? Why was having a Quirk so crucial for the type of Hero Izuku wanted to be?

“Let me get this straight,” the Quirkless boy said, hoping to clear his confusion. “What you’re saying is that despite me making it through the Obstacle Course in the top 20 on purpose, making it through the second round and landing in fourth on purpose, and fighting my way through the one-on-one battles to come out in first place on purpose…even then you still don’t believe I can be a Hero without a Quirk?”

“Not if you want to be Number One,” Yagi replied with a shake of his head. “Not if you want to be a Hero like me.”

Notes:

All Might has learned the inspiration of Izuku's jet shoes! I know that's been a long awaited reveal so I hope you liked it! I do hope for Gran Torino and Izuku to meet at some point, but only when it makes sense to the plot. Which I have ideas for but they're a ways off.

Izuku now knows about OFA! Unknowingly learning more about his dad as well. ;) But what's this? All Might, you idiot. What are you doing? How will our green bean react to this? The answer is in part 2 of the double update!

Since this is a double update the fun fact will be in the end notes of the next chapter. Let's go! And please point out any typos or weirdness!

Chapter 21: A Hero 'Like You'

Notes:

Part 2 of the double update! Time to see what Izuku's reaction will be to all this.

Warning for some stronger swearing in this chapter. Not on Bakugou level but stronger than usual.

Formatting reminder:
"Dialogue spoken in English."

Linktree to all the things!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

‘Not if you want to be Number One. Not if you want to be a Hero like me.’

The words tumbled around in Izuku’s head until understanding suddenly clicked into place as he parroted, “A Hero ‘like you’.”

“Yes, exactly. That’s why I…” Yagi responded only to be interrupted.

“Is that what this all comes down to?” Izuku asked incredulously. “You thinking I want to be a Hero ‘like you’?”

“Yes, of course,” Yagi answered with a nod. “That’s what you asked me the first time we met. That if it was possible for you to become a Hero like me, the Number One Hero, without a Quirk.”

“I never said I wanted to be a Hero exactly like you, All Might,” Izuku stressed in anger. “I meant in general!”

“But you said…” the Hero started only to be interrupted again.

“I’m going to stop you right there, All Might,” the Quirkless teen interjected with a stopping gesture. “When we first met, I asked you if I could be a Hero like you. ‘Like you.’ And your answer was, and still is, no. That I, a Quirkless boy, could not be a Hero ‘like you.’ But I never said I wanted to be a Hero exactly like you!”

The skeletal blonde stared at him in confusion as he sputtered out, “But I thought…”

“You thought wrong, All Might,” the greenette seethed. “All I have ever wanted was to be a Hero. Damn the rankings. Damn the press coverage. I don’t care about all that. I have only ever wanted to help. No matter what.”

“Young Midoriya, there is a difference between aiming for the top and settling for mediocrity,” Yagi insisted.

“And there’s a difference between settling and doing your personal best!” Izuku snapped back, shutting up the blonde. “Not every Hero is ‘like you.’ Every Hero is unique and defends the innocent in their own way. You fight the strongest of Villains. While others like Eraserhead fight from the shadows. I have never cared about the rankings. I’ve only ever wanted to help people. And even if that means I don’t ever make the top ten or twenty or even one hundred, I don’t care. No matter what, as long as I can help others, I don’t care about my ranking. And neither should anyone else.”

The Quirkless teen let out an enraged huff as the room fell into awkward silence. The Hero sat there for a moment absorbing what the boy had said before speaking again.

“Of course, every Hero works to bring order and justice in this world,” Yagi said in a calm tone. “However, in my experience, the higher ranking a Hero received, the more influential they can be on the world. That is why I strived to become the Number One Hero and Symbol of Peace. Becoming the sole pillar that holds up society and bringing peace of mind to everyone.”

“But what happens when that one pillar goes away?” Izuku asked with a challenging tone. “If you are the sole pillar holding everything up, once you’re gone everything will come crashing down. Causing the destabilization of society because there’s no other support system other than just you. What then, All Might?”

“I admit that I have big shoes to fill. Quite literally too,” the skeletal man quipped in hopes of relieving some of the tension but the attempt fell flat. “But I have faith that my future successor will be able to take my place as the Symbol of Peace. If you accept of course.”

“You expect me to take your Quirk and all the other baggage that comes with it?” Izuku asked incredulously.

“Well, I wouldn’t say baggage necessarily,” Yagi countered.

The greenette gave the man a ‘are you kidding me’ look as he spoke while counting off his fingers, “An at least centuries old Quirk with a tragic backstory. A history of other users of it that I know nothing about. An assumingly immortal adversary who has been able to survive every attempt to stop him so far. A target of said Villain being painted on the back of whoever holds this power. And you want to give it to a teenager who just very publicly became the first Quirkless winner of the televised UA Sports Festival.”

“Um…yes?” the Hero replied in a questioning tone.

“Aizawa-sensei is right,” Izuku said as he dragged his hand down his face in exasperation. “You are an idiot.”

“Excuse me?” Yagi let out in surprise and confusion.

“Did you even think this thing through?” the boy asked.

“Of course, I did!” Yagi replied defensively. “I considered the pros and cons of offering you my Quirk and strongly believe that you would make a worthy successor of One For All.”

“How exactly did you think you would explain how I, a Quirkless child, could suddenly manifest a Quirk at fifteen?” Izuku asked with a raised brow.

“I, um, I’m sure we could come up with something,” the bumbling Hero answered. “Perhaps a forced manifestation through stress or a late bloomer because you had a certain criterion you hadn’t met yet.”

Well…it wasn’t the worst explanation, but still.

“How would you handle the media attention?” the teen pressed. “One For All has been kept a secret for generations. And if you hadn’t noticed, I’m kind of already the topic of discussion in the news right now. If I suddenly manifested a Quirk after winning Quirkless, I’m sure there are going to be a lot of questions about it.”

“There are ways to handle the media,” Yagi countered. “Nezu is quite knowledgeable when it comes to working with reporters and such. Not to mention, you are a minor so…”

“That’s another thing!” Izuku interjected angrily. “I’m a minor that you are offering your dangerous Quirk to without my parent and/or guardian present.”

“I understand that you would have the desire to tell your parents,” the skeletal man conceded but insisted further. “However, I don’t know if that would be a good idea. This is a very important secret, young Midoriya. The number of people who know about it must be kept to a minimum.”

“To the point you expect me not to tell my own parents such an important change in my life?” the greenette hissed. “Which is illegal by the way and not very heroic.”

The Hero bristled at that as he said, “Now see here, my boy…”

“I am not ‘your boy’, All Might,” Izuku snapped, earning a shocked look from the man. “We aren’t close.”

“I’d like think we are,” Yagi countered somberly. “We have gotten to know each other more since we first met.”

“We’re acquaintances at most, Yagi-sensei,” the greenette stressed. “But despite you saying that you know me better after the Sports Festival, you don’t know really anything about me at all.”

“I know you are exceptional at analysis,” the skeletal man retorted. “I know you want to still be a Hero despite what I said to you that day.”

Despite you thinking it’s impossible, you mean.

“What else?” Izuku pressed with a stern expression.

“Huh?” Yagi let out sounding and looking confused.

“What else?” he repeated. “What else do you know about me? What’s my favorite color? Favorite food? What’s my best subject in school? What else, All Might?”

“I, uh…” the Hero answered but tapered off with a lost expression.

“You know of me, Yagi-sensei, but you don’t know me,” Izuku stressed with almost a growl. “You don’t know my favorite color is red. My favorite food is katsudon. That I’m so fluent in English that I spend my class time with Yamada-sensei either learning sign language or working on my analysis for Nezu-sensei.”

“You…you are? You do?” the man asked surprised.

Yes, I am and I do,” Izuku replied in English. “I’ve been learning English since I was young because my dad thought it was important.”

“I didn’t…know that,” Yagi said with a sad tone upon realizing he didn’t really know the teen as much as he thought he did.

“No, because you don’t know me,” the greenette stated in Japanese with a huff as he clenched his fists resting on his knees. “I’m the Quirkless boy who has only ever wanted to be a Hero who helps people. Who was inspired to become a Hero by you, All Might. Who looked up to you and admired how you would help any and everyone you could. Or so I thought.”

The skeletal man furrowed gaunt eyebrows in confusion as he asked, “What do you mean?”

“Did you know that the day we met was the best and worst day of my life?” Izuku asked.

Somber sunken blue eyes gazed at the teen as he asked, “How so?”

“It was a day that started as any other for me,” Izuku replied. “Wake up, go to school, be bullied or ignored for being Quirkless. You know, the usual.”

“You were…,” Yagi breathed out in distressed surprise.

“Yes, All Might, I was bullied for being Quirkless,” the teen confirmed with a steely tone. “Ever since I was four and diagnosed by a doctor, I was bullied and it all started with my best friend giving me the nickname Deku.”

“Deku?” the skeletal man lilted in question.

“It’s a different way of reading my first name,” Izuku explained. “Technically it means ‘wooden doll or puppet’, but he meant for it to mean ‘useless’. Because he thought I was useless since I didn’t have a Quirk. That I couldn’t be a Hero let alone anything else. That I was only a useless Quirkless Deku. And he wasn’t the only one who believed that.”

The Hero was silent as the Quirkless teen gave a brief description of his childhood. The air in the room was growing in intensity as he revealed how the nickname was only the beginning. One of many insults thrown his way over the years. How the words turned to actions when his bullies became more physical. That was until Izuku had started taking self defense in order to be able to fight back. But that never stopped their words.

This wasn’t the first time he had talked about his childhood to someone. Izuku had talked to Hitoshi about it at times since he shared a similar experience being judged for his Quirk. Also, to Shouto after the Sports Festival and the teachers during the meeting. Before it hadn’t been something he had ever wanted to talk about. Not even to his own mother even though she knew all along. But the greenette was finding it easier to talk about the more he did. So much so that he was surprised yet not by what he revealed next.

“But the worst was on the same day I met you,” Izuku said with a hard look in his green eyes. “Being attacked by a Villain wasn’t the only icing on that shit cake of a day. On top of that I met you, my idol, only for you to tell me my dream of becoming a Hero was impossible because I was Quirkless. Then you left me heartbroken and alone on a roof on the same day I was told to jump off of one in hopes of ‘getting a Quirk in my next life’.”

Sunken blue eyes widened in dismay as he let out a grief stricken, “Young Midoriya…”

But the greenette didn’t let him interrupt. He was on a roll and barreled forward, “I never would, don’t worry. No matter what anyone said or did would ever drive me to do that. Life is precious and short. I learned that when my dad almost died in a work accident. I would never waste mine just because I was told ‘no’. Not even when I heard it from you.”

The skeletal man let out a sigh of relief at that but was still clearly worried about the teen.

“But no matter how shitty that day was,” Izuku continued. “The bullying, the attack, you. None of that mattered because after you left, I met someone who finally told me ‘yes’.”

“Who?” Yagi asked, one eyebrow quirked in curiosity while the other was furrowed in confusion as to who would play into his ‘impossible’ dream.

“You don’t need to know who, All Might,” the Quirkless boy stated. “You have no right to my personal business no matter how highly of a ranked Hero you are. That is between me and them. All you deserve to know is that this person believes I can do it. Believes that I can become a Quirkless Hero. That I only needed to find my own edge in a fight which I believe I have. Because I may not have a Quirk, but Quirks are only tools and my Support Items more than make up for my lack of one.”

“Yes, but…,” the Hero tried to interject but the teen didn’t let him.

“I know what your ‘but’ is,” Izuku all but growled. “But here’s my own. I’ve only ever wanted to be a Hero to help. Fuck the rankings. I don’t need to be Number One to be a Hero. I only have to do my best to protect and serve which is what a Hero does. Even then, just because a Hero has a high ranking does not mean they are a good Hero.”

Like Endeavor.

“What do you mean by that, my…young Midoriya?” Yagi asked, correcting himself.

Green eyes scanned over the skeleton of man in front of him before answering, “Not all Heroes are good. There are those who crave power, money, or attention. Who become Heroes to gain those things instead of actually wanting to help. Then there are those who become corrupt and either overlook or work with criminals. And then there are people like you.”

“What?” the confused Hero asked. Yagi was baffled as to how he, the Number One Hero and Symbol of Peace, could be lumped with the crooked and the corrupt. He was All Might for goodness sakes!

“You are strong and do your best to help people and bring justice,” Izuku offered before ripping off the bandage. “But you are not perfect. Far from it.”

“How so?” the man asked hesitantly.

“Well, for one thing, your handling of our first meeting was…not good,” Izuku answered bluntly. “You left me on a roof after I was attacked by a Villain on the same day I was told to kill myself. Not that you knew that second part, but still. You left me after a traumatic event and on top of that crushed my dream of wanting to be a Hero. If I wasn’t so stubborn, that could have ended very differently and badly.”

The skeletal man paled at that but said nothing to refute because he was right.

“Another thing is when it comes to your teaching,” the greenette continued. “You are a dedicated Hero. There’s no doubt about that. But you are also a teacher now and have responsibilities that you don’t always uphold. Like when you wasted your time the morning of the USJ attack.”

“But there were people in need!” Yagi insisted in an attempt to defend himself. “I couldn’t turn a blind eye to them.”

“But you weren’t the only one that could have done that, All Might,” Izuku countered. “There were other Heroes who could have handled those situations. You were needed here and not just because of the Villain attack. You are a teacher now and have responsibilities to be there for your students and fellow teachers. Being a teacher takes a lot of hard work and effort.”

“I am aware of that,” the man admitted sheepishly. “It is clear to me I have much to learn about being a teacher.”

“Ya think?” the teen snarked. “Do you even have a teaching license?”

“I, uh, no, I don’t,” Yagi answered as he lowered his head in shame.

The greenette let out an exacerbated huff as he said, “If you’re not going to put your best effort into teaching, then you shouldn’t waste our time half assing your way through it. We are here to learn and prepare ourselves for our futures. We don’t need a teacher who can’t teach wasting our time.”

~~~

Toshinori sat there in silence taking in his criticism. Unable to deny his points because he was right. The Hero had addressed the situation poorly on the day they met. He had been so focused on his diminishing time that he acted rasher than he usually would have. Had tried to brush the kid off repeatedly so he could get the Villain to the police as soon as possible. Not realizing the potential consequences of leaving the traumatized child who, unbeknownst to him, had been suicide baited earlier that same day.

Midoriya was right. He had handled the situation poorly. Yes, he hadn’t known of the bullying or the baiting words or anything else about the kid. Had only made on the spot assumptions about him and may also have projected his own feelings onto the situation. Seeing himself in the Quirkless child who wished to be a Hero but knew from personal experience that wishes only got you so far. Because Toshinori would never have been able to become the Hero he was today if he had not been gifted One For All.

That was why he had told the boy ‘no’ that day. Because he knew. Knew that in order to become a Hero like him, one needed power. Strength. A Quirk. Which is what he thought the kid had wanted to be. It was the question he had asked him after all. But it seemed that he had been wrong. A miscommunication between them of what that question actually meant.

To Toshinori, it had been a question of if a child could become the Number One Hero without a Quirk. Which he honestly thought was impossible. Not with the kinds of Villains he has gone up against. Especially All For One who may have survived their fight six years ago. Which was a terrifying thought if he truly was. Though he hoped it was merely a coincidence even if in his twisted gut he already started to accept that reality.

But to the boy, apparently, he had meant if he, a Quirkless child, could be a Hero at all. Because everyone, even the Hero himself, had always told him ‘no’. Which must have hurt coming from Toshinori since he had been the kid’s idol and inspiration to be a Hero. And he had let him down. Not once but twice now. But the man found himself grateful to this mysterious person who had told him ‘yes’. Who had understood the question proper and gave the encouragement he himself had not.

The Hero still stood by his words that a Quirkless Hero becoming Number One was impossible. That kind of attention and pressure would surely be too much without natural power. He himself was purposefully targeted by the strongest and most violent of Villains because he was Number One. If the boy were to go up against them, he would most surely die.

But Midoriya said that he didn’t care about rankings. Which was an odd concept for the man to grasp especially in a young aspiring Hero. The Hero culture had evolved to center around the ranking system pushing the Heroes to do their best. A way to hold them accountable but also as a class system to sort the Heroes based on their skill levels and public opinion. But, if the boy truly didn’t care about ranking high, if he was fine with settling wherever then perhaps him becoming that kind of Hero wasn’t as impossible as he thought. Though it still seemed like a stretch to him.

However, this did not dissuade his belief that the boy was the perfect fit for becoming his successor. Midoriya clearly had the heart of a Hero. A desire to help others. He also was physically fit and perhaps only needed some strength training to be ready for receiving One For All. Which Toshinori was still willing to offer the boy even though this meeting had not gone the way he had thought it would.

Midoriya would be a worthy successor. He may be fine with settling for mediocrity, but he could be so much more if he had a Quirk. Toshinori’s Quirk specifically. One For All would give him the strength he lacked to become the best Hero he could be. Could follow in his footsteps and become the next Symbol of Peace. A role the man was sure he would perform well.

But the Quirkless teen had been right. Toshinori didn’t know him as well as he thought he did. Sure, he had a better understanding of his Hero’s heart and his skills after the festival. But he didn’t know his actual motivations. His goals. The kind of Hero he wanted to be exactly. Though whatever kind it was, surely receiving One For All would make it more attainable.

“Young Midoriya, why do you want to be a Hero?” the Hero asked.

~~~

‘Child…why do you want to be a Hero?’

The mirrored words said by the Hero Killer rang through Izuku’s head. The question was familiar to him. It was the same one that Chizome had asked when he had first met him after being rejected by All Might. The Villain who had told him ‘yes’ after the Hero had answered the opposite. The man who had been willing to learn why he wanted to be a Hero rather than instantly dismissing him because he was Quirkless.

The greenette was still pissed at the Hero before him. Pissed that he still thought the idea of a Quirkless Hero was impossible. That he believed a Quirk was required to become a Hero. But it wasn’t. Quirks were only tools. They didn’t define you or what you could be. They were only a trait that’s a part of you like your hair or eye color. Only a piece of the puzzle, not the whole picture.

But Yagi had asked wanting to know him better. Which was more effort than he had put in before this. Though, to be fair, they hadn’t spent much time together. This was only the fourth time they had talked. The first on that roof top, twice after the Hero Course training, and now. Well, there was also the USJ so technically five. But that was more one sided and really only Izuku revealing the Villains’ Quirks to All Might rather than an actual conversation. But other than that, outside of discussing his ‘questionable’ aptitude to be a Hero and his analysis, they had never just talked.

Then again, Izuku had only met with Chizome four times and he felt the Villain knew him much more than the Hero before him did. Because the Hero Killer had taken the time to talk to him. Hadn’t just seen him for his lack of Quirk, but looked past that to see him. Saw that he was more than Quirkless. That Izuku was a person. One with a strong desire to help and serve as the Hero he has always wanted to be.

Quality over quantity. That was what it came down to. Even though Izuku had only met Chizome four times, their quality of conversation had been on a level that had allowed them to get to know each other. To share their views and values. To learn of their differing morals when it came to death and murder. Not necessarily accepting that difference but knowing there was nothing they could do to change the other’s mind.

But what mattered the most was that Chizome had taken the time to get to know him. As a person. Unlike the Hero before him had in the past. However, Yagi was making that effort now. Wanted to learn more about him. About the kind of Hero he wanted to be.

“For as long as I can remember,” Izuku said after taking a moment to form his answer. “I’ve always wanted to help in any way I could. Like the Heroes in the news. My childhood friend and I both wanted to be Heroes and were inspired the most by you. The Hero who always saved the day with a smile. Who helped any and every one he could.”

The skeletal man offered him a melancholic smile. Happy to hear he had been inspiring to the boy, but still somber from the lingering tension in the room.

“That is the main reason why I want to be a Hero,” the greenette explained. “But…I think there might be another reason now. I want to become a Hero so that others like me can see that they can become one too. To prove to everyone that a Quirkless Hero was possible. Maybe not the strongest or most popular, but still possible none the less. Because there are so many kinds of Heroes out there with varying strengths and skills that a Quirkless Hero can fit into that mix somewhere.”

The Hero remained silent as he talked with only a nod to continue. Giving the teen his full attention as he explained himself.

“I don’t know how the Quirkless were treated when you were younger,” Izuku said. “But they aren’t really even seen as human to some people nowadays. Just a less evolved byproduct that will never amount to anything special just because they’re born with an extra toe joint. That not having a Quirk makes them nothing.”

Sunken blue eyes grew sad at that. Back in his younger days, the view of the Quirkless hadn’t been that bad. They had still been looked down upon because there were so many others with Quirks that made them strong and helped them become Heroes. Such as Endeavor who was another Hero aiming for the top like himself. Who used his strength and fire to bring justice and order to the world.

But growing up, Yagi had no Quirk, no power, to help him attain his dreams. Not until he had met his mentor. Nana had made his dream of becoming the Symbol of Peace possible by choosing him to be her successor. He had just been the Quirkless teen with a lofty goal but no actual power to achieve it. But with One For All he had been able to grab hold of that dream and make it a reality. Another reason why he wanted to give his Quirk to the boy before him and give him a chance to be more that he could as a Quirkless Hero. But he was starting to doubt if the boy would take it now as the teen continued.

“Because of this, I want to be the first Quirkless Hero even more,” Izuku stated firmly. “To show that it is possible. That anyone can be a Hero if they are willing to put the effort in. No matter their Quirk or lack of one. Because a Hero is not just raw power. Being a Hero takes hard work, but it is possible if one has the determination and conviction to put forth the effort. Which I do and I will become a Hero no matter what.”

The room fell into silence at the end of his explanation. His motivations to be a Hero had mostly been the same ever since he was little. To help. But they had evolved over time. At first to bring a smile to other people’s faces like All Might. Which he still wanted to do in any way he could like when he had cleaned the beach. But it wasn’t his main motivation anymore.

Perhaps it was out of spite to a degree like Hitoshi. To show all those who had told him ‘no’ that they were wrong. But it was also to set an example. To show that it was possible to be a Hero without a Quirk. Proof that that sort of dream was attainable much like how Izuku had gained inspiration and hope from researching Eraserhead who basically fought Quirkless. Because the Quirkless teen knew that he could have used a role model like that growing up. But since there were none, he guessed that he would just have to be the first.

The teacher and student stared silently at each other. The tension was almost suffocating and Izuku was itching to break it. But he refused to do so because he had said his piece. Now it was the Hero’s turn.

“I…commend you on your goals, young Midoriya,” Yagi finally said after a few quiet minutes. “It is indeed a Hero’s job to help. As for your intention to be a Quirkless Hero, while I believe you could do so much more with a Quirk, I also commend you on that. You seem to have a much stronger will than I did when I was your age. I think…you could possibly do what I could not.”

What he…could not?

“What do you mean by that?” the greenette asked with a quirked brow.

“As I told you, One For All was passed on to me,” the blonde replied, earning a nod. “It is a Quirk that has been passed on from holder to holder and has accumulated power over the years. That power enhances the wielder’s Quirk as well as their physical strength. Such as Nana’s Float was much stronger once she had received One For All herself.”

Green eyes studied the man before him questionably as he asked, “And what about you?”

“I also received the physical strength,” Yagi answered, buffing up for a few seconds before deflating again with a bloodied cough. “But as for any enhancement to my Quirk, well, that didn’t happen.”

A flicker of suspicion of what the man was getting at ignited within him when he asked, “Why?”

“Because,” the skeletal man said, taking a moment of pause to take a steadying breath. “I didn’t have one.”

For the second time that meeting, Izuku’s brain shut down from being overwhelmed by a shocking reveal. However, instead of excitement of learning something new about the Hero before him, this time he snapped back with anger.

“You were fucking Quirkless!?” Izuku spat incredulously.

The deflated blonde jumped at his reaction. He had expected the reveal would have brought him closer to the teen, not this.

“Y-yes, I was,” Yagi confirmed hesitantly. “Which is why I know better than most that your journey to become a Hero will be extremely difficult without a Quirk. That’s one of the reasons why I want to offer you mine so you can become the Hero you want to be same as Nana did for me. We are the same, young Midoriya.”

“No, we are not the fucking same!” the greenette snapped enraged. “Again, I don’t want to be exactly like you. I want to be me. My own kind of Hero. One that helps without a care in the fucking world for rankings.”

“I understand that,” the skeletal man stated, hands up defensively but also to gesture for the teen to calm down. “But being a Quirkless Hero is nigh impossible in this Quirked world. There is a chance, small but still there, however you could do so much more with One For All.”

“You’re not getting it, All Might,” Izuku fumed as he was reaching his limit for this insulting conversation. “I don’t want or need your Quirk to be a Hero. Just because you couldn’t become the kind of Hero you wanted to be without a Quirk, that doesn’t mean I need one.”

The greenette grabbed his bag as he stood up and started heading for the door. He was so angry and just wanted to get out of there even though he hadn’t been dismissed. But he refused to be subjected any more to the Number One Hero’s idiotic and infuriating presence.

“Wait, young Midoriya,” Yagi called out, standing up as well from the couch. “We’re not done.”

“Yes, we are, sir,” Izuku retorted as he paused with his hand on the door. Keeping his body turned away, green eyes seething with anger peeked over his shoulder at the man. “You admit that you see the potential to be a Hero inside me, but only if I have a Quirk. All because you failed to be a Quirkless Hero yourself.”

“Well…technically I never tried to be a Hero before I received One For All,” the skeletal man admitted. “I still dreamed of becoming a Symbol of Peace, but I knew it would be impossible without a Quirk. I was only able to become a Hero because Nana saw something in me and made me her successor. Which I hope to do with you if you would accept, young Midoriya.”

The greenette stood there glaring at the man while shaking in anger at the audacity of that reveal. Not only had the Hero been Quirkless before being gifted a Quirk. Not only did he think that Izuku’s goal to be a Quirkless Hero was impossible. Not only did the man project himself onto the Quirkless teen and discredit all of his efforts just because he used Support Items instead of a Quirk. No. On top of all that, he hadn’t even tried to be a Quirkless Hero himself just because he ‘knew’ it was impossible. But he didn’t know because he didn’t fucking try.

All of the building resentment came to a head as Izuku growled out four seething single syllable words.

Fuck you, All Might.”

With that, the teen slammed open the door and stormed out of the room.

Notes:

Uh oh. We've got an angry green bean on our hands. Everyone watch out! He's got some bite. Like wasabi! Also, All Might is a quirkist idiot. Not with malicious intent but still being Dumb Might. He just doesn't get it.

Thanks to the peeps on the discord as well as commenters for all your help with the All Might bashing ideas! There is more to come when a certain mentor(s) of the green been gets involved. ;) But more on that in the coming chapters.

Fun Facts About Japan:

Have you ever had that friend who couldn't read the room? Really socially awkward whether in personal or professional life? Well, there's a Japanese term for that. KY is an abbreviated term for Kuuki Yomenai ( 空気読よめない , くうきよめない ). It comes from the expression yuuki yomeru ( 空気読める , ゆうきよめる ) meaning 'to read the air'. KY is the slang term for those who 'can't read the air' and are on the struggle bus in social situations. I had a coworker in my time in Japan who was very much KY but they didn't stay for too long.

Also, according to this site, it's possible to be super KY to the point of 'killing the mood'. You can find more info on KY and how not to be that in Japan there. Perhaps All Might should go there as well. :P

That's all for this update! Apologies for all the angst but it was necessary. Next chapter we will be getting some Dadzawa fluff to balance it out. ;) Promise. Until then, revel in the All Might bashing and have a great week! Let me know of typos or weirdness! ^_____^

Chapter 22: A Tired Man Comforts The Green One

Notes:

Greetings, dear readers! It's time for some Dadzawa fluff! This chapter starts off with angst but gradually the fluff builds. ^____^ I hope you like it!

Just as a reminder, Aizawa's use of 'the blank one' descriptors is a choice done for characterization purposes. In that he's sometimes too lazy to come up with something more creative and describing by color/other is good enough and more efficient. These are specific to really only Aizawa povs for those reasons. :)

Linktree to all the things!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Shouta walked to the Support studio with purpose. One, to return the cleaned thermos to Midoriya and two, to also check in with what the kid had planned for the week. The tired man knew he had a lot of work ahead of him with rebuilding his gear. Which was why Nezu and he had coordinated with Hizashi and Maijima to ensure the green one had as much time to work on his Support Items as possible. And potentially extending into the internship week if needed. Because they would be spending time at UA anyway for training. It was logical to take advantage of the school’s facilities.

The tired man knew he would have to be mindful about Bakugou of course. The explosive blonde would be on campus as well to serve his remaining week of in--school suspension. But he would be kept far away from the mentor’s charges during that week. As well as kept busy serving out his punishments in essentially isolation save for the teachers and visiting experts who would come to lecture the troubled teen.

Upon arriving at the studio, Shouta expected to find Midoriya hard at work. But that wasn’t what he found. Instead, he was met with the sight of Todoroki of all people sitting near the excitable pink one as she tinkered away at her station. The tired man quirked an eyebrow at the odd scene as he nodded towards Maijima before heading over to the pair.

The two-toned one was quietly watching the other work as she fiddled with the object in her hand. Shouta too watched for a few moments as neither had noticed him approach. Which informed the teacher that he should probably include a lesson on situational awareness at some point. Because that skill was very important in a Hero’s line of work. There was no telling where danger would pop up.

Shouta cleared his throat to gain their attention before asking, “Where’s Midoriya?”

To their credit, neither teen jumped. Todoroki most likely from the ‘training’ he received at home and the pink one probably from being used to sudden explosions. What was a clearing of the throat and a couple words compared to that?

Without stopping what she was doing, Hatsume answered, “He texted me that he was meeting with a teacher.”

A teacher? For what?

“Do you know who exactly?” the tired man asked.

The pink one shrugged while Todoroki replied, “He said it was Yagi-sensei, but it’s not a name I recognize. Do you know who that is, Aizawa-sensei?”

I sure fucking do, Shouta thought, irritation internally prickling under his skin.

“I see,” the teacher said, not letting his emotions show. “Did he say when he would be done?”

“No, only that he would come back here when he was done,” Hatsume replied with a shrug.

The boy seated next to her nodded in agreement as he added, “He told me it shouldn’t take too long. That’s why I’m waiting here for him.”

The Hero let out a hum in reply. So, Midoriya was meeting with All Might who he apparently was on a civilian name basis with. But when and how Shouta didn’t know. Same as he didn’t know how the teen knew about the Number One Hero’s smaller form. As well as why Yagi needed to talk to Midoriya in the first place. They had met before to discuss the kid’s analysis notes from the training sessions he had observed. But since then, they hadn’t been in contact as far as he knew.

Though, there was that moment this morning.

Perhaps that was what happened when Midoriya had looked back on their way to 1-A. Maybe it was the kid getting a text from the skeletal blonde requesting this meeting. That answered the how but still not the why. Another question on top of all the others Shouta had about their relationship. A pile that was growing higher and higher as time passed and all he wanted answers to. Now was as good a time as any to get those answers he sought.

The tired man bid the students goodbye before leaving the studio in pursuit of the green one. He wasn’t sure exactly where they were but figured he would check the meeting rooms near the teachers’ room as a start. But he didn’t have to wait long to find them for as soon as he arrived, he recognized the very pissed off voice of a certain green haired boy.

Fuck you, All Might.”

What the…?

Those four words held the same venom as when the green one had yelled at Bakugou that he had ‘enough of his bullshit’. And, when the door was swiftly opened, the kid’s ire was just as clear on his scowling face. The boy was so pissed he didn’t even notice Shouta was there as he stormed off in the opposite direction. From the room poked out the skeletal form of Yagi who looked distressed and about to call out to the teen. However, he stopped upon taking notice of the other Hero present.

Black eyes watched as a myriad of emotions crossed that gaunt face. Sadness, worry, but ultimately landing on guilt for some reason. The Erasure Hero didn’t say a word but he did send a scolding glare towards the blonde to silently tell him to stay the fuck there to be ‘talked’ to later. Yagi sheepishly nodded before going back into the meeting room and closing the door. Shouta let out an exasperated huff. He would deal with the skeletal man later. For now, he needed to find Midoriya.

Walking quickly, Shouta made off in the same direction the kid had while keeping eyes and ears open for any sign of him. The hallways were empty as he went with no signs of life. Not surprising seeing as it was after school and most of the students were either heading home or somewhere else on campus for their various personal projects. Meaning that the hall was silent and allowed the Underground Hero to hear the muffled sobbing coming from one of the empty classrooms.

The man cautiously approached the door as he listened to the quiet weeping that had to be coming from Midoriya. It wouldn’t be the first time he had experienced the kid’s crying. The green one seemed to cry over a lot of things. Not that that was bad or anything. He was just more on the emotional side that Shouta was. But this crying was different. It was filled with grief and he could already picture the distraught expression on the boy’s face. Whatever Midoriya had talked to All Might about, it had not ended on a good note to leave him like this.

After taking a steadying breath, the Hero knocked softly on the room as he calmly called out, “Midoriya?”

From inside the room, the crying cut off but he could still hear wet sniffling and hiccups leaking out. Other than that though, there was no response.

“Midoriya, it’s Aizawa,” Shouta said just as softly. “Can I come in?”

The tired man waited for a reply. He wanted desperately to just go in there and comfort the boy, but he didn’t want to push the distraught teen. Inside, he could hear some shuffling around before the door was cracked open an inch. From the opening peeked out a reddened green eye that scanned him as well as his surroundings. Most likely searching for any sign of All Might.

“He’s not here,” Shouta answered the unspoken question. “I don’t know what he said to you to make you this upset. Whatever it is, I will be talking to him about it later. For now, I want to make sure you’re alright.”

That single green eye gazed up into his of black searching for something. Whatever it was, he found it and opened the door more to invite the Hero in. Shouta could then see the tear tracks and snot showing just how distressed the teen was. He let out a saddened sigh as he stepped into the room and closed the door behind him.

Midoriya stood there awkwardly wringing his hands while he continued to sniffle as stray tears ran down his reddened cheeks. Shouta wasn’t much better awkward wise because he wasn’t the best when it came to comforting people. He still could with being a Hero and saving people. But typically, his interactions with those he saved were brief and he could quickly pass them off to the police or paramedics alike.

But this was his student. One he had gotten to know over the past month and finally had in his homeroom. Shouta had more responsibility and emotional attachment when it came to the green problem child before him. And man, was he indeed a problem child. Interrupting his nap all those weeks ago leading to the tired man offering to help train him and his friend. Which was by his own choice but still their faults for having so much potential.

Then there was the USJ incident. The attack itself wasn’t anyone’s fault except for the Villains themselves. But it just had to happen when Midoriya was with his class to observe. He had taken it in stride and managed to help keep himself as well as everyone else as safe as possible. Including Shouta himself for cluing him in on Shigaraki’s Quirk before the decayer could use it on him. But still, why did it have to be his problem class with one extra problem child?

There was also his confrontation with Bakugou. One that had been long in waiting unbeknownst to anyone except the two students involved. Well, for the most part. There had been hints with Midoriya feeling the need to hide in plain sight. And it seemed that some of his own class had prior knowledge of their…‘relationship’. But it still came to a head with the explosive blonde attacking the green one’s person and property with no consideration of the consequences.

Now there was this. Whatever it was. Shouta still didn’t know what had happened. But he wanted to find out. However, first he needed to help the kid calm down. To show that he was there for him. As a Hero, a teacher, and a person. Because the tired man could see a hint of distrust in those green eyes that were watching him like a hawk. Which was understandable considering how the kid had grown up with incompetent teachers who had mistreated him just because he was Quirkless.

Between him and his husband, Hizashi was the better of the two when it came to comforting others. Not surprising because the cockatoo was way more of a people person than he was. But Hizashi wasn’t here. Shouta was. And in front of his was a very upset teenager with a history of being turned away by most everyone in his life outside of family. But UA was different and so was he from any teacher the boy had in the past.

Because Shouta cared.

So, in the privacy of the empty classroom and fueled with the need to give comfort as best he could, Shouta opened his arms in invitation for a hug. Most would think he wouldn’t be willing to do such a thing. Like, come on, the grumpy hobo looking man offering a hug to a distraught teenager? No way. But the Hero knew that people take comfort from different things.

For Hizashi, it was through tactile touches but also in music. It was part of the reason why he had started his radio show. As for Shouta, he was happy with peace, quiet, and a good old nap. But the tired man knew that Midoriya was more like Hizashi than himself. Specifically, from all the sort of subtle contact he shared with Todoroki. That and the kid seemed to like getting his hair ruffled despite playing it off. Which was why Shouta believed that offering a hug was the best course of action.

Those sad green eyes stared at him where he stood. Searching once again for something before a fresh wave of sobs broke out as the teen rushed forward into the hug. Shouta was nearly knocked over by the force of it but he quickly caught himself and the boy. The tired man wrapped his arms around the problem child who was sobbing into his chest. The snot and tears were getting soaked up into his shirt but the Hero didn’t care. The only thing that did was comforting the boy in his arms.

Keeping hold of the kid, Shouta carefully maneuvered them to the floor. The teacher leaned against the wall while the teen sat beside him holding onto him like a lifeline. The man rubbed calming circles on his back with one hand as the other carded through his green curls. Slowly the sobbing quieted down to wet sniffles and hiccups again. The Hero didn’t let go though as he listened to the boy’s breathing settle to a more normal rhythm.

“S-sorry,” Midoriya said as he drew away.

“For what?” Shouta asked, calmly letting him go.

“Your shirt,” the kid answered quietly.

The tired man let out an amused huff. Of course, the problem child would worry about that.

“It’s fine, Midoriya,” Shouta assured him. “You’re not the first to do that and you won’t be the last.”

Which was true because Hizashi had a penchant for watching movies that made him sad and would end up crying into his shoulder. The cockatoo had soiled plenty of his shirts that way. Then there were those he saved while on the job seeking comfort. Not to mention the fights themselves where he usually ended up rolling around in literal garbage. Snot and tears from a teenager? Not so bad in comparison.

The Hero directed the kid to stay there while he went to a nearby cabinet. From inside he pulled out a packet of tissues and a bottle of water before he sat back down next to his charge. Close but with some personal space between them. The green one wiped some of the gunk off his face before he took a shaky drink of water. All the while black eyes observed him silently. It wasn’t until Midoriya closed the bottle that Shouta asked his question.

“So, want to tell me what happened back there?” the teacher asked.

The green one remained silent as he collected his thoughts. The tired man could see it in his eyes so he patiently waited for him to be ready to talk.

“I…don’t know what I can say,” Midoriya finally said while he fiddled with the water bottle. “But he…I…we…? Ugh…he offered me…but I don’t want…uh, I just don’t know what to think right now.”

Doesn’t know what he can say? What does he mean by that?

“Why don’t you tell me what you can,” Shouta offered earning a nod from the student.

“You know about All Might’s…other form, right?” the green one asked.

“You mean the one where he looks like a walking skeleton?” the tired man quipped that actually gained him a chuckle from the teen.

“Yeah, that’s the one,” the kid replied. “Though I think of it as more like he deflates.”

“Like an old balloon?” Shouta asked, imagining it in his mind. “Yeah, I could see that.”

Again, the teen laugh which he counted as a win.

“Well, I, um, I met him, All Might, before UA,” Midoriya admitted. “About a year ago, there was this Sludge Villain attack. Do you remember?”

Indeed, he did. It was one of the points they had talked about after Bakugou’s meeting. Bringing up questions of what exactly happened after the attack. As well as frustrations with how the veteran Hero had handled the situation like a rookie. For now though, the tired man simply nodded for the boy to continue.

“I was the one he saved from that guy,” the green one confessed. “At the time I was overwhelmed. I was almost drowned by some random person who wanted a ‘body suit’ to get away. Then All Might shows up, my favorite Hero at the time, and he saves me with a wind inducing punch. I think I blacked out for a bit and woke up to him tapping my face and my notebook was signed. I was freaking out and had so many questions I wanted to ask, but suddenly he was leaving and I just acted on impulse and I…”

“Wait, wait,” Shouta interrupted while gesturing a stopping motion with his hands. “You almost drowned and blacked out and he was just going to leave you?”

“Uh, yes?” the kid replied.

There was a moment of silence before the Hero growled, “He is so dead. That is completely irresponsible.” Then he remembered what the kid was saying before he had interrupted him “Wait, impulse? What impulse did you act on?”

“I, uh, maybe sort of grabbed onto his leg just before he jumped away?” Midoriya said nervously fiddling with the water bottle.

Again, the man was silent for a second before saying “…that is also completely irresponsible.”

“I-I know…” the teen said as he cast his eyes down. “I just…I wasn’t thinking. I just…did it.”

Once more the room was silent but with an awkward aftertaste with the boy feeling ashamed while the man was silently judging him. But eventually Shouta had enough and sighed as he asked, “What happened next?”

“W-we landed on a roof and he scolded me,” Midoriya replied. “He was going to leave, but I…I had to ask him one question before he left. Just one.”

“What did you ask?” the tired man prodded.

“I asked if I could be a Hero like him without a Quirk,” the green one answered nervously. “I was explaining more of why I asked that when I looked up and saw him all gaunt and skeletal. Of course, I freaked out because with how big and muscular he is, who would have thought he could look like that?”

“Oh, I feel you,” Shouta said with an understanding nod. “Seeing him like that for the first time was an…experience.”

“Yeah,” the kid said with a huffed chuckle. “Anyway, that’s why I know about his deflated form. He even told me a bit about how he got it and his time limit. After insisting on my discretion of course.”

Shouta internally seethed at that. All Might really was an idiot. He allowed a random teenager to see his weakened form, explained it, and then just swore him to secrecy and called it good? Just another point to ‘talk’ about with the dumb blonde.

“So, what was his answer?” the man asked.

“Huh?” the kid let out confused.

“To your question,” Shouta said. “What was his answer?”

“Oh, um…h-he said…he said no,” the green one replied dejectedly. “That becoming a Hero like him without a Quirk was impossible. That I should make my dreams more attainable and realistic. And then he just…left.”

Midoriya sat there quietly waiting for his teacher’s reaction. While Shouta was raging inside. All Might was so dead. He saved a civilian who had blacked out after almost drowning, but then intended to leave them instead of providing proper care. Then he exposed his weakened form to said civilian, explained it, and just considered the situation handled are making a verbal promise of secrecy. But then he went and told the victim he just saved a dream crushing answer with no regard to how his power of authority as a Hero could affect the situation. However, that wasn’t even the cherry on top.

Leaving a traumatized victim was bad. Exposing a nationally kept secret was worse. Telling the kid as the Number One Hero that he couldn’t become one was even more so. But the worst was that All Might had left Midoriya devastated and hurt on a fucking roof. On the same day Shouta knew that the teen had been told to kill himself. Regardless of if Yagi knew that or not was irrelevant. It was a matter of fact of the situation and the idiot could have made it worse with his careless words.

He was pissed. Oh, very much so. But the anger just waiting to burst out of the man was purposefully locked away. Leaving it to simmer while he focused on the kid sitting next to him. Because there would be plenty of opportunity to let off the building steam later when Yagi and he…talked.

“What happened after that?” Shouta asked, easily hiding his ire within behind his well-trained neutral expression.

“I, um, I sat there on the roof for a while,” the boy said. “And then…”

The green one’s voice faded out as he seemed to be hesitating about what he would say next. As if he had something to hide or just wasn’t sure how to say it. But Shouta let him have a moment to figure out what he wanted to do. He didn’t have to wait long for the kid to continue.

“I…met someone,” Midoriya admitted, green eyes peeking up at black nervously. “On the roof. We…talked.”

“Who?” Shouta asked curiously. “Was it a Hero?”

“No,” the teen answered simply with a shake of his head.

“A civilian then,” the tired man inferred, receiving an unsure nod for the boy. He noted it but didn’t press. “What did you talk about?”

“About why I was on the roof,” Midoriya answered while fiddling with the water bottle. “About All Might and what I asked him. About his answer. Then they asked me why I wanted to be a Hero. I told them I wanted to help people in any way I could. That I wanted to be a Hero even though I don’t have a Quirk.”

Black eyes observed some of the light coming back into green eyes. They were still red rimmed from crying but they weren’t as grief stricken as he talked.

“This person…they have strong beliefs when it comes to Heroes,” the teen explained. “And, after talking to me, they told me that I could be a Hero. All I had to do was find my own edge to do so.”

“Hence the Hero name,” the teacher stated, remembering his reasons for the code name from earlier.

“Yeah, they saved me that day,” the teen said before letting out a soft chuckle. “Which is kind of ironic considering they’re a…not a Hero.”

The tired man took another note of the slip up and recovery. It piqued his interest in who exactly was this person who the kid was purposely being vague about. But he wouldn’t press for now because that wasn’t why they were talking. Perhaps in time and further built trust he would reveal who it was. Regardless, Shouta couldn’t help but be a bit grateful to them for raising the kid’s spirits by telling him ‘yes’. They certainly had a major influence on the green one’s motivations for becoming a Hero. Which means they were on the good side even if they weren’t a Hero. Right?

“After that, I went home,” the boy said. “I didn’t see All Might again until that first training session I observed. At the time I had been worried it would be awkward which it was but not as bad as I thought it would be. We talked and seemed to get along. I hoped that maybe if he got to know me, he would change his opinion about me.”

Green eyes then cast down somberly into his lap.

“But I was wrong,” he said dejectedly. “He still thinks a Quirkless Hero is unrealistic.”

Shouta let out a slow sympathetic sigh for the boy. He knew the green one admired All Might. His room was basically a shrine to the Hero. He even had that themed pen case to carry a piece of the man with him at school. So, it was understandable that having the Number One Hero himself be among those that didn’t believe was devastating to the kid. But the idiot was wrong about the potential for a Quirkless Hero. Especially when it came to the teen next to him.

Midoriya Izuku was still young but he had strong convictions beyond his years. Way more than a lot of the Daylight Heroes today. The ones who paraded around in their flashy costumes but would turn tail if they faced any of the scum Shouta had to put up with on a daily basis. But not this kid. The Erasure Hero felt it in his gut that Midoriya would face danger head on and do everything he could to help. It was just the kind of person he was.

So what that he didn’t have a Quirk. There were many Heroes who essentially had to fight Quirkless because their Quirks were not ideal for most situations. Even Shouta himself essentially fought Quirkless. All Erasure did was help him turn off most Quirks and after that it was all up to his physical fighting abilities. And when it came up against mutant types that Erasure had no effect on, his training and fighting instincts were all he had to rely on. Not to mention his capture weapon.

Midoriya was essentially doing what he was but without a Quirk. Building up the tools in his belt with ones he had built himself. Taking the Quirks around him and remaking them into his Support Items. Who says you need a naturally born Quirk when you could just make them yourself? It was an ingenious idea and one of the reasons why the teen was in UA in the first place. That and that big brain of his.

The analysis the kid could do was incredible. An ability he had developed through hard work and determination. It was on par and even above some of the professional grade analysis out there today. With the training with Nezu, who knows how much the teen would improve? He had the natural smarts to think his way through any situation. Including how to work around the Quirks of anyone he would go up against.

This rejection from the Number One Hero only spurred Shouta to do the opposite. Midoriya would become a Hero and he would do it well. His convictions and drive to help will take him far. Showing all those naysayers in this Quirked world that they were wrong. That a Quirkless Hero was entirely possible and they could all suck it. Same as Shouta had when everyone had told him Erasure was too weak of a power to be used as a Hero. Yet look at him now.

An Underground Hero who was skilled in espionage and quick take downs. Able to disarm an opponent at a glance. Taking advantage of their typical lack of fighting skills to defeat them with practiced ease. Not bothering with the press so he could just do his damn job. Which was saving the innocent and beating down the criminally corrupt. A win like that was all he needed at the end of the day as proof of a job well done.

Perhaps Midoriya would do well as an Underground Hero too. Shinsou already showed an interest in that which Shouta highly approved. The anonymity of the Underground would be ideal for his Quirk. Same could be applied to the Quirkless teen. Keeping his Hero identity on the down low so that when he showed up to a fight the enemy would have little to no idea what they were up against. Then he could surprise them with whatever gadgets and gear he had on him at the time.

The arsenal the kid was building made it so his power set was extremely versatile. He could literally have an infinite combination of ‘Quirks’ at his disposal to work with. Not all Quirks of course but any of the physical ones he could. Like fire, electricity, and such like he already had. But also, other elements and effects as well. It all depended on what the green one could imagine was possible. And knowing how smart he was, Shouta figured he could imagine quite a lot. All he needed was time and time he would get.

“What exactly did he say to you?” Shouta asked, moving the talk along so he could get the kid back to the studio. And also, so the tired man could go yell at an idiot.

Green eyes peeked up at him as the boy cautiously asked, “Do you know about his Quirk?”

The Hero quirked an eyebrow at the question but shook his head in response.

“It’s not really my place to say anything if you don’t,” the green one said looking out across the room. “But he offered me a, um, way to become stronger. He said it would ‘help’ me be a Hero, but if I accepted, everything I’ve worked towards until now would be wasted.”

Shouta had no idea what the kid was hinting at, but it pissed him off that Yagi offered whatever this was. Midoriya was his problem child. One of many under his charge. And he along with Shinsou would be specifically his during the coming internship week. It was not All Might’s place to offer such a thing. Doesn’t matter what it was. The student beside him was his responsibility.

“You’ve worked hard to get where you’re at, Midoriya,” Shouta stated as he placed a comforting hand on the boy’s head. Not ruffling the green curls but merely giving a supportive pressure. “If that buffoon can’t recognize that, it’s his problem, not yours.”

The tired man didn’t know if it was his actions or his words that caused it, but the green one leaned into the touch. The Erasure Hero in no way found it endearing. Because it no way reminded him of a cat. Nope. Not at all.

“Thanks, Aizawa-sensei,” the teen said, letting out a small chuckle at his insult.

This time he did muss the kid’s hair before letting go.

“It’s the truth,” the Hero said simply. “What else did he say?”

“He, uh, he told me about his Quirk,” Midoriya replied. “But he also told me it was a secret and I couldn’t tell anybody. Not even my parents.”

The tired man’s eyebrows twitched in anger at that. Yet another secret that All Might had shared with the boy that he shouldn’t know. What was so important about the blonde one’s Quirk that it had to kept a secret? What privilege did Yagi think Midoriya had to it? Questions he hoped to get answers to during their ‘talk’. Also, as to why he was denying the parents from being involved while Midoriya was a minor.

“He congratulated me for winning the Sports Festival,” the boy continued. “It made me think that he might have believed in me. But then he told me that my Support Items would only ‘take me so far’.”

Black brows began to furrow in irritation as he asked, “Why?”

“All Might said that relying on Support Items was a trap,” the teen answered as his shoulders slumped dejectedly. “That they were good to reinforce one’s power, but since I don’t have a Quirk he thought that if I didn’t have any of my gear, I would be defenseless. Becoming like others who he said became ‘lost and unable to hold their own in a fight after losing them’.”

Shouta had to physically hold back the growl that was threatening to leak out. He himself used Support Items in a fight. Like his capture weapon along with the various things in his belt. But he could still hold his own without them. Midoriya proved he could do the same with his last fight. Having only that small black disk as a last resort and even then, he didn’t need it. The green one knew the other teen’s Quirk and could have simply not responded.

But it was clear from the civilian made transcripts that Midoriya had purposefully answered ever question thrown at his after initially pinning the purple one down. All of them being jokes of course. Typical for the two problem children who were hell bent on irritating him to death. And the green one had even roped Hizashi into it too with the obnoxious commentary.

However, both of those had been done with good intentions. For the narration of the festival, it was to keep the knowledge of the students’ Quirks to a minimum while still keeping the audience entertained. As for the fight, it was Midoriya once again trying to help someone. Allowing both him and Shinsou to showcase their skills while exchanging playful banter.

Smart and strategic as always.

The Erasure Hero didn’t understand how All Might couldn’t see the kid’s potential. Midoriya had it in spades. The desire to help and the drive to follow through. Like when he had taken the task of cleaning the beach by himself. But also having no care for the limelight same as Shouta when he didn’t seek attention or praise for his hard efforts. Which the tired man could stand behind though he was pleased that more people knew about it. Because after the shitty childhood he had, Midoriya deserved some recognition.

“Well, that’s stupid,” Shouta said, earning a snort from the teen for his bluntness. “Clearly he’s too blinded by his own Quirk to see that you can be a Hero just fine without one. If I didn’t think you could, you wouldn’t be in my class.”

Green eyes turned to him open wide with admiration as if he had hung the moon. A wobbly smile spread across his face paired with budding tears in those same eyes. Shouta merely rolled his own as he hid a soft smile in his scarf.

“Is that all he said to you?” the Hero asked, wanting all the facts before yel…talking to Yagi.

The smile on the green one’s faced fade as he shook his head.

“No, but I can’t tell you what exactly,” Midoriya replied. “It has to do with his Quirk. He told me something about himself before he…got his Quirk. It just…it made me so angry. That he would make all these assumptions about me when he…when we have nothing in common. It also turned out to be all a misunderstanding to begin with.”

“How so?” Shouta prodded.

“The day I met him, I asked if I could be a Hero like him without a Quirk,” the kid explained. “For me, the question was about if a Quirkless Hero was possible. But to him, he thought I was asking if I could be a Hero like him. As in exactly like him. The Number One Hero going up against the biggest bad guys. Which even to me I could see as pretty much impossible without a Quirk.”

The Hero simply hummed in response. Neither agreeing or disagreeing. Just letting the kid know he was listening.

“But that’s not the kind of Hero I want to be,” the green one continued, looking up at the man next to him. “I don’t care about the rankings or being a flashy Hero. I want to be a Hero who works hard to save people but doesn’t care about the credit. Who is a Hero just for the sake of helping. I’d rather be a Hero like you.”

Despite having finally been free of the bandages since the USJ attack, Shouta found himself missing them in that moment as a subtle blush formed on his cheeks. He lowered his face into his scarf in an attempt to hide it as the teen looked at him. But whether the green one saw it or not he made no comment.

“Thanks, kid,” the tired man said as he gave a grateful elbow nudge to the boy’s arm. “Well, despite what Dumb Might said, I think you can be a Hero. It’s a tough line of work and you’ll have to try harder than the others, but I believe you have what it takes to pull it off. We’ll make a Hero out of you yet, Midoriya.”

This time it was the teen’s turn to blush though what else was new. Much like his crying, it happened on regular occurrence. Whether from praise, signs of friendship, or holding hands with Todoroki. It was just part of who he was. And also, probably due to him not being used to such things after being ostracized by his peers growing up. Having no immunity because it was all so new to him.

But UA was different and would allow the boy to grow after weeding out the negative parts from his life. Stopping bullying and discrimination in its tracks. Surrounding the kid with supportive teachers and friends. Giving him the opportunity to shine when others had tried to snuff out his light. Letting him learn and grow into the person and Hero he wanted to be.

Shouta would help with his physical training. Hizashi with his sign language. Maijima with Support. Nezu with his analysis and hopefully not turning the kid into an evil mastermind like himself. Shuuzenji had informed them of her offer to teach him first aid and they were still working out the scheduling for that. But it was another skill that would be helpful to have in the field. The other teachers were also behind supporting the boy who had been worming his way into their collective hearts while conversing with him in sign.

The only outlier was Yagi. He was the only one on staff who couldn’t see Midoriya’s potential. Couldn’t see past the fact he was Quirkless. Had praised him for his efforts during the festival only to devalue all of them all because he lacked a Quirk. To admonish his use of Support Items because they were a crutch to the blonde apparently. Which was ridiculous because a majority of Heroes used Support Items on a daily basis. They were just tools in their belts.

All Might may be able to rely on his super human strength, but the rest of them could not. They could only rely on their own skills whether that was related to their Quirk, Support Items, or general fighting skill. Which Shouta did on a daily basis whether it was against criminals in the streets or training with his students. The Erasure Hero firmly believed that you shouldn’t be a one trick pony and he tried to drill that into his students’ heads. It was a lesson that needed to be learned.

Unfortunately, it seemed that it wasn’t one Yagi had learned. Focusing so much on the Quirk aspect that he was blind to everything else. But he would soon learn that he was wrong about that. Shouta was rearing and ready to go full throttle in lecturing his idiotic ass. Midoriya was so much more than his lack of Quirk. He was conviction, self-discipline, and spite. Smart as hell and selfless to a fault. And if All Might couldn’t see that then screw him.

It didn’t change the fact that the Number One Hero had hurt Midoriya. The kid was still somberly sitting beside him despite the rare praise the teacher had given. He wasn’t one for pretty words and fluffy stuff like Hizashi who was quick to give a compliment. Instead, his endorsements were through blunt comments and silent praise which he left his students to interpret for themselves. Because for him, if he wasn’t criticizing them then that meant they were doing just fine.

Most students this worked with. Well, the ones that managed to meet his standards of potential. But sometimes there were ones like Midoriya. The ones who needed that extra bit of attention because they never or barely had any before. Which the teacher was willing to give though only when absolutely necessary. Like now for instance after the kid had been denied for a second time by a Hero he looked up to.

It was obviously still affecting him. Not surprising with all the All Might crap he had at home. Shouta hoped the kid would be alright when he returned to that after school. Only gods knew what would happen once he did. They were still trying to figure out scheduling for the teen since he had so many different teachers offering various mentoring for this or that.

On top of that was the green one’s clear need for therapy. Something they had been contemplating waiting on but after this, he didn’t think they should anymore. Midoriya needed support. Not just with his education but also for his mental health. Keeping the mind health was just as important as the body. Shouta would see to getting the kid in to see Inui sooner rather than later.

As for now, he needed to get the kid to the studio for several reasons. One to get the boy’s mind off what happened while allowing him to be productive in his limited time this week. As well as to let his friends take over comforting the boy. And two so that Shouta could go yell at the Symbol of Stupidity for being an absolute moron.

“You feeling better?” Shouta asked getting a nod from the teen. “Good. Let’s get you to the studio. You’ve got a lot of work to do.”

“Right,” Midoriya replied with another nod.

Together they got up and left the room. Along the way, Shouta asked what the green one had planned for the week. The student filled in his teacher with the ideas he had. It was nice to hear his usual enthusiasm returning to his voice again. Letting the tired man know that the kid would be fine in the long run. He had just found another bump in the road but was going to be able to get back up.

It wasn’t long until they arrived at the studio. Shouta released the green one to go to his friends while he headed over to Maijima. He briefly informed the other teacher what had happened so that he could keep an eye on the kid. Because while he seemed fine didn’t necessarily mean he was. Because sometimes those who smiled the brightest wear it as a mask to hide the pain within.

The tired man glanced over to see the kid chatting with his friends. Well, more to the pink one while Todoroki stood quietly next to him. But Midoriya was interacting happily with them as he did with most people. It almost brought a smile to the Hero’s face if only he didn’t have a reputation of a hardass to maintain. Satisfied that his student was in good hands, Shouta left the studio to go do something he had been wanting to do for a long time.

To verbally tear down the Symbol of Peace.

Notes:

You're in for it now, All Might! You're messing with the wrong dad/teacher and making his problem child upset. We will get a glimpse of Izuku's pov for this interaction in a future chapter. But this and next chapter are in Aizawa's pov for pissed off hobo man feels.

I hope you liked the fluff! It was really fun to write. ^_____^ Izuku is still hesitant about trusting teachers, but that's understandable because his past teachers sucked. But Aizawa along with the other competent teachers will show him that they are different. They got your back, green bean!

So, Aizawa now knows how Izuku met All Might, knew about his smaller form, and that the sludge villain attack was handled worse than he had thought. Also, he's been clued in on Chizome's part in all that but only to a certain degree. He may not know who exactly but he is grateful that the Villain helped Izuku with his words of encouragement.

I had considered having Izuku spill the beans about OFA to Aizawa, but ultimately I don't think he would. He never told anyone about Todoroki's whole family drama and I just don't see him as someone to leak secrets. As for if Aizawa will learn about OFA, we'll just have to wait and see how the story goes. ;)

Minor edit to Aizawa's number of reasons as brought up by Live_like_the_Wind! Thanks! :)

Fun Facts About Japan:

I didn't really have any fact specific to the chapter. But it's monsoon season where I'm at as I post this chapter and it has been raining buckles lately. Which is great because we need it seeing that I live in a desert. A dry heat that is opposite to Japan's summers. I think I mentioned before that Japan's rainy season is in early summer from May to July. This is also part of their typhoon season that extends until October. The peak months being August and September which was just so fun, not, to walk to school in a typhoon.

Anyway, all this rain leads to very humid summers. The word for humid I was taught was mushi atsui ( 蒸し暑い , むしあつい ) which I used during my intro lesson to talk about the difference between Japan's humid weather and my area's dry summers. Also atsui ( 暑い , あつい ) is the word for hot for weather and you will hear people constantly saying atsui to themselves in summer to complain about the heat. XD While atsui ( 熱い , あつい ) is the word for hot for objects which you can still hear people say atsui for. Same sounds, different kanji, different use. That's Japanese for ya. :P And I still say atsui to myself during summer. Partly out of habit as well as to continue to practice the language.

That's all for this chapter! Next up is Aizawa confronting Yagi for being a quirkist idiot. Which I hope you'll like what I came up with. There will be words of judgement for sure. ;) Until then have a great week and please point out typos or weirdness!

Chapter 23: A Tired Man Yells At An Idiot

Notes:

And we're back! Let the All Might bashing commence! :D Again I do love All Might in canon but he can be such a idiot a lot of the time. He just doesn't use his brain sometimes. Oh, Yagi... -shakes head-

Warning for stronger swearing than usual but considering the theme of this chapter I think that's understandable. :P

Linktree to all the things!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

If it were any other time of day, Shouta was sure he would have parted a sea of students as he stalked through the halls. Unfortunately, no one was around to bask in the terror of his overwhelming fury. Which sometimes became literally hair-raising when he would get so angry he would activate his Quirk on instinct. Or sometimes just for the fear factor of looking like a demon with glowing red eyes. Either of which was possible in the coming…conversation.

All Might was an idiot. Blind to raw potential because he was too focused on Quirks. Seeing the lack of Quirk as a shackle that was keeping Midoriya from achieving his dreams. But it wasn’t. If anything, it was a liberator for the kid. Or as the green one’s excitable friend had worded it, him being Quirkless made him a ‘blank canvas’. A base that could be transformed into an infinite number of possibilities. A clean slate to be manipulated and built on in any way he wanted. Never being held back by a genetically determined skill as many Heroes and people were.

There was a Quirk for every situation but not every situation required a Quirk. Nor did every Quirk work in all situations either. Many came with weaknesses such as Asui’s to extreme cold or dry heat same as a frog would be. Or Tokoyami’s Quirk being weak against light. Even Bakugou probably has a weakness against cold considering the melting point of nitroglycerin. He would most likely have to layer up more in winter to compensate.

But Midoriya didn’t have any of those weaknesses. He was essentially a regular human living in a world of magic. Where everyone around him had special powers and he was just him. That didn’t make him any less than anyone else. It just made him different, but everyone was different. Every single person in the entire world was a unique combination of atoms and genetic codes. Just because Midoriya’s added up to not having a Quirk didn’t change that he was human same as the rest of them.

Unfortunately, humans have a penchant of declaring the ‘chosen’ few above the rest. It was a constant theme throughout the history of the human race. Wars. Genocides. Eugenics. Even the crimes Shouta dealt with in the dark alleys of Japan. Murder. Human trafficking. Assault. Among countless others. All crimes where one or more people believing what they wanted was more important than others. Pushing their own desires onto others no matter who was hurt as a result.

Not all criminals were like that. He knew that as an Underground Hero. Yes, there were those who broke the law for the thrill of it. Such as the Carnal Murderer Muscular. A sadistic and bloodthirsty killer who saw his violence as a battle of wills between his intent to kill and his victims’ wills to either stop him or just simply stay alive. A Villain who was currently incarcerated for the deaths of the Pro Hero duo Water Hose and had left their son an orphan. Neither of which the sadist had any remorse for.

But there were those who had no other option than crime to get by. Stealing food so they wouldn’t starve. Pickpocketing wallets to use the cash for much needed medicine. Crimes committed through necessity. To some Heroes, the world was black and white, good and evil. That the truly evil and the circumstantially unfortunate were the same. But as an Underground Hero he knew that life was more painted in shades of grey.

It was the same for the world of Heroes. Many were good and did their jobs well. While others got distracted by the limelight. Then there were those who fell into Villainy themselves allowing criminal corruption to grow. There were also those who worked as Heroes outside of the law. To a Hero like Endeavor, a Vigilante was nothing but a criminal. But to Eraserhead, they were allies that he was willing to let their illegal public use of Quirks slide as long as they didn’t get into too much trouble. Sometimes literally such as when he worked with the Crawler.

There were so many different kinds of Heroes and even more so of people in the world. There just had to be a spot in that mix for a Quirkless Hero. A piece to the puzzle that made up this world. A part of the amalgamation and helping to create a better more diverse picture. Providing another perspective of the world and serving as a role model for those in need of one. It was a part the kid was already playing being the first Quirkless winner of the Sports Festival and becoming the first Quirkless Hero Course student ever.

While the naysayers could continue screaming protests into the void, Midoriya was already proving them wrong. Already setting an example that the Quirk does not define you. Shinsou too with his ‘weak’ and ‘Villainous’ Quirk. Because out of all the ‘strong’ and ‘Heroic’ Quirks, it was his two chosen problem children who ultimately won the day. Using a combination of skill, strategy, and spite to come out on top.

They would both make excellent Heroes. Especially in the Underground. And Shouta just so happened to have a week to start training them as such. Giving them a peek into his world. It wasn’t glamourous but it was where the Erasure Hero thrived. Where he could serve his purpose effectively and efficiently. It was also where he was needed the most as many limelight Heroes focused more on higher populated areas where they were more guaranteed media coverage.

But Underground Heroes didn’t care about that. In fact, they purposefully avoided it. Whether to keep their identities and Quirks a secret or just out of personal preference. For Shouta it was both. Fuck the media. Just a bunch of vultures circling around for a new scoop. Flocking to the flashy Heroes to make a buck. Which is one of the reasons why the tired man dressed the way he did.

Mostly black to blend into the shadows with a single splash of color with the yellow of his goggles. But those he usually kept hidden in his scarf until needed. As for the capture weapon itself, grey was just the color it came in and Shouta was fine with it. The rest of his Support Items like his caltrops or his knife were either in or attached to his belt. All paired with black boots to complete the ensemble.

The materials were sturdy but flexible. Practical rather than flashy and quite comfortable to be honest. Which was good because he practically lived in it about as much as he did his precious sleeping bag. Saved him from wasting time on choosing an outfit every day. Same reason why he didn’t bother much when it came to his hair or the annoying chore of shaving. Even if Hizashi would jokingly complain about his stubble being scratchy. The big baby could just fucking deal with it because the tired man didn’t care enough to bother with it every day. Besides, his husband took long enough in the morning for the both of them with that ridiculous cockatoo hair of his.

All Might could keep his flashy costume and power moves. They were part of the Hero he chose to be. But that wasn’t the only way to be a Hero. Shouta was proof of that. Eraserhead was the complete opposite of All Might. Like night and day. Quite literally when it came to their patrol times. Yet they were both Pro Heroes tasked with upholding the law and protecting the innocent.

A Quirk wasn’t needed to do that. The everyday heroes such as first responders and police did the same thing without them. The only difference between them and a Pro Hero was that the Heroes had a license to use their Quirks to fight crime. Midoriya could do that as well but with his Support Items instead. No Quirk, flashy or otherwise, needed.

Shouta was going to teach that to the Number One Hero even if he had to beat it into him. With his words of course. Though if it came to fists then so be it. He’d like to see Yagi try after he erased his OP Quirk. The hobo versus the living skeleton. It would either be the showdown of the century or just a sad sight of him breaking All Might like a toothpick.

The Erasure Hero was all geared up for a fight whether verbal or physical as he finally arrived back at the meeting room holding Yagi. He forcefully opened the door without knocking prepared to start scolding the buffoon when he stopped in his tracks. Because the skeletal man wasn’t alone.

“Do come in, Aizawa-san,” Nezu beckoned from the couch as he was sipping some tea. “Please take a seat. And don’t worry, you aren’t interrupting anything.”

The principal’s tone was pleasant as always but the tired man took notice of an underlying hint of anger. Tired black eyes observed the scene before him. Nezu was on one side of the couch while Yagi had been relegated to the stool. The blonde offered him a weak smile in greeting but seemed nervous. While the chimera was quietly drinking his tea. There was another cup on the table near the open spot on the couch, but there was nothing in front of All Might.

That can’t be good.

Nezu was a lover of tea. It was a well-known fact that he would push tea on anyone in his company. Somehow being able to whip out a fresh pot out of nowhere any time he pleased. Much like how Shouta kept an air of mystery when it came to his capture weapon and its storage capabilities. Tea was Nezu’s way of socializing and being cordial. So, to have the principal not give a cup of tea to Yagi was not a good sign. For the blonde anyway. Shouta was apparently still in Nezu’s good graces to receive one himself.

The tired man slid the door closed before taking the offered spot on the couch. He gave a nod in thanks to the mammal as he took a sip of tea. As well as silently accepting his civility in tea form. Nezu gave a nod back as he tipped his cup before taking a drink as well. All while Yagi watched them quietly from where he sat. Tealess and probably unaware of the shit hole he found himself in. One that he had dug himself and Nezu probably knew all about it through the cameras littered throughout the school.

“How is Midoriya-kun?” the principal asked after a sip of tea.

Shouta took another drink himself before placing the cup down as he answered, “He’s fine. He’s in the studio now working. Maijima is keeping an eye on him and a couple of his friends are there too.”

Across the table the skeletal man let out a quiet sigh of relief as some tension left his bony shoulders. But Shouta knew his reprieve was only temporary. Because he was up against two fronts of mentors who were pissed at what he had said to their shared charge.

“That is good to hear, Aizawa-san,” Nezu replied. “Thank you for taking care of him. He seemed quite upset earlier.”

Sunken blue eyes cast down guiltily at that. Two pairs of black eyes took notice but didn’t actively acknowledge the action.

“How much do you know?” Shouta asked, though he already could guess the answer.

“The world is a wealth of knowledge and I am privy to a far fairer amount of it than most,” the chimera quipped with smile earning an eye roll from the black-haired man. “As for this particular situation, I know everything pertaining to the last hour or so. You may speak freely in front of me.”

The Erasure Hero didn’t need his permission to do so because he was going to regardless. But he nodded in acceptance anyway to at least acknowledge the expected answer. He then turned his attention to the solemn skeletal form of the Number One Hero who looked like even a light wind would blow him over.

“What the hell did you say to him, All Might?” Shouta asked, getting straight to the point.

“I believe that is a matter between young Midoriya and myself, Aizawa-san,” Yagi replied. “He and I…”

“I don’t care what you believe,” the tired man interjected with a growl. “He is my student and my responsibility. Whatever you said to him made him so upset I found him crying alone in a classroom. Making this my problem to fix whatever you fucked up. Now I ask again, what the fucking hell did you say to him?”

The blonde looked taken aback by his spat-out words with wide sunken blue eyes. Either from the reveal of the state Shouta had found the kid in or the swearing. Or both. Didn’t matter either way because the imbecile was in for it. Yagi seemed to hesitate from answering when Nezu spoke up.

“I would start from the beginning of your talk with Midoriya-kun, Yagi-san,” the chimera advised. “Leave no detail out. Not one. And I’ll know if you do.”

“You…how?” Yagi asked in concern.

“One does not reveal one’s investigative secrets,” Nezu jested trying to be coy.

“He has cameras everywhere,” Shouta outed though the principal didn’t mind and simply let out a chuckle at Yagi’s shaken expression.

“C-cameras!?” the skeletal man exclaimed as he looked around the room for said device.

“Why yes of course,” Nezu replied as he moved to refill his cup. “I have cameras and listening devices throughout the school to ensure the students’ and staffs’ safety. But not to worry. Your secrets are safe with us.”

The tired man piqued up at the use of ‘us’ rather than ‘me’. Meaning that Nezu intended to include him on whatever this big bad secret was that Yagi had. One that he had felt necessary to share with a teenager.

“As I said, leave no detail out,” Nezu added as he sat back with his refreshed tea. “Because if you do, I will be filling those in regardless of what you do or do not say. Understood?”

The Symbol of Peace looked properly chided as he humbly replied, “Understood, sir.”

Shouta highly approved and appreciated the principal putting the Number One Hero in his place. It was extremely satisfying to see the man authoritatively overpowered by someone a third his size. The Erasure Hero reached for his also refreshed tea to savor the moment with the glorified hot leaf juice. Though the particular blend of flavors the chimera had chosen were more on the palatable side. But the tired man still preferred coffee.

Yagi cleared his throat before starting his recounting of the meeting. A general recap of their small talk where the Hero had learned of the inspiration of the kid’s Jet shoes. Which Shouta was surprised to learn about as well. Not the part about the kid knowing about an older Hero active back when the media wasn’t as disruptive. Not after he had been able to dig up so much information on Eraserhead himself. Rather it was the new information of All Might’s past mentor. Or rather, past mentors as the skeletal man had two.

The talk of Yagi’s former mentors had somehow led to a discussion of his Quirk. One that was obviously a sort of super strength but the exact details were unknown. A secret that he had willingly revealed to a fifteen-year-old but hesitated to speak up in front of two fellow Pro Heroes. But a glare from Eraserhead and a prompting pointed nod from Nezu were enough to prod All Might forward.

Shouta sat there in shock though he didn’t allow it to show on his face. All Might, the Number One Hero, was given a Quirk. Like a fucking present on Christmas. Gift wrapped in a long history of past users with other concerning goodies inside. Such as an evil nemesis who had the ability to take and give Quirks as he pleased. Who wished to rule the world as some sort of god. Who was such a dick that he forced a Quirk on his own brother in order to attempt to gain some form of control over him same as he had with everyone else.

This same nemesis was apparently immortal and still potentially alive to this day. Had survived a horrendous battle that had left All Might in this weakened form. And possibly was in league with, well, the League if the Noumu was anything to go by. Just the reminder of the creature’s existence sent a shiver down the Hero’s spine.

Being crushed like paper by the Noumu had been a topic of discussion between him and his therapist several times after the event. They had warned him of potential PTSD symptoms from it but thankfully you don’t fight a Noumu every day. And hopefully it would be a onetime occurrence for him. Though if he did happen to go up against another one, he would suck it up and fight regardless whatever psychological nonsense his brain tried to pull. Because Shouta was in charge of his emotions and thoughts. He wasn’t going to let a blob of gray goop disrupt his duties as a Hero.

“Why did you tell him all this?” Shouta asked in a lull of the recounting.

“Because…I am in need of a successor,” Yagi answered hesitantly. “And I believe that young Midoriya is the perfect choice. Though he doesn’t seem to think so.”

The older Hero went on to explain exactly why he believed this. About Midoriya’s strength and intelligence. His desire to help others. But then the skeletal man started to spout crap about Support Items being more of a crutch than a solution to not having a Quirk. That without them the kid would be defenseless. Which was why All Might wanted to offer him his Quirk.

In another life maybe that could have worked. Though it probably would have led to Midoriya not being allowed to tell anyone and left with only Yagi to confide in. And since he grew up Quirkless, there was a high chance that he wouldn’t know how to control it and most likely would have ended up hurting himself. While the idiot blonde who can’t teach for shit wouldn’t know how to properly train the teen. But would probably still have kept those who could help in the dark through a misguided sense of loyalty to the secrecy of his Quirk.

Thank the gods the kid said no. Apparently quite strongly the way Yagi put it as he spoke. Even called him an idiot which was a detail Nezu provided when the blonde did not. Shouta hide a smile as he took a sip of tea at that. Midoriya had even argued with the Number One Hero for all the reasons why giving him One For All was a bad idea. All of which the Erasure Hero agreed with.

Number one though was that the kid didn’t need it. He was doing just fine without one no matter what Yagi thought. Midoriya had said repeatedly that he didn’t care about rankings and wanted to be his own kind of Hero. Which was one that helped in any way they could. He didn’t want to be a Hero exactly like All Might. In fact, the kid had told him himself that he’d rather be a Hero like Eraserhead. Which was still embarrassing but flattering for the tired man.

But All Might was so focused on the rankings. Blinded by his own status as the Number One Hero to see there were others out there who still did good outside of the popularity contest. Such as those who worked in the Underground. Not that being a Daytime Hero was bad. Many of them were good like Hizashi. The ones who used their status and media presence to inspire others and effect change.

However, again, there are all kinds of Heroes. Midoriya didn’t necessarily need to go up against the big bads that All Might did to be a Hero. He could do his part in literally any other situation. Also, there were different areas of expertise for Heroes. Combat like All Might. Rescue like Thirteen. Reconnaissance often allocated to Underground Heroes. Among several others. Any of which Midoriya could excel in.

Besides, it wasn’t like he would be alone. Yes, there were Heroes that work best solo. Hell, Endeavor was almost impossible to work with because he tended to go all out every time. Threatening to burn both his allies and enemies alike. Yet because he was the Number Two Hero the Hero Commission didn’t really do anything to curb his actions.

All Might was somewhat similar. Not that he didn’t work well with others. Quite the opposite. The Symbol of Peace was kind to everyone he met. Well, other than the Villains he faced because they were upsetting the peace he worked so hard to cultivate and maintain. But the Number One Hero was so powerful that he typically didn’t need anyone else’s help in a fight. It was one of the reasons he was seen as the Symbol of Peace. Because no matter how powerful the Villain was, All Might would be able to defeat them and keep the people safe.

When Yagi got onto the topic of his role as the Symbol of Peace, he sort of brushed over a good point made by Midoriya. What did happen when All Might ultimately retired? Because the time had to be approaching sooner rather than later based on his physical state and his need to find a successor. Did All Might really expect to pass on all that he had amassed on his own shoulders to whoever he chose was ‘worthy’ of it? That along with all the baggage that came with his Quirk?

It was completely irrational and irresponsible to dump all that on Midoriya. Not because he was Quirkless, but because he was still a child. A teenager yes, but a minor. A student. All Might had been working for years as a Pro Hero and wanted to unload all of his problems onto an amateur. One who was barely into his first year of high school. The kid had only just joined the Hero Course for gods sake.

If All Might was that desperate for a successor, wouldn’t he have better luck looking at the third years? The ones who managed to survive the rigorous course work and had more knowledge of what it was really like to be a Pro Hero. Who would be able to make more rational mature decisions because of their experience. It would be a more logical place to look and he could think of a handful of third years who would be good candidates.

But no, Yagi had his eyes on Midoriya. A Quirkless teenager barely a month into his first year of high school. Which that was another good point the kid made. How in the hell did All Might think he would explain away that complete one-eighty from Quirkless to Quirked? At age fifteen? After very publicly winning the Sports Festival without a Quirk? How would he handle the media backlash that came with that? Nezu was good but even he had his limits.

On top of that, Yagi had wanted to pass down his very dangerous Quirk to the boy without telling his parents. Which was illegal because he was minor. The law required a parent and/or guardian to be present in critical decisions. Being offered a Quirk definitely qualified as such. Even then, while at school, all students were under the guardianship of their homeroom teachers as well as the principal. Neither of whom All Might had consulted in this case and both were sitting across from him seriously judging him for his own poor judgement.

“You are a fucking idiot, All Might,” Shouta interjected, mirroring the kid’s and his own insults from earlier.

“But I don’t understand,” Yagi said, confusion clear on his gaunt face. “Why would he say no? Young Midoriya would be perfect for receiving One For All.”

“Because he doesn’t need it,” the Erasure Hero stressed. “Midoriya can handle himself just fine without a Quirk. He proved that during the festival.”

“I admit that he performed well with his Support Items,” the skeletal man conceded with a nod. “But what will he have to rely on when he doesn’t have any? Young Midoriya doesn’t have a Quirk to fall back on.”

“Just because he doesn’t have a Quirk doesn’t make him defenseless,” Shouta retorted. “Midoriya has been physically training in self-defense since he was young. His final match showed he could hold his own in a physical fight.”

“But he still had whatever was in his pocket,” Yagi countered. “Still relied on a Support Item to break out of young Shinsou’s hold. What would he have done without that?”

“Simple. He wouldn’t have fucking talked,” the tired man shot back. “Midoriya knows all about Shinsou’s Quirk and knows how to avoid being affected by it. But he purposefully chose to react to Shinsou so that they could both show their skills in that fight. Otherwise, it would have been a Quirkless fight because Midoriya doesn’t have one and wouldn’t have responded to Shinsou there by negating his Quirk.”

“Purposefully?” Yagi asked in surprise.

“Why yes he did,” Nezu chimed in. “An enterprising civilian made the effort to transcribe their fight. The result was quite entertaining. Midoriya-kun was the one to initiate their fighting banter influencing the rest of their match.”

The skeletal man looked down in contemplation of this fact as he said, “I see. I didn’t know that. Seems there’s a lot I don’t know about him. Same as I didn’t know he was fluent in English or being mentored by you, Principal Nezu.”

“He is indeed,” Nezu said with a proud smile. “Midoriya-kun is a bright student and I have been enjoying having him under my tutelage.”

“Same,” Shouta said. “The kid’s got potential.”

“You as well, Aizawa-san?” Yagi asked again in surprise.

The tired man nodded as he replied, “I’ve been training Midoriya and Shinsou since the start of the school year. And with Hizashi’s help after the USJ since I was physically indisposed.”

Sunken blues eyes cast down guiltily at the reminder that he hadn’t been there to help his fellow Hero. Had wasted his time in his buffed-up form on stopping crime on his way to UA. Neglecting his teaching duties and arriving late to the USJ that had been under attack by Villains looking specifically for him.

“I apologize for my negligence that day, Aizawa-san,” Yagi said with an apologetic bow. “Young Midoriya brought up my inexperience in teaching has been having a negative impact. For the students and faculty. Especially during the USJ attack when I wasn’t there from the beginning. I will do my best to be better from now on.”

Well, it’s something I guess, Shouta thought as he begrudgingly accepted the skeletal man’s apology.

“If you’re going to start taking your teaching position seriously,” the tired man said as the other Hero came back up from his bow. “You can start by working toward your teaching license. It takes more than just shoving students into a training scenario and expecting them to know what to do without covering the basics.”

It was a dig on All Might’s first training sessions. Battle Training certainly wasn’t where Shouta would have started. Much like his Quirk Assessment Test, he would have taken the time to figure out where each student was when it came to fighting in general. Only then would he move forward toward any sort of Battle Training but keep Quirks out of it until the students were more comfortable with fighting by itself. Because releasing a bunch of inexperienced teenagers with permission to use their Quirks as they saw naively fit was a recipe for disaster. Yagi got lucky that his worked out so well for both classes.

And judging by their confrontation, things could have been very bad outside of the training between Bakugou and Midoriya. Another kudo for the kid’s disguise.

“Thank you for the advice, Aizawa-san,” Yagi said with a grateful nod. Then a somber expression grew on his face. “Might I ask a question?”

“Shoot,” the tired man replied.

“Young Midoriya…he told me about how he grew up,” the skeletal man said. “About…how the Quirkless are seen nowadays. How he was bullied and was told to…” His voice trailed off not wanting to speak of the baiting words. Though the other Heroes could guess what he was referring to as Yagi asked, “Has it really become that bad?”

Tired black eyes studied the Number One Hero before answering, “Yes. From what I have seen and been told by Midoriya, it has. He was mistreated by his peers and teachers growing up just because he was Quirkless. A bunch of Quirkist idiots being bigots.”

Like you, Dumb Might.

“I see,” Yagi said solemnly. “I wasn’t aware the situation had deteriorated so much since I was…young.”

The Erasure Hero quirked a brow at the hesitation and was about to ask about it when Nezu spoke up.

“I am aware of what you were about to say, Yagi-san,” the principal interjected between sips of tea. “Please feel free to express yourself freely with us.”

To some that may come off as a comforting statement but Shouta knew it was Nezu’s way of demanding for Yagi to be completely truthful. Since he himself knew everything and wanted all the dominos to fall in place as they should. To reveal all that had transpired in that meeting whether the Number One Hero wanted to or not. Knowing this, All Might let out a conceding breath and gave a nod.

“As I said before, I was given One For All by my mentor,” Yagi explained. “It is a Quirk that can be passed on and stockpiles power from holder to holder. It also helps boost the current holder’s Quirk to become more powerful. Or so I was told by Nana. I never experienced that myself because before I received One For All, I too was…Quirkless.”

The Erasure Hero just stared at shriveled form of the Number One Hero before him trying to process that information. All Might, the Symbol of Peace, had been Quirkless until he was gifted a Quirk. Who used that Quirk to become the Hero he was today and had offered that same Quirk to a Quirkless teenager.

“That is partly why I wish to give young Midoriya One For All,” Yagi continued. “I see myself in him. He has the heart of a Hero. The drive and desire to help others. And he is skilled in fighting and with his Support Items. But his desire to be a Quirkless Hero is…ill-advised.”

Shouta was seething internally but still didn’t let it show as he asked, “Why?”

“Hero work is dangerous,” the elder Hero replied. “Villains commit acts of violence with no regard of the laws and rules set in place to protect the people. Young Midoriya won the Sports Festival but that is a highly regulated event. I fear that without a Quirk he would be vulnerable in the real world. I believe that by giving him One For All would protect him as well as ensure his goal to become a Hero.”

“What makes you think that he can’t become a Hero without a Quirk?” Shouta pressed with a pointed glare.

“It is because I was once Quirkless myself,” Yagi answered with a sigh. “I too had a dream to be a Hero growing up. To become a symbol of peace that the people could look to and be put at ease. But it was a lofty goal and I had no power in order to attain it. Not until Nana took me under her wing and passed One For All to me. Only then was I able to become the Symbol of Peace.”

A tired eyebrow twitched in irritation at what he was implying. That a Quirk was necessary to be a Hero. But it wasn’t. Because a Quirk was a tool and could help but the duties of a Hero didn’t require one. Midoriya had certainly found a logical work around to not having a Quirk and it worked for him just fine. Besides his goal wasn’t to become a Symbol of Peace like Yagi. He just wanted to help people which he could do just as well Quirkless than if he had a Quirk.

But All Might was still focused on the Quirk. As if it was the only way to be a Hero. Perhaps that was true for his case, but Midoriya wasn’t him. He was his own person with his own goals. Ones he was working hard to reach with his own skills and power. Just because Yagi couldn’t make it as a Quirkless Hero doesn’t mean Midoriya can’t. That is…if the Hero before him had even tried.

“Let me ask you something, All Might,” Shouta said, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. “You said you had ‘lofty goals’ but ‘no power’ to attain them. Did you even try?”

“To what?” the skeletal man asked.

“Try to be a Quirkless Hero?” the tired man inquired.

“No, I didn’t,” All Might admitted, clasping his hands together. “Because I knew it was impossible. I wanted to be a symbol of peace. But how could I be without natural power? I still dreamed of becoming a Hero but I wasn’t able to actually pursue that dream until I received One For All. Only then was I able to become a Hero.”

Black hair rose and tired eyes flashed red as the Erasure Hero growled, “All Might, you fucking hypocrite.”

The blonde jumped in alarm and stared at him frightenedly as he said, “What?”

“You can’t say you know if you didn’t even fucking try,” Shouta snapped with his Quirk still active. “How could you know shit if you didn’t put any effort into even attempting to be a Hero without a Quirk? You have no idea how much time and effort Midoriya has put toward becoming a Hero. And he is succeeding because of those efforts you never bothered with.”

“I admit he is strong and skillful,” Yagi insisted. “But he would be able to do so much more good with my Quirk. I tried to explain that to young Midoriya but he left before I could get him to understand. That if he truly wants to become a great Hero, he would be better off accepting One For All.”

“You’re not listening, All Might,” Eraserhead retorted as he stood up in order to glare down at the blonde imbecile. “Midoriya doesn’t care about being a great Hero. He only cares about being a Hero period. A Hero who helps for the sake of helping with no regards to the rankings or receiving credit. Because saving people should be credit enough.”

The room fell silent after his little rant. The Erasure Hero eventually had to blink and deactivate his Quirk in the process. He let out an exasperated sigh as he sat back down and ran a hand through his shaggy hair. Nezu simply pushed a refreshed cup of tea closer to him which he accepted gratefully. While Yagi sat there taking in his words.

Eventually the blonde gathered his thoughts as he said, “I commend young Midoriya for his goals. He has more tenacity than I did before I received One For All. I accept that him becoming a Quirkless Hero is his desire and is possible to a degree. But I still believe he could do more with a Quirk. My Quirk.”

Shouta was about to argue but Nezu held up a paw to steadying paw. Tired black eyes turned to him as the chimera took another sip of tea before speaking.

“It seems we are at a difference of opinion then,” the principal said. “We believe Midoriya-kun will become a fine Hero as he is. While you believe he could be more with One For All. Both sides standing firm in their beliefs with no inclination to change, correct?”

The black-haired man and the blonde both gave affirming nods.

“Very well,” Nezu continued putting down his cup. “There is no point in continuing this discussion at this time as both sides are certain their views are correct. Therefore, I suggest we adjourn this particular topic at this point in time. Perhaps to be revisited in the future as Midoriya-kun grows and proves one, neither, or both correct. Agreed?”

Again, the two other Heroes nodded in agreement as Nezu moved to refresh his cup again. Though there was still stubbornness permeating the air. But only time would tell which of them were right. That and how far Midoriya’s convictions would take him.

“Now then, before we adjourn this meeting entirely, I have a few things I would like to discuss,” Nezu said as he settled back into his seat with his tea. “Midoriya-kun made several points I would like to bring attention to. First being that you, Yagi-san, were consulting him without a parent and/or guardian present. As well as intended for him to not inform his parents in the event if he did accept One For All. Which would be against regulations considering he is a minor.”

The skeletal man gave a confronted expression but nodded as he said, “Yes, young Midoriya did mention something similar to that.”

“That’s because Midoriya actually uses his brain unlike you,” Shouta jeered he slumped back while crossing his arms.

Paying no mind to the tired man’s comment though the skeletal man did bristle at the jab, Nezu pressed on, “As this occurred on campus during school hours, that would fall under the jurisdiction of Aizawa-san or myself as homeroom teacher and principal respectively. Acting as guardian while students are on school grounds. This denial of informing an appropriate authority figure steps out of your own range of authority, Yagi-san.”

The Number One Hero gulped nervously at the stern look the principal was giving him. Shouta sat there silently enjoying every moment of it.

“This infringement cannot stand if we are to maintain the status quo,” the mammal stated. “Along with this are your lapses in your teaching duties. You were offered a position at UA to teach, Yagi-san. Meaning you need to put forth the effort to be a proper teacher. You were allowed to join our staff without a teaching license on the behest of the Hero Commission as well as my own understanding of your ultimate goal of finding a successor.”

The tired man was surprised and yet not that the Hero Comission had something to do with All Might being hired. They always did like to stick their noses into other people’s business even if it had nothing to do with them. If it had to do with Heroes, they always tried to gain any kind of control over it. One of the reasons why Shouta was grateful for being an Underground Hero. They didn’t have as much say in an Underground Hero’s duty nor did they care. Because an Underground Hero didn’t have as much media exposure or influence.

“While I do see that Midoriya-kun would make a good successor, I highly suggest you do not bring up the offer again,” Nezu stressed, because ‘highly suggested’ was basically an order coming from him. “You must accept that he has different goals than you and there is nothing you can say to change his mind. He has given you his answer.”

All Might let out a reluctant sigh but nodded anyway.

“Going back to your lack of teaching experience in conjunction with your views of Midoriya-kun’s qualifications,” the chimera continued. “I am concerned of whether you will be able to remain unbiased in your lessons while working with Midoriya-kun. As well as the level of effectiveness your lessons are in general. Not to mention your breach of authority while interacting with a minor individually.”

“Don’t forget that he had failed to give proper aid to an assault victim,” Shouta added with a glare. “One who had nearly drowned and had blacked out. Rejecting him because he was Quirkless. Leaving him on a roof to fend for himself on the same day he was told to jump off of one.”

“Also, a fair point,” Nezu concurred. “As such, I would like to one, keep your interactions with Midoriya-kun to a minimum and two, to have another teacher present during your class time to observe and assess your teaching capabilities. Offering you support and guidance to become a better teacher yourself. While also assuring your continued association with Midoriya-kun and his peers is appropriate.”

While the Number One Hero was used to hiding his emotions behind a smile, there was nothing he could do to hide the grimace that formed on his face. Not having the experience of maintaining a neutral expression like Shouta was. Who was blanking observing the scene but was reveling in the scolding internally.

“If you do not adhere to these conditions, we will have to revisit your fitness as a teacher here at UA,” the principal stated firmly. “Because while it is important for you to find a successor, the safety and wellbeing of the students are far more important and I will not allow them to be jeopardized. Is that understood?”

The chimera took a sip of tea as he waited for the man’s answer. Which didn’t take long as Yagi let out a sigh as he nodded in agreement. Good. It was a step closer to ensuring Midoriya’s wellbeing as well as a step forward to the skeletal man actually learning to be a teacher. A difficult but very important job in its own right.

“Very well,” Nezu said before taking a last long drink of tea. He placed the empty cup down and then jumped down from the couch. “I will inform you of who will be observing your classes tomorrow once I’ve coordinated with the other teachers for the change. You are dismissed for today.”

The principal walked toward the door but stopped before leaving the room. The mammal turned back and addressed the tired man, “Do come along, Aizawa-san. Let us leave Yagi-san to reflect on his actions.”

Shouta simply gave a nod as he stood as well. Leaving All Might to his thoughts. That and the task of cleaning up the dirty dishes. Another tea themed rebuff as a final mark of Nezu’s distaste of the situation they had found themselves in. The tired man had never been so glad for a cup of tea before.

The principal and homeroom teacher quietly walked the halls before parting ways. Nezu to his office to start his preparations for Yagi’s new teaching circumstances and Shouta to the teachers’ room. It wasn’t until he was at his desk removing various things from his scarf in order to work on lesson plans and paperwork for a few more hours that he noticed he still had the thermos.

Keeping a thermos stored in his capture weapon may seem weird and cumbersome. But if Nezu could hide in his scarf with ease, a thermos was nothing compared to that. Shouta had intended to give it back to Midoriya clean today. But the whole drama with All Might distracted him from completing that task. And he didn’t want to disturb the kid again today with giving it back.

Besides, this gave him an opportunity to return the favor of the green one giving him coffee. Sure, it had been as a thank you for yelling at some sexist idiots in the crowd. Something he had been happy to do because all of his students could kick ass regardless of gender. But he appreciated the gesture either way.

But what kind of drink would the kid like? Not coffee because he had said he didn’t like it every time Shinsou would drink it around him. Hot chocolate maybe but it was summer and that was more a winter time drink. Tea was another option though the Hero was sure the teen got enough of that while working with Nezu. What other options were there? Shouta decided he would ask Hizashi for advice next time he saw him. The cockatoo had a wider range of experience with different drinks than he did. Not surprising that a perpetual napper relied on coffee to survive.

Whatever he ultimately decided on, hopefully it would act as a pick-me-up for the kid. Gods knew he needed it after the shit he’s been going through recently. The confrontation, the poor reaction from the public to his Quirk status, and now today with Yagi being a Quirkist imbecile. Plus, the USJ early on in the school year and him being attacked by a Villain before UA. Midoriya just keeps drawing trouble to himself like a magnet. Meaning that Shouta would probably have to keep an extra eye on that particular problem child.

While Shouta made an effort to maintain an air of indifference, he did care for his students. Even the ones he kicked out of his class because he was doing them a favor and saving them from themselves. Whether out of lack of potential or just sheer stupidity of wanting to be a Hero but not willing to put in the work. But this year he had a good batch of students even though he would never admit that out loud. And with the addition of the two new problem children his class was now complete. He looked forward to see how far all of them would go.

Notes:

And so All Might has been bashed! :D With guest appearance of Nezu as the top most voice of authority in this situation. Because you know he would be watching through the cameras and checking on his personal student's wellbeing.

I hope that was enough 'yelling' for you. I do love me a good tongue lashing when it comes to All Might's idiocy but I also wanted to do something a bit different. And thus, with Nezu involved, judgement through tea was born! I could so see him doing something like this.

Bottom line, Yagi is going to have to step up his teaching game and keep his association with Izuku to a minimum. Nobody makes the green bean upset and gets away with it.

As for the amount of authority Nezu and Shouta actually have as Izuku's teacher, I'm not sure how it is irl. Though homeroom teachers have a stronger role in students' lives in Japan. But this is also a school of heroes and as heroes they have additional privileges and such as that sort of authority figure. So I'm going with it. :P

Fun Facts About Japan:

Japan is very much a tea culture. Now myself I think tea is alright. Shouta's comment of 'hot leaf juice' is just my own thoughts. XD But people in Japan love their tea. The generic term for tea is 'cha' ( 茶 , ちゃ ) typically with the 'o' ( お ) honorific to become 'ocha' ( お茶 , おちゃ ). This is a blanket term for all teas though tends to refer to herbal teas in Japan. Green tea is of course a popular choice. Especially matcha ( 抹茶 , まっちゃ ) with is still a green tea but matcha is finely ground tea leaves by a specialized process to turn it into a powder. Matcha is also connected to the traditional Japanese tea ceremony that I'll probably talk about in a later chapter.

Some restaurants like at conveyor belt sushi shops will have a hot water dispenser and a container of matcha powder for you to use make your own at your table or place at the bar. Which is pretty convenient though I'm not the biggest fan of matcha. Green tea is often served in summer while in winter it is more common to be served barley tea at restaurants in my experience. At the conbini and grocery stores, you can find a wide variety of bottled teas. I would usually go for jasmine tea myself which I kind of miss the simple teas instead of the fancy mixes often found in the US. I just like certain things kept simple.

At the schools there was also a lot of consumption of tea. Whenever I would start at a new school I was offered tea while waiting to introduce myself to the teachers. I was also asked if I wanted coffee or tea and I would always go for tea because I just can't stand the taste of coffee. It was always awkward for me to say 'I don't drink coffee' but I could get behind tea. They would also offer tea as a 'thank you' when helping with various projects like speech contest practice, English hour, or training local firefighters in English. Japanese people like to recognize hard work and gifted tea is a great way to do that.

That's it for this update! Next time we're back with Izuku and him processing what happened. As well as continuing to work in the studio with friends before heading home. To his mom but also his merch collection. Wonder how that's going to go. Until then, be well, be safe, and report any typos or weirdness!

Chapter 24: Never Meet Your Heroes

Notes:

And we're back! Got some friend and studio times before Izuku goes back home after this long ass day. I don't want to spoil anything so I'll let the chapter do its thing. ;)

We've got an in-progress Russian translation going by the lovely Ann! :D I did have a reader offer the same back in chapter 20 of part 1 but I'd never had someone offer that before so I may have sort of scared them off with my questions? Idk. Sorry if I did. ^__^; I just was so shocked and surprised, but I appreciated the offer regardless! Anyway, we got a second one so yay! ^____^ Blank Canvas is now international. XD Thanks so much, Ann! There's a link to it on the linktree!

Linktree to all the things!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Izuku was extremely grateful he was enrolled in UA. He had never felt so cared for by a teacher until now. It had been overwhelming enough when numerous teachers had offered to train him for one thing or another. Then there was their support after the confrontation with Bakugou. But for Aizawa to go out of his way to comfort him after that shit storm of a meeting with All Might, that took the cake.

The Quirkless teen was still getting used to his current teachers actually caring for his wellbeing. His past ones sure hadn’t and had turned a blind eye to his numerous problems with some even adding to them. But UA kept surprising him again and again that it was different. That the teachers actually gave a shit about their students no matter who they were or what their Quirk status was.

He had been prepared to cry alone in that empty classroom he had found after storming away from All Might. The teen had just been so angry that he couldn’t stand to be in the Hero’s presence any longer. But the farther away he got the more the anger faded away as despair took its place. He had managed to escape into the first room he found empty before succumbing to his tears.

When he had heard that soft knock on the door, Izuku had been terrified that it was All Might having come to continue their ‘conversation’. That the greenette would have to hear more of how the Number One Hero believed he could be a Hero but only with a Quirk. So, he had tried his hardest to stifle his sobbing in hopes that whoever it was would go way. But to his surprise they didn’t and it had turned out to be Aizawa.

Izuku had only known the Erasure Hero personally for about a month. While he was still hesitant to trust a teacher, Aizawa had proven again and again that he was someone the teen could trust. Along with most of the other teachers but Aizawa specifically.

He was the first to offer training and was the one to who introduced the boy’s analysis to Nezu. He was the one who continued to train Hitoshi and him with Yamada’s help even after he was injured during the USJ attack. All to help them prepare for the Sports Festival in hopes of transferring same as he had as a student. Had come to Izuku’s aid during the confrontation with Bakugou and stood by his side unlike any of his past teachers who had all chosen his bully’s side no matter what the circumstances.

It was because of this that Izuku had been able to make himself get up and open the door. Not entirely, just a crack. Enough to look out and see if All Might was out there with him. Because the teen did not want to talk or even look at the Number One Hero right now. But without him having to say a word, Aizawa knew who he was looking for and had assured him that Yagi wasn’t there. That his homeroom teacher was there to check on him and would be talking to All Might later. That he was putting Izuku first.

Before UA, no one at school had ever put him first. It was always other students, especially Bakugou, who were considered more important that the useless Quirkless Deku who would never amount to anything. But here he wasn’t pushed aside. Wasn’t ignored or written off because he was Quirkless. Instead, the teachers of UA were going beyond to help him in any way they could.

One month at a school where the teachers actually cared wasn’t enough to erase an entire decade of teachers who didn’t. But it was a start. Izuku was still hesitant to reach out for help but for this man, this Hero, he was willing to try. Letting him into the room though unsure what would happen next. Because this was still so new to the Quirkless teen. To have the support from teachers, people, who actually gave a damn about him.

The teacher and student had stood there for an awkward moment until the Hero did something that Izuku did not expect. Aizawa, the hardass teacher and badass Hero, willingly opened his arms in offer of a hug to the distraught Quirkless teen. Izuku only hesitated for a moment to see if he meant it and when the man didn’t back down the greenette practically ran into the embrace.

The built-up emotions had poured out of him as he hugged his teacher. Too overwhelmed by the situation to do anything other than cry and hold on tight. Was easily maneuvered into sitting as he sobbed into the Hero’s chest. Aizawa didn’t say a word as Izuku soiled his shirt. Merely provided comfort through touch as the boy let everything out.

When he had finally found some composure, Izuku was embarrassed for crying and soiling his teacher’s clothes. But Aizawa waved it off as nothing and instead proceeded to ask him what happened. Which was a very loaded question because so much had happened in that meeting.

All Might was given a Quirk. A Quirk that was from the beginning of Quirks. One with a long history and came with an immortal nemesis like an accessory. A power that can be passed on from person to person like a family heirloom without needing to be family. A Quirk that the Number One Hero wished to give to the Quirkless teen.

Had it been a year ago when he had first met All Might, Izuku may have accepted. Wanting so much to receive any kind of outside validation of his dream to be a Hero that he would have taken One For All with enthusiasm. Though he would like to think he would have still insisted on telling his parents. At the very least his mother who would have stopped at nothing to understand the drastic change.

But this was here and now. Izuku didn’t want or need One For All. He was adamant on becoming the first Quirkless Hero in history. To prove to everyone that it was possible. That no matter who you are and no matter the Quirk or lack thereof, you can become anything you want as long as you had the will to try with your best effort.

That was where Yagi and Izuku were different. They may have started with very similar in circumstances. Quirkless with a dream to be a Hero. But the difference was that Izuku was willing to fight for that dream despite not having a Quirk while Yagi had not. Instead, the Hero had only become one after he was blessed with a once in a lifetime chance of being gifted a Quirk.

One For All made All Might strong. There was no doubt about that. It allowed the man to be seemingly invincible and withstand any fight. Even against the Quirk’s own personal demon though just barely. But while Yagi wanted to become the Number One Hero and Symbol of Peace, Izuku didn’t. He simply wanted to be a Hero. That’s it. Not the strongest, flashiest, or any other -est. He just wanted to be a Hero who helped.

It was clearly a concept that Yagi didn’t understand. For him, it was go big or go home. Plus Ultra with every waking breath. And that worked for him. But not everyone was All Might. Every person was unique and had their own set of skills and strengths. Yagi’s was his literal strength and his ability to give people ease of mind. Though the greenette worried what would happen when the Symbol of Peace was suddenly gone.

A system with only one pillar was fragile. Like a skyscraping jenga tower that was precariously perched on a single wooden block. If that one piece was ripped out or even the surface it stood on was shaken enough, the entire thing could come crashing down at any second. The current system was in desperate need of more support from other Heroes to prevent that from happening.

Izuku believed he could help be that support with the kind of Hero he wished to be. To help keep society standing though he would very much like to rearrange some pieces. Fix what needs fixing and the like. Such as the ranking system and the stark black-and-white view most of society held. As well as holding Heroes actually responsible for their transgressions instead of sweeping them under the rug. But such a change would take time and help to be implemented. Fortunately, Izuku wasn’t one to give up easily.

The greenette had told Aizawa what he felt he could about the meeting. All Might did ask for him to keep One For All a secret after all. And he wasn’t one to betray someone’s trust by breaking promises and spilling secrets. Like with Shouto and his shitbag of a father. He may want to and even pushed that boundary with setting Chizome on Endeavor with vague accusations, but Izuku felt it wasn’t his place to outright reveal all the dirty details.

It was actually relieving to finally tell someone about what had happened on that roof a year ago. Of his impulsive actions leading to him learning about All Might’s weakened form. Knowledge he had let slip back when they had first arrived at the USJ. But so much had happened since then that it wasn’t surprising that Aizawa was finally able to learn about how he knew that now.

The Erasure Hero had been quick to berate All Might’s lack of action when it came to ensuring Izuku’s wellbeing. Which the teen hadn’t even considered until now. He had been more focused on being told ‘no’ by his childhood idol. But now that he thought about it, the way Yagi had handled the situation was even poorer than he had realized.

When Aizawa had asked about what happened after All Might left that day, Izuku hesitated to tell him about Chizome. But he felt that he couldn’t lie to the man who was making the effort to talk to him. Taking the time to hear him out much like Chizome had the first time they had met. And so, Izuku felt compelled to tell Aizawa about the man who had finally told him ‘yes’.

The greenette stayed vague on the details. Going along with Aizawa’s assumption that it was a civilian if not a Hero and keeping the fact that it actually was a Villain to himself. What was important was what the man had said to him that day. That Chizome had finally given the encouragement that Izuku had needed all along. That even though he didn’t have a Quirk, as long as Izuku found his own edge he would be able to become the Hero he had always wanted to be.

Chizome believed. Aizawa and the other teachers believed. His mother and friends as well. So why didn’t Yagi? The elder Hero clearly saw his potential and had said as much. But All Might still saw Izuku as lacking despite all of his hard efforts to win the Sports Festival and gain a transfer to the Hero Course. Because he was so focused on his own goals of being the Symbol of Peace and passing that role along with his Quirk to Izuku that he couldn’t see the teen wanted something different.

But Aizawa did and acknowledged all the hard work the greenette had put into becoming a Hero. Could see the flickering light of his potential and wanted to fan that flame into an inferno. To help mold him into the first Quirkless Hero.

Izuku was grateful for their talk. As well as the physical signs of support from his teacher. Before he had been so upset all he could think about was hiding away to let his tears flow. To let out all the negative emotions swirling inside alone as he had done so many times before. But he felt so much better having someone to talk to about what happened. Making him hope that they would start his therapy soon because the teen seriously thought it would help.

The walk to the studio was nice. Filling in Aizawa on what he had planned. A step back to normal after that world altering meeting. Because the existence of a Quirk that could be passed down to literally anyone was mind boggling. Just as much as there existing a person who could give and take Quirks at will. Who could possibly be still alive to this day living on as the boogey man of the underworld. The thought sent a shiver down the greenette’s spine.

Hopefully the closest Izuku ever got to that particular Villain was his potential connection to the League of Villains. Because if All For One was a bad as he heard, meeting the man in person would most likely be absolutely terrifying. The thought made Izuku wish for the safety of his father’s arms that he had sought numerous times growing up. Cradled and protected from the dangers of the world. A touch he hadn’t felt for six years.

But before he could get lost in thoughts of how much he missed his dad, they arrived at the studio and Izuku was released to go join his friends. The greenette thanked his teacher before walking over to Mei and Shouto. The pinkette was hard at work while the bi-color teen sat nearby watching her.

“Hey, guys, sorry I’m late,” Izuku asked as he walked up to the pair and placed his bag down on the ground.

“Izuku!” Mei chirped, briefly abandoning her baby to pull her best friend into a hug.

The greenette returned the hug with a squeeze before letting her go. Upon release Izuku turned to Shouto who was stoic as ever. But green eyes could still see the hints of want in those of grey and blue. With an encouraging smile, Izuku held his arms open in invitation and his friend gladly accepted. The embrace was brief but still managed to bring that fluttering feeling to his gut.

“Thanks for waiting,” Izuku said as he let the other boy go. “Sorry I took so long.”

“It’s fine,” Shouto assured.

“Yeah, no worries, Hero-kun,” Mei added. “Shouto here has been serving as my own personal audience.”

She gave the bi-color teen a wink in thanks who simply nodded in reply.

“So, how did your meeting go?” the pinkette asked as she turned her attention back to Izuku.

The Quirkless teen did his best to hide the still lingering pain inside with a smile as he answered, “It was fine.”

Both of his friends eyed him critically before Mei crossed her arms and quirked a disbelieving brow. While next to her, Shouto tilted his head slightly in silent question of if that was true. Izuku gave a relenting sigh. This was the drawback of getting closer to people. You can’t keep your problems to yourself. Which was good because then you didn’t have to deal with them alone but it sucked for someone who hated to be a burden to others.

“How did it really go, Izuku?” Mei pressed.

“Did this Yagi-sensei do something bad?” Shouto asked, eyes full of underlying worry.

“He, uh, yes and no?” Izuku replied hesitantly, again unsure what all he could share. Even more so because they didn’t know that Yagi was actually All Might. “We…talked and somethings he said were…not good.”

“Like what?” the pinkette asked, lowering her arms.

“Yagi-sensei offered me a sort of, um, training,” the greenette answered. “A way to get stronger.”

“But isn’t that good?” Mei asked tilting her head slightly. “Heroes need training, right?”

Izuku hesitated in responding. Green eyes shared a brief moment with Shouto’s own of grey and blue. Because the other knew that not all training was good. Though while All Might’s offer was very different from what Endeavor got up to at home, it was still on the not good side of the spectrum. The bi-color teen sensed his distress and shifted closer to link their pinkies together.

“They do, but not all training is necessary,” Izuku replied as he turned back to Mei. “And this one really wasn’t.”

“What was it?” Shouto asked as he gave their linked digits a comforting squeeze.

“I can’t really say what exactly,” Izuku replied as he returned the gesture. He paused for a moment to think of a quick on-the-fly explanation. “Yagi-sensei, he, um, he’s a teacher but he also…works for All Might.”

“Like an assistant?” Mei asked.

“Uh, sure,” the greenette responded. It was a good enough label as any even though the two personas were one and the same person. “Anyway, he offered the, um, training on behalf of All Might. But if I accepted, it would make all of my efforts to get where I am now a waste.”

“Why?” Shouto asked. “Aren’t you going to intern under Aizawa-sensei?

“I am,” Izuku answered with a nod. “But this training I think would have been outside of that. I turned it down though. I don’t need it to become the kind of Hero I want to be.”

The trio fell into a companionable silence. Mei and Shouto knew of Izuku’s goals and they fully supported him in anything he chose to do. Including this even though they didn’t know the full details. Because everyone was privileged to keep their secrets and could choose to share them or not. The two friends would not push him for more information and instead would stand by his side no matter what his decision was.

But neither liked the underlying sadness that still radiated from the greenette. Shouto offered comfort through their connected fingers. While Mei alerted Hitoshi of the situation via text before going to dig around her pile of babies. The Purple Panda had already gone home for the day and so offered his own support through texting. Asking what happened but assuring him that he didn’t have to say if he wasn’t comfortable. As well as flooding his inbox with memes and cat pictures to cheer him up as per usual. Izuku couldn’t help but smile at his best friends’ various signs of support.

“Here we are~!” Mei sang gleefully having found what she had been looking for. She turned around with fierce enthusiasm and shoved the baby in Izuku’s face. “I had planned on giving this to you later, but you’re sad and I don’t like it so you’re getting it now.”

She handed off the item to the greenette who took it in his hands. Tears welled in his eyes but they were ones of joy rather than sadness. He was overwhelmed by the gift that all he could get out was a wet, “Mei-chan…”

“It’s your own Inventor’s Special!” the pinkette chirped putting her fists proudly on her hips. “All the features of the one you borrowed before but in red because you love your clashing complimentary color.”

The belt in Izuku’s hands was indeed red. With pockets filled with all the tools an inventor needed. It would be perfect for working in the studio and the greenette eagerly put it on. Once he did, Izuku pulled Mei into a hug in gratitude.

“Thanks, Mei-chan,” Izuku said, giving her a firm squeeze before letting go. “I love it and I’ll use it every day.”

“You better! And look,” Mei said before putting on her own belt that was the original black one. “We match!”

Izuku laughed at that and offered her a fist bump which she returned. They then both turned to Shouto offering a twinned fist bump to not leave him out. The bi-color teen was surprised but also returned the two friendly gestures.

After that, the two inventors got to work. Izuku found his notes for Shouto’s Support Item and gave them to the taller boy to hand in with his request form. The bi-color teen excused himself to do just that. While he was talking to Maijima, Mei requested to take some pictures of Izuku’s notes on his Quirk Replicating gear so that she could reference them when he wasn’t around. The greenette easily gave her permission because it would make sense and be more convenient for the both of them.

Shouto returned to watch them work and the rest of the afternoon passed as they continued to tinker. Maijima let them work until the five o’clock chime at which time he kicked them out and sent them home to rest. Which was more of a chore when it came to dragging Mei away from her babies. But Izuku was long used to it and was able to coax her out of the studio.

The bi-color teen waited patiently for the other two to change back into their uniforms. Then together they headed off campus. Along the way, Izuku decided to tuck his recognizable hair into the same beanie he had used for his Hiro disguise. He had had enough attention for the day and wanted the anonymity his plain looks typically allowed him. The three friends walked together before parting ways at the station.

The ride home was thankfully uneventful. No one paid him any attention on the train or on his walk home with the beanie serving its purpose well. Izuku enjoyed the peace and quiet of it after the day he had. First day in the Hero Course. Presenting Hero names. Making new friends. Getting a head start on rebuilding his arsenal. Having a debacle of a meeting with All Might, but comforted by Aizawa. Ending the school day tinkering with friends.

All in all, a busy day with its own share of ups and downs. Izuku felt better than he had after he left the meeting with Yagi and thereby removing himself from a toxic situation. Having the support of Aizawa and his friends also helped. The greenette kept himself entertained by texting with his friends and scrolling through all the pictures Hitoshi had sent him. The cat pictures and memes brought a smile to his face, but Yagi’s words still rolled around in the back of his mind. That his childhood idol still didn’t believe in him all because he was Quirkless.

Izuku physically shook his head to clear out negative thoughts. He didn’t need Yagi to believe in him to be a Hero. His friends, mentors, and mother do. Chizome too. The Quirkless teen didn’t need All Might’s support or approval. Even though if he did it would mean so much to Izuku. But he didn’t and there wasn’t much the teen could do about it. All he could do was keep pushing himself forward and reaching for his dream. And so, he would.

“Mom, I’m home,” Izuku called out as he entered their apartment but received no response.

Huh, she must have gone to the store or something.

With a shrug, he pulled off his beanie while he routinely took off his shoes and left them at the door before making his way to his room. Though as he approached the door, his breath caught and he stopped in his tracks as green eyes stared at the All Might name plate. Before, the sight of it every day had filled him with hope and inspiration. But now, knowing his idol still didn’t believe in him even after everything he had done to get into the Hero Course, all he felt was heartache.

Letting out a shaky breath, the greenette reached up with his free hand and took the name plate off the door before opening it and walking through. Again, he paused as he took in his room. A room that he had lived and slept and played in for as long as he could remember. One that was so familiar to him but in this moment felt so foreign. All Might’s face was everywhere, gazing out at him with the Hero’s signature smile. But Izuku knew behind that smile was a man who put more faith in a genetic anomaly better known as a Quirk than in all of the Quirkless boy’s efforts.

Izuku took another steadying breath and forced himself to walk into the room. He placed his beanie on his desk before he took off his backpack and placed it on the ground. With name plate still in hand, he slowly turned on the spot to take in the sheer amount of All Might. Representing just how much the Hero had meant to him. Posters, figurines, pencils, bags, books, and even his bedspread. All of it sported the Number One Hero’s image in some way. His face, his catchphrase, his colors. The greenette felt for the first time that he was drowning in a sea of red, yellow, and blue. That he was surrounded by disapproving eyes in his own bedroom.

All Might…Yagi-sensei…I’ve looked up to you for so long. Wanted to be a Hero because of you. Not to be the strongest but to help. To be useful to others so they may have a better life. But you don’t really believe that I can. That a Quirkless Hero is waste of my time and effort. That I could be more of a Hero with a Quirk. That it would be more realistic to become a Hero like you.

They say to never meet your Heroes as they would only disappoint you. That the actual person will never match up to the idealistic image you create in your mind. But Izuku had never wanted to believe that. Never thought that All Might the Symbol of Peace himself could ever be anything but pure good. A true Hero as Chizome said.

Sure, when Izuku had first met All Might, the man had told him ‘no’ because of how dangerous Hero work was. That without power he would be a liability. And Izuku knew this and ‘agreed’ with him to a point. But after talking to Chizome and then meeting Mei, the Quirkless boy decided to make his own power. His edge. An edge he used to land in first place of the UA First Year Sports Festival becoming the first ever Quirkless winner. A feat that he had accomplished by putting in his all into every challenge, every fight. He thought that would be enough to prove that he had what it took. But apparently it still wasn’t. Not for someone who was Quirkless.

‘Never meet your Heroes.’

Izuku had forgiven and even understood All Might’s initial rejection. Had moved on and even had the pleasure of meeting other Heroes who did believe in him. Maijima with his assurances that any discrimination would not stand and welcomed him openly into his studio. Who was no longer his homeroom teacher but still considered the teen his student.

Aizawa with offering to train them despite not being his students or even in the same course. Who again and again came to his aide whether it involved the boy’s personal bully or the Number One Hero himself. A teacher, Hero, and person who actually cared for his wellbeing.

Nezu with his interest in his analysis and taking him, Izuku, as his personal student. Who was willing to do all he could to bring the Quirkless teen justice. Including defending him in the media as well as raining down consequences to those who deserved them. All while sharing his favorite teas.

Yamada with his dedication to teaching him a whole other language on top of his regular English class. Had even playing along with his pun idea for the festival. Quite enthusiastically in fact. Who had always given encouragement and support no matter what the issue was in or outside of the classroom. Had even gifted Izuku an Eraserhead figurine as a thank you for his efforts during the USJ attack.

Shuuzenji with her offer to teach him first aid out of the blue. Who he didn’t know all that well as of yet, but she praised him for his analysis and wished to work with him to help his fellow students. The teen looked forward to working with her once he had time to do so.

All of these Heroes believed in him. Saw some kind of potential that deemed him worthy of their time and care. They are what made UA so very different from his past schools. Had given him hope that maybe now he was at UA and in the Hero Course that Yagi…no, that All Might would believe in him too. But he had been wrong.

‘Not if you want to be a Hero like me.’

The feeling of something wet landing on his clenched fist broke Izuku from his stupor. Looking down at his hand still holding the name plate, he saw a single drop of moisture.

A rain drop? But how? I’m inside.

He let out a shaky breath that he didn’t know he had been holding.

Why do I sound so…?

He reached up with his other hand and felt that his cheek was wet.

Oh…I’m crying. When did I start crying?

He honestly didn’t know. From the moment he saw the name plate in his hand on his door to now, it was all sort of a blur. Taking in a choppy breath, he started to use a meditation technique to calm himself down. Preventing the spiral down into a full-blown panic attack.

Looking again at the name plate, he walked over to his bed and dropped it on the bedspread. Then he turned around and gazed at all of his posters. With shaky legs, he approached the closest one and took it down with trembling fingers. He then walked back over to the bed and laid the poster down before turning back for another.

One by one the posters came down revealing the bare walls behind them. The pile on his bed grew and grew as the minutes passed. When all the posters were down, he started to collect everything else All Might. Every pin, every figurine, every bauble and trinket that featured anything All Might. Even his pen case from his backpack leaving the pencils and such that had been inside on his desk. It all had to go. Not destroyed because he never could or would ever do that to Hero merch. Even if he had come to realize that merchandising was part of the problem in today’s Hero society, he couldn’t bring himself to destroy them.

Well, maybe Endeavor’s if I had any.

But definitely not All Might’s. He was a good Hero and generally kind and caring. His only fault is his lack of faith in Izuku and Quirkist views despite having been Quirkless once himself. That and his tendency to reveal his smaller form on accident as well as poor teaching abilities. But he was still a good Hero, a good man. He just…Izuku just couldn’t stand to continue sleeping in a room surrounded by the image of a man who didn’t believe in him. And so, it all had to go.

Maybe I could sell it.

“Izuku! I’m home!” a familiar maternal voice called out.

Inko was back.

“Hey, mom,” Izuku replied, taking pause in his work.

“How was your day?” the mother asked, busying herself with something in the hall.

Nerve-wracking, exciting, depressing.

“It was…good,” he answered instead. “Hey, mom? Do we have an empty box by chance?”

“Hmm…I might have one in my closet,” she replied, the sounds of rustling came from across the hall. “Ah, there it is. Now, what do you want the box fo…?”

The mother trailed off as she entered the room with box in hand. Inko stood there frozen in shock as she took in the drastic change to her son’s room. The walls and other surfaces were practically bare, empty. Every trace of All Might had been removed and was now a pile on the bed.

“Izuku?” Inko asked in concern.

“I, uh, decided it was time for a change,” Izuku replied giving a poor excuse for a smile.

“Sweetie, what happened?” Inko asked, knowing there was more to it than that.

“I…” Izuku uttered, taking a deep breath to steady himself. “I had a talk with All Might today.”

The mother took a step forward. Her motherly instincts telling her it didn’t go well. That and her son’s dismantling of his All Might collection.

“And?” she asked as she took a step closer.

“H-he said I could be a Hero, but not as I am now. He offered me…” Izuku said, taking pause as he knew he couldn’t tell her about All Might’s Quirk. “…help with training to be a Hero. But…”

“But?” Inko pressed with another step.

“But he still doesn’t believe I can be successful as a Quirkless Hero,” the son answered with fresh tears welling in his eyes.

“Oh, my baby,” the mother cried as she shot forward and dropped the box so she could wrap her boy in a hug.

The pair of Midoriyas stood there crying into each other’s shoulders. Well, more Izuku into his mother’s hair and Inko into his chest. But they took comfort in each other’s arms as the Midoriya tears fell. Both greenettes let their emotions out in that moment. Izuku’s despair of his childhood idol not believing in him. Inko grieving for her son’s loss of love for the Hero. And both of them a hint of anger for All Might and his refusal to acknowledge his potential without a Quirk. Eventually the mother and son calmed down and ended the hug.

“Can you tell me what happened, sweetie?” Inko asked, bringing a hand up to her son’s face to wipe away a stray tear.

“Not all of it,” Izuku replied. “We, uh, talked about somethings that All Might needs to be kept secret. Didn’t even want me to tell you.”

The mother glared at that as she said, “That man wanted you to keep secrets from me? Wanted my son to lie to me and keep me, your mother, out of the loop? Who does he think he is to ask such a thing?”

“It’s okay, mom,” Izuku tried to placate her.

“No, it is not okay, Izuku,” Inko shot back. “I am your mother and you are my son. My baby. And he has the audacity to want you to lie to me? No, that is unacceptable. I will not let this disrespect for you and me stand. Why the next time I see that man…?”

The mother was so angry that her voice trailed off as she fumed. Imagining all she wanted to say to the man. Forgoing pleasantries of introductions having never met the Hero in person and instead going full throttle in yelling at him for all he had done to her son. Telling him he couldn’t be a Hero again and again on top of failing to render aid after saving him from the Sludge Villain. Leaving the teen to walk home alone after almost drowning and coming back to her smelling like a sewar. It just made her so angry!

“Mom, please calm down,” Izuku said, taking her hands in his to ground her. “Aizawa-sensei said he would talk to All Might about what he said to me. He also made sure I was okay before he did.”

Inko was very much in mama bear mode and really wanted to yell at All Might for upsetting her son. But she forced herself to calm down and was pleased that the Underground Hero had done such a thing. Bless that man for everything he’s done for her son. No amount of gifted coffees could show how grateful she was of him and his care for her baby.

Letting out a final huff of frustration the mother said, “Alright, Izuku. So, what do you want to do about…this?”

She gestured towards the pile of All Might merch on the bed.

“I think…I think I want to sell it,” Izuku replied letting out a sad huff of his own. “Not the highest bidder. Just…the first person who wants it. I just want it gone.”

The mother nodded in understanding and with that they got to work. Having not been the first time she’s sold something online, Inko led her son through the steps. Taking pictures of each item which they did in the living room to get the best light. Noting measurements, details, and any flaws they found. Carefully storing them in the box to be wrapped for shipping later after Inko went out and bought the required packing supplies.

They didn’t include all of Izuku’s All Might merch in the lot. His clothes and bedspread they would donate after cleaning what was dirty or used. But the rest including posters, pins, and the like would be. There was only one piece that Izuku was hesitant to let go of. An All Might figurine he’s had since he was very young.

It was a figure of All Might in his Silver Age costume. An arrangement of his signature red, yellow, and blue with a big circle on his chest. Which might not have been the best design choice because it could have also served as an easy target. But thankfully he changed it on his Golden Age costume. A detail that Izuku hadn’t thought about until recently.

The reason he was hesitant to get rid of this particular piece of merch was because there were so many memories tied to it. It had been a gift from his father despite his distaste for Heroes. Overcoming that to make his son happy. It was also the toy he had with him when the doctor had declared him Quirkless. There was a little chip in the paint on the Hero’s hair from when Izuku had dropped it in shock at the diagnosis.

This figurine and he had been through a lot. They played together, took baths together, and even slept together. Serving as his best friend when he had no one else growing up. It was one of the pieces of merch that he had wanted to keep when playing around with the idea of minimizing his collection earlier that day. But now, despite the history he had with it, Izuku couldn’t stand to keep it anymore.

Too many memories now tied with hurt feelings. Too much of a reminder that the faith he had in the Hero and himself was more than what All Might had for him. And so, it had to go. Was placed in the box along with everything else.

The mother and son did what they could that evening. Rolling up the posters. Folding and tying up the clothes and such. Getting as much done before calling it a night. Finishing off with changing Izuku’s bed to a plain set of sheets and one of the spare comforters they had for Inko’s bed. Removing any and all signs of All Might from his once highly decorated room. Leaving behind a room that was for the most part bare since the majority of his collection had been All Might.

But now his room as well as his wardrobe were as much of a blank canvas as Izuku was. Giving him an opportunity to redecorate his room and refashion himself. As a start, he took the figurines of Eraserhead and Present Mic and put them in a place of honor on his desk. He also rummaged in his desk and managed to find a replacement pen case. It was an older one and had no special design. Simply black in color and good enough in functionality to suffice until he found a new one he liked. Satisfied the teen put the pen case back in his bag before finally changing out of his uniform.

That night Inko made katsudon to cheer him up and they spent some time cuddling on the couch before going to bed. It was an odd experience going to sleep in his room that night. Bare walls surrounded him instead of ones covered in posters. But it was a change he was grateful for because he didn’t think he would have been able to sleep surrounded by All Might like he had for years before. The greenette did his best to fall asleep quickly and let this long day finally become the past. Because tomorrow was another day.

Notes:

Poor green bean. Apologies for the angst but it was necessary. Because after that, how could Izuku keep all of that All Might merch? Yagi done fucked up and Izuku is just not having that kind of toxicity in his life. Ain't nobody got time for that. Also, mama bear Inko will not stand for her son to be treated this way. Again, fuck you, All Might.

So, the All Might collection is getting booted out! We'll learn more about that later. ;) I have plans.

Fun Facts About Japan:

You always know when it's 5pm in Japan because they play a chime at that time every day. (Though I can't remember if it was just during the week or also the weekends. Sorry.) Anyway, this is called the 5pm chime ( 五時のチャイム , ごじのチャイム ). It's part of the communication network they have in place in case of emergencies or disasters. Quite handy in a country that experiences frequent earthquakes and has a typhoon season. The 5pm chime is the most common thing you hear over that system. It's used as a mark of the end of the day and to let children know it's time to head on home. Also acting as a daily test of the system too. This site has some good information on it and this one has a good assortment of the different melodies and chimes you can hear across Japan. Because each area has their own version of the chime. And if you a former/current Disney Cast Member or other theme park worker, it's like when you can tell the time by the firework show or the parade. XD Time marked by music!

That's all for this chapter! Next up, Aizawa returns the thermos, Conspiracy Theorist Shouto makes a brief appearance, 1-A learns a new thing about Izuku, the green bean starts his therapy, and basically the rest of the week before the internships. We're getting closer to Hosu, peeps! Super excited for that. It's going to be such a mess! :D Thanks for reading, be well, and report any typos or weirdness!

(Also, I'm still really behind on comments...but I do read them and will get to them eventually, promise. ^___^ )

Chapter 25: Well Begun Is Half Done

Notes:

Apologies for the false alarm yesterday! I hit the wrong button while editing. ^___^; Why do they have 'post chapter' right next to 'edit chapter'? I wasn't ready! At least give a writer an 'are you sure?' option!

Anyway! This is a more exposition heavy chapter with a bit of dialogue. A montage of the week leading up to the internships. Izuku is a busy bee as always.

Linktree to all the things!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

When Shouta had told Hizashi what had happened once they got home, his husband had been pissed. He didn’t tell him everything such as the secret about One For All or that Yagi had been Quirkless. But enough for the blonde to get the gist of how the Number One Hero had put his big ass foot in his big ass mouth and made the green one cry. His partner in life commended him on taking care of the ‘Green Bean’ and gave him an approving peck on the cheek.

The evening was spent roasting All Might and listing all the qualities that marked Midoriya’s potential to be a Hero. Hizashi even started making a list on his phone for points to bring up and point out whenever he was in charge of supervising Yagi’s classes. A sort of demotion that the cockatoo found amusing as karmic justice. You hurt the green one and suck at teaching, you get the training wheels put on and watched by a competent adult like a child.

When it came to Shouta asking Hizashi for advice on what kind of drink the kid would like, the blonde was more than happy to help. Coffee was written off completely because it was a hot drink and they knew the teen didn’t like it anyway. Tea was considered but Hizashi too thought the green one got enough of it from Nezu. Instead, he suggested his preferred morning beverage which was a smoothie. Nutritional, refreshing, and Hizashi approved.

The next morning the Voice Hero whipped up a double batch of morning smoothie. Today he went with a mixture of green tea, blueberries, and bananas. While Shouta went for a coffee with cinnamon as usual along with an Hizashi-hated jelly packet instead of actual breakfast food. The tired man was one with many habits and there was nothing the cockatoo could do to break him of them no matter how many times he tried.

With smoothie filled thermos in hand, the two Heroes went to UA for another day of molding their students into future Heroes. Both curious how Midoriya would be after yesterday and would keep tabs on him when it was their turn for class. The morning was the same as any other with the morning meeting and last-minute gathering of lesson plans and materials before the teachers were released to first period.

His well-trained students were already in their seats when he entered the classroom. Black eyes tracked over his charges to assess their morning states. Eyeing a particular problem child in the back and couldn’t help but notice the plain black pen case on the green one’s desk. The kid himself seemed alright. No dark circles under his green eyes so that must mean the boy manage to sleep well. Unlike Shouta himself due to work hours or Shinsou who suffered from insomnia.

After the morning greetings and daily homeroom business, Shouta instructed his students to take the time to considered their options for internships. They only had until tomorrow to turn their requests in so that the paperwork could be filed and processed. As they worked, he walked along the rows of desks to observe their potential choices.

The teacher was pleased to see that many were taking this very seriously. Really thinking about their Quirks and the kind of Heroes they wanted to be. Most likely because they overheard Midoriya’s advice to Yaoyorozu on her own choices. Though not all of them were. He noticed that Iida was focusing on placements in Hosu probably in hopes of being close to his brother. Though he found the placement choice a bit concerning considering the Hero Killer was still at large and active in Hosu. Perhaps he should include a request to keep careful eye on the speedster.

Uraraka made an interesting choice of going with Gunhead. The tired man knew that she wanted to focus on rescue more than anything which her Quirk would be great for. But it seemed she wanted to round out her skills by learning more about fighting to give her more tools to work with. A decision Shouta very much approved of though simply gave the girl a nod to show as much. It was enough for her to give him a nod in return with a determined smile.

As he passed by Midoriya’s desk, the tired man reached into his scarf and pulled out the thermos. Without drawing attention to himself, he quietly placed it on the student’s desk along with the attached note from Hizashi to his favorite student. His action went unnoticed by most except for the two-toned and purple ones to the green one’s left. Shinsou didn’t react much knowing he was returning the thermos and so went back to the book he had been reading. Todoroki quirked a brow at the interaction and stared as if he was trying to solve a puzzle.

Midoriya himself looked up from his analysis tablet and cast a curious glance up at his teacher. Shouta simply nudged the thermos closer to him. Green eyes burned curiously as the kid reached out for the attached note. It was one that Hizashi had insisted on including with the returned thermos to show his support for the teen.

‘Heyo, little listener! You’re doing great and will be a great Hero someday. Keep up the good work, Green Bean! Stay awesome! Present Mic’

The Hero’s name was written in the same style as when he signed autographs for his fans. Which Hizashi knew the kid was and thought that it would help cheer him up. And the cockatoo was right as those green eyes widened and were filled with delight. The student looked up at him with a bright grateful smile. Good, it was nice seeing the kid like that again. Pleased, Shouta gave a short pat on the teen’s shoulder before continuing his walk among the students.

~~~

As the teacher walked away, Izuku smiled down at the note. It made him happy to know that another of his mentors believed in him. And he got an autograph from the Voice Hero too? Hell yeah! He would put it right next to his Present Mic figurine when he got home. The teen filed the note carefully in his notebook before reaching for the thermos.

Izuku had expected it to be empty. Simply washed and returned. But to his surprise it wasn’t. Curious, he opened up the thermos and was met by the sweet scent of fruit. The greenette cast a glance at Aizawa who caught his eye and gave a nod in permission to drink. Typically drinking during class wasn’t allowed but the teacher was making an exception for him. The student nodded in thanks and took a sip of the beverage.

It was a smoothie. Cool and smooth on his tongue. A refreshing taste of green tea, blueberries, and bananas. Izuku didn’t usually drink smoothies but this one was really tasty! He wondered who made it. Aizawa didn’t seem the type to drink smoothies and instead live off coffee like Hitoshi. Yamada seemed more like someone who would enjoy such a drink and with the paired note, he seemed the likely suspect. Though why exactly the two paired up in returning his thermos with a cheer up drink and note he wasn’t sure.

Izuku knew the two Heroes were friends at the very least. It had been fun to watch them interact during the training leading to the festival as well as their banter during the event. Though he did suspect they could possibly be more than friends. A curiosity that hopefully would be sated once the internships began.

A clearing of a throat drew the greenette’s attention to the boy seated next to him. Shouto was eyeing him curiously. Izuku tilted his head in silent question so as to not disturb the students around him. The bi-color teen eyed the thermos in the shorter boy’s hands and then glanced at their teacher before turning back to his friend with a quirked brow.

The Quirkless teen knew exactly what he was hinting at even though he didn’t say a word. Of whether he was sure there was no connection between Izuku and Aizawa. The greenette rolled his eyes as he shook his head. Shouto simply gave a shrug before going back to his forms which were all filled out with Endeavor Agency as his only choice. But he was still looking through all of the other offers he had gotten to see what kind of Heroes and agencies wanted him.

Izuku wasn’t happy that Shouto would be interning under his father. His friend had to put up with the man enough at home. Couldn’t he get a break from the flaming trash can for a week? Though the greenette understood why Shouto was making this choice. To learn how to use his fire and become the best Hero he could. Which unfortunately Endeavor was the best candidate to help with that even though he would probably think of it as him ‘winning’.

Instead of dwelling on something out of his control, Izuku took another sip from the thermos and turned back to his analysis. Homeroom passed by quickly as well as did the other classes. With each change of teacher, they would cast concerned glances his way. Izuku could guess that the other teachers were informed to a degree what had happened between him and All Might. He would sign that he was fine and earned a nod from each before the teachers started their classes.

This routine held up through English class. When Yamada strolled in whistling before the bell, the tall blonde signed asking if he was alright. Izuku signed back that he was as well as thanked him for the note and smoothie. The Hero gave a cheerful smile and nod in return before signing that he had a note from Nezu for him. The greenette nodded as well as he stood up. Weaving his way through the other students out of their seats as he walked to the front of the class.

The note was in code as usual for their correspondence. But Izuku was used to it by now and easily read the note. It informed him that Nezu had coordinated with Yamada and Inui to allow Izuku to start his therapy that week during English class. A temporary arrangement until the student wasn’t under as much of a time crunch.

Izuku thanked the teacher who gave him a pair of enthusiastic finger guns in return. The greenette then made his way back to his seat. He was distracted by rereading the note and so didn’t notice the other student standing in the aisle.

“Oof,” the greenette let out as he accidentally ran into them and dropped the note.

A firm hand on his arm kept Izuku from falling to the ground as a voice said, “Woah, there. You ok, Midoriya?”

“Huh?” Izuku said as he looked up to see it was Kirishima. “Oh, I’m so sorry, Kirishima-kun! I wasn’t watching where I was going. I’m fine though!”

“No worries, man,” the red head said with a toothy smile. “We all have our clumsy moments, right?”

“Right,” the shorter teen replied with a relieve smile of his own.

“Looks like you dropped something,” Kirishima commented as he noticed the fallen note.

“Oh, you don’t have to…,” Izuku insisted as they both reached down for the note at the same time.

Their heads bashed into each other sending both falling to the ground. The students around them watched in concern as both boys sat up rubbing their foreheads. Izuku blushed in embarrassment for being clumsy again and scrambled to make sure his friend was alright.

“I’m fine, Midoriya,” Kirishima insisted with a laugh as he stood up before offering his hand. “But man, you’re clumsier than I thought.”

A few of the students around them chuckled as Izuku’s blush darkened while taking the offered hand. The red head let out a well-meaning laugh again as he pulled the shorter teen up before reached for the note again. Picking it up, red eyes couldn’t help but catch the writing only to become very much confused.

“Uh, Midoriya?” Kirishima called out.

“Yes?” Izuku answered with a tilt of his head.

“What’s this?” the red head asked waving the note.

Other students hovered closer to see the note. Curious what was on it only to also be confused because they couldn’t understand what was written.

“Oh, that’s a note from Nezu-sensei,” Izuku answered. “It says that he wants me to start my therapy sessions today during this class.”

“Wait, you can read that?!” Kaminari exclaimed as to the rest of them it was just a bunch of lines with no meaning.

“Yes, I can,” the greenette replied with a nod. “It’s part of Nezu-sensei helping me with my analysis. We write in code.”

“EEEHH?!” the group of students let out in surprise.

“You really are like a spy, Midoriya,” Kirishima commented with a grin. “Disguises, code names, and now talking in code! What is your life?”

“An interesting one, that’s for sure,” Izuku replied with a chuckle as he rubbed the back of his head. “Let’s just say every day has its own surprises.”

Which they did. Sometimes bad like being attacked by a Villain made of sludge or his unpleasant interactions with All Might. Also, just anytime he got close to Bakugou. Or sometimes good such as his infrequent meetings with Chizome or being introduced to his growing number of mentors. Not to mention whenever he made new friends or realized how different UA was.

Izuku got the note back from Kirishima before walking back to his seat. He packed up his bag and explained where he was going after Tenya strongly inquired what he was up to. The greenette finished and bid his friends and classmates goodbye before walking out the door as the bell chimed. With the start of class, the hallways were empty and Izuku arrived at Hound Dog’s office in no time.

This wasn’t Izuku’s first time to Inui’s office. He along with the other students involved all had sessions with him after the USJ attack. To assess their mental state and provide the needed care for each individual. For Izuku, they had discussed the few nightmares he had had after the incident and had learned a few meditation techniques to help calm himself down. Which he still used to this day like yesterday before he dismantled his room.

Those previous sessions had been somewhat brief. But now Izuku’s therapy would be for a longer time. Because of this, Inui figured it was best to basically start over by getting to know each other better. Instead of diving right into the clusterfuck of emotions that Izuku had in regards to Bakugou and All Might. Which the greenette actually appreciated because he would feel more comfortable talking about all that stuff if they were more familiar with each other.

Izuku shared his hobbies and interests along with his likes and dislikes. Inui did that same and the greenette was able to learn more about the Hero he rarely saw outside of his office. Not only did his Quirk, Dog, give him attributes of a dog such as an increased sense of smell or canine features. It also affected other aspects of his life.

Hound Dog shared similar allergies to a dog being unable to eat certain foods like chocolate or garlic. He also had a strong liking of peanut butter even though it wasn’t typical in Japanese cuisine. Inui did love sports but he had to be careful with ones that involved balls or thrown objects. Reason being was that he would always have to battle the urge to chase after them disrupting the game. Which Izuku found interesting and hilarious as he pictured this hulking dog man barreling after a ball through a sea of other players. The Hero even shared an anecdote of a time when he was younger and had played a game of disk golf that ended in an unfinished game because he kept snapping at the thrown disks.

The first session went well and the time passed quickly as they shared stories back and forth. Izuku found himself opening up more to the Hero and felt like next time he would be able to share more. At least when it came to Bakugou. He had enough practice as of late talking about his childhood friend turned bully over the last few days. Though he was still hesitant on the subject of All Might. Partially because it was still fresh and he was working on processing it. But also, he wasn’t sure what he could share or not with all of the secrets he was told.

Thanks for that, All Might.

Inui released the student at the sound of the bell for lunch. The greenette bowed in thanks before leaving to join his friends. Class 1-A had split into their smaller friend groups this time. Izuku joined his regular group after nabbing some tempura udon from Lunch Rush. The friends chatted and ate as usual.

At one point, Ochako complained about the grammar point Yamada had taught them saying it was confusing. Izuku, being a fluent English speaker, giggled and offered to help explain it. While he tutored the brunette, he felt Shouto placing a hand on his knee as he continued to eat. Izuku gave no reaction other than a dusting of pink while he continued talking to Ochako.

After lunch was much the same as the day before. While the rest of the class went to Hero training, Izuku would change into his PE uniform before heading off for the studio. Together he and Mei worked on his Support Items and testing them as they went. The pinkette was quick on rebuilding her assigned gear with the use of his notes. Adding a feature or two because she just couldn’t help herself. Which Izuku was fine with as long as they weren’t too crazy or dangerous.

The two friends worked diligently on their own projects. Only leaving the studio briefly for the end of day meeting and then when Maijima ultimately kicked them out for the day. As they changed their clothes, Izuku hid his hair again in his beanie to lower his chances of being recognized. Then the two friends left school together until parting at the station.

And so was how the rest of the week went. Izuku would go to school stopping by the teachers’ room for his analysis tablet. Then sat through classes except for English when he left to go to his therapy session with Hound Dog. Then lunch followed by studio time until finally getting home.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

Classes went as normal. Listening to the teachers lecture and taking notes. While also allowing bonding time with classmates. Kouda had finally come up with a sign name for Izuku and shared it with him between classes. The animal whisper chose the sign for green paired with ‘mi’ for the first sound of his family name. Izuku loved it and thanked his sign friend for gifting him his sign name.

Hitoshi and Jirou bonded over their shared purple features and general better representation of the color purple. A result of Jirou and Yaoyorozu, back up by Hitoshi and Shouto, informing the other girls about what Izuku had done against Mineta during the festival. They were very much pleased that he had stood up in defense of them even though he didn’t know them well at the time. Izuku bashfully waved it off as nothing and simply said it was just the right thing to do, but they thanked him all the same.

English was the only class that was different for Izuku but not in the usual way. Instead of JSL, he would head off to Hound Dog’s office for his therapy. The Quirkless teen grew more comfortable with the Hunting Dog Hero with each session and was able to start sharing some of his thoughts. Starting with the subject he had the most experience expressing which was the confrontation between him and Bakugou having discussed it several times by now.

Despite his appearance, Inui could be quite gentle when he wanted to even though he had a penchant for losing the ability of human speech when he was really angry. He remained calm most of the time. Though at certain reveals of what had been said and done he emitted an energy that reminded Izuku of Bakugou.

The teen expressed as much when the Hero growled in response to things such as the suicide baiting and the breaking of his Support Items. Inui immediately forced himself to calm down and asked if that similarity bothered his patient. The boy was quick to assure him he was fine though more to placate the man than really express how he felt. It was a long-formed habit of his to brush off his own issues for the comfort of others and Inui saw right through it.

The Hero didn’t pressure him but instead assured the teen he wouldn’t be offended if he spoke his mind freely. That he was allowed to express himself. So, he did in his own Izuku way. Instead of downright talking about his feelings, he went about analyzing how exactly Hound Dog reminded him of Bakugou.

Aggression. That was the main similarity. Bakugou was all about aggression. Approaching everything he went up against as if he was going into battle whether that be training or school work. Inui had the same air around him though with more barks and growls. Which was to be expected since his Quirk was Dog.

Bakugou did sometimes remind Izuku of a dog as well. Barking and biting all the time. The explosive blonde would probably see himself as a fearsome wolf but to the greenette he more came off as an enraged pomeranian. An image that caused him to let out a giggle at thinking of it as well as explaining it to the Hero who also let out a sort of amused huff through his muzzle.

The teen assured the Hero that he really was fine. He was long used to Bakugou’s fiery personality and knew how to handle it. Inui decided to accept that for now but insisted that Izuku let him know if he was ever uncomfortable. Because it would not help their sessions if he was. The greenette agreed and his therapy progressed.

Studio time passed quickly. With Mei’s usual amount of chaos of course. Izuku at one point brought in a gift basket for Maijima to thank him for putting up with his eccentric best friend. The teacher thanked him though he had long accepted his fate to perpetual random explosions ever since Mei was added to his class. On his request because her presentation during the Support Practical had been impressive both in tech as well as presentation.

The two friends worked diligently to build up what Izuku eventually dubbed his Edge Arsenal or EA for short. Which Hitoshi poked fun at because it sounded like the word ‘iie’ and asked if the greenette was telling him ‘no’ every time he mentioned it. Izuku would just roll his eyes and ignore his friend who thought he was just oh so clever and funny.

They were able to tackle and complete the different projects Izuku needed. The goggles and mask only needed a few tweaks and were quickly finished. His belt only needed restocking and adding the finished capture bombs to the others. The design for his escrima rods was mostly the same but with sturdier material. Though Mei couldn’t help but add an additional blade that switched out at the tip making it into a sort of scythe. What he would use that for he didn’t know but he guessed he had a scythe now. Thanks, Mei.

The Jet shoes took a bit more time since he wanted to make an actual shoe rather than just an attachment. Finally, he settled on a design that was a mix of a work boot and a shorter version of a dirt bike racing boot. Steel-toed and gave good ankle support. The back was a bit bulkier where he installed the intake vents. The holes on the bottom were nestled amongst the rubber ridges that would give him more traction.

The front of the shoe from the toes up to the top was red. The sides, back, and sole of the shoe were black. On the outer side, Izuku placed his Q logo that he had had on his shield and Tape gun before. The Q itself was red and the line that went through it was green and wrapped around the back to the other side. The back vent itself was a dark metallic grey.

When Izuku finally finished the shoes, he proudly skated around as he tried them out in one of the testing rooms. They worked perfectly and he enjoyed the feeling of skating around on air again. Definitely his favorite invention by far and was thankful for the Hero who inspired them even though they had never met. Who it turned out had been one of All Might’s mentors but Izuku decided to not dwell on that thought.

One of the newer additions to his arsenal were the arm wrappings that were inspired a lot by Aizawa’s capture weapon. The scarf like Support Item was versatile as offense and defense as Aizawa had shown during the USJ attack. Good for catching the enemy off guard with different holds as well as capture like the Erasure Hero had done to Bakugou during their confrontation. If Izuku could master it as Aizawa had, it would make a good addition to his number of tools.

The greenette referenced the pre-existing technology to create his own version for his arms instead of making a scarf like version exactly like Aizawa’s. Because come on, the twinsies goggles were enough. Instead Izuku opted for a sort of wrist guard like wrappings on his arms. Partially for functionality as well as aesthetics.

If they somehow resembled the wrappings on Chizome’s arms, who was to say it was his own homage to the man who was the first to believe in him. He also made them red instead of white to go with his belt and shoes as well as reference the Villain’s scarf. So red was his favorite color, sue him. It's not his fault his hair, eyes, and general motif were green and he happened to like a color that perfectly themed him for Christmas. Let your complimentary color flag fly.

The rest of his Hero costume was being left up to the Support company. He had submitted a desired design and features with his request form. Choosing a single piece jumpsuit with added padding for his shoulders and removable ones for his elbows and knees. Along with a sturdy pair of gloves that had grounding in case his electric escrima rods failed. One electrocuted hand was enough for him.

There was one other project he wanted to work on before the internships. Using the schematics from the tablet he had used during the USJ, Izuku created a tracking app on his phone and designed easily attached trackers to go with it. The trackers were small to be as unnoticeable as possible. Essentially looking like a little black dot that could be stuck to a person for tracking purposes.

The app itself consisted of maps of your location and a marker of where the target was on that map. Within range of the device of course. He also rigged it up to his goggles with simple signals of forward, backward, right, and left to help navigate to the target. But the more detailed information was on the app itself.

The tracking system was one he wasn’t sure when he would use it. But Izuku had found it very helpful during the USJ attack to figure out where everyone was in the facility. Though he didn’t utilize the communication part of the original design still brainstorming how to incorporate that into his version. Either way, the greenette would rather have it and not use it instead of needing it and not having it. Always better to be prepared, right?

With Mei’s help and the benefit of pre-existing technology as well as his notes, the two inventors were able to rebuild his arsenal in that one week. They had even been given special permission to come in over the weekend to finish everything up. It had been hard work but they did it. Mei had also used the time to work on Hitoshi’s voice changing mask. They had planned to janken for who would be the one to make it for their friend but considering Izuku was so busy Mei won by default. Not that he minded because she would still ask for his advice as she worked on it. So, it was still a collaboration.

While he had been working in the studio, the rest of 1-A were hard at work with training. During breaks and lunch, the others shared stories with Izuku about how the training went. Apparently, Aizawa had given them ‘expert’ notes on their Quirks with questions and suggestions. Ones that sounded suspiciously like the ones Izuku had when he had first observed their class.

Hitoshi knew they were his but didn’t say anything. Finding amusement in watching his classmates guessing who while his friend blush at any compliment thrown out about the quality of the notes. His other friends also figured the analysis was from him. It was Shouto who ended up to be the one to out him by simply asking for a clarification on a part of his own analysis between classes. Which earned him yet another shocking realization from his classmates. Though why exactly he didn’t know since they already knew he was Hiro.

This had led to some of them asking him clarifying questions of their own. Izuku answered best he could but kept most of his additional inquires for after the internships when he could talk to them one on one. Such as addressing Kaminari’s tendency to overload his own brain or Yaoyorozu’s costume among others. Issues that needed to be addressed but would have to wait until another time.

The notes were enough to give them something to work on. An addition to their usual routine when it came to their training. Hitoshi had a routine as well from having trained with Izuku and the teachers for a while. But Aizawa had taken it upon himself to add a new element to his training.

There were many similarities between the brainwasher and Erasure Hero. Besides looking perpetually tired and having a love of cats. Both of their Quirks were none combative mental emitter types. Relying on trained fighting skills when their Quirk was ineffective. And while their Quirks could be used from a distance, it would still be helpful to have some other tool to use when they either couldn’t or to use in tandem with their Quirks.

Because of this, Aizawa had offered to teach Hitoshi his own self-made fighting style, Binding Cloth. It was one that had taken him six years to perfect having been self-taught. Though he believed it would take less time with a teacher providing instruction and advice. Of course, he didn’t expect much from just a week of training with one of his old capture weapons, they could at least cover the basics.

With the complexity of the fighting style and the finicky nature of the capture weapon, this had led to some hilarious tales of Hitoshi ending up tangled in the scarf. Which Izuku did not have to miss out on because Ochako was amazing and had taken pictures. Ones he pleaded for her to send him because he needed them in his life ignoring the threats of physical harm from his insomniatic friend.

This was a training Izuku also hoped to receive from Aizawa. Though his would be a little different since his version of the capture weapon was on his arms rather than a scarf. He didn’t expect to be an expert in a week in hopes that he would be able to train using the wrappings during their internship. But enough to potentially get a feel for how to simply manipulate the cloth so he could practice on his own.

The afternoons outside of school were busy as well. Inko had busied herself and made a collage using the clippings of news articles she had cut out. A showcase of his accomplishment of becoming the first Quirkless winner of the Sports Festival through the most positive of the clippings. She had framed it with the first-place medal laid over the collage and proudly hung it next to the article about the beach to display her son’s accomplishments.

The mother and son also had worked on the selling of his All Might merch. They had finished cataloguing and packaging up the ones he was going to sell while donating the rest. They had then set up a bid for it online as one big lot with a brief description of the contents. Which still ended up rather long due to just how much merch he had collected over many years.

They didn’t have to wait long for a buyer to contact them. Appropriately by someone with the username Num1AllMightCollector. They offered to buy the lot at a higher price than what Izuku had asked for. The greenette had calculated the worth of all of his merch but had discounted it for being secondhand as well as just wanting it gone. But the buyer insisted on the higher price as they believed it was necessary for some reason.

And so, the two parties completed their transaction and closed the sale as soon as it was put up. Inko confirmed the depositing of the agreed upon payment before mailing all of it off to its new home in another part of Japan. Leaving Izuku a ton of Hero merch lighter and with a good chunk of money in the bank. He didn’t spend money all that much other than on Hero merch or school supplies. The former of which he was going to cut back on and the latter didn’t cost all that much. So, the money would sit there for now for a rainy day.

Other than that, Izuku occupied his time with homework as well his own personal research. Which was looking into Endeavor and seeing if he could dig up any dirt on the Hero. The greenette couldn’t deny that the flaming man had helped and mostly performed well as a Hero, but his statistics were still concerning. Having high numbers in damage to property and harm to criminals, civilians, and other Heroes alike.

But his homelife was kept hush hush for the most part. Other than public knowledge of who his wife and children were, there wasn’t much else. No information on his wife’s mental break or attacking her own child. Nothing about how she had been in a mental hospital since then. Nor about what life within the Todoroki household was like. At least as far as he knew.

Izuku hoped that Chizome could find out more than he could. He still didn’t know if the Villain would kill the Hero or not. Though he did say he would try. Either way, the greenette wondered how his own investigation was going. Unfortunately, he had no way of contacting the man though that was probably a good thing.

Having the means to connect to a Villain could have negative repercussions. Much like if anyone ever found out about the recording still existing on his phone. Izuku knew he should just delete it. Get rid of the evidence of his connection with the Hero Killer. But that was also what stayed his hand. Because once it was gone, there would be nothing else to mark their talks. Damn that Midoriya sentimentality.

But there had been no use worrying about that because Izuku always kept his phone close. And his mother wasn’t one to be nosy or deny him independence and privacy. Which he was grateful for along with all the other awesome things his mom did. She was the best mom in the world. The son went to bed every night thankful for his mom, his friends, and his life in general. Finally, things seemed to be going in his favor.

Notes:

Izuku got a smoothie! And a lovely little note and autograph from Present Mic! We must support the Green Bean. Though the combined gift is making Izuku suspicious! Forming his own conspiracy while Shouto is sticking with his own.

1-A now knows Izuku and Nezu write in code! Also I guess it was two reveals with the notes given to them. But seriously, why would they be surprised? They learned Izuku was Hiro the day before in the story. Guess it hadn't sunk in yet.

Therapy has begun! Please know I have never been to therapy so don't really know how it goes exactly. Just going off of what I do know and the help of google. So sorry if I get anything wrong.

We have learned of Izuku's support items for the Hosu arc! I have a tumblr post here with my own sketches of them for your enjoyment. ^_____^ Also Hitoshi is getting a head start on learning the capture weapon. They won't be experts yet but it's a start.

As for the buyer of the massive All Might collection, I'll just let you speculate on that. ;) But yes, I did agree with those who commented that Izuku should ask for more than the first bid he got. Because his collection is massive. But the buyer took care of that themselves. ;P

Sh-sh-shout out time! To dreikorg, Azure_aeb, Bucket_o_Beckett, and NaraKartera for ideas for Izuku's sign name. Also to Cutekittycat34 for their encouragement. ^____^ I decided to go with 'mi' instead of 'i' though since as of now Izuku and Kouda are not on a first name basis. Thanks to Endangered and SoFewSpoons on the discord for advice on Yamada being a smoothie person. Also, thanks go to TheDapLab for the idea of giving Maijima a gift basket! For the homage to Stain idea...so many people. Let's see if I got them all. Thanks go to silverhowl55, Just_a_mans, the_second_one, XysidheQueen, boba slushie, and Mon! (apologies if I missed anyone) They gave more of a mix of Izuku doing a homage and also ideas of gift giving between Izuku and Chizome. I'm still figuring that out exactly but I liked all the ideas given! No guarantee what I go with until that reveal is posted. But I wanted to thank them anyway! :D

Fun Facts About Japan:

Just a couple things I commented on in the chapter. In Japan during class time, the consumption of food or beverage isn't allowed. Not even water. And that goes for the students and the teachers. The explanation I was given was that it would be a distraction if they were. Not that the students didn't break that rule on occasion and the teachers let it slide. Especially after PE.

In reference to Izuku's Edge Arsenal or EA, iie ( いいえ ) is 'no' in Japanese. Just in case you didn't know that though I'm guessing most of you do. Just me making awkward jokes to myself. :P

That's it for this update! Not as action packed as the chapters to come. But necessary to keep the story going forward. Next week we're getting an update on Stain! :D Yay! It's been too long. Stainy gets a surprise visit but it's not who you think! Also the start of the internships! Hosu is getting closer and closer! I hope I can do it justice especially with Chizome's role in this fic. We'll see! Thanks for reading and let me know of any typos or weirdness!

Chapter 26: Internships Begin

Notes:

Happy Tuesday, dear readers! :D Hope you are doing well. It's the start of the internships! I'm sure you have many questions and theories about what's going to go down this week in the story. All I will leave to your imagination as we get closer to Hosu. ;) This chapter is the very beginning with also an update on our dear Stainy. Hope you like it!

There is a very short moment of teasing in the middle of a paragraph. The one starting with [Izuku had him start...]. It's only two sentences in the middle starting with [But then Hitoshi had to ruin it...] and ending at [...rip the mask off his jerk face.] I personally don't think it's that bad, but a warning just in case. :)

Linktree to all the things!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

The Hero Killer stared out at the darkened city of Hosu as he sat perched atop a high building. His week had been very busy after his last meeting with the Little Hero. Stain still had a duty to cleanse the city below him and had scouted out other false Heroes to go after. However, he had an itch to complete the job left undone when Ingenium had prevented him from laying down his justice upon Native.

The fake had been in hiding ever since and Stain had no knowledge of his current location. But he had heard rumors that the man would be venturing out from his temporary sanctuary soon. Since hearing that, he had been keeping an eye and ear out for his target so that he could complete his mission.

The Villain had also been kept busy by his investigation into Endeavor. He had found plenty of information on the Number Two Hero’s on-the-job statistics. Chizome accepted him as a competent Hero to an extent. He was no All Might but he was effective in most situations and had prevented a lot of crime and injustice.

However, the Hero had high numbers when it came to collateral damage to both person and property. It was clear that he relied heavily on his Quirk with seemingly little regard to who or what was burned by his flames. If he weren’t a Hero, Endeavor could be considered an arsonist with all the fires he has started while in pursuit of a Villain.

But Endeavor was a Hero. Ranked Number Two at that. He had protection. From money, lawyers, and the Hero Commission. As well as public opinion of his Heroic strength. Which was probably why the flaming man had not been brought to court for property damage or assault for excessive fiery force. A lack of justice that rubbed the Hero Killer the wrong way.

As for the Hero’s homelife, Chizome had been having a difficult time finding more evidence other than the video he had taken of the ‘training’. While the security on the Todoroki property was lacking, there were aspects that allowed Endeavor to keep his homelife private.

Cameras. Or rather the lack of them in the Todoroki household. Meaning there were no records of the goings on in that house. Which was frustrating because he had no evidence of the messed-up things that were going on behind closed doors. Nor did he know what other instances of mistreatment had taken place there.

There was one path that had born some fruit when he looked into the other members of the family. Chizome had been right that the woman who had gone to the youngest son’s aid was indeed not his mother but rather his sister. The boy, Todoroki Shouto, also had two older brothers however one had been declared dead under mysterious circumstances. Not suspicious at all.

Then there was the mother. Todoroki Rei had been admitted to a mental hospital a decade ago. Exactly why he didn’t know. Though he suspected that it could be connected to the scar on the youngest son’s face. Because he had been taken to a hospital around the same time for a ‘household accident’. Whether committed by Endeavor, the wife, or another member of the family he wasn’t sure. But he highly doubted whatever happened was an ‘accident’.

The mother had to be involved in some capacity. Attacking her own child could explain why she was in the mental hospital. But as to why she would have done that was another mystery. However, if she had been the one to turn on the other, it seemed that the boy was willing to reconnect as he had been noted by staff of visiting his mother for the first time since the ‘accident’. She had also been visited by her other two living children intermittently through the years but never by Endeavor.

Strange.

Stain had also been poking around the underground to see if there was anything nefarious that he had missed. But the Hero seemed clean when it came to crimes outside of his home. Having only come across the grumblings of criminals who hated that the Heroes like Endeavor meddled in their illegal business. Hearing nothing about the Number Two Hero sinking to lowly corruption and collaboration with criminals. Endeavor was still a menace at home but at least the fact that he was firmly on the Hero side had some comfort.

The night was mostly still besides the summer winds that blew over the city that was settling in for the night. Stain soaked up the calm and quiet as he observed the people below. Only for his calm to be interrupted by a noise behind him. On instinct the Hero Killer shot up into a fighting position with blades drawn as he glared in the direction of the sound.

From the other side of the roof where the fire escape was popped up a head of spiky black hair. What followed as a face covered in what looked like burn scars lined with medical staples. The ones under his eyes made him look perpetually tired. There was more along his lower jaw extending from the corners of his mouth all the way to his ears in a grotesque sort of smile. That scar also continued down and around his neck past his collar bones and his right shoulder disappearing under his clothes.

“Finally, I found you,” the stranger called out as he continued to climb up onto the roof.

The Hero Killer said nothing and just glared at the man who had apparently been looking for him. There were more scars on his wrists and ankles. Which he could see due to the other man’s ill fitted clothes. The grubby white shirt looked warn and loose. The belt rough and about to fall apart. The black overshirt and pants appeared to be two sizes too small on his lanky figure. The design of the former reminded Stain of gakuran uniforms worn by junior high school students.

The stranger clambered onto the roof and walked casually towards the Hero Killer as if he wasn’t a known murderer. But he was and was not one to allow a potential enemy get too close to him. In a fluid movement he extended the threatening jagged blade of his katana at the stranger keeping him at bay.

"Woah, easy there, tiger,” the mystery man said with his scarred hands up in defense.

"Who are you and what do you want?" Stain sneer with his blade still drawn.

"I go by Dabi,” the man, Dabi, replied as he lowered his hands slightly. “And I hear you've been looking into Endeavor."

Masked red eyes inspected the stranger before asking, "What concern is that of yours?"

"Let's. Just. Say..." Dabi said as a scarred finger punctuated each word with a tap on the blade before pushing it away. "...I have a bone to pick with the flaming dirtbag."

"Why?" Stain inquired as he relaxed his stance but didn't lower his katana entirely.

"My reasons are my own,” was Dabi’s answer much to the Hero Killer’s irritation but he too had his own secrets. “However, whatever you have planned for that piece of human trash, I want to help. Especially if you want to kill him."

Stain considered the stranger before him. Dabi had some sort of beef with Endeavor which was probably in connection with the numerous burn scars on his body. To the point that he wanted the man dead. Had heard that the Villain had been looking into the Hero and wanted in on whatever he had in store for him. Including murder which possibly meant the stranger was a Villain as well. Or at least a budding one as he still seemed young.

"I had considered it,” the Hero Killer said. “However, I have changed my mind. Death would be too merciful for him."

Blue eyes above scarred skin widened in surprise before sinking into disbelief as he asked, "You, the Hero Killer, don't want to kill a Hero...why the fuck not?"

"My reasons are my own," Stain answered with a cheeky smirk.

It was Dabi’s turn to consider him at the turn of phrase before saying, "...touché. Well why are you looking into Endeav-whore in the first place?"

The Hero Killer paused for a moment before answering, "I was...informed that while I was chasing other false Heroes there was one hidden in plain sight. Turns out h-they were right."

The stranger quirked a brow at the slip up but made no comment on it.

"As of now, I am gathering evidence against the fake,” Stain added before spitting out, “Abusing his own child. How vile."

"You...you know,” Dabi stated rather than asked. As if he already knew about the abuse. But how? The stranger’s shocked nervousness was quickly smothered by a forced air of nonchalance. “How?"

That’s my line.

"I saw it myself,” the Hero Killer answered. “The night of the Sports Festival. Training late into the night with his youngest. If you could call what I saw training."

A flash of guilt flickered in blue eyes as Dabi said, "He's still...training him."

It wasn’t a question. More of a statement of realization. Confirming that he knew more about the situation than Stain had originally thought. But again, how?

"Yes..." Stain replied while eyeing Dabi suspiciously. "...how much do you know of it?"

"Enough,” the stranger responded as a scarred hand reached up to a scarred eye subconsciously but played it off by running said hand through dark hair instead. "I may have something to help you."

The Hero Killer watched as the scarred man rummage through his pockets. He obviously knew more about the Todoroki situation but was purposefully being vague. Why the Villain didn’t know. Who was this mystery man in relation to the misdeeds of the Number Two Hero?

"There are no cameras in that house. Endickver didn't want any evidence of his crimes,” Dabi explained as he continued to search through his pocket. "But there are other ways to gather such things." He took out a flash drive and offered it to Stain. "Here. Take this. Evidence of his 'training' when Shouto was younger."

Shouto, huh?

"Who are you? Really,” Stain asked as he held out a hand for the stranger to drop the flash drive in.

"The answer..." Dabi replied as he placed the flash drive on his palm. "...is in there."

The mystery man then turned on his heel and exited the roof down the same way he came. The Hero Killer watched him go with a head full of questions. He decided to call it a night with supposed new evidence literally in his hand. Red eyes looked down at the flash drive that could be the Hero’s damnation as well as the family’s salvation. The harbinger of false Heroes clasped the drive in a closed determined fist and disappeared into the night.

~~~

With Monday morning came the official start of the internships. Students arrived extra early at school to collect their Hero costume cases before heading to the train station together. Except for Hitoshi and Izuku who had yet to receive their costumes, but they would be training at UA anyway and instead left their overnight bags there. Once at the station, Aizawa did a final check and reminded them that they were only to wear their uniforms while on patrol under the supervision of their mentors. Otherwise, they were not permitted to wear them in public.

“Don’t lose them either, got it?” the teacher said while people passing by gawked at the group of UA students. “And be mindful of your manners around the other Heroes. They could be your future coworkers after all. Now get to it.”

The students gave a quick ‘yes sir’ and then broke up into smaller groups to say goodbye to friends before heading off to their various platforms. Their usual group of seven, minus Mei, was no different as they passed around fist bumps or hugs depending on everyone’s comfort level. The girls left to catch their train. Shouto lingered a little longer before reluctantly bidding them, especially Izuku, goodbye. Hitoshi and Izuku would be staying in the area so they didn’t have a train to catch. Which left Tenya as the last to leave.

The engine user had seemed fine in the past week. He had kept a brave face on though from time to time the underlying worry for his brother would pop up when he thought the others weren’t looking. Izuku couldn’t help but worry about his friend. A bit concerned about his mental state and if it was a good idea for him to take on an internship in the same city that his brother was attacked. The same city where Stain was still at large.

Tenya had assured them that he had no intention of going after the Hero Killer. Tensei would be able to recover with time and therapy. Perhaps he had some anger for the Villain who had attacked his brother, but the same man had also made the life- and Hero-career-saving call to the authorities. Hurting and helping him at the same time. A sort of balance to make up for injuring him when he had not wanted to do so in the first place.

But still Izuku worried. Tenya had a tendency to be impulsive when it came to his quick assumptions. Perhaps he had no intention of looking for Stain, but there’s no telling what would happen in a split-second decision. It was because of this worry that Izuku did what he did next as Hitoshi left to go stand by Aizawa.

“Hey, um, Tenya-kun?” the greenette asked, while also subtly reaching into his pocket for a tracker that he had been making it a habit to have on him just in case.

“Yes, Izuku-kun?” the taller teen replied with an inquiring hand chop.

“I, uh, was asked to do a final check on your costume,” Izuku lied through his teeth, but his innocent looking features helped support his cause.

“Oh, of course,” Tenya said propping his case on one hand while holding it open with another.

The greenette nodded in thanks before fussing with the pieces inside. He made a show of inspecting this part or that. While fake checking out the gear, he stuck the tracker in an inconspicuous place on the costume before ending the farce with a smile.

“Done! Thanks, Tenya-kun,” Izuku said with a friendly smile as he returned the item to the box. “Let me know if you have any issues. Or text me if you just want to talk, alright?”

“I will. Thank you, Izuku-kun,” Tenya replied with a bow of his head as he closed his case. “Well, I must be off.”

Green eyes watched him go before heading over to his mentor. The Hero quirked a brow in silent question of what he had been up to. Izuku gave the same lie of a final check and left it at that. The two students stayed standing with Aizawa as they watched the rest of 1-A leave for their various destinations.

The greenette hoped they all would gain valuable experience over the coming week. This first internship was important for the Heroes-to-be, both for the experience as well as starting to form connections in the industry. While Hitoshi and he wouldn’t be attending an internship the same as their peers, they would still be learning from a prominent Underground Hero. One who had been training them for a while and so knew best what to focus on to help catch them up to the rest of 1-A.

This isn’t going to be a picnic, knowing Aizawa-sensei. But I’m looking forward to what he will teach us.

Once the rest of the students had gone, Aizawa led the two teens out of the station and back to UA. Where their homeroom teacher had already informed them most of their training would happen in the coming week. Which made sense since the UA facilities were close by and would be very available what with a majority of students out on their own internships.

Well…except for Bakugou.

Said blonde hot head would be spending his week at UA for the second week of his suspension. Aizawa had assured them both that he would be training them far away from where the explosive teen would be. Their training was going to be intense enough without another confrontation. Though Izuku hoped and Aizawa figured that Bakugou wouldn’t risk his stance in UA once they did eventually. But that wasn’t until after the internships. For now, the focus would be on training.

After arriving at UA, the two interns followed their mentor to the main building so Hitoshi and Izuku could change into their PE uniforms before heading to one of the empty gyms. Once there, they teacher had them warm up same as he had when helping them train for the Sports Festival. Stretching, running a number of laps, sit ups, pushups, squats, etc. General exercises to warm up their muscles before their special training began.

When Aizawa was satisfied with their warm up, he had them start to spar against each other for a while. Which was also something they had done in the weeks leading up to the festival to prepare them for the one-on-ones. Like in their final match, Hitoshi and Izuku found themselves having fun fighting against each other, trying their best to trip the other up. All while Aizawa would give out pointers and corrections from the sidelines. Every now and then stopping them to fix their fighting stances. With each piece of advice allowing them to keep their fights going just a little bit longer.

They kept at it for a few hours and before they knew it, it was time for lunch. To the students’ surprise, as their mentor called for a break, Yamada walked into the gym with bento boxes. Not that they were surprised to see the man as he had attended and helped with their training for the Sports Festival. But that was when Aizawa had looked more reminiscent of a mummy than a Hero. They also figured the Voice Hero would have been busy with his own intern or at the very least with one of his three jobs.

But it turned out that Yamada had not taken an intern and since most students were on internships, he basically was down to two jobs for the week. Hero work and his radio show on Friday. Leaving the perpetually busy man with more free time than he knew what to do with. That being his reason for joining their training. At least one of them.

After they finished a lunch of karaage paired with cucumber salad and rice topped with furikake, Aizawa announced that the second half of the day would be dedicated to Quirk training. At this, the tired man earned confused looks from both of the problem children. Yamada jumped in to explain that he wanted to help Hitoshi with his Quirk. While the Voice Hero’s Quirk was more tied to his vocal cords and Hitoshi’s was a mental type, there were still some things he could give advice on.

Upon seeing their continued confusion, or rather calculating contemplation on Izuku’s end, Yamada brought up the civilian made manuscripts of all of Hitoshi’s Sports Festival fights.

“You utilized some different techniques for getting your opponents to respond,” Yamada stated, then counted on his fingers as he continued. “Jokes, misdirection, insults. All great ways to catch someone off guard. But not the only ones.”

“That’s true,” Izuku spoke up, hand on his chin. “We also brainstormed some other ideas. Like using jingles or impressions. Mei-chan and I have been working on designing a mask for Hitoshi-kun to help mimic other voices. Like artificial vocal cords to manipulate his voice without negating his brainwashing which doesn’t work through speakers and such.”

“That would definitely be a great Support Item for the listener!” Yamada praised with finger guns. He too knew the importance of Support Items as he had his Directional Speaker to help with his Quirk.

“However, it would do well to not rely on Support Items solely if you can learn to do it yourself,” Aizawa added with his usual neutral tone.

“What do you mean?” Hitoshi asked.

“You could use that proposed mask to do things like impersonations,” Yamada explained. “But there may be times when you can’t. Whether due to the mask breaking or a Quirk canceling it out. You never know what could happen so it’s best to have as many options as possible.”

“Correct,” Aizawa interjected.

“So…what you’re saying is…” Hitoshi prodded.

“You’re going to have to do your best to impress,” Izuku chimed in cheekily while Aizawa sent him a glare.

“Well, I am an impressionable youth,” Hitoshi shot back earning his own glare. Then the taller teen looked to Yamada. “Alright, I’m down for whatever you have planned. But what’s Izuku going to do?”

“Midoriya will utilize his time with his Support Items,” Aizawa replied then turned his attention to the greenette. “You made progress this week rebuilding your gear but I’d like to give you a bit more time in the studio before we go on patrols. For final checks and all that. I’d also like to go over what you plan to have on your person so I know our options when the time comes.”

“I’d appreciate that,” Izuku responded with a nod in thanks. “I was basically able to make all the gear I would like to have but a bit more time in the studio would be helpful. And you knowing what all I have makes sense.”

“Glad we’re on the same page,” Aizawa responded with his own nod.

With that, the two students split up for their respective training. Yamada and Hitoshi left for one of the gyms made specifically for Quirk training. While Aizawa and Izuku headed for the Support studio. Maijima greeted them when they arrived before the Support teacher turned back to whatever he had been doing. Izuku put on a pair of overalls before he led Aizawa over to his area and pulled out his various projects.

The greenette gave his homeroom teacher a run down as he took out each device. With each piece, Aizawa appraised them and gave his own comments or asked questions he had on the functions of the gear. Most he was already familiar with like the goggles, mask, escrima rods, and belt. The Jet shoes as well but it was his first time seeing the new version of them. The student gave a quick rundown of the tracking app he had made before showing him the arm wrappings.

The Erasure Hero was surprise but pleased that Izuku had based a Support Item off of his own. Using and redesigning pre-existing technology was logical and saved time. The change from a scarf to arm wrappings was intriguing and he was curious to see how Binding Cloth style would work with them. He offered to help train him with Hitoshi on that fighting style in addition to his other plans for training. Izuku enthusiastically agreed.

Satisfied, the teacher prompted the teen to get to work. The tired man claimed a nearby chair and leaned back against the wall as the boy eagerly got to work. The Hero closed his eyes to snooze but would eye the Quirkless boy from time to time as he tinkered. Dark eyes watched in fascination as the teen’s deft hands worked with practiced ease. Studious green eyes flitting about between the gadgets and his notes on them while nimble fingers manipulated the technology. Instinctively knowing what to twist, turn, poke, or prod that would mystify those not in the know.

They didn’t stay long in the studio since Mei and he had managed to get them pretty much finished over the long week and weekend. Aizawa had his student gear up so they could have him practice with having them on while training. The tired man made sure to text the other Hero of the change in locations.

Once at an available gym, Aizawa had Izuku try out each Support Item separately. Such as skating around on his Jet shoes, breathing fire from his mask, and going through the different features of his escrima rods. Then the Erasure Hero started teaching the very basics of using his capture weapon.

Let’s just say Binding Cloth style was…complicated. No wonder Hitoshi managed to tangle himself up in the weaponized cloth. Izuku didn’t as much since his version was shorter and on his arms. Though he did manage to snap the ends of his arm wrappings against various parts of his body. Which really hurt by the way. Like when someone twists up a towel and then flicks it at you.

But even in the span of an hour, the student was managing to get some sort of handle on it. He had always been a quick learner and had been studying the Erasure Hero’s movements way before UA. So, he had had guesses of how exactly his capture weapon worked and was familiar with how the man manipulated it with practiced ease. Plus the teacher was able to instill his six-year long experience on his charge to speed up the learning process.

After a while, Hitoshi joined them in the gym having finished Quirk training for the day. Turned out Yamada had him to vocal exercises to strengthen his vocal cords. Reason being that despite his Quirk being a mental type, his power still required a vocal element. A question, statement, or other from Hitoshi and a response from his target. Or potentially multiple targets though that might have to wait to be tested until after the internships. But either way Yamada wanted to help train his voice which was as essential to his Quirk as his power to brainwash someone.

However, the Voice Hero hadn’t wanted to overwork Hitoshi and so had called it a day. Yamada himself would suffer from a sore throat if he overused his Quirk so he knew to not push him too much. The blonde had even given the brainwasher some ginger tea with honey to help sooth his throat just in case. One of the many soothing teas the Voice Hero had in his post-Hero-work aftercare repertoire.

Since Hitoshi was there, Aizawa had him join in on the training using his own capture weapon. Still sticking to the basics of Blind Cloth style of shooting the ends out and pulling them back in. Eventually letting the interns use the move on each other to practice capturing another person and using the Support Item to pull them where they wanted. A move that could be used in a fight or to pull someone out of danger.

When their mentor called that part of training finished for the day, Izuku asked if they could go back to the studio so he could show him the mask Mei and he had been working on. Aizawa was actually impressed that the greenette had found the time to help build it while also remaking his own gear. The teacher agreed and they headed to the studio together. The two friends talked as they walked and Izuku was describing the mask as they entered the studio. Maijima, having overheard as they entered, walked over to regale the other teacher of the inventing storm that had been Mei and Izuku the past week.

The inventing duo had practically dominated the studio whenever they had been in there. Clearly on a mission to prepare Izuku as well as Hitoshi for their internships. Mei was on her own internship along with the other Support students same as the other courses. Izuku wished good health to whoever had gotten his baby crazy friend. Mei was a genius when it came to Support but she was…well, Mei. An eccentric intellect who followed the beat of her own drum.

Seeing that the mask was already made and with Maijima’s report that it was functional, Aizawa requested for Izuku to show Hitoshi how the mask worked. The teen agreed and took off all his gear before grabbing the voice changing mask. The two students with the two teachers to supervise headed to one of the Support testing rooms. Izuku walked Hitoshi through the different functions.

The mask was black in color and made up of several plates that could be adjusted to change the sound and resonant of his voice. Reason being was that Brainwashing lost its effect through normal voice enhancement devices. So, instead the plates helped manipulate his voice without that. Allowing him to mimic another person’s voice with the turn of a dial.

The greenette demonstrated as such by adjusting the plates to mimic the voices of some of their friends. A practice he and Mei had done while testing the device intermittently the past week. His impressions of a deadpan Shouto, bubbly Ochako, blunt Tsuyu, strict Tenya, and eccentric Mei earned various snorts and snickers from Hitoshi. Pleased, Izuku then offered the mask over and walked him through the steps.

Izuku had him start with himself. The greenette said a standard greeting for the other teen to listen to while adjusting the plates. It took him a few tries but eventually he got the mimicked voice right. Which was so cool but weird to hear his own voice coming from someone else. But then Hitoshi had to ruin it by teasing Izuku with his own voice. Professing his liking of a certain element wielder in a sappy version of his voice while the greenette tried to rip the mask off his jerk face. Aizawa had to use his scarf to separate them with a Quirked glare while Maijima just shook his head.

After messing with the voice changing mask for a while, Aizawa called it a day. They briefly returned to the studio to drop off the Support Item as well as pack up the rest along with Izuku changing out of the overalls. They then stopped at the locker room for the students to change back into their uniforms before dropping by the classroom to pick up their overnight bags as they headed off campus.

Aizawa drove a standard black car while the radio was on a classic rock station. In the backseat, the two interns sat quietly while messing on their phones. Sharing silly memes or cute cat pictures from time to time. Though Izuku found himself wondering what their mentor’s home would be like.

Would it be a house or an apartment? With all the comforts of home? Or would it be empty and bare with no furniture? Knowing the tired man’s level of giving no shits about most things, Izuku would not be surprised if it was a single room hole-in-the-wall apartment with only sleeping bags and juice pouches.

It didn’t take them long to arrive at a nondescript but well-kept building. Aizawa parked in the garage below the building and guided the teens to the elevator after retrieving their bags from the back. The tired man tapped an access card to the pad on the wall next to the elevator to summon it. The trio entered once the doors opened and Aizawa pressed a button for the top floor.

“This apartment building primarily houses other Heroes or those who wish for extra security or privacy,” Aizawa explained as the elevator rose. “Don’t be surprised if you see someone you recognize but don’t bother them.” The second half of that last sentence was directed at Izuku who stuck his tongue out. “Just leave them to their business and they will do the same to you. Got it?”

“Yes, sir,” both problem children replied.

The elevator dinged and the doors opened to their floor. The two teens followed after Aizawa down the hall. The anticipation for the mentees was building until the tired man stopped at one of the many doors. In the blink of an eye, Aizawa spun around to his two charges with eyes glowing red and black hair floating about as he shot his Capture Weapon towards the two gremlins.

“Now, what you see and hear behind this door is of the top most secrecy,” the Erasure Hero growled to the two bound teens. “If I ever find out that either of you breathed a word to anyone. Well…let’s just say they’ll never find the bodies.”

“Kinky,” Hitoshi quipped earning a snort from Izuku and a twitch of the corner of Aizawa’s frown. As if he were holding back a smirk.

After swearing to not tell a soul about whatever they witnessed in the apartment, Aizawa released them and turned to unlock the door.

Notes:

Dabi has appeared! :D Hmm...I wonder who else he could possibly be... ;) Totes not really being subtle at all but I await the theories and will leave the confirmation or not to a future part of the story. Anyway, many people expressed interest in Dabi joining the investigation and it was something I've wanted as well. I've got some really fun ideas for Dabi interaction for the future. ;) Also, I'm a big Starkid fan and when Dabi is tapping the blade saying 'Let's. Just. Say...' I can't help but picture Lucius in Very Potter Sequel tapping his toes. XD Oh also, I saw a tumblr post that compared Dabi's first outfit to a gakuran uniform and since I could not unsee it as anything else.

The tracker has been placed! How they end up in Hosu will be revealed next chapter. But we've got Izuku putting his cinnamon roll powers to use!

The training has begun! Or rather continue but with more specialized training. If you think about it, with Aizawa and Yamada having trained them up to the sports festival, Izuku and Hitoshi are basically already caught up. But Dadzawa is possessive of his new problem children and didn't want to share. :P With Yamadad sprinkled in.

If you skipped the teasing, Hitoshi teased Izuku about his crush and Izuku tries to take the mask back. Leading to Aizawa using his scarf on them. :P

This chapter's tea and music selection are brought to you by SoFewSpoons!

Fun Facts About Japan:

Being raising in the US, I'm used to big parking lots and parking structures. We've got a lot of room to spread our cars out. But in Japan, space is limited. Here is a comparison map to give you an idea. Because Japan is a small country with a large population, they had to be more creative when it comes to storing vehicles and conserving space. Leading to the various parking systems they have! Super exciting, I know. XD But it's really interesting to see what they came up with! This site has a list of the different ones they have. Ranging from elevator parking to vertical rotating parking. There are also ones for bicycles as well since so many people bike over there. You can find a ton of videos on youtube about the craziness that is Japanese parking systems.

That's all for this chapter! Next update the interns learning about their mentor's homelife. And we get to meet cats! :D Also, there are shared fanboy moments. Then we'll speed on through the next two days of training to get us closer to Hosu. ;) It's getting exciting! Thanks for reading and let me know of typos or weirdness!

Chapter 27: Learning Curve

Notes:

Surprise update!! :D Why? Because it's my birthday and I'll post if I want to! Sh-sh-shout out to fellow September 4thers and happy birthday to you as well! My gift to you is an extra chapter this week. Regular Tuesday update next week as usual. ;)

This chapter. We've got cats. We've got costumes. We've got the very very start of Hosu to fill you with anticipation for next chapter. This one is a bit on the shorter side but there's still a lot going on! ;) Let's get to it!

Linktree to all the things!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Hitoshi and Izuku cautiously followed behind their mentor and took off their shoes before heading further into the apartment. The entrance opened to a living room next to a kitchen from where they could hear whistling.

“I’m home, Zashi,” Aizawa called out and the whistling stopped.

From the kitchen came a tall man with long blonde hair pulled into a low ponytail and had on plain silver framed glasses. He wore a white t-shirt with a headphones logo and little music notes coming out of them along with loose fitting black yoga pants and white socks. Said man walked towards their homeroom teacher and greeted, “Welcome back, Shou!”

The blonde planted a peck on the other’s stubble covered cheek who shoved his face away with no true malice on his own face. Though there was a hint of a blush. Hitoshi was reeling a little at learning that his mentor lived with and was seemingly closer than friends with a man. Not that he had anything against it or whatever. More of a shocking reveal than anything else. But apparently that wasn’t the only surprise in store. Not according to the Hero fanboy in the room.

“Holy shit,” Izuku gasped, green eyes zeroed in on the silver band on the blonde man’s left ring finger.

“What?” Hitoshi asked, confused.

Instead of answering, the greenette snapped his focus to Aizawa and blurts out, “You and Present Mic are married!?”

In an instant, he was wrapped in Aizawa’s scarf as the man yanked him forward and growled, “Say it louder. I don’t think the League heard you.”

“I mean I had a theory that you two were close,” Izuku rambled on despite the wrappings. “Possibly dating but married?!”

“Guess the cats out of the bag, eh, Shou?” the man, Yamada, chuckled as he winked as he rested an elbow on Aizawa’s shoulder.

“Holy shit,” Hitoshi quietly exclaimed in a whisper as he finally registered the similar yellow, albeit down instead of banana shaped, hair paired with familiar bespectacled green eyes and small mustache. “Civilian Present Mic.”

“Technically, the cat is always out of the bag here,” Aizawa said, releasing the green one while halfheartedly shrugging off his husband’s arm.

“Unless they’re actually in one!” Yamada cheerfully shot back.

“Eh?” Izuku let out.

“We have cats,” Aizawa answered flatly with a hint of fondness.

‘Cats’? Plural? As in more than one?

“Well, that’s cool!” Izuku chirped in excitement as he had never had a pet before. “You like cat’s right, Hitoshi-kun?”

The greenette turned to his friend only to find the purple haired teen distracted. The shorter boy waved a hand in front of his face but those purple eyes were locked onto something.

“Um…Hitoshi-kun?” Izuku prodded with a poke to his friend’s arm.

“Cat,” the taller replied.

“Eh?” the shorter lilted.

“CAT,” Hitoshi repeated with gusto before he carefully but determinedly beelined to the couch while leaving his bag behind.

Green eyes followed and took notice of the feline laying on the dark grey cushions of the three-seater couch. It was an orange tabby cat whose own green eyes curiously watched the approaching teen. Hitoshi, being the cat connoisseur that he was, lifted a hand for the cat to sniff. Once the cat did, it rubbed its cheek against his hand before flopping unceremoniously onto its back to reveal its fuzzy tummy.

“That’s DJ,” Yamada introduced with a grin. “Short for Disc Jockey. He’s a rescue and super cuddly.”

“And a moron,” Aizawa added earning a gasp from the blonde.

“DON’T INsult my baby!” the loud man partially shouted when the Erasure Hero reflexively cancelled out the other’s Quirk.

“It’s not an insult if it’s true,” the tired man shot back. “Remind me again how many times he’s managed to trap himself in various potentially dangerous places?”

“That was one time that we found him in the washing machine,” Yamada retorted.

“And countless times in the dryer,” Aizawa shot back.

“He just likes the feel of warm clean clothes!” the blonde defended.

“Thereby making them unclean immediately,” the tired man chided earning a pout from his husband.

The married couple continued to bicker over the supposed stupidity of one of their cats. During which time Izuku had also moved over to the cat and had followed Hitoshi’s lead in earning the cat’s permission for pets. He was enjoying petting the feline, who had turned back over, in tandem with Hitoshi. DJ laid there with his eyes closed basking in the attention.

“So, you said ‘cats’,” Hitoshi said, glancing up at their mentor with curiosity.

“Yes, there’s another one up there,” Aizawa answered, pointing to a white cat with very fluffy fur and a scar across one of its blue eyes that was perched on top of a book case. “That’s Espionage. Esp for short. I found her in an alley injured and took her home. She likes pets on her own terms and prefers to be the one to seek out attention.”

Hitoshi nodded as he continued to pet DJ with Izuku.

“There’s also our shadow cat,” the tired man added. “But she’s scared of strangers so you may not see her at all.”

“Gotcha,” the purple haired teen said with a nod.

“Well then!” Yamada said, clapping his hands together. “Shall we give you a tour? Then we can let you two settle in for a bit before having dinner. Sound good?”

The two students nodded, still surprised to learn their two mentors for the Sports Festival were married. But they were finding it easy to accept as they watched the two interact. They did bicker like an old married couple after all.

The apartment wasn’t too big or too small. Just enough for two grown men and three cats to cohabitate. There was the living room and kitchen. Master bedroom across from those. Yamada showed the teens the bathroom down the hall that they could use as well as where the towels were in the hall closet. Then he showed them to a room that served as an office as well as a guest bedroom. He let them know where the futons were so they could pull those out when it was time for bed.

“And for the crown jewel of this lovely tour!” Yamada proclaimed as he moved to a closed cabinet while Aizawa let out a tired sigh as he rolled his eyes. “Is the unofficial official dedicated merch collection of the best Hero ever…” He paused for dramatic effect before throwing open the cabinet doors. “…Eraserhead!”

The two teens stared as they took in the sight before letting out a twinned, “Woah.”

Inside the cabinet was a shit ton of Hero merch all themed to one elusive Underground Hero. Who was currently hiding his face in his scarf as his husband gushed over his shrine to him. There were figurines, buttons, pins, plushies, and so on in the display. In the drawers were blankets, pillows, and various styles of clothes. There were also fan replicas of his older goggles and scarf. It was an impressive collection rivaling the Hero fanboy’s recently sold one of All Might.

Izuku immediately started to becoming that fanboy as he gushed over the collection with the enthusiastic blonde. While Hitoshi teased Aizawa who just rolled his eyes before leaving the room. The purple haired teen then joined the other two because even he agreed that the collection was impressive.

“So, what’s the most embarrassing Eraserhead merch you got?” Hitoshi asked as he picked up a small figurine to look at.

“I have a body pillow of him,” Yamada answered with a smirk. “I cuddle it when he’s away on missions. He complains I replaced him every time.”

The two teens snickered at that.

“Anyway,” the Voice Hero said with a clap of his hands. “To commemorate your transfer to the Hero Course and landing an internship with the grumpiest of human cats…”

The tall blonde stooped down to rummage through the bottom drawer of the cabinet before pulling two wrapped bundles out.

“…I got you kiddos these!”

The loud man offered the bundles to the teens who took the gifts carefully. Together they unwrapped their packages to reveal a matching pair of Eraserhead hoodies. They were black in color with a simplistic design of his yellow goggles on the hood with eye slits and a few grey strips across the shoulders to represent his scarf. The two teens didn’t know what to say as they both looked at the hoodies in shock.

“I got these special ordered before the Sports Festival,” Yamada explained with a smile. “Knew you two were going to rock it. And before you go saying you can’t accept them, don’t. You deserve them and it’s not like they’ll fit me. Besides…”

A glint of mischief grew in those yellow green eyes as he leaned forward in a mock whisper.

“…Shouta doesn’t know they exist.”

The teens piqued up at that bit of information. The pair exchanged a conspiratorial glance as Yamada excused himself so they could ‘settle in’ and he could continue working on dinner. It didn’t take long for both boys to change out of their uniforms into comfier clothes. It was a bit warm for the hoodies themselves especially with the hoods up, but two teens did so anyways. Besides, the ‘so done’ look on the tired man’s face upon entering the kitchen made it so worth it.

They chatted over a dinner of chicken, rice, and steamed vegetables about what Aizawa had planned for the week while DJ begged for scraps and pets. The next couple of days were going to be much like today had been. Physical training of some kind in the morning and then Quirk and Support Item training for Hitoshi and Izuku respectively in the afternoon. Though the tired man did mention they would be going on patrol on the third day.

“Where are we going to patrol?” Izuku asked between bites.

“Technically, since I’m an independent Hero without an agency, we could go anywhere,” Aizawa replied. “All I would have to do is inform the local agencies I would be patrolling that area. It would be no different with interns.”

“I’ll be helping out too with a bit of day time patrol,” the Voice Hero added as he snuck DJ a piece of chicken. “Give you a taste of a different side of Heroics other than his trash filled alleyways.”

The blonde sent a teasing smirk to his husband who simply flipped him off as he continued to eat. Hitoshi snickered while the greenette was contemplating quietly before he asked, “If you don’t have a specific place in mind, could I make a request?”

“Depends,” Aizawa answered with a curious quirked brow. “Where were you thinking?”

Izuku glanced down at his own food nervously before looking up and hesitantly asking, “Hosu?”

The Erasure Hero considered his charge for a moment before sighing as he said, “You’re worried about Iida.”

The greenette simply nodded. He was sure his friend would be fine. He said he had no intention of going after the Hero Killer and had simply chosen the city to be near his brother. But the Quirkless teen had this weird gut feeling that something was going to go wrong. He couldn’t explain it. It was just…there. A reason why he had felt compelled to place a tracker on the other aspiring Hero’s suit.

“I’ll think about it,” the tired man said. “If there’s no other areas in need of patrols, we might go there. But don’t worry about it for now. Instead focus on your training, got it?”

“Yes, sir,” the teen answered with a nod.

“By the way, Midoriya, I’ve been meaning to ask,” Aizawa said as they continued to eat. “You mentioned something about my hair giving my Quirk away. What would you suggest to fix that?”

The teen finished chewing his bite and swallowed before replying, “A hair tie?”

There was a moment of mostly silences as Yamada and Hitoshi snickered while Aizawa gave him a deadpan look.

“What?” the teen replied with a slight tilt of his head.

“Seriously?” the Erasure Hero asked incredulously. “That’s it?”

“That’s it,” Izuku responded with a shrug. “You don’t need fancy solutions for everything. Sometimes the simplest solution is best. Especially since it’s already been invented.”

Aizawa let out an exasperated huff, annoyed that he had the answer the whole time and it just happened to be in their shared bathroom mixed amongst his husband’s many hair products. Ones that he would use on occasion to tie his hair up in a messy bun while grading papers but never thought to keep on his person for work. Though he couldn’t help but to agree with the boy. Sometimes simplest was best.

The rest of the evening went by quickly. They finished dinner and the two teens helped Yamada clean up with DJ watching with interest. They also helped prepare the cats’ food setting the dishes for the cuddly DJ and aloof Esp in the kitchen while the blonde went off to find the ‘shadow cat’ who was most likely hiding in their bedroom.

Aizawa went to work on some paperwork on the couch with Esp blessing him with her company while DJ followed after Yamada. Hitoshi and Izuku took turns taking a shower before changing into their pajamas. Both carefully folding up their Eraserhead hoodies next to their other things. They worked together to set up the futons and everyone settled in for the night.

The next morning, they were woken up by the loud clanking of two pans being banged together by their homeroom teacher. Aizawa smirked at the two boys shooting up out of their futons at the sound. The teens gave him unappreciative glares which he reveled in before leaving the room. The students quickly got up and ready for the day before going to the kitchen for breakfast.

Yamada was whistling as he worked on a traditional Japanese breakfast of grilled fish, miso soup, and rice with sides of pickled cucumbers and fried eggs. The blonde wanted the internship week to start with a step in the right nutritional direction. Because of this, he kept shooing his husband away from the fridge and his usual gel packets. The teens snickered at the slight pout on the tired man’s face while they helped out any way they could until breakfast was ready. But Yamada appeased his husband with an offered coffee with cinnamon which he drank with appreciative gusto.

They quickly ate and cleaned up before heading to UA. The teachers in their usual costumes and the students in their uniforms. Same as the day before the teens changed into their workout gear before heading to one of the gyms. Yamada left to go do some paperwork before heading off to an early morning patrol but would be joining them in the afternoon to work with Hitoshi. Leaving the interns in the Erasure Hero’s capable hands.

The training began with the usual stretching and warming up. Aizawa then had them spar for a few rounds before introducing a dirtier form of fighting. One that was essential and necessary especially as an Underground Hero.

“This is not an official match,” Aizawa explained. “Well, it is official in the sense that you would be a Pro Hero, but it is not a match like in the Sports Festival. No rules or regulations. A fight. Sometimes between life and death. So, if you can find some way, any way, to stay alive, then do it.”

The interns gave determined nods in acceptance. That morning session was spent learning the weak points of the body and how to exploit them. From the traditional shot to the groin to throwing dirt in eyes to even just literally biting if necessary. It was a different way of fighting than Izuku had learned in all his years of self-defense but it made sense that fighting in a regulated environment wouldn’t be the same as fighting in the streets. Out there in the real world there were no rules.

When lunch came around, they took a break and ate the bentos left by Yamada for them with the Voice Hero himself joining them part way through. Afterward, the blonde and purple haired teen left to go to work on his voice while the other two went to the studio to pick up Izuku’s gear and Hitoshi’s mask to mess with later. Aizawa had him first spar with the Support Items on but not using them to get used to the feel of them again. Then when satisfied, he had the teen use them one at a time in their sparring before allowing him to mix and match.

It was a challenge for both of them. For Izuku, he was going up against a trained and experienced Pro Hero. One who kicked his ass again and again while giving him pointers on how to be better. For Aizawa, it was much like going up against a mutant type Quirk that Erasure had no effect on. Except this was up against gadgets instead.

Much like the day before, Yamada and Hitoshi joined them after a while to not overwork the teen’s vocal cords. Though they did show he could do a pretty decent Aizawa impression of yelling ‘you’re expelled’ without the mask and an even better one with it. The blonde and greenette were openly laughing while recording it. Aizawa gave a very unamused glare at their antics though he did dip his chin into his scarf to hide an actually amused smirk.

That night they got permission for Hitoshi to take the mask back to the intern-dubbed EraserMic apartment though neither teen would ever let Aizawa know they called it that. Though Yamada would probably be amused by it. The evening was spent with the teens petting DJ while Izuku looking up different videos of Heroes and such for Hitoshi to practice imitating with his mask. Who knows when a good ol’ All Might ‘I am here!’ would be useful against an unsuspecting enemy.

The next day the boys made sure to set an early alarm and despite being tired as hell, they were rewarded with a mixed expression from their mentor. Aizawa was both disappointed that he didn’t get to scare them awake again but was pleased that they learned fast. The morning went much like the day before with getting ready and eating breakfast. However, their schedule changed when they got to UA with the arrival of their costumes.

Neither costume was flashy and both had gone with a one-piece jumpsuit which helped with the rushed order. Izuku’s was based off an old sketch he had made in one of his notebooks but modified. Mostly to work better with his Support Items and general fighting style. But also, because Hitoshi had commented that the homage to All Might’s hair tuffs made him look like a bunny. Which while meant as a joke, it was nice to have a different association to them other than All Might. But either way, he nixed that part of the design.

The suit was mostly a dark green to go with his general green motif with black accents and splashes of red here and there. Black lines outlined his arms and legs. There was also a black ‘X’ shape across his chest with his self-declared ‘Q’ logo on his upper right chest in red. He had black padding on his shoulders, elbows, and knees as well as black gloves with knuckle guards and grounding so he wouldn’t get electrocuted again. All made of a sturdy but comfortable material to prevent him from getting too scuffed up.

The ensemble went well with his other gear. His goggles matched the green of the suit. His arm wrappings, belt, and Jet shoes were a dark red in contrast to the green. While his fire mask and escrima rods were a metallic grey. It was a suit he was proud of and excitedly put on. Finally having it set in with the feel of the fabric on his skin that he was really going to be a Hero. That he was Edge.

Hitoshi’s suit was very similar to Eraserhead’s but instead of black it was a dark purple. Such a copycat with the black utility belt and boots with the grey capture weapon around his shoulders. He was also a copycat of Izuku having black elbow and knee pads along with black protective fingerless gloves. He too had a black ‘X’ across his chest that he got the idea from looking at Izuku’s design. Which the greenette was fine with because it was a way of tying them together as a team and, as Mei had deemed upon seeing the designs, made them the ‘batsu boys’.

The brainwasher also had his voice changing mask which he decided to call his Artificial Vocal Cords. The mask’s shiftable plates were black and could be manipulated to help change his voice. The ear pieces were metallic grey and would signal when he got a mimicked voice right as he adjusted the dials on either side of the mask. It also had a gas filter installed courtesy of Mei.

It was good that they got their costumes that day because Aizawa had said they would be going on patrol later. Starting in the afternoon with Present Mic and into the evening with Eraserhead. To give them experience in both kinds of patrol which would be interesting to see the difference themselves. The tired man also let them know they would indeed be going to Hosu as requested because it was as good a place as any to patrol. Also, the Hero agencies there were welcome to have the extra sets of hands during their current troubled times with the Hero Killer on the loose.

That morning their mentor had them train with their costumes on for a while before having them stop to talk about the patrol rules. How they were to stay with either him or Yamada at all times unless told otherwise. That they were to follow any instructions given to them without question. Because they were the interns and the men were the Pro Heroes who actually knew what they were doing. They were also not to just jump into a fight if they stumbled upon one unless given permission. The students were to take the teachers’ leads in any situation.

After a quick lunch, Hitoshi and Izuku left UA with Yamada and traveled to Hosu city in Tokyo via bullet train. The commute wasn’t too eventful but it certainly wasn’t boring. Present Mic being a household name meant that the Voice Hero got attention from fans and posed for pictures and signed autographs. And he wasn’t the only one. Hitoshi and Izuku were recognized as the second and first place winners of the festival and were approached as well.

It was certainly an odd experience getting all of this attention. Though thankfully it was on the positive side. Anyone who didn’t want to associate with them kept their distance. Probably because they were accompanying Present Mic who was a beloved public figure and Hero. Who was known for his easy going attitude but also his staunch distaste for discrimination of any kind. It would do the negative Nelly’s in the crowd no good going up against a man who could literally scream them into submission.

This fan service lasted through their commute and continued during their patrol after checking in with the Idaten agency. The group of three patrolled the streets taking periodic breaks to rest. As the afternoon began to turn to evening, they were joined by Aizawa who took over as their mentor. Yamada bid them well wishes before hailing a taxi and driving away.

Patrolling next to Eraserhead was different than it was with Present Mic. The people didn’t approach them as much for pictures and such since they didn’t recognize Aizawa as a Pro Hero. Though Izuku did hear some speculation that maybe he was more than just a hobo seeing as two Hero interns were following him. Then there were those judgmental assholes who grew a bit bolder with their discrimination when it came to Izuku. But they were quickly shut up by a pointed Quirked glare from their teacher.

However, the biggest difference wasn’t the people and their reactions to the trio. No. That was nothing compared to the interrupted peace as the city was suddenly infiltrated by creatures created to cause chaos.

Noumu were attacking Hosu.

Notes:

EraserMic has been revealed and cats have been met! Well, two of them but you can see what they look like here! Thanks to the peeps on the discord for their cat ideas! It helped me figure out what to do with aloof cat Espionage whose name came from ally. Cuddly and shadow cat I already had some ideas but your thoughts were still helpful! :D

The Eraserhead collection has been revealed! Yamada is his biggest fan. ;) And he is so one to shower people with gifts. I love when fics have a hurt Izuku being gifted blankets and plushies by Yamada even though that doesn't really fit this fic so much. As of now at least but who knows what could happen! ;) But yes, gifted hoodies are a thing now.

The solution to Aizawa's floating hair problem has been given! Not sure if that will play into anything specific as of yet, but it's a thing. Though serious, caterpillar man. It was right in your own bathroom this whole time. :P

We've got costumes! You can see my sketches for them here. I hope you like them! :D Personally I like the canon costume for Izuku for the most part but I did change some things. As for Hitoshi, I do like the head canon of him styling himself after Eraserhead.

Fun Facts About Japan:

Mini fact in regards to the 'batsu boys' comment. Batsu ( 罰 , ばつ ) is the Japanese word for 'wrong' and is commonly also symbolized by an X mark. The opposite being maru ( 丸 , まる ) with an O mark. You see it a lot in manga and anime of when saying something is right with O and something is wrong with X. Japanese people also make gestures of O and X with their fingers, hands, or arms in various situations. I used it a lot in the classroom and still find myself making a batsu gesture sometimes. XD Also, for tic-tac-toe they call it the maru-batsu game.

Another for the bullet train or Shinkansen ( 新幹線 , しんかんせん ). Much like the other trains, the Shinkansen is known for punctuality. I rode it a few times in my three years there and it was comfortable and convenient. The ride is super smooth and you don't even feel like you're going 320 km/h (200 mph) on average. You can also enjoy ekiben ( 駅弁 , えきべん ) which are 'railway bentos' meant specifically to be eaten on trains! You can go to this site to learn more about them.

That's it for this chapter! Up next we'll be going back in time a little bit to see what Stain has been up to leading up to Hosu. It's time for Stainy to meet Shiggy. We'll see how that goes. ;) An all Villain update is coming up next! 'Till then, be well and let me know of typos or weirdness!

Chapter 28: Dissension

Notes:

-channels inner All Might- The regular Tuesday update...is here!

Just being silly. :P It's Villain update time! Stain meets Shiggy. Let's see how that goes.

Linktree to all the things!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Much like a few nights ago, the Hero Killer Stain was once again on a roof. This time atop of a water tank. Red eyes glared down at the city of Hosu, his current cleansing project. Searching for something. Or rather someone. Reason being that if the rumors he had heard were true then a certain false Hero would finally be emerging from his hiding place tonight.

Native. The one that had gotten away. All because of the Turbo Hero Ingenium’s meddling. Chizome still regretted having to attack Hero as he had not been deemed entirely unworthy. Barely even. However…the same could not be said for Native. He was far from a competent Hero let alone a true one.

The falsehood of the Hero wasn’t one of corruption or murder, but rather of seeking fame. Picking and choosing his fights depending on the number of reporters and the difficulty level of the Villains involved. All while ignoring those in need of aid to soak up the media attention. Avoiding the bigger dangers like a coward and being blinded by his own hubris.

That fake is nothing compared to All Might. Or the Little Hero.

Ever since the meddling Hero had interfered with the Hero Killer’s judgement, the actual target of his attack had alluded him. Staying out of the public eye due to the threat upon his person. And possibly to avoid PR drama after the recording of Stain’s call for help for the downed Hero was revealed to the public. Including the abandonment of the other Hero to save his own unworthy skin. Further evidence of his falsehood.

However, Stain had kept his well-trained ear open for any news of the false Hero’s reappearance. Knowing that they would not hide the fake away forever. Especially one that sat low in the rankings not given the same privileges and leniency as those at the top.

Like Endeavor.

The more Stain looked into the man the more he saw him for the false Hero he was. The sheer amount of collateral damage Endeavor had caused in the past year alone was three times the amount of any other Hero. Not to mention the high number of deaths, Villain, Hero, and civilian alike, caused by either his Quirk or the aforementioned collateral damage. His statistics in general revealed his lack of restraint and abundance of excessive force.

I never expected the Number Two Hero to have literal skeletons in his closet.

As for his private life, that was a whole other matter that was not public knowledge. The scene that the Hero Killer had witnessed the night of the Sports Festival was only a taste of what the man had done. The evidence given to him by the scarred one who went by the name Dabi gave him a clearer picture of the inner dealings of the Todoroki family. Let’s just say with the degree of how fucked up it was, there was no wonder why this Dabi chose to go by a different name.

The flash drive gifted to him contained damning evidence of the Number Two Hero faker’s ‘activities’ over the years. Pictures of injuries and documentation of the dealings of a Quirk marriage. Even some video obviously from planted hidden cameras throughout the house. All depicting how the man treated his ‘family’ in varying degrees depending on the person.

Hyper focus on the youngest for training. Reluctant inclusion in that training for the eldest at least for a while until it suddenly stopped. Harsh scrutiny on the mother. While the other two children were ignored. It was clear who in the family Endeavor favored even if that favor was no saving grace. The amount of pressure the youngest was under was down right cruel.

The evidence was pretty damning but Stain would continue to do his research. Not yet ready to call it a closed case. There was also the matter of how to handle such information. He could simply leave it at the Little Hero’s apartment and let him do as he wished. But then there would be the issue of leaving the explanation as to how he got such information on the greenette’s shoulders. Perhaps there was another way to release what he had found?

A sudden feeling of being watched made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. This being the second time he was approached while on a roof that week. Instinctively, the Hero Killer took hold of his katana and lashed it back to whatever presence was behind him. Except…his trusted battle worn blade did not meet a physical body.

Strange.

“Please do not be alarmed,” a deep voice said behind him. “I have no intention of harming you. We are on the same side after all. In fact, I have been searching for you for some time. It is a pleasure to finally meet you in person.”

Curious, Stain cautiously turned his head to see the tip of his blade piercing through…mist? A blob of purplish-black smoke floated in the air that proceeded to grow into a larger mass somewhat resembling the hazy shape of a man. A tall one as he towered over the crouched man. Whether for posturing or was the other’s actual height he didn’t know.

Amidst the dark vapor were two jagged patches of yellow near the top that he assumed could be the figure’s eyes if not anything else. Such a strange individual appearing randomly without a sound and apparently in search of him specifically. The Hero Killer stared silently at the newcomer with a quirked brow.

At his lack of response, the other continued, “My name is Kurogiri and as I said I have been searching for you. You have become quite infamous as of late. I would like to request a moment of your time as I believe you would be interested in what I have to offer.”

An offer, huh? Stain thought as he narrowed his red eyes in suspicion. Well, if it’s only a moment it couldn’t hurt to hear them out, I guess.

But only for a moment. Because the reason he had been waiting on this particular water tower was the rumor he had heard of Native finally going back on patrol. Finally coming out of hiding and allowing the Hero Killer the opportunity to complete his self-appointed task of cleansing the world of the fake. Foolishly taking back up the same route that the Villain had tracked him to the first time around.

How befitting would it be to take the false Hero down in the same place he managed to get away before? The irony of taking the faux down in such a way was almost too delicious of an idea to pass up. But apparently that would have to wait as it seems he was being called upon for whatever reason.

Wanting to get whatever it was over with, Stain withdrew and sheathed his katana as he stood up to follow the misty man. He expected to walk to wherever they were to have this ‘talk’ but was surprised when the other explained that his Quirk allowed him to create portals to travel. Though as to how or with what limitations the man did not divulge. But he didn’t hold that against him as he too was mum about his own Quirk.

The Hero Killer cautiously but resolutely entered the Quirk-made warp gate. If Stain was being summoned, he wanted to be the one to come forward by his own choice. Not be unceremoniously dropped into wherever they would have their little chat by a portal opened at his feet. The man who approached him came off as polite but he did not know him. A stranger who could be capable of anything and everything.

Let’s see what this stranger wants of me.

The trip to their secondary location took mere seconds. A few steps at most. One moment he was in Hosu on a water tower waiting in anticipation for his prey. The next he was only gods knew where in Japan or even the world for all he knew of the other’s warping power. Thankfully the warp gate itself did no harm to his person. It felt like walking through thick fog that left a slight tingling sensation on his exposed skin. A quick lick of his lips upon exiting the warp gate allowed him to find no taste of blood in the air.

For now.

The other side of the portal opened to what looked like a bar. A rather rundown looking one at that. The floors were worn hardwood and the walls were brick. One wall had rows and rows of liquor bottles that sat on shelves backlit giving the otherwise dark room a contrasting warm-yet-sinister orange glow. To his left was a jukebox and there were tables and chairs stack in the far corner.

Tatter remnants of posters still hung intermittently on the walls where parts had been torn down or however else they got damaged. The majority were too mangled or faded with time to tell what they depicted. The only one recognizable was an All Might poster that had what looked like claw marks scratched through it.

Below that poster was a monitor of sorts with the words ‘Sound Only’ glowing purple on the otherwise dark screen. Meaning that this conversation was being viewed and/or listened in on by unknown individual(s) not in the room. The monitor sat upon the one piece of furniture in the room that appeared the most well-kept. The bar top. Seated at that bar was a man. Stain eyed the new stranger suspiciously as the misty man, who somehow was wearing a suit now, walked over to stand behind the bar.

The seated man sat on a bar stool leaning casually against his elbow set on the bar with one leg propped up on the other. His skin was pale and dry looking. His clothes were all black save for his shoes which were red. A similar red to the Little Hero’s shoes if he recalled correctly. But that was the only similarity between the two. For Izuku had green curly hair while the man before him had shaggy light blue hair. Then there was the hand on his face.

What the hell is that about?

The disembodied appendage was placed squarely over the man’s face. Its skin was even paler than the one wearing it. Probably from age and death. Preserved and worn for some reason or other. Not that Stain cared why only thinking that it was odd and somewhat creepy to wear such a thing by choice. Perhaps it related to his Quirk? Something with his hands? Or was it merely decoration?

Eh, who cares. Let’s get this over with so I can go back to my mission.

“Why am I here?” Stain asked with a hard stare at the seated figure. However, it was the standing one who spoke.

“We have asked you here in hopes of persuading you to join us,” Kurogiri replied.

“And who exactly is ‘us’?” the Hero Killer inquired with a slight growl.

“We are the League of Villains,” the misty man answered. “And this is our leader, Shigaraki Tomura.”

“The ‘League of Villains’, huh?” Stain said with a quirked brow. “You’re the ones who attacked UA, right?”

“Indeed,” Kurogiri replied with a wispy nod.

So, these people were the ones who got away during the attack. The ones who had attacked children. Stain was already feeling that agreeing to this meeting may have been a mistake. But perhaps there was more to them than that. He decided to hear them out.

“So, you want to recruit me to build your numbers back up,” the Hero Killer asked, biting back a comment that the reason they were low on members was because they had failed in their misadventure. It would not do to rile them up especially since he had no idea where he was. It could be in a labyrinth underground on an island for all he knew.

“Yeah, exactly,” the handy man spoke up for the first time. His voice was raspy sounding as if he was dehydrated. “It’ll be great, don’t you think? You have so much experience when it comes to being evil. A real pro. We could use a player like you.”

‘Player’?

“And what is your mission?” Stain asked. “What are you after?”

“Our mission? Well, eventually I want to kill All Might,” Shigaraki answered with a further tilt of his head. Playing up that deranged Villain look. Stain’s eyes narrowed at the declaration. “I like to destroy things I don’t like. Sandwiches. Itchy clothes. All Might. They all piss me off.”

Sounds like the ramblings of a child.

“So, I want them gone,” the handy man continued. The head of shaggy light blue hair straightened before leaning forward as he spoke. A single red eye could be seen through the digits of the hand on his face while the other remained obscured. “Dead. Destroyed. Deleted. Game over.”

Another pair of red eyes, ones covered by a mask rather than a hand, narrowed further in irritation.

“How foolish of me to think you could offer me anything of interest,” Stain growled as he crouched into a more defensive position. “It’s the type of people like you that I hate the most in this world.”

“Huh?” Shigaraki let out in confusion while Kurogiri shifted to face the Hero Killer more.

“Your goals. They’re those of a temper-tantrum-throwing child,” Stain sneered as he moved his arms to grasp the hilts of two of his knives strapped on either side of his torso. “There is no meaning to wanton killing and bloodlust without conviction.”

Kurogiri watched as the tone of the meeting turned from cordial to hostile. Growing concerned about the man he had invited into their current home/base to possibly help his charge grow. To push him to move beyond the impulse to merely destroy. To guide Shigaraki Tomura from the current child he was mentally into a stronger more driven man. But he seemed to have been wrong about the Hero Killer’s fit to their cause.

“Sensei…should I put a stop to this?” Kurogiri asked to his master listening in, concerned for his charge as Stain unsheathed his knives.

No, let this play out,” the voice of All For One replied coming through the monitor. Shigaraki keep his eyes on the threatening man in front of him but tilted his head back slightly at the sound of his Sensei’s voice. “One cannot simply be told the answer but instead must learn by trial and error. This may be the only way for him to grow. Mature. Only then will he reach his full potential.

In a flash of movement, Stain lunged forward with his knives towards the two men. The handy man dodged, or rather flailed, out of the way. But he did manage to slash the misty man’s arm drawing his needed blood. So, there is a physical body…interesting. He had enough time to lick the warper’s blood paralyzing him before he had to dodge himself away from the light blue haired man who came at him with his hands outstretched.

So, his Quirk does have to do with his hands. I’ll have to be wary of this one.

Shigaraki tried to make a grab for the Hero Killer again but Stain twisted his body out of the way. He knocked the outstretched arm away and then kicked the handy man in the gut. Shigaraki stumbled back and Stain used his state of imbalance to his advantage. Knocking him down to the ground as he stabbed into Shigaraki’s right shoulder pinning him on the floor. Stain leered down as he crouched over the other, a firm grip on the knife embedded into the downed Villain as he brought the other close to his neck.

“Your crumbling little League lacks conviction and will,” Stain sneered down at the man beneath him. “Without those you will accomplish nothing. Makes you weak and it’s only natural for the weak to be culled. That is how you got here about to die by my blade.”

Shigaraki gave out a pained giggle as he laid there pinned like a butterfly.

“Heh. Being a little rough there, don’t ya think?” the handy man said. “Kurogiri, take this griefer back.”

Stain anticipated a warp gate to open up not knowing if he would be able to use his Quirk while paralyzed, but a portal didn’t appear.

“I’m sorry,” Kurogiri replied. “I cannot move.”

Well, that answers that question. His Quirk must require some kind of movement or gesture to work.

The Hero Killer glanced up at the misty man who was immobilized leaning against the bar.

Strange.

Once Stain consumed someone’s blood, they became paralyzed losing all control of their body. Leaving only minor motor abilities such as blinking, breathing, and speaking. The weight of his limp body should have been enough to collapse him to the ground like a rag doll, but instead was still up right propped up by his arm. He was even shivering and twitching as if he was trying to move but couldn’t. Both of those shouldn’t be possible under the effect of Bloodcurdle.

What are you?

“It must be the Hero Killer’s Quirk in effect,” Kurogiri added from his supposed to be impossible position.

Right you are.

Stain’s Quirk, Bloodcurdle as he had dubbed it, was a target-based and emitter type Quirk. Requiring the consuming of blood to take effect. Which was why he had and used so many kinds of blades on his person for his work. His literal ‘edge’ in a fight to release the life fluid he needed to fulfill his calling of cleansing the world of fakes.

Once he did consume their blood, the amount of time his victims were paralyzed depended on their blood types. A weakness he had learned to work with after years of trial and error. The longest time was for those with blood type B lasting about eight minutes. Then the time reduced by about two minutes for AB at six, A at four, and finally O at two. He wasn’t sure if there were slight differences between positive or negative but even two minutes was usually enough time to carry out his judgment. Stain wasn’t one to draw out his sentence and preferred to finish quickly.

The Hero Killer didn’t know what the misty man’s blood type was, if he was a man or even human, and so had no way of knowing how long he had. A constant unknown in his line of work. He would have to keep an eye on him for any signs of his Quirk timing out. For now though, he turned his attention back down to the one below him.

“The word ‘Hero’ has become warped in this current society,” Stain ranted. “Lost all meaning and connection with its origins. Tainted by fakes who claim the title as well as criminals like you aimlessly chasing after petty dreams. All of you are targets of my purge.”

He shifted the blade aimed at the other’s neck closer to his target. But as soon as it got near to the weird hand on the light blue haired man’s face, the handy man finally reacted after having remained still since he had been pinned to the ground. The single red eye visible between the digits widened and he shot his hand over to the knife at his neck despite the other blade still embedded in his shoulder.

Watch it,” Shigaraki snapped as he gripped the offending blade despite the edge cutting into his palm. “You may be a PC but don’t you dare touch this hand. If you do…”

That single visible red eye glared up at the other pair of red as cracks began to form on the blade in his grasp.

“…I’ll kill you.”

What? Is that his Quirk?

“You sure talk a lot, ‘Hero Killer’,” Shigaraki continued as the cracks grew and grew along the metal and spread to the handle that Stain had let go of before whatever it was got to him. “Convictions, huh? Perhaps I don’t have anything as lofty as that.”

The grey blade turned brown as if it were rusted with age until the handy man squeezed and the knife crumbled to dust leaving nothing behind. Stain was too shocked to move or speak as he came to realize the one beneath him must have some sort of disintegration Quirk. A strong and potentially deadly power right at his literal finger tips.

“If I had to say what my main drive is, I would have to go with killing All Might. The great Symbol of Trash who is worshipped by the mindless NPCs of this world. Destroy him and the rest will crumble into dust by my hands. That, Hero Killer, is my conviction.”

Stain felt a shiver run down his spin as he stared at the mad man beneath him. That single visible red eye was filled with a crazed creed while the edges of a wide maniacal smile could be seen past the edges of the hand on his face. On instinct, the Hero Killer dodged back as the handy man made a swipe at him. The blood drinker put some distance between them as he held his remaining knife defensively.

“My last injuries had finally healed and now you’ve gone and done this,” Shigaraki complained as he stood up. Slumping his shoulders as he held out his right arm that had blood dripping down it. “It’s dangerous to play with knives. You should take responsibility for what you’ve done. We don’t have a healer in our party, you know?”

“You first for wasting my time,” Stain replied as cloth covered red eyes scrutinized the other searching for any move of retaliation. Seeing none other than the handy man reaching up to scratch his neck. “Though not a total waste, I suppose.”

That earned a confused grunt from Shigaraki who stopped scratching.

“Our goals oppose each other,” Stain continued. “I want the return of true Heroes while you want them gone altogether. However, there is one thing we agree on. That the current status quo must be destroyed.”

“I’m done with this side mission,” Shigaraki grumbled. “Get out, drop dead. I’m the type of person you hate the most or whatever, right?”

“It was a test of your motives and sincerity,” the Hero Killer said as he sheathed his knife. “Ones true colors reveal themselves when faced with death. For you, your will is merely a seed of a warped conviction just beginning to sprout. I wonder how it will bloom in the end.”

He cast a glance at Kurogiri who still wasn’t moving though he possibly could any second now. But for now, he was still immobile so he turned his attention back to the other man. The hand covered red eye looked at him with a bored expression as he continued.

“Perhaps I could let you grow for now,” Stain said with arms splayed wide as if physically offering him this chance. “See how you turn out. But if you become a hinderance to my mission, I will have no choice but to take care of you myself.”

The handy man let out a huff of offended laughter.

“You really think you can get rid of me?” Shigaraki sneered as he gripped his injured shoulder with his hand.

It was at this time that Bloodcurdle timed out and Kurogiri moved to cover his own injury with a mist covered hand. Stain didn’t know how long it had been so had no way of knowing the man’s blood type but that missed fact didn’t matter. Not when the handy man was making no move to attack him and clearly wanted him gone.

“Kurogiri,” Shigaraki said earning the misty man’s attention. “A crazy guy like this would be nothing but a problem for the League. I don’t want him in my party.”

“Shigaraki Tomura, please reconsider,” Kurogiri pressed. “This man would provide us with much needed firepower and would be an asset to us if he joins. I would say this meeting was a success.”

Is that supposed to be some warped sense of optimism, eh, misty man? Whatever, I’m done with this.

“Are we done here?” Stain asked, licking his lips in impatience and was able to taste the blood in the air. “Because I have business back in Hosu. Return me so I may complete my work. There are still false Heroes for me to take care of.”

With a reluctant grunt, Shigaraki signaled for Kurogiri to send him back. A purple portal formed and Stain walked through without hesitation. The other side opened to the same water tank he had been on before though now the sun was setting at the horizon. Bathing the city in the oranges and pinks of the dying light.

He walked over to the edge and crouched down same as he had earlier. Red eyes scanned the area for any sign of his target while the tip of his tongue hung out of his mouth tasting the evening breeze that fluttered the ends of his scar and mask. He expected to be left to his own devices however apparently that was not the case as he heard footsteps behind him not even half a minute later.

“So, this is Hosu, huh?” the raspy voice of Shigaraki commented as he stepping out of the warp gate. “Nicer looking than I thought it would be.”

Once he was fully out of the portal, the dark vapor condensed into Kurogiri’s suited self. The minion and man-child stood behind the Hero Killer, but Stain did not spare them his attention which he kept on the city below.

“So, Hero Killer, what are you gonna do?” the handy man asked.

“I will reform this city,” Stain replied. “Cleanse it of the fakes. For that to happen, sacrifices must be made and more blood must be spilt.”

“Your goals are quite clear,” Kurogiri interjected. “And your dedication to them is admirable.”

“Ah, you are someone who understands,” the Hero Killer said as he stood up, still looking out over the city. “Unlike this other one.”

“Must you keep picking on me?” Shigaraki complained as he grabbed his wound again.

But Stain ignored him as he spread his arms wide and red eyes taking in the current city of his purge. Filled with unsuspecting people who were blissfully unaware of the embodiment of judgment that would be working tonight.

“The title ‘Hero’ should be reserved only for those who have the heart and conviction to accomplish truly great deeds,” the Hero Killer declared. “This city like many others is full of false Heroes. Faux champions of the people who only care about money and fame. Until this society wakes up and realizes this…”

He reached back and gripped the handle of his katana unsheathing the long blade.

“…I will continue my purge.”

He was about to leap away as he finally spotted the familiar cultural appropriating costume of his target when Shigaraki called out to him at the last second.

“Before you go, Hero Killer,” the handy man said, pausing the man’s actions. “There’s one ‘Hero’ I want you to leave untouched.”

There’s a Hero he wants me to not target? Who could he possibly want to protect if he wants the Number One Hero dead?

Curious, Stain turned slight to glance behind him to see Shigaraki holding up a picture he had apparently had on his person the whole time. Somewhat strange but that was not what surprised him. Rather it was who was pictured.

Little Hero?

 

It was a photograph of one Midoriya Izuku on the first-place podium standing proud with the gold medal hanging from his neck. A picture Chizome himself possessed having made a point of obtaining a copy of the article announcing the aspiring Hero’s accomplishment. Which he just so happened to have folded up in his wallet for safe keeping. Perhaps Shigaraki was not so strange to have something similar with him.

“‘Little Hero’?” Shigaraki parroted back, glancing at the picture and then at Stain. “Is it possible that you know him, Hero Killer?”

Did I say that out loud? Shit.

“What do you want with him?” Stain asked with narrowed suspicious eyes, avoiding the question as he tightened his grip on his katana.

“I want him to join us,” Shigaraki said, an interested gleam in his half-hidden eye. “His analysis skills would aid the League greatly. Plus, he’s Quirkless and they always have a tragic backstory. A perfect fit.”

Stain scowled as he spat, “You are a fool to think someone like him would ever join the likes of you.”

“So, you do know him,” Shigaraki said with a hidden amused sneer. “I’ll admit, his little Hero complex will make it difficult. But I’m confident that eventually he will see the world my way. It’ll just be a matter of time.”

Time. That was something the Hero Killer did not have at the moment. Sending one last glare at the handy man, he turned his attention back to the city searching for his prey. The seconds that passed before he managed to spot his target were agony. But he found the fake further down his patrol route.

Seems I will not be able to pass my judgment in the same alley after all.

Scowling in disappointment, he turned back to Shigaraki and said, “That boy will come to no harm from me. He is a true Hero and your aim to add him to your ‘party’ is ultimately futile.”

“We’ll see,” the handy man grinned in amusement having found a button to press.

With a click of his tongue, the Hero Killer leapt off the water tower with sword in hand in pursuit of his chosen victim.

Native…your judgment will be passed tonight.

~~~

The pale man of shaggy light blue hair, dry wrinkly skin, and red of eyes hidden behind Father on his face looked down at the city of Hosu. Tomura was still processing the revelation that the Hero Killer somehow knew the ‘Little Hero’. Interesting. He wondered how exactly the back-stabbing, or rather shoulder-stabbing, PC knew the Midoriya kid. Enough to sound confident that his side quest to recruit the Quirkless boy would fail. But Tomura was not discouraged.

The decayer looked at the picture in his hand. Staring back at him was a short kid with unruly green hair, annoyingly hopeful green eyes, and strangely symmetrical freckles in twinned diamond arrangements on his cheeks. After the festival had ended, Tomura had looked into the Quirkless winner of the Sports Festival who he still held some consideration as the possible identity of the admin. Finding out more of what he looked like.

Not that I can help it with his stupid face plastered everywhere.

It was true. The kid's face was literally everywhere. On the news, in the papers, on the trains, social media. Literally gods damn everywhere. Almost to an irritating amount that made him want to scratch. However, despite that, he couldn't help but be filled with malicious glee at what they were saying about the boy.

Labeling him as UA's charity case all because he was Quirkless. Saying that he shouldn’t be allowed in the Hero Course as it was dangerous for someone with no power to defend themselves. Which the boy clearly didn't need a Quirk to fight what with all his gear. Showing the true cruel nature of this world disguised under false concern. Revealing the hypocrisy of this society when it came to Quirks and who was worthy to be there. To exist.

You've faced this all your life, haven't you, Midoriya Izuku?

The picture carefully held in his hand was of the kid smiling dumbly during the Awards Ceremony just before the crowd had turned on him. Tomura let out a hum as he thought back to that moment. When his smile had fallen and was replaced by an expression many a Villain sported when they had finally had enough. Or close to it anyway. A guarded expression that was meant to hide their reactions to rejection and discrimination.

How close to the edge are you? How much of a push would it take to send you over it? To bring you to the side that would accept you for who you are.

Villains had been painted the enemy since the beginning of Heroes. Labeled the 'bad guy' in the social order. And yet, the reason why there were so many Villains was because of the Heroes. Many were the rejects of society based off appearances or Quirks or sometimes a combination of the two. Or even entirely something else. Whatever the case, they were turned away by this 'accepting' society and had nowhere else but Villainy to turn to. Simply to survive.

There were those out there that became Villains for the thrill. Whether for the law breaking or the kill. The ones that defined what a Villain was in this warped world. But not all Villains were alike. They all had their own morals and goals. Wanting to upset the established order in their own way.

For Tomura, he hated everything this world had to offer. Ironically because the world had never offered him anything. Not a single helping hand after he was left alone in this world. Only Sensei was the one to reach out to him. To help and raise him. To give him literal hands to help him on his journey to destroy everything.

It would be a clean slate. Like a forest fire that burns away the clutter of nature. The resulting devastation leading to the opportunity of new growth. It was nature's way of resetting the game. Creating a brand-new world that could be molded to how he wanted it to be.

Red eyes traced the fleeting smile of the Quirkless teen. Captured in the moment before the world's true opinion of the boy was revealed. He wondered how much pain was hidden behind that smile. Having been judged for his own Villainous Quirk, the decayer could guess that not having one at all led to a tragic backstory.

It would certainly add to the admin's character bio if he is him.

Tomura still wasn't convinced the boy was the admin. Still holding onto the belief that the one he seeks has an Analysis Quirk of some kind. One that Sensei could take if they couldn't turn the admin to their side. But if it wasn't a Quirk and was actually just him having a higher intelligence ability, the only way to take advantage of his skills was for the admin to cooperate with them.

The young leader of the League was determined to find out exactly who the admin was. Find him and talk to him. Convince him to join their party. Become a player in their campaign to destroy this world to start over anew. Let a new world rise from the ashes. But that was a task to complete later. For now, he had an arrogant Villain’s plans to ruin.

“He sure talks all high and mighty,” Tomura jeered while staring in the direction the Hero Killer had gone. Pursuing some stupid quest that wouldn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. “But for all his talk, he’s wasting his time on these small fries.”

He put the picture of his future fellow party member back in his pocket before reaching up to scratch at his neck in irritation.

“His nobleness makes me want to puke,” the decayer gagged. “But it is a bit entertaining to see him try so hard for so little impact.”

“You should not dismiss his methods so easily, Shigaraki Tomura,” Kurogiri countered. “In the cities where Stain has appeared, the reality is that the crime rates have significantly reduced. It is theorized it is due to either an increase in Hero conscientiousness or out of fear. Either way, his actions have brought change.”

Tomura stopped scratching as he considered this side effect of the Hero Killer’s attacks. A self-made Villain who literally was a killer of Heroes picking them off one by one was inspiring those that remained to crack down more on crime. Standing as a threat for those parading Hero idiots to do their damn jobs better. Instilling the peoples’ faith in those shams even more.

How irritating.

“Well, isn’t that just fan-fucking-tastic,” Tomura sneered as he postured with splayed arms in false admiration. “Heroes working harder with the threat of death as their motivation. The Hero Killer is more of a ‘Hero Breeder’, don’t you think?”

The decayer let out a mocking laugh for a hot second that suddenly stopped as he dropped his arms and slouched his shoulders in boredom.

“This won’t work. Him joining us,” Tomura said as he crossed his arms in irritation. “We’re just too different. And he pisses me off. Kurogiri, bring out the Noumu.”

Obediently, the warper formed a portal to bring forth the Noumu gifted by Sensei as his charge continued to rant.

“Did you really think I would let you get away with stabbing me like that?” the decayer sneered down at the Hero Killer’s precious target city. Behind him stepped out a tall muscular Noumu with blackened skin and no eyes. “You say you’ll ‘take care’ of me? No, Hero Killer. It is I who will ‘take care’ of you.”

From the portal came out another Noumu that was shorter, lankier, and pale of skin with four eyes.

“I’ll kill you whenever I feel like it,” Tomura went on as a third Noumu exited the warp gate. One also with pale skin but with two eyes and the addition of leathery wings. “You can have your little rampage, Stain, but let’s make the game more interesting.”

The Noumu jumped down from the water tower onto the roof. The big one left a small crater on impact while the lanky one landed lighter beside the other. The winged one simply glided down with a few flaps of its wings.

“Let’s see which one of us can cause more destruction, shall we?” the man-child jeered. “You or my Noumu. I’ll crush your stupid pride and idiotic honor while ruining your fun with my own. What do you say to that, mister big bad Hero Killer?”

With a simple signal from the leader of the League of Villains, the Noumu let out their inhuman screeches before surging towards the unsuspecting city.

This is going to be fun.

Notes:

Stain just keeps meeting people on rooftops. XD First Izuku then Dabi and now Kurogiri. Though the last one is canon. Which went as well, or not, as such. ;P While Chizome has changed slightly from meeting Izuku, I feel that he would still attempt to see some sort of growth in Shigaraki. Because they do share the desire to change the currently establish order. But seeing Shiggy as still a child who needed time to grow. We did get to see Stain attacking them though! They sort of skipped over that in canon.

Speaking of the canon meeting, I lumped all of the scenes with them together. Reason being is that when we see Kurogiri picking up Stain, the final match of the festival was going on. And their meeting ends on the night of the Hosu fight. Meaning that if he were actually picked up during the festival, then Stain was with the League for like a week. Though it was most likely just premonition-like snippets sprinkled in and happened all on the same day. :P

For the part of Stain observing something weird with Kurogiri. We do see people collapse but still propped up on arms and legs. But they still mostly fall to the ground. Kurogiri however is still propped up on the bar by what should be only his arm. His legs should have collapsed under him though. This is just my brain going all 'hmmm' as well as to bring another aspect of Kurogiri's character up sooner than in canon. I'll let you speculate what. :P

Shigaraki knows about Stain knowing Izuku! And the nickname Little Hero. XD Uh oh. And he still has his sights on recruiting Izuku to the League. Still has his doubts about him being the admin but also leaning towards that conclusion at the same time. Only time to tell which Villain is right about the green bean.

Sh-sh-shout out to Endangered, SoFewSpoons, Christina, and ally on the discord for brainstorming ideas on what other things Shigaraki doesn't like other than All Might. A small part of the chapter but still. Also thanks go to KiKillmenow, Boba, and Chistina again for brainstorming what Native's crimes could be that caused him to be targeted by Stain. Thank ya, thank ya! :D

Fun Facts About Japan:

While there are certainly sandwiches in Japan, it's not as common of a meal there as it is in the US. Here we enjoy so many different kinds of sandwiches but in Japan it just isn't as popular. Sure they have prepackaged sandwiches in the konbini. Like ham and cheese, egg salad, and even the ones with fruit and cream. They also have Subways over there too though they tend to be conservative on the serving sizes and use Japanese mayo instead. But yeah, sandwiches are not as commonly eaten and rather the bento is the go to on-the-go meal.

Another thing that isn't commonly eaten is peanut butter. You can find it at Costco over there but in the stores not so much. Maybe the international stores such as Kaldi's but not a guarantee. Also the students found the idea of peanut butter weird. I brought a peanut butter sandwich to school one. (I'm not really a jelly person so I typically just do PB sandwiches. I know, I'm weird. :P) Anyway, the kids were all 'what's that?' and when I told them they were kind of disgusted. XD You people eat natto! Peanut butter is tastier than that. Cultural differences at their finest. ;P

That's all for this chapter! Next up is another bit of a rewind to get Tenya's pov just before the Noumu attack. Then the thick of Hosu will begin. It's getting intense! :D Thanks for reading and let me know of typos or weirdness! Have a great week!

Chapter 29: Hosu: Chaos Reigns

Notes:

Welcome back! Hope you're as excited as I am. It's the start of Hosu! :D Just wanted to let you know we're going to have several pov changes this chapter. There's also a scene change as well part way through starting at [Hosu was in chaos.]. Hopefully that will help from it being too confusing. :) Enjoy!

I'm slowly getting through my backlog of comments. So I'll get to yours eventually. :) Also while I do have a lot of ideas for the 'fun facts' section, if there is anything in particular you peeps want to learn about and would like to request please let me know! I won't guarantee to cover everything but I'll do my best to share with a mix of my own experience! :D

Linktree to all the things!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Tenya was confident in his placement of choice for his internship. Hosu may not be the biggest city and Manual wasn’t the highest-ranking Hero he had received an offer from. But the city was where his brother was hospitalized and his mentor for the week was more than happy to allow him to visit Tensei briefly when they were off the clock. Plus, although the patrols were uneventful for the most part, he was still gaining valuable experience for the future.

The city was quiet and the people were going about their business. As were the mentor and his charge as they walked their patrol. However, in this peace Tenya knew there were those that broke the law hidden in the shadows. Committing crimes that hopefully would be quickly discovered and stopped by the proper authorities. Unfortunately, Hosu was currently host to one of the more elusive Villains.

The Hero Killer Stain.

The engine user wasn’t sure how to feel about the Villain. On one hand he had attacked his brother. Wounding him badly but thankfully not permanently or fatally. On the other that same man had called the ambulance that saved his brother himself. Helping to ensure Tensei would make a full recovery. Serving as Ingenium’s attacker and savior all at once. Tenya was conflicted between feeling resentful and grateful.

One would think he would want revenge for what happened to his brother. Thinking that was the reason why he had chosen Hosu in the first place. Even Manual did as he had asked him when he had first arrived if that was the reason he had picked him out of all his other offers. But Tenya assured him he was not. Yes, he was angry at the Villain who had hurt his brother who he looked up to so much. Tensei was the best big brother anyone could have and was the younger Iida brother’s inspiration to be a Hero.

But revenge was not a heroic act. That was taking the laws into his own hands. The aspiring Hero didn’t have the authority to do such a thing. Not even the Pros did. With the Hero license, that certification gave those who qualified permission to use their Quirks to stop crime and protect people from those who broke the law. But when it came to arrests or dealing out punishments, those fell under the purview of the police and the justice system. If a Hero were to do that, even with a license, it would be classified as Vigilantism.

Tenya wanted to be a Hero, not a Vigilante. He aspired to be a great Hero just like his brother. Tensei was someone who was humble when it came to his career of saving people. Acting as leader to the many sidekicks who followed him. However, he didn’t see himself as above anyone, but rather equals. Even saying they supported him because he wasn’t ‘great on his own’ as he had said during one of their family meals once. That they were looking out for him as much as he was for them. All of them working hard to be the best Hero team they could be to help people together.

That’s the kind of Hero Tenya wanted to be. One who could rely and be relied on by others. Part of a team working with the up most efficiency to do their part in preserving the peace inspired and brought about by All Might. Continuing the Number One Hero’s great work. Having the man as a teacher was so inspiring. Even though his teaching style was…unique at times. But as Izuku had pointed out during their Battle Training, Tenya was sure that All Might had some hidden lesson in the way he runs his classroom.

That’s how life was, right? Every experience had some gift of wisdom. Adding to one’s knowledge to use in the future. To avoid past mistakes and make better choices. Which was what Tenya was doing or trying to. Yes, he hated that Stain had attacked his brother. But he was grateful that he had called for the aid Tensei needed. Besides, it wasn’t like the Hero Killer had targeted his brother specifically, but rather was a victim of circumstance protecting another Hero.

The leaked recording was what had sparked his conflicting feelings. Initially he had been filled with rage for the Hero Killer. Attacking his brother while out on patrol. Adding Ingenium to his list of victims. The only thing that had prevented him from going on a rampage in search for Stain was that Tensei would make a full recovery. It would take time but with healing and physical therapy, Ingenium would continue to save the world one person at a time once more.

Until then, as his brother requested, Tenya would take up the moniker to keep the Hero name Ingenium alive. A duty the younger Iida brother accepted with pride and honor. Because of this as well as the fact that the Hero Killer hurt yet saved his brother, Tenya would not sully the name Ingenium with the selfish act of revenge. The 1-A class president liked to believe he was better than that.

So, no. The aspiring Hero would not seek revenge against the Hero Killer. He didn’t even entertain the idea of even seeking out the Villain. Because if the murderer could elude capture from Pro Heroes, what chance could a mere intern just barely starting his Hero career have? That would be the kind of arrogance that would have possibly come out if he had been blinded by hatred for the man who had attacked his brother.

Finding Stain was not his goal, but apparently there was some kind of universal force that wanted him to. Though he didn’t know that yet. The chain of events leading up to the destined encounter began when Manual received a distress signal over the com while they were on patrol. The Hero answered the call with a touch to the earpiece in his helmet.

“What? Villains are attacking?” the Pro exclaimed, sharing a concerned glance with his charge. “Understood. We’re heading there right now.” He hung up the call before turning to the intern. “Stay close. We’re running.”

Dutifully the young Ingenium followed Manual as they ran. Along the way they saw Native who was also heading to the scene but at a slightly slower pace. Though Tenya didn’t hold it against him as the intern had a Quirk meant for speed. Plus, he and his mentor were wearing more proper footwear for running while the other Hero had open-toed sandals as part of his Hero costume. But it wasn’t his place to question the other’s clothing choices.

The mentor and student pulled somewhat ahead intent on getting to their destination as soon as possible with the other Hero following behind. However, the speedster heard something that made him stop in his tracks. From behind him, he heard a cry of distress that was quickly silenced. But when he turned around no one was there. Which was odd because Native had been just behind them a moment ago. Tenya searched for the Hero but couldn’t see him anywhere. He looked towards his mentor who hadn’t noticed he had stopped.

“Sir, someone is in distress,” Ingenium called out.

“I know,” Manual answered without looking back and pulled further ahead. “That’s why we gotta hurry.”

“But, sir, I…” Tenya tried but his mentor kept running.

The situation had him conflicted much like his feelings about Stain. They had been on their way to a Villain attack. But there might be someone in trouble right here. Should he leave it and join Manual leaving a possible victim in danger? Or should he see if his help was needed here? Preventing potential harm to another.

What would Tensei do? No, what would Ingenium do?

His brother was a Pro. A Hero named Ingenium. Even if Tenya was temporarily using the name, the moniker Ingenium stood for the beliefs Tensei had instilled in it through hard work, supporting others, and saving every person he could. The younger Iida believed whole heartedly he knew what Tensei would do in this situation. Especially since he had done so before.

Ingenium would save Native.

~~~

The sounds of screams and explosions in the distance made the Hero Killer click his tongue in irritation. That idiotic man child was making a scene. Most likely seeking attention as the adult sized toddler he was. So noisy and annoying. Even if the handy man had some kind of sprouting of a warped conviction, this senseless act of violence made Stain regret leaving him alive. But no matter. He would dispose of him later. For now, he had more important work to finish.

“You got away from me before, Native,” Stain sneered at the fake before him. “But there will be no Ingenium to save you this time.”

He finally had his prey paralyzed and pinned to the alley wall with his hand clutching the other’s face.

“My body…I can’t…move,” the false Hero sputtered out somewhat muffled because of said hand. “You bastard. I’ll…kill you.”

“Not exactly the words of a Hero,” the Villain said with derision. “But then again you are one of the fakes infecting the current corrupt system. Either way, as a chosen sacrifice to my purge, you should choose your last words with more care.”

Bloodcurdle rendered the faux immobile and powerless to escape his judgement. On his sad excuse of a Hero uniform was a blood-stained patch on his chest. Right where Stain had obtained the life liquid he needed to do his work. And with the knowledge that the false Hero’s blood type was B same as him, he knew he had up to eight minutes to work with. Plenty of time to pass his judgment.

Or, so he thought.

“Stop, Villain!” a voice called out.

Stain let out a growl as he turned to the interruption without releasing his hold on his target. Only to be met with a sense of déjà vu. For at the mouth of the alley stood the spitting image of Ingenium.

Have my mistakes come back to haunt me?

But wait, something wasn’t right. The armor. The design of it was different. Also, the voice sounded younger than the one from the Hero who had confronted him before.

A child? What is this corrupt society coming to if they are sending children to confront Villains alone?

“Who are you, child?” Stain asked as he eyed the newcomer. “You should run away from here. This is no place for children.”

~~~

Tenya had not been searching for the Hero Killer. He only entered the alley because he believed someone was in distress. All in effort of offering any aid he could. But it seemed those of the current Iida generation were destined to confront Stain and rescue Native from his bloodthirsty Hero attacking clutches. For the Villain in front of him could only be the Hero Killer.

A man carrying a plethora of blades on his person. Armored for combat and sporting a blood-red scarf. Not to mention the Hero pinned up against the wall. Currently immobile for some reason even though he had been maneuvering just fine only a moment earlier.

Perhaps a result of the Villain’s Quirk?

There were speculations of what Stain’s Quirk was in the media but nothing concrete. In fact, most information on the Villain was mere speculation. For the man known as the Hero Killer was an enigma. No firm confirmation of who he was under the ratty mask or what his Quirk could be. However, there was coverage on his various crimes. Or at least the after math.

In the seven cities the Hero Killer has appeared, he had attacked at least four Heroes before moving on. Whether they were killed or left injured but alive seemed haphazard, but there seemed to be some form of pattern. Meaning that, if he wasn’t just reading into things, with Tensei having been the only one attacked so far in Hosu that Stain would continue operating in the city.

Which was why Tenya had figured the Villain had to be somewhere in the city but not necessarily in this alley. The one he happened to enter to see if there was anyone in need of aid. To check that the Hero that had been following them was alright. But he very much was not. Having once again fallen prey to the Hero Killer.

Was there a reason for that? For why Stain went after the same Hero twice? The article that leaked the emergency app recording had speculated if the Hero Killer had more of a motive than just mayhem and murder. Or was it merely because Native was the one that got away? Filling the Villain with a compulsion to complete the unfinished work.

Tenya couldn’t allow that. Couldn’t let Stain hurt this Hero making his brother’s efforts a waste. No matter what Native had done or didn’t do. No, as the current Ingenium, Tenya would protect Native no matter what. Tensei had and so would he. It was what a Hero would do. With this resolve, the engine user prepared himself mentally for a fight.

“I am the younger brother of the man you attacked in this city,” Tenya replied, standing tall. “He is a fine Hero and put his life on the line to save that man. I cannot allow you to put any more lives in danger. For I am Ingenium and Ingenium is a Hero who saves people.”

~~~

Ingenium, huh? Stain thought as he eyed the young Hero.

So, he was related to the Hero. The one the Villain had not wanted to fight but was forced to. Inserting himself into business that didn’t concern him just the same as the boy before him was doing now. Willing to put himself in danger for the exact same fake who didn’t deserve such charity. It was infuriating to have his work interrupted by the same named Hero. And yet…

“Heh. Brave words, young Ingenium,” the Hero Killer said, irritated but amused by the Hero fledgling’s misplaced bravery. “But if you know who this fake is, I wonder why you would believe he deserves saving.”

“He is the Hero my brother protected from you,” the armored teen pressed.

He is the coward who ran away with his tail between his legs,” Stain shot back with a growl. “Leaving Ingenium to fight me alone.”

The Villain added pressure to the hand clutching Native’s face. Roughly pressing the false Hero’s head against the wall drawing out a pained whimper.

“The same one who didn’t report his involvement in the incident until he was called in to do so,” the Hero Killer sneered as he glared at the fake but kept the child in his sights. “Time in which, if I had not done what I did, Ingenium may have been no more. So, tell me, child...”

Blood red eyes slowly turned to the young Hero who desired to stand between him and his prey.

“…is this false Hero still worth saving to you?”

Although the boy was armored from head to toe and he could not see his face, the tense silence was enough to sense his internal conflict. Clearly possessing a firm yet somewhat naïve Hero code. Oddly but refreshingly having no outright desire for vengeance against him for attacking his kin. Though again he couldn’t see the young Hero’s face. Unable to look into his eyes to see his true intentions. For, as they say, the eyes were the windows to the soul, right?

“I do not know why you are so adamant to hurt this man,” Ingenium said, seeming to have come to a decision as he maneuvered into a fighting stance. “But my brother saved him from you and so will I.”

“Then it is to be a fight,” Stain replied with narrowed eyes sizing up his opponent while preparing for whatever move the younger made. “So be it.”

In a flash of movement, the young Hero shot forward with a kick. The inhuman speed of the attack indicated to the Villain where the power of his Quirk resided. In his legs. He was fast much like his brother, but Stain had fought and won against the elder Ingenium. The younger and less experienced one would be no match.

The Hero Killer easily dodged the Quirked kick. But he almost didn’t evade the second that followed. Almost. At the last second, he jumped up into the air and rammed one of his spiked boots into the child Hero’s shoulder. Then with the other he stomped the armored boy down to the ground. Using his foot to pin the other’s helmeted head down, Stain stabbed the tip of his katana into his downed opponent’s shoulder between the plates of armor. Not all the way through as he did not want to hurt the boy but enough to draw blood.

The young Hero grunted in pain as the Villain brought the bloodied blade up to his mouth and licked up the crimson droplets with his long tongue. Stain could feel his Quirk taking effect within him as well as through the contact of his foot on the other’s head. Carefully he removed his foot and lowered his sword as he crouched down near the boy.

The Hero Killer didn’t know the other’s blood type but knew that he would have at least a couple minutes without physical interruption. Enough to complete his work even though he hadn’t wanted to fight or use his Quirk on a child in the first place. However, this child had fought bravely, if naively, in an attempt to save another and he wished to see the face of possibly another future true Hero.

Battle roughened hands gently removed the boy’s helmet and set it aside on the ground. Beneath it was indeed a younger version of the unmasked elder Ingenium. This he knew because of the media coverage providing pictures of the Hero’s likeness. They both possessed similar features of dark blue hair, blue eyes, and a sharp facial structure. Though the one laying paralyzed before him wore skewed glasses over eyes filled with fear. The kind of fear a child experiences when faced with real danger.

So young.

Stain let out a sigh as he looked down at the boy. Still a child much like the Little Hero. He had potential what with his desire to protect even though the fake didn’t deserve it. Though he still had much to learn as he had come into this fight without backup. Still a fledgling but one with the potential to grow into a decent Hero. Which was why he would let him live.

“I will not harm you more than this, young Ingenium,” the Hero Killer declared to the paralyzed child. “But I have a duty to fulfill.”

Those terror-filled blue eyes watched him as he slowly stood up.

“No…don’t,” the young Hero pleaded, shaking in his attempts to break from his Quirk. Futile but commendable.

“You may have come to save another,” Stain said as he stalked toward his recaptured prey while drawing his katana once more. “But I allowed this fake to get away once before. A mistake I will not let happen again.”

The Hero Killer reached down to the false Hero slumped against the wall. He pulled him up by the collar and pinned him against the wall once more. Wanting the fake to look his judge, jury, and executioner in the eye. Force him to reflect on his misdeeds that sully the noble title of Hero with his unheroic acts before meeting his makers.

“Now look away, child,” Stain commanded in warning while keeping his focus on the fake. “This is not something children should witness.”

The Villain raised his katana to strike as the young Hero closed his eyes tight. Powerless to do anything to stop the Hero Killer from passing his judgment.

~~~

Hosu was in chaos. Izuku and the other two stared at the horror of the scene. It was like the flip of a switch. In the light of day, the city had been quiet and peaceful. People had been milling about their business while they had been patrolling. Then as soon as the sun set those same people were running around screaming as not one but three Noumu terrorized the streets.

“Oh, hell no,” Hitoshi said. “I did not train my Quirk enough for this.”

“Both of you, stay close,” Eraserhead commanded as he broke into a run with the interns in tow. “Focus on helping civilians, but if you need to, you have my permission to fight to defend yourselves. Understood?”

“Yes, sir,” the interns replied as they raced towards the chaos.

The city was on fire. The Noumu were tossing cars as if they were toddlers throwing toys in midst of a tantrum. They were howling and screeching while attacking at random. One even chased after a Hero and crashed into a passing train. The Erasure Hero stepped into action pushing past the flashbacks of fighting a similar beast that threatened to make him falter in his task. Not allowing them to interfere with his Hero duties as he shot out his capture weapon to go aid the Hero on the train.

As instructed, Hoax and Edge focused on helping the frightened people. Pulling them to safety and instructing them to head to safer areas. Using the permission to take action to save the civilians from the rampaging monsters. While Eraserhead and the other Hero managed to drag the four-eyed Noumu back to the center of the chaos to keep it localized despite the creature’s immense strength.

Hitoshi’s Quirk had no effect on the unintelligible and inhuman shrieks coming from the monsters. Izuku wasn’t fairing much better with his Support Items. Though they both did manage to literally pull people to safety with their own versions of Aizawa’s capture weapon with the limited training they had. Thankfully the move was simple enough to work on the fly.

The greenette didn’t use his fire mask because there was enough fire as it is with the random explosions going off. He also didn’t want to get too close so his escrima rods were out even if he connected them into a staff. His Jet shoes allowed him to easily maneuver around though. The only weapons he had that were in anyway useful were his bombs.

The flash bombs had no effect other than to enraged the Noumu more. At least the ones with eyes. The biggest one had none at all and was blindly raging. The explosion ones were out for the same reason as his fire mask. And a smoke bomb would be no help in this situation. Nor the glue that would hinder the Heroes as well and potentially have no effect on the mighty Noumu.

But there was one bomb that might. The newest one to his arsenal. The capture bomb. It had worked wonders in testing and the original inspiration had worked well on Tenya during his match against Mei. Surely it would help in this situation to hinder the Noumu in some way. However, the nets that worked well against a regular opponent proved ineffective against these modern-day monsters. The Noumu simply ripped its way out of the net as if it was nothing. Leaving the greenette with no real way to help the Heroes’ fight against the Noumu other than to focus on civilians. And so, the interns did.

As time passed less civilians were endangered as they worked on clearing the area. While more Heroes arrived to corral the Noumu. But it wasn’t going very well. The biggest Noumu with blackened skin much like the one at the USJ was beating back every Hero that got close to it. The lanky one that had attacked the train earlier with pale skin and four eyes swiped at anyone within reach. While the one with wings had a Hero in its bird-like taloned feet as it hovered above the chaos.

All in all, it was a mess. And it was about to get worse.

“Tenya!” a voice cried out in the cacophony. “Tenya, where are you?!”

The 1-A homeroom teacher and students searched around for the person calling out for their fellow UA attendee.

“There!” Izuku shouted with a pointed finger once he spotted Manual.

The three ran over to the Normal Hero who was frantically calling out for his charge.

“Where’s Iida?” Eraserhead asked upon reaching him.

“I don’t know,” Manual answered looking and sounding distressed. “One moment he was behind me and saying someone was in distress. I thought he meant all of this, but next thing I knew he wasn’t there anymore when I got here. Damn it! Why’d he run off on his own?!”

Fires raged around them and another Hero called for Manual to help put them out. While ripping a fire hydrant from the ground as if it was nothing. The Normal Hero cursed again as he ran over to use his Quirk on the now gushing geyser of water. Aizawa was pinching the bridge of his nose in irritation at his student’s reckless decision to disappear at a time like this. Hitoshi was worried for his friend while Izuku had a concerned but contemplating look on his face.

~~~

“Eraserhead,” Edge spoke gaining the Shouta’s attention. “I have a way we can find Ingenium.”

The Erasure Hero eyed his intern then asked, “How?”

“I, uh, I was worried about Tenya-kun working in Hosu,” Midoriya replied, his confidence wilted a bit. “So, I happened to place a tracker on his Hero costume when we were all at the train station?”

It ended up sounding like a question at the end as he hadn’t planned on telling anyone he had done that. It was sort of a breach of privacy since Iida hadn’t said he could do that. But it had been done with the intention to make sure his friend was safe. And now they could use it to do just that.

“Problem child,” the tired man sighed though he wasn’t too surprised he had done such a thing. “Alright. Let’s…”

He was cut off by a loud crash as the four eyed Noumu broke through a wall and stalked toward a couple of the remaining civilians. Not good. And the other Heroes were too busy with the other Noumu. Really not good. Crap. Eraserhead couldn’t turn his back on this but they also needed to find Iida. Double crap. They’ll have to split up.

“Edge, go find Ingenium,” the Pro Hero ordered. “Hoax, go with him as backup. Once you find him come back here. Use your Quirk or Support Items only if you need to. Got it?”

“Yes, Eraserhead!” they confirmed with a nod before running off. Leaving him to fighting a Noumu alone.

Again.

He ran forward and lassoed the Noumu with his capture weapon. With all his strength he yanked the creature away from its targets. It struggled against the bindings but the man refused to let it get away from him. He pulled and pulled inching the screeching beast away from the civilians. His sole attention on keeping it away from the innocents. Even ignoring the notification he got on his goggles other than to see it was a signal from Midoriya. Perhaps to let him know they had found Iida.

Good.

He was so focused on his task that he almost didn’t see the blast of fire coming his way. Almost. On instinct, his reflexes kicked in at the last second unwrapping the Noumu as he jumped away. The creature became engulfed in flames screeching in pain. Shouta looked over to see none other than the Number Two Hero himself.

What is Endeavor doing in Hosu?

“I came in search of the Hero Killer,” the flaming man said. Ah, that’s it. “But it seems I’ll have to settle for dealing with you.”

The fire wielder shot out another blast of flames. The Noumu shrieked in pain while clutching its head. The sound was loud and piercing. Similar yet very different from Hizashi. His husband’s Voice Quirk made him cringe at times though mostly from annoyance. But this sound sent a constant shiver of unease down his spine. It was haunting and didn’t sound human.

The civilians thanked the Number Two Hero for saving them as if Shouta had done nothing. Not that he cared about the credit. But this was a man who was a so-called Hero that they had started an investigation on based on allegations of abuse. And though he had never had the chance to see the man in action before this, seeing him holding nothing back with civilians so close made the allegations seem more plausible.

Endeavor acknowledged them with a wave of his hand and a smug smirk as he continued shooting his flames at the burning creature. Or was it. The flaming Hero himself mentioned how he had been using ‘low temperature warning shots’ that ‘always KO’d his opponents’.

That’s a ‘warning shot’?

But the beast persisted with no signs of much charring. Something wasn’t right. If he were to guess, he would assume this Noumu as well as the other two terrorizing Hosu had multiple Quirks much like the one from the USJ. A motley of powers shoved into one body resulting in the brain-exposed but mindless creatures before him.

The Noumu was twitching as the flames sputtered out. Its mouth gaping open as if in a silent scream. Appearing to be in pain yet not as there was no visible damage from the ‘low temperature’ attacks from Endeavor. The result was unsatisfying for the flaming power house who moved to use even more fire. Only for the Noumu to release his own flames back at him in a blast of heat.

Absorption and release, maybe?

Eraserhead shielded his face somewhat with his arm from the increased heat while Endeavor merely swiped the fire out of his way. The Noumu’s muscles were twitching and convulsing as it crouched on the ground. Then it suddenly buffing up similar to how All Might transformed into his stronger form. The creature leapt into the air and aimed for the flaming man. Endeavor in turn raised his hand to blast it with another fire attack.

As the Noumu bore down on Endeavor, the creature’s mouth was gaping open but no sound came out. Odd. It had been screeching before because of the earlier attacks. But now nothing. The Erasure Hero studied the Noumu to see why and noticed something starting to form out of his mouth.

What the…?

In an instant, dozens of fleshy tendrils of tongue exploded out of the Noumu’s mouth. But only for an instant as Quirk erasing eyes flashed red making them disappear. While at the same time turning off whatever Quirk was protecting it from Endeavor’s fire. Meaning it had nothing to avoid the damage from the flames now engulfing it shooting out from the Number Two Hero’s hand. The shrieking came back as the beast burned until it fell silent as it crumpled to the ground.

“Hmm, I guess it was only a matter of time,” the Number Two Hero commented before finally noticing Shouta. “Don’t worry. It won’t hurt you now, civilian.”

“Hero,” he corrected, earning a confused scowl. “Underground Hero specifically. Designation Eraserhead.”

Endeavor let out a huff before saying, “Never heard of you. But no matter. There is more work to be done.”

Kind of stating the obvious, Shouta thought as the other Noumu were still rampaging nearby.

“It’s already been two to three minutes,” Endeavor commented with a scowl. “The other Heroes should have dealt with the situation by now.”

Shouta didn’t agree as he glanced down at the charred heap of roasted Noumu on the ground. It had taken the Number Two Hero using deathly force to take just one Noumu down. Did he not realize not everyone had a strong physical Quirk like him?

“Leave this one to my sidekicks,” the flaming Hero ordered as if he was in charge. “If you are a Hero as you say, I have an address for you to investigate. My son foolishly ran off before I could show him what it means to be a Hero.”

Todoroki is here too? Fuck.

These problem children were going to give him early grey hairs. But he accepted the task before rushing off to the given address. As he ran, he checked back to that signal from Midoriya. Odd. It was coming from the same location Endeavor had just given him. Something more had to be going on than just finding Iida. His problem children could be in danger for all he knew.

Double fuck.

The Erasure Hero ran.

Notes:

We finally get to see more of Tenya's changed motivations from canon! Again, thank you to those who helped with his changed mindset in this AU. It was really fun to explore with this fight which you'll see in the coming chapters. ;) Just keep in mind that in this AU, Tenya enters the fight to protect, not seeking revenge.

Stain is also changing! Haunted by his regrets. Having to hurt a child to get what he wants. But able to see the sprouting hero seed in Iida while still wanting to murder Native. This mess is going to get even more complicated once Izuku enters the fray. XD

The Noumu chaos is strong right now. Aizawa is doing his best to cope. Hitoshi and Izuku are off to find Tenya. Shouto is off somewhere though I think we all know where. ;P What is our poor tired hobo man going to do with all these problem children?

Fun Facts About Japan:

Funny enough, Stain is breaking more laws than just assaulting and killing people as well as using his Quirk illegally. Why? It all has to do with his weapons. In Japan, carrying knives longer than 5.5 cm/2 inches is against the law. Even folding ones like pocket knives. Which I found shocking because I carry a pocket knife in my bag for protection purposes in the US. But Japan has strict control over the possession of weapons.

Swords also require a special permit to be carried. You can of course buy them without it but you would have to arrange with the shop to have it shipped home. Guns are even more heavily regulated in Japan with most being prohibited except under certain circumstances. This is due to the Swords and Firearms Possession Control Law that has a long Japanese title that I'll leave the wiki page to show you. XD If you want to get into the nitty gritty of that law itself, go here for a scanned translation I found. Tsk tsk, Stainy. Breaking so many laws. :P

That's it for this update! Next we'll be catching up to what Izuku and Hitoshi were up to while Tenya and Aizawa were busy with their own drama. How will Stain react to the entrance of the Little Hero? We'll find out next chapter! :D Till then be well and let me know of typos or weirdness!

(Also quick question, does my misuse of greenette like really bother anyone? :/ I ask because I did state in a previous chapter that I know practically nothing of French. But if it really bothers people I'd like to maybe fix it since it pops up a lot in this story. One commenter brought it up before and I can't find where or who, but before it seemed troublesome to change with so many chapters posted. But as this grows in popularity, I'm thinking it might be best to fix it now. :/ Thoughts? Please let me know!)

Chapter 30: Hosu: Out Of The Frying Pan And Into The Fire

Notes:

Welcome back, dear readers! We're really getting into the thick of it now. ;) I hope I can do Hosu justice especially with the importance Stain plays in this AU.

Formatting:
-Dialogue sent through text.-

Warning for mention of canon reference to suicide baiting. I know this is the first time I'm doing this but I felt it necessary this chapter personally. Apologies for not including that in earlier chapters. I plan to go through and add that for whenever it has popped up as well as when it does in the future. I'm still learning as we go and I just want you dear readers to be safe! ^____^

Linktree to all the things! This includes the discord, tumblr, and more! Join if you'd like! :D

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Izuku followed the tracker on the app on his phone. At the time it had been on impulse to attach the tracker to his friend’s costume. But what with the current craziness going on with the Noumu and Tenya suddenly missing, it was an impulse turned good idea so they could find their friend.

“So,” Hitoshi said with a breathy tone as they ran while passing those night owls still milling about on the streets. Though more cautiously with the Noumu chaos going down. “Do you make it a habit of bugging your friends like this?”

“Only if they’re bugging me,” Izuku snarked back while checking his phone for Tenya’s signal and ignoring the people gawking at them as they passed. “This way.”

The greenette took the lead with the purple haired teen following close behind. The more they ran the further they were from the fighting Heroes and rampaging Noumu. Moving into the quieter parts of the city unaffected by the chaos unleashed most likely by the League of Villains. Why? They didn’t know. But judging by Shigaraki’s childish motives during the USJ of just wanting to destroy what he didn’t like, Izuku could guess it might be similar to that this time too.

But whatever the League’s reason was, it had turned the peaceful city of Hosu into a scene from a disaster movie. Though with them heading in the opposite direction, hopefully it meant that Tenya was fine. Missing which was still worrying but potentially safe. Or so they hoped.

“We’re almost there,” Izuku announced as they neared the signal. “Keep your eyes open for Tenya.”

“Right,” Hitoshi replied with a nod.

Together they looked and listened around for any sign of a commotion. But the streets were quiet as they searched for their missing friend. It wasn’t like Tenya to run off on his own unless he had a good reason to. Though his tendency to jump to conclusions whether good or bad probably added to whatever impulse he had allowed himself. Whatever the reason, they would find their friend and make sure he was safe.

“I think he might be somewhere around here,” Edge said in a whisper as he came to a stop at the opening of a dark alley.

“You sure?” Hoax asked just as quietly as he peered inside and saw nothing but black.

It was a dark partly cloudy night and the moon was bright but blocked at the moment. Casting the world in darkness. Not great for reconnaissance purposes but what can you do?

The greenette double checked the tracking app and nodded as he said, “Positive.”

“Alright. But why would Tenya be here?” the brainwasher asked as purple eyes still continued to futilely search the dark alley. “I can’t hear or see anything out of the ordinary from here.”

The analyst hummed in thought with a hand on his masked chin. He too couldn’t really hear anything but then again, his hearing wasn’t as good as Jirou’s or Shouji’s. Perhaps another Quirk Replication idea to look into. But not right now. They were given a mission to find Tenya so that’s what they were going to do. The signal had brought them here so he had to be nearby. But where exactly? They couldn’t see anything from the ground.

What would Eraserhead do?

A second of thought had goggle covered green eyes slowly angle up the side of the building towards the roof.

Yeah, that’s what he would do.

“We need to get higher,” Edge declared, earning a raised brow from his partner. “We don’t know where exactly he is so we need a higher vantage point.”

The logic was sound and Hitoshi didn’t have any other ideas so they searched the building exterior until they found and headed up the fire escape. The bottom ladder was raised so Izuku had to jump up to the first landing with the help of his Jet shoes. The landing was a bit noisy but not too much. It would have been louder with metal landing on metal if he had his original Jet shoes. Meaning the rubber soles were a good choice.

After lowering the ladder, Hitoshi joined him on the fire escape and together they made their way up to the roof. From there they looked out into the night. But it was just so…dark with the moon still hidden behind a cloud. How was anyone supposed to see anything in this inky blackness? If only there was someone around with a Quirk that allowed them a way to see in the dark.

Oh, wait…

The greenette smacked his head while letting out a quiet ‘duh’ beneath his mask. The taller boy beside him gave him an inquisitive look as the shorter raised a hand to his goggles and activated the infrared feature. The world still remained mostly dark though in hues of blues and greens. The shades of the cooler side of the spectrum caused the bright beacons of heat to stand out in oranges and reds.

“What are you doing?” Hitoshi asked, keeping the same quiet tone as they were on a mission.

“Looking for heat signatures,” Izuku replied as he kept up his task.

The majority of the area was dark with most sources of heat hidden within the surrounding buildings. What with it being night and most people were home for the day. However, there were three warmer colored figures further down the alley that stood out brightly against the cooler hues.

“I see three figures that way,” Edge reported as he pointed in the direction of the heat signatures.

“Do you think one of them could be Tenya?” Hoax inquired, not bothering to strain his eyes in the blackness.

“Maybe, but it’s hard to tell from here,” the greenette replied as he turned off the infrared. “We’ll need to get closer in order to find out for sure.”

“Back down the fire escape we go then,” the purple haired teen commented as he turned to do just that.

“Or…” the analyst offered, thinking they shouldn’t lose their higher ground advantage just yet.

“Or?” Hitoshi questioned turning back to his friend.

“We could jump to the next building,” Izuku replied, gesturing his head towards said building.

The brainwasher walked over to the ledge taking in the gap between the two roofs as well as the drop to the ground below. Not very confidence boosting to the odds of them jumping successfully.

“And how exactly do you propose we do that?” the taller teen asked as he turned back to his friend. “That’s a long jump and I’m still working on mastering my capture weapon. I’d rather not kill myself over a single jump.”

Izuku fought down the flinch in reaction to mentions of death and jumping off of roofs. It was a topic he was starting to work on with Inui during their therapy sessions. Confronting what had happened to him, accepting it, and still allow himself to move on with his life. Besides, that wasn’t what he was proposing. Not in the slightest for he had a plan. They would make the jump with a little help from his Support Items.

“I’ll carry you,” the shorter boy replied.

Hitoshi gave his smaller friend a scrutinizing but somewhat doubtful look as he said, “You? Carry me?”

“Yup!” Izuku answered in confidence. “Next to ten months of lugging trash, carrying you will be a cinch.”

The brainwasher knew his friend was strong. He did toss Hitoshi over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes during their finale fight after all. Mei was stronger, of course, picking up some of her gargantuan babies with ease that even Izuku himself struggled with. But the greenette was still way stronger than him and believed he could carry him with ease for whatever plan he had. So he chose not to question the proposition further. However, that did not keep him away from the opportunity to snark.

“So, that’s what I am to you? Trash?” he jeered earning an eye roll.

“Yes, Hitoshi-kun,” Izuku replied with a hidden deadpan expression. “You, my best friend, are trash.”

“I knew it,” Hitoshi replied with a mock offended gasp.

The greenette shook his head before saying, “In all seriousness, I’ll carry you and use my Jet shoes to give us a boost. With that we’ll clear the jump to the other roof easy.”

“Are you sure that’ll work?” the taller asked, still skeptical.

“Positive,” the shorter replied as he stretched to warm up his body to carry his taller friend. “It worked during the USJ attack.”

This time it was Hitoshi’s turn to hold back a flinch at the reminder of his friend being involved in the on-campus Villain attack. He still hated the fact that Izuku had been put in danger while observing the Hero Course training. Not that he blamed the teachers for his friend ending up in such a situation. That went solely on the idiotic League of Villains who unabashedly attacked Hero students at a Hero school who were taught by Pro Heroes. All in hopes of killing the Number One Hero who was known as one of the strongest beings on Earth.

Yeah, great plan there, League of Dumbasses.

Their plan had been ill-advised and seemed fueled by immature motives. Almost a childish want to break one’s toys, but in a more dangerous and permanent way with illegal Quirk use. Not to mention the Noumu whose…‘brothers’ were storming the city at this very moment while they were out looking for their friend. Something he did not want to think about right now because those things were terrifying. Instead, he focused on positioning himself on Izuku’s back wrapping his arms around the shorter boy’s neck while the greenette hooked his arms around his legs.

“Ready?” Edge asked once he was secure.

“Ready,” Hoax replied as he firmed his grip around the shorter boy’s neck.

With one last shift of arms and a steadying breath, Izuku activated his Jet shoes and skated from the far side of the roof to building up momentum. Then when they reached the edge of the building, he let out a bigger blast as he jumped sending them in to the air. The brief air time was exhilarating with the crisp night air blowing through their hair. But they quickly crossed the gap and Izuku used the shoes to cushion their landing before deactivating them to skid to a halt.

Once landed, Hitoshi dismounted from the other’s back while Izuku turned on his goggle’s infrared again. He could see where the figures still stood. Well…‘stood’ might not be entirely accurate anymore. He could see one was crouching over another that was splayed out on the ground while the third looked slumped against a wall. Something had changed during their jump to the other roof.

The greenette crept quietly across the roof closer to the scene. Keeping the figures in his sights while being mindful of the roof edge as Hitoshi followed. As they approached from above, the analyst couldn’t confirm if Tenya was one of the people down there or not with the infrared, and the brainwasher couldn’t really make out anything at all visually because it was so dark. However, with their new position they could finally hear the voices coming from the alley below.

“…not harm you more than this, young Ingenium,” a voice said. A rather familiar voice.

Crap. Tenya is down there, Izuku thought at the mention of Ingenium.

He quickly sent an emergency signal to Eraserhead through their paired goggles. Their friend was hurt but the one responsible didn’t seem to want to do more harm to the Hero student. If the voice was to be believed that is. A voice that sounded oh so familiar to the greenette.

Could it be…?

“But I have a duty to fulfill,” the increasingly familiar voice continued as the crouched figure stood up.

The familiarity of the voice and the talk of duty was crushing any hope he had that he was wrong. It wasn’t until he turned off his infrared and peered down into the alley from where he crouched that the small flame of hope was extinguished. For the moon finally graced them with light and illuminated the chilling scene below. Tenya laying bleeding and unmoving on the ground as the Hero Killer Stain himself was stalking over to a slumped figure that could only be the Pro Hero Native.

“Oh fuck,” Izuku cursed. This was far worse than a simple fetch mission.

“What is it?” Hitoshi asked in a whisper from where he crouched beside him.

“That’s Chi…that’s Stain down there,” the greenette breathed without looking away while internally cursing at the slipup. “The Hero Killer.”

Purple eyes peered down in the illuminated alley and let out his own, “Oh fuck.”

Fuck indeed.

“We need back up,” Edge declared as he took out his phone.

“Right,” Hoax agreed as he reached for his own but was given a gesture to not bother as Izuku would take care of it. He had more Hero contacts after all. “Well, you got any strategies, oh analysis guru?”

The greenette let out a huff at his friend’s attempt to alleviate the tense mood. While down below the Hero Killer continued to speak. Leaving Tenya be to instead approach the slumped Hero.

“Stain is a skilled fighter and has attacked numerous Pro Heroes while evading capture,” the analyst replied as he worked on attaching a location to a blank message. “His Quirk is unknown but there’s speculation of it being some form of paralysis. I also suspect the number of knives he possesses has something to do with it.”

Green eyes flickered between his phone and the alley. Watching the Hero Killer grab Native picking him up by the collar and pinning him against the wall.

“Evasion and stalling for time may be our best bet,” he continued as he started to type a message asking for help. “For your Quirk, I doubt he would fall for jokes or jingles. Maybe misdirection or provocation. But in any chance of ending this quickly I think you should go for impressions.”

“Impressions…against the Hero Killer,” Hitoshi commented incredulously. “Are you serious?”

The Quirkless boy raised his goggles so green eyes full of conviction looked unimpeded into purple as he said, “He wants a world filled with a better class of Hero who save people without desire for fame or money. Above all others, the one he sees the most as a true Hero…”

Other than me.

“…is All Might.”

The instruction was clear but Hitoshi wondered how exactly his friend knew all that about the Villain below. However, when he went to ask, the events in the alley were turning for the worst. Tenya begging for the Villain to stop as he threatened the Hero in his clutches. It was the glint of jagged moonlit steel as Stain raised his blade that urged the greenette to step, or rather jump, into action.

“Oh, fuck no,” Edge cursed as he smashed his thumb down on ‘send all’ having run out of time to hand select his recipients. “Hoax, All Might impression. Do it.”

With that, the Quirkless Hero stuffed his phone back in his belt and yanked his goggles back down over his eyes before jumping down into the alley. Leaving his friend and Hero partner to his appointed task. Unsure exactly what he himself would do but figured he could at least stall for time since he knew the man. Letting his instincts take over as he yelled the first thing that came to mind.

“CHIZOME, STOP!”

~~~

Across various parts of Japan, the phones of his classmates, friends, family, and teachers came alive with a new notification. The reactions of various recipients were all the same though. Concerned by the sent location paired with a short message with the barest of details.

-request for backup, villain encounter, stain, two down, send help-

Those that were friends with the boy either voiced their concerns out loud while others frantically searched the location sent to find out it was somewhere in Hosu. Saw that the city was in chaos but they were too far away to do anything to help. While one who could actually do something stepped into action. Yelling the location to his father before running off to help his friend. Not listening to the demands for him to come back.

Who cared what the old man said when his friend was in danger?

Even the teachers were concerned. A smart one immediately researching the area and then contacting the local authorities to offer any help he could. A healing one already packing a go bag after seeing the news after receiving the text knowing her services would be needed in the aftermath. A loud one feeling guilty at having left the area earlier leaving his husband and temporary charges to the current chaos. A tired one trying to speed up his take down of the enemy in front of him not knowing his students were in need of his help yet.

On top of that, a mother was staring at the television as a live broadcast played. Sat frozen on the family couch with tears running down her face and already surrounded by used tissues as she took in the chaos shown on the screen. Phone in hand making an outgoing call to a husband who was always busy but still hoping he would pick up.

While a father wondered where his son was in the chaos his protégé had unleashed. Wanting to simply watch the events play out undisturbed by his influence, but answering the incoming call anyway to comfort his wife as part of his role as the dutiful husband. Hopefully his son wasn’t killed as a result of his ward’s choices. If so, there would be…words.

Then there was All Might. Toshinori was cooking alone in his apartment when he received a text alert on his phone.

Odd. I don’t usually get any messages at this time of night. Or at all really.

Skeletally thin fingers reached for the phone to read the message. An eyebrow as thin and bony as the man himself quirked up over deep-set eyes in surprise.

Young Midoriya?

The boy hadn’t messaged him since he had asked to talk to him the day he had offered the boy One For All. They hadn’t even talked since Midoriya had outright refused his Quirk and stormed out of the room. For him to message him now was both confusing and concerning. The message was short. A call for help along with a location in Hosu. No other details as to why the boy had sent it. Almost cryptic in nature.

Why would he send me this?

Curious, Toshinori pulled up his search engine and typed in Hosu before pressing enter. Instantly the page was filled with breaking news about an attack in the city. Hosu was on fire and the Heroes were fighting that. And not only that.

Noumu.

There were several Noumu in the city as well adding to the chaos and the Heroes’ work load. All in all, Hosu was a mess and Midoriya was apparently in the middle of it. A Quirkless child going up against bio-engineered men turned monster if Tsukauchi’s theory was correct.

The detective had met with him earlier that day to discuss the Villain known as Noumu. Of all the Villains they had managed to apprehend after the USJ attack, Noumu had been the most puzzling. Possessing a strength that could rival his own but without a master to order it around, there seemed to not be a single thought in that big exposed brain. As if the Noumu was more mindless creature than man.

Upon a DNA analysis, they had discovered the Noumu had once been a petty criminal with charges of assault and extortion. But now that man was a monster with four other people’s DNA in him along with multiple Quirks. However, outside of One For All that should be impossible. There was no way outside of a Quirk for one to possess multiple Quirks at a time. Unfortunately, One For All was not the only Quirk with that sort of power.

All For One.

The dark twin of One For All. The other side of the coin. While One For All existed to give, All For One’s whole purpose was to take. Take and take and take. Only giving back when it was desired or convenient. Toshinori had hoped that his suspicions of All For One’s survival were wrong, but this development confirmed what he feared.

All For One, the boogey man of the underworld and murderer of his mentor, was alive. Working from the shadows for the past six years doing gods know what. Transforming people into mindless creatures forcing multiple Quirk into one being. Taking away who they once were with drugs and other unknown methods. It was sickening.

Then there was the League of Villains. They obviously had a tie to All For One with their use of the Noumu. What was Shigaraki to All For One? A minion or protégé? The latter a more concerning thought. A protégé to All For One was the last thing the world needed. Toshinori had barely held up against one overpowered Villain. But two? Just the thought caused him to cough up a bit of blood in his mouth.

Who was this Shigaraki Tomura? The police had looked into him but were unable to find such a person. Meaning that the name was an alias and left the young Villain a mystery. Whoever he was, one thing was clear. Shigaraki was a Villain. One who wanted All Might dead and had no regard for the safety of others. Instead had reveled in the chaos he created with a childish glee during the USJ incident.

The attack in Hosu was no different. A news helicopter had managed to spot the young Villain and the misty warper on top of a water tower watching the mayhem as some form of grotesque entertainment. The sight filled the Number One Hero with rage that Shigaraki had released three Noumu on the innocent people of Hosu seemingly for fun.

Unfortunately, there was nothing the Number One Hero could do in this situation. He had already used up his time that day and he was too far away to arrive in time to be of use. He would have to leave it up to the Heroes on the scene. Because, as Midoriya had said, All Might wasn’t the only capable Hero out there.

~~~

Atop that reported water tower, Tomura basked in the sheer chaos his Noumu were causing. The city was on fire and the night air rang with the sounds of screams and explosions. The anarchy of it all brought a smile to his hand covered face and drew an approving laugh from his chapped lips.

“Yes! Well done, Noumu,” the decayer praised with arms spread wide. “I’ll have to thank Sensei later. The Noumu are such great play things.”

“Do you intend to participate?” Kurogiri asked from behind him.

“Don’t be stupid,” Tomura scoffed as he reached for his injured shoulder. “I’m still hurt, idiot. Besides, the Noumu are being perfect little pets.”

The three Noumu he had unleashed were not the only ones they had. When he had asked his master for Noumu to play with, Sensei only allowed him three of the six completed. They were no way near as strong as the one they had lost at the USJ. But they were enough to cause havoc and ruin that arrogant Hero Killer’s fun. No one stabbed the leader of the League of Villains and got away with it. After all, Sensei said it was his right to destroy anything that he didn’t like.

Stain certainly fit that bill. He was prideful. Self-righteous. Believed that his goals were noble in a sense. Wanting change from the current status quo. But change was the only thing they had in common. He wanted a better class of Hero despite his Villain name’s irony to that goal. But Tomura…no. He wanted them all gone.

Why? Because they were all fakes. Liars. Boasting that they would lend a helping hand while turning a blind eye to those in need. Even everyday people had turned away from him assuming a Hero would pick up the slack. But they never did.

Tomura had needed that helping hand. Wandering the streets after the loss of his family. How exactly he couldn’t remember. Only fragments here and there that made him sick if he tried to recall them fully. The doctor had mentioned something about trauma induced amnesia or whatever. But the decayer didn’t care much to figure out his locked character background. He didn’t need it to fulfill his goals.

Besides, when the Heroes hadn’t come to his aid, Sensei had. He had found him on the streets and took him in his arms. Gave him a home and declared himself his master. Gifted him the hands of his family to remind him of his hatred of everyone. To fuel him in pursuing his wishes. Which was to destroy. Master even said the habitual itching was his body’s reminder of this natural impulse of his.

Rage. An all-consuming emotion. Tomura felt it every time he wore his entire family on him. Feeling sick enough to vomit. And yet, he also felt a strange sort of peace at the same time. A weird contrast. A warring set of feelings probably sprung from his subconscious about the death of his family as well as the care he received from his master when no one else had.

Sensei handed him a new life and motivation. Both figuratively and literally. Had raised him and encouraged him. Talked him through his fits of internalized rage and pushed him to release it. Or else, no one would suffer but him. And how unfair was that? Why should others be happy when he and those like him are rejected as the dregs of society?

Like this Midoriya kid.

Villainous Quirks and appearances were enough to turn most criminal. In this day and age, the Quirkless were treated even worse. Tomura knew this because Sensei had taught him about the beginnings of Quirks and how the tables had turned as the decades passed. Before, the Quirked were feared and labeled freaks of nature. But now, the Quirkless were in the minority and the Quirked saw themselves as above.

Perhaps this instilled prejudice was what prevented Tomura from fully accepting that the Quirkless kid was the admin he sought. Partially because it didn’t seem possible for someone to be that smart without one, but also in hopes that if he couldn’t persuade the admin to join, then Sensei could just take their Quirk instead. But as time passed, he was leaning toward that not being the case.

Midoriya was smart. It was obvious he had a high intelligence stat while watching the festival. As well as resourceful with those gadgets of his. Ranging from close combat to AoE attacks as well as others to assist in mobility. It was quite the interesting inventory the kid had. Allowing him to go up against the strongest Quirks like that brat of Endeavor’s.

Yet, in the end, it didn’t seem that he had needed them. Appearing to have no special items equipped in his last match. Though Tomura assumed he had some hidden cheat in his pocket. Intentionally at that. Because from the transcripts he had found online, they had actually joked their way through that fight. Which the decayer found actually hilarious because it was the same as the Sports Festival as a whole. One giant overly advertised and praised joke that the general public didn’t get.

However, even if the Quirkess boy hadn’t had that cheat, he would have surely won. Because it was also obvious from the transcripts as well as the commentary that the two finalists knew each other well. If the possible admin didn’t have any other gadget to equip, all he had to do was keep his mouth shut around the other. Because while it was unclear what exactly the purple haired one’s Quirk was, it was easy to guess it had to do with a verbal response of some kind.

And even if he hadn’t known the other’s Quirk, if he were the admin, the flash observations given during the USJ attack would have played a factor. Proof enough that he was quick to judge a situation and determine the powers at play. Meaning that if Midoriya was the admin, he would have been able to use that big brain of his to work his way through the fight without the need of a Quirk. Even would have likely been able to figured it out from watching the previous matches. Perhaps, if he was that smart, maybe it was a way for the universe to nerf his power. That is if he was indeed the admin.

There was also the fact that the kid had some sort of connection with Stain. Tomura didn’t know if it was mutual or one sided. But it was enough for the Hero Killer to feel he knew that Midoriya would never join the likes of the League. Even called him a ‘Little Hero’. Well, we’ll see about that. Growing up Quirkless was just as bad as being born with a Villainous Quirk now-a-days.

Let the Hero Killer believe he knew best. Because by morning, his opinion wouldn’t matter. The Noumu would overpower his presence and make the world forget all about him! There was no way he could trump the chaos caused by Sensei’s creations.

“Just you wait, Hero Killer,” Tomura called out into the night with a sinister laugh. “Once this night is over, your relevance in this world will be erased. Reduced to nothing but ash. It’ll be game over for you.”

First, the decayer would watch Stain’s world crumble around him. Destroy all his work and take all the credit for himself. Then the League would be able to step forward to the main stage. Draw in a better class of criminal to work together to destroy this messed up world. He already had Giran looking for recruits. As for Tomura, whether he turned out to be the admin or not, his sights were set on Midoriya.

You will join us yet, ‘Little Hero’.

~~~

“CHIZOME, STOP!”

The Hero Killer was poised and ready to strike when he heard his given name. In a voice that had become so familiar to him over the past year. Slowly, without lowering his katana, the Villain turned his head to take in the newcomer.

Little Hero?

There, in the very alley he was about to pass his judgment, was Midoriya Izuku. Green suit with black accents with hints of red and covered head to toe in Support Items. Many of which were familiar from the Sports Festival such as the goggles, mask, and such. The shoes were new and then there were the arm wrappings. Red of color and looking quite similar to the ones the Hero Killer himself wore. A spark of wonder ignited of whether the boy had done so on purpose or not.

All in all, the boy was looking very much the Hero the man knew he was at heart. His familiar face was covered by the goggles and mask, but Chizome would recognize that head of messy green hair anywhere. It was him. The boy turned young man who had the truest heart of a Hero he had ever found. Who had only ever wanted to help people. Who was facing him, the Hero Killer, to do just that.

Fuck.

Stain straightened up as he lowered his sword somewhat, but kept a firm hold on the fake as he said, “Another Hero. Who are you?”

The question wasn’t because he didn’t know the teen. Opposite in fact. Stain knew the young Hero very well despite only knowing him for a year. Their times together had been brief, but they had been rife with exchanged personal discovery. But that wasn’t what he was asking. Not who the person was but rather who the Hero was. A subtle difference that the Little Hero understood.

“I am the Hero Edge,” the greenette announced while pulling his escrima rods out of their holders. Earning a twitch of a mask covered brow at the choice of name. “And I won’t let you hurt them.”

Edge, huh? You really have taken my words to heart, haven’t you, Izuku?

The Villain stared at the young Hero as he shifted into a defensive position. Poised to protect the downed teen behind him. Not that the Hero Killer had any intention of going after the young Ingenium. No, his business was solely with the false Hero in his grasp.

“I have no qualms with that Hero fledging,” Stain declared nodding his head towards the downed teen. “Though he was foolish enough to come alone to save someone who does not deserve it. Let alone twice from the same lineage. My only business is with this fake tainting our society with his false claims of being a Hero. Take your friend and leave, Little Hero, and allow me to finish my work here. I have no business with you.”

“Do you really expect me to leave and let you hurt him?” Edge asked, his tone firm. “Or possibly kill him? If you really think I would go along with that, then you are sorely mistaken, Chizome. You should know I can’t let you do that.”

Red mask covered eyes took in the vision of the true Hero before him. Izuku was young but his Hero heart was strong. Beyond his years. It was what the Villain admired most in him. He wanted to help for the sake of helping. Refusing to turn tail in the face of real danger. Which the Hero Killer was. A murderer of false Heroes with few regrets in life.

He didn’t want to hurt the Little Hero nor could he let anyone stand in the way of his justice against Native. Not again. Ingenium’s involvement both times had been an inconvenience. But the first had been remedied with time and the second with the help of his Quirk. The young Ingenium was stuck paralyzed on the ground for potentially up to eight minutes though that was no guarantee. Stain would not let Izuku get between him and his prey either.

“Hmm…so it seems we have come to a head then,” the Hero Killer came to realize. However, this time they could not compromise to simply let it go. “We cannot let our own clashing ideals stand as a difference of opinion after all it seems. The brink of our impasse is upon us. What shall you do, Little Hero?”

He couldn’t see them through the goggles, but Stain could picture those green eyes studying him. Analyzing his every move as the Villain let the fake slump to the ground to face the young Hero proper. He had always treated the boy with respect as they were neither above nor below each other. As such, even though he was still a teenager, Izuku was already a proper Hero in his eyes.

“I’m going to save them,” Edge declared as he reaffirmed the grip on his escrima rods. “Both of them. And I’m…I’m going to stop you, Chizome. Your reign of terror needs to be stopped. There are other better ways to reform society than hurting or killing people.”

The Hero Killer had thought that once. Had preached to the public in hope of change. But words had no effect. However, his actions had. Every city he had purged the remaining Heroes had stepped up their game and did their fucking jobs better. Actually working to help the people in their care. The threat of Stain the Hero Killer hovering above them was an effective stick to whip them into shape.

That wasn’t necessary when it came to the Little Hero. Izuku was already a true Hero at heart and now was dressed for the part. He didn’t want to fight the boy but it seemed inevitable. Stain was a Villain and Izuku was a Hero. It was only a matter of time for them to end up in opposition if they ever met on the battle field. It was unfortunate but there was nothing he could do. Native must pay for his lies and the Hero Killer wouldn’t allow anyone else to stop his judgment. Not even the Little Hero.

“Then so be it…”

A creepy smile spread across the Hero Killer’s face.

"…Edge.”

Notes:

The start of the Hosu fight is brought to you by the word 'fuck'! Because it keeps popping up. XD

We've got a lot going on in this chapter in only a relatively short amount of time. Izuku entering the fight, everyone getting the text, Shiggy being the creeper he is, and Stainy being all 'oh shit the Little Hero is here'. XD We're going to be in the thick of it next update.

The only thing I wasn't completely satisfied with this chapter was the text. Because Izuku had enough time to type one out but not enough to hand pick who he sent it to. Which would mean that he would have had to include Stain being there in it. But I felt it also had to be cryptic enough that it wasn't immediately obvious he meant the Hero Killer. :/ In the end I went with everything being in lowercase so it didn't read as a proper noun if that makes sense.

Fun Facts About Japan:

Ok, this one is based solely on the tracking element of this chapter but otherwise is entirely random. THE MAGIC THAT IS DOMINOS JAPAN. Seriously it's magical. At least to me. XD First! Why I chose this topic is their tracking system for delivery. Now in the US, when I came back in 2019 Dominos was advertising a new but very crude tracking system. But me, I had just spent three years in Japan where they have a more complex and interactive one. Let's just say I wasn't really impressed with the US version. XD

On the Japan site, upon ordering you go to a page with a status updater in the shape of a pizza. The further along your order is the more pizza slices show up. Then when it gets to delivery a map shows up so you can track where the driver is, but that's not all. They have their own little 'fun facts' section! :D Telling you who your driver is along with what sports and music they like. On top of that, they have the 'mystery deal' which I really miss. You have a choice of three pizza boxes with special deals inside. Like 20% or 50% off your next pizza among others. A way to entice you back to the wonder that is Dominos Japan.

Then there's the pizzas themselves. Japan is just so...creative when it comes to their pizzas. They still have the classics of course with the 'American' being good ol' pepperoni and cheese. ;P But there's so much more than that. They literally will put practically anything on a pizza. Egg, shrimp, clams, beef, asparagus, chicken curry, and even freaking mochi! They even do a 'campaign pizza' ( キャンペーンピザ ) periodically with special temporary themes. They also have what's called 'quattro' pizzas ( クワトロ ) that have the pizza divided into four sections with each one having the toppings of a different style pizza. Like a sampler pizza of sorts. They also organize their pizzas by 'happy range' ( ハッピーレンジ ) with 4 costing the most with more toppings and 1 being the least with less toppings. The size of the pizzas are also different over there. Their large is equivalent to our medium to me. Though you could go for one of their 'New Yorker' pizzas which are bigger .

You can see the gist of the process for the tracker and mystery deal here though not the map itself. Should have taken a screenshot...oh well. And you can find the menu here which I still look at from time to time just to see what the heck they come up with next. XD

As I said last chapter in the top notes, if you have any requests for specific things you're curious about let me know. I don't guarantee to address all of them if there are any. But if I do have some experience with whatever comes up I'm happy to share! No pressure on you though. :) I will say I do have a finite number of 'fun facts' so they may run out at some point considering how potentially long this fic is. But I do have a possible idea to mix things up. We'll see. Anyway, let me know!

That's it! Next update we're getting into the thick of it. The Hosu fight is on. ;) That's all I will say and let your anxious wonderings flourish. Kekekeke. I love a good cliffhanger. ;P Until then, be safe and report any typos or weirdness! Ta!

Chapter 31: Hosu: Confrontations And Revelations

Notes:

It's finally here, folks! :D The Hosu fight!!!! And guess what? It's a double update too!!!!! ^____________^ Wooooo!!!!! Can you tell I'm excited? ;) Super happy with how this came out and hope you like it too! There's lots to unpack in this fight with so many interconnections at play. Let the drama commence!

Formatting reminder:
"Hitoshi using his Quirk."

Linktree to all the things!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Tenya didn’t understand what was going on. One moment he had been following Manual then the next he was in an alley facing the Hero Killer after leaving his mentor to check if Native was okay. Answer was he very much was not. Rather he was in very real danger having somehow been incapacitated by Stain. The Villain had done the same to the teen and left him helpless on the dirty alley floor. Unable to do anything to prevent the harm intended for the Hero. All he could do was watch.

Then Izuku suddenly showed up out of nowhere. Falling into the alley like a dark green angel there to save them all. There were so many questions running through the engine user’s head. Why was he in Hosu? How did he find him? Some sort of Support Item maybe like a tracker? But how? When? However, that was not the most pressing question on his mind.

There was something about Izuku’s interaction with the Hero Killer that was off. Words and remarks that seemed out of place. Hinting at the disturbing possibility that perhaps this was not the first time they had met. As if the Villain and aspiring Hero knew each other.

“Izuku…” Tenya asked shakily as he stared up at his friend. One he thought he knew but perhaps not if his theory was true. “…do you know him?”

~~~

Izuku couldn’t help the flinch that shot through his body at that question. Because it was one that opened a can of worms he had very much wanted to keep tightly shut. But unfortunately, acting on instinct he had blurted out Chizome’s name and they both referenced past topics of conversation. The Villain even let out his nickname for the teen.

However, now was not the time to poke that sleeping bear. He needed to stall for time until Hitoshi was able to figure out a convincing All Might impression. If they were to win this fight quickly, his brainwashing was going to be key. Situations like this were why they had strategized on keeping his Quirk a secret of a sort. Mixing up how he gained the verbal responses he needed to keep people guessing. However, this would be the first time he would be trying out impressions in a fight.

This was no ordinary match up. They were amateurs going up against an experienced fighter. At the moment, Izuku stood alone up against Stain with a Pro and intern down for some reason. Possibly Chizome’s Quirk. A mystery to the masses including himself though there were some speculations concerning it.

Izuku knew a lot about the man in front of him. Knew that he had been an aspiring Hero turned vengeful Vigilante turned disillusioned Villain. All to fulfill his aspirations to change the world for the better and bring a new class of Hero. Ones who would fight for the good of the people rather than covet wealth or fame. To bring back the true Heroes and rid the corrupt system of the fakes. All of his targets having some form of corruption as far as the teen could research.

This goal was one Chizome was willing to fight for. By any means he found necessary. Whether violence or murder, he had no hesitation in his actions when he felt they were justified. Though he did have regrets when they were not. Case in point was the whole Ingenium situation. Feeling he had no choice but to fight the Hero who had stood between him and Native. Who cleared had still remained a target as he was slumped against the wall.

But Chizome had regretted it. Hadn’t wanted to hurt Ingenium because he wasn’t one of the fakes of this Hero world. Trying to make up for that regret by alerting authorities to the Hero’s plight before leaving him to his ‘fate’. The elder Iida brother was fine and would make a full recovery. Able to step back into his Hero name as soon as he was well enough by Tenya’s generosity. All of this, the regret and the hopeful state of the Turbo Hero, was public knowledge with the release of the recording from the emergency app as well as reports on the injured man’s health.

Because of this act of a sort of mercy, the public started to question the Hero Killer’s motives. Which they should rather than just go by what the media says. Because there was so much more to Chizome than just a crazed killer. He had reasons and motivations for his actions. However, out of all the people in the world, the only ones who knew them were Izuku and the Hero Killer himself.

But there was still one thing the greenette did not know nor could ever find in all of his research. Izuku never found out what Chizome's Quirk was. There were theories of course but nothing concrete. The standing one was some form of paralysis. Which would explain how he was able attack so many Pro Heroes with ease. Then there were the two slumped figures beside him. Native up against the wall and Tenya on the ground. Neither of whom were making any effort to move as if they weren’t able to.

Judging by the amount of knives Stain had and the wounds on the injured beside him, Izuku could easily guess that his Quirk required some form of cutting. Though to what effect he wasn’t sure. But somehow it led to this. Unable to move for an unknown reason or amount of time. Crap. This was bad. Edge’s suit was a sturdy material but still vulnerable to knives. Hopefully his escrima rods would be able to withstand the blades if it came to blows. Thankfully he did have some ranged attacks with his fire mask and bombs.

Instead of answering his friend, which he hoped they still would be after all this, Izuku firmed his fighting stance as he said, “Don’t worry. I’m going to keep you both safe.”

“No, get out of here!” Native cried out as the Villain clicked his tongue in annoyance at the fake’s interjection. “Take your friend and go! He’s only after me!”

“I can’t do that,” Edge replied, keeping his eyes on Stain as he connected his two escrima rods to make his staff. “Like All Might said once, ‘meddling where you don’t technically have to is the essence of being a Hero.’ How could I run away leaving someone to be hurt? That’s not what a true Hero would do.”

He knew he was playing more than one trump card. Quoting All Might knowing how much Chizome looked up to him. Izuku had too deep deep down even though he couldn’t stand keeping any of his merch or seeing his face anymore. It was probably going to sting once Hitoshi entered the fight. But same with the Sports Festival, the Quirkless teen knew that he had to go all out or else, rather than missing a chance to transfer like before, someone could end up dead.

Not on my watch.

A flicker of amusement flashed in those mask-covered red eyes. Either from All Might’s words or his own being thrown back at him or both, Chizome knew exactly what he was doing. Both knowing this would certainly be an interesting fight. Villain versus Hero. Secret advocate against aspiring student. Though perhaps not so secret anymore considering the downed teen’s question. However now was not the time for words, but for actions. To determine whose convictions will win in the end.

Izuku had no way of knowing how Stain fought. The Villain was very particular on where he attacked his targets making sure there were no surveillance cameras anywhere. So, there was no captured video of his fighting style. The greenette was going in blind unlike the Sports Festival. He would need to be aware of every minute movement for any sign of how the Villain before him would attack. But that didn’t mean he would let the man move first.

In a flash of movement, Izuku activated his Jet shoes and shot forward. The Hero Killer waited for the teen to come to him, katana held out poised for attack. As he skated along, Edge kept his stance low as much as he could to avoid the impending swipe of jagged steel. Stain gave a creepy smile at his action, delighted at his quick and clever thinking. While he still didn’t want to hurt the Little Hero, he would fight for what he believed in as he reached for a knife with his free hand.

As the greenette neared, the young Hero crouched even lower to evade the katana as he slid between the Villain’s outstretched legs. He then shot out a blast of air from his shoes causing him to jump up into the air. Stain spun around to follow his movements only to find him not behind on the ground but rather coming at him from above. The action was too quick for him to dodge as Edge whacked him hard on the head with his staff.

A loud crack sounded through the alley as metal met skull and the Hero Killer staggered forward. Izuku landed and skated out of reach. Though he was surprised to see the Villain had unsheathed a knife as well. He hadn’t noticed having been focusing on the katana. That oversight cost him as the man brought the serrated blade up to his mouth and licked the tiniest bit of blood from it.

What?

As soon as the red droplets touched his abnormally long tongue, all sense of control left Izuku’s body as he collapsed to the ground. Joining the others in the state of paralysis as his staff clatter against the concrete beside him. The feeling was terrifying. He still had control over his eyes, mouth, and lungs, but everything else was gone. But his mind made those observations in the background as he realized something new about Chizome’s Quirk.

It’s not the cutting…it’s the blood.

The revelation was fascinating but also sort of disgusting. Not specifically because it was a blood related Quirk. Vlad King’s was one as well and he was great Hero. But rather it was the fact that Chizome was licking blood off a blade in the middle of an alley littered with trash. A far from sanitary environment. Not to mention he was just licking fresh blood with no idea what was in it. Could that mean that he potentially had a natural immunity to blood borne pathogens? Or did he just not care? Questions to contemplate at another time.

“You move well, Little Hero,” Stain said as he stood up while he sheathed his knife. “Taking advantage of my blind spot was smart in an effort to bring me down quickly. Still green around the edges but that will improve in time. The same can be said of this younger Ingenium. At the very least, you both acted in a Heroic manner. However…”

The greenette watched in horror as he began to stalk toward the downed Pro Hero.

“…the same cannot be said for this fake.”

“Chizome, please!” Izuku pleaded from where he lay. “You don’t have do this!”

“But I must,” was the Villain’s answer. “In this moment I am not acting as Akaguro Chizome. But rather as the cleanser of this society. To rid the world of the corrupt and those unworthy of the title of Hero. I. Am. Stain.”

As he spoke each word, the Hero Killer raised his katana higher posed to land a fatal blow. However, he was interrupted by a very familiar voice.

Fear not! For help has arrived! Because I am here!

Those words made the man pause. Slowly he glanced behind him not seeing anything. But there was no way he had misheard. All Might was here. But how? What could bring him to Hosu? Perchance was he here for him? To take down the Hero Killer himself? It would be a befitting ending of his Villainous career.

There was still a hint of doubt though. Could it really be him? Stain kept his blades pointed at his prey but red eyes slowly looked up to see a dark silhouette on top of a roof. The figure was struck in a familiar pose but their frame seemed off. Their hair however was styled in signature tufts that could be recognizable even in the darkness of the night. The odd sight was enough to shock the man into letting out two words of confusion and a hint of admiration.

“…All Might?”

It was instantly obvious when Hitoshi took hold of the Hero Killer’s mind and the Villain went slack where he stood. Red eyes turned white as the katana fell to the ground with a clatter. Native and Ingenium stared in confusion while Edge let out a sigh of relief.

“Just in time, Hoax,” Izuku called out as he spotted his Hero partner carefully lower himself down from the roof using his capture weapon.

“It took a bit to get the voice just right from memory,” Hitoshi replied as he landed.

“The hair is a nice touch,” the greenette said eyeing the crudely manipulated tufts of purple hair.

“Thanks,” the brainwasher answered, as he mussed up his hair to its regular gravity defying mess. “Did a pose too. Thought a visual would help sell it. Seems I was right.”

Izuku gave an approving grunt before asking, “How’s your control holding up?”

“He’s fighting. I can feel it,” Hitoshi said as he scrunched his brows in concentration. “But I’ve got him.”

“Good, we need to restrain him,” Izuku said, earning a nod from the other. “I’ve got a spare tape cartridge in my belt. You can use that to tie him up before removing his weapons.”

“Got it,” Hoax replied as he walked over to look through Edge’s belt while keeping a firm mental grip.

When it came to his brainwashing, any outside physical stimuli would break the connection such as a simple bump to the shoulder. However, the young analysist had a theory that this did not apply to Hitoshi himself. Thankfully it was a theory the brainwasher had been able to test out the week prior with the help of some of their friends and classmates. It had been nice to hear that Ojiro was one of the first to volunteer for such a test.

“So, is that a gadget in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?” Hitoshi quipped as soon as he found the desired item.

“In your dreams,” Izuku retorted with a roll of his eyes. “I’m not into Purple Pandas.”

“Nah, you like ‘em a little hot, little cold,” the brainwasher snarked as he stood up. “What’s the situation anyway? Anything I need to know?”

“The Hero Killer’s Quirk definitely causes paralysis,” the analyst answered as his friend cautiously approached the mentally frozen figure. “And knives do play a huge part but they aren’t his Quirk Factor. He needs to consume the blood of the ones he wants to control.”

The purple haired teen simply nodded while the Pro Hero and the engine user glanced over at him in shock.

“You…got that from fighting him once?” Native asked, flicking his eyes between the greenette and the brainwashed Villain standing above him.

“I saw him lick his knife after cutting me,” Izuku explained. “I didn’t feel his Quirk take effect until after he did that. Meaning that it was the blood rather than the cut that activates it.”

“Way to show off, Green Bean,” Hitoshi quipped as he cautiously pulled Stain’s arms behind his back and began to wrap the tape around his wrists.

“He asked,” the greenette replied but grimaced when he couldn’t shrug like he wanted to. “How are you two doing?”

The two that were down both processed their situation and reported neither of them could move. As if they were puppets whose strings had been cut. Which checked out with how Izuku felt himself. His brain willed for something, anything, to move but it was like there was a disconnect between it and the rest of his body. Feeling similar to the experience of sleep paralysis.

As they were talking and Hitoshi was just about to start searching Stain for weapons, they heard the sound of approaching footsteps. Those who could looked up to see a single figure running down the alley towards them. It wasn’t clear if it was friend or foe so Hoax stepped away from the Villain and prepared to fight as he was the only one able. But the brainwasher as well as Izuku relaxed as soon as they saw it was Shouto.

It was the first time they had seen his Hero costume. The bi-color teen was in a deep blue short sleeved jumper that was a similar shade and style to his father’s without the excess show of flames. His boots were white and his belt was light beige with small capsules hanging down from it. He also had some form of vest on that the greenette wasn’t sure the purpose of. Izuku saw no sign of the Support Item he had been working on which was disappointing.

Did the notes not go through? Or did they just ignore them and do their own thing?

If so, that was frustrating. Izuku had worked hard on that Support Item even though he hadn’t been able to work out all the bugs yet. But his tests had been mostly functional and Shouto had been looking forward to it. Well, maybe that was something they could work on after the internships. Work together to finish his Support Item and make it himself. And perhaps in a different color or style so Shouto’s Hero costume didn’t resemble Endeavor’s as much.

But first they needed to make sure they securely captured the Hero Killer and survived this messy situation.

The firm footsteps of their friend slowed as he took in the scene before him. Three Heroes down on the ground. Hitoshi the only one left standing with Stain beside him with a blank look on his face and hands tied behind his back. The element wielder tilted his head in question as he looked down at his phone briefly.

“Your message made it sound like an emergency,” Shouto said, holding up his phone. “But it seems you have it handled.”

“Reinen!” Izuku called out his friend’s Hero name with a smile. “You came!”

“Shouto?” Tenya questioned as he couldn’t see him from where he was on the ground.

None of them were sure why exactly he was somehow in Hosu, but they weren’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

“Yes, it’s me,” Shouto replied as he pocketed his phone. “Is that…?”

“Reinen, meet Stain. Stain, Reinen. Now…stay,” Hoax quipped with a staying gesture while the Hero Killer could do nothing but stand there under his control. After a moment for comedic effect, he gave a nod as he lowered his hands. “Good Villain.”

The bi-color teen quirked a brow at the joke in a time like this but merely shrugged as he said, “I told the old man to send more Pros Heroes here when he could. Then I ran here as soon as I could to help, but it seems I didn’t need to?”

“Nah, we could use all the help we can get,” Hitoshi said, wiping some sweat off his brow from his mental strain though still holding firm onto Stain’s mind. “Help me secure this guy.”

“Oh sure,” the element wielder responded and instinctively stomped his right foot down.

As the ice crystals rapidly spread across the ground all that Hitoshi and Izuku could do was yell out, “NO, WAIT!”

But it was too late. For as soon as the frozen fractals touched the Villain, the sudden feeling of cold was enough to break Hitoshi’s hold. Life blinked back into the Hero Killer’s red eyes who quickly assessed the situation. He dropped his stance to swipe the brainwasher’s feet out from under him knocking him down. The teen fell roughly as he smacked his head against the ground. At the same time, Stain subtly pulled out a hidden knife and cut his wrists free before quickly replacing it back in his wrist guards. While Shouto stared wide eyed in surprise at the sudden change of events as Stain scooped up his katana before jumping further away.

~~~

Mask covered red eyes narrowed as the Hero Killer took in the not one but two newcomers. There was the purple one he had kicked who was staggering slightly as he stood up while he rubbed the back of his head in pain. He looked like the one that the Little Hero had fought in the finals of the Sports Festival. The one with some sort of mind control. Response based from what he had taken note from the festival as well as his own newly acquired personal experience as of a moment ago. With a new trick it seemed to impersonate another. Meaning that he could potentially sound like anyone.

I’ll have to keep my mouth shut until that threat has been dealt with.

As for the other, it was the boy who Endeavor treated as his own personal punching bag. The one Izuku had been concerned for and had been the reason he had asked him to look into the Number Two Hero. Who now seemed to have a firm look on his face with a hint of guilt. Most likely because he was the reason Stain had been able to break out of the other’s hold. Interesting. That meant the mind control wasn’t impervious. But still, he would keep silent for now.

The situation was getting farther from ideal the more people showed up. Stain had hoped to be over and done with Native so he could finally be able to move on with his purge. Able to sate that itch left behind from unfinished business. But then the young Ingenium had to show up. Followed by the Little Hero and probably the purple one though he didn’t remember it. For as soon as he had spoken after hearing All Might’s catch phrase the world had suddenly filled with fog.

The sensation had been disturbing. As if he had no control over his own body. Perhaps a similar sensation to his own Quirk though his victims could still perceive the world. Too close for comfort. The ease the man had been incapacitated by the mind controlling teen was the top concern. He needed to be taken out of the fight as soon as possible. While avoiding the ice and fire of the other still left standing.

Making a split-second decision, the Hero Killer shot toward the biggest threat. He slashed out his katana at the purple haired teen who attempted to stay out of reach of the blade. But the Villain managed to slice across the young Hero’s chest. He had no time to admire the stripe of red against purple before he too had to evade the blast of flames aimed his way.

As the fire fizzled out, Stain brought the blade to his mouth and licked the blood dripping down from the tip. The effect was instantaneous. The mind controller dropped to the ground next to Izuku who he could see straining to check on his friend. But the Hero Killer’s Quirk still held a hold on him though for how much longer he didn’t know.

The main threat was paralyzed but the purple haired teen was still a danger. Stain ignored the cries of protests as well as any and all of the desperate words coming out of the mind controller’s mouth in hopes of getting him to respond. The Villain threw a knife to distract the element wielder as he ran toward his target. The blade was blocked by a spire of ice by the teen as the man closed in on the other. Stain grabbed the boy by his purple hair and knocked his head against the wall hard enough to knock him out. The teen fell unconscious and slumped to the ground upon letting him go.

“HOAX!” Izuku exclaimed in devastation.

The cry of despair squeezed the Hero Killer’s heart. Partially because it was from the Little Hero but also because he had to hurt a child. Again. He didn’t want to fight any of these children but was forced to as each one showed up to interrupt his judgment. But no matter if it was Izuku, the younger brother of Ingenium, the youngest child of Endeavor, or this newcomer, Stain would not let his justice against Native be prevented again.

Another shot of fire flared out at the Villain who jumped back from the heat. As he dodged, a layer of ice spread out and created an elevated surface to allow the downed Heroes’ bodies to slide toward the element wielder. Native, Izuku, and this Hoax landed behind the young Todoroki. Bringing all of Stain’s opponents, downed or otherwise, to one side of the alley. For now, the number of capable fighters was still in the Villain’s favor with only one still standing. However, as time passed that could change depending on who’s time ran out first.

“You’re not going to hurt anyone else, Stain,” the element wielder stated with a glare.

~~~

“Reinen, don’t let him get your blood,” Izuku called out from the ground. “His Quirk allows him to paralyze people by swallowing it.”

Heterochromatic eyes glanced over his fallen comrades before flicking his gaze back to the Villain as he said, “Hence the knives. I’ll have to keep my distance.”

In that moment another knife was thrown at Shouto who dodged however the blade still managed to cut his scarred cheek. Blood started to run down his face as the Hero Killer rushed forward to lick off the life liquid to down his final opponent. The Villain aimed another jagged knife at the teen who blocked it with a spire of ice. But the Hero Killer was not deterred.

Red eyes glanced up and heterochromatic ones followed to find the Villain’s katana spinning down to hit him from above. A counterattack the man had planned at the same time he had thrown the knife before. Stain grabbed the boy by the collar as a long tongue reached out to lick the teen’s blood. However, the element wielder flared up his fire forcing the Villain away from his face and shooting back away from the heat. The teen shot out a wave of ice to force the man further back who caught the falling katana in midair while sheathing his knife.

“That was too close,” Reinen said, wiping some of the blood off his cheek.

The bi-color teen switched between shooting out fire and ice. Partially to keep the Villain at bay but to also keep his internal temperatures balanced. Stain either sliced through the spikes or evaded the flames in turn. The ice user then sent out an even larger wall of frozen fractals. The Hero Killer dodged and jumped to avoid being captured in the glacier.

“Be careful!” Izuku cried out, wishing he could help instead of being useless on the ground. He clenched his fist in frustration.

Huh?

The sound of steel slicing through ice crackled through the air as the Hero Killer cut through the glacier. Chucks of ice burst out as the Villain chided, “It’s unwise to obstruct your field of vision when up against an opponent who is faster than you. A mark of your inexperience.”

“If that’s what you think,” Shouto yelled as he ignited his left side in flame. “Then come and get me!”

He was flaring up a fire ball just as two throwing knives embedded themselves in his lower left arm. The flames sputtered out as the pain hit. From above came Stain with katana poised to strike head on.

“Not bad, kid,” the Hero Killer said as he fell. “Better than this fake.”

It had seemed like he had been aiming for the element wielder but as the seconds passed it became clear his trajectory was actually for Native instead. The Pro was still paralyzed so he could do nothing but watch as the harbinger of false Heroes bore down on him. However, the blade did not meet his mark. Finally able to move for some reason, Izuku shot forward on his Jet shoes and snagged Stain by the scarf. The greenette yanked the Villain away from the Hero and dragged him along the rough wall.

“Izuku!” Shouto called out in concern.

“I can move now for some reason!” Izuku shouted back as he moved.

“So, his Quirk has a time limit,” Reinen surmised from where he stood.

“But that kid was the last one down,” Native said, confused. “And I still can’t move.”

“Me neither,” Ingenium added while Hoax remained unconscious.

The Hero Killer clicked his tongue in annoyance that his Quirk had timed out. Meaning that the Little Hero was probably type O having the shortest time limit at two minutes. The man elbowed the teen in the back sending him tumbling away. The young Hero let out a grunt as he fell while Stain skidded to a halt a short distance away.

“Izuku, dodge!” Shouto exclaimed as he sent out another ice attack.

The greenette was able to scramble out of the way in the last second as the Hero Killer jumped clear of the ice. Izuku ran to his friend’s side who was holding the top half of his left arm while blood leaked from the lower half having removed the knives. The Quirkless teen wasn’t sure if that was the best idea but he hadn’t had his first aid lessons with Shuuzenji yet so he didn’t actually know.

“So, he can paralyze someone by tasting blood,” Izuku said, analyzing what he knew about the situation. “I was the last hit but the first up. From what I’ve observed, I can think of three possibilities why.”

From across the alley, Stain stared at the now two opponents he had to face. Sizing them up while curious to see what the Little Hero came up with.

“The effect of his Quirk could be weaker or less effective the more people he uses it on,” the analyst theorized as he picked up his fallen staff. “Or it could depend on the amount of blood he ingests. Either those, or there is a difference in effectiveness depending on blood type.”

The Villain lowered his chin into his scarf to hide the smirk on his face. The Little Hero had managed to guess right.

“If it’s blood type,” Native said from where he laid on the ground. “I’m type B.”

“And I’m A,” Tenya added beside him.

“O,” Shouto offered simply while keeping an eye on their opponent.

“Right,” Izuku nodded, noting the information while also feeling another connection to his special friend having the same blood type.

“Very impressive, Little Hero,” Stain called out no longer hiding his creepy grin. “You managed to figure it out. Bravo.”

The Villain confirmed no more than that though Izuku suspected it was the last of his theories. Not that it would help them in this fight anyway. They needed to hurry and end this. To get the others out of there as soon as they could.

“He has a fast reaction time,” Shouto commented while staring down their enemy. “Even against both my fire and ice. I can’t find an opening. But we have to keep him at bay until the Pros get here. Preferably avoiding close combat if we can help it.”

“Agreed, but you can’t do this alone,” Izuku responded as he stood up next to his friend with staff in hand. “You’ve lost a lot of blood so we’ll need to be careful and work together. I have some tricks up my sleeves as you know. I’ll do my best to distract him and you provide support from behind, alright?”

Grey and blue eyes glanced his way assessing his resolve before saying, “That’s a pretty big risk, but okay. Together we’ll protect them.”

The fact that Shouto had agreed so easily warmed Izuku’s heart. No questions of his suitability to fight without a Quirk. Only trust in his abilities. But now was not the time to fully appreciate that trust. Instead, the greenette merely nodded in acknowledgement before turning back to the Hero Killer.

It would be a challenge like nothing they had ever faced before. This was far above any sort of training exercise or school sanctioned event. This was a real fight with a real opponent and real consequences if they were to lose. But they would both work their absolute hardest to not let that happen. As a Hero should.

“It has come to this then?” Stain asked eyeing them both as he let out a heavy breath before settling into a fighting position. “Two against one. Won’t be easy but there’s no other choice, is there? So be it.”

Not waiting for the Villain to make the first move, Edge shot forward using his Jet shoes to bounce from wall to wall as he approached the man. The greenette managed to get behind the Hero Killer and blocked a swing of the other’s katana with his staff. Thankfully the new material stood up well against the jagged steel in a shower of sparks.

They were forced apart as Shouto shot out spires of ice between them. Stain jumped up onto a window sill only to have to dodge a blast of fire. At the same time, Izuku reached into his belt for a capture bomb and threw it at the Villain. The bomb released a net that wrapped around the Hero Killer but only for a second as he cut through the net with ease.

Again?! Damn it! We’ll have to reinforce the material.

But that upgrade would have to wait. For now, unfortunately, the capture bomb was no good in this situation. The flash bombs wouldn’t be too helpful either as they could affect Shouto along with Stain while Izuku’s eyes were protected by his goggles. Same with the glue bombs that could hinder his own movements as well as his opponent’s. But an explosive one should be fine and was quite effective at forcing Stain back when thrown at the Villain. The down side though was an unhelpful cloud of smoke left behind by the explosion.

Fuck.

So bombs were out. But his fire mask was just as effective as Shouto’s attacks from his left side. The shooting out of roaring flames from his mask paired well with the ice barrage sent out by the element wielder. Leaving him two more shots on the current fuel cartridge. He had considered his arm wrappings but figured they would meet the same fate as the net. His Jet shoes were aiding in his maneuverability though which was good. And his staff was serving well against Stain’s blades.

The fight proceeded with Izuku skating and jumping around the Hero Killer who did his best to track his movements. While also avoiding the interchanging attacks of ice and fire that left behind puddles and half frozen chucks scattered about. Katana met staff. Frozen obstacles formed. Fire forcing the Villain back whether from Shouto’s left side or Izuku’s mask. The greenette making quick work to exchange the fuel cartridge between attacks.

However, in that moment of slight distraction, Stain managed to cut Izuku’s leg making him stumble and crash against a wall. His head cracked on impact with the surface. The greenette’s vision became blurry for a moment and he heard a ringing in his ears.

That can’t be good.

Even a first aid amateur like him knew what a concussion felt like. Not like it was his first time with one anyway. Izuku had experiences concussions before whether from past physical bullying or sparring going a little too far at his self-defense classes. None of them were too bad and this time was no different. But the injury might affect his fighting ability as he swallowed down a hint of nausea.

Green eyes blinked away his dizziness only to open wide in fear at the sight of the Hero Killer before him. The Villain’s red eyes appeared almost white giving him a crazed look as he was consumed by the thrill of the fight. Katana and knife both drawn in preparation to let out more exposed blood. And his smile…it was wide and open. Full of teeth and tongue as the Hero Killer bore down on him. Nothing like the comforting though still creepy smiles the man had given him during their roof top visits. It was in that moment that it really sunk in that this was not Akaguro Chizome who was before him.

This was the Hero Killer Stain.

Notes:

Uh oh! Tenya is connecting some dots. Izuku's relations with Stain are now officially sus. ;) Better watch yourself, green bean. But it's so hard to keep something like that secret in this kind of situation. Only time will tell what happens with this suspicion!

Hitoshi managed to brainwash Stain! :D Unfortunately Shouto accidentally knocked him out of it. It took me for-freaking-ever to figure out how exactly I was going to have Hitoshi in the fight but also have the fight actually happen. This was the solution. Sorry, Shouto. Also sorry to Hitoshi for knocking him out like that. Ouch.

Izuku knows Chizome well but he's learning more about him as Stain in this fight. How his quirk works and just how different Chizome was compared to the Hero Killer. Because the separation of his identities is a big part of Stain's character.

If you have any ideas for a redesign of Shouto's hero costume, please let me know! I kept it close to canon at this part of the story for plot and timeline reasons. But it would be fun to change it up after this arc finishes. :) Anyway, let me know!

No fun fact this chapter since it's a double update! Let's get right on to part 2 of the Hosu fight! :D Though do let me know of any typos or weirdness as per usual. :P Onward!

Chapter 32: Hosu: That's A Wrap

Notes:

Part 2 of the double update! We're in the thick of it so I'll just let you get right to it. ;) Enjoy!

Linktree to all the things!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Izuku had never fully understood why Chizome had put so much emphasis on the separation between his two personas. Before the teen had seen them as one and the same. But now, he finally understood that there was a difference between them. Chizome never wanted to hurt children but as Stain he was still willing to as it was a means to an end. Viewing it as necessary in order to pass his judgment. Able to ignore his own morals to carry out his purge. A concept the greenette hadn’t understood until this moment as the armed and crazed Hero Killer bore down on him.

Before the Villain could strike him again, Izuku was saved by one of Shouto’s fire blasts that forced the man back. The greenette shot a grateful look his way and was met with a fierce image of his friend. Flames licked the entirety of his left side. Quickly snuffed out as he shot out another barrage of ice from his right. The sight filled the Quirkless teen with shock and awe at his special friend’s power.

Then Izuku suddenly felt his body go limp.

Green eyes flicked back to Stain to see him licking his blood off the jagged blade. Crap. That meant Izuku was paralyzed again. For how long exactly he didn’t know but judging by last time it won’t be for too long. He’ll just have to try and force his body to move until Stain’s Quirk timed out.

Until then, Izuku could only watch as Shouto sent out more spires of ice at the Hero Killer. Who again and again cut through each one sending chunks of ice everywhere. Fear filled him that the bi-color teen was up against the Villain alone. The greenette knew the other was well trained, unfortunately by force, and could handle himself in a fight. But these were very different circumstances than his father’s ‘training’ and the Sports Festival.

Flames erupted from the element wielder’s left side as the Hero Killer advanced towards him. The Villain’s eyes appeared to be glowing red with bloodlust. That crazed smile was open and wide with his tongue out just waiting to taste Shouto’s blood. But the fire user kept him at bay with a blast of heat and flames. Neither aware of the shakily clenched fist as stern blues eyes took all of this in.

Stain landed and then jumped off a section of glacier avoiding a billow of fire. The Villain maneuvered to Shouto’s right rebounding off another frozen spire. The element wielder spun around and aimed another fire attack at the Hero Killer who was forced to dodge again. Shouto shot out more fire and then ice pushing the Villain further back.

“Ice and fire,” the Hero Killer growled in frustration as he zigzagged through patches of frozen spikes towards the bi-color teen. Dodging yet another fiery blast as he continued to get closer. “Has anyone told you that you rely on your Quirk too much? Makes you sloppy and careless.”

Everything seemed to slow down in that moment. Izuku watched in horror as the Villain crouched low with his katana blade aimed to slice off Shouto’s left arm. The edge of Stain’s blade inching closer and closer towards its morbid goal. Shouto having no time to fully dodge the attack and was only able to attempt to shift his body enough to mostly avoid the katana. While Izuku could do nothing but witness the violence unfold. However, it seemed that the amputation of Shouto’s arm was not meant to be.

In a flash of movement and a Quirked kick, Tenya knocked the katana away with so much force that he broke the jagged blade in half. The class rep flipped in the air, landed, and then aimed another powerful kick at the Hero Killer. The man attempted to block the attack with his arms, but he was no match against the power of Tenya’s engines. In the flash of blue light from his legs, Stain was sent flying away from the pair of standing Heroes.

The Villain skidded to a halt a distance away with broken katana and serrated knife in his hands. A wave of relief washed over Izuku at the sight of seeing his friend up again. Though they weren’t out of the woods yet. Shouto seemed to recover quite quickly after having his arm almost cut off.

“It wore off, huh?” the bi-color teen asked with a small and brief relieved smile. He then turned his focus back to their opponent. “Seems like this guy’s Quirk isn’t so great after all.”

Ouch. Well, there’s plenty of ice around for that burn.

The moment was punctuated by the broken tip of the katana sinking into the ground with a shunk. On one side of the alley was the Hero Killer. Other half of the katana in hand as blood dripped from where Tenya’s Quirked kick had met his attempted block. Pooling on the ground in a gruesome puddle. Across from him were the Heroes Reinen and Ingenium posed and ready to continue the fight.

“Why are you children fighting so hard to protect this fake?” Stain growled in question. The longer the fight went on the more frustrated he was becoming. “He’s a fraud like all the others I have culled. A cancer on this society. Infecting this world with corruption and self-interest. Tainting the name ‘Hero’ with his fakery. It is my mission to correct this.”

“Those are the words of a fanatic,” Shouto stated with a glare.

“Really?” the Hero Killer scoffed. “You of all people should know that not all Heroes are as they seem, Todoroki Shouto.”

Grey and blue eyes widened at the utterance of his full name as he gasped, “How did you…?”

“I know many things about you, child,” the Villain replied, flitting a glance at the still paralyzed Little Hero before turning back to the teens. “Friend of Edge. Third place winner of the Sports Festival. Youngest son of the Hero Endeavor. If you could call him a Hero after all he’s done.”

The bi-color teen stared at the Hero Killer in shock. Native and Tenya watched in confusion while Izuku knew exactly what he was implying. Does that mean Chizome was able to find evidence against Endeavor? The anger of the Villain seemed to roll off of him in red waves. It was possible he had managed to dig up some serious dirt on the Number Two Hero and did not at all like what he had found.

Shouto shook himself out of his stupor before asking, “Are you targeting my father?”

“I am, though I have no intention of killing him,” Stain assured the teen. He had made that decision before meeting Dabi, but now firmly believed death would be too merciful for the fake. “His falsehood deserves far more punishment than that.”

“What do you know?” the element wielder asked with a contemplating glare.

“Enough to know that he is not as much of a Hero as is believed,” the Villain replied cryptically. “Though in a different way than this fake.” The blood consumer nodded toward Native who grimaced where he laid. “He is no true Hero. Putting on airs while neglecting to fulfill his duty. Such as when he failed to report my encounter with him and leaving Ingenium to fight me alone.”

“He…he told me to run!” Native cried in attempts to defend his actions. “I was only following orders!”

“That’s what countless others have said to rid themselves of their own guilt throughout history,” the Hero Killer sneered in disgust. “But the reality is that you chose to save yourself like a coward and left Ingenium to me.”

“Be that as it may,” Tenya spoke up gaining everyone’s attention. His expression was grim but firm. “That does not condone your own actions. Your violence against Heroes is not the proper way to bring about justice. Only by the letter of the law can true justice be served. As such I cannot allow your reign of terror to continue. You will be stopped tonight, Hero Killer.”

~~~

Stain considered the young Ingenium before him. Knowing what the fake had done, or rather didn’t do, to his brother and yet still wanted to protect him. Willing to put his own life on the line for someone who did not deserve it just like his brother had. Another true Hero in the making it seemed. Putting other’s safety before his own. Much like the other two who had come to his aid along with Izuku.

You have good friends, Little Hero.

Seems there was hope for the future of Heroes yet if these fledglings were any indication. Self-sacrificing and full of conviction. Still green but there was plenty of time for them to grow. Stain had no intention of cutting any of their lives short. But he still had a mission to complete and they were standing in his way. The Villain may not want to kill the young Heroes but that did not mean he wasn’t willing to fight for what his self-imposed duty demanded.

Native must die.

The air grew tense in that alley. Three opponents still paralyzed with one of them out cold. Two standing and ready to fight for the one who didn’t deserve such charity. Both bleeding from the wounds inflicted by him. The continuation of the confrontation would not be easy. There was no denying the young Todoroki’s Quirk was strong and the younger Ingenium was just as fast as his brother. Then there was Izuku and his short down time which could time out any second. Stain needed to make this fight end quickly if he had any hope of passing his judgment tonight.

The Hero Killer surged forward in a flash of motion. Reinen pushed Ingenium back as he blasted out a steady stream of fire. Stain managed to dodge the billows of heat having leapt above the flickering flames. He managed to perch on the broken half of his katana which he had been able to embed in the side of the building. But only for a moment as he propelled himself by kicking off the wall and sailing over the flames to a spire of ice with broken katana in hand.

The element wielder tracked him as he moved and sent out a glacial barrage. Stain leapt and spun in the air has he cut through every frozen spike. Todoroki blasted more fire towards him which he avoided with a flip. Trying to get around the teens who were standing between him and his prey. Yet he still couldn’t and let out a growl of frustration. This was not going how he had planned.

~~~

Izuku felt useless as he sat there unable to do anything but watch. Shouto was fighting his hardest to keep the Hero Killer back. Though it was good to see him fully embracing his left side in this fight. Tenya also stood next to him as a barrier between the Villain and Native. But it seemed that his engines were shot at the moment as he could see his friend’s attempts to rev them up failed.

In the midst of Tenya asking for Shouto to ice his engines without blocking the pipes, Stain threw a knife towards the fire user in hopes of taking him out of commission. But the engine teen took the hit instead by blocking it with his arm. The blade plunged into him despite the armor that was supposed to protect him.

What sort of poor material is his Hero costume made out of?

Something to figure out later if they managed to survive this fight. Added to the long list of corrections Izuku wanted to make. But fight now, fix later. It was in that moment that the greenette realized he could move again. Meaning that his time under Stain’s Quirk was up.

Good. Now I can help my friends.

“Why must you keep meddling?!” the Hero Killer yelled as he threw another knife.

The jagged blade pierced the same arm and forced Tenya to the ground. Shouto canceled out his fire with a wisp of icy air and crouched over the fallen class rep. As he’s icing up the other teen’s engines, Izuku staggered to his feet. His leg was hurt and his head was spinning from the concussion, but he could still fight. He had to. For Native, his friends, but most of all for himself. He was the Hero Edge and he would stop the Hero Killer.

Reinen went back to firing flames to keep the Villain at bay. Ingenium managed to pull out the knives in his arm with his teeth. Edge skated forward with his staff at the ready. Blast after blast of fire kept Stain on the move, constantly dodging the heat. As both Tenya and Izuku raced toward the Hero Killer at the same time. Ingenium with Quirked enhanced speed and Edge with support of his gear. While Stain was falling through the air posed to strike Reinen down.

But he didn’t reach the bi-color teen as the two other young Heroes converged onto him. The twinned attack came from both sides. A Quirked kick from below and a well-aimed staff hit to the head from the left. Both strong attacks but Stain only had eyes for Izuku as the Quirkless teen came after him with everything he’s got.

Upon impact of armored leg and rigid staff, the Hero Killer’s body twisted from the force of the two-sided barrage. Stunned for a moment as Shouto fired up his left side. But only for a moment as Stain snatched the falling half of his katana and swung it at Tenya. Missing the dodging engine user literally by a hair as the jagged blade shaved off a number of strands.

The attempted hit was too close for Izuku’s comfort. With a blast of air from his shoes, he shot forward and pushed Tenya out of the way. He then twisted in mid air in order to block the second swing of broken blade with his staff. The impact forced the pair apart. Tenya managed to skid to a halt and caught Izuku as he fell back towards him and Shouto. The greenette straightened up while Stain came to a stop a short distance away.

“Chizome, you need to stop this!” Edge yelled with a sweep of his hand. “I know you think what you’re doing is right but it isn’t. This man doesn’t deserve to die. There are other ways to handle this!”

“Maybe so,” the man conceded from across the alley. “However, I am but an old dog, remember? He is on my list and already got away once when that one’s brother interrupted me. Ingenium, the fool, protected this fake and fell to my mercy while this coward ran away. How could someone like that be allowed to continue to sully the title of Hero?”

“Regardless of what he did or didn’t do, he doesn’t need to be killed over it,” Izuku stressed. “Because if you do that then he would never be able to learn from his mistakes. And if you can’t accept that then we’re going to do everything in our power to stop you. That’s what a Hero would do.”

Hidden green eyes full of conviction glared into red. Letting the tension in the air carry his resolve as he took a defensive stance. Beside him, Tenya and Shouto did the same. Standing firm on their own mission to protect.

“Heh, I was right,” Stain laughed with admiration mixed with irritation as he took a fighting stance. “You do have the heart of a true Hero. However, I cannot stand down from a goal I’ve already made. You three are in the way and I will not back down from my mission to cleanse this corrupt Hero world. I will pass my judgment tonight.”

The opposing fronts stared off from their respective sides of the alley. The three young Heroes eyed the Villain in front of them while the man sized them up. The fledglings were strong. No doubt about that. Not surprising as they had all made it to the finals of the Sports Festival. But this hinderance to his justice was growing bothersome. He needed to end this and finally pass his judgment onto Native.

Edge and Ingenium were close combat fighters while Reinen was more long range. Out of the three, the most troublesome was the latter. His ability to send out ice and fire was preventing the Villain from lining his attacks up properly. If the Hero Killer was going to succeed in his goal tonight, he would have to remove the biggest threats one by one starting with the youngest son of Endeavor.

In a flash of movement, Stain shot towards them. Tenya and Izuku advanced together while Shouto shot out a billow of fire. The Villain dodged the flames as he flung a knife at the element wielder aiming for his torso. Time slowed as the blade shot through the air while the other two teens watched in horror. The greenette cried out as the weapon drew nearer and his body seemed to move on its own.

The knife hit true in every fashion except for its intended target. All eyes widened as the blade sunk into Izuku’s stomach. The greenette clutched the foreign object sticking out of him as he collapsed to the ground onto his knees.

“Izuku!” both Shouto and Iida exclaimed in concern at the same time a stunned Stain breathed out, “Little Hero.”

But Izuku wasn’t listening to them. His mind was more focused on the burning pain in his abdomen. Nothing he had ever experienced before this compared to this current pain. Like a red-hot poker was jammed into his gut.

And yet, despite that, his mind did not stop working as he crawled away. After all, they were still in danger. Even he was still in danger. No matter what precious relations he had with the man attacking them in this alley, the man was not acting as Akaguro Chizome now but as the Villain Stain. Because of that, Izuku’s mind was still processing ways to protect the others and hopefully get them out of this mess alive.

He was lost in thought as he crawled while clutching the knife sticking out of him. Split between the pain in his gut and the need to protect everyone. To find a way out of this. He could feel the presence of the Hero Killer beside him. It was so surreal. Him, a Quirkless boy, fighting against the Hero Killer, the man who had put his faith in him. A scenario he had never thought could have and never wanted to happen. Yet here they were.

It was at this time his glove covered hand that was touching the ground made contact with something else other than concrete and stray bits of garbage. Something wet. Green eyes that were squinted in pain opened more to see what he had touched and found it was a pool of blood. Specifically, Stain’s blood from his own hand from earlier. The sight of it gave him an idea.

If his Quirk works with blood, then…

Without a second thought, Izuku pulled the knife out of his body with a pained grunt and dipped it into the blood. If this worked then he would get paralyzed again but if his theory was correct, he wouldn’t be the only one. As he worked, his friends felt powerless to help. Tenya tried to run towards him but Stain forced him back with a swipe of his broken katana. While Shouto could do nothing as the Villain drew near the fallen teen not knowing if Izuku would have the ability to dodge in time. He wanted to protect his friend but he couldn’t do that without possibly hurting him in the process.

“You certainly have much skill, Little Hero,” Stain said while Izuku tossed the knife away from himself. “But you still have far to go to face off against someone of my level. However, I know you will get there one day. But not today.”

The Hero Killer picked up the knife and Izuku had an expression of horror on his face. That is…until Stain licked the bloody blade. The man paused with an expression of confusion before he collapsed to the ground beside him in a clatter of falling metal.

“What…did you…do?” the Villain gasped out.

“Your Quirk,” Izuku explained, smiling smugly where he laid paralyzed as well. “It has to deal with blood. You ingest it to paralyze your victims. I wondered if it would work on yourself.” The boy took a few pained gasps of breath before looking Stain in the eye, a smirk spread across his face. “Turns out I was right.”

This hadn’t been the first time Chizome had been paralyzed by his own Quirk. An accidental bit of his tongue here or there growing up allowed him to feel the effects of his own power. Leaving him to wait out the eight minutes of paralysis caused by his Quirk’s effect on type B blood. Which was why he had become very careful with his blades and tongue to not cut or taste himself. But he had never had his own blood used against him in a fight as no one had ever been able to figure out his Quirk so quickly if at all. Though his fights usually ended too quickly for his targets to even have the chance.

Stain couldn’t help but be proud of Izuku as he quietly said, “You’ve only fought me for a few minutes and was able to dissect my Quirk so efficiently. Consider me impressed, Little Hero.”

They shared a moment there lying on the ground side by side. Izuku smiled at the man who had first believed in him. Who acknowledged his potential and all the hard work he had done with no regard to his lack of Quirk. While the Villain allowed himself to be Chizome in that brief moment and looked fondly at the aspiring Hero beside him.

“So, is he down?” Shouto asked, breaking that moment. “If he is, we need to remove all weapons and restrain him quickly.”

“Yes, he’s down,” Izuku replied with confidence without looking away from Stain. “Well, for at least a few minutes anyway if he’s type O like me. Potentially longer if he has a blood type with a different time limit.”

Chizome couldn’t help but be impressed but the Little Hero beside him. Izuku had been able to discover so much about his Quirk in such a short amount of time. How smart was this kid? The man found himself unable to stop a creepy smile crossing his face. He really was going to be a great Hero someday.

With the Hero Killer paralyzed by his own Quirk, the standing Heroes were able to make quick work of tying him up. Using Izuku’s tape again and not Shouto’s suggested magic rope he thought they’d be able to find in this random alley’s trash. What was he thinking? That this was some story that someone was writing who would just make rope magically appear as a plot device? Who just throws away rope? And even if they did, it would be highly unlikely it would be in good condition if it had been thrown away. Not the best material for restraining the Hero Killer.

With the paralyzed Villain securely tied up, they turned their focus to their injured friend. Shouto carefully turned him over and away from the Hero Killer. The sight of the soaking red front of his Hero costume caused his friends to freak out in concern that he was bleeding out. But the greenette was quick to assure them it wasn’t all his. That while a part of it was from the stab wound in his gut, the rest had been from the puddle of Stain’s blood he had collapsed into upon the consumption of his own mixed with the Villain’s. Revealing how he was able to take down the Hero Killer with his own Quirk.

Shouto looked at him in impressed shock while Tenya chided him for putting himself in danger like that. Which Izuku countered with the engine user’s lack of impulse control having entered the fight without backup. The bluenette grimaced at the accusation but accepted the criticism. He did tend to jump to the quick when it came to his assumptions only to be corrected immediately afterwards. Perhaps that was something he needed to work on.

Although Izuku didn’t know a ton about first aid, he knew enough that they needed to stop the bleeding. Shouto applied pressure with his bare hand for now as they contemplated what they could do with what they had. The bi-color teen then helped him to lower his mask and raise his goggles as they wondered out loud if whether the tape would be good enough for bandages when the Hero Killer spoke.

“Use my scarf,” Stain said from where he laid. “It will serve better than that stuff.”

The greenette sent him a grateful look as Shouto glared at him, scrutinizing his face as he asked, “Why would you help him? We were fighting just a moment ago until Izuku took you down.”

“I simply don’t want a true Hero to die,” the Villain replied with a sigh.

Shouto and Tenya exchanged looks before they nodded to each other in silent agreement. The engine user took over applying pressure with what strength he could muster from his injured arms. The bi-color teen cautiously approached the downed Hero Killer and removed the red scarf from around his neck. Cautiously avoiding the Villain’s mouth which he could still potentially attempt to bite them with though he made no move to do so. Paralyzing them now would not help him while under the influence of his own Quirk.

Shouto then returned to Izuku’s side and applied pressure to his wound with the scarf. It wasn’t the most hygienic solution but it would have to do for now. With Tenya’s help, they wrapped the ragged red material around the Quirkless teen’s torso the best they could. With his wound more or less addressed, the teens then worked to remove any weapons they found on the Villain’s person. Well, mostly it was Shouto as Tenya’s arms were more injured than his was. They ended up with both halves of the broken katana, four folding knives, four bigger serrated knives, and a dagger.

A couple minutes passed and Izuku was able to move. Native also was released from Stain’s hold and was finally able to make himself useful. Though he did keep his distance from Tenya who kept sending him troubled glances. This was the man who had ditched his brother and neglected to report it sooner after all. No surprise there would be some bad blood between them.

The Pro Hero was helpful when it came to first aid though. His skills were limited from his professionally sanctioned training, but they were enough in the moment. Native checked over their work with Izuku before moving on to help Hitoshi. The purple haired teen had been unconscious for most of the fight. Native was able to assess his injuries and managed to coax him awake. Purple eyes blinked open and were met with assessing grey, overjoyed green, relieved grey and blue, and concerned blue looking down at him.

“Hitoshi, you’re awake!” Izuku exclaimed in relief.

The brainwasher rubbed at his eyes as he sat up and asked, “What happened?”

“You got knocked out by Stain,” Shouto answered flatly.

“Well, I know that,” Hitoshi snarked with a snicker but grimaced at the pain it caused. He reached for the back of his head where it hurt most but a hand grabbed his wrist.

“Don’t do that,” Native ordered with a firm tone. “You probably have a concussion and need medical attention.” He then turned to the other teens assessing their injuries. “You boys as well. Those stab wounds need attending to. Especially that stomach wound.”

The teens nodded and the group then got ready to head out of the alley. Shouto took charge of dragging Stain while Hitoshi leaned on Tenya for support. Native offered to carry Izuku on his back as his leg was injured. The greenette thanked him for the lift. As they walked, Shouto and Tenya filled Hitoshi in on how the rest of the fight went after he was knocked out. Izuku took this opportunity to ask Native a question.

“Native,” Izuku whispered into the Hero’s ear. “Why was he after you?”

“I don’t know,” the man replied sounding a bit defensive.

“It’s just…Stain has certain criteria for a target,” the teen explained quietly. “He doesn’t attack someone unless he feels that there is a just cause. Whether corruption or focusing too much on fame or money. Not that I’m accusing you of anything! But…maybe take this as an opportunity to learn and become a better Hero than you were before.”

Stain may be wrong about murdering people, but there are some things he has a point about.

The Hero holding him paused a moment before giving him a solemn nod. Perhaps the best way to process this situation was to view it as a learning experience. To rethink how he acted as a Hero and to try and be better. Because the Hero Killer’s words earlier had stung with truth. He was a coward.

As they exited the alley, they were met with the sight of Eraserhead as he leapt down from a building across the street having finally made it to their location. He paused for a moment at the sight of his problem children all battered and beaten. The man let out a tired sigh as he approached.

“Of course, you problem children would run into trouble,” Aizawa groaned. “Why do you seem to be on a life’s mission to make mine difficult?”

“Hey, Eraser,” Izuku said with a too casual tone and light chuckle. “I found Tenya-kun.”

The Erasure Hero sent a Quirked glare at the teen for his gall to make light of the situation. Especially with what seemed to be the Hero Killer Stain tied up behind the group. Figures. The tired man let out an irritated growl as other Pro Heroes appeared having been sent their way by Endeavor.

~~~

Unbeknownst to the people standing around him, Stain could feel his own Quirk cancel out under the Quirked gaze of the Underground Hero. However, rather than reveal this advantage, he chose to play it up as if he was still paralyzed. Waiting for the opportune moment to make his escape. He still had the hidden blade in his wrist guards after all.

Calls for ambulances were made and the police were notified of the situation as he laid there carefully and quietly cutting through his bindings. Stain was out numbered but if he timed it right, he should be able to get away. Better to try and escape now to continue his purge another day. That was the plan at least. Until the flapping of wings filled the air.

Eraserhead was the first to notice the beast bearing down on them and yelled, “GET DOWN!”

From the ground, the Hero Killer watched as a winged monstrosity flew towards them bleeding from a wound on its head. Must be what had been making all that noise meaning it was probably connected to Shigaraki. How annoying. There was no time for the Heroes to do anything as the creature dove down and plucked one of them amongst their numbers. Out of all of them it just had to be the Little Hero. Potentially being carried off to that manic man-child who had shown interest in Izuku.

This Chizome could not let stand.

As the others cried out and did nothing as Izuku was being whisked away, the Hero Killer ended his farce and ripped the rest of his bindings apart. He shot up and licked the thing’s blood off a Hero’s face. The effect of his Quirk was instant and the creature began to fall. Stain raced forward and launched himself into the sky to take the falling monster from above.

“You really are a Trouble Magnet,” Stain declared as he stabbed the Noumu’s exposed brain. “I won’t let him take you, Little Hero. Shigaraki is a fool to think he could ever turn you.”

As they started to fall, the man wrapped an arm around Izuku’s middle, holding him close, and the teen couldn’t help but cling to him as gravity took hold. They crashed to the ground with the Noumu cushioning their landing. Stain ripped the blade from the creature’s brain before he laid the boy down gently on the concrete and crouched over him.

“Are you hurt?” Stain asked, receiving a deadpan look from the boy who glanced down at his wrapped torso. “I mean from that…thing. Are you hurt?”

“N-no, I don’t think so,” the greenette answered. “What was that about Shigaraki?”

“That fool seeks to recruit you as he tried to do with me,” the Hero Killer replied. “But I told him it was a fruitless effort. There’s no way a true Hero like you would ever join them.”

“Shigaraki…wants…me?” Izuku asked in dismay. “Wait, he tried to recruit you?”

“This very night,” the man affirmed with a nod. “But I could never team up with the likes of him. So noisy and such childish goals. This other fiasco is his fault and I have no part in it.”

The Quirkless teen nodded as it made sense to him. The morals and goals of Chizome differed from what he knew about the ones of the League. Though his only knowledge was from the rantings Shigaraki spewed out at the USJ. Of wanting to kill All Might as a way to right the world. Though how exactly that math checked out he wasn’t sure.

“Here,” Stain said, shoving a flash drive into the boy’s hand. “I didn’t have long to look into what you asked, but everything I have is on here. You were right. I was being ignorant about a different kind of fake Hero.”

The teen took the drive as he asked, “Do you think it’ll be enough?”

“That I’m not sure of but perhaps more can be done on your side. The Hero side,” the Villain said. “Though it may comfort you to know there is an ally in this. I had some help in gathering this information.”

“From who?” Izuku asked with a tilt of his head.

“A man going by Dabi approached me with evidence of his own,” the Hero Killer answered. “He wouldn’t tell me why but he wants to help take Endeavor down. He also told me the truth of his identity was in there.”

Green eyes looked down at the drive as he absorbed this information. An ally, huh? One with some sort of beef with the Number Two Hero. Most likely personal if his identity was tied up in whatever evidence he had given Chizome.

“I had hoped to give that to you under different circumstances but here we are,” Stain said as the boy tucked the drive away in his belt. “Use it, Little Hero, to help your friend. Be the true Hero I know you to be.”

The greenette nodded. He wasn’t sure how he was going to explain all the evidence he now possessed. But perhaps if he could find this Dabi they could work something out together. A better explanation than Izuku outright saying he basically hired the Hero Killer to look into Endeavor.

“And Izuku…take this,” Chizome added as he offered the bloody knife. “This may be my last night of freedom. There are too many fakes here for me to escape. You fought well and figured out my Quirk with skill. You bested me. At my own game no less. Take this as a token of my respect and a reminder to stay true to your Hero heart.”

Izuku took the knife from the man who believed in him. It was a simple folding knife much like the others they had confiscated from the Villain. Guess they had missed one. On the black hilt was a crudely etched in S. Subtle but a marking of who this knife belonged to. Or rather had belonged to.

“Thank you,” Izuku said as green eyes peered up at him in admiration.

Then Chizome did something he hadn’t done in years. Smile. Not the creepy intimidating feral grin he sported during the hunt. No, a genuine warm smile. No teeth showing. Corners of the mouth raised crinkling mask covered eyes. Red eyes the softest they had very been since he became Stain. For in that moment, he wasn’t speaking to Izuku as the Hero Killer, but as Akaguro Chizome. Not as a self-appointed symbol of change, but as just a man. An equal.

As quickly as it appeared, so too did it fade away when a new voice rang though the air.

“Why are you all just standing there like fools?” the gruff voice of Endeavor called out. “One of those Villains flew this way!”

The transition was instantaneous as Chizome’s expression morphed into one filled with rage. Meaning the Hero Killer Stain was back in play. Green eyes watched in terror as the Villain rose and turned to face the Number Two Hero. His mask, having grown ever more tattered during their fight, fell off to reveal what was hidden beneath. Crazed red eyes with the absence of a nose in between. The one the man had cut off to unmask himself from the illusion he had been living under as Stendhaul in order to become the Hero Killer Stain instead.

“Endeavor…you fake!” Stain growled. He saw the false Hero fire up an attack only for it to sputter out as Eraserhead cancelled it with a Quirked glare. “Abusing your own family. You’re no Hero! You don’t deserve that sacred title!”

There were whispers amongst the other Heroes present as Endeaver sneered with a fold of his arms, “What is this slander?”

The red eyes of the Villain did not miss the pointed glare shot towards the Number Two Hero by his son. Stain growled at the blatant dismissal of his accusations.

Just you wait, Endeavor. The Little Hero is after you.

“It is because of people like you that the word ‘Hero’ has lost all meaning in this society,” the Hero Killer seethed as he took a weighted step towards the fake. “The corrupt and the attention seekers. Tainting the role of a Hero with their hypocrisy. As bad as the criminals wielding their power in the name of petty mischief. For the sake of a better society, I will purge you all.”

The onlookers were frozen as he ranted. The sheer energy of his conviction and bloodlust exuded from the Hero Killer in waves of red. The tension in the air was thick as blood as he took another step.

“You fake,” Stain sneered. “I cannot abide your defiling of the name Hero. I will make this right one way or another. Cleansing this warped society with the spilling the blood of hypocrites!”

The Villain’s eyes seemed to glow red as he took yet another step, stomping his armored foot down. Those watching could only stand there and stare. The young Heroes looked on in horror at his words while the Pros were shaking in their boots. Even Endeavor was affected as he instinctively took a step back.

“I WILL RECLAIM THE WORD HERO!” the Hero Killer bellowed into the night. “SO COME AT ME! JUST TRY AND STOP ME, YOU FAKES! FOR ONLY A TRUE HERO IS WORTHY ENOUGH TO DEFEAT ME!!”

~~~

At the utterance of ‘true Hero’, Izuku broke out of his stupor. He quickly realized that no one was making any attempt to do anything. Frozen in terror as the atmosphere almost reeked with the coppery rage filled ire of the Hero Killer. Whose sole focus was on the false Hero Endeavor. This was his chance. Izuku looked at the Support Item on his arms and then up at the Villain before him. He had to make a choice and he had to do it now. The Quirkless teen quickly tucked the closed knife away in his belt as he frantically stood up best he could on his injured leg.

I’m sorry, Chizome-san. It’s what a Hero would do.

Without another thought, Izuku shot out the ends of his arm wrappings towards the ranting man hoping his aim was true. Entrapping tendrils wrapped the Villain up around his arms, torso, and the tops of his legs. The sudden attack threw him off balance and he fell to the ground. In an instant, Izuku jumped into action and pinned the Villain down. Pulling the binding cloth tight to secure his hold on the man.

“Stay down, Stain,” Edge demanded, trying to appear threatening but the man could see remorse in his eyes.

Please understand, Chizome-san. I had to.

“If it had to be anyone,” the Hero Killer said, a bare hint of a proud smile on his scarred face. “I’m glad it was you, Little Hero.”

Notes:

Stain has been finally taken down and by none other than the Little Hero himself! The student taking down the master of sorts. ;) I'm sure many of you are worried that this will be the end of Stain in this fic. But worry not! :D I have a super duper fun idea to keep him in though it will be a slowburn like everything else. I am also very open to your ideas and suggestions for keeping him in.

Stain's investigation into Endeavor has been revealed to Shouto! And the flash drive has been handed over to Izuku. How will he managed to give it to those who can put it to use in taking down Endeavor? We'll have to wait and see! ^____^

Izuku received two things from Chizome! :D Shout out again to all those who suggesting/requesting/demanding this. XD I was torn between the gift of a knife or the scarf. As well as how the heck I would write that in in a way that makes sense. I kept racking my brain as I worked up to this moment. It wasn't until I got to writing the Hosu fight that it finally clicked and I managed to get both of them in! ^______^ The scarf not as ceremonious as the knife was for plot reasons but still he has them. But whether he gets to keep them or not remains to be seen. ;)

For Izuku using Stain's quirk against him, there's no canon evidence that it wouldn't work on him too. ;) This lack of clarification is what I'm going with to say that it is possible. Because this is my AU and I say so. XP Perhaps the effect would be a bit different towards him than others. Such as a possible change to his time limit. But if not he would be down for the maximum 8 minutes as he has type B blood.

EDIT: I added a paragraph to include Stain having been effected by his Quirk in the past. Because it was pointed out on the discord that he must have consumed his own blood at some point which I would agree. So I added that to fix that little plot hole. But it also got me thinking that he must pay a lot of attention to his dental health. Got to floss those pearly whites to keep his gums from bleeding!

Fun Facts About Japan:

More anecdotal this chapter going back to Japan's cultural tradition of omiyage and giving gifts. I got quite a few gifts over my three years in Japan. Bouquets of flowers were common to get on our last days at a school. The English teachers would also band together to get something extra special too. I've gotten things like a blanket, a shawl, a fancy set of color pencils, various styles of bags, and such among other things. One of my favorites is a plush of Yachiyo's mascot Yacchi. It had been one I had wanted to get myself but my third school beat me to it! XD

Another that was extra special to me was from my second to last school. It was the school I spent the longest time in and I was in the teacher picture for the year book. Or graduation album as they called it. I had asked my teachers how to get one and they said they would let me know when the time came. To my surprise though they paid for it themselves and gifted one to me! :D A great addition to my other year books that go back to my elementary school day. ^______^

That's it for this update! Next up is the aftermath of Hosu. We'll get an update from Shiggy then it's off to the hospital with the boys! Hope you enjoyed this double update and that you're doing well in your own lives. :) Stay awesome and let me know of typos or weirdness!

Chapter 33: Beat Around The Bush

Notes:

And we're back! Thank you, everyone, for your kudos and comments even though I haven't gotten to them yet. I appreciate every single one. ^______^ Stain has been captured and we transition into the aftermath of Hosu. A brief Shiggy pov to start us off and then it's hospital time.

Made a minor edit to last chapter in regards to how Stain's Quirk works. Added a paragraph just before "Stain couldn’t help but be proud..." and an explanation as to why in the end notes. Shout out to audrey and Clear Crystal Wing on the discord for their help with that!

Formatting reminder:
"Dialogue heard through a sound system."

Linktree to all the things!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Red eyes glared out behind a disembodied hand as Tomura watched the aftermath of Hosu unfold. From a top the water tower, he could see everything with the binoculars carefully held in his hand. The city was still on fire though the emergency services were working hard to get them under control. The civilians were long out of danger and the police were starting their work. Doing their best to bring order to the chaos his Noumu had brought to their fragile peace.

Everything had been going so well. The Noumu had been rampaging and causing all sorts of havoc. The Heroes had been scrambling to try anything and everything they could to take down those mini bosses. It had been exhilarating to watch all those NPCs run. Like a dropping a starving feral cat into a box full of mice. Watching the helpless little creatures scurry about while their doom chased them.

Though it had gotten annoying when the Number Two Dickhead showed up and started overpowering his Noumu. Damn him and his cheat of a Quirk. Barbecuing one Noumu, incinerating the head of another completely, and then throwing a fucking flame spear into another one’s eye. Chasing after the creature to finish the job. How dare he kill his Noumu.

There had almost been an interesting development when that same Noumu picked up a Hero out of a group of NPCs who were just standing around. At first Tomura had been excited to potentially see the winged Noumu drop them, but upon further inspection of who exactly was in its clutches, he instead wished it wouldn’t. For out of anyone in this whole damn country, the Noumu had snatched a certain green haired future party member.

Midoriya Izuku, huh? What are the chances?

An easter egg the decayer did not expect. But if this brought him the opportunity to meet this new recruit sooner, who was he to complain? Except it didn’t happen. Because of that no good annoying ass Hero Killer who ran out and stabbed his Noumu in the fucking brain to save the kid.

Well, he did say he wouldn’t harm him. But did he have to kill my Noumu like that?

That had him raging with the strong urge to scratch. So he did. A dry and crusty hand reached up and started to scratch his already abused neck. This wasn’t going the way he had wanted. All three Noumu dead. A lost opportunity to meet the possible admin. All because of the Heroes and that infuriating Stain. Ruining everything with his annoying ‘noble’ cause.

Then he got captured by none other than the ‘Little Hero’ himself. Now that was an interesting turn of events. Everyone else did nothing and the Quirkless child was the one to take him down. The sight pulled an amused cackle out of him. But it died down quickly and the decayer reverted back to glaring down at the smoldering city of Hosu.

“We’re leaving,” Tomura declared as he decayed the binoculars in his hand with a firm grip.

“Are the results of this night to your satisfaction, Shigaraki Tomura?” Kurogiri asked as he formed a warp gate back to the bar.

“That all depends on tomorrow’s headlines, moron,” the decayer sneered as he slunked back into the black mist. Their exit recorded by the helicopter flying overhead.

~~~

After Izuku had restrained Stain, the rest of the evening ran rather smoothly. The police came to handle the scene and the Heroes did whatever they could to help. The Hero Killer was taken into custody and his Quirk neutralized by Quirk canceling cuffs. The paramedics arrived and provided immediate first aid to the Heroes and Villain alike. Stain was to be transported to the hospital under armed escort and then turned over to police custody once he had a clean bill of health. The Villain cast one last look at Izuku before they carted him off to be examined and then processed. Green eyes watched the ambulance drive away unsure if he would ever see the man again.

I guess this really is goodbye then, Chizome-san.

The greenette let out a sad sigh at the thought. Don’t get him wrong. He was relieved that a Villain was taken down and would no longer be terrorizing the streets of Japan. His inner Hero was pleased that he helped make that happen. But another part of him was still sad. He may never get to see the man who was the first to believe in him ever again. The only things still connecting him to Chizome were his memories and the recording. Also, the knife and flash drive in his belt and the ragged scarf tied around his middle.

I wonder if they would let me keep it.

Well, he could at least ask. Which he did when the paramedics worked to properly dress his stab wound. They gave him a weird look at the request, but handed over the soiled cloth anyway. For all they knew it could have been part of his costume. His suit did have red elements after all. Izuku kept hold of the blood-soaked scarf as they all drove off to the hospital.

While the hospital was busy when they arrived, those involved in the fight against Stain didn’t have to wait and were carted off immediately for care. All under the watchful eye of Eraserhead who refused to take his eyes off his problem children. They were helped to change out of their costumes and into hospital gowns. Izuku made sure the scarf made it with the rest of his stuff. The doctors there did the best they could to tend their wounds while waiting for Recovery Girl who had let Aizawa know she was already on her way.

Hitoshi was the least injured with the shallow cut across his chest and a concussion. Izuku had the latter as well along with the stab wound in his gut and the cut on his leg. Shouto had the cut on his face and the two stab wounds on his left arm. Tenya had the worst of it with a puncture on one shoulder, a cut on the other, and two deep stab wounds on his right arm. Native managed to get away with just the single cut to his chest.

They were injured, yes, but they were alive. It was almost like a miracle what they had done. Mere students going up against the Hero Killer and winning. Though Izuku suspected that partially had to do with Chizome not wanting to hurt children and didn’t murder without cause. Plus, he had different sorts of connections between him and three of those who had fought him than just mere strangers meeting randomly.

Tenya being the younger brother of Ingenium who had come to Native’s aid. Shouto being a part of Stain’s investigation into Endeavor who had shown up to provide assistance. Then of course there was Izuku and their almost familial connection. All that must have somehow affected how the Hero Killer fought against them. It certainly had been on Izuku’s mind though he still did what needed to be done.

Soon Recovery Girl arrived having left as soon as she had received the destress signal from Izuku. It was a good thing she had Nezu supply her future student with her number even though she hadn’t started training him yet. The police were antsy to get everyone’s statements so they could sort out this mess of a situation. Because of this, Shuuzenji gave a quick kiss to Hitoshi first as he was the least injured. His cut healed instantly though she did advise them to be mindful of any remaining concussion symptoms. Everyone was quick to agree to do so because no one wanted to face the wrath of the Youthful Heroine.

Hitoshi left with Aizawa to take his statement in another room. Recovery Girl then inspected Shouto’s arm approving of the work done before giving him a kiss as well. The bi-color teen became immediately drowsy and she advised him to lie down and rest before it was his turn. He nodded sleepily and flopped down on his bed for a cat nap.

For Tenya and Izuku, she fussed over a bit more. She still gave each of them a kiss after checking the dressed wounds. However, she didn’t heal everything in that moment because if she did then the both of them would probably pass out. So Shuuzenji limited her Quirk to healing as many of the more minor injuries and semi heal the more serious ones. Leaving the full healing for after they gave their statements. She left them to rest as she went to filled out any paperwork needed for documentation.

As time passed, Aizawa and Hitoshi came back. The brainwasher headed to his bed as the tired man woke up Shouto to go next. He grumbled but made himself get up to get it over with. The bi-color teen eyed Hitoshi collapsing onto his bed with envy before casting a look to Izuku. The greenette gave him a ‘good luck’ smile which the other replied silently with a nod before they walking out the door.

The brainwasher was already snoozing away exhausted from the fight and the healing. Leaving Tenya and Izuku the only ones mostly conscious though they too were tired and wished to sleep. The time waiting for Shouto were passed in silence. Partially because they were too low on energy to talk as well as to not disturb Hitoshi as he napped. But there was also something else that held their tongues.

As the minutes passed, an underlying tension started to build. One that had been simmering in the background ever since Izuku had jumped into that alley. It had gone ignored through the fight and the aftermath of apprehending the Villain before going to the hospital. The business of doctors and nurses doing their jobs had kept it at bay as well. But now they were left to their own thoughts as the police working on piecing together the series of unfortunate events of this night. Meaning that hidden tension was starting to come to a boil.

Izuku didn’t comment on it but he could feel Tenya’s troubled gaze on him every so often. The engine teen looked like he wanted to ask something but kept stopping himself. The greenette was sure he could guess what it was. Perhaps he should tell Tenya about Chizome? But then again, it was his carefully guarded secret. He had even moved the recording of their last meeting onto a password protected flash drive at one point within the last week and had deleted it thoroughly from his phone. Though he still kept the drive on his person so he knew where it was at all times.

Shouto eventually came back and it was Tenya’s turn next. He cast one last concerned look towards the greenette before walking out. Izuku had a suspicion that his friend may bring up that concern with the others. Not he could blame him. It did fit his character after all. Maybe there was a way he could come up with some sort of explanation while bending the truth? One last attempt to keep his secret connection to the Hero Killer between him and Chizome. Because if not, this may be the end of his journey to being a Hero.

Well, I was able to do some good, I guess.

Instead of going back to his own bed, Shouto decided to join Izuku on his and they shuffled around to get comfortable. The two sat there side by side leaning against the pillows with their hands intertwined talking quietly about how the other’s interview went. The element wielder filled him in on why exactly he was in Hosu. Endeavor, in his infinite need for validation of his power by taking down any and all Villains in his path, had decided to direct that path toward the currently most prized win of all. The ending of the Hero Killer Stain’s reign of terror.

But that credit wouldn’t go to him. Instead, it was his son and his friends who finally stopped the Villain. Working together as a team against a fearsome real-life opponent. Which they did pretty good for being novices or at least Izuku thought so. There were so many things that could have gone wrong. So many slip ups that could have changed the outcome entirely. But there was no use worrying on what could have possibly been. Izuku was just relieved that they all managed to make it through relatively unscathed.

When the door opened again, it was only Aizawa with no Tenya in sight. The tired man scanned the room seeing one sleeping teen and two others cuddling up to each other. Their teacher rolled his eyes before informing them Tenya was off for further testing and then summoned the greenette to follow him. Izuku shared one last look and hand squeeze with Shouto before letting go and carefully leaving the bed. He was mindful of his leg even though Recovery Girl had healed it. The cut was gone but the area was still tender.

The mentor and student walked through the halls to another room. Along the way, the tired man filled him in on what to expect. An officer from the police force would be there to conduct the interview and take his statement. Aizawa would be there acting as his guardian as he was his homeroom teacher as well as his mentor for the week. Surprisingly Nezu would also be there through a secured video call to observe as their principal as well as a Pro Hero.

They arrived at their destination and Aizawa opened the door to allow the teen through. Izuku was met with a simple meeting room with some couches surrounding a table in the middle. On its surface was a laptop with the familiar image of his analysis mentor on the screen. Then there was a man on one of the couches who the greenette could easily guess was the mentioned officer. He was rather plain looking much like Izuku was in this world of Quirks. No physical sign of what his Quirk was. Appearing as just a simple man in a business suit with black eyes and hair.

Aizawa walked in behind the teen and directed him to sit on the couch adjacent to the man who nodded at him kindly. The teacher then sat next to his student while the officer adjusted the monitor so that Nezu could observe them all. He then turned his full attention to the subject of this meeting.

“Hello, my name is Tsukauchi Naomasa,” the man said with a kind smile. “I’m a detective in the police force and will be conducting your interview concerning the events of tonight.”

“I’m Midoriya Izuku,” the teen replied with small bow. “It’s nice to meet you, sir.”

“And you as well,” Tsukauchi said with a bow of his own. “Now before we get started, I am legally obligated to inform you of my Quirk. It’s called Lie Detector which is pretty self-explanatory of what it does. I can tell when someone is not speaking the truth.”

Wow, what an interesting Quirk? I wonder if it can detect any lie no matter what. Or are there ways to get around it? Like half-truths or side-stepping answers. Or even very specific answers that take advantage of any vagaries or loopholes. Also, what if the person believes what they say to be true even if it isn’t? Would their strong sense of belief be enough to get past his Quirk? And what if…?

The teen continued to mutter to himself not realizing he had started talking out loud while the adults watched with mixed reactions. Nezu proudly at his personal student. Aizawa rolling his eyes at his problem child’s mouth’s tendency to spill out his thoughts. While Tsukauchi in shock at the rapid fired questions that were about him but not really directed at him.

“Is he always like this?” the detective asked.

Indeed,” Nezu answered from the monitor. “Perhaps a habit we should break him from so as not to reveal too much in the field. But he has a strong need to learn about Quirks and his analysis is at quite an impressive level.

“I see,” Tsukauchi nodded.

“Midoriya,” the gruff voice of Aizawa called out, breaking him from his inner thoughts turned mumble. “You can analyze his Quirk later.”

The greenette flushed in embarrassment and quickly hid his face in his hands while Nezu chuckled from the screen. Aizawa shook his head fondly at the boy as Tsukauchi looked at the teen in awe.

“That was…something,” the detective commented with a perplexed chuckle. “I’ll have experiment to see if any of those methods could get around my Quirk.” That earned an awkward squeak from the boy as he gave a quick nod. “Now then, let’s get your statement so you can get some rest.”

And so he did. Izuku told them all of the events leading to the encounter with the Hero Killer. Patrolling with Present Mic and being passed off to continue with Eraserhead. The sudden appearance of the Noumu and the chaos brought along with them. The Pro Hero’s given permission to fight and save people. Their hard efforts to do just that as the creatures had rampaged. Leading to them running into Manual and learning that Tenya was missing. Being given the task of finding him and bringing him back to where the rest of the Heroes were.

A simple task in any other situation except this time it was not. Izuku revealed how Hitoshi and he had tracked Tenya’s general location and scouted the area on the rooftops. Only to discover that Tenya had ran into more trouble than simply being missing. Had somehow found himself downed in an alley with none other than Stain himself in process of finishing Native off.

The greenette filled them in on the events that followed. Skimming over his attempts to stall and then inevitably engaging the Villain until the brainwasher was ready. Explaining how he figured out Stain’s Quirk required the consumption of blood after he was paralyzed. Going into the initial subduing of the Hero Killer which had seemed like the early end of the fight until Shouto had shown up.

Izuku stressed that Shouto hadn’t meant to free Stain. That it was on instinct. Not surprising with how long he had repressed his left side and had come to rely on his right. The adults assured him that they understood having already talked to Shouto and then asked him to continue. Izuku did his best to give a brief but through run down of the ensuing fight. The hits and misses. The teamwork. Each of them doing their best to do what they could to stop the Hero Killer.

The Quirkless teen explained his theory of how Stain’s Quirk worked by blood type. Out of his guesses, that one seemed the most plausible. How he had been the last paralyzed but the first one up. Meaning that type O must be Stain’s shortest time and type B like Native’s was the longest. Which would leave type A and AB in the middle though the greenette guessed that A might be on the shorter side considering the amount of time Tenya was down.

The detective was quick to note his analysis of the Quirk to add to the Hero Killer’s file. Not much was known about it other than the general theory it was related to paralysis in a way. But after experiencing the mutter storm before and Nezu’s backing, Tsukauchi was confident to consider it a strong possibility that was exactly what it was.

The adults collectively cringed internally when Izuku got to the part where he had gotten stabbed. The fact he did it to take the hit instead of Shouto earned him a scolding glare from his homeroom teacher. But Izuku didn’t regret it. He wasn’t going to stand by and let his friends get hurt. Besides it wasn’t like he could have helped it. He had done it on instinct. Twice. Once pushing Tenya out of the way and again getting between Shouto and the thrown knife.

He explained how they were finally able to subdue the Hero Killer. Mentioning his previous assumptions about Stain’s Quirk and his guess that perhaps it would work on the man himself. Leading to a split-second decision to put it to the test in the moment. Sort of a Hail Mary. Not knowing if it would work but going for it anyway.

“That was a big risk,” Aizawa commented beside him. “What would you have done if it hadn’t worked?”

“I don’t know,” Izuku replied sullenly with a shrug. “Keep fighting, I guess. But it did work so we didn’t have to.”

The tired man let out a conceding sigh at that. Because by some miracle his problem child had guessed the workings of the Hero Killer’s Quirk in the span of a single fight. Figured out the Quirk factor and potential differences between blood types. Even theorized it working on the Villain himself and had been right. Ending the fight in an instant. Talk about using someone’s own power against them.

The rest Izuku quickly summarized of them restraining the Villain and removing what they had thought were all of his weapons. Though he didn’t linger on that as the missed knife was in his belt. Instead moving on to the rudimentarily performed first aid and finally leaving the alley meeting up with the other Heroes. Cringing as he recounted how it felt to be plucked up by the flying Noumu out of nowhere.

Seriously, why was it always him?

Izuku left out his last little moment with Chizome. Unsure how exactly he was going to get around to handing the information he had been gifted to the Heroes without revealing their connection. If he was able to find this Dabi person maybe they would be willing to help him pass it on. They did give Stain the information after all so they obviously wanted to help. An ally as Chizome had said.

Instead, he went right to being frozen same as everyone else had when the Hero Killer had started ranting. Managing to break out of his stupor finally and quickly deciding to capture the Villain himself since no one else was doing anything. All thanks to the cursory training they had received on Binding Cloth style that had helped to finally bring the Hero Killer’s reign of terror to an end.

The room fell silent as he finished his tale. Nezu was sipping tea on the screen. Aizawa swiped a tired hand down his face. Tsukauchi scribbled down notes of his account while Izuku sat there messing with a loose thread on the couch. A few minutes passed like this until the detective finished writing.

“Thank you for your statement, Midoriya,” Tsukauchi said. “This will help us figure out the series of events of tonight. I do have some clarifying questions I would like to ask.”

The greenette gave him an acknowledging nod as the man shuffled his papers around. There was quite a stack with all that had happened and how many people he had to interview. It was Izuku’s first glimpse into the sheer amount of paperwork that was involved in police work. He could guess a similar amount extended to Heroes too. Isn’t that going to suck once he went Pro. That is if he does become one. Though there was no mention of Tenya or his concerns as of yet so there was still hope.

“Now then, to keep things organized, I’m going to start just before you left to find Iida,” the detective explained. “You said you knew where to find him. How exactly did you know that?”

“With one of my Support Items,” Izuku answered, placing his fists on his knees so he wouldn’t fidget too much. “I based it off a communication device I used at the USJ. It’s a tracking system with small attachable trackers and an app on my phone to show their location. I can also have basic directions on my goggles too.”

“I see,” Tsukauchi said with a nod as he noted it down. “And how did you get the tracker on him? From my understanding you had no chance to interact with him since the beginning of the internships until tonight.”

The Quirkless teen let out a sigh and rubbed the back of his head as he replied, “Yeah, about that. I didn’t know if we were even going to be in Hosu at all. But I was worried about Tenya-kun being in the same city as the Hero Killer. So, I put a tracker on his suit at the train station before he left. I know I should have asked for his permission but I wasn’t sure how to bring it up. It did help to find him though.”

He gave a sheepish smile as he lowered his hand back to his lap. The detective considered him for a moment before giving him an understanding nod. It was a brief invasion of privacy but considering the circumstances he would let it slide. Especially since it did become helpful in the end.

“Very well,” Tsukauchi said. “So, you tracked Iida down and found him by observing the area from the roof tops, correct?”

“Yes, sir,” the teen confirmed with a nod. “It’s what I thought Eraserhead would do.”

The tired man beside him hid his face in his scarf for a brief moment. Hiding his slightly flustered moment of weakness to the kid’s admiration for him. He wasn’t used to someone holding him to such esteem like he did. But it also warmed his coffee fueled heart that the green one looked up to him so much. Plus, it was only logical for him to conclude to take advantage of the roof tops like that. Because he was right. It was what Eraserhead would have done.

“According to Shinsou, you two found Iida in an alley and that he wasn’t alone,” the detective continued. “That you immediately were able to identify one of them as the Hero Killer Stain. How were you able to do that?”

Izuku kept his face neutral at the question. Quickly thinking of how exactly was he going to answer that truthfully enough to get past the man’s Quirk. Because of course he wasn’t going to say that it was the man he had met after All Might crushed his dreams and left him on a roof. Who he had willingly met again on the roof of his own apartment complex multiple times. Getting a really good look at the man who had self-declared himself a cleanser of Hero society.

Yeah, no.

“The knives mostly,” Izuku answered. “I’ve analyzed Quirks since I was really young. Watching Hero fights and picking them apart. Though I mostly focused on the Heroes themselves. Recently Nezu-sensei has brought up having me start to analyze the Villains as well. But he wanted to wait until after the internships to start that.”

On the screen his analysis mentor nodded in affirmation.

“Anyway, I kind of started already in my free time,” the teen continued with a shrug, earning a knowing chuckle from the chimera. “I did some research into the Hero Killer and was able to find some pictures of him. Mostly partials and such. But enough that you could piece together what he looked like.”

The greenette waited to see how the human lie detector reacted to that. Because while he did speak true, he didn’t speak all of it and sort of shuffled them around. He did start looking into Villains however his research into Chizome in particular was not connected to his future assignments from Nezu. Rather it had been done to better understand the Villain who could see the Hero inside of him. And in turn finding a man disillusioned by the world finding no power in words leaving only actions as his weapon to fight the hypocrisy in today’s Hero society.

He hadn’t been lying about the knives either. Because who wouldn’t notice those upon first glance of Stain. A man covered in knives along with a freaking katana was not a typical sight after all. Though the first time he had met the Villain he had been drawn to his red eyes first. But after that, despite Chizome assuring him time and time again he wouldn’t hurt him, it was always the knives for a brief moment. But could you really blame him? Anyone would be immediately wary of knives around him.

But there was also the stipulation that he said ‘mostly’. Meaning that the knives were partly why he recognized the Villain but not all of it. Because another big factor was his voice. One that Izuku knew very well having relistened to the recording numerous times. Becoming a sort of comfort for him to hear Chizome’s words of encouragement again and again. Even if they were intermixed with less pleasant topics of conversation. But that wasn’t something Izuku wanted to share with the adults around him and he was hoping ‘mostly’ would be enough to slip by.

Tsukauchi gave no indication of if he marked that as a truth or a lie. No tell to inform Izuku if his attempt at half-truths had worked. Which if it did, awesome. But if not…the uncertainty was unnerving. However, there was nothing he could really do about that. All he could do was try and hope. It was how he managed to make it through everything else so far.

“I see,” the detective said. “So, you determined it was Stain and sent out a message asking for help. Then before you jumped into the alley, you instructed Shinsou to prepare an All Might impression to be used on Stain. Is that correct?”

“Yes, sir,” Izuku replied with a nod.

“Why did you suggest an All Might impression?” Tsukauchi asked.

Because he was who Chizome had seen as the best example of a true Hero. That was until he met Izuku. Not that he would say that.

“Because he’s All Might?” the greenette answered instead. “People either look up to him or fear him. I didn’t know if it would work on him but I thought it was worth a shot.”

It was a general truth that people idolized or feared All Might. Chizome just happened to be in a position to do both. Admiration for being the kind of Hero he thought should be the norm. Though still displeased that the Number One Hero was unable to see the potential in Izuku. But also fear because All Might was a formidable opponent and despite his goals, Stain was self-aware he was a Villain. But Izuku couldn’t admit all of that was why he chose All Might out of everyone. Plus, he really hadn’t known if Chizome would respond to it or not.

The detective eyed the boy carefully before saying, “Hmm, I think I’m starting to understand more about the effect half-truths have under my Quirk. It rings true but seems ever so slightly off.”

“Sir?” Izuku asked with an innocent tilt of his head.

Come on, cinnamon roll powers. Don’t fail me now.

“I think you’re lying to me, Midoriya,” the detective said staring the teen in the eye. “Either that or you’re leaving something out.”

What?

“Though I don’t really need my Quirk to tell me that,” Tsukauchi continued with a shuffling of papers. “But rather a certain concern brought up during my investigation in regards to your level of familiarity with the Hero Killer.”

The greenette did his best to keep his face neutral but his pallor still paled at that. He had figured it was coming due to how Tenya had been reacting to him. But there had still been a hope in the back of his mind this wouldn’t come up. That he could bypass all the ensuing drama about to be unleashed.

“How so, sir?” Izuku asked, his fists clenched tight and nails digging into his skin.

“When you entered the alley, you yelled out his name,” Tsukauchi replied flatly as he picked up a particular piece of paper. “And, according to Iida, you and Stain seemed to be rather familiar with each other. He noted certain wording that implied you were more than strangers.”

The Quirkless teen couldn’t argue with that. Hints to their previous conversations had been sprinkled throughout the fight. Not to mention all of the slipped in ‘Chizome’s and ‘Little Hero’s between them.

“So, tell me, Midoriya,” the detective said. “How did you know his name?”

“I researched him,” Izuku answered simply hoping it would be enough.

“That rings true but doesn’t actually answer my question” the man pressed. “How did you learn his name?”

This was it. The moment of truth. Literally. There was no way he could hide this secret any longer. Because he couldn’t lie his way out of this one nor work around the subject. Not when up against a human lie detector with his two mentors watching.

Guess this is the end of my Hero career.

It had been nice while it lasted. Being able to live out his dream of becoming a Hero even if for a short while. It was more than his past self ever expected despite all his stubbornness to try for it anyway. At least the Quirkless teen had gotten a taste. He would cherish these memories and would do his best to not regret his past actions. And who knows? If he still had the urge to help people, there was still the Vigilante route as Chizome had suggested. Challenging if a Quirkless person could count as a Vigilante all because of the wording of the law.

Izuku took a steadying breath as he mentally prepared himself at this metaphorical edge. An abyss of uncertainty and unknown consequences stood before him. There was no telling what would follow after admitting this secret. However, all the scenarios his mind could come up with were not good.

This is it.

“I know his name because…,” Izuku said slowly. Pausing out of nerves but managed to force himself to speak the words clinging to his tongue. With a final gulp, he spoke his secret. “…he told me himself.”

The room fell into a tense silence at that reveal. Tsukauchi and Aizawa stared at him wide eyed in surprise. Even Nezu held his tea cup midair in shock. None of them had expected that.

“He told you…himself,” Tsukauchi repeated earning a nod from the teen. “Why?”

A single worded question with a very loaded answer. A key that was going to unlock all the secrets that had been building up since the greenette had grabbed onto All Might’s leg all those months ago. The Number One Hero’s secret, meeting Stain for the first time, and repeatedly meeting the Villain again and again afterward. Getting to know Chizome as no one else did. Let’s just say it was going to be a lot to unpack.

“I met him about a year ago,” Izuku made himself begin. His tale wasn’t going to tell itself after all. “It was on the same day I met All Might.”

He cast a glance at Aizawa who stiffened next to him. Then on the screen he could see a certain gleam in the principal’s eyes. It spoke of internal anger. Perhaps the chimera was aware what happened between him and All Might. It wouldn’t surprise the teen at all considering Nezu’s resourcefulness and penchant for hidden cameras.

“What happened with All Might?” Tsukauchi asked gaining the boy’s attention again.

“I…um,” Izuku started, unsure what exactly he could say.

It’s alright, Midoriya-kun,” Nezu assured him from afar. “Tsukauchi-san is aware of Yagi-san’s…condition. You may speak freely here.

“You know?” the greenette asked, directing the question to the detective. Nezu knowing of All Might’s small form wasn’t as surprising compared to this plain man before him.

“Yes, I do,” Tsukauchi answered with a nod. “How do you know?”

“Last year, All Might saved me from a Sludge Villain,” Izuku replied. “Getting attacked sucked but I was happy to finally meet my idol. Even if the circumstances weren’t the best. But he was going to leave and I just grabbed onto his leg on instinct. We landed on a roof and he deflated in front of me.”

The detective couldn’t help the snort that escaped at his wording before saying, “Apologies. I’ve never heard it referred to like that before.”

“Like an old balloon,” Aizawa interjected, recalling their comfort session after All Might had put his foot in his mouth.

The greenette let out a soft chuckle as well before continuing in a more somber tone, “Well I had asked All Might if I could be a Hero like him even though I was Quirkless. Now I know he took that question differently than what I intended. But regardless his answer was ‘no’.”

A flash of something appeared in the detective’s eyes but quickly vanished under his professional stare. He said nothing and simply gestured for the teen to continue.

“He left after that,” Izuku went on. “Leaving me on the roof. The same one I met Stain on shortly after.”

Tears were starting to well in green eyes as he finally revealed what had happened on that roof. It was a secret he had been keeping ever since. Mentioning their meetings vaguely as his source of inspiration but never saying outright who it was.

“Most people wouldn’t understand this,” the greenette said. “But growing up Quirkless, with a weak or ‘Villainous’ Quirk, or not even human with a Quirk…is a very different experience than for those who have an ‘acceptable’ Quirk. Those with Quirks considered ‘strong’ and ‘Heroic’ could never understand.”

Green eyes cast a glance at his mentors. Knowing they were among those who could.

“Me, I grew up Quirkless,” Izuku continued, turning back to the detective. “Considered and labeled as ‘useless’ by my peers and teachers. Everyone thought the idea of a Quirkless person becoming a Hero or anything of worth was impossible. Even my own mother didn’t fully believe in my dream to be a Hero until recently. My dad at least had said I could at least try but I know he would prefer if I didn’t become a Hero. Meaning I had no one in my life who truly believed a Quirkless Hero was possible except for me. That is until…him.”

The greenette straightened as he finally spoke of the man who believed in him.

“I first met Akaguro Chizome on the same roof All Might left me on after he told me ‘no’. For understandable reasons even for me. All Might thought I wanted to be a Hero just like him without a Quirk. Which even to me seems impossible considering some of his past battles. Like the one that gave him his injury. But I never said I wanted to be a Hero exactly like him. I’ve only ever wanted to help people in any way I could. Quirk or no Quirk. Though apparently that’s something All Might can’t understand.”

He could feel the tenseness of his homeroom teacher beside him. It also seemed to have spread over to the detective as well whose grip on his pen was tighter than it was before.

“After All Might told me I couldn’t be a Hero like him and then left me on that roof top, he came. Chizome talked to me, listened to me, to understand what my true goals were. And he told me what I had been waiting to hear since I was four. That I could be a Hero.”

A hard look grew on the greenette’s face as he spoke with green eyes still welled with unshed tears glistening with his resolve.

“Chizome was the first to ever say this to me. Not All Might, not my mom, not my peers or teachers…HIM. A Villain. I don’t support his actions because I think they’re wrong, but because of his convictions I know that if he sees me as being able to become a Hero, he means it.”

His brows furrowed more at openly admitting that fact. That out of everyone in his life, the first person who believed and encouraged him to be a Hero was a Villain. The Hero Killer himself.

“He believes in me. Not because of a Quirk but because of me. Of my dream and goals. He told me it would be hard which I was fine with and I worked hard to be where I am. But I was finally able to find the ‘edge’ he said I would need to fight and his words helped me to work towards becoming the Hero Edge. We got to know each other and that’s why he told me his name.”

The Quirkless teen fell silent after that. The adults around him were stunned by that revelation. Of how a Villain, the Hero Killer Stain himself, was first source of true encouragement the teen had received in his life. Had been the first to tell him he could be the Hero he desired to become. Tsukauchi even had a double dose with learning about All Might’s answer on top of that as well. One he didn’t agree with though he wanted to ask Yagi about that himself to get his side of the story. It took them all a moment to regain their professionalism.

“Does that mean you met with him after that first time?” the detective asked after shaking himself out of his stupor.

“Yes…a few times,” Izuku admitted. There wasn’t much point in lying or omitting now. “Once the week before school, again after the USJ attack, and once more after the Sports Festival. The next one after that was here in Hosu. But before Hosu, he never hurt me or threatened me. We just…talked.”

“What did you talk about?” Tsukauchi asked.

“About a lot of things. I…,” Izuku said before he stopped. There really was so much that they had talked about. But perhaps there was a better way to disclose them what they had said. “Do you have my Hero costume?”

The detective nodded and Aizawa got up heading towards a pile of boxes nearby that Izuku hadn’t noticed before. The tired man grabbed one of them and brought it over to reveal it was filled with all of the Quirkless teen’s possessions. His costume was folded up at the bottom still crusted with drying blood. He wished good luck to whoever had to work that stain out. Though would they really bother if he wasn’t ever going to be able to wear it again? His chances of remaining a Hero were slim to none.

His Support Items were piled on top and Izuku rifled through them searching for a specific one. He was pleased to see that the red scarf was in there as he pulled out his belt. The Quirkless teen placed the box on the floor and then searched the pockets on his belt for a certain item. Finding it, he placed the belt on his lap holding the small object in his clenched hand.

“Does your Quirk work on recordings, detective?” Izuku asked.

“I…don’t know,” the plain man answered honestly. “Typically, I conduct these interviews in person. Though I do know that it works through glass and speakers.” He knew this having overseen countless interviews from the other side of the one-way mirror. But he had never tried it with a recording before. “Do you have a recording you would like me to listen to?”

The greenette nodded and held out his hand. On his open palm was a flash drive. Similar to the one Chizome had given him but had been kept in a different pocket. It was the one holding the recording of his last friendly meeting with the Villain. Removed from his phone to this to better protect his secret. But that secret was out in the open now. His future as a Hero was already ruined by his own life choices. Anything else would be nothing compared to that crushing thought.

“This holds a recording of my meeting with Chizome after the Sports Festival,” the teen explained as he offered the detective the flash drive. “It sums up everything we’ve ever talked about during our meetings. I figure this would be better than me just telling you.”

Tsukauchi stared down at the drive for a moment before carefully taking it in hand.

Notes:

Izuku's connection with Chizome has been revealed! Please don't be mad at Tenya. It really is in his character to bring it up so don't hold it against him. Even if his actions are making the green bean sad right now. Thinking his life as a hero is done. We'll have to see if that holds true as the story continues. As well as what the adults' reactions will be to the recording. ;) But we'll get more into that next chapter.

Thankfully though the boys weren't too beat up after their fight. We'll learn more about Stain's condition in a future chapter when the chief shows up. We also got a bit of fluff there with TodoIzu cuteness. But we are at a time that is heavy on the angst which will continue next chapter. However the one after that will have some fluff to compensate that I think you'll like. ^___^

Fun Facts About Japan:

With the police handling the aftermath of Hosu, I figured we could talk about police. Now I don't have much experience with police in Japan because you know, not doing anything illegal. But I did have to report something to them at one point though I won't go into what exactly. Too personal and I'd rather not. But anyway, when I did we went to the local police box or kouban ( 交番 , こうばん ). They're like mini police stations that are spread out all over Japan. Typically one or two floor buildings with only a few rooms and a handful of officers. Much different than other police boxes found in other countries. Definitely not a Tardis, folks! You can learn more about them here if you're interested.

The only other experiences I had with police were with their cars. When a Japanese police car is trying to get through traffic or whatever to get to an emergency, they have one of them driving while the other is asking people to make way for them over a megaphone. The thing that struck me was how polite they were about it. Lots of 'please's ( kudasai, ください ), 'thank you's ( arigatou gozaimasu, ありがとうございます ), and 'excuse me's ( sumimasen, すみません ) mixed in with polite verb conjugations and the like. Never yelling 'get out of the way' or anything like that. Still a sense of urgency with the flashing lights and trying to rush towards their destinations, but always in a polite manner. Which makes sense with the honorifics and different levels of respectful speech. Going so far to still be used even in an emergency. I found a pretty good sampling in this video here.

That's it for now! Next is the witnessing of the recording. How will this reveal effect Izuku's situation? We'll have to wait and see! Because cliffhangers are fun. ;D Next chapter will reveal his fate along with what will happen to his gifts. Until then, let me know of typos or weirdness and stay awesome!

Chapter 34: Spill The Beans

Notes:

Welcome back to the second half of the interview! The recording will be heard and some decisions will be made about how to handle this situation. I hope you like it! ^____^

Warning for brief mentions of past suicide baiting and canon character death from Vigilantes. (I haven't gotten to adding the former warning in previous chapters yet but I will eventually. Might as well start adding them now as we go along though.)

Formatting reminder:
"Dialogue heard through a sound system."

Linktree to all the things!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Izuku watched as the detective inserted the flash drive into the laptop Nezu was on who was subsequently putting on a set of headphones to listen on his end. The computer was a specially made one designed and coded by the chimera himself for the detective. They collaborated often on cases and had a need for a secure device to communicate through when they couldn’t meet in person. Meaning that it was the most secure device and best option for playing such sensitive material.

A window popped up and Izuku reached forward to type in his password. Upon pressing enter, a file appeared and the detective opened it with a few clicks of the mouse pad. Another small window opened and began to play the recording. The beginning was filled with ruffling sounds of when Izuku had started the recording and placed it back in his pocket before exiting to the roof. Followed soon after by the comforting voice of Chizome.

So…first place in the Sports Festival. Not bad, Little Hero.

Heh, thanks, Akaguro-san.

Call me Chizome, kid.

It was weird listening to his own voice while surrounded by other people. Izuku had mostly zoned out on his own words and rather focused on Chizome’s whenever he had relistened to it. But now he was hyper aware of every word spoken knowing the adults were doing the same.

The recording kicked off with their awkward exchanging of first names. Signs of respect and connection well earned over the short time they had gotten to know each other. Still awkward though being on opposite sides of the law. Especially when Chizome openly admitted that the giving of one’s first name to a Villain was difficult. And yet Izuku had anyway.

It was odd for the three men to hear their exchange. Despite the teen’s nervousness seeping out with his words, there was still a familiarity between them as they talked. One that was hard to believe existed unless you heard it yourself. Exchanging of names. Talking of transferring. Encouragement to keep trying even if he wasn’t offered that chance. Nezu even chuckled at the Villain’s calling him a fool if he hadn’t.

You’ve worked hard, using your conviction to push yourself ever forward. I’m proud of you, Izuku.

Green eyes couldn’t help but tear up at those words. Same as every time he heard them. Having no way to hold them back even with the Heroes and detective observed him as they listened. Izuku silently reminisced over the first impulsive hug they had shared. Represented by muffled rustling on the recording. The adults eyed him curiously but the greenette said nothing to explain the noise.

Thank you. For your words that day. I…I don’t think I would have made it this far without them.

Little Hero…my words were just that…words. I’m sure that even without them, you would have found a way to follow your dream.

You’re wrong, Chizome-san. Your words that day mean more to me than you will ever know. I-I know you’re a Villain, but you were my Hero that day.

Aizawa’s brows furrowed at that point as he remembered something Izuku had said once. ‘They weren’t a Hero but they were my hero that day. By telling me I could be one. When no one else did.’ So, the ‘they’ he had mentioned had actually been Stain. It showed that something was really wrong with this society when a Villain was the first person to ever believe in this kid.

The feeling fest of words moved on to the talk of Stain’s path to Villainy. Much like his analysis of Heroes no matter how obscure, Izuku had been able to dig up a lot on the mysterious man. Really showing the power of knowing someone’s name. It was intriguing to hear more about the man’s past and how he became the Villain he was today.

Who would have thought the Hero Killer had once wanted to become a Hero himself? Inspired by All Might like many others were only to be disillusioned by the changing views of what a Hero was. Disapproving of the focus on flash and flare much like Aizawa himself. It was strange to know they shared a lot of views on the issues of today’s Hero society.

The fact that Stain had once been a Vigilante was surprising and yet not. There were many Villains who started out as Vigilantes only to fall down a darker path. The Hero Killer was different though. He essentially had the same goals as both Stendhal and Stain. Wanting to cleanse the world of those who corrupted it. The only difference was who he targeted switching from Villains to Heroes.

The points made about the Quirkless and Vigilante laws was interesting. Tsukauchi was taking notes the entire time and made sure to add one to really look into those laws. Nezu thought it was an intriguing challenge to find loop holes to exploit. While Aizawa raised an eyebrow and let out an intrigued huff at the possibility of a Quirkless person able to wiggle their way out of such a charge on a technicality. If they were in another universe, he was sure the Quirkless teen beside him would be one such person.

The name Stendhal didn’t exactly ring a bell. The Erasure Hero would have to ask around his Vigilante contacts and see who knew more about his activities before becoming Stain. To learn more about the man behind the mask. One that the Villain used to separate himself into two different people of the man and his judgment passing persona.

I assure you I will not harm you, Izuku. Remember as I said last time. Not only do you have a true Hero’s heart but you are also a child. Children do not fall under the purview of my judgement.

The Villain’s practices were unsavory though it was a relief to know that he seemed to make an exception for children. That they didn’t ‘fall under the purview of his judgment’. Though that hadn’t stopped him from fighting them in that alley. Too consumed by his goal to kill Native to let even children stand in his way without a fight.

The recording grew tense when the topic of murder was brought up. The pleas of the teen that it only took away their chances to change were drowned out by a convicted shout. Leading to a moment of tense silence until they agreed to disagree. Moving on to how Stendhal became Stain. Giving the Underground Hero more details he could use to find more information on the Villain’s Vigilante days.

It was strange to hear Izuku agreeing with the Villain that not all Heroes were good. The mention of researching into the Hero Killer’s victims made Aizawa note to ask for that research to help with looking into his claims. Perhaps there really was a reason behind his justice obsessed madness.

But the kid also made a fair point to counter that. That Pro Heroes, beneath the costumes and gear, were human. Vulnerable to making mistakes whether by accident, neglect of duty, or falling to corruption. Mistakes are part of life’s lessons. They served as learning opportunities to grow from. But one can’t learn if one is dead. A point Stain conceded somewhat with but stood by his actions. An ‘old dog’ indeed.

Both mentors were surprised to hear more about their shared student’s dad. The teen mentioned him sometimes but had never revealed the accident he had been in. That must have been a stressful time for the Midoriyas. And especially for Izuku with all the other crap going on outside of his home. The incident apparently still effected the father to this day. Making the Heroes wonder if seeing All Might also suffering from an old injury brought up bad memories for the teen. Perhaps that was something for Inui to address at some point during his sessions with the kid.

The fact that Stain openly admitted to Izuku that he was the one to attack Ingenium was a surprise. Meaning that the boy had learned about that from the man himself rather than the emergency app recording that had been leaked. The Villain’s voice was dripping with regret from having attacked the Hero. Enough for him to be the one to call the authorities to bring the other the help he needed. They had all heard the leaked recording but it was different now knowing how much the Hero Killer hadn’t wanted to attack Ingenium. Though it was still a shock the Villain had done so at all. Even to the Hero Killer himself.

Perhaps you are rubbing off on me, Little Hero.

Perhaps he was. From an outside perspective, such an act seemed out of character for the Villain. Even his moniker made it seem ironic. The Hero Killer working to save a Hero? Seemed unlikely and yet it had happened and was publicly known. Potentially from the Quirkless teen’s own influence. Mutually pushing the other to be better in their own way.

That possibility wasn’t as surprising especially after taking into account what the man considered a true Hero to be. Someone who selflessly saved people without want of praise. He had seen the budding potential within the Quirkless teen since the beginning. Stain even declared that in his mind All Might was replaced as a the ideal ‘true Hero’ by Izuku himself.  Certainly, high praise coming from him.

Everything that you have and how far you have come is all thanks to your own efforts and hard work. To me, you are the epitome of the true Hero.

The Villain had apparently been keeping tabs on the teen since they had first met having brought up all his accomplishments. The mention of the beach earned a curious look from the detective. He eyed the boy next to him before turning to look at Nezu with a questioning quirked brow. The chimera gestured they would talk of it later to which Tsukauchi nodded. The plain man did cast an impressed glance at the boy though before focusing back on the recording.

You know, for someone who doesn’t put much stock in words, you sure know which ones to say.

Perhaps I merely had to wait for the right one who would actually listen.

Aizawa could identify with that. It was part of why he expelled so many students from the Hero Course. Kicking them out of his class for not listening to what he had to say. Ignoring his words that were meant to protect them in the dangerous world of Heroics. Only letting those who would listen to stay. Not wanting any of them to go through what Kayama, Yamada, and he had back in their high school days. No one should have to experience that.

Chizome-san, you see All Might as a true Hero. What are your thoughts o-on the Number Two Hero?

That was where the recording took a turn. All three adults cast glances at Izuku who avoided their gazes before turning back to the recording. Nezu and Aizawa had already started coordinating with Tsukauchi into looking into Todoroki Enji. To investigate the suspicions Inko had brought up to them about Shouto and his ‘training’ at home.

The past Izuku’s voice never revealed specifically what he was referring to. But the adults in the room knew anyway. Nezu’s fur had stood on end when he had first managed to find the conversation between his personal student and the youngest son of Endeavor from the festival. When he had shared it with the others, they had been as angry as he was after hearing how the man ‘trained’ his son. Had also pushed his wife passed her limits leading to the suspicious scar on the teen’s face. None of that talk had painted the flame Hero in a good light making them agree with the boy for what his past self said next.

But if you really are l-looking for fake Heroes a-and want a better class of Hero, you should look i-into the family life of…Endeavor.

The Number Two Hero?

There was a moment of hesitation in which the Heroes and detective waited to see if the kid actually went through with it. Hoping that he had not sent the Hero Killer after Endeavor which could constitute a hit. However, that hope was dashed by a hesitant and quietly whispered ‘yes’. The Erasure Hero internally cursed at that while Tsukauchi made a note. Nezu betrayed nothing as he sipped his tea though secretly, he was amused by and approving of his personal student’s actions.

Hmm…and what if I find out something that warrants me to pass my judgement? What if I were to turn my blade to the Number Two Hero? Are you aware of the consequences of making this request?

Those were very good questions. Because the Quirkless teen had essentially called out a hit on the Number Two Hero. Especially with the Hero Killer’s track record. There was a long pause before the boy answered. Expressing his desire for the Villain to not kill the Hero, but accepting he didn’t have any control over the other’s actions. Calling him an ‘old dog’ once more earning a chuckle from the man.

That I am, Little Hero. Very well. I will look into the matter and perhaps, just this once, I will attempt to have some form of…restraint.

Now that was surprising. Perhaps Stain was right and Izuku really had rubbed off on him. Before hearing this recorded conversation, the Villain seemed the type to not hold back. Nor did he seem like the type to show a form of mercy by personally calling to bring a downed Hero needed aid. But then again, the hardened murderer also hadn’t seemed capable of holding a conversation such as this at all. And yet he had.

Moments filled with affection had been intermittent throughout all of this recorded exchange. Fond tones ringing through their exchanged words. Especially that repeated nickname. Little Hero. It was very similar to the other name the teen had gone by earlier in the year. But it was with each other’s first names that they had concluded their last friendly meeting.

Goodbye, Izuku.

Goodbye…Chizome.

Aizawa eyed the teen next to him at that. The kid was polite to a fault and used honorifics all the time unless he was in a stressful situation like the USJ. The only other exception was Bakugou but they had known each other since they were kids. So, for Izuku to use Chizome’s name without one he must have felt some kind of strong connection to the man in that moment.

After the goodbyes, the recording was a mess of rustling and eventually Izuku reached out to stop the playback. Knowing he hadn’t ended the recording until after he had gotten back into his room. He then sat there fiddling with the belt in his lap waiting for their reactions.

There was a lot to unpack about this recording. The biggest thing being that Izuku knew Stain at all and had gotten to know the man behind the mask. Had been keeping his meetings with the Villain secret for over a year. Yet despite the man being a Villain, the Hero Killer had never pushed the boy to do anything criminal. Quite the opposite in fact. Instead, Stain had encouraged him to become a true Hero.

For the most part there was nothing wrong about their recorded meeting. However, there were two elements that were concerning. The fact that the boy had failed to report the Villain and the hit put out on Endeavor. Though the latter was the more serious issue of the two. But the former still needed to be addressed regardless.

“That was…a lot,” Tsukauchi said, breaking the silence. “I’m going to need to ask some follow up questions. First of all, why didn’t you tell anyone about Stain?”

“Honestly I didn’t think anyone would believe me,” Izuku replied with a shrug. “The Hero Killer encouraging a Quirkless Deku like me to be a Hero? Yeah, right. To most, the thought of a Quirkless Hero was a joke. They thought I was a joke.”

The boy looked dejectedly down at his lap. The detective stared at him sadly because his words rang true. Nezu wished he were there physically to place a comforting paw on his personal student’s knee. While Aizawa resisted the urge to growl and go after all those who had tried to push the Quirkless teen down. But that would have to wait until they properly took down Aldera.

“The number of Quirkless people in today’s society is twenty percent,” the greenette explained still not looking up. “The number of those born Quirkless in my generation is even less than that. Ever since I was diagnosed Quirkless…everyone outside of my family turned away from me. Even my best friend started to tease and eventually bully me because of something I couldn’t control. Other kids followed his example and began to mess with me as if I was a lesser human than them.”

Those tears that had been threatening for a while started to fall as he recalled his past to the detective. A comforting hand came to rest on his shoulder and green eyes looked up to see the concerned and caring face of his homeroom teacher. Aizawa gave a squeeze to his shoulder as a way to say he was there for him before letting go. The greenette gave him a thankful smile before turning to Tsukauchi.

“I-it got better after I started to fight back, any physical attacks stopped eventually,” Izuku continued. “But they still hurt me with their words. Other kids would call me names, teachers would do nothing to stop them. They didn’t think a Quirkless kid was worth their time and that it was something I needed to get used to. They even went out of their way to ignore bullying situations or misplacing my schoolwork.”

The detective did his best to school his features upon hearing all that. He knew of the investigation Nezu had started into the Quirkless teen’s past schools. On charges of Quirk discrimination and child neglect among others. But it was something else to hear it from the victim with his Quirk marking everything coming out of his mouth as true. It filled him with a determination to bring this boy the justice he deserved.

“Even then, if I had told someone would they even care?” Izuku asked. “Before him, no one outside of my parents cared about me.”

“What about the teachers at UA?” Tsukauchi inquired. “They’re Pro Heroes. Why not tell them?”

“Because before UA, no teacher had ever helped me,” the boy answered. “So, why should UA be any different? Sure, some teachers have actually tried to help me, but what if it was a fluke? No one helped me before. Why should I expect anyone to help me now?”

There it was. That decade long thought that had been drilled into the Quirkless teen’s head. That he wasn’t worth helping. But his idiotic past teachers were wrong. Izuku had so much potential in him. Anyone who actually used their eyes could see it. Stain did. Aizawa and the kid’s other mentors did as well. The two who were present were internally relieved that the boy sitting on the couch had pushed passed everything to get to where he wanted to be.

“Why didn’t you record the other ‘talks’?” Tsukauchi asked.

“Because the first was by chance,” the kid answered. “And I was too stunned by just talking to him and having him, the Hero Killer, encourage me right after All Might said I couldn’t be a Hero.”

Something seemed to click inside the Erasure Hero as he straightened up a bit. The greenette turned to him with a questioning head tilt.

“Midoriya, wasn’t that the same day that Bakugou…,” Aizawa asked, trailing off at the end.

“…told me to jump off a roof?” Izuku finished the question. “Yes, it was.”

Damn. That meant the kid had faced discrimination at school, was told to kill himself, and was attacked by a Villain. Saved by All Might who then crushed his dreams. Only to have them raised back up by another Villain and not just any but the Hero Killer himself. All that in one day?

“Kid…what is your life?” the tired man questioned with a slump of his shoulders.

“You got me,” the teen said with a shrug. “Seems like a whole lot of crazy random happenstances just cobbled together into some story.”

Aizawa rubbed a tired hand down his face as the boy patted the man’s shoulder before turning back to the detective.

“The second I was too scared to think,” Izuku said. “More focused on making sure he didn’t hurt me. The third time I didn’t think about it until after he left. Too shocked by the fact that he seemed to care about my safety after the USJ attack. It wasn’t until the fourth that I actually decided to record our talk. I didn’t know if it would be good or bad to have it, but considering I was asking him to investigate a Hero, I thought it maybe could be useful in some way.”

It had it seemed in a way. The recording was able to show the Heroes and detective how Stain and he had interacted. Gave them more insight into the man he had come to know behind the Hero Killer persona. Though it must mean the end of his path to be a Hero. How could he still be allowed to after all this?

“Speaking of that, why did you ask Stain to investigate Endeavor?” the detective asked, knowing why but needing the boy to say it himself.

“I…it’s not really my place to say,” the greenette answered, not wanting to break his friend’s trust.

Midoriya-kun,” Nezu called out gaining his personal student’s attention. “We know what Todoroki-kun told you during the Sports Festival.

“You…you do?” the teen asked with wide green eyes full of surprise.

Yes, we’ve actually started our own investigation based on concerns brought up by Inko-san,” the chimera replied to which Izuku stared at his analysis mentor with a mouth opened in shock. Though he shouldn’t be too surprised actually. This was his mother they were talking about. “We also found footage of your talk with Todoroki-kun.

This too Izuku shouldn’t be surprised about. The fact that Nezu and the other two beside him knew about his talk with Shouto. The principal did love his cameras after all. Sometimes during their lessons, he had shown his student footage from one of the countless cameras on campus for a bit of flash analysis practice.

Combined they form a concerning case in regards to the homelife of the Todorokis,” Nezu continued. “It seems you decided to start your own with the help of this man. Perhaps it would be more efficient to combine our efforts. Wouldn’t you agree?

The greenette nodded as the chimera took a sip of tea.

Very well,” the principal said. “Do you have anything to add other than what you already know?

“I…ah, yes actually,” Izuku said, reaching into a pocket of his belt and pulled out the gifted flash drive. “He gave me this after he saved me from the Noumu. I don’t know what he was able to find out but everything he did is on here.”

The teen handed the device to Tsukauchi who securely placed it in his pocket to go through later.

Anything else? Nezu asked, internally itching to go through whatever dirt the Villain had managed to dig up.

The greenette nodded and said, “Chizome told me that someone helped him get that information. Someone going by the name Dabi. Said he was a potential ally. He also said the answer to who this Dabi is exactly is in there as well.”

“We’ll keep a look out for this Dabi then,” Tsukauchi interjected as he wrote down a note. “This is a very big fish we’re going after. We’re going to need all the help we can get.”

“Do you think…,” Izuku started only to stop as he nervously bit his lip.

“Do you think what?” Aizawa asked beside him.

“Do you think…there’s a way to get Shouto-kun away from Endeavor?” the teen asked, green eyes peering up pleading into tired black eyes. “I know you’re still investigating and I’m not sure what reason you could give to do that. But I don’t like it that he has to live with a man who has no regard for his safety.”

The Erasure Hero let out a sigh at that. He and the others understood the kid’s concern for his friend. They had been working hard between their other duties to build a case strong enough to take the Number Two Hero down. But they weren’t there quite yet. Perhaps they will though after going through whatever Stain had managed to find with the help of this Dabi.

“As of now, no,” Aizawa answered to which the kid looked sadly down at his lap. The teacher placed his hand on the student’s shoulder again to gain his attention. “But we will do everything in our power to make sure he is safe as soon as possible.”

That is correct,” Nezu chimed in. “As you know, at UA our students’ safety is top priority. This will be a difficult case and will take time to handle it properly. But as Aizawa-san says, we will do anything and everything we can to ensure Todoroki-kun’s safety. Understood?

“Yes, sir,” Izuku replied with a sniffly nod. Feeling some sense of relief that there was going to be some effort put into protecting his friend. “Thank you for caring. I really appreciate everything you’re willing to do to help Shouto-kun. I know he’s in good hands. And…I wanted to say that I’m sorry.”

“For what?” Aizawa asked.

“For wasting your time,” the teen replied as he wiped his face with his hospital gown sleeve. “I am grateful for all that you’ve taught me, but I guess I can’t be a Hero after all.”

Why do you think that, Midoriya-kun?Nezu questioned with a tilt of his head.

“A Hero can’t be associated with Villains, right?” the greenette responded with a sad expression on his face. “And I did nothing to report him or turn him in. Even asked him to look into Endeavor despite knowing that sending a Villain after a Hero was wrong. It’s obvious I won’t be allowed in UA anymore. Wouldn’t be surprised if you arrested me.”

The Quirkless teen looked down dejectedly at his lap, more tears rolling down his cheeks. The adults shared a glance between the three of them. Silently declaring they would do none of those things. Especially not arrest the poor boy. That would do nothing to remedy the situation they had found themselves in.

“Midoriya, you’re not going to be arrested,” Tsukauchi assured causing the greenette’s head to shoot up in surprise.

“Huh?”

Nor are you being removed from UA,” Nezu declared, earning a shocked open mouth expression form the teen.

“Wha?”

“And you haven’t wasted our time,” Aizawa added, giving the boy’s shoulder a comforting squeeze. “You’re going to be the first Quirkless Hero, right?”

“Eh?!” he squeaked out confused as hell.

“While this is a rather…unusual situation, you haven’t really committed any crimes,” Tsukauchi stated, while looking over his notes. “Well, the hit on Endeavor is toeing the line but it was for information only. However, when it comes to Stain you two only talked, nothing more. No other conspiring to harm or break the law.”

“But I willingly met him multiple times and made no attempt to report him,” Izuku pressed. “Meaning he was free to keep hurting people.”

“That is true, but I can understand why you didn’t,” the Erasure Hero countered. “He was the first to believe in you, right? The one who inspired your Hero name?”

“Y-yeah,” the teen admitted.

“So, it’s understandable why you would be reluctant to turn him in,” Aizawa said with another short squeeze to his shoulder. “I know I would be if I were in your shoes. Not to mention I also sometimes work with criminals to get information as an Underground Hero. Utilizing them as informants rather than arresting them.”

There’s also the factor of the uniqueness of the situation,” Nezu chimed in. “A Villain known for hunting Heroes encouraging a young boy to become one is certainly an odd one. If it not for the recording, even I would think it was highly improbable. If I may ask, is this the only copy you have, Midoriya-kun?

“Yes, it is,” Izuku answered with a nod. “I moved it to that drive and permanently erased it from my phone.”

I see,” the chimera said with a mischievous glint in his black eyes. In that moment, the screen Nezu was on glitched. “Oh my. Seems I have managed to accidentally permanently delete the recording. Silly me.

Tsukauchi let out a sigh while Aizawa rolled his eyes at that. The Erasure Hero didn’t need a lie detecting Quirk to know the chimera was full of it. While Izuku sat there confused.

"Though this is fortunate,” Nezu continued with a far too cheerful tone. “We know of Midoriya-kun's intentions with Tsukauchi-san's confirmation. However, we have no evidence of Midoriya-kun's transgression. Thereby opening an opportunity to provide a better narrative to these tragic events. Wouldn't you agree?"

The detective sighed again before nodding as he said, “You might be right. I’ve already given Chief Tsuragamae a rundown of the general series of events. Considering there are minors using Quirks illegally involved, he’s already proposed an…edited version to tell the press instead.”

One that I think will be quite believable,” Nezu commented with a pleased tone.

The Erasure Hero sighed as well but nodded in agreement. It would do no good to anyone really to let out this truth. Only putting unnecessary barriers for his problem children to deal with. They didn’t need that on top of everything they had gone through.

“Then it is decided that this witnessing of the recording will not be discussed outside of this group,” Tsukauchi stated to clarify, earning nods from the tired man and chimera.

“What about my friends?” Izuku asked. “What should I say to them?”

The adults shared a look before Tsukauchi answered, “Well, if we go through with what the chief has planned, everyone will be sworn to stick to the final chosen story. This would include your relation with Stain.”

Perhaps a summarized version will suffice any lingering curiosities,” Nezu suggested to which the greenette nodded.

“Then it’s settled,” the detective affirmed. “Before I leave to discuss it with him, I have a few more clarifying questions. Midoriya, do you believe everything said in that recording to be true?”

“Yes, sir,” Izuku replied with a firm tone.

“Very well,” Tsukauchi said with a nod and a subtle pleased smile. “I needed to ask because it seems my Quirk doesn’t work on recordings. I must need the actual person there for it to work. But it was an interesting experiment either way. Now then, did you ever give Stain any information on UA or its faculty or students?”

The Quirkless teen held a hand to his chin in thought before responding, “Not anything sensitive, no. We did talk about the USJ after the attack, but I only told him what you could find out from the news. Other than that, we didn’t talk much of UA besides my working towards getting into the Hero Course.”

“True,” the detective stated. “Lastly, do you believe that Stain is associated with the League of Villains?”

“No, he would never,” Izuku answered firmly with a shake of his head.

“And why is that?” the plain man asked to clarify.

“Because their ideals are different,” the teen replied. “Chizome wants to spark change and for the Heroes to be more like All Might. Helping people for the sake of helping. While Shigaraki wants to kill All Might in an effort to destroy the current system. Chizome also didn’t like that the League attacked students at the USJ. He even told me after he saved me from the Noumu that they had tried to recruit him but he said no. He, uh, he also said that Shigaraki was interesting in recruiting me.”

Once again, the adults stared at the boy in shock and concern. Shigaraki held interest in him? Why? The only time they had ever crossed paths was at the USJ, but Izuku had been hidden away for most of it in the Control Hub. The only contact being verbal with the kid using the PA system to give All Might information about their Quirks. How had the Quirkless boy caught the Villain’s eye? But then again, it seemed Izuku was some sort of Villain magnet. The Sludge Villain, Stain, and now Shigaraki? Who else was going to be attracted to this kid?

“That is…concerning,” Tsukauchi said with apprehension. “We will look into that as well. Perhaps set up extra patrols around your area just in case Shigaraki decides to make a move.”

The others nodded in agreement and so the interview was called to a close. Nezu bid them goodbye before signing off. Tsukauchi gave the now empty flash drive back to Izuku before leaving with the laptop and his stack of papers. Leaving the student with his teacher alone.

Izuku gazed down sadly at the drive in his hand. Knowing that the recording was completely gone and he would never be able to hear it again. While he did understand why the deletion was a good thing, he hadn't wanted to let it go. It had been the one tangible tether he had left to the first person to ever truly believe in him. Whose words of 'yes' had pushed him to find his edge and become the person he was today. But now it was gone.

~~~

Shouta saw the devastation on the teen’s face. Could see how much that recording meant to him. Acting like a tether to the very first person who had believed in him. And from what they had heard on the recording, had inspired him so much to be the influence behind his Hero name. The words of a Villain guiding the future first Quirkless Hero. A strange concept but somehow it worked.

It was obvious how much Midoriya valued that recording. Solid proof of the Hero Killer's belief in him. But the ones and zeros of his words were gone now. As if erasing everything they had been to one another. And while that may be true that the recording was gone, the memories would live on. Like Shouta’s own of Oboro that had even brought his words from beyond the grave when he needed them most. The ones that had encouraged him to keep fighting no matter what despite the fact that his friend had been long dead and his speaker broken from the fall.

‘YOU CAN DO IT, SHOUTA!!’

It had all been in his head, but that didn't detract from the meaning those words had or the motivation they had given him. They had been what he needed to go beyond. Plus Ultra. Finally realizing his value as a Hero despite all of his insecurities. Even after he had learned that Oboro had been long dead, Shouta still took those imagined words to heart. While deciding to pursue an Underground route of Heroism regardless of his teachers questioning his decision.

Because of that, Shouta could understand how important that recording had been for Midoriya. How devastated he was now that it was gone. But perhaps there was one more tether he could have to his own personal Hero. Because it was clear that's what Stain was to the boy. He may be a Villain but he had in essence saved the kid that day.

As the teen fiddled mindlessly with the belt in his lap, Shouta reached into the box and took out the one thing he didn’t recognize from the green one’s possessions. A ragged red scarf with brown patches of dried blood. The tired man knew it wasn’t part of his student’s costume but he did recognize it as the cloth that had been wrapped around his torso before the paramedics had arrived.

Going through his mental checklist of costumes of the others involved in the fight, it was only logical to assume this belonged to Stain. Which was backed by the few pictures he himself had seen of the Hero Killer. Those in the Underground had all been informed to look out for the Villain who was targeting Heroes after all. Perhaps this scarf could act as replacement for the recording.

The Erasure Hero offered the scarf to the boy. Green eyes that had been growing dull brightened at the sight of it and took it in his hands. The greenette fingered the fabric before looking up to his mentor.

“It’s his, right?” Shouta asked, earning a shaky nod. “Then there’s still something to remember him by.”

Those green eyes widened in surprise before looking down fondly at the scarf. Running his fingers over the dirty fabric before he stopped suddenly. Black eyes watched as the kid pulled the belt out from under the scarf and searched the pockets before he pulled out a small folding knife.

“He gave me this too,” the green one admitted in a whisper.

The tired man held out his hand for the knife and the kid made no fuss in handing it over. Though those green eyes tracked the weapon sadly before diverting back down to the scarf. Probably thinking he would never hold the knife again.

This was the last gift of Stain's given to Midoriya other than the scarf out of necessity. Technically the knife was evidence but also it could be construed as Midoriya's personal property now. Ownership having been shifted from Villain to Hero in that small instance before Stain's rant and capture.

It was an odd situation. Namely because Midoriya and Stain knew each other. Had formed a bond that almost came off as familial. Talking. Joking casually about Vigilantism. Sounding comfortable with each other to a degree despite their dynamics being so different. The kid had shown genuine guilt for having not reported the man even though he had met him multiple times of his own accord. Yet he still was the one to eventually capture the Villain. Now here he was, unable to help his want to cling to what they had much like he was to the scarf in his lap.

There would have to be some form of punishment of course for what happened. Nothing as serious as an arrest but still something to help drive home the point that what he did was wrong. Something the homeroom teacher would figure out later. But for now, Shouta knew that Midoriya needed this connection. Stain and his words were what helped drive him. And the Hero Killer would approve. He had looked so proud at the kid being the one to capture him. Taken down by the ‘Little Hero’ himself.

Tired black eyes looked down at the knife in his hand as he made an equally rational and irrational decision. Putting aside the technicality of the law for the sake of his problem child. It would require some bending of the rules but when had that ever stopped him before. Bending the rules was practically required to be an Underground Hero anyway. With this decision in mind, the Erasure Hero offered the knife back to the Quirkless teen.

“Here, it’s yours now,” Shouta said as the green one hesitantly took the knife back. “I’ll teach you how to use it. You’re still going to be facing punishments for all this but they will be with me. For now, no more putting hits out on people even if they are intended as non-lethal. Got it, problem child?"

The greenette couldn’t help but let out a soft chuckle as he answered, "Yes, Aizawa-sensei."

"Good,” the tired man said with a ruffle of the kid’s hair. “Let’s get you back to the others.”

“Yes, sir,” the teen agreed with a bow before standing up. Together they collected everything back in the box before putting it back with the other and left the room.

Notes:

The recording as been heard and, bzzt, deleted. How clumsy of Nezu to do such a thing. ;P Now it may seem that Izuku is getting off light. This is partially for plot reasons, but also honestly I don't think they really have anything arrest worthy on him. Nor to warrant expulsion or getting kicked out of the hero course. Especially when two of them are his mentors who know Izuku better. Knowing he has a penchant for helping, not hurting. Implementing any of those options wouldn't actually help the situation.

The failure to turn Stain in is certainly bad but also not. Because they never conspired to do anything criminal or illegal. Not really anyway. They just talked. The hit on Endeavor is certainly the most problematic issue of this situation. But my thoughts are that even though that was bad, the evidence produced by that hit would be beneficial to their investigation. So this would be similar to making a deal with a criminal to help with another case. Lower Izuku's punishments in order to bring justice to someone else. (I watch a lot of crime shows and find true crime fascinating so...this is how my brain worked it out. :P )

Izuku will be getting punished still though. Not sure how exactly but Aizawa is going to be the one to decide as his homeroom teacher. I am open to ideas as to what his punishment will be exactly. For now, I'm thinking something like hell training in a detention like form with Aizawa. Kind of similar to how Aizawa handled those who failed the midterm exam during the training camp of pushing them to their limits but also educating them at the same time. But again, the specifics are not determined yet so ideas are welcome. ^____^

Izuku gets to keep both of the gifts! :D Because I wanted him to but also there has to be a lot of rule bending in underground hero work. So of course Aizawa would be willing to let this slide. Technically it could be construed that they both became Izuku's after being given to him by Stain. And if it brought comfort to his problem child at the same time, so be it. Dadzawa cares about his kids. This is also influenced by Japan's gift giving culture as well.

Fun Facts About Japan:

This is more of an observation than confirmed fact so I could be wrong. In Japan, the homeroom teacher is basically the students' school parent. They're kind of...more involved in their students' lives than say a teacher in the US. At least that was my impression. It's sort of part of the hierarchy that I had talked about in an earlier chapter. Where you go to the person just above you first before moving up the ladder. The homeroom teacher is directly above the students so they are the main force when it comes to dealing out punishments. Or handling certain situations. Such as when a lil' perv boy at one of my schools had drawn a highly inappropriate drawing that was obviously me during one of my lessons. I told my teacher I was working with and she talked to the homeroom teacher of that class. Then that homeroom teacher apologized to me on behalf of his student after doing whatever he did in regards to handling the situation. My guess would be a lot of yelling honestly. I had heard plenty of students getting a talking to in that very intimidating Japanese yelling tone. To the point of me thinking 'I don't know what you did but oof that's got to suck'. Anyway, the situation was handled through the homeroom teacher. Which is why Aizawa will be the one to deal out Izuku's punishment for this mess.

That's all for now! Next update we're going to get some much needed fluff in the beginning. Then Izuku has got some 'splaining to do. ;P Followed by a visit from the chief! We'll find out who gets the credit this time around. Until then be well and report any typos or weirdness!

Chapter 35: Off The Hook

Notes:

And we're back to find out who gets the credit! Oh and to see how the other boys react to Izuku's tale. :P

A few fun announcements! We've got a TV Tropes page put together by the wonderfully awesome reader Waffles!!! :D She offered to make it and I was all 'whaaaaa?!'. So awesome and unexpected! ^____^ Link to it has been added to the linktree.

Also, we got some more fanart! This time from CoupCumber on the discord! She offered some advice when it comes to Aizawa's goggles that lead to a slight redesign of them. You can find her full sketches here. I also made a post of the redesign here and I added it to chapter 13 of part 1 as well. ^___^ Thanks, Coup!

And now, the credit goes to... -drumroll-

Linktree to all the things!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

When Aizawa and Izuku arrived back at the room, they found only Hitoshi and Shouto with no Tenya in sight. Probably still out for those tests. The tired man said he would go check leaving the greenette there. He quietly closed the door seeing as both of his friends were both snoozing. The brainwasher on his bed and the other still laying on Izuku’s. Meaning he hadn’t moved since he had left.

Izuku let out a fond chuckle as he crossed the room to his bed. He carefully crawled onto it and laid down next to his friend. His movements had been slow and careful but they still managed to wake the other up. Grey and blue eyes blinked open to find green staring back.

“Hey,” Izuku said with a soft smile.

“Hey,” Shouto said with warmth in his eyes.

“Is this ok?” the greenette asked, shifting a bit closer.

“Of course,” Shouto assured him with a small smile of his own.

Together they situated themselves until they were both comfortably cuddling on the bed. Sharing as Shouto had said an ‘extended hug’. It felt so nice snuggling up to his friend like this again. They hadn’t had a chance since the sleepover. They had only recently added this to their list of friendly touches and it was already one of Izuku’s favorites. Especially when Shouto started running warm fingers through his hair. The greenette let out a content hum as he snuggled closer to his friend’s left side.

That familiar fluttering feeling flared up in his stomach as they cuddled. It kept happening more and more as the days passed so he knew it had nothing to do with where he had gotten stabbed. Izuku had talked with his mom about it one evening as they had sat on the couch together. She wouldn’t outright tell him what it was wanting him to come to his own conclusion. But she did say it sounded much like the feeling she got when Hisashi had first started courting her. All while wearing a fond smile on her face at the memory.

From there he had done his own research during his fleeting free time last week. Not as in depth as he would a Quirk but enough that he could get an idea of what this feeling was. Though it hadn’t really taken much to find the possible answer. In fact, he kind of already had it with all of Hitoshi’s teasing. Because the top results either were medical like allergies, unlikely, or about nerves. Namely the nerves one feels when having a crush on someone.

Izuku had openly admitted to the Purple Panda that he found Shouto attractive. Or as Hitoshi put it, he had the ‘hots’ for him. But attraction doesn’t necessarily mean there was more to it than finding his friend pleasant to look at. How could he not? Stormy grey under snow white on one side. Ocean blue under fiery red on the other. Smiles subtle and rare but when they did appear they filled Izuku with so much warmth. The same warmth he felt whenever they talked or touched. Being with Shouto just made him so happy.

Perhaps it was a crush. He still wasn’t sure but even if it was, he chose not to worry about it too much. Shouto was his friend and he was perfectly happy with what they were. Special friends sharing special moments. Expressing their friendship through tactile touches that were just for them. That was enough for him.

As long as I can remain by Shouto-kun’s side, everything’s going to be just fine, Izuku thought as he snuggled closer to his maybe crush.

The pair remained in each other’s arms on the bed for a while. At some point, Izuku dozed off and slept while cuddling into Shouto’s left side, enjoying the warmth. The bi-color teen stayed awake and passed the time taking in the sleeping face of his friend. Or was Izuku more than that to him. Shouto was still reading through the suggested books from his mother. He was learning a lot though he still hadn’t come to a conclusion as to what exactly his feelings were for the boy in his arms. But he did know that he wouldn’t have wanted to do this with anyone else.

Shouto found himself drawn to the freckles that rested on his friend’s cute round cheeks. He would have run his thumb over them but he didn’t want to wake the other up with his cool fingers. But perhaps he could another time? It was an action that had occurred in several of his readings so far. Maybe he could try experimenting with some of the reoccurring themes he came across. Find out if they had as much special meaning as the books made them out to be. Yes, that sounded like a good plan. And if he was able to be more tactile with his special friend, who was he to complain? Shouto was sure Izuku wouldn’t mind either.

He was interrupted from his thoughts when the door opened and revealed Tenya who was back from testing. Upon entering the room, Tenya’s eyes were immediately drawn to the two who were sharing the same bed. Shouto could see that the class president was about to reprimand them for not staying in their own areas. Quickly, he raised a cool finger to his mouth and gestured towards the sleeping teen lying next to him to tell the other to be quiet.

Thankfully, Tenya caught on in time and stopped himself with a furrowed brow and a slightly open mouth. He closed it and shuffled to his own bed while Shouto turned his attention back to the boy in his arms. Carefully, he nudged his friend’s shoulder to wake him up. Green eyes lazily blinked open and looked up to see gray and blue. It took him a minute to remember that he was looking at Shouto and that they were still cuddling. But he wasn’t awake enough to care or find it awkward.

“…Shouto-kun?” he mumbled sleepily as he cuddled closer to the other. “What is it?”

“Tenya’s back,” Shouto said, running his fingers through the other’s hair before shifting away to give him space.

Izuku sat up slightly and glanced over at his friend who was struggling slightly as he tried to situate himself on his bed with both arms bandaged. He wasn’t sure if Tenya was avoiding looking at him or was simply preoccupied to spare him a glance. The greenette turned back to the boy beside him who was looking at him in concern. However, before he could ask what was wrong, the door opened again and through it came Aizawa.

“Problem children,” their homeroom teacher drawled.

His voice was gravely and low but not too loud. Though it was enough to wake Hitoshi from his nap. The brainwasher grumbled but made himself sit up so he wouldn’t fall back asleep. Izuku and Shouto both sat up as well. The bi-color teen ran a lingering hand across the other’s shoulders before moving back to his own bed. The greenette found himself already missing his friend’s warmth. He caught Tenya staring at them when he was turning back to Aizawa but the engine user quickly averted his gaze. Though whether out of anger or something else Izuku didn’t know.

“We’re going to have some visitors to discuss how we’re going to handle this situation,” the tired man said. “But before that, Midoriya as something to tell you.”

The Quirkless teen gulped at being put on the spot like that. He wished Shouto was still next to him so he could hold his hand for support. But then again, once he knew Izuku’s secret would he ever want to hold his hands again? They were ones that had willingly accepted a gift from a Villain. Would he ever again be able to hold his friend in his arms? The same ones that had hugged the Hero Killer?

There was a chance he was overthinking this. After all he had been wrong about being kicked out of the Hero Course, expelled, or arrested. Perhaps there was hope that things could work out? But then again, things could still go wrong. Not that it would surprise Izuku if it did. Consorting with a Villain. One who had attacked the brother of a friend. Said friend who was avoiding from looking at him. It was a sad thought that he was about to lose a friend because he was an idiot who hadn’t turned Stain in sooner.

But it was like Aizawa said. Chizome had been the first to believe. His words of encouragement inspired so much of the Hero-in-training he was today. Even his Hero name and certain parts of his costume. His belief in Izuku helped push himself to work harder to achieve his dream to be a Hero. Their talks had helped the Quirkless teen really think about what his motives were and what kind of Hero he wanted to be. They made him want to live up to the man’s given label of ‘true Hero’.

He was still worried he would lose his friends because of this connection though. He had consorted with a Villain even though all they did was talk. Especially to someone like Tenya who was a stickler for everything, this alone would be a serious infraction. The likelihood of losing his friendship seemed ever more likely because that Villain had hurt his brother.

Hitoshi might stay. Though Izuku worried that the fact he had essentially befriended a Villain would have a negative effect on him. The brainwasher had grown up being labeled a ‘Villain’ because of his Quirk. The greenette had always insisted that his Quirk did not define him but rather his own actions and choices. But there was a possibility Hitoshi could think that Izuku would have befriended him anyway while still thinking he was a Villain if he was able to do the same with the Hero Killer.

He felt even more conflicted about Shouto. Budding feelings paired with the potential loss of everything they had built up in this bond they shared. It would all depend on this moment and their reactions to this secret. But it wasn’t one Izuku felt he could keep from them. Not from the friends who had fought along side him against Stain. He felt they deserved to know at least the gist of the connection he had with the man. Taking a deep breath as the others waited in anticipation, he began.

“Hosu wasn’t the first time I met Stain,” Izuku confessed with his hands fiddling with the blanket on his lap. Avoiding their gazes as he talked though he didn’t miss the array of shocked gasps. “About a year ago, I met him on a roof. I had been having a really crappy day that day. Typical Quirk discrimination at school, getting attacked by a Villain on my way home, but thankfully saved by a Hero. Only for that same Hero to tell me I couldn’t be a Hero like him without a Quirk.”

With his head down he missed the scowl on Hitoshi’s face. The purple haired teen knew which Hero Izuku was alluding to. A certain ‘live in technicolor’ Hero whose face was plastered all over his friend’s bedroom walls. It had always confused him how Izuku could still look up to the man after he told him ‘no’ like that. And leaving him on a roof of all places? For fucks sakes that could have ended terribly if the Quirkless boy wasn’t so stubborn about following his dreams. Hitoshi may have never met his best friend and it would have been Dumb Might’s fault.

Thankfully Izuku hadn’t let his dream being crushed like that hold him back. Had pushed himself forward to become a Hero anyway. Had worked hard with Hitoshi to win the Sports Festival and score the coveted transfers to the Hero Course. It was all thanks to the Quirkless teen’s strong desires to be a Hero. That and the person who had finally told him ‘yes’ ten months before the entrance exam.

Wait…

The brainwasher was having an epiphany in a flash of connecting dots. Izuku had mentioned several times the person who had first believed in him. The first to tell him ‘yes’. Had said this person had ‘strong ideals’ when it came to Heroes and that was why he knew they really ‘meant it’ when they said he could be one. That all he needed was an ‘edge’ which inspired his Hero name.

Don’t tell me…

“It was after that Hero left that I met Stain for the first time,” Izuku revealed with a solemn tone.

Fuck.

It made sense. Stain was obsessed with Heroes dividing them into true ones or fakes. Wanting above all else a ‘world filled with a better class of Heroes who save people without desire for fame or money’ as Izuku had said. Like All Might. Guess this explained why he had sounded so sure that an impression of the Number One Hero was the best way to go. As well as the calling of a certain name before jumping into the alley.

It also made sense why Izuku had been so vague about who that person was. How do you tell someone you were being encouraged to be a Hero by a Villain? It seemed ridiculous! And yet somehow Izuku had found a supporter in the man who self-appointed himself as judge for what a true Hero was. No wonder his words had held so much sway over the Quirkless boy. Because when the Hero Killer himself told you that you have what it takes to be a Hero…just, damn. That says something.

“When I presented my Hero name,” the greenette continued. “I told you of the person who had been the first to believe I could be a Hero. That was him. The Hero Killer Stain or, as I know him, Akaguro Chizome. The man behind the mask.”

The Quirkless teen cleared his throat as the other teens were too shocked to interrupt.

“This wasn’t the only time we met,” Izuku admitted, still not looking up. “He came to see me after I finished cleaning the beach. Curious as to why I hadn’t revealed it was me when it had hit the papers. But I told him I didn’t do it for the attention. I only wanted to make the world a little better and give the beach back to the people. Them being able to enjoy the beach again was enough thanks for me.”

There goes Izuku’s selfless acts of charity again. Not that it was bad. Opposite actually. And it was just so Izuku for him to not care for any sort of credit despite having lugged a beach full of garbage by himself. A beach he was still periodically checking for debris. Picking up any bits of trash he found and disposing of them properly. Had even apparently inspired others to do the same not knowing they were working along side the one who had done the major clean up in the first place. Inspiring through anonymity. Though there were a lot more people who know about it now such as the entirety of 1-A.

“He also came to see me after the USJ attack,” Izuku said. “He wanted to check on me and see if I was alright. Called the League idiots for attacking children in a school full of Heroes.” The memory drew a chuckle out of the him. “He also wished me good luck in the Sports Festival.”

His audience listened with rapt attention to his tale. Even Aizawa was learning more about the boy’s relation to the Villain. Hiding a smirk into his scarf at the man’s insult to the League. Idiots indeed.

“The last time before tonight was after the Sports Festival,” the greenette continued. “Like all the other times, all we did was talk. About the festival and a possible transfer. Among other things. He, uh, he also confessed to me that he was the one who attacked Ingenium.”

Green eyes finally lifted his head to look at Tenya across the room.

"He regretted it, you know?" Izuku said with a serious tone. "He didn't want to go after your brother. He didn't consider Ingenium a target. It was more a matter of circumstance than anything else. Notifying the authorities was his way to atone for having to hurt him."

The greenette then looked back down at his lap. Feeling unworthy of meeting his friends in the eye. A few moments of silence passed as the others processed the secret he had just revealed to them. That he had consorted with a Villain multiple times and had done nothing.

Izuku let out a sad sigh as he said, “I’m sorry for keeping this from you and I understand if you don’t want to be friends anymore after this. I…”

Fuck that,” Hitoshi retorted back immediately causing green eyes to snap up to purple. “Izuku you are my best friend. I wouldn’t stop being your friend just because of this.”

“Nor would I,” Shouto said to his right, his sincerity clear in his two-toned eyes. “Our friendship means more than that.”

Tears welled up in green eyes at their words. They weren’t going to leave him. The three boys then turned to the final one who hadn’t spoken yet. From across the room, Tenya stared at the greenette at a loss for words or really any other reaction. He felt frozen in place to learn that his friend had been associating with the Villain who had hurt his brother. Unsure what to make of this situation.

On one hand, Izuku had met up with and talked to the Hero Killer multiple times. Seemingly doing nothing to help authorities to apprehend the Villain as he had still been at large all this time. Free to continue his unlawful and violent acts. Aiming his blade at Tensei and taking him out of commission for a while. Though it did bring some sort of comfort to know the man did in fact regret the act and called for help to make up for it. But it didn’t entirely absolve the Villain for what he did.

On the other, this was Izuku. His friend. A boy of conviction and tenacity. Always willing and wanting to help others no matter the circumstances. Their training, the USJ, the festival, Hosu…every time he had gone out of his way to help people even in the smallest ways. And this entire time that Tenya had known him, Izuku had been associating with a Villain.

Knowing this, did it really change how he viewed the other? Well, yes, it did, but it didn’t necessarily mean it was worth the end of a friendship. The situation brought up a medley of emotions. Much like how Tenya felt about Stain himself. Hurting then helping. Becoming a Hero while consorting with a Villain. It was a lot to process that was for sure. He would need time to really think about it all instead of coming to a snap decision as he normally would. Because that was what had started that whole fight to begin with.

With a sigh filled with muddled emotions, Tenya finally said, “I may need some…time to process all this.”

The greenette immediately looked down dejectedly at his words. He was going to lose his friend. He didn’t know Tenya as well as Hitoshi or Mei. But he was still his friend. Or had been. But now because Izuku had fucked up and didn’t do anything to turn Stain in, he was going to lose him. It was all his fault. Why did he have to be so stupid? His mind was flooding in deprecating thoughts until a single word broke him out of the spiral.

“However…”

Green eyes peaked up with a flicking flame of hope.

“…I would like to continue to consider you a friend.”

Izuku stared at the other in awe. Confused but pleasantly surprised that he still wanted to be his friend. Could he really be so lucky to come out of this mess so unscathed?

“Really?” the Quirkless teen asked, his voice coming out as a whisper. Afraid that if he spoke too loud it would break the moment and make Tenya change his mind.

“Yes,” the engine user answered with a nod and a conflicted but determined smile. “I’d also like to apologize for not talking to you first before bringing it up with them. I was…concerned.”

“I understand why you did,” Izuku said with a forgiving nod. It was in Tenya’s nature to do what he did and he didn’t hold it against him. “I know this is a complicated situation so please take all the time that you need. I’m just happy you still want to be friends with me. I didn’t have really any growing up so I appreciate every single friendship I have.”

It was true. Every bond he had was precious to him. Hero, Villain, and civilian alike. His parents for their unconditional love and support. His friends who cheer him on to follow his dreams. His mentors who care and push him to become better. And of course Chizome for his words of encouragement. Erased from the world along with the rest of the recording, but lived on in his memories. Ones that Izuku would think about every time he saw the scarf and knife gifted to him by the Hero Killer himself.

This level of appreciation he tried to convey as he looked at each of his friends. Hitoshi shot him a supportive smirk. Tenya gave him another nod looking more assured with his feelings. Still needing time to really understand all this but feeling more confident that he wanted to stay friends with the other. Then there was Shouto looking at him fondly filling the greenette with so much warmth. Causing Izuku to smile.

It wasn’t his usual smile that was as bright as the midday sun. It was more subtle than that. Like the first rays of the morning sun peaking over the horizon on the start of a new day. Because that’s what it felt like to him. He had been worried about what would happen if his secret meetings with Chizome were revealed. Of losing his friends, mentors, and his ability to become a Hero. But, with his friends and teachers assuring him that he wouldn’t be losing any of those things, the future looked much brighter.

There would still be a need for time to sort everything out. Unsurprising as it was an odd situation. It’s not every day you find out your friend had a secret supporter that turned out to be the Hero Killer himself. Having a connection with a Villain but still firmly heading down the Hero path. If it were in another universe or anyone else other than Izuku, it likely would not have worked out so well. But here and now, this Izuku somehow managed to make it work.

“Glad we’ve got that settled,” Aizawa spoke up from where he was leaning against the wall with his hands in his pockets. “Now then, everything you just heard is sensitive information and part of an ongoing investigation. Meaning that you are to not repeat it to anyone else outside of this group. Understood?”

The four teens easily nodded though the hardened Hero still gave them a fierce glare to stress his order. Though only he and Izuku knew what exactly that investigation was. Tsukauchi hadn’t lied that this was a ‘big fish’ they were going after. Endeavor had a formidable line of defense with the Hero Commission, lawyers, and public opinion. It was going to take a lot to tear the Number Two Hero down. But now they would be forming a joint front of Pro Heroes, a Villain, a concerned friend and his mother, and possibly this mysterious Dabi if they were able to find them. Surely that would be enough to end Todoroki Enji’s reign of terror on his own family.

A knock came from the door and in stepped Tsukauchi followed by Manual and a very tall man with the head of a dog who even towered over Aizawa. The detective introduced him as the chief of police, Tsuragamae Kenji. The boys scrambled to stand respectfully and gave a bow to the dog man despite him saying they could stay where they are. With a shocking tagged on ‘wan’ of all things at the end much like a dog would say. But then again, his Quirk was obviously dog related so perhaps it was a natural tendency of his like how Tsuyu tended to say ‘kero’.

“So, you’re the UA students who fought the Hero Killer, huh?” the chief asked getting several nods in response. “Seems you faired about the same as the Hero Killer. He’s receiving treatment for burns and has numerous contusions as well as a concussion. He also had several cracked ribs but other than that no other serious injuries. He’s currently in the hospital under strict guard for observation, but should be healthy enough to transfer into police custody within a few days.”

Izuku breathed out a quiet sigh of relief as some tension left his shoulders. Glad to hear that Chizome was going to be alright. The other teens and the tired man side-eyed him but said nothing as the chief continued.

“Be that as it may, we still have some issues to discuss,” Tsuragamae said. “When the world became one of Quirks, it became necessary to regulate these powers in order to maintain the status quo. The police and other authority figures decided to not allow the public use of Quirks and that included the police themselves. To compensate for this, the profession of ‘Hero’ was formed with the authorization to use their powers to uphold the law.”

The teens listened intently waiting to see what the chief’s point was. Though they could easily guess it had to deal with their fight against the Hero Killer using their Quirks. Except for Izuku of course but he still fought the Villain with his Support Items.

“That authorization is essential in today’s society,” the dog man continued. “With so many Quirks that could easily kill, such restrictions of use of these powers are necessary. Holding those with the title of Pro Hero to a certain standard and expected to stick to a strict code of ethics. Using their Quirks and authority as protectors of the peace following the letter of the law and bringing those who break it to justice.”

Hitoshi and Izuku shared a glance as the chief seemed to be putting a lot of stress on authority and such. It was a special permission that the Heroes had to use their Quirks openly. Similar to the temporary allowance Eraserhead had given them before he sent them off to find Tenya. They didn’t know about the other two but they had been given permission to fight if necessary.

“Because of these restrictions, the public use of Quirks by those who are not authorized is a breach of the law. Especially when such use leads to injury. Even if it involved the Hero Killer and his injuries were not serious. As such, those without the given authority and their supervisors who failed to keep you in check should receive harsh punishments for this transgression.”

Shouto was brimming with indignation as the chief spoke. He wanted to snap at the dog man for berating them like this. What were they supposed to do? Just stand by and let Stain murder Native all because they didn’t have permission to fight? Damn the law. Someone was in danger and they did what was necessary to save a life. Shouldn’t that be good reason enough? He took a step forward to yell at the mutt with Izuku trying to placate him with a staying hand but Aizawa’s words were what stopped him.

“Wait, Todoroki,” the teacher said, seeing his student’s intentions clear as day. “Hear him out.”

The bi-color teen relented with a nod before sitting on the greenette’s bed in a huff. Izuku joined him and grabbed his hand subtly between them in an effort of giving some support. It was silently appreciated.

“For the circumstances of this incident, that would be true for two of you,” Tsuragamae stated sparking confusion in those unspoken two. “Iida Tenya, you ran off on your own without permission. Even if it was to help Native doesn’t absolve that fact.”

Tenya looked down in shame. He knew he should have made more of an effort to get his mentor’s attention as soon as he had entered that alley. But he hadn’t and there was no way to change the past.

“Todoroki Shouto,” the chief continued focusing on the irritated element wielder. “You left your father to help your friends but did not have the permission from a Pro Hero to do so. This wanting to help does not vindicate your actions.”

Shouto grimaced in annoyance but he couldn’t deny the mutt spoke true. Izuku gave his hand a comforting squeeze between them. It helped make him feel a little better.

“However, in regards to the other two,” Tsuragamae said as he eyed them both. “I have been informed by the Pro Hero Eraserhead that he gave you permission to defend yourselves and others in pursuit of your friend. Is that correct?”

“Yes, sir,” they both answered with a nod.

The dog man nodded before saying, “The official stance of the police department is that those who used their Quirks to harm while uncertified should be reprimanded. However, that would only be necessary if their involvement was made public along side those of you who did have permission. That will all depend on how we decide to handle this situation.”

The teens waited with bated breath to hear the chief out. Hitoshi and Izuku were safe from any consequences that came from illegal Quirk use. Especially Izuku since he didn’t have one. But their two friends were still in danger of receiving punishment for their actions.

“If we reveal all of your involvements in this case,” Tsuragamae said. “You would most likely be applauded by the public everywhere. But there would be no chance to avoid punishment for those who broke the law. Another would be to give Endeavor the credit as he was the only one present with a fire-based Quirk to explain the burns.”

Shouto scowled at that. How could they even think of giving his bastard of an old man the credit? He didn’t even show up until the end! Shouto had fought and won against the Hero Killer with the help of his friends. That bastard had nothing to do with it and deserved no connection to the take down of Stain.

“However, there is a third option in this case,” the chief added earning curious looks all around. “Because there were two of you with permission to fight, we could publicly announce it was them who took down the Hero Killer and leave the others out of it altogether. And with this one’s Support Items we have a way to explain many of his injuries.”

The dog man gestured towards the Quirkless teen who looked down bashfully. Izuku was conflicted even if it seemed the best option out of the three. It would protect his friends from being punished, but they would also not get the credit they deserved. It felt wrong to say it had only been Hitoshi and himself who took down the Hero Killer.

“I don’t want it,” Hitoshi spoke suddenly earning everyone’s attention. “I want to be an Underground Hero so this kind of attention wouldn’t be good for me. Izuku can take the credit.”

“Wha!?” Izuku exclaimed with a flush to his cheeks. “But I don’t want all the credit!”

“Izuku,” Shouto said, sending chills down Izuku’s spin as he said his first name. “If you don’t take the credit, then Endeavour will.”

Izuku looked at his friend, into those blue and grey eyes, seeing how much he didn’t want his father to have that fame.

“But you guys fought just as hard as I did,” the greenette tried to argue with a troubled expression.

“I wouldn’t say as hard,” Hitoshi interjected. “For me at least. Knocked out two seconds in. Pathetic.”

The brainwasher clicked his tongue and shook his head. Then purple eyes looked up into green filled with determination.

“But you, Izuku,” his best friend said. “From what the others told me, you fought your ass off. And then some. Hell, you used his own Quirk against him. None of us would have thought to do that. Also, you were the one to capture him in the end. Out of everyone here, you deserve the credit the most.”

Green eyes filled with tears at his words. He looked around at all those in the room. The detective, chief, and Pro Heroes gave him nods of approval. Hitoshi offered him a proud smirk. Tenya seemed to think for a moment before nodding as well. Then he turned to Shouto who gave him a soft smile and an encouraging squeeze to his hand.

Izuku took a deep breath, making up his mind as he said “Alright. I’ll take the credit.”

Shouto rubbed a thumb across his skin in gratitude. Pleased they would not inflate the ego of his father today. Also pleased that his special friend would be getting credit for all his hard efforts in that fight. To him it didn’t matter if he got any credit at all. As long as Endeavor didn’t get it and Izuku did instead, he was happy.

The other boys were happy for Izuku as well. Tenya agreed with the chief’s rationalities concerning the situation and approved of this decision. Hitoshi was simply glad his best friend was going to get credit for the fight while avoiding the spot light himself. Even if no one was to know of the other three boys’ involvement, between the four of them they would. And that was enough for them.

“Then it is decided,” Tsuragamae said giving them a thumbs up. “I believe it is the best course of action as well. I would rather not damage any promising careers in pursuit of charges for this mistaken indiscretion.”

“Either way,” Manual said glumly. “Us supervisors will have to take responsibility for our own negligence.”

“Highly doubt the old man would agree with that,” Shouto muttered only loud enough for Izuku to hear who gave a quiet snicker.

Tenya stepped forward and bowed to his mentor for the week and said, “My apologies. I shouldn’t have run off on my own.”

The engine teen received a scolding chop to the head and an order to not do that again. Shouto muttered a forced apology as well even though it was more for the chief’s sake than anything else. He would never regret running to Izuku’s side when he needed him. If he had to do it over again, Shouto was sure he would have done the exact same thing no matter what. No one hurts his friends.

The chief was pleased with their decision and apologized again that the others wouldn’t get any of the credit. He then thanked them all for their efforts with a low bow. The dog man assured them that everyone involved, including Native, would be sworn to keep to this chosen story of events. He bid them farewell to allow them to rest and then the chief, detective, and Pro Heroes left the teens to themselves.

Aizawa was quick to return though with Recovery Girl in tow. She checked everyone over again before giving a final round of healing kisses. Hitoshi slumped willingly into his bed for much deserved sleep. Tenya fell asleep as soon as his head hit his pillow as the Youthful Heroine’s Quirk did its work. Shouto refused to go back to his own bed so Shuuzenji relented and had him help arrange Izuku as he was already dozing off in his arms. The two Heroes left the teens to their slumber and they were all finally able to rest.

Notes:

...IZUKU GETS SOLE CREDIT!!! :D Of course I wasn't going to let Endeavour get any of that. He doesn't deserve shit. But Izuku does. ;) How will the world reaction to a Quirkless teen being the one to take down the Hero Killer solo? We'll find out in coming chapters!

We got some much deserved fluff with the cuddle buddies! ^____^ They're just so cute together. Both still unsure about their feelings but they're getting there. For Shouto, um, 'experimenting' with other affectionate touches, I have ideas but if you have any particular reoccurring themes in shoujo or general romance/fluff let me know. Like tie tying, tucking a stray hair behind an ear, giving gifts or bentos, etc. Stuff like that. We've still got a while before they finally get together so these sprinklings of fluff will help keep y'all as well as me satisfied with their adorableness. :3

Izuku's friendships are safe! Of course Hitoshi and Shouto are like 'hell no you are our friend fuck that other shit'. Best friend and special friend are not going to leave Izuku hanging. Tenya is still unsure because of how complicated the situation is, but they'll be fine in time. His apology for not speaking to Izuku first was brought to you by reader Sayumii! Thanks for your thoughts on that. :)

Fun Facts About Japan:

This update we'll talk about animal sounds in Japanese. Every culture has their own versions of what animals sound like. For the US, cats say meow and dogs say bark or bow wow. Japan has their own versions as well. I'm sure we're all familiar with nyan ( にゃん ) for cats. Animal sounds fall under the onomatopoeia category in Japanese and so are typically repeated. So for cats would be nyan nyan ( にゃんにゃん ). This site has a list of the more common ones if you're interested. Ones that MHA introduces us to are Tsuyu's use of kero ( けろ ) for frogs and Tsuragamae's of wan ( わん ) for dogs.

The use of these animal sounds reminds me of the time I did a volunteer event at the local library. Me and few of the other ALTs helped lead an event of reading children stories in English. Using stories that the elementary kids were familiar with to help them connect the English with the story. Some would have us use animals sounds so it was an opportunity for us to learn the Japanese sounds and teach the English ones. :) We also sang songs like 'head, shoulders, knees, and toes' in both English and Japanese. You can watch a Japanese version here.

That's it for this chapter! Got some closer when it comes to the Hosu aftermath but there's more to come. We've got Izuku's teachers' and friends' reactions who know all that happened. Next chapter we'll get more of the public's reaction to all this. Also the problem children will be released from the hospital to finish off their internships. A worried Yamada and cuddly cats also make an appearance. Till then, let me know of any typos or weirdness!

Chapter 36: Controversy

Notes:

And we're back! This is chapter is heavy on the world building and there are several pov changes going on. Civilians, Heroes, and Villains, oh my! :) Time to see how all of them react to this shocking turn of events. With a little domestic fluff near the end to somewhat lighten the mood.

I've decided to fix the -nette/-net thing when it comes to genders in this. Got part way through editing part 1 for that and other things. To save myself work in the future, I'm going to start using them now in this part. :) So if you notice that change, that's why.

Warning for mention of suicide in the paragraph starting with [While in prison...]. It's in the second sentence but that's it.

Linktree to all the things!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Following the Hosu incident, reports of the defeat of the elusive Hero Killer spread across Japan like wildfire. Igniting a slew of reactions to how the Villain was captured and namely who had been accredited to such a feat. Out of everyone in the entire world, no one had expected that Stain, a Villain of infamy who had attacked numerous Pro Heroes, to be taken down by a single Quirkless teenager.

Part of the population roared in protest not wanting it to be true. Conditioned thinking that such a thing had to be impossible inciting claims of conspiracy or coverup. A Quirkless first year high school student taking down a hardened Villain that even the Pro Heroes couldn’t defeat? Preposterous. It clashed with everything they had ever known when it came to Quirks and Heroes. Surely a strong opponent like him would have necessitated a strong Quirk to take him down. Like All Might or Endeavor.

On the other side were his supporters. Thankfully a larger number with the combination of those who believed in him regardless and those who saw his efforts as impressive even without a Quirk. They countered the naysayers again and again with the recorded footage of the end of Stain. The images of one Midoriya Izuku aka Hero-in-training Edge shooting out his capture weapons and restraining the Hero Killer. Being the only one out of everyone there, Heroes and interns alike, to actually do something.

There had been no hiding his identity even if he was a minor. This was an entirely different situation compared to the USJ. That attack had been on private property and even then, there was no documentation of the incident for the public to see. However, with Hosu, that had been out in public for anyone to see and with that video spreading around meant countless more people had seen exactly how he eventually captured Stain. Unable to outright deny what they saw with their own eyes.

The public was in an uproar whether for or against his actions. Those who supported him showered him with praise across social media. Congratulating him on his defeat of the Hero Killer. Many saying they weren’t too surprised considering he had won the Sports Festival Quirkless. Relying instead on physical training as well as Support Items to more than make up for a lack of natural power. So to them, his take down of Stain sort of made sense.

Then there was the added slip of Nezu ‘accidentally’ revealing Izuku’s cleaning of the beach during a press conference addressing the situation. The chimera had been planning on revealing that as a form of PR for his personal student for a while. Knowing that it would be good for his public image even though he hadn’t wanted people to know about it. Izuku had rolled his eyes when his mentor played it off on live television as an accidental slip up telling them his student had wanted to remain anonymous.

That had brought forth many of the people who had started to help keep the beach clean. Revealing they had seen his small acts of community service when he went to check on the beach and had felt inspired to do the same. Now finally able to connect that it was just a continuation of his hard efforts of cleaning the entire beach unasked and unknown.

It served as great fuel for those who supported him to defend his honor in their own social circles. Countering those who said it was all a want for attention by pointing out if it really was then he would have come forward when the news had first hit. Adding to the active arguments and discussions going on about the Quirkless boy who had managed to do what no other Pro Hero had been able to do.

Yet despite the mounting evidence of the young Hero-in-training’s potential and drive, the naysayers still protested. Pushing back against every argument that clashed with their long-learned beliefs. Those with the strongest Quirks became the best Heroes. Many of which had been attacked and either taken out of commission or killed by Stain. No matter what visual evidence there was that Midoriya Izuku was the one to take down the Hero Killer, they still didn’t want to believe it possible. Because if it was, the established social rules of this society wouldn’t make sense anymore.

That was the civilian side of all this. Protestors and supporters warring with each other with words like two fronts with strong opinions at war. Firing shots back and forth with no end in sight. The civilian led battle raged on while other sides of society had their own mixed reactions to the news.

For the Heroes, it made some of them question their own motivations that drove them. Many feeling they had to step up their game if even a Quirkless teen was able to act like a Hero. Serving as motivation to be better. While others, like Endeavor who was still bitter it hadn’t been him, wrote it off as a one-time fluke and nothing more. Either refusing to ignore the achievement for what it was or sneering that a Quirkless person had the audacity to think they were equal to the likes of them.

The Number Two Hero was a mixture of both though he did not voice that publicly. His PR team was working hard enough suppressing that slanderous and incriminating claim the Villain had spat out in his final speech. Him, Endeavor, abusing his own family? What nonsense. Enji was doing what was necessary to push his masterpiece to follow in his footsteps and even surpass him one day. To do what he could never do and beat All Might. All that he did was for the sake of the Todoroki legacy.

Then there was the Villain side. Many criminals scoffed that the infamous Hero Killer had supposedly been taken down by a mere teenager. A Quirkless one at that. Questioning if Stain had really been one to fear after all. Though they hadn’t been worried about him too much after his debut as he targeted Heroes not criminals. While others took from this that it was unwise to underestimate anyone in a fight regardless of their Quirk or lack thereof. If a Quirkless person could take down the Hero Killer, then that meant any Quirk that was considered ‘weak’ could be a danger.

But no one could deny the power of the Hero Killer’s convictions. The ones captured in the anonymously posted video that presented Stain’s life story and motivations. Coming back again and again no matter how many times it was taken down by order of the Hero Commission. A mix of the Hero Killer’s final speech and capture, a number of photos taken of him before the Hosu incident, and a voice over explaining how the man became the Villain he was today. Many times found with the leaked emergency app recording from when the Villain had attacked Ingenium tagged on.

The reactions to this video were mixed as well. Most civilians and Heroes finding it terrifying and a show of how messed up someone could get. Though there were those that started debating what exactly Stain’s motives truly were. Bringing up old arguments and theories from when the recording had been first released. Many starting to doubt that the Hero Killer was as much of a ‘mad dog’ as the Hero Commission was painting him to be in the media.

It was a part of the narrative the Hero Commission had been able to control unlike the reports of the Quirkless teen’s take down of the Villain. The police had made their report to the media before the Commission could do anything. Nor could they refute such claims with that damn video floating about serving as visual proof of the act. All they could do was mark this young aspiring Hero as someone to keep an eye on. To see if he proved as an asset or a hinderance to their goals and deal with him accordingly. It wouldn’t be the first time they had taken hold of a young Hero’s future after all.

The official reports stuck to admonishing Stain as a fanatical murderer who only wanted violence for violence’s sake. While also making connections between him and the League of Villains because of the rampaging Noumu appearing in the same city. As well as the captured footage of Shigaraki and Kurogiri watching the chaos from atop a water tower. Many also cited the out of context sight of the dead Noumu near Stain during his rant as proof even though the blood consuming Villain had been the one to kill the creature.

But in less official parts of the media, questions were being asked if that were actually true. Speculations popping up of whether they were actually connected or if it was just a coincidence. Though such uncertainty didn’t stop some from being influenced or inspired by the video. Such as a blood covered teenage girl listening to it as she skipped away from her latest snack. Or a green scaled recluse who was suddenly filled with purpose from the Hero Killer’s words. Both finding inspiration in Stain and they weren’t the only ones.

A certain scarred man clicked his tongue in irritation as he stood in the streets watching a public report. Angry that his efforts to find Stain and give him what he knew of Endeavor had been a waste. Because how could the Hero Killer bring that bastard down if he was in police custody? And it was all that Quirkless kid’s fault. The anger he felt toward this Midoriya Izuku made him want to incinerate every image he saw of that meddling fucker.

But Dabi wouldn’t let this set back stop him from tearing down the Number Two Ass. No, Endeav-whore must be destroyed for all he’s done. One way or another. Perhaps the Hero Killer wasn’t actually associated with this League of Villains, but the scarred man started to play around with the idea of joining anyway. It would be a means to an end more than anything else.

Then there were those who had a specific interest in the Quirkless teen. The young leader of the League of Villains glared at the newspaper in his hand eyeing the report on the capture of Stain in irritation. This wasn’t how it was supposed to happen. They were all supposed to forget that griefer and focus on his Noumu. But they didn’t. No, that bastard’s stupid face was plastered everywhere while Tomura’s contribution to the havoc in Hosu was brushed over as mere speculation of his possible connection to the League. A lowly sideshow while Stain still held the main stage.

The decayer crumpled up the newspaper and threw it away before slamming a fist onto the bar top in annoyance. Kurogiri silently watched his charge as he grumbled his frustration. Not only did the Noumu not make the front page, but they were nothing more of an after thought with the Hero Killer stealing the spotlight. Then there was the fact that Midoriya Izuku was wrapped up in all this.

Tomura carefully took out the picture of the Quirkless teen out of his pocket. Red eyes stared at the picture of the possible admin with brows furrowed in irritation. His desired recruit had been credited as the one to take the Hero Killer down. An action caught on video and broadcasted for the world to see. Very much acting the Hero he so annoyingly wanted to be though Tomura suspected he hadn’t actually fought alone. The stats just didn’t add up for that miniboss fight. Then there was the matter of him being the one to clean up some stupid beach and people raving about it for some reason. What’s the big deal? It was just a fucking beach.

This tendency for altruism and the kid’s wanting to play Hero in this messed up society were adding to the difficulty level of this recruit mission. But the decayer wouldn’t be deterred so easily and saw it more as a challenge to conquer. Plus, it would be a blow to the Hero Killer’s ego and a further ‘fuck you’ to Stain by corrupting his precious Little Hero. Midoriya Izuku would join them.

~~~

Through the dark monitor on the bar top, All For One observed his protégé in contemplation and amusement. This had certainly turned out to be a more interesting series of events than he had expected. The attempt to recruit the Hero Killer had led to quite a ‘riot in Hosu’ as the media labeled it. Inspiring Tomura to sate that itch for violence by releasing Noumu in the same city as Stain. All in an attempt to rain on his purging parade which seemed to more or less fail.

But no matter. His ward could fail again and again and still All For One would be there to help him start over as many times as it takes. Offering young Tomura a lending hand much like he did when he had first found the boy abandoned by the world. A pawn turned protégé who just so happened to be the grandson of one of his younger brother’s foolish followers.

All For One couldn’t wait to reveal that delicious bit of irony when he eventually confronted All Might again. Perhaps it will be as strangely sweet as how he felt when Tomura had reported that the Hero Killer somehow knew his son. How exactly the century old Villain didn’t know nor could he outright ask his own child about it. Not in the role of Hisashi anyway. But perhaps he could as All For One some time in the future. A reveal he had been contemplating for a while now.

He had allowed his son to play Hero much like how he let Tomura play his games. Letting them live out their fantasies as they like only to eventually join him back in reality. Tomura was destined to be his successor having been long molded into the loyal follower he was today. Indebted to All For One for everything since the man had first found him and took him in.

As for Izuku, he owed so much more. His very life in fact as he lived only because All For One had wanted to create a child. An attempt to pass on the man’s genes as well as his Quirk. The latter unfortunately didn’t happen but no matter. All For One had plenty of Quirks for his son to choose from once he was by his side where he belonged.

But now wasn’t the time for such things. He couldn’t drastically change how he treated the boy as Hisashi. The father had always voiced his negative opinion of Heroes freely with his son but never pressed his views on the boy. Wanting his child to learn for himself the truths of this world. Lessons he surely had learned from the many years of Quirk discrimination he had experienced. Drawing him closer to his father’s side.

Then again, there was that mysterious person who had encouraged Izuku and brought renewed determination to follow his childish dream. The boy had never said who it was exactly but with this new information in regards to Stain knowing his son, All For One could hazard a guess. An added twist to the irony of the situation. Of the son of All For One being turned down by All Might only to be brought back up by the Hero Killer. But despite these influences, All For One knew where his son will eventually end up. Standing beside the manipulator of Quirks and together with Tomura they would rule this world.

All For One would allow this farce to continue for now though. Allow his son to dream just a little more under the scrutiny of this judgmental society. Observe how the current public opinion of the notion of a Quirkless Hero affected the boy. It was a notion that All For One had no care for either way seeing the entire idea of Heroes as superfluous. All that mattered to him was power he could use to manipulate others. Becoming the puppet master of the world as he was destined to be with his son and ward by his side.

~~~

While the conniving father considered his child’s future, yet another Villain had their own thoughts in regards to the Quirkless teen. Kai wanted to Overhaul the imbecile who had unleashed those Noumu in the city. The same one where the rarity that is Midoriya Izuku had been. Those rampaging creatures had put such a pure being in danger. One even having plucked him from the crowd like a delicate flower in a savage hand. Thankfully the angel was saved from the monster’s clutches though he didn’t approve of how that had been accomplished.

Kai was conflicted on how to react to the Hero Killer. On one hand the Villain had saved the Quirkless boy keeping such a rarity in this world. But on the other he had been rather rough and handsy with the angel existing among them. Midoriya was someone to be cherished in this diseased world. Remaining pure among the infected. His only flaws being the freckles on his cheeks looking like specks of dirt and green hair reminding him of the uncleanliness of nature. Then there was the issue of him being tainted by the Hero syndrome. Though that could potentially be cured as well.

But regardless the boy was safe now though Kai disliked that he was surrounded by Heroes. Further infecting him with their filth. But there was nothing he could really do to fix that. Not now anyway. The young leader of the Shie Hassaikai had strongly contemplated taking the Quirkless boy in after having learned about him. Wanting to offer him a safe place and protect him from the corruption of this diseased world. However, with this renewed bout of media attention it would be unwise to take him in now.

Midoriya was currently in the spotlight for taking down the Hero Killer. Credited to having done it alone though Kai highly doubted that was the truth. Footage of the capture also showed other fledgling Heroes who sported similar injuries. Most likely having been also foolishly engaged in the fight using their infection caused Quirks. One only needed to have eyes willing to see past the lies of the controlled media to guess the truth. But this corrupted society was too blind and accepted the story as is.

But Kai was not. He saw many truths of this world. Such as Quirks were a disease that needed to be cured and that the Heroes were covering something up using Midoriya as their poster child. The Quirkless teen could definitely hold himself in a fight, no question about that. But Kai highly doubted he could have stood up against the Hero Killer alone. Not because he was Quirkless but rather the drastic difference in their fighting experience.

The young boss had heard of the Villain’s exploits. A fellow cleanser of this world though Stain went after the infected Heroes while Kai’s focus was on Quirks themselves. Wanting to rid this world of their disease and bring back the purity of when the world was Quirkless. With Midoriya, that was one less person he needed to cleanse.

Stain was a Villain of skill which was obviously apparent by his number of victims. Attacking Hero after Hero while eluding capture with ease. Most likely with the help of yet another disgusting Quirk. Kai’s skin itched at the thought not wanting to even contemplate what sort of abomination of a power the Hero Killer possessed.

Midoriya on the other hand was still young. A little bird that was still learning to fly. It would have taken more time for him to be on a level to actually go toe-to-toe with the more experienced Villain alone. Though Kai did not doubt that he had fought his very hardest in that fight. Midoriya was Quirkless but he was strong on his own.

It was an element of the teen’s character that Kai wasn’t sure how to feel about. On one hand, Midoriya was using this strength to foolishly become a Hero. But on the other, it meant that the boy could defend himself which pleased him. Though Kai would rather protect the little bird from the world that threatened to corrupt him. Have the opportunity to cure him of his Hero syndrome thereby cleansing the angel of any and all sickness so he could transform into his purest self.

However, no matter how much Kai wanted to bring Midoriya to his side, he couldn’t. Not now. Not with the amount of attention the Quirkless boy was receiving. It would be counterproductive to his current endeavor. The project was coming along despite the reluctance of the one who provided them with the material for the Quirk-Destroying Bullets. The girl was growing more stubborn as time passed. He would have to do something about that.

Despite her resistance, the bullets were close to ready for distribution. Once they had further perfected the formula, Kai planned to have some samples to be handed out along with the other drug the Yakuza group dealt in. Trigger was a drug that gave one’s Quirk a boost increasing their power. In turn giving those infected Heroes a stronger enemy to fight. Making them want a way to do away with the troublesome Quirks quickly.

The samples of the bullets were meant to be but a taste. Start on the criminal side of wheeling and dealing. Getting the word out. Eventually the Heroes would want this power to take Quirks away with a single shot. There by pushing the Villains to demand the same. Allowing them to cleanse themselves with a taste of their own medicine. The Quirked using the results of a Quirk to render the diseased Quirkless. Bringing about the cleansed world Kai desired by their own tainted hands.

All that was enough to keep the young boss busy. He very much didn’t need the attention he would get if he did bring in the Quirkless teen now. The proceeding of his plan was more important than his personal desire to protect the little bird. Besides, the boy was safe for now so he could be patient.

Perhaps in the future they could meet and Kai could convince him to join his cause. Surely Midoriya could understand the detrimental effects Quirks have had on this society. Coveting these diseases disguised as special powers while reviling those who are the purest in this world. The Quirkless were few and far between now-a-days. They should be cherished not chastised. As Kai wanted to do for Midoriya.

For now, Kai would be patient and focus on his current project but still keep tabs on the little bird. Once his plan was in effect and the media attention had died down around the Quirkless teen, he planned to approach the boy with an offer. To join him and together they would create a world of purity. Then, with the boy by his side, Kai would finally be able to give the angel the adoration he deserved and cherish the rarest of treasures in this world.

Until then, Little Bird, take care.

~~~

Midoriya Izuku had supporters popping up out of the Villain woodwork for one reason or another. Stain seeing a true Hero, Shigaraki a potential ally, Chisaki a partner to join his cleansing mission, and of course All For One himself with a desire and self-assured belief that his son would eventually be by his side. But not all Villains wanted to lay claim to this Quirkless teen that was shaking up the status quo.

Yotsubashi Rikiya sat in his office as he was reading the latest news related to the recent events in Hosu. His black pinstriped suit, green button up shirt, and green tie were pressed, prim, and proper. Even his shoes were buffed and shined to perfect. A receding head of swept back orange hair, a long thin nose, and pointed chin were among his other features. On his face he wore a well-practiced smile that hid the building stress underneath. The only indication of his inner agitation were the dark splotches that were spotted along his temples. For others may be pleased with this rising aspiring Hero challenging the current norms but Rikiya very much was not.

The man was the CEO of the Detnerat Company running his business with an iron but supportive fist. Publicly appearing as an astute business man across the media, but that was not all there was to the man. Rikiya was also the leader of the Meta Liberation Army where he was known as Re-Destro carrying on the legacy of his ancestor.

In the time when what were now called Quirks were first manifesting, the world had been in chaos. Back then such powers were known as Meta Powers and those who possessed them were seen as freaks of nature. Violence and protests against those with such supernatural abilities were common. Yet there were still those who hoped for a more accepting world.

Rikiya was a descendant of Totsubashi Chikara also known as the infamous Villain Destro. Chikara had been born in a judgmental world and his own mother begged for society’s mercy. He was only a child after all and had no choice in being born with a Meta Power. To her it was simply a quirk of personality and did not define his whole being as bad. It was in fact from her plea that the modern term Quirk originated though her words initially had fallen on deaf ears. Society choosing to reject the changes to their reality not wanting a disruption of the status quo.

It was during this time of turmoil that the mother was murdered for her support of her son’s uniqueness. Her death became a stepping stone for Chikara to become Destro and advocate the liberation of those with Meta Powers. Especially when the government used his own mother’s words turning them around to force a control system to suppress the use of such powers besides the chosen few.

This suppression was seen as an outrage to Destro believing that the free use of Meta Powers was a basic human right. Who was the government to control them and demand they not use what they were naturally born with? It was a violation of their rights for such legislation to pass and the Meta Liberation Army fought for years against such oppression. But unfortunately, in the end Destro was defeated and the army was disbanded. Or so the public believed.

While in prison Chikara had dedicated himself to writing a book about his life and to showcase his ideals. And though he committed suicide upon completion of his book, his words lived on and spread with every copy that was sold to this day. Bringing more and more people to the Meta Liberation Army’s cause.

Rikiya was the currently leader of their secret organization. Helping to guide his followers to embrace the words of Destro and live their life by them. Always pushing themselves to better their Meta Powers to be ready for the day of liberation. Because in a world of superpowers, strength was key. If you have no power, you have no right to a higher position in life. Survival of the fittest. Only the strong will continue on and the weak weeded out by natural selection.

It was for this reason that Rikiya was currently annoyed at recent events. The strong were the ones destined to prevail despite society’s blanket insistence that one should not judge someone by their Quirk. Or in this case, a lack thereof.

Midoriya Izuku was throwing a wrench in today’s well oiled but still rusty machine. According to the Meta Liberation Army’s ideals, those with strong Meta Powers were at the top meaning those who were weak or without were at the bottom where they belong. And yet this Quirkless brat was becoming an annoying contradiction to that fact.

First it was the Sports Festival though Rikiya hadn’t paid much mind to it at first. He still would watch the live coverage for possible new recruits but ultimately had brushed it off as a fluke. A Quirkless teen winning over all those with strong Quirks like that? Ridiculous. Besides, the boy had relied on so many Support Items that there was little proof he could hold his own in a fight without them. Even the finale there was most certainly some sort of gadget at play as he had kept reaching into his pocket.

But now there was this latest incident. Hosu in chaos with fires raging and Noumu rampaging mindlessly. All thanks to that irritating little League of Villains that popped up out of nowhere. Rikiya was still unsure how to feel about the budding crime group. The attack on the USJ was childish and brash. Hosu was no different as it seemed all to be for the sake of chaos rather than having any actual message. Merely a child playing a game with dire consequences.

At the same time there was the Hero Killer roaming about. Rikiya had no qualms with Stain. He was using his Meta Power as he saw fit after all. Who was the liberating leader to admonish his efforts to live his life and use his power as he wanted? It aligned quite nicely with the Meta Liberation Army’s ideals even though the publicity around his actions were of a negative nature.

Fortunately, with the help of his underlings they were still able to take what they had on the Hero Killer and spin it in a different light. The executive director of Shoowaysha Publishing, Kizuki Chitose, and a board member of Feel Good, Inc., Chikazoku Tomoyasu, were a couple of the army’s leading members. Known as Curious and Skeptic respectively, together they gathered information on Stain and unleashed the video circulating through the light and dark corners of society. Spreading the Hero Killer’s words across Japan as lead up to society starting to question the rules over Quirk use and the role of Heroes in this world. As well as to perhaps inspire others to take their lives and their Meta Powers into their own hands.

However, despite the video stirring up the people, the reports of this Midoriya Izuku defeating the proclaimed Villain was doing so as well. Not in the way Rikiya wanted. The Quirkless brat was defying decades of instilled belief that only the strong survive. What kind of strength could a powerless child like him have with no Meta Power to speak of? Humanity was evolving into a higher form. In the world that Rikiya strived for, there was no room in it for the Quirkless. Having nothing of value to bring to the table.

The situation was irritating. A Quirkless nobody becoming a sort of symbol for those who are weak. No natural power to speak of and relying on Support Items to get by. Just like the festival, it was the use of Support Item that helped the boy ‘capture’ the Hero Killer. A part of the video he had not wanted to include at first but Curious insisted it was vital in order to tell the whole story.

For some reason or other, the police informed the media and masses that this Quirkless child had been the one to take the Villain down alone. How naïve of those who accepted this at face value. One only had to look closer to see that there were others who could have fought as well with the other battered teens featured in the video. Perhaps this powerless boy did fight in someway but there was no way he had done it all alone as they claimed.

It was annoying how blind people can be. Seeing only what they wanted to see and then moving on to live in a world of lies. Allowing themselves to be herded around like sheep by a government that wanted to suppress their right to be all they were born to be. Controlling the people by restricting their uses of Meta Powers under the guise of keeping the peace.

Heroes and Villains lived outside of these suppressing rules. The former as special permission to be suck ups to those truly in control of this society. Such as the Hero Commission who regulated the Heroes and claimed to keep them in check. Little did they know that a fair few of so-called Heroes were also members of his army. Willing to put aside their government duties to uphold Destro’s ideals.

Villains were the ones who stepped outside of societal norms. Using their Meta Powers how they saw fit though many of them in a selfish way that would not better society. Rikiya approved of their use of their powers but they lacked the ability to add value to this world. Merely living for themselves and no one else as they committed their criminal activities.

Unfortunately, due to the laws the Meta Liberation Army was labeled Villainous much like Destro was during his heyday. But those who believed in Destro did not see themselves that way. They were warriors ready to fight for the liberation of Meta Powers. Every one of them willing to put down their lives for the cause. They all trained their powers to be as strong as they could be for when the time came to strike.

However, this one Midoriya Izuku had no power to offer the Meta Liberation Army. He was a relic of the past living in a world every pushing toward the future. For now, he was still an insignificant bug flying around Rikiya’s business. Either his fleeting moment to shine will snuff out on its own or Rikiya would have to squash him for his insolence of presenting a challenge to Destro’s teachings. As the saying goes, the strong will always prevail over the weak.

~~~

Back at the hospital, Izuku and the others woke up the next morning to a bright sunny day. The medical staff wanted to run some last-minute checks so they were stuck in the hospital until they got the all clear. In the meantime, families and friends were called in private to assure them they were alright. Izuku’s phone in particular was flooded with texts that had transitioned from ones of concern to ones of shock as the news broken out. He made sure to message them back to assure he was alright. Especially Mei who spammed his inbox with her worries, freak outs, and of course showing off her babies she was working on.

The greenet had to struggle through a sob fest shared with his mother over the phone. Assuring her over and over that he was fine. She was happy he was and was proud of him, but still worried that he had been in danger in the first place. Knowing it comes with the trade of Hero, but the mother couldn’t help be worry about her baby. Izuku was glad to hear that his dad had been able to help his mom through most of her parenting panic as she had watched the chaos in Hosu unfold. Not there physically to comfort her but doing his best with his words. Much like Izuku was doing now for his mom until he got home.

He wasn’t the only one to contact his family. Tenya called his parents before being escorted to spend some time visiting his brother who was in the same hospital. Shouto called his sister and asked her to tell their mother that he was alright. But he made no attempt to contact his father and left it to someone else to deal with the old man. As for Hitoshi, Izuku wasn’t sure how his friend’s family was handling it as the brainwasher didn’t seem to want to talk about it. Simply said he had contacted them and left it at that. Bringing back wonderings of what the brainwasher’s homelife was really like.

The teens spent their time left at the hospital reflecting on what they had been through. Their fight with Stain had certainly been an experience unlike anything they had before. Besides the USJ attack for three of them, that had been their first exposure to what a Hero truly faced. It had been terrifying but thrilling at the same time. But rather than deter them from this path, it invigorated their want to become the best Heroes they could be.

Shouto had felt compelled to apologize to them for unintentionally breaking the Hero Killer out of Hitoshi’s hold. If he hadn’t just acted on instinct, they wouldn’t have had to fight the Villain at all. But it was due to his error that they had to anyway. All of them, especially Izuku, were quick to assure him they didn’t blame him for what happened. That it was a mistake though an understandable one considering how much he had grown to rely his right side. But it was something he could use as a lesson to learn from to be better in the future.

The group of four teens were finally able to leave the hospital that afternoon thanks to medical staff’s care along with Recovery Girl’s treatment. Their wounds were essentially all healed up with only the concussions Hitoshi and he had gotten that needed further observation. Shouto’s arm was fine and Tenya had been spared any permanent damage to his own. The doctors had been worried about his brachial plexus in his shoulder but thankfully the wounds inflicted by Stain had been shallow and the network of nerves was intact.

When they were finally released, the group went their separate ways with their respective mentors. There were still a couple more days of the internship so they would finish the week with lighter workloads. By orders of Aizawa who had said they had 'enough patrol experience' for one internship. Once again labeling them ‘problem children’ for having fought the Hero Killer.

Manual assured to keep Tenya on light duty most likely at a desk or short patrols. The teen didn’t mind as it would still be good experience to gain for his future. It would also give him time to really think about everything that had happened. As for Shouto, neither Aizawa nor Izuku were happy about him going back to his father’s agency. But unfortunately, there was nothing they could do until they had gone through the evidence and found just cause to remove him from Endeavor’s custody. Which hopefully would be sooner rather than later.

As for Hitoshi and Izuku, they returned with Aizawa to his apartment to finish the rest of their internship. As well as to allow their mentor to keep an eye on them and any symptoms that may come up connected with their concussions. Planning to keep them occupied with lighter activities until he was certain they were full recovered.

~~~

Upon arriving at the apartment, they were met by a worried Hizashi who was quick to greet and then proceed to fuss over all of them. The tired man long used to his husband’s antics brushed him off with a roll of his eyes, but he did still give him a comforting caress of his arm as he walked into their home. The teens however were not immune and so now had to contend with the doting of the enthusiastic blonde.

The loud man helped the boys settle in but made sure not to smother them. Not too much at least. Though Hizashi did sate his need to shower people with gifts by giving them some merch for his radio show. Such as Put Your Hands Up hoodies to go with their Eraserhead ones from earlier in the week. He also gave Shinsou a pair of Present Mic themed aviator sunglasses which the purple haired teen immediately put on as Izuku was beaming like the sun at the Present Mic pen case he was given. A great replacement for the All Might one he had before.

After that, the blonde man seemed to calm down with his fussing though not entirely. Still feeling guilty of leaving them to the disaster that happened in Hosu. Not that he could have predicted that but still. Hizashi left the boys to change into comfier clothes and joined his husband in the kitchen. Shouta turned to him and was immediately able to see past the ever so slightly forced smile. The tired man pulled his husband into a hug and gave him a reassuring kiss before pressing their foreheads together. Whispering words of comfort to sooth the blonde’s guilt. It wasn’t his fault that Villains decided to make Hosu their playground of violence.

Feeling guilty about something out of his control was illogical and Hizashi knew that, but he still couldn’t help feel he should have been there. His mind was rolling with ‘what if’s of all that could have gone wrong. How any of them could have died or been more seriously injured. Stirring up his ever-present paternal instincts that made him want to wrap his husband and their two temporary children in blankets. Shower them with plushies and surround them in a world of softness.

So many things could have gone wrong. There was always a possibility of a Hero not returning home. It was a profession full of hidden danger with no guarantee of winning every fight. Making each day they came home to each other relatively safe and sound a blessing. Because they both knew from personal experience that a life could be snuffed out in an instant. The two men stood there finding comfort in the whispered words and physical assurances from their partner in life that the other was still there.

Their moment was interrupted by a clearing of a throat. Both Heroes turned to see their charges for the week in the newest gifted hoodies. Shinsou was giving them an amused smirk while Izuku smiled warmly at the pair. It was nice to see the couple supporting each other. The attention was too much for the Underground Hero though who tried to pull away immediately, but the blonde wouldn’t have it and snuck in one last kiss to a stubble covered cheek before letting his grumbling husband go. The three snickered as the tired man tried to hide a flustered face in his scarf.

The rest of the evening was spent in domestic comfort. Hizashi made them a delicious dinner as a further welcome back. The four then relaxed in the living room with the blonde and the two boys on the couch while Shouta took the floor in his sleeping bag. He was allowing them more time to recover before getting back to training. Though tomorrow wouldn’t be as physically strenuous as the rest of the week had been.

The tired man napped while Hizashi and the teens chatted as a movie was playing in the background. DJ being the attention whore that he was had curled up between the two boys. Soaking up the pets to his soft orange fur and ear scratches coming from both sides while Hizashi took pictures because it was too cute not to. He also took one of Esp as the white cat had deemed the caterpillar man a perfect place to lay on. A common occurrence but still adorable every time.

~~~

Eventually the movie ended and the teens went off to bed with DJ trotting off after more pets. They were quick to change and brush their teeth before settling on their futons. The insomniac was surprisingly able to fall asleep relatively quickly. Though having a cuddly cat curled up on him had probably helped. As for Izuku, he couldn’t seem to fall asleep no matter how much he tried to relax.

He just couldn’t get his mind to stop thinking about all that had happened. The past two days had been quite the rollercoaster ride. A morning of training and an afternoon of patrolling that that had transition to an evening of chaos. The rampaging Noumu had been bad enough but then they had to fight the Hero Killer? Not how he had expected the day to end.

Izuku had known that he would have been at odds with Chizome if they were ever to meet outside of their talks. But he had never expected that confrontation would happen when he was still learning to be a Hero. The Quirkless teen hadn’t wanted to fight the man who first believed in him, but as a Hero-in-training, he knew that he had no choice in that moment. In that alley they were not meeting as Chizome and Izuku but rather Stain and Edge. Villain and Hero. Neither refusing to stand down from what they believed was the right thing to do.

Fighting the Hero Killer hadn’t been easy and took a joint effort to take him down. Not that the public would ever know that. No, they were under the impression that Izuku had taken the Villain down himself. Which the greenet was still not happy with because they all deserved the credit. Not just him. But he understood why they were keeping the others’ involvements a secret. Still didn’t mean he had to like it.

The biggest thing though that was currently plaguing his mind was the fact that there were people who now know about Chizome and him. Izuku had for sure thought that his Hero career was over before it had really started. Because how could someone who associated with a Villain like he had still be allowed in the Hero Course? But once again he had been surprised by his teachers who actually cared. Even the detective had shown his own care for Izuku’s future. Helping them keep his relations with Stain a secret except from those involved in the fight.

It still didn’t seem real. Izuku still expected someone to say ‘syke’ and pull the rug out from under him. Because he didn’t feel like he deserved to be, well, not forgiven exactly but allowed to continue following his dream. He had expected to be arrested for what he did or rather didn’t do. But he wasn’t. Nor was he being expelled or kicked out of the Hero Course. No, they were allowing him to stay and learn. There were still going to be some sort of punishments from Aizawa as well. The greenet didn’t know what they were going to be but he would accept them without a fuss.

The fact that he was only getting such a slap on the wrist for associating with a Villain without turning him in was what was keeping him up. Izuku couldn’t get his mind to settle down as he mulled over his situation. Feeling unworthy of their mercy and that they should have been just as harsh with him as they had been with Bakugou. It wasn’t fair if he got special treatment. A part of him was grateful of course but the other kept thinking he didn’t deserve such light consequences.

With a huff, the greenet quietly got up and left the room for the kitchen. Perhaps some water would help him wash his endless thoughts away. The hallway was quiet and dark leading Izuku to assume his teachers were already asleep. However, that wasn’t the case as he got closer to the kitchen. Yamada was nowhere to be found but Aizawa was still up. Sitting at the couch doing some late-night work with Esp curled up by his side. The hobo man was idly running a hand down fluffy white fur as he worked. Izuku tried to quietly retreat but tired dark eyes looked up and spotted him anyway.

“Problem child,” the deep voice of his teacher called out. “What are you doing up?”

Notes:

Hoo boy, this chapter was a pain to edit. There are so many factors at play but I think I found a balance to all the deferring sides? I want to thank everyone who commented last chapter. I had most of the societal and character views down, but you gave me more to think about and add. :) Such as the Hero Commission's meddling and the start of the MLA showing up. Specific shout outs to dannythebookworm, Rijus_Hope, thePanopticon_isJust_azkaban, and Veriea for bringing up points I hadn't thought about! Those factors really made sense and though I haven't replied to your comments yet they still helped! :D

For the MLA pov, apologies if it seems weird or OOC. I'm not as familiar with that arc or the characters involved. Though the second half of season five very much helped me get a better feel for their characters. So I hope that turned out alright. ^____^ Goes to prove that not everyone is attracted to the trouble magnet in a good way. ;)

Soooooo, about the Fun Facts. Honestly, I've got nothing for this chapter. XD I like them to be connected to the chapter in some way and I can't think of any. I did say I have a finite amount of them. I still have more but none that make sense with this chapter. So this will be the first without since chapter 3 of part 1 other than double updates. Sorry about that, but it doesn't really take away anything from the story! The fun facts are meant as just little extra nuggets of knowledge. From now on, I'll include fun facts when it makes sense to the chapter but it won't necessarily be every one. Thanks for understanding! ^___^

That's all for now! Next update Izuku and Aizawa have a little chat. About what you may ask? You'll find out next Tuesday! ^_____^ I know, yet another cliffhanger to tantalize you. ;) Hee hee! Let your imaginations run wild and let me know of typos or weirdness! Tah!

Chapter 37: A Late Night Conversation

Notes:

Welcome back with another update! :D Hope you all had a fun and spooky Halloween. I myself stayed home and passed out candy. My favorite costume I saw was an inflatable chicken costume. I cracked up and sent a picture to my sister because she's a crazy chicken lady. And I had some boys not so subtly ask for extra candy. Going with what I used to do in Japan with stickers, I let a good ol' game of rock paper scissors decide their fate. One boy won and the other two lost. XD I'm just really good at janken, boys! But win or lose, they still left with smiles on their faces. Ah, the power of janken.

Soooo...something was brought to my attention on the discord. As of this chapter, we're at 100 chapters for this series! (This is excluding chapter 64 of part 1 which is an author's note. :P ) Wow...100 chapters. So many. And there are lots more to come! ^_____^ Thank you to everyone who has joined me on this journey so far. I appreciate every single one of your comments, kudos, collection adds, hits, and other contributions that this story is getting! Far beyond anything I ever imagined when I first started writing this. So thanks!

This chapter has references to Vigilantes and mentions of canon character death.

Linktree to all the things!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

“Problem child. What are you doing up?” Shouta asked, surprised to see his student still up.

“I, uh, couldn’t sleep,” Midoriya replied fidgeting with his hands. “I was thinking of getting some water.”

The tired man studied him and guessed there was more than just simple trouble with sleeping. He bid the teen to get his water and then to come sit with him. The greenet knew he couldn’t refuse so did as he was told before sitting a comfortable distance away on the unoccupied side of the couch. Shouta didn’t say anything at first as he silently continued to work. Allowing Midoriya to drink some of his water but also stew in what exactly his mentor wanted to talk about.

“So, what’s on your mind, kid?” Shouta asked as he leaned back from his work while giving a pet to Esp’s white fluff.

“I…,” Midoriya said, fiddling with the partially empty cup in his hands. “I don’t really understand.”

“Don’t understand what?” the teacher questioned as he side-eyed his student but keeping his focus mostly off him to keep him comfortable.

“Why I wasn’t punished more,” the greenet answered with his head turned down. “I should have been kicked out of the Hero Course or even UA altogether. I should have been arrested for not turning Chizome-san in. But I’m not. I did something bad. Shouldn’t my punishment be bad too? Like Bakugou?”

Green eyes glanced up to tired black hesitantly with already budding tears. The Erasure Hero stared at his student keeping his face blank as he considered his questions. Internally though he felt sad for the kid next to him. What he had done or didn’t do was bad of course, but to compare that to all that Bakugou had done to him wasn’t right. Those were two different situations and so needed to be handled in different ways. Shouta needed Midoriya to understand that.

“Midoriya, why did we punish Bakugou?” Shouta asked.

“Because…he hurt me,” Midoriya answered, looking down at his hands. “Because he’s a bully.”

“And he attacked you on school grounds causing permanent damage,” the teacher added.

They both looked to Midoriya’s right hand. The one with scars from being electrocuted by his own tech that Bakugou had purposefully exploded with his Quirk. Acting unlike a Hero by attacking with the intention to harm.

“What Bakguou did was wrong,” Shouta stated firmly. “Regardless of his upbringing and lack of guidance in the past, he still chose to hurt you with no consideration of the consequences. Because of that, he’s receiving the level of discipline needed to address and fix that situation. That same discretion applies to you as well.”

The greenet looked up at him in confusion tilting his head like a puppy. Unintentionally acting cute with his ‘cinnamon roll’ powers as Hizashi called them. Shouta was very much a cat person as evident by their current household of three, but even he couldn’t deny the kid had an endearing quality to him. Probably one that the boy wasn’t entirely aware of at times.

“While it is true that you messed up when it came to Stain,” Shouta said as he idly petted Esp. “That doesn’t necessitate you being expelled, let alone arrested. The punishment must match the severity of the transgression.”

“But I willingly met and talked to a Villain without turning him in,” the greenet retorted with brows furrowed in confusion.

“Yes, you did,” the man responded with a nod. “But you also only talked. You didn’t conspire or commit crimes with him. Other than not turning him in and the hit you put on Endeavor, you didn’t do anything necessarily wrong.”

“But I still did those two things,” the Quirkless teen pressed.

“You did and you will be punished for them,” Shouta conceded. “But expulsion or arrest are not proper ways to handle this situation. Bakugou never received the consequences that equated to his antagonistic behavior. What he did was very wrong and we’re going to do our best to teach him why. Helping him to become better and fixing what your past teachers failed to do.”

The greenet nodded beside him though he pursed his lips in displeasure. Still thinking they had been too harsh on his ex-childhood friend. He agreed that what Bakugou had done to him was wrong but a part of him still didn’t think he deserved all that he had got.

“As for you, you made a mistake,” the teacher continued. “But expulsion or arrest wouldn’t teach you anything because you already know it was wrong. The hit on Endeavor is another story but considering it was intended as non-lethal and resulted only in information gathering, I’m willing to let it slide. Nezu’s already started to look through the flash drive with Tsukauchi and have determined the information will be helpful in our investigation.”

Midoriya perked up at that reveal. Glad that his and Stain’s efforts were going to be helpful. Perhaps they really could take the Number Two Hero down by their combined efforts.

“However, you will still be receiving punishments,” Shouta added. “Not as extreme as expulsion or removing you from the Hero Course. More of an appropriate level to fit your transgression and situation.”

“What will I be doing?” Midoriya asked.

“Still deciding but possibly some sort of detention with me,” the teacher replied, sending a shiver down the boy’s back knowing how strict the man was. “Regardless of what we end up doing, you already learned the most important lesson to get out of this.”

“To not harbor a secret relation with a Villain or send him after a Hero?” the teen replied with a bit of a cheeky tone.

“Exactly,” Shouta huffed in amusement and a quick ruffle of the kid’s hair.

The greenet let out a giggle as he ducked away from the offending hand. The man chuckled himself before retreating his hand and returning to gently petting Esp beside him. The teacher and student fell into a companionable silence before the teen spoke up again.

“Thank you,” Midoriya said, looking down at his hands. “For everything. Training Hitoshi-kun and me. Introducing me to Nezu-sensei. Defending me against others. Believing in me. You and the others have helped me so much since I started at UA.”

The Erasure Hero considered the boy next to him before saying, “No thanks needed, kid. You and Shinsou have potential. Any competent teacher can see that.” Both gave a twitched smirk at the subtle jab. “You both fell through the cracks of the biased system. It was only logical to help you work past that barrier as I had before. I see a lot of me in you two.”

Midoriya huffed out a chuckle as he said, “Don’t let Shouto-kun hear you say that.”

“Why is that?” the tired man questioned with a quirked brow.

“He thinks either one or both of us might be your, and I quote, ‘secret love child,’” the greenet replied with finger quotes and a smirk.

Shouta almost choked on his spit at the conspiracy theory. Him? A father of one or both of the most problematic children? Biologically, hell no. He was only thirty! He would have had to be a dad in his teens for that to make sense age wise. Also, he was gay and had only ever been with men so there was no way he could have gotten a woman pregnant. Not even Ms. Joke who still to this day thought it was hilarious to propose to him despite knowing he was already married.

“With Hitoshi-kun I can kind of see why he would think so,” the teen said. “Ignoring the fact that you would have had to be in your teens for it to be real, you two are similar in several ways. You’re both sleep deprived. Love cats and coffee. Mental type Quirks too. Lanky build with gravity defying hair. And so on.”

The tired man couldn’t help but nod in agreement to the similarities. Not that they weren’t ones he hadn’t noticed before, but he had never equated them to mean they could be seen as possibly related.

“As for me, I don’t get it,” Midoriya continued with an exasperated huff. “I mean he’s seen my dad in pictures and even talked to him through a video call with him during a sleepover last week. Said it had to be CGI like the ridiculous conspiracy theorist he is.” The boy smiled and shook his head fondly. “I don’t know what to do with him.”

Maybe it was Nemuri rubbing off on him or the fact it was obvious the two liked each other. Reminding the tired man so much of his husband and himself back in high school. Flitting around each other before finally confessing their growing feelings for each other. Either way, Shouta couldn’t help but tease, “You could date him.”

“Oh no, not you too!” Midoriya cried out though in a hushed tone so as not to wake the others. “Kayama-sensei is bad enough! Not to mention my friends and my mom! And I’m still trying to figure out if I do like him like that or not.”

The boy pouted next to him and the man couldn’t help but chuckle. He gave a comforting pat to the teen’s shoulder as he said, “Well, when it comes to trying to figure out if you like someone or if they like you, sometimes it’s helpful to ask those who know you best. Friends, family, or those who know from personal experience to give you an outsider’s perspective. And believe me, problem child, he likes you. Date him. Or not. Your choice.”

~~~

Izuku grumbled as his cheeks flushed pink. He still wasn’t sure how exactly he felt about Shouto despite the signs pointing to actual feelings. And even if they were, he wouldn’t want to push those feelings onto his friend if they weren’t returned despite Aizawa seeming so sure of it. Because above all else, Izuku didn’t want to ruin the built trust and closeness between them. No, no matter what he felt towards Shouto, he wouldn’t jeopardize their friendship for anything. Not even his own feelings.

The pair sat there in companionable silence for a while. Aizawa went back to his work for a bit while Izuku drank more of his water. Esp decided she had enough pets for now and prowled off to do something else. The man continued to work as the teen mulled over how lucky he was. Not arrested nor expelled. Being taught by teachers who actually cared. Especially his homeroom teacher who was known for his harsh teaching methods and willingness to expel anyone he saw as lacking. Something that still held true for the two he had expelled from his class at the beginning of the year. Though Izuku suspected there was some sort of re-enrollment element seeing as Mineta had been in the Sports Festival.

But despite that expulsion-happy reputation, the homeroom teacher had seen fit to not expel either Bakugou or Izuku. The former partly on the Quirkless teen’s request because he firmly believed that expulsion would have done more harm that good when it came to the explosive blonde. And although Izuku had fully expected to be expelled himself, he was grateful that he wasn’t. Though it did make him wonder what exactly made his teacher decide who had potential and who did not. What was the driving force behind his decisions on who would stay and who would go?

“Aizawa-sensei, can I ask you something?” Izuku said, earning the tired man’s attention with a hum in acknowledgement. “Why do you expel so many students?”

The teacher stopped his work at the question. A loaded question with a sad answer. One filled with rising hope dashed with grief. Of a bright future cut short in an instant. Ripping away the veil of youthful ignorance to reveal that life was not fair. That those who deserve to live don’t always get that chance.

“Because they weren’t taking it seriously enough,” the Erasure Hero answered. “The life of a Hero is dangerous and can change to life threatening in an instant. Those who take it lightly are more likely to get killed. Then there are those who think all they need to be a Hero is a flashy Quirk. Thinking it’s all about popularity and rankings. Mistaking what the duties of a Hero actually are.”

The greenet scrunched his face up in disapproval. It was exactly what Chizome had been working to fight against as Stain. Wanting to prevent the creation of Heroes only out for money or fame. A trend that Izuku had become more aware of after getting to know the man. Beside him the tired man simply nodded his agreement figuring what the teen was thinking.

It was in that moment that the pair were joined by another. From a dark corner peaked out the yellow eyes of their shadow cat. Aizawa held a finger to his mouth to tell the teen to be quiet. After receiving a nod, the man calmly beckoned the shy cat towards him. The feline hesitated but the encouraging and curious smile of the boy along with the man’s continued coaxing was enough to get it to come closer.

Green eyes watched as a black cat cautiously emerged from the shadows and crawled up into Aizawa’s lap. Heh, guess it was a ‘shadow’ cat in more ways that one. The man gently petted the cat in his lap to calm it down before introducing the feline to his problem child.

“This is Sashimi,” Aizawa said, looking down fondly at the cat. “She’s shy but if you approach her calmly, she should be okay with you.”

The greenet nodded before using what he had learned from Hitoshi about how to approach a cat. He carefully offering his hand to the cat and waited for her to sniff. Sashimi took a few whiffs before giving him a quick lick and then rubbed her cheek against him. The cat allowed him to give her a few head pets before retreating back to Aizawa. All while the tired man observed the interaction with hidden fondness.

“Why Sashimi?” Izuku asked curiously as he retreated his hand.

“It’s sort of a paired name to go with Nemuri’s cat, Sushi,” Aizawa answered as he petted Sashimi. “One because she insisted and two because I found this one under similar circumstances as Sushi back in high school.”

“Kayama-sensei has a cat?” the teen asked, earning a nod. “Wow, I didn’t know she had a pet.”

“And she’s really annoying about it,” the tired man complained. “Thinks sending pictures of him pooping is funny due to her weird sense of humor.”

The greenet chuckled as his teacher rolled his eyes.

“How did you find her?” Izuku asked gesturing toward the cat in the man’s lap.

“Abandoned in a box in the rain,” Aizawa answered. “With Sashimi I was able to help her and give her a good home. But for Sushi, back then all I felt I could do was leave my umbrella behind. I was only a high school student after all and a cat is a big responsibility.”

The teen nodded even though he had never had a pet. Their apartment complex didn’t allow them after all. But he had enjoyed interacting with cats on his way to and from school growing up.

“How did Sushi end up with Kayama-sensei?” Izuku inquired.

“A friend of mine saved him,” the man replied. “While all I could do was leave my umbrella, he on the other hand couldn’t just leave the cat alone. Brought him to school and everything even though it was against the rules. But then again he was always one to do what he wanted.”

Izuku watched as his teacher sat there with nostalgia in his eyes. Noting the use of ‘was’ leading him to believe either they weren’t friends anymore or worse that this friend was no longer around. Not wanting to upset his teacher but still curious, the teen hesitantly asked, “Who was he?”

~~~

Shouta let out a sigh petting the cat in his lap for comfort. It was a sore subject and one that he didn’t normally like to talk about. Besides the ones who he usually would already know about it and had their own mixed feelings about what had happened. But this was the problem child who just recently revealed a big secret that effected his life. Having a similar amount of influence as this part of Shouta’s past had on the man’s own. One that had helped him finally figure out what kind of Hero he wanted to be and pushed him to follow the path of the Underground.

“His name was Shirakumo Oboro,” he answered without taking his eyes off Sashimi. The teen sat quietly beside him listening. “I became friends with him and Hizashi my second year when I transferred to the Hero Course. I had been reluctant at first but they were very…persistent.”

The boy chuckled at the image of a young Yamada dragging a grumbling young Aizawa around as he commented, “I could imagine.”

The man let out his own huffed laugh in fondness of the memories of his high school friends. Being forced to socialize despite being used to living life as a loner. Sharing lunches on the roof where they had also shared their hopes and dreams along with their insecurities. Where they had decided to start their own agency together although that was a goal they had never been able to reach.

“We actually bonded more because of Sushi,” Shouta said with a subtle smile on his face. “We even became friends with Nemuri because of him. She was a year above us and found us on the roof even though we weren’t supposed to be there. But instead of ratting us out she enthusiastically approved.”

“Let me guess,” Midoriya said with a smirk. “Because of her liking of ‘vibrant youth’?”

“Whatever that is, but yes,” the man confirmed with a roll of his eyes. “She was the one to name the cat Sushi and even though she said it would only be temporary she’s kept him ever since. She still sends a daily Sushi text.”

The tired man carefully pulled out his phone so as not to disturb the cat in his lap to show the boy pictures of Sushi. Skipping between the cuter ones while skimming over the weirder pictures she had shared.

“He’s cute,” Midoriya said with a smile.

“He is,” Shouta said back with a nod as he put his phone down. “As is this one.”

The tired man scratched under the black cat’s chin who leaned into the touch. Bringing a rare smile to his face. Cats really were the best thing in the world. Well, other than sleep and coffee. Having all three together was Shouta’s heaven. One he sometimes got to really experience being wrapped up in his sleeping bag cuddling with a cat and a cup of life-giving coffee within reach. Perfection.

“Sensei,” the teen called out grabbing his attention. “If you don’t mind me asking, you said ‘was’ when talking about your friend. What happened to him? Did you have a fight? Or…”

The boy trailed off awkwardly not really wanting to say his suspicion out loud. But the man could figure what he was hinting at anyway.

“No, we didn’t have a fight,” Shouta answered, smile gone and replace by neutrality that hid his inner grief at the memories this conversation was digging up. “Oboro, he…died during our second year.”

“He…died?” Midoriya let out somberly not happy his guess was right.

The Erasure Hero nodded solemnly in response before saying, “It happened during our internships. Hizashi got scouted, but Oboro and I had been struggling to get picked up by a Hero agency. That was until Nemuri offered to introduce us to her boss, His Purple Highness.”

The greenet was fascinated to learn more about his mentor’s early years before going Pro. Though Eraserhead’s tendency to avoid the spotlight seemed to clash with the flashiness of His Purple Highness. Appearance and being seen was a big part of the older Hero’s style. Not necessarily in a bad way though because his Quirk, Chest Hair, had a sort of glamor effect that enhanced his masculine features. Serving as a distraction during his fights as well as to raise the hopes of people in the media.

“It was actually during this internship that I used goggles for the first time,” Shouta revealed, glancing over to find intrigued green eyes watching him. “My first pair were a gift from Oboro. We had fought a Villain that had a kind of Smoke Quirk. The smoke made it difficult for me to use my Quirk and the Villain managed to get away. So Oboro gave me his goggles and the next time we ran into the Villain I was able to erase his Quirk and we managed to take him out together. We made a great team and wanted to start an agency together with Hizashi after graduating. But we never did.”

“Because he…,” Izuku said, trailing off to leave the sensitive subject unsaid and earned a simple nod in answer. “But you said that he took out that Smoke Villain.”

“Oh, he did,” the Hero replied, focusing on the cat in his lap. “No, this was a different Villain called Garvey. His Quirk, Stock, allowed him to absorb Quirk attacks, store them, and then release an amplified version of them. During the fight, Oboro was…buried under a building that was destroyed in one of those amplified attacks. It had been the first time I went up against a Villain alone. I didn’t think I could do it but I heard my friend’s voice call out to me and encourage me. I was able to defeat Garvey on my own by turning his own power against him. All because of Oboro’s words.”

The Quirkless teen could identify with that. It was much like how Chizome and he were. His words were a source of encouragement despite them coming from a Villain. They had even fueled him when he had fought the man himself. And he too had used the Hero Killer’s own Quirk against him.

“But I didn’t learn until after the fight that I couldn’t heard him,” Shouta continued, breaking the teen from his thoughts. Worried green eyes watched his teacher as he spoke. “When the building fell on him, a piece of rubble had hit him on the head killing him instantly. He had used his Quirk to save some civilians and didn’t see it in time before it hit. Just like that his life ended and a promising Hero was gone.”

~~~

There was a moment of tense silence as Izuku let that sink in. His mentor’s friend had been performing his Hero duties and saved people. Putting their safety first and it had gotten him killed for his efforts. Tears welled in solemn green eyes at the sudden loss of life.

As if sensing his distress, Sashimi decided to leave Aizawa’s lap to settle in Izuku’s own. The greenet first looked down at the cat in surprise and then up at his teacher in silent question. The man simply gave an encouraging nod and the teen cautiously reached out to pet the feline. The black cat accepted the touch and Izuku smiled down as he petted her. The repeated action helped calm him down from hearing such a sad story from his mentor’s past.

The tired man reached over to scratch being his shadow cat’s ear as he said, “That’s why I’m so harsh with my students. The life of a Hero is no walk in the park. Any fight could be your last. And if you’re not prepared or even willing to push yourself to be the best you can be, then a single mistake could be the last you ever make.”

The greenet nodded. It made sense now why Aizawa was so harsh on his students. It wasn’t because he didn’t care but the opposite. He wanted them to be prepared enough to survive this dangerous profession. Not wanting them to experience the same loss he had as a student. Of his friend’s journey to be a Hero cut short in such a fatal way.

“That makes a lot of sense,” Izuku said after a few quiet moments spent petting Sashimi. “I already knew Heroes had it rough. Heroes do their best to save others, but sometimes they can’t. Not even themselves. Training helps sure, but sometimes things just…happen.”

“Exactly,” Aizawa responded. “It’s also why I don’t determine someone’s potential by their Quirk alone. Because even those with what are considered strong Quirks are just as susceptible to this part of Hero life. Anyone, Quirk or no Quirk, could die at any time as a Hero. Which is why I push all of my students, even you problem child, to push past their limits so they have the skills necessary to protect themselves.”

“Plus Ultra?” the teen quipped with a smile.

“Plus Ultra,” the man replied with a hair ruffle that the boy tried to playfully avoid.

“Your friend, what was his Quirk?” Izuku asked, ever curious.

“It was called Cloud,” Aizawa answered, giving the boy a knowing smirk as his green eyes glistened with intrigue. “He could generate clouds that were dense enough for him to ride on or carry stuff among other things. Though Oboro typically liked to use it as his own personal taxi service.”

“Like his own flying nimbus?” the greenet jokingly asked.

“Pretty much,” the tired man huffed out with a laugh.

The Quirkless teen giggled as well before saying, “That would have been a good Quirk for a Hero.”

“Yeah, it would have been,” Aizawa replied with a solemn look out across the dark apartment. “But that wasn’t what made him a Hero. He had the heart of one.”

That reminded Izuku of all the times Chizome had talked about the heart of a Hero. And how the Villain insisted that he had the heart of a true one. Even more that All Might himself. A sentiment that was now instilled in the gifted knife resting in the box with his other gear. Serving as a reminder to stay true to his Hero heart.

“Anyway,” Aizawa said as he raised his arms and stretched. “It’s getting late and we have training tomorrow. Time to go to sleep…son.”

The teen let out an exasperated sigh as he rubbed a hand down his face and grumbled, “Shouldn’t have told you that.”

“But you did,” the man said with a smirk. “Now suffer the consequences and go to bed.”

Izuku stuck his tongue out as Aizawa carefully picked up Sashimi from his lap. Finally cat free, the greenet was quick to finish his water before washing the cup and leaving it in the rack to dry. He bid his teacher good night and returned to his temporary room. As he laid on the futon, he thought about all he had learned. Aizawa was a complicated mess of motivations and yet they all connected like puzzle pieces.

The Hero teacher only wanted the best for his students. Choosing to expel those who would rather settle than push themselves to be better. All in an effort of saving them from themselves for not taking the very real danger of becoming a Hero seriously. Fueled by his own experiences of loss and personal struggles to push him to expect the best of his students. Push them like he pushed himself to become the best Hero they could be.

It was much like how Chizome had pushed Izuku with his words. Telling him flat out it would be difficult but that he needed to work harder to pass over the obstacle of not having a Quirk. Which Izuku was very willing to do, had done so far, and would continue to do so in the future. Refusing to let this second chance given to him by his mentors and Tsukauchi go to waste. He would become the Hero Chizome and he believed he could be. Rising up above all the naysayers and become the first Quirkless Hero. Show them all that he, Midoriya Izuku and future Pro Hero Edge, had what it took same as everyone else.

With that new motivation and renewed goal in mind, the Quirkless teen finally fell asleep.

Notes:

Just some good ol' Dadzawa SonIzu bonding time! :D Aizawa reassures Izuku that he doesn't deserve an overly severe punishment. And Izuku learns more about Aizawa's past. :) Also I just had to throw Shouto's conspiracy in there. For the funsies. ;P For Izuku's punishment, I have figured it out but in story Aizawa has not yet. ;)

We finally got to meet the shadow cat! From the beginning I wanted one of Aizawa's cats named similarly to Sushi in Vigilantes. But I wanted the reveal of Sashimi's name connected to Aizawa talking about Oboro. This talk gives Izuku a better insight into who Aizawa is and what drives him as a Hero and a teacher.

Fun Facts About Japan:

Let's talk about pets! :D Like the US, Japan loves their pets. Dogs and cats being the most popular. For dogs, people there typically go for smaller breeds due to space restrictions in homes. Shibas, corgis, toy poodles, etc. are the norm. One of the ladies I worked with has a toy poodle who is practically her baby and his name is Uni because his fur is the color as sea urchin. Such a spoiled dog and he is adorable. ^__^ But there are still some that have bigger dogs like golden retrievers and huskies from what I personally saw. Besides cats and dogs, other popular pets are fish, birds, and rabbits.

Now buying a pet in Japan is expensive. Paying thousands of dollars worth if you bought one from a pet store. And the price could go up depending on how popular the breed of animal it is. There's also a focus on cuteness level when it comes to the animals they sell. The cuter they are the more they'll sell because Japan loves cute things. But you so totally could also rescue animals from health centers and animal shelters. Helping rehome those animals that were abandoned or given up when their owners couldn't care for them anymore.

Some schools will even have classroom or school pets. I saw a handful of classes with a pet axolotl. One school had a fish tank near the teacher's room. And a number of schools had either pet turtles or tortoises. At one of them they let the tortoises walk around the balcony at certain times of day so they could get exercise. Another school, it was part of the students' duty during cleaning time to feed the turtles. It was fun to watch them feed the turtles with chopsticks. XD

For more info on pet culture in Japan, you can go here. And if you want a look into the kinds of prices pets are you can check out this site. One of many different pet shops. It is in Japanese but in case you don't have a translate feature, the first tab ワンちゃんを探す (wanchan o sagasu) is for dogs (Which using wan-chan for dogs is adorable. XD ) and ネコちゃんを探す (nekochan o sagasu) is for cats.

That's it for this chapter! We'll get to the last day of the internship with final bits of training before school starts as normal again. Nothing too strenuous but Aizawa's got some other tricks to teach the problem children. Then as the week concludes, Izuku finally plucks up the courage to ask Hitoshi something that's been bothering him for a while. ;) Will Hitoshi confide in his friend? We'll see next update! Till then, enjoy that Halloween candy and report any typos or weirdness!

Chapter 38: Last Day Of Internships

Notes:

Welcome back for another Tuesday update! It's the last day of training and Izuku has a certain question to ask. ;) Let's see how that goes!

Announcement for my personal life. I gots myself a new job! :D Meaning that scheduling might change. I'd like to stick to Tuesday updates just for consistency, but I don't know what my hours are going to look like just yet. So, we'll have to see what's going to happen with that. If you're on the discord, I'll give updates on if future updates will be early or late or whatever. If not, well...you'll just have to wait. ;P

Warning for mentioned past child abuse of a sort related to muzzles. I don't go into much detail on that though but a warning just in case. Also minor warning for teasing near the end at ["Says the one who..."] but it's like half a sentence at most. :P

Linktree to all the things!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

The following morning Hitoshi and Izuku were woken up by the gentle shaking of their shoulders by their English teacher. Yamada greeted them with a kind smile and bid them to get ready before joining them for breakfast. A much nicer way to wake up compared to Aizawa’s choice of banging pans together. The teens sleepily nodded and started getting up as the loud man left them to it.

The boys were quick to change into their uniforms and took turns to do whatever business they needed to in the bathroom. Once they were mostly ready, the pair joined their teachers in the kitchen and found a casually dressed Yamada cooking while Aizawa was drinking coffee beside him in his usual uniform. Hitoshi beelined it for the half full coffee pot and accepted the mug already being handed to him by the fellow coffee drinker. A habit that Izuku just could not understand.

“Blegh, how can you drink that stuff?” the greenet asked as he went for some juice instead.

“With a latte practice,” Hitoshi quipped between sips.

The twitch of the tired man’s brow at the pun did not go unnoticed by the pair of punsters. The teens shared a brief conspiring glance seeing an opportunity to mess with their teacher.

“So, you’re saying you didn’t pro-caffeinate learning to drink coffee?” Izuku asked with a smirk.

The pun awarded them a tired sigh from the Underground Hero as well as a chuckle from the blonde by the stove.

“Yep,” the brainwasher replied. “Coffee and I go way back. We’ve bean together a long time.”

“Part of your daily grind?” the greenet shot back.

“Yes, and our relationship is brew-tiful,” Hitoshi answered before taking a big gulp.

Aizawa let out another sigh as he pinched the bridge of his nose and said, “It’s too early for this pun crap.”

“But we’re only trying to espresso ourselves,” Izuku jokingly defended as he turned up his innocent look.

“I swear if you say one more pun I’ll…” the tired man said with a sneer.

“You’ll what?” the Quirkless teen questioned cheekily with green eyes full of mischief. “Ground me?”

The Erasure Hero glared at him as he growled, “Get out.”

“Can’t,” Izuku replied with an impish smile. “I’m essentially your son for the week.”

That comment earned him a strange reaction from Hitoshi. The purple haired teen flinched ever so slightly as he was drinking his coffee, but it did not go unnoticed. Yamada was distracted by cooking but Aizawa and Izuku saw it raising silent questions as to why. Both having their own guesses and questions they wanted to ask the brainwasher in regards to his homelife. Neither knowing that the teacher and student both decided that tonight before the internships officially ended would be a good time to get some answers.

“Breakfast is ready!” Yamada chimed in breaking the tense moment.

The four worked together to set the table before settling down to eat. Sharing a simple breakfast of tamagoyaki with finely chopped green onion and white rice topped with furikake. They ate mostly in silence due to the early hour with only sparing domestic small talk. Such as Yamada mentioning he would be busy that evening with his weekly radio show so wouldn’t be home until late. Or Aizawa bringing up the various groceries they would need to pick up after a week of housing two teenagers.

Once they finished breakfast, Aizawa and the teens left for UA while Yamada stayed behind to run some errands before work. Thankfully they took the car so they didn’t have to deal with public transportation. Or in Izuku’s case, the public in general. He knew that he would have to eventually after once again making the papers. But for now, he would enjoy the lack of public attention for as long as he could. Upon arriving at UA, instead of going to the changing rooms right away as they had at the beginning of the week, they went to 1-A instead.

“Alright, problem children, let’s talk about the plan for today,” Aizawa said as he gestured for the teens to sit at the front desks. “This is the last day of the internship. We’re going to keep it relatively light considering everything that happened on Wednesday. I will have you two practice with Binding Cloth style in the afternoon. As for this morning, I have two things I would like to teach you that will be helpful especially as an Underground Hero.”

The boys were intrigued both wanting to become Underground Heroes. Though that might be more of a challenge for Izuku at this point. Becoming the first Quirkless Hero student had already put him in the spotlight. That light was now even brighter after he had been given sole credit of capturing Stain. On one hand the attention was good because it could serve as motivation for those who were in a similar situation as Izuku had been. Those in need of a role model to follow. But on the other it clashed with his dislike of being the center of attention though he figured it was going to be something he’d have to get used to.

“First, I’m going to teach you how to pick locks,” Aizawa said as he took out two small packages from his scarf. “There are times when you might find yourself in a situation that calls for this skill. Whether a locked door or even locked restraints. It’s a skill that takes time to learn but is one you can easily practice in your free time.”

The teacher offered the teens the packages which turned out to be lock picking tools. The man then took out three more objects from his capture weapon that were clear plastic padlocks that showed the mechanics inside. He also took his own personal set of lock picks from his belt as he dragged a chair to sit in front of his students.

Aizawa walked them through what all the different tools were and explained the parts of the lock. He then demonstrated and talked through the process showing them each step. The teacher then had his students try it out on their own. It was immediately clear to the teens that this was a task of finesse. One you had to learn through practice how it felt to manipulate each tumbler and pin. Sort of like a puzzle in a very tight space.

It took them both a while to figure out the feel of the process. How to hold the tension tool and lock in one hand while manipulating the pins with the picks with the other. Trying to lift them all to the correct height in order to get the cylinder to turn and unlock it. When they both managed to unlock their own padlocks, Izuku smiled brightly while Hitoshi gave a pleased grin.

The teacher then bid them to try out the different picks to see which one worked for them the best. Each had their own uses as well as strengths and weaknesses depending on the type of lock. They worked on picking their first lock with the different tools for a while until Aizawa gave them a new challenge.

Bobby pins.

“When you’re in a pinch and you don’t have your tools,” Aizawa said as he showed them how to turn two bobby pins into crude picking tools. “These will serve as an alternative. They’re small, inconspicuous, and easily hidden.”

The tired man showed them the various places they could hide them. Shoes, pockets, clipped to different areas of clothing. But also, their hair.

“That’s not something they usually teach in school,” the Erasure Hero said as he revealed some hidden bobby pins in his own hair. “But it’s a habit that I picked up over the years. Just in case I get into a situation that needs lock picking but I don’t have my gear. Sometimes even something as simple as a bobby pin can help you get free.”

“Wow, I never thought of using my hair to hide things in,” Izuku said with a tone of intrigue.

“Seriously? I thought you already hid things in that mess,” Hitoshi snarked next to him earning a questioning look. “Isn’t your hair like that because it’s full of secrets?”

“Well, what about yours?” the green haired teen retorted. “Your genes’ desperate attempt to make you taller or just an impression of a troll doll.”

“Who knows?” the brainwasher shrugged. “It does its own thing.”

Aizawa merely rolled his eyes at their teasing and instructed them to practice with their own bobby pins. Checking how they formed them into makeshift pins before having them try picking their locks with them. The crude picks worked pretty well and the teens were each given a pack of bobby pins to practice with outside of school.

The teacher informed his students he would provide different locks for them to practice on intermittently to give them new challenges. He then went on to the second thing he wanted to teach his charges. Sign language. Not specifically Japanese Sign Language, but a version many used in the Underground for stealthy communicate.

For Hitoshi this was an entirely new subject while Izuku already had some experience speaking in sign. The greenet had taught his best friend some things though they were mostly jokes. Like comparing the insomniac to a cat for example. He had used it to address Hitoshi one time in class and Kouda giggled before signing it was a good name. Turning a joke into a sign name of the gesture for cat with the one for ‘shi’.

But even though he had experience with JSL, this form of sign language was different. Focused on communicating information with the least number of gestures. Being quick and concise to maintain contact when verbal communication was not ideal. The Hero taught the teens the basics and gave them worksheets with pictures to help them practice.

~~~

The trio worked on communicating in sign until lunch. Rather than leave the classroom for the cafeteria, Shouta gave the boys bentos made by his husband. The blonde had gone a little overboard with leftover tamagoyaki alongside fried salmon, pickled vegetables, and little sausages cut into octopuses all on a bed of rice.

But the tired man couldn’t blame him. He knew Hizashi had always wanted his own ‘little listener’ to dote on and spoil. In fact, they had been certified as potential foster parents for a while now beyond the usual temporary guardianship allowed them as teachers and Pro Heroes. They had been looking for a while but they hadn’t really found the right fit yet.

The men knew that they would need to find a kid who was a bit older so they could be more independent due to their own schedules and just general preference. Hizashi may be fine with screaming babies but Shouta very much was not. Teenagers were bad enough. There was also the fact that they were two Pro Heroes that played a factor. If anyone learned they had a child, that would put their life in danger. So having someone older who they could teach to defend themselves was more ideal than a younger child.

But again, they hadn’t found the right fit yet. Because it wasn’t just their opinions that mattered. The kid would have to want to stay with them too. Most found Hizashi a bit over the top or Shouta off putting or a combination of the two. There were also the ones who tried to play up their Quirks too much boasting how strong it was much like the students the 1-A homeroom teacher typically expelled. If he couldn’t deal with someone else’s kid acting that way, he would have no tolerance from his own.

Hizashi also kept talking about what he called the ‘click’. A sort of gut feeling that the connection was just right. One he compared to when he realized his feelings for Shouta. Feeling that they were meant to be together. Being a romantic and a believer of some sort of fate when it came to their future child. But for now, Hizashi had been able to focus some of those parental urges towards the two teens who had shared their home for a week. Unfortunately, he would be busy for their last night but Shouta was certain his husband would leave them with a good meal to end the week on while he was on the radio.

~~~

After lunch, they packed up the empty bentos before Aizawa instructed Hitoshi and Izuku to change. They made quick work of getting out of their uniforms and into their workout clothes. The trio then stopped by the Support Studio to gather their individual capture weapons. Maijima was there and informed them that their Hero suits were being repaired and cleaned. Sure to be ready for their Hero Studies class next week.

The three then moved to one of the gyms. Aizawa had them go through stretches and a few laps to warm up their bodies. He didn’t have them spar this time and rather focused more on practicing with the capture weapons. The Hero commended his students on their effective use of them in Hosu. While he had been focusing on the Noumu, Eraserhead had still kept an eye on his problem children and took note of their efforts. There was also the green one’s take down of Stain that was being broadcasted all over Japan.

They had the basics down of throwing the weapon out and using it to wrap their targets in the metal alloy infused carbon fiber cloth. But there were many other elements of Binding Cloth style and it would take time to teach the teens them all. For today, he had them focus on using their own capture weapons as a way to scale to a higher location. So that next time they wouldn’t have to rely on a fire escape as they had in Hosu.

It was tough work trying to figure out how to use their gear as a sort of grappling device. Shooting the cloth out and managing to get a good grip on the other end. Secure enough to use as an anchor to pull themselves up. Keeping firm control over the Support Item while having to pull their own body weight up into the air. It was exhausting but the boys knew it would be a good skill to have in the future.

As the afternoon grew late, the teacher called it a day. The teens changed back into their uniforms, returned their Support gear to the studio, and the three left campus to spend their last night together in the EraserMic household. Yamada was already gone when they got back but he left a note to tell them of the dinner he had made for them as Aizawa had predicted. The blonde also bid them good night in the note and that he would see them off in the morning.

The teens took turns showering before they ate dinner. The trio then spent the rest of the evening in the living room with some show playing in the background as they worked on their own projects. Aizawa was on the couch typing away on his laptop to finish up some paperwork with Esp by his side. It was clear that he was the white cat’s favorite.

Hitoshi was sitting on a cushion on the floor practicing the sign language they had learned that day. While DJ was in his lap playfully swatting at his hands as he signed. The brainwasher would switch between signing and petting the attention seeking orange cat. Izuku was on the couch beside him practicing with the lock picks internally quizzing himself on the signs Hitoshi was making.

The calm atmosphere was nice. Very domestic. Izuku knew that Shouto’s conspiracy driven mind would have a field day finding more ‘evidence’ that his theory was correct. Seeing them as father and sons relaxing after a long day let alone week. A lot had happened and created many memories and stories. Not all of them they could share outside of their little group. But they would know and would be there to support each other if needed.

The tranquility apparently was enough to draw out the shadow cat. Aizawa was the first to notice Sashimi and nudged the green one next to him to let him know. Izuku found the black cat staring at them and smiled. He tapped Hitoshi on the shoulder before pointing the third cat out. Purple eyes widened at the appearance of the elusive feline as their mentor beckoned her over.

Sashimi cautiously approached them but instead of crawling into Aizawa’s lap, she went for Izuku’s instead. The greenet beamed as the shy cat settled in his lap and offered his hand for her to sniff before petting her soft black fur. He introduced Sashimi to Hitoshi and told him about Midnight having a cat named Sushi. But he didn’t go into the back story involving his teacher’s high school friend because it wasn’t his story to tell. If Aizawa wanted to elaborate, he would.

The rest of the evening was spent with each of them paired with a cat. Hitoshi had found a cat toy under the couch and was playing with the energetic DJ. Esp was chilling next to Aizawa enjoying the intermittent pets and scratches. While Izuku put aside his lock picking to instead soak up his time petting the purring Sashimi in his lap. He would be going back to his pet-less home the next day after all. Hitoshi was too for all he knew about his homelife. For now at least because Izuku was hoping to learn more tonight when they were alone.

Finally, the hour grew late and the teacher called it time for bed as he closed his laptop. Izuku sadly removed Sashimi from his lap as he stood up and placed her where he had been sitting. While Hitoshi stood up with DJ playfully batting at his socked feet. The teens bid their teacher good night and left for their room to change into their pajamas and get ready for bed before settling into their futons.

Izuku laid there in the dark listening to the sounds of his teacher also settling for the night. Waiting to be sure they wouldn’t be interrupted by him so the Quirkless teen could finally ask his friend about his weird behavior since the end of the Sports Festival. About why he had such strange reactions when it came to mentions of family and home. Because Izuku was worried about his friend and wanted him to be safe and happy.

The noises from the other room died down and was replaced by quiet. Moon light was shining through the curtained window giving a subtle glow to the room. Izuku laid there staring at the ceiling mentally preparing himself for this talk. Hoping his friend would talk to him but would respect his choice not to.

Well, here goes nothing.

“Hey, Hitoshi-kun,” Izuku called out quietly. “Are you awake?”

There was some shuffling beside him and green eyes turned to meet purple from their respective futons.

“Yeah, what’s up?” Hitoshi replied just as quietly.

“There’s, uh, been something I’ve been meaning to ask,” Izuku said looking back up to the ceiling. “About something I’ve noticed since the Sports Festival.”

Green eyes glanced at his friend as Hitoshi said, “Shoot.”

Izuku gulped and cleared his throat unsure how else to ask but to be blunt. Like ripping off a bandage.

“Why do you seem sad whenever we talk about family?”

~~~

Purple eyes widened in surprise at the sudden question as Hitoshi stared at the concerned face of his friend. Internally cursing that he hadn’t been able to hold back his reactions whenever the topic came up. He was still bitter even after two weeks of being dumped by his previous foster family. The sleepover had helped though and this week with their teachers had been nice. But they were only temporary.

Hitoshi thought about asking Izuku to drop it like he had with his second-place medal. The greenet had respected his wishes and hadn’t brought it up until now. Dutifully kept his medal for him for unknown reasons. Very much acting as the good friend that he is. But a good friend also will worry about you even if you don’t want them to.

But this time the brainwasher felt that he couldn’t brush it off. Not after the reveal of such a big secret that Izuku had kept from everyone including him. Who would have thought he would know Stain? Finding inspiration in his words of encouragement that no one else had given before. A Villain pushing someone to be a Hero was a strange concept, but somehow Izuku made it work.

Hitoshi had spoken true that this hidden connection wouldn’t make him stop being his friend. There had been some mixed feelings upon learning Izuku had essentially befriended a Villain. Bringing up negative thoughts that the other boy had befriended him while still thinking him a Villain because of his Quirk. But they were quickly dismissed because Izuku was the first one to say his Quirk didn’t make him a Villain. That his Quirk didn’t define him and instead how he used it did.

When it came to Stain, Izuku hadn’t gotten to know him as a Villain but as a man. A fellow human on this giant rock spinning in space. Pushing no Villainous acts on the teen and only talking. About what exactly he didn’t know but figured it wasn’t anything bad. Izuku was a Hero through and through. Hitoshi couldn’t imagine him doing anything criminal out of malice. Even up against the Hero Killer he had fought on the Hero side against the man who was the first to believe in him. Not allowing their connection to lead him astray.

It was a big secret that Hitoshi was sure Izuku hadn’t wanted to reveal. But it was out in the open now between those who were involved in the fight. It was because of this that the brainwasher felt one secret deserved another. Being a foster kid was something he’s never directly told anyone before. Not outside of the various homes he had been to or the other foster kids he met. It was big and very personal but this was Izuku. His brother in all but blood. He deserved to know.

Hitoshi took a moment to brace himself before saying, “Because I don’t have one.”

Purple eyes watched as green grew wide at the reveal. He could see the concern clear as day in them as typical tears started budding in their corners.

“W-what?” Izuku asked in an emotionally cracked voice.

“I don’t have a family, Izuku. At least technically,” Hitoshi replied with a sigh as he picked at a stray thread on his pillow. “My birth parents are still alive but…when my Quirk developed, they said they didn’t want a kid with a Villainous Quirk like mine and gave me up. I’ve been in the foster system ever since.”

Izuku’s brows furrowed at that. It pissed him off that his birth parents had done that. Judged him for his Quirk like the others had. Labeling him a Villain because of it with no regard to what he would become in the future. It was a terrible and discriminating reason to give up a child. Hitoshi grimaced as well not liking to talk about them. The first of many to call him Villain before he could prove otherwise.

“They abandoned you?” Izuku asked. “Just because of your Quirk? That’s messed up.”

“That’s just how it was growing up for me,” Hitoshi responded with a shrug. “Ever since my Quirk developed, everyone called it Villainous and wouldn’t talk to me in fear I would brainwash them. That went for school and the different homes I’ve stayed at. Some even…going so far as to make me wear a muzzle.”

Hitoshi paused and studied his friend for his reaction to that part of his past. It wasn’t something he had intended to share at all, but it was a part of how he grew up. With how much he knew about Izuku’s childhood, it only seemed fair.

At first, the greenet stared at him in shock. He knew that Hitoshi had a hard time growing up. Of people judging him for his Quirk and just assuming he would use it in a villainous way. It was enough of a shock that his own birth parents had done so and had gone so far as to give him up. But with the knowledge that some would go so far as to fucking muzzle him, his expression morphed into one of anger as well as concern.

“That is fucked up,” Izuku declared. Then his eyes widened in worry as he connected a tangent dot of muzzles and masks. “Wait, does that mean the mask Mei-chan and I made for you is triggering? Do we need to redesign it? Maybe something less restricting? Or maybe…”

“It’s fine, Izuku,” Hitoshi interjected with a sort of forced smile. “The muzzles were restricting but they never let them get too…uncomfortable.”

He didn’t bring up them wanting to hide their actions because he didn’t think it was relevant to their conversation.

“I basically got used to it along with the way the others treated me,” Hitoshi said instead with a shrug. Then purple eyes turned to look into green. “That is…until I met you. You were the first person to ever tell me my Quirk could be Heroic.”

Green eyes looked at him in shock. Not realizing that he had a similar impact on Hitoshi as Chizome had on him.

“Honestly, I was about to give up on being a Hero after failing the practical,” the brainwasher said as he focused on that stray thread. “But what you said that day we met pushed me to keep trying. That as long as I wanted to use my Quirk to be a Hero, it would never be Villainous.”

Purple looked earnestly into green. Trying to will all the gratitude he felt toward his friend. The first he had had in a long time. Pulled him up out of the hopeless hole he had been in and brought him to a world filled with it.

“You gave me hope again, Izuku,” Hitoshi said with a rare warm smile. “You saved me that day. And every day since. You’re my Hero.”

With that the dam broke and the signature Midoriya tears fell down freckled cheeks. Izuku sobbed as Hitoshi shuffled closer to bring his friend into a hug. The greenet buried his head into his friend’s chest and clung to him for support. Remorseful that Hitoshi had been abandoned just because of his Quirk being judged and mistreated for it ever since until they had met. A chance meeting caused by his clumsiness that led him to one of his best friends. Thank the gods that he was so distracted and then brave enough to try and befriend the other boy that day.

“Shh, it’s okay, Izuku,” Hitoshi said as he held his friend close and carded fingers through his green hair. “I’m alright. The reason why I started acting weird after the festival was because my foster family at the time had just given me back to the center. They had kept me for about a year but couldn’t keep me anymore because of a job opportunity.”

“They did?” Izuku muttered into his chest and sounding offended for him. “Just because of a job?”

“Yeah, but it’s fine,” Hitoshi replied with a sigh. “I’m used to it after all these years. There’s always some excuse or reason to send me back. I’ve heard them all and honestly with some of the homes I stayed at I was happy to leave. But this last couple were among the nicer places I’ve stayed at. It wasn’t really a surprise but it still sucked.”

The greenet nodded against him before asking, “So, that’s why you wanted me to keep your medal at my house?”

“Yes, it’s because I’m staying at a foster center right now,” the purple haired teen answered as he idly played with green curls. “Didn’t want to chance it getting swiped. Kind of worried about the things Yamada gave us too though.”

“I could take them home with me,” Izuku offered as he pulled away a bit to look his friend in the eye. “Keep them with your medal until you want them back.”

Hitoshi shouldn’t be surprised by his friend’s generosity by now but it still came as a shock every time. Izuku was just so caring and willing to help anyone in any way he could.

“Thanks, Izuku,” Hitoshi replied with a grateful smile.

“You’re still safe, right?” Izuku asked, green eyes filled with determined concern. It warmed the brainwasher’s heart as he nodded. “Good. If you ever need a place to stay, you are always welcome at my house. You know my mom would insist too.”

“Yeah, auntie sure would,” the purple haired teen huffed in fond amusement. “I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks, Izuku.”

“Of course, Hitoshi-kun,” the greenet responded with a smile.

"You can just call me Hitoshi, you know?” the taller teen said. “I consider you as sort of my brother at this point."

"…you do?" Izuku asked with a dusting of pink on his cheeks.

A subtle blush of Hitoshi’s own grew on his face as he answered, "Yeah, I may not have an official family, but I like to think of you, Mei, and Inko as my found family. Oh and Shouto too though he’s more like a family pet."

Izuku snickered before he said, “I’d like to think that too…Hitoshi.”

He found it a bit difficult to not use the honorific, but then again, he didn’t use them with Bakugou anymore and Hitoshi was much more of a friend than him. Bakugou’s case was more because they had known each other for so long. But in this one it was one of his best friends. One who had just revealed a big secret about his life and was trusting Izuku with it. Who saw him as a brother and his own personal Hero.

The greenet smiled at the other before pulling him into a brief hug. As he pulled back, he said, “I’m glad you feel that way about us. Though I have to say, I didn’t think you would say something so sappy."

“Says the one who is constantly mushy around Shouto,” Hitoshi teased, earning a flustered nudge to the shoulder. “What? It’s true.”

That just got him another push which he dramatized the fall for the effect as well as to move back to his own futon. Izuku giggled at his antics and hit him with his pillow before retreating to his own. He allowed Hitoshi a retaliatory hit before they both settled down to finally sleep. Hitoshi didn’t swear Izuku to secrecy but they both knew he would keep it anyway. It was up to Hitoshi to tell people about his life. His choice and his alone.

The two brothers in all but blood quickly fell asleep next to their found family member. Unsure about how the future would unfold in regards to Hitoshi’s situation, but knowing that for now he is safe. Perhaps Inko would have an idea of what to do. Izuku would have to ask Hitoshi in the morning if he could tell her. But for now, he would sleep.

Unbeknownst to either of the teens though, a tired cat loving hobo man stood silently outside their room absorbing what he had just overheard.

Notes:

The puns are back! I don't care what you say, Aizawa, puns are fun. ;P Also I'm basically putting myself into Izuku for several things. Coffee is one of them. I have never understood the appeal of coffee. If you like it awesome, but me...blegh. :P It is always an awkward situation explaining that I don't drink coffee. Even in Japan I would have to tell them that and would settle for tea instead even though I don't really drink tea either. But anyway...

The problem children are learning some new skills! Honestly when I was researching into lock picking it looks kind of...fun? Like a mini puzzle as I described in chapter. Also stealthy sign language which I'm sure the Underground Heroes must have for missions. But like with JSL I'll just be writing it similar to regular speech for convenience. And more practice with the capture weapons! It'll take time for them to get as good as Aizawa is with his, but they're getting there.

Hitoshi told Izuku! And Aizawa overheard but they don't know that yet. Finally progress for assessing Hitoshi's homelife! :D I know it's been a while but I was working up to this reveal. As to what happens next...we'll see! ^____^

For the muzzle bit, I know a lot of fics have it where it scars Hitoshi but I didn't want to do that. Scars don't have to always be physical after all. I had already stated back in part 1 after the festival that Hitoshi doesn't really care for masks but he can still wear them if need be. Which to him the mask Mei and Izuku made is something he needs to wear. Though you know Izuku is going to try and change it a bit to make his friend more comfortable. Another reason why the muzzles aren't scarring Hitoshi is for the foster families to cover their tracks. No scars means no physical evidence to what they are doing. And at this point, Hitoshi doesn't feel that telling anyone would change anything especially not the past. But now that Aizawa knows... ;)

Fun Facts About Japan:

Going back to the topic of coffee. Now like I said I don't drink coffee myself so I don't know much on the subject. But coffee is very much a thing in Japan. Of course you can go to Starbucks or Sutaabakkusu ( スターバックス ) as they call it. You can see a list of their special drinks here.

There are other coffee chains and cafes besides Starbucks of course. The ones I most often saw were Mister Donut and Doutor Coffee. Mister Donut where they are about that donut but there's coffee too. Doutor Coffee that is casual and cheap. There were others but again, I don't drink coffee and didn't seek them out.

The other place you can get coffee is at the import store Kaldi Coffee Farm. Kaldi has a lot of stuff and is a good place to try and find imported goods. They have a section just for coffee that you can select amongst their various flavors. They also have different food sections like Mexican, Italian, etc. with imported goods that you might not find in a typical Japanese grocery store. I would go there often for tortillas, cheese, and other things that I wanted for a taste of home. They don't have everything but it is a good place to start when you're looking for something outside of typical Japanese food shopping.

You can learn more about Japan's coffee culture in general here if you are interested.

That's all for this update! Next time Aizawa thinks over what he heard and has a talk with his husband. Then the internship officially ends and the kids go their separate ways to their respective homes. Or in Hitoshi's case the foster center. Wonder what's going to happen there. :P Until then, you be the best you that you can be and let me know of typos or weirdness!

Chapter 39: Homeward Bound

Notes:

It's update time again! The new job has been good so far. :) My years in customer service are certainly helping though my work history is rather...eclectic. Disney and Japan are kind of out there. :P Makes for great conversation starts. One coworker had asked me what job I had before this and I was all 'guess it's story time'. XD People's shocked reactions to that reveal are so funny.

Anyway, to the chapter, we've got some pov changes just fyi. Time to see what Aizawa is going to do with this new information about Hitoshi. How will the hobo man react? Let's find out right now! :D

Warning for mentions of muzzle wearing but it doesn't go into too much detail. Just in case.

Linktree to all the things!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Shouta quietly leaned against the wall of the dark hallway thinking about what he had just overheard as he listened to his students finally getting to sleep. Having intended to talk to Shinsou about his odd reaction that morning but instead was beaten to it by Midoriya. Leading to him learning yet another thing about one of his problem children. Ones who kept revealing more and more baggage as time passed.

Midoriya was one case of problem child that was unique. Quirkless with the dream to be a Hero. Being encouraged by a Villain to do just that. The fact that the Hero Killer was the first to tell the green one ‘yes’ was still a shock. Seeing something in the kid that not even All Might could see from his lofty Number One spot. Telling Midoriya what he had always needed to hear to push him forward and the kid using his words as fuel to stoke his inner Heroic flames. Never letting anyone hold him back from his dream no matter how hard he had to work.

It didn’t really surprise Shouta that the green one had ignited the same flame in Shinsou. The kid just had this energy about him that was infectious. Firing people up and pushing them to try harder to match his level of tenacity. Shouta had first witnessed it when he had stumbled upon the two teens on the very first day of school. Beginning to train for the festival in hopes of transferring much like he had. Midoriya even coming with well researched knowledge of the events as well as his past win, transfer, and eventual Hero career.

But Shouta hadn’t known that one of his students was in the foster system. It wasn’t uncommon but he liked to keep tabs on the ones who showed up in his homeroom just in case. Not all foster homes were good and he had rescued a fair number of children from them in the past. Which was why he made a point to keep an eye out for red flags amongst his students. Hoping to catch them early enough to be able to do something about it.

Midoriya’s situation with Bakugou could have been prevented if he had known. The kid had hinted at it but hadn’t elaborated to the extent of their tense relationship. Shouta had intended to look into it but had pushed it off what with the USJ attack and then the preparations for the Sports Festival. Which unfortunately had led to him finally finding out by witnessing it first hand as Hizashi and he had broken up their confrontation. Still relieved that they had stopped it before more damage could be done, but still guilty that he hadn’t been able to prevent it all together.

Todoroki was another can of worms that they had only just begun to pick through. Inko had brought up her concerns for the boy having helped him patch up after ‘training’ with his father. Had even sent them pictures of the bruises and burns. Ones that they couldn’t use just yet as they didn’t have the teen’s permission. But they could get that further into the investigation once they had a more solid plan of how to handle that mess.

Midoriya had also been concerned for his friend. Going so far as to send the Hero Killer to look into the situation. Still not the best move on his part but it had worked out in the end. The video that the Villain had taken of the ‘training’ the same day of the Sports Festival made the Erasure Hero’s blood boil. What the fuck was that man thinking ‘training’ his son like that? It was all kinds of messed up.

They were still going through the rest of the evidence Stain had given Midoriya. There were other videos of training and pictures of past injuries of not only the youngest Todoroki child but of another. Todoroki Touya. The eldest son of Endeavor who is believed to be dead. At least as far as the records say. Reporting his death due to a forest fire caused by his own flames going out of control during an unsupervised training session. The fact that no body had been found was presumed to be due to the intense heat of the fire that could have burned the boy up completely.

How this mysterious Dabi character was wrapped up in all this was still unknown though they had their suspicions as to how. But rather than voice them, they would let the evidence tell them that answer. That or Dabi themselves as they were keeping an eye and ear out for this potential ally. Finding nothing yet but they would keep searching for them. This Dabi could potentially be an important witness to their case.

Now to add to all this mess, Shouta learned that Shinsou was a foster kid. Given up by Quirkist parents and passed around like a hot potato ever since. It pissed him off how people can be so judgmental with no regard how their words and actions affected a child they were supposed to be caring for. No one deserved that crap.

Shinsou seemed to handling it alright from what he had overheard. Though that part about having to wear a muzzle was concerning. Hizashi had told him stories of people threatening to put him in one growing up from time to time. Scared of his Quirked voice and what he could do with it to hurt them. Not that Hizashi would on purpose. He eventually learned how to fine-tune the control of his voice to prevent unnecessary damage or harm.

The fact that Shinsou had apparently been muzzled at some of his homes flared up his Hero instincts. That was a fucked-up thing to do to a child. Shinsou wasn’t a rabid animal that needed to be restrained. He was a kid. One who dreamed to be a Hero using his supposed ‘Villainous’ Quirk for good. And he very much could do so much good with Brainwashing. It was a great Quirk for a Hero and anyone who couldn’t see that was an idiot.

While Shouta had been planning to talk to Shinsou tonight himself, he didn’t mind that Midoriya had beaten him to it as it gave him more insight into the situation. Apparently, this had been going on since the Sports Festival based on their conversation. There was also that vague comment Nezu had made during their meeting about Shinsou understanding Midoriya’s situation. At the time Shouta had figured he just meant the Quirk discrimination, but now he guessed this was also what the principal had been hinting at.

Regardless that Midoriya had been the one to ask, Shouta had his answer. Shinsou was a foster kid currently between homes. Safe for the moment and seemed resigned to that life for now. Probably figuring he would age out of the system before finding an official family. Satisfied with the found one he had with his friends and Inko.

That was all fine and dandy from the purple one’s side. But Shouta wasn’t feeling satisfied. Instead, he was pissed. Angry for his student having to face Quirk discrimination to such a degree. Midoriya had it bad too but at least he had his family supporting him. Shinsou didn’t have that growing up. Left to make it through his life on his own with the world trying to push him down.

Thank the gods that the green one had met him. Used his power to inspire to bring the purple one much needed encouragement and hope. Having a similar effect on Shinsou as Stain had on him. Continuing that support by giving the foster teen a safe place to go to when needed. Or even simply a place to keep his prized possessions like his silver medal soon to be joined by the merch from Hizashi.

But what if that wasn’t necessary? What if Shinsou did have his own safe place to call home? Namely one that had two willing certified foster parents with three cats? It was a spur of the moment thought that had just popped into his head but it was an idea. One Shouta would have to discuss with Hizashi when he got home that night.

He was sure Hizashi would be all for it. Having wanted a child of his own to care for a while now. But they hadn’t found a proper fit yet. Until now that is. This situation was different than any of the other kids they had looked into and/or met. They both knew this one. Like really knew him. Having him in their own homeroom classes at one point or another. Training the teen along with Midoriya since the beginning of the school year. Taking Shinsou under their wings to either teach Binding Cloth style or to help him gain better control of the vocal part of his Quirk.

Because of this, they already had the foundation of a sort of chemistry between him and them. Having grown familiar with each other over the last month or so. Plus, he was already learning to defend himself so that covered that factor. Also, while this wasn’t really a requirement, Shinsou looked different enough from them to not immediately be considered their son on sight. Well, to anyone other than the conspiracists like Todoroki, but that’s beside the point.

The more he thought about it, the more Shouta found himself liking the idea. It would be fulfilling Hizashi’s wish for a child while sating his own that the child would be protected against those seeking revenge. Either by his own self defense or just simply not looking like them. There would also be his name to consider going forward but that was an issue for the future.

First, he would have to talk with Hizashi about it. Feeling pretty confident the cockatoo would be thrilled with the idea. Then they would have to talk to Shinsou as well because it would ultimately be up to him to accept or not. Which Shouta would understand if he didn’t but hoped he would. It would sate his combined Hero and teacher instinctive needs to know the kid was safe.

The tired man stood there against the wall a few minutes more before retreating to his shared bedroom to wait for his husband. He settled into a propped-up position on their bed so he wouldn’t fall asleep before he pulled out his phone and put in some earbuds to listen to Hizashi’s radio show. While he wasn’t as obsessed with music as the blonde was, Shouta would still listen to support his husband from a far. It also served to let him know when Hizashi would be on his way home when he would sign off for the night.

~~~

By the time he got home, all Hizashi wanted to do was curl up in bed next to his husband and sleep. He had kept himself busy throughout the day with errands, cooking, and then playing host on the radio. Filling the airwaves with good tunes and good vibes as he did every week. While he did love each of his three jobs and wouldn’t give any of them up, the constant energy he exuded as Present Mic could be exhausting at times.

But in his own home he didn’t need to be as boisterous. Still energetic as that was just how he was, but with no need for the exaggerated personality that was part of his Hero persona. Their home was a place he could truly be himself and enjoy his free time with his wonderful cat of a husband and their three fur babies. And for this week only, he had enjoyed housing two of their students giving him the opportunity to shower them with gifts, good food, and caring attention that they both deserved.

Hizashi was sad that the week was over after tonight. The two boys would go back to their respective homes and it would go back to the five of them once again. Izuku had his own loving family to go home to and the blonde would guess Shinsou did as well. Or at least he hoped so as he didn’t know much about the teen’s homelife and was an optimist at heart.

The commute home seemed to take no time at all being a path he took every week. Their building was quiet as the tenants were asleep in the still of the night. Hizashi expected everyone in his home to be asleep as well considering the late hour other than one of the cats deciding to do some late-night mischief. So, he was surprised when he entered their quiet apartment and went into their bedroom to find his husband still awake.

“Shouta?” Hizashi asked in a whisper as he mostly shut their bedroom door leaving a gap big enough for the cats to get in and out as desired.

The tired man looked up from his phone that he was scrolling through, eyes half lidded as he sleepily drawled out, “Hey, ‘Zashi.”

“Why are you still up?” the blonde asked as he started to change out of his day clothes to just his boxers before throwing on a loose tank top. It was too hot for anything else.

“Was waiting for you,” Shouta answered, also in his underwear and a tank top. Though his were briefs and both were black in color while Hizashi’s were white.

Shouta typically would have been asleep already. Waiting in slumber for the other to join him for the rest of the night. Waking up just enough for them to snuggle up together before passing out again. It was rare for him to not take every opportunity to sleep because of his odd hours. Whatever it was that kept him up must be important. Figuring that, he made quick work in the bathroom of brushing his teeth and brushing out his long hair. Thankfully not needing a shower to wash out all the gel as he had gone casual that day.

“What’s up?” Hizashi asked as he joined his husband on the bed wrapping him in a hug.

The tired man leaned into the embrace and let his head slump onto the blonde’s shoulder before mumbling, “Learned something new about the problem child.”

“Oh? Which one?” Hizashi inquired as he played with his partner’s fluffy black hair.

“The purple one,” Shouta answered, voice muffled against his skin.

The blonde huffed out a laugh in amusement for his husband’s tendency to be lazy when identifying people. Choosing to stick with basic colors or other characteristics and leaving it at that.

“So, Shinsou, huh?” Hizashi said earning a nod. “What did you learn about him?”

“Did you know he’s in the foster system?” Shouta muttered against him.

What?

Hizashi gently pushed the other away so he could look into his eyes as he asked, “He’s what?”

“He’s a foster kid, ‘Zashi,” the tired man reiterated. “Has been since his Quirk came in and his birth parents didn’t want him anymore. All because they didn’t want a kid with a ‘Villainous’ Quirk. Been between homes ever since.”

Tears started to well in yellow-green eyes in sadness before hardening in hostility towards such Quirkist parents. Throwing away the child they had brought into this world just because they didn’t turn out how they had wanted. It was sick and messed up on so many levels. Hizashi wanted to find these ‘parents’ and yell at them about how wrong that was.

But at the moment he couldn’t do that. Having no knowledge of who or where they were. So instead, he pulled Shouta back into a hug in search of comfort. The other man gave him just that by holding him close and petting his long un-gelled hair. Acting as his pillar of support in that moment as he had many times before.

“What’s his situation like?” Hizashi asked as he nuzzled into his partner’s neck. “Is he safe?”

“As far as I know, yes,” Shouta replied as he ran fingers through blonde strands. “He seems to be anyway based on what I overheard.”

“What you overheard?” the blonde inquired pulling away enough to see his face.

“I had planned to ask Shinsou about an odd reaction he had this morning,” the tired man answered, earning a questioning head tilt from the other. “Midoriya had joked about being my son for the week because of that weird theory Todoroki has about us.”

Hizashi let out an amused hum at the conspiracy the bi-color teen had cooked up. Shouta had told him about it once he had gone to bed that night. Such a strange jump to conclusions that was also oddly endearing. Plus, it had allowed the blonde to tease his husband about being seen as a dad again. Something that the tired man vehemently denied even though he was dubbed Dadzawa time and time again for how he treated his students.

“What happened when Izuku said that?” Hizashi asked.

“Shinsou flinched,” Shouta answered as yellow-green eyes shot up to black. “You were cooking so you didn’t see. But he had a physical reaction to it. That’s what I wanted to ask him about privately without drawing Midoriya’s attention. But like I said, Midoriya beat me to it.”

The blonde nodded and sat there in thought for a moment while still holding onto his husband. He knew they both had growing concerns about Shinsou and his homelife. Mainly because the teen had a tendency to avoid the topic giving only vague answers if he was pressed, but he had never let anything slip that they felt needed to be addressed. This certainly wasn’t what Hizashi had been expecting.

Abandoned by his birth parents just because of his Quirk. In the foster system ever since. Shouta hadn’t said anything but Hizashi could guess the teen’s experience had not always been pleasant. They had both helped rescue foster children from their supposed ‘families’ at some point of their Hero careers. Never easy to deal with but relieving that they were able to help a child get out of a bad situation and hopefully into a better loving home. Because there were tons of families out there just waiting to open their homes to children in need much like Shouta and he were.

Wait…what if…

“Hey Shou,” Hizashi said gaining his partner’s attention. “What if we foster him?”

The tired man looked at him for a moment before letting out a huff of laughter.

“That’s what I was going to ask you,” Shouta mumbled sleepily, drowsy enough to let a small smile break through. “Figured you’d like the idea.”

The blonde nodded with enthusiastic agreement.

“Alright, we can foster him,” the tired man said. “If he wants us to.”

“And eventually adopt him maybe?” the loud man pressed with a hopeful grin.

“Zashi, we just decided to foster him,” Shouta countered earning a pout from the other. He let out a relenting sigh. “Fine. If he wants us to foster him and if it works out that way, we can adopt him. Happy?”

“Very,” Hizashi replied with a kiss.

“Good,” Shouta said before returning it. “Now sleep.”

The blonde chuckled as his husband dragged them both down to lay together on the bed. Snuggling up with the other with both falling asleep to the budding of a plan to offer their home to the foster child. Hizashi in particular was excited to go shopping for everything the teen would need with them. Shouta went to sleep satisfied that they at least agreed to offer Shinsou this chance. While the foster teen in the other room had no idea what his teachers had in store.

~~~

The next morning purple eyes blinked open to the early morning rays starting to barely peek through the curtained window. It was still quiet and a little too early for even the birds to be up yet. But Hitoshi’s mind had woken him up and he knew he wouldn’t go back to sleep. Beside him was Izuku still slumbering away and drooling on his pillow while lying on his stomach. Hitoshi let out a huff of amusement before turning to the warm pressure on his chest.

At some time in the night, it seemed the cats had decided to pay them one last visit. Next to Hitoshi’s head was DJ who had made himself at home sprawled out on his pillow. Sashimi seemed very attached to Izuku and had curled up into a ball on the small of the greenet’s back. As for Esp, she apparently had deemed the purple haired teen worthy of her regal presence.

The scarred fluffy white cat was laying on his chest with her blue eyes staring at him intently. Hitoshi blinked slowly at the cat to communicate he wasn’t a threat or threatened by the feline. Esp didn’t return the gesture back but that was okay. She didn’t know him all that well since they had only been there for a week. Instead, the brainwasher lifted his hand for her to sniff before petting her fluffy white fur.

He laid there for a while quietly petting Esp as the sun rose in the sky. Soaking up as much cat time as he could before having to return to the petless foster center. Knowing he was going to miss this domestic bliss even though he already knew it would be temporary like all his other living arrangements had been. But at least he wouldn’t have to worry about the hoodies and sunglasses since Izuku had offered to hold onto them for him. He was also kind of relieved that at least someone knew about his situation.

Hitoshi had never planned on telling anyone he was a foster kid not wanting them to worry unnecessarily. He was fine. Had been for years because he had to be. Going with the ebb and flow of his life until he could find solid ground to walk on. Which wasn’t going to happen until he aged out of the system and became in charge of his own person. No longer needing to rely on a guardian to make his own decisions.

But knowing that Izuku knew now was relieving in a way he hadn’t expected. Finally able to express how he felt about the other boy who had been his first friend and was now like a brother to him. Part of his found family which was more than he could ask for. It was just nice knowing he had a place he was wanted and could go to if he needed to. Not that he would unless absolutely necessary. Because again he didn’t want them to worry or become a burden on them.

It was also a weight off his shoulders. A secret he still held close to his chest. Not out of shame or anything. Hitoshi just would rather keep it to himself and he knew Izuku wouldn’t tell anyone. Because despite all his teasing about the greenet being a lousy secret keeper before, turns out he really could. Befriending the Hero Killer…man, that still boggled the mind.

Their hidden connect was probably something Izuku had never intended to let out. But in the heat of the moment, he couldn’t help let slip hints of their relation to each other. Considering that Stain had been the first to encourage Izuku and how much his words had influenced his brother-from-another, Hitoshi couldn’t really blame him. He didn’t know how they had become so familiar with each other but it was obvious they were close despite being on opposite sides of the law.

It would be Izuku who would befriend a Villain. He had befriended Hitoshi after all though the brainwasher knew the other didn’t see him as one. Izuku was just someone who seemed like he could befriend just about anyone. If they gave him a chance that is and were able to look past his lack of Quirk. Acting like actual decent human beings instead of judgmental assholes like Bakugou.

Speaking of, the explosive blonde would be rejoining the class come Monday. Though thankfully Aizawa’s modified seating chart kept them apart from each other. And with Shouto being seated between them, Hitoshi was sure Izuku would be just fine. Not that Izuku couldn’t defend himself but there was no way one pining teen would let anything happen to the other. As for Hitoshi himself, if he could beat him once, he was confident he could do it again.

On the futon beside him Izuku started to stir. A tired grumble here and a stretch of an arm there. Squirming slightly but not enough to dislodge the ball of black fur. Yet. Though Sashimi’s head did perk up at the disturbance looking about ready to bolt. Can’t have that.

“Izuku,” Hitoshi called out to the other receiving a hum. “Don’t move.”

“Mmm…why not?” Izuku muttered with a sleepy slur.

“There’s a cat on your back,” the purple haired teen answered.

That woke the greenet up but also stilled his movements. Green eyes looked over at him seeing Esp on his chest and DJ by his head. Meaning that it had to be the shadow cat on his back. Izuku grinned warmly at receiving the shy cat’s attention. He carefully reached a scarred hand back and let Sashimi sniff his fingers. She gave him a lick which caused him to giggle before she got up from his back.

Released from his position, Izuku slowly turned over as Sashimi walked closer to his face. Once he was lying on his back, she crawled up on his chest and settled right back into a ball. The Quirkless teen smiled as he calmly petted the shy cat’s soft black fur. The boys both laid there petting their respective cat for a bit. At one point DJ had woken up more and was nuzzling Hitoshi’s head. He was in the middle of giving the cuddly cat a kiss on his furry belly while still petting Esp when he heard the snap of a camera.

Green and purple eyes snapped to the open door to find a casually dressed Yamada with his phone out as he continued to take more pictures of them surrounded by cats. They both blushed at the sudden attention but were also long used to such antics because of Inko and her pathological need to document everything. Well even if it was kind of embarrassing, Hitoshi knew he would still ask his teacher to send him a copy. A picture of him with cats? Yes, please.

“Good morning, you two,” Yamada said with a chuckle as he put his phone in his pocket. “Breakfast is almost ready. We’ll eat up before letting you get back home, yeah?”

Izuku nodded as he carefully picked up Sashimi before placing her down gently so he could get up. Hitoshi did his best to control his reaction to the mention of home but a twitch of his brow managed to slip through. He thought he saw yellow-green eyes track the minute movement but the blonde said nothing as he left to let them get ready.

Sensing their moment was over, Esp walked off on her own accord. DJ gave one last nuzzle before trotting off after Yamada most likely to demand breakfast and attention. Sashimi eyed Hitoshi warily where he remained lying down. She hadn’t warmed up to him as much as she had with Izuku. The brainwasher carefully offered his hand to the shadow cat with a slow blink of his eyes to let her know he wasn’t a threat. Yellow eyes stared at the offered hand for a moment before sniffing, licking, and giving one quick nuzzle before bolting out of the room.

Well, it was something at least, Hitoshi thought with a smile. Any interaction with a shy cat like that was a blessing.

The teens took turns in the bathroom to do their business and get dressed into their uniforms. They worked together to pack up the futons and made sure the room was back the way they had found it. As well as to pack Hitoshi’s stuff with Izuku’s bag to take back to the Midoriya apartment. Making his bag a bit more stuffed than Hitoshi’s but it was fine. If Izuku could jump across rooftops with him on his back, carrying a bag with two extra hoodies and a pair of sunglasses inside was nothing. Thankfully they hadn’t had to worry about their Hero costumes. After the hospital, they had been sent off to the Support companies that made them for cleaning and repair. Scheduled to be returned to UA come Monday in time for their Hero training.

Once they were ready, they left their bags in the hallway and headed to the kitchen. Yamada had just finished laying down the feast of a breakfast he had made for them as they entered. Grilled fish, sausages, tamagoyaki, pickled vegetables, miso soup, various onigiri, and of course white rice. A meal fit for an army going into battle and there were just four of them. Leftovers for later for them he guessed.

The four ate what they could and surprisingly ate most of it. Whatever was left was packed up for later but Yamada insisted the boys take the leftover onigiri as a treat. Even going as far as to wrap them in plastic and shoving them into the teens’ hands at the door. The group gathered in the entrance of their apartment as the boys gathered up their belongings.

“Either of you need a ride back home?” Aizawa asked.

“Oh, uh, no but thanks,” Hitoshi was quick to reply. “I can get back just fine.”

“I’m okay too,” Izuku answered. “You two have been accommodating enough. Thank you for mentoring us and allowing us into your home.”

The greenet bowed to the two men and Hitoshi was quick to follow suit. He too was very much grateful for their hospitality. Spending a week away from the center had been a treat with the cats being the cherry on top. But now it was back to reality and his foster life. No parents, no home. Just him and what he could carry with him. Essentially living out of his backpack like he had for years.

With that the teens left the EraserMic apartment toward the train station before going their separate ways. After a brotherly hug of course. Neither knowing that as soon as the door had closed behind them, the Heroes moved to enacted their agreed upon plan.

The commute to the foster center wasn’t much different as any other day. Just a slightly altered route from his mentors’ apartment than the school taking a little longer than usual. Giving him plenty of time to mentally prepare himself for facing the other foster kids after being gone a week. Some of them were mean or obnoxious though he usually ignored them. Others were nicer but still didn’t really befriend Hitoshi. Which was fine because he would probably be there only temporarily before being carted off to another short-lived home stay.

Once Hitoshi’s stop came up, it was a relatively short walk to the center. As he crossed the parking lot heading for the main office to check in, a generic black car pulled into a spot. The brainwasher paid it no mind other than a passing thought of whoever it was apparently really wanted an early start. Not that morning visits to the center didn’t happen, but it was typical for prospective foster parents to come later in the day. Either that or they were there for another reason.

Brushing it off as not his problem, Hitoshi strolled through the doors as he had done hundreds of times before. The front desk clerk looked up and noticed it was him. They made quick work to mark him as back from his week out of the center before sending him to the back. The brainwasher entered the main seating area where most of the other foster kids hung out during the day. A few greeted him while a handful of others jeered about him being back again. Hitoshi merely waved to the kinder ones without a word in response. He made his way to his room and started to unpack his bag when there was a knock at his door.

Looking up he saw it was another one of the center workers standing in the door frame. One of the nicer ones who wasn’t scared to talk to him. Though there were some Hitoshi tried to avoid as they didn’t…approve of him. This one was a man named Taikan Gosei. He was dressed in a muted blue button up shirt that was tucked into dark blue pants held up by a belt and wore dark brown shoes. He has been a worker at the center for as long as Hitoshi could remember. A man of average height and had a calm personality with a true want to help children. Yet despite this the majority of the other kids who lived at the center still tended to avoid him as they did Hitoshi. But rather than being judged for a Quirk, instead he was judged by his appearance.

Taikan had a mental type Quirk that allowed him to feel the emotions of those around him. Which had helped Hitoshi numerous times to get out of trouble when the man would sense deceit in those who wanted to blame the brainwasher. He also had the ability to minorly manipulate the minds of others. Nothing too extreme. Enough to calm someone angry down or help someone sad feel happier. Both he’s done on multiple occasions to break up confrontations between foster kids or help Hitoshi out of a slump. Being more of a peaceful man who cared for those in his charge no matter their situation.

But despite all this peacekeeping and kindness, many still shied away from him. Because unfortunately in this world of Quirks, there are still those who judge someone by their appearance. A sort of discrimination that was still somehow common for those with mutant type features in this world of fantastical powers. For Taikan it was no different.

The man had told Hitoshi that his Quirk was from his mother’s side but his appearance was from his father’s. Taikan mostly looked like a normal middle-aged man. Stout but strong body with perhaps more hair than the average man. The biggest difference though was his head that was reminiscent to a buffalo. His fluff of fur was red in color with a mix of grey that had popped up over the years. He had large brown bovine eyes, a wide long nose, and thick eyebrows. He had horns on either side of his head and two tusk like lower teeth peeking out of his mouth. His appearance came off as gruff and intimidating despite the man being kind hearted.

Growing up with such a face had not been easy for him. Taikan never went into much detail but he had confided to Hitoshi certain tales and feelings. Of being judged by his appearance and being able to feel the fear or disgust with his Quirk. It had made the purple haired teen thankful that his Quirk only allowed him to brainwash others and not have to hear what they thought back. A one-way street of mental manipulation instead of the buffalo man’s that went both ways.

Over the years, Taikan had been one of Hitoshi’s constant supporters. Doing his best to help the teen in any way he could. Reading the room to prevent fights before they start or stop blame from being put falsely. Working hard to keep the peace. However, that was all he could really do. The kind hearted man always did his best but in reality, he held a low position of power. One he was in by his own choice because he enjoyed working directly with children rather than moving up the ladder.

But being on the front lines like that didn’t help Taikan hold much power of authority. As such, any protest he could make for any of the children treated poorly for this reason or that would fall on deaf ears. Not that there wasn’t enough evidence of it but the discrimination trickled down from the top and they chose to ignore such complaints. Taikan was also not a confrontational person. Preferring peaceful solutions over drastic measures. Doing his best to sooth situations with his kind nature and a little help of his Quirk when needed.

Because of this, out of anyone in the foster system Hitoshi felt closest to Taikan. Not that he wouldn’t call the buffalo man a friend per say, but more a friendly acquaintance who knows some of the bullshit the brainwasher has had to go through. Could understand his situation of being judged for something out of his control and doing his best to help Hitoshi make it through his life. And though he had never given his opinion on the purple haired teen’s Quirk, Taikan had never said anything bad about it either. Remaining as neutral as Switzerland in order to keep the peace.

“Shinsou-kun, welcome back,” Taikan said with a kind deep tone.

“Good morning,” Hitoshi greeted with a nod as a bud of anxiousness started to grow.

“Before you start unpacking, I’d like you to come with me,” the buffalo man said, still speaking calmly but it didn’t bring much comfort to the teen.

He could only think of two reasons why he was being summoned. One less likely than the other. Either he had been blamed for something by one of the other kids again. Hitoshi was long used to being used as a scapegoat by some of the less pleasant tenants here. But with Taikan involved he knew the situation would be handled just fine. Or the least likely option was that he was being called for an interview. Which he highly doubted because of his track record with those.

Hitoshi did have interviews in the past but they were few and far between. Having been repeatedly passed over in favor of a child with a better Quirk. Typically picked by families who wanted either the extra money that came with a ‘troubled’ case like his. A kid with a ‘Villainous’ Quirk with a long list of accusations against him across the years and homes. Or he was taken in by those who wanted to ‘fix’ him. Set him straight and all that crap. Those were the homes that usually made him wear a muzzle. Thankfully they had never been too tight or uncomfortable, but they still prevented him from eating, drinking, or speaking for as long as he had them on.

Even though he had never been physically injured by wearing a muzzle, he still hated wearing them. They were restricting in more ways than one. Hitoshi couldn’t communicate not that anyone would have spoken to him anyway. Too afraid of what he could do with his Quirk. But he also couldn’t eat or drink anything until they helped him take it off. Forcing him to rely on their ‘generosity’ when they saw fit to feed him. Acting as yet another way he didn’t have control over his own life.

Being legally bound to the foster system was bad enough. Hitoshi didn’t really have much of a say on most things because he’s a minor. Most choices were to be made by whoever was his guardian at the time. It was one thing he was grateful of at his last placement. The couple had been one of the nicer families and supported his goal to attend UA. If he had been at one of the other homes who only saw him a Villain, the brainwasher doubted he would have been so lucky.

Hitoshi refused to think about what could have been or rather what could not have been. Not wanting to dwell on the negative thoughts of possibly never meeting Izuku that day of the entrance exam. Because the Quirkless boy had changed so much of his life. At this point, Hitoshi couldn’t imagine his life without the Hero fanboy. Izuku had become so important to him. He was his brother. Family. Something that Hitoshi has been wanting since his birth parents gave him up.

No matter what, Hitoshi would fight to keep Izuku in his life along with Mei and his other friends. Inko as well of course. Because they are the people Hitoshi chose and they chose him. Family isn’t dictated by blood but rather something you choose. His birth parents chose to abandon him so they were no family of his anymore. But Izuku and the others did choose him and he chose them back. Whatever this summoning was about wouldn’t change that.

With a sigh, Hitoshi stopped unpacking his bag and nodded as he walked over to Taikan. The buffalo man gave him a pat on the arm before leading the way. The gesture didn’t give any more comfort same as the kind tone. It could be just him giving his support for Hitoshi’s side against another false accusation. And he still highly doubted anyone would want to interview him of all people.

The pair walked back through the main area passing the other kids. The assholes jeered that he was in trouble while the nicer ones sent him curious or hopeful looks. Hitoshi chose to ignore both and quietly followed the man. He expected to be taken to one of the offices to be lectured about being in trouble for one thing or another. But instead, Taikan led him to one of the interview rooms.

Huh?

Seeing his confusion, Taikan said, “A couple came in asking to talk specifically with you. They’re waiting for you in there.”

A couple asked for him specifically? Seriously? And this early in the morning? Why? Who? Just…what?! Questions rolled around under his gravity defying purple fluff as he stared at the door confused. Who on Earth would want to talk with him this early in the morning?

“Go on,” Taikan prodded with an almost amused grunt. “They’re waiting for you.”

With a gentle push of encouragement, the buffalo man managed to coax him to open the door. Upon entering the room, the teen froze. For in the middle of the room was a table and sitting on one side of it were two very familiar figures. Purple eyes stared wide at the sight of none other than Aizawa and Yamada, his teachers, staring back at him.

HUH?!

Notes:

Aizawa/Yamada: Wait, he's a foster kid without a home?! Nope. No. No way. Not anymore. He's ours now.

Essentially anyway. :P We'll have to see how this 'interview' goes next chapter. Will Hitoshi accept? Maybe, maybe not! ^_____^ Either way, Aizawa and Yamada know and now Hitoshi knows that they know. It'll certainly be interesting!

We have an OC! Now I never intended to include OCs in this just as a personal preference. But when I got to this part I felt that I needed to have one. I had originally had the worker some faceless nobody but I felt that Hitoshi needed someone in his corner in the system. Thus Taikan Gosei was born! Shout out to Serif666, cheezee without zee, Christina, Audrey, and Sin-chan on the discord for your help making him! I have a post on the tumblr for what he looks like!

Btw, I am having so much fun writing cat shenanigans. They're just so cute! I love them and want them to shower the problem children with love and attention. Why? Because I can and they deserve it. ;)

Fun Facts About Japan:

This one involves part of the influence that made Taikan appearing scary but having a gentle nature. There's a children's tale in Japan called Red Demon Blue Demon. The story is about Red Demon wanting to be friends with children but they were all too scared of him. Until Blue Demon decided to help his friend. Together they pretended that Blue Demon was scaring the kids and Red Demon came in to 'save' them. After, the kids and Red Demon played together. Sadly Blue Demon had to stay away from Red Demon afterward or he would scare the children away. But Blue Demon left a letter saying he was sad to go but happy he helped his friend. They had this story in the textbook and you can read word for word what they had here. It was one of the sections they would use for recitation practice and I have heard it repeated soooo many times. XD

But yeah, Taikan is a mix of Red Demon with his scary appearance but gentle nature. Wanting to care for children but being judged by his looks. He's also got influence from Beast from Disney's Beauty and the Beast. Beast's design is a mash up of different animals and one of them is for sure a buffalo. So yeah! Taikan is basically Red Demon/Beast! (Also, I know that Beast is often referred to as Prince Adam, but since he's never given a name in the movie and the people in the original production team never gave him one, I personally go with Beast. :P )

That's it until next week! Coming up is the EraserMic interview with Hitoshi. Will the Purple Panda accept their offer? We find out next time! Until then, have a great week and report any typos or weirdness. Also I'm behind on comments again but I will get to them eventually! Promise. See ya!

Chapter 40: Once Bitten, Twice Shy

Notes:

It's interview time! :D How will everyone react? Hitoshi on seeing Aizawa and Yamada. The Heroes learning about his situation. Taikan trying to remain as a human Switzerland. We'll see how long that lasts, bud.

I do want to give a shout out to Rijus_Hope. I got kind of stuck on Hitoshi's reaction for this chapter but your comment really helped! So thanks! ^_____^

Warning for brief mentions of muzzles here and there.

Linktree to all the things! This includes the discord, tumblr, and more! Join if you'd like! :D

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Hitoshi stood there frozen not sure how to process the sight of Aizawa and Yamada looking back at him in this of all places. Wondering why in the hell they were there. The blonde was clad in a white t-shirt, dark pants and shoes, and a leather jacket with his hair tied in a low ponytail. He was grinning brightly at him making Hitoshi wish he had his sunglasses. While the tired man beside him was dressed all in black sans scarf with his hair in a messy bun and his usual bored expression that had an underlying warmth. Taikan gave him another push forward so they could enter the room. The teen moved but otherwise was still frozen in shock where he stood.

“Thank you for waiting,” Taikan said with a bow of his head. “This is Shinsou Hitoshi. Shinsou-kun, this is…”

“Aizawa Shouta and Yamada Hizashi,” Aizawa interrupted.

“Shouta, manners!” Yamada scolded, swtting the other mans’ arm before sending an apologetic look to the buffalo man. “Sorry about him. He can be socially incompetent at times.”

Taikan said it was fine and brushed off the interruption. Though Hitoshi was glad Aizawa had done it, because if neither of them had he might have himself. Because these two men needed no introduction to him. Hitoshi had been getting to know them since the start of school. They were his teachers. Ones who actually cared about their students’ wellbeing including him.

But it seemed that Taikan didn’t know that they knew each other already. Did that mean they didn’t want him to know? Hitoshi wondered why. Perhaps it had to do with their jobs? They were teachers but also Pro Heroes. And UA was known to have Heroes as teachers. So, if it was known that the men across from him were his teachers then that would reveal their roles as Heroes as well as their civilian identities.

It was the only reason he could think of as to why they were acting as if they were meeting him for the first time. But it did not explain why they were here. Unless…did his conversation with Izuku get overheard? Purple eyes flicked towards black to see apologetic understanding hiding under his stoic expression. Hitoshi did his best to hide his internal panic as the foster center worker spoke.

“As I said, this is Shinsou-kun,” Taikan said towards the two men before turning to the teen. “And this is Aizawa-san and Yamada-san. Now, I’ll leave you three to talk while I go and grab Shinsou-kun’s file.”

The buffalo man gave Hitoshi a comforting shoulder pat before leaving the room and closing the door behind him. The room fell silent as the teen still stood there frozen staring at his teachers wondering why the hell they were there. Was he in trouble? Did him being a foster kid affect his eligibility to be in the Hero Course? But if it did, wouldn’t Nezu have done something since he seemed to have some knowledge of his situation? Just more questions to add to the others buzzing around in his head.

“Are you going to sit, problem child?” a gruff voice asked, breaking the teen from his thoughts.

Hitoshi gulped as he shakily took the seat opposite of his teachers. Both eyed the nervous teen before them. Yamada with worry as the boy sat down tensely. Aizawa was concerned as well but didn’t show it. While Hitoshi was filled with apprehension as to how this interview would go.

“Why are you here?” Hitoshi asked, avoiding his mentors’ gazes.

“Why do you think we’re here?” Aizawa questioned back.

“I don’t know,” the teen shrugged. “To kick me out of the Hero Course ‘cause I’m a foster kid?”

“WHaa-?!” Yamada squawked but was cut off by a Quirked glare from his husband.

“Why would we do that?” Aizawa pressed turning back to the teen.

“I don’t know,” Hitoshi answered again. “Can’t really think of any other reason why you’d be here.”

“Why’s that, kid?” the tired man asked.

“Because no one comes asking to specifically see me here,” the teen replied dejectedly. “Either I’m in trouble or I’m being carted off to another so called caring ‘family’. People who want to either fix me or make a quick buck off taking care of a ‘Villain’ like me. Only to be dumped back here when I become too inconvenient.”

Aizawa hadn’t meant to turn this meeting into an interrogation, but he couldn’t help his want for answers. He had only learned that the kid was in the foster system yesterday. Of course, he was curious about his past especially with that thing about the muzzles. They wanted to offer the teen the chance to foster with them. To give him a safe place he could call home. But another part of him wanted to bring the boy justice. No one should be judged or mistreated because of their Quirk like he had. To what extent they didn’t know, but the Erasure Hero sure wanted to find out.

“What do you mean by ‘trouble’?” Aizawa asked.

“Stupid stuff,” Hitoshi answered with another shrug. “It’s easy to blame the kid with a Brainwashing Quirk for just about anything. A perfect scapegoat, ya know?”

Both men internally seethed at that. They knew that kids could be cruel. Both having experienced Quirk discrimination growing up and this was no different. At least at UA he was safe from such prejudice, but there wasn’t much they could do outside of the school’s protective walls. That is if they didn’t know about it. But much like the case they were building against Aldera and the Quirkless teen’s other schools, Aizawa was sure Nezu would be interested to take on another corrupt system. Puzzles like these were what the chimera lived for after all.

“What about the other families that took you in?” the Erasure Hero pressed, mentally noting to see if they had records of those accusations and if the teen before him had been punished unjustly for them.

Hitoshi hesitated for a few moments unsure how to answer his teacher. Not all of them had been bad though the ‘fixer’ homes were the worst. But if Aizawa overheard them talking last night, he possibly already knows about the muzzles. It wasn’t something the brainwasher liked to think about and hadn’t had to worry about for over a year. But who knows what his next foster family was going to be like. He just hoped it was one that had no issue with him attending UA to be a Hero.

“They were…alright,” Hitoshi replied guardedly, not wanting to give too much away. “Some were better than others. My last one was one of the better ones but they couldn’t keep me anymore. Now I’m back here.”

Again.

“And the others?” the Erasure Hero pressed. “The ones that weren’t better.”

“They were…tolerable,” the teen answered diplomatically.

“I wouldn’t call what I heard last night ‘tolerable’,” Aizawa retorted with a pointed look.

Hitoshi schooled his features as he had long since learned to do but the tensing of his shoulders did not go unnoticed by the trained eye of the Underground Hero.

"I'm sorry, kid,” the tired man sighed relaxing his hard expression. “I didn't intend to eavesdrop and actually wanted to talk to you myself. But Midoriya beat me to it."

He wanted to talk to me?

“Why?” Hitoshi asked.

“You had an odd reaction yesterday morning that I wanted to address,” Aizawa replied.

Oh, so he had noticed too though Hitoshi shouldn’t be too surprised. This was Eraserhead after all. A skilled Pro Hero with a keen eye for trouble. Of course, he would notice Hitoshi’s dislike of the topic of family.

The teen gulped before asking hesitantly, "...how much did you hear?"

The tired man let out a sigh before answering, "Everything."

The brainwasher grimaced at that. It meant that he did know about the muzzles along with everything else. Hitoshi wasn’t sure how to feel about that. Last night he had told Izuku, his brother, his problems. But he had not intended for anyone else to know. Though he did figure Izuku would want to tell Inko to see if she could help. Not that he wanted to burden them with his…situation. He would be fine to wait to age out of the system as it was only a few years away.

The teen looked at his homeroom teacher and could see the remorse in his black eyes. Aizawa clearly had not intended to invade his privacy but as a Hero could not let it go and had to confront it. This Hitoshi understood but it still left a sour feeling in his gut. Much like Izuku’s desire to be the one to tell others he was Quirkless, this too was a secret that Hitoshi had kept tight control of for a long time. To have it taken, even accidentally, still left him feeling bitter. Even more so because it was apparent Aizawa had told Yamada as well. Passing his secret on to yet another person.

It made him wonder how much Aizawa had told the other. Purple eyes flicked to yellow-green to see confusion on Yamada’s face. Did that mean he hadn’t told him everything? Only heard it all but kept parts of his secret to himself. The teen turned back to the tired man and silently asked his internal question with a slight tilt of his head.

“I heard everything,” Aizawa said, understanding his unspoken question. “But I didn’t tell him everything. That’s up to you, kid, if you want to talk. I only told him you were in foster care, nothing more.”

The purple haired teen merely nodded. It was at that moment when the tension was high in the room that a knock came from the door. All eyes turned to watch Taikan enter the room with a folder in hand. Hitoshi knew that the buffalo man could feel everything that was going on. Secretly hoping he would come to the boy’s aid as he had so many times before. Though a part of him wondered if that kindness would extend to this situation. It was quite different from when he would be falsely accused by the other kids. To his pleasant surprise and gratitude though Taikan walked over to his side.

"Is everything alright?" Taikan asked as he placed a hand on the teen’s shoulder appearing protective of the boy.

The two Heroes nodded though Yamada’s was more hesitant than Aizawa’s. Taikan then looked to Hitoshi who gave a shrug. Honestly, he didn’t know if it was alright, but knew the buffalo man would know better than him with his Quirk. Maybe he would be able to sort through the emotional mess they had ended up in.

"Has Shinsou had any issues in foster care?" Aizawa asked flatly.

"There have been a number of incidents that have been documented," Taikan replied diplomatically as he handed over Hitoshi’s file while still keeping his hand on the teen’s shoulder. Hitoshi found himself leaning into the touch slightly.

Aizawa took the file and together he and his husband browsed through the documented parts of Hitoshi’s life. Every accusation of Quirk use and getting passed the blame for one thing or another. Every complaint from his foster families along with the reasons why they gave him up. There was always some excuse but the majority of them stemmed back to the same reason his birth parents abandoned him. Who would want a child with a ‘Villainous’ Quirk like his?

The Underground Hero noted all this. Unfounded accusations for other parties to pass the buck. Complaints and reasonings that did not at all match the student he had come to know. There was nothing about muzzles though making him wonder what else had been left out.

"Are these records complete and accurate?" Aizawa asked as he looked up at the buffalo man.

Taikan let out a slow sigh but remained firm with his neutral expression. He was not a man for confrontation and had always acted as a neutral party. Doing his best to keep the peace in any given situation including this one.

"As far as I am aware, yes," the worker replied.

"Hmm..." the tired man let out as he turned back to the file.

Black eyes studied the words on the pages and noticed a pattern. A majority of incidents regarding accusations from others had been documented by the same person. And it seemed that every time Taikan was involved he would side with Hitoshi. Though he did note that the accusers didn’t face harsh consequences either for lying. So, Taikan was in Hitoshi’s corner…somewhat. But he clearly cared about the teen and while remaining neutral still came off as protective of Hitoshi. Perhaps it was in his nature or perhaps he just didn’t have the authority to do more. Or even a mixture of both.

"And do you believe these to be a true reflection of Shinsou's time with you?" Aizawa asked looking back up to the worker.

"As I said they are accurate best to my knowledge," Taikan replied neutrally.

"That's not what I asked," the Underground Hero asked as he leaned forward with a pointed look. "Do you believe them to be true?"

Taikan didn’t reply right away and Hitoshi knew why. The buffalo man had always helped him however he could. Always on his side when he was being scapegoated because the man could feel what truly happened. But Taikan also could never do more than that. A mix of a lack of authority being a worker on the front lines rather than higher up in the hierarchy though by his own choice. But also due to his neutral nature and dislike of confrontation. Doing all he could but only to a certain extent. It made Hitoshi wonder if this was the line that Taikan would refuse to cross.

The teen’s shoulders grew tense as he thought about losing the one ally he had in this place. Reluctantly accepting it though because everyone else had abandoned him. What was stopping Taikan from doing so as well? If anything, at least Hitoshi knew that he still had Izuku and his other found family.

Taikan could feel the teen’s distress. Not just with the hand on his shoulder feeling the tension but also with his Quirk. He could feel the familiar sadness of rejection rolling off the boy. It was an emotion he hated to feel but unable to do more to stop it. He was not a fighting man and preferred peaceful solutions. He did all he could in any small way he could find. Dissolving tense situations before they got worse. Small doses of happier emotions to alleviate the sad ones stewing in the boy.

But perhaps that wasn’t enough. Perhaps he needed to do more. Bovine eyes studied the two men who expressed interest in Hitoshi himself. It was the first time the brainwashing teen had been asked for specifically for an interview. The others had never bothered with an interview having ulterior motives that he could feel. But Taikan had no power to prevent those placements from happening. Leaving him to merely wait for the boy to come back as he did again and again once the families decided he wasn’t worth the trouble.

However, the men before him had requested the interview. They wanted to talk to Hitoshi themselves to figure out if they were a good fit. And Taikan did not sense any malice or distaste toward the teen coming from the men. Only an air of anger, worry, and a want to protect. It was because of this that the worker decided to actually voice his opinion.

Taikan gave a squeeze to Hitoshi’s shoulder before answering, "I do not."

"Why is that?" Aizawa asked.

"Because Shinsou-kun would not do such things with his Quirk,” Taikan replied firmly. “Because he has always wanted to be a Hero and has never expressed negative emotions despite the number of accusations against him."

"And how do you know that?" the tired man pressed with a quirked brow.

"My Quirk," the buffalo man responded earning curious looks from both men. "I can feel the emotions of those around me. Can sense their motives behind those emotions as well. Such as yours to protect behind your anger." Taikan directed at Aizawa before turning to Yamada. "Or yours to comfort behind your distress. Or Shinsou-kun's expectation of rejection from his fear."

Hitoshi flinched at being called out like that. Taikan gave his shoulder an apologetic squeeze, but kept going with every intention to help in any way he could.

"You want to help him, that I can sense,” the buffalo man stated. “However, I wonder what exactly you could do? How can you help Shinsou-kun?"

Aizawa shared a look with Yamada holding a silent conversation. The blonde gave a nod which the black-haired man returned before turning back to the worker.

"We're Pro Heroes," the tired man said bluntly.

As the two of them pulled out their Hero licenses for proof, Hitoshi found himself wanting to shrink into a small ball until he could disappear. Anything to get out of this awkward situation. But he was kept up by Taikan’s supporting hand as the buffalo man silently absorbed this bit of information.

"Are you by chance teachers at UA as well?” Taikan asked as he handed the licenses back. “I could sense a familiarity between you earlier."

"Yes, we are," Aizawa answered with Yamada nodding beside him. It was odd for the loud man to be quiet for so long but it was clear that the tired man was in charge of this situation.

Taikan turned to Hitoshi and gave him a pat to ask for his attention. Purple eyes looked up into brown as the buffalo man asked him a silent question. Were they who they say they are? The teen eventually gave a confirming nod before looking back down at his lap.

"I see,” Taikan said turning back to the Heroes. “How do you plan to help Shinsou-kun?"

"We'll build a case,” Aizawa replied cutting to the chase. “Gather evidence and go from there." The tired man then turned his attention to Hitoshi. "We'd also like to offer to foster you."

Purple eyes shot up to black as he let out an escaped ‘huh?’.

"We want to foster you, Shinsou," Yamada spoke for the first time giving the teen a soft smile.

It reminded Hitoshi of Izuku’s smiles. Comforting and warm. Hitoshi turned to Aizawa who gave a firm nod. Purple eyes flickered between black and yellow-green trying to find the twist, but could find nothing but sincerity. He didn’t understand.

"Why?" the brainwasher asked, confused as to why they would want him.

"Because you need a proper home," Aizawa replied bluntly.

"And we like you, kiddo," Yamada tagged on still smiling with care swimming in his eyes.

Hitoshi looked down in disbelief, not understanding why they were doing this. Aizawa and Yamada had their own lives. A caring home of the two of them and their cats. Why would they want to interrupt that by taking in Hitoshi? The week he had spent there had been heaven. No rules about talking or any mention of muzzles at all other than by Hitoshi himself. Only good food followed by pleasant conversation made even better with cats. Sure, he had enjoyed every second of it and would have loved for it to go on forever. But that wasn’t Hitoshi’s life. He was a foster kid that no one wanted. This would be no different.

Right?

The brainwasher glanced up at Taikan silently asking if they were speaking true. It was the same look he would shoot the buffalo man every time someone tried to scapegoat him. Pleading for his help but unable to voice it out loud.

"They speak true, Shinsou-kun," Taikan answered with a warm subtle smile.

The teen could see he truly believed that in his bovine eyes and slowly nodded. He gulped as he turned to his teachers.

"Yeah, uh, sure," was all Hitoshi could say believing it wouldn't last long, but he would get to see the cats again at the very least.

Aizawa nodded and Yamada beamed at his answer. Hitoshi found himself once again missing his sunglasses that were currently with Izuku. He could really use them right about now. Which would be ironic to use Present Mic merch to protect him from the powerful smile of the man himself. Taikan gave his own nod before leaving to get the paperwork after one last pat on the teen’s shoulder.

The room filled with an awkward silence as they waited. At least for two of them. Aizawa was perfectly comfortable not being one for pointless conversation. But Yamada and Hitoshi were both a bundle of nerves. The blonde was smiling brightly and was buzzing with energy. He was just so excited that they would finally have a kid of their own. Though he did know that it would take time for Hitoshi to accept that they did indeed want him. But that wouldn’t stop him from reveling in the fact that starting today he was a dad.

As for Hitoshi, he didn’t know what to say and was still reeling that this was how his day was going. Having accepted that his time at the EraserMic apartment was limited and that he would have to endure another stint at the foster center. Expected to stay there for a time until another ‘family’ took him in. Following the familiar pattern of his life.

But then the two Heroes before him had throw a wrench in it. Aizawa overhearing him and learning his secret, but only sharing the bare minimum with the other man to keep his privacy. It was a gesture the teen appreciated even if he still didn’t like that he had been overheard. Izuku he had told willingly but had not intended for anyone else to know. But it did seem that Aizawa would help keep his secret until Hitoshi himself chose to talk about it. A small comfort he appreciated.

Thankfully the silence didn’t last too long as Taikan came back with the paperwork. He explained the various forms before leaving the men to it. Then he and Hitoshi left briefly to pack up his stuff which didn’t take long as his bag was already packed. There were just a few more things in his room to add to his bag before they headed back. The sight of him leaving with his belongings earned him sneers from the assholes in the common room as they passed by. While others gave him encouraging smiles and waves which he gave a nod to in return.

They joined the Heroes in the room once more and Taikan helped them with the rest of the paperwork. Once everything was filled out, the buffalo man escorted them through the halls to the front. The worker at the front counter eyed the group and the Heroes did not miss the hint of distain in their eyes. Noting it for the budding case to see just how far the Quirk discrimination ran.

Taikan walked them out all the way to the car where they packed the teen’s bag in the back. The buffalo man then gave Hitoshi a final pat on the shoulder in goodbye earning an appreciative nod from the boy. As Yamada helped their charge into the car, Aizawa turned to Taikan.

"Regarding that case I spoke of earlier,” the tired man said. “Would you be willing to testify?"

The buffalo man cast a look at Hitoshi where he sat in the car.

“I’m not sure,” Taikan answered honestly. “I know you’re Heroes and I know that what he’s gone through isn’t fair. But I’m not sure my testimony would be of any help.”

The worker turned back to the man beside him.

“But would you be willing if it was?” the Hero pressed.

Taikan considered the question. While he hated confrontation of any kind, the little that he did do didn’t seem to be enough. Able to settle the smaller issues but what good was that if they just kept happening? It would probably mean the end of his job at the center if he did, but would his conscience let this stand anymore? Before he had been alone with little power to do much, but now there were two Pro Heroes intent to intervene.

That kind of authority was hard to ignore. Heroes were meant to protect people and these two wanted to protect the boy. Taikan had done his best over the years but he was just one person. One voice among many. But the addition of two strong Hero voices made him hopeful that calling out the ill-treatment Hitoshi and others like him experience would be heard.

With that flicker of hope in mind, Taikan answered, “I would.”

The Erasure Hero gave a nod and offered the buffalo man his card as well as getting his information in turn. They would be in contact when needed. With that, Aizawa bid Taikan farewell before getting into the car. Once buckled up in the driver’s seat, the tired man eyed the kid in the back seat in the rearview mirror.

Just this morning he had offered the teen a ride home knowing he didn’t really have one. Receiving an expected deflecting answer and let it drop not wanting to confront the kid just yet. Aizawa did feel bad about showing up unexpectedly causing the teen to freeze upon seeing them. As well as he had learned of Hitoshi’s situation and took action from an overheard secret that had not been meant for him. But he did not regret telling his husband that single bit of information that had driven them to offering to foster Hitoshi. The rest however was up to the boy himself to reveal.

It would take time, this new development in their lives. Yamada was of course excited to have a kid to spoil and welcomed him eagerly into their home. Aizawa was looking forward to it too having grown closer to the boy. Also comforted by the fact that Hitoshi was as protected by their different looks and learned self-defense as he had hoped. While Hitoshi would be dealing with adjusting to living with his teachers who had every intention of keeping him even though he would be waiting for the other shoe to drop. Perhaps the cats would help.

Either way, Hitoshi was now a part of their family. The teen was plagued with doubt that this would last, seeming too good to be true. But Aizawa was a man of his word and Yamada was not one to back down. It would take time but the men would do their best to make the teen feel welcome in their home. That he belonged.

“So kid, how about that ride home?” Aizawa jokingly asked referring back to that very morning.

Home.

Hitoshi was still unsure if this would be permanent. Still expecting the other shoe to drop and his teachers to realize that they didn’t want him like everyone else who had offered to take him in. But in that moment, they said they did. Offering him a home with people who cared and cats to cuddle. A moment the teen was going to seize because that was what his life had come to growing up. A serious of moments both good and bad that he lived through from one to the next. And this one he was going to savor as much as possible until it too ended like all the others. His moment to feel like he belonged to a family.

Allowing a subtle grin to show through, Hitoshi answered simply, “Yeah.”

Notes:

IT HAS BEEN DONE. HITOSHI IS NOW ERASERMIC'S FOSTER CHILD. Freaking finally. I've been sitting on this idea since we first learned about Hitoshi's situation after the sports festival. The trope of Hitoshi being a foster kid and then adopted especially by these two is definitely one of my favorites. Inko would have be fun too but she got beaten to it. ;) Besides, Hitoshi deserves to be surrounded by cats.

For Aizawa and Yamada going in civilian, that's for investigative purposes. They don't know who they can trust and only revealed they're heroes to Taikan because he clearly wants to help. Taikan will show up from time to time as the investigation goes along. Man, Nezu is going to have so much on his plate with a third investigation but you know he loves it.

Fun Facts About Japan:

This one is requested by StrayCatRunning so we're going to talk about honorifics. In Japanese there are so many honorifics from friends to family to coworkers to professions to royalty. Just so so many. You can see a complete (I think?) list here. Though the most common would be these ones. For this chapter I'm going to focus on the use of -san, -kun, and -chan as requested.

The most commonly used of those three is -san. It's for general use with boys, girls, and anyone in between. It's basically the standard Miss, Mr, Ms, Mrs and you can use it with friends, acquaintances, strangers, or anyone on your equal social level or below. For my situation I didn't really use honorifics because they wanted us to use English as much as possible. But if I were, I would use it for coworkers and students. The students would also use -san amongst themselves and then -sensei for teachers.

For -kun, it's kind of like -san but a bit different. You can use it for friends, junior coworkers, or young boys. It is considered a male centric honorific and in my experience it is not used for girls. One time in class, I was calling out a student's name for something or other and accidentally used -kun for a girl and the students and teacher laughed at me! The little stinkers. So teachers and students would address with -kun for boys and -san for girls.

As for -chan, it's meant as a cutesy and endearing honorific. Definitely common for children and it's considered a female honorific. Apparently you can use it for your grandmother too if you wanted. It adds a bit of cuteness and is used between those who know each other well. And I believe it can be used for nicknames as well regardless of gender like we have with Kacchan for MHA. It would just be up to your personal preference really. Though I feel that nicknames like that would stem from childhood typically.

For more info on how to use honorifics you can try here or here. There were others as well but these two seem to have good info on them. :)

So yeah. Hitoshi is now part of the YamaZawa family and his case has officially begun. Next update is the obligatory shopping escapades of Hizashi wanting to shower his boys with love. Then the family fluff begins. ;) If anyone has favorite family fluff ideas, let me know! There's just so much potential with them. ^___^ Please point out any typos or weirdness if you spot 'em! See ya!

Chapter 41: Welcome To Our Home

Notes:

It's family fluff time!!! :D We've got shopping and cats. Hitoshi torn between wanting to stay with them but doubting it will last. Don't worry though. The Purple Panda will learn in time. ;)

We've got some texting going on this chapter. I know lots of people like chat fics but this is not one. Though I think I've made it pretty clear with the texting in this. However there won't be any chat speak because I don't really use it myself. Maybe sporadically when it seems needed but in general any texting will come out like normal speech. ^___^

Warning for brief mentions of muzzles. Also just general thoughts of rejection as a result of years of bad experiences in the foster system.

Formatting info:
-Dialogue through text.-

Linktree to all the things!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Aizawa drove while Yamada yammered on about how excited he was to officially welcome Hitoshi to their home. Going on and on about all the things they needed to buy for him. Hitoshi tried to say he didn’t need anything feeling that it would be a waste of their money since it was only going to be temporary. Because everyone had always chosen to turn him away eventually. There was no reason to think this time would be any different. Though there was a part of him that wished he was wrong.

This hope stemmed from Shouto’s hilarious conspiracy theory that Aizawa could be his dad. Well...turns out he isn’t so wrong? Not that Hitoshi saw Aizawa as his dad. Nope. No way. Not at all. It’s not like he looked up to him and wanted to be an Underground Hero like him or anything. Or that he shared a similar disposition or interests in cats and coffee. Just…no.

Sure, the teen had entertained the idea when Shouto had first brought it up, but that didn’t mean the men who were fostering him wanted to be his parents for the long haul. If anything, this was probably out of some form of duty as his teachers to take him in. Probably feeling sorry for him and wanting to assuage some guilt or whatever. Yeah, that had to be it. Because there was just no way they would actually want Hitoshi to stay long term. Only temporary though for how long exactly he didn’t know.

For now, Hitoshi would just go with the flow as best he could. Though he still didn’t think they should waste their money on him. But he also didn’t feel like he could persuade Yamada against it. Even Aizawa seemed resigned to eventual shopping though he did manage to talk the blonde down a bit. Convinced him to spread out the shopping over a period of time and only focus on the essentials for today. Yamada reluctantly agreed and they stopped at only a few stores before heading back to the apartment.

They picked up some toiletry essentials like shampoo, conditioner, body wash, etc. The blonde was quite knowledgeable about them and helped Hitoshi pick out products that would work well with his hair and skin types. Which would be a first because he usually just went with whatever ones were available at the time. Yamada also insisted on a new toothbrush, toothpaste, and hair brush even though the teen already had those. The Voice Hero said it was to help him get a fresh start.

They also stopped by a shoe store and Hitoshi was made to pick out at least two pairs. Then they went to a clothing store and Yamada dragged the two already-socially-tired males after him. This time the blonde insisted on him getting at least a week’s worth of clothes until they were able to shop for more. Which even getting seven of anything seemed too much for the foster teen. He usually spent most of his time in his uniform and would rewear the few outfits he had in between since they never really got that dirty.

But Aizawa said that he would do better to go along with the loud man’s antics if he wanted to get out of there. Leading Hitoshi to assume this wasn’t the first time the hobo man had been dragged to the store by the other. Relenting the purple haired teen forced himself to pick out shirts, pants, pajamas, and undergarments like socks and underwear. He also picked out a few jackets for when it would get colder. Sticking to a general aesthetic of dark colors, purples, and cats. Pointedly ignoring the other choices Yamada not-so-secretly snuck into their growing pile.

After paying and loading the numerous bags into the car, the three drove back to the EraserMic apartment. The number of bags looked like it would take them multiple trips to carry them all, but Aizawa wasn’t having that. Instead, he looped his capture weapon through the handles of a majority of the bags and proceeded to carry them all on his back. It made him look like some dark version of Santa Claus stalking into the building. Yamada snickered as he snuck a picture before helping Hitoshi with the remaining bags.

Upon entering the apartment, they were greeted by the ever-friendly DJ who weaved between their legs threatening to trip them. Esp and Sashimi were nowhere to be seen at the moment but they were around somewhere. The trio dumped the mountain of merchandise in the same room as Izuku and Hitoshi had occupied just that morning.

“Okay, so in all honesty, fostering you was a last-minute decision,” Yamada confessed with an awkward smile. “But that doesn’t change the fact that we do want you here. Anyway, since it was a spur of the moment choice, we don’t have a room ready for you but that just means we can do it together!”

The blonde clapped his hands together in excitement while Aizawa let out an already tired sigh as he stretched his arms and back. Wanting to take a nap but knowing it was necessary to help settle the teen in as much as possible. While Hitoshi didn’t think it was necessary to fuss over his living arrangements. He’s lived with much less than this before.

“We’ll definitely need to get you a bed,” Yamada said as he stared thoughtfully at the room.

“You don’t have to,” Hitoshi insisted. “I’m fine with sleeping on the futon.”

“The futons are for guests and you are not a guest,” Yamada retorted as he turned to the teen with an assuring smile. “We want this to feel like it’s your home too, Shinsou.”

“Yeah, kid,” Aizawa added. “What’s ours is yours and whatnot.”

Hitoshi looked between the two men and could see the sincerity in their eyes. He wanted to believe them even though a part of him said it was a lie. A farce that would only last so long until he got the carpet pulled out from under him again. But the teen pushed those feelings down and simply nodded in response.

The rest of the day was spent rearranging the room. Thankfully there wasn’t much in there expect for a desk and the cabinet full of Yamada’s Eraserhead collection. While the room was an ‘office’ they didn’t really use it as such. More an extra room turned guest room when someone would come over for the night. So, it didn’t need much rearranging furniture wise.

Yamada adamantly intended to get him an actual bed but the futon would have to do until they could order one. A mission for tomorrow including also finding the teen a dresser, bed side table, and any other furniture he wanted. No need to worry about a desk because Hitoshi could use the one already in there. The cabinet of Hero merch was going to be moved else where but for now would stay put. Having the extra piece of furniture made the room feel less empty.

The blonde also insisted they would need to go shopping for decorations and the like. Hitoshi was learning quickly that arguing against the doting Hero was futile so just nodded in acceptance. Earning an understanding shoulder pat from Aizawa who too had long learned that lesson. Yamada was one to do what he wants and right now what he wanted was to spoil his foster child rotten.

The main chore they were able to tackle that day was sorting the closet. Thankfully the married couple hadn’t kept much in the closet other than a few boxes and a bunch of hangers. Partly because they hadn’t really used the room saving it for guests. But also because they had long planned to take in a foster child and wanted to be prepared to take someone in last minute. More of a just-in-case situation as they had hoped to plan ahead and have the room ready before inviting a child into their home. But this was just how the circumstances worked out.

Being more fashion forward and skilled at organizing a wardrobe, Yamada took over arranging the new collection of clothes. Leaving Aizawa and Hitoshi to rifle through the bags to take everything out. The amount was quite overwhelming for the teen as it was the most anyone had ever bought him in a very long time. He remembered the last time had been before his Quirk came in and messed everything up. After that, gifts were few and far between leading to Hitoshi treasuring good memories over any material goods. At least those couldn’t be taken away from him.

Eventually they got a majority of the clothes sorted in the closet leaving things like socks and underwear to go in the dresser they would get later. The men could see from the way the teen was drooping that he was probably at some sort of limit with all the changes happening that day. Finding out your teachers know of your foster situation must have been shocking enough. To then be fostered and cared for by them probably even more so. The adults decided to leave the boy alone to absorb the new situation he was in. Giving him space to process.

As soon as they closed the door, Hitoshi flopped back onto the futon. DJ who had been there the whole time came over and curled up on his chest. The teen started petting the cuddly cat’s fur as he just laid there letting it all in. He was here in his mentors’ home. Again. This time not because he was an intern, but because he was a foster child. And by the paperwork Aizawa and Yamada were his foster parents. Meaning this was his home for now.

The men kept insisting that they wanted to foster Hitoshi. That they wanted him here with them. And he wanted to believe them. Wanted to think that this could really be his home. Under the care of people who actually gave a damn about him. Who weren’t out to ‘fix’ him or make money off of him. With the added bonus that was not one but three cats. One of who was purring away on his chest.

A number of pings on his phone interrupted his thoughts. Hitoshi took out the device and saw it was a series of texts from Izuku.

Green Bean:

-Hey, Hitoshi, hope you got back safe.

I was wondering if it was okay if I tell my mom about your, um, situation?

Only her though! I promise. And it’s okay if you say no.

 I just thought she might know how we can help you.-

Hitoshi couldn’t help but smirk at his phone. It was so Izuku to want to help him even though he didn’t need to. Going so far as to get Inko involved though it wasn’t necessary. Mostly because Hitoshi was fine in his situation and didn’t feel the need for help out of it. But also because of where he was in that very moment.

Purple Panda:

-I did. And sure, you can tell her. But you really don’t need to help me.

Besides, there’s been a…development.-

He sent the texts before going over to his camera app as he shifted the cat closer to his face. He took a picture of DJ and himself while giving the cat bunny ears with his other hand. The brainwasher then went back to his text and sent the picture. As it loaded, he read the response from his friend.

Green Bean:

-A development? Like what?-

It was then the picture finished loading and was sent across the digital highway to the Midoriya home. A few moments passed before Izuku replied back.

Green Bean:

-Is that DJ?

Why did you send me that?

What does it have to do with this development?

Where are you?-

And so on. The typing bubble was still up as Hitoshi sent his own response.

Purple Panda:

-You know how we…talked last night? Well, turns out Aizawa heard the whole thing.

He and Yamada came to the place I was staying and offered to foster me.

I’m back at their place now.-

Purple eyes looked away from the phone to instead focus on the purring cat. Running long fingers over short orange fluff as DJ soaked up the attention while he waited for a response.

Green Bean:

-Oh my gods, are you serious?!

Wait, Aizawa-sensei heard us talking?

Are you okay?-

Was he okay? He guessed he sort of was to an extent. Hitoshi still didn’t like that someone else learned of his situation without him being the one to tell them directly. But he also knew that Aizawa had his best interests at heart. Had even kept most of what he heard to himself and only revealed one part of his secret. Just enough to kick both Heroes into gear and offer to foster him. Leading to him in the here and now. Back in the EraserMic apartment cuddling a cat while texting his friend. It was certainly a much more desirable outcome than what he had expected to happen today.

Purple Panda:

-I’m fine. Promise.

Aizawa only told Yamada that I was a foster kid.

The rest he didn’t. Said it was up to me.-

Not that he really intended to talk about it. That was the past and Hitoshi had long since decided to focus on the present with only vague inklings of the future. The only reason he told Izuku was because they were so close. He knew he could trust his brother in all but blood. That Izuku would not tell a soul but would still do everything he could to help. Just like he was right now asking permission to tell Inko. The care the greenet had for others made Hitoshi let out a fond sigh and smile.

Green Bean:

-That was nice of him. Unexpected but also not.-

Hitoshi snickered at that. Aizawa was known as a hardass but the more time the teen spent with him, the tired man’s softer side kept peeking out more and more. It was also an odd situation that somehow made sense at the same time. Both men oozed dad-ness even though he knew Aizawa would deny it while Yamada would wholeheartedly take the description. Which would mean that they were his dads even if temporarily. Speaking of dads…

Purple Panda:

-You know what this means, don’t you?-

Green Bean:

-What?-

Purple Panda:

-That Shouto’s theory is on some level right.-

The brainwasher chuckled at the slew of exasperated and denying texts saying he was ridiculous. Along with threats to never tell Shouto that or else he would sic Mei on him to be used as a guinea pig. Which was a legit threat because Izuku was the best at wrangling her eccentric and pushy nature when it came to her babies. Acting as the voice of reason between the two Support nerds.

The two friends texted for a while until Izuku signed off to go help with dinner. Leaving Hitoshi to himself unsure of what to do. Should he stay in here? DJ was still purring away on his chest so he had a cat to cuddle at least. But he wasn’t sure if he should or could venture out to other parts of the apartment. Before he had easily hung out in the living room but that was when Izuku was there with him. Now it was just him and his teachers. No, they were more than that now. They were his foster parents.

It was still crazy to Hitoshi that he ended up back at this same apartment he had left this morning. Thinking that he would most likely never enter it again. Never able to spend time with the three adorable cats that lived here. But now he was living here too. For now, at least. Meaning he could see the cats every day he still lived here. Them as well as his teachers.

Foster parents, a part of his mind stressed.

That’s right. Even though Hitoshi was mentally prepared for this to only be a temporary situation, that didn’t change the fact that Aizawa and Yamada were now his foster parents. They had done the paperwork after all. Meaning that Hitoshi was in their charge not only in school but now at home as well.

Home.

He had a home. For a short while at least. One that he knew had people who cared about him. Aizawa and Yamada had helped Izuku and him since practically day one of starting at UA. Yamada a little after but with his enthusiasm to help train them he was sure the blonde would have helped sooner had he known.

It was strange to know that the people he was staying with actually gave a damn about him. It was like how he felt whenever he was over at the Midoriyas. Inko and his friends cared about him and didn’t judge him for his Quirk. Gave him a safe place to exist and be himself. This past week in the EraserMic apartment had been no different other than the personalities involved. But the underlying care was still there.

A part of him hoped that this wasn’t going to be temporary. That perhaps Hitoshi had actually found a home and a family after so long. But another part still doubted it would last. Why would it when none of the other homes had? Years of rejection had beaten down the hope of finally having what he had lost after his Quirk manifested. Making him doubt that he would ever find it before he aged out and was left to tackled the adult world on his own.

But you’re not alone.

A knock at the door broke Hitoshi from his thoughts and he turned to see Yamada peeking his head in. The blonde looked hesitant but still smiled warmly at the teen.

“Hey,” the typically loud man said quietly. “Dinner is almost ready. Come out when you’re ready, yeah?”

The brainwasher stared at him in stoic shock before giving a nod in response. Yamada nodded back before going back to the kitchen. Hitoshi laid there for a few moments more petting DJ as he took in what happened.

This wouldn’t be the first meal he had shared with the married couple. Yamada had been a wonder in the kitchen creating delicious meals this past week. Doting on the two teens sharing his home as if they were his own. But that was as interns. Now it was different because Hitoshi was here as a foster kid. Their foster kid. Making them his foster parents and he wasn’t sure how to act around them now. Hitoshi was still reeling at the fact that they knew he was in the system, but now he was living with them in their home.

This was their sanctum sanctorum. Filled with cats and domestic moments. And for some reason they were choosing to allow Hitoshi to join them in their private life. But why? Why would they want him here? No one else other than his best friends and Inko had ever expressed any interest in him sticking around. All the other adults who had taken charge of him over the years never expressed that kind of want. Only wanting to use him or fix him before dumping him back at the center.

A boop on his nose from an adorable cat paw broke him out of his thoughts. Purple eyes turned to green ones staring at him. They weren’t the same shade as Izuku’s which were warm and bright like emeralds. DJ’s eyes were more a yellowish green like lime. Much like the color of Yamada’s eyes. Filled with the same warmth as the cat before him slowly blinked at him. Hitoshi felt honored for the feline’s trust as he blinked slowly back.

After a deep breath to steel his nerves, Hitoshi bundled DJ in his arms before getting up and leaving the room. His room a part of his mind pointed out but the brainwasher pushed it away for now. Instead, he focused on the cat in his arms as he made his way down the now familiar hallway to the kitchen. Yamada was humming along to the radio playing while he finished up cooking. Aizawa was seated at the couch in the adjacent room working on his computer.

Hitoshi stood there awkwardly unsure what to do. Should he say something? Typically, he didn’t talk outside of school or the company of friends. Taikan was an exception because he knew Hitoshi would never brainwash him with intent to harm. His other foster parents had all had some rule or other that forbade him from speaking in their presence. Or removed the threat by making him wear a muzzle. But these were his teachers. It was hard to imagine them of all people stopping him from talking in the home they now shared.

Aizawa looked up at Hitoshi as soon as he sensed his presence. The tired man could see the hesitation that held the teen in place. He didn’t know what exactly was going through the kid’s head but he could guess it had to do something with his past placements. The Erasure Hero didn’t know what happened in his charge’s past but hopefully they could build enough trust with the teen for his to tell them. Because Aizawa wasn’t going to let the mentions of Hitoshi literally getting muzzled go unaddressed.

The tired man caught the kid’s eye and gestured for him to join him on the couch while they waited for Yamada to finish cooking. The table was already set for the three of them so there wasn’t much to do but wait. Hitoshi gulped as he gave a curt nod back before nervously sitting a comfortable distance away from to his teacher.

They sat there in silence as Aizawa turned back to whatever he was working on while Hitoshi focused on the cat in his lap. The teen was used to being quiet in his foster homes but this silence felt different. It wasn’t forced but rather companionable. Because both Aizawa and he were ones to prefer silence than forced conversation. Content to play the role of listener rather than speaker when it comes to most situations. It was…nice.

Feeling a bit braver, Hitoshi made himself more comfortable on the couch as he took out his phone. Scrolling through his social media sites which were mostly filled with either memes or cat pictures. As usual he would share any posts that really spoke to him with the group chat he had with Izuku, Mei, and Shouto. Not expecting any reply and simply blessing his friends with either the hilarity or adorableness the internet created.

~~~

Shouta finished up the paperwork he was working on before leaning back with a sigh. The tired man closed his eyes to rest them if for a moment from staring at a computer screen. He ran his fingers through his hair before stretching out his arms and placing them along the back of the couch. Head leaned back he peeked an eye open and looked at the boy sitting next to him.

Shinsou was looking a lot more relaxed than when he first entered the room. Hizashi’s cuddle monster was in his lap being absentmindedly pet by the kid as he scrolled through stuff on his phone. Whatever it was wasn’t his business and Shouta didn’t plan to pry. But the sheer abundance of cat pictures could not go unnoticed by the fellow cat lover.

“You really like cats, huh?” Shouta asked, his sudden question making the teen jump.

Purple eyes turned to him for a brief moment as a slight blush grew on his cheeks. Shinsou then focused his attention on DJ as he answered, “Yeah.”

Shouta hummed in response before saying, “Me too.”

“Yeah?” the teen repeated but with a questioning tone as he peeked over at him.

“Yeah,” the man parroted back with a nod before closing his eyes for a little cat nap.

This time Shinsou hummed in answer with a sliver of a smile as he turned back to DJ. It was a simple conversation with very few words. But the shared interest brought the two closer in a small way. It was enough to relieve some of the tension still remaining in the teen.

“Dinner is ready!” Hizashi announced breaking the moment.

Upon the announcement of dinner, DJ leaped off of Shinsou’s lap to crowd Hizashi for food. The blonde led the gremlin into the kitchen where he had already filled the cat bowls. Esp emerged from her hiding place to eat her own food while Hizashi went to bring their shadow cat her own portion in their bedroom. A regular routine to keep their fur children fed and happy.

Shouta stood up and stretched his back letting out a sigh at the satisfying pop. He then turned to the teen and gestured for both of them to move to the table. Shinsou nodded back and got up as well. Together they walked over to the table just as Hizashi was coming back and they all sat down to eat. A quick ‘thanks for the meal’ and then they were digging into his husband’s delicious cooking.

Notes:

The family fluff has officially begun! Yamada is so someone to spoil their child rotten. Hitoshi's room will transform into his own with time as he grows comfortable in the YamaZawa home. If anyone has fun ideas for his room or wardrobe let me know! I'm not really one for fashion and typically go for whatever is comfortable. Aizawa won't have much of anything to say about Hitoshi's stuff but Yamada for sure is going to have an opinion. :P I do have him asking Hitoshi what his preferences are next chapter but any ideas are welcome!

I hope the texting was alright! I don't plan on having much texting in this fic. Really only when it seems necessary. Looks like Inko is going to find out about Hitoshi's situation. Wonder how she's going to react. ;) Of course Izuku wants to help his friend in any way he could. Who better to help him than mama bear Inko?

Hitoshi is going to be doubtful about his new living situation for a while. Years of hopping between homes will do that, ya know. But in time he will learn that they do indeed want him. For the time being they will take it one day at a time. With the help of the cats being their adorable selves. ^___^

Fun Facts About Japan:

This one is sort of tied to the EraserMic relationship dynamic. I was talking with my friend in Japan about MHA 'cause I sent her a picture of my chibi Tokoyami jack o' lantern I carved for Halloween. I posted it to my deviantart account and you can see it here if you want! ^____^ Along with all my Joker craziness...heh heh. Oh well. :P

Anyway, we got talking about the main trio of Izuku, Shouto, and Katsuki. She compared them to the Japanese theater style manzai ( 漫才 , まんざい ) that in English is the comedy duo. Think Abbott and Costello's 'Who's on first?' which also has a Shakespeare version both of which I find hilarious. XD Anyhoo, she compared Katsuki to the 'straight man' and Izuku and Shouto as the 'funny guy'. Which to me applies to Aizawa and Yamada respectively as well.

Manzai is the traditional version that has two performers called manzaishi ( 漫才師 , まんざいし ) dressed in kimono. The tsukkomi ( 突っ込み , つっこみ ) is the 'straight man' aka Aizawa or Katsuki. They typically carry a fan and are characteristically 'smarter' and 'bully' their partner. The other half is the boke ( ボケ ) who is the 'funny man' aka Yamada, Izuku, and Shouto. They're the 'simple minded' partner who causes misunderstandings that tick off the tsukkomi leading to the 'bullying'. Which veeeerrryyy much is how Horikoshi has set up Katsuki and Izuku. Complete with the traditional physical violence and verbal abuse. You can find more info on tsukkomi and boke here among other Japanese comedy terminology.

The more modern term for Japanese comedy is owarai ( お笑い , おわらい ) that is a blanket term for the distinct way Japanese people approach comedy. That includes cheesy sound effects, Japanese puns, and hidden cameras. Or even just having fun with the language barrier like comedian Degawa did on the show Sekai no hatemade itte-Q! or ItteQ! for short. They would give him a question in Japanese to answer and the challenge is he has to ask with his limited English skills. This is a video example of him trying to figure out the names of the three seas around Canada. That same youtube channel as some other videos of his as well along with other silly videos. I would have loved to include a link to watch the actual episodes of ItteQ! but unfortunately I couldn't find any. Just youtube clips. But if you look up owarai on youtube you can find a ton of videos of Japanese comedy. :)

That's it for this update! We've got more family fluff coming next time. This new family gets to know each other better! A loud man is doting, a tired man gets embarrassed, and a tired teen is just trying to get used to the idea of living with them. Oh also cats being adorable as ever. ^____^ Let me know about any typos or weirdness! TTFN!

Chapter 42: Budding Hope And Trust

Notes:

And we're back with more family fluffiness! :D Hitoshi is unsure about his new situation but you know that Yamada and Aizawa will do everything to make him feel welcome. Let's see how that goes!

Warning for teasing. Well sort of. It's more things are said that earn a flustered reaction. One is super minor in the paragraph starting with [The theorized father and son ...]. Then a bit more deliberate one in the paragraph starting with [That earned him two different reactions...]. It does continue on past that paragraph but the biggest reaction is in that one. All in good fun though. :)

Also warning for mentions of muzzles. A bit more detailed but still vague. It starts at the last sentence of the paragraph starting with [Speaking aloud had been...] and continues in the next paragraph. After that you should be good.

Linktree to all the things!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

The meal started out quiet with them focusing on eating. The only sounds being the clacking of chopsticks on dishes, the clinking of cups being put down, and the noises of food being chewed. Shinsou and Shouta were fine with the relative silence but the black-haired man could see that Hizashi was itching to talk. He was the opposite and was one who liked to fill up silence with sound. Preferring his life to be filled with talking or music or really anything louder than a whisper to keep the silence at bay. Serving as a personal coping mechanism for him after his early years of being selectively mute.

“Shinsou likes cats,” Shouta said, breaking the silence and opening the door for the loud blonde to initiate the conversation.

“Yeah?” Hizashi asked as he turned to the teen.

“Mhm,” Shinsou replied with a nod as his mouth was full of food.

“That’s awesome,” the blonde said with a smile. “I did notice you like hanging out with the cats a lot. Also, some of the stuff we picked out today were cat themed. What else do you like?”

The purple haired teen sat there a moment in thought before answering, “Sleep and coffee.”

Shouta let out a huff of amusement at the bluntly stated words. Hizashi looked between the two starting to see some of his husband in their newly acquired kid.

“How do you like your coffee?” Shouta asked.

“Black like my soul,” the teen answered in a deadpan tone. The resulting eye roll from the tired man made the boy smirk as he added, “And a bit of sugar.”

“Cinnamon for me,” the Erasure Hero responded.

“I prefer smoothies myself,” Hizashi chimed in. “Coffee isn’t my thing and no extra energy needed to get me tuned in, yeah?”

The blonde gave a wink as a bit of his Hero persona slipped in causing both of the coffee lovers to roll their eyes at him.

~~~

They continued to talk as they ate. Discussing likes and dislikes to get to know each other better. A much different experience than Hitoshi’s other foster homes who never wanted him to speak. The two men who took him in this time had no fear of his Quirk and wanted him to feel welcome in their home.

Our home, an inner voice stressed.

The brainwasher brushed that thought aside. It was way too soon to assume anything about him actually being able to stay here long term. It had only been one day! Aizawa and Yamada were being nice enough to take him in but Hitoshi was certain that in time the other shoe would drop. That he would be dumped back at the center as he had time and time again. So, he refused to let any sort of hope grow within him of the possibility of actually being able to stay. But that didn’t mean he wouldn’t try to enjoy every second of it.

“So, judging by the clothes we picked out today, you prefer darker neutral colors,” Yamada said. “Which I swear makes you like a mini Shouta on top of the love of cats, coffee, and you both use a freaking scarf to fight.”

The theorized father and son both blushed pink at the comment. They shared a glance but quickly looked away as the pink darkened to red. Both were aware of Shouto’s crazy conspiracy and couldn’t deny the similarities between them. The blonde watched them in amusement as he continued to speak.

“Now neutrals are all well and good,” Yamada said. “But it’s good to get some other colors to spice things up. Are there any other colors you like?”

“Uh…purple?” Hitoshi answered with the first color that came to mind. It was the one he saw every day in the mirror.

Aizawa let out a snort at his answer as Yamada chuckled as well.

“Purple would certainly match you,” the blonde said with an amused smile. “Hmm…perhaps greens and yellows would work too. Or really any other colors. It’s surprising sometimes what colors work together and with who. Like Shouta and his hot pink sweatpants.”

“His what now?” Hitoshi asked as he smirked over at the hardass Underground Hero.

“You heard him,” Aizawa replied with a blank look.

“They were a gag gift from Nemuri,” Yamada added in explanation. “Shouta swears he doesn’t like them but wears them quite often.”

“They’re comfortable,” the tired man said in his defense.

The other two just snickered at him as they continued to eat.

“So, purple as a focus, yeah?” Yamada said thinking in terms of more shopping. “Should help with finding things for your room.”

“You really don’t have to, Yamada-sensei,” Hitoshi stressed not wanting them to waste their money on a temporary house guest like him.

“Please none of that sensei stuff outside of school,” Yamada insisted with a dismissive wave of his hand. “You can call me Hizashi or just Yamada if that makes you feel more comfortable.”

“Same with me, kid,” Aizawa interjected. “Shouta or Aizawa, but no sensei. Here we’re not your teachers but your guardians. I’d rather not take UA home with me more than I already have to.”

The purple haired teen simply nodded in reply. He wasn’t sure he was comfortable enough to call them by their first names, but he guessed he could drop the honorific outside of school. He didn’t use them much anyway other than for teachers and other adults. With anyone his own age he didn’t even bother. Yeah, he could do that.

“Okay, uh, sure, Yamada and Aizawa,” the teen said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. “You can call me Hitoshi if you want. It’s whatever.”

It wasn’t actually whatever. Calling someone by their first name was a big deal. For most of his life, Hitoshi had barely called anyone by their first name. Maybe back when he was really young as elementary school students typically did that. But as he grew older last names became the norm. No one wanting to show any kind of closeness with the brainwasher.

Sharing his first name with Izuku and the others had been the first time in many years. He remembered how nervous he had been to meet Mei and Inko. Afraid they would be scared of him and turn him away as everyone else had. But much like Izuku, they easily accepted him into their ranks. Becoming like a family to the boy who had none. An unofficial one he would have been satisfied with until he aged out of the system.

But perhaps now he wouldn’t? There was still that doubt. That underlying fear that the rug would be pulled out from under him like so many times before. But on the other hand, Hitoshi knew these men. Aizawa and Yamada cared about him. They put so much time and effort into helping and support him. Teaching, training, and now they took him in as their foster child. Maybe…just maybe there was hope?

“Sure thing, Hitoshi,” the blonde beamed as the black-haired man gave a nod.

Hitoshi nodded back before turning to his food again. It was kind of nice hearing the man call him by his first name. It gave him the same feeling as when Inko called him that. Like a parent. Not that Hitoshi would presume that they were his parents! Which they kind of were but that was foster parents. A title that had come to mean something only temporary because none of his other foster homes had lasted long. To him parents and foster parents were two very different things.

Sure, he had played around with the idea of either of the men being his dad when Shouto had first revealed his conspiracy theory. Still feeling that he would have been happy with either of them as a dad. Now he sort of had them both though who knows how long that will last. Besides, he wasn’t even comfortable enough to call them by their first names. Calling them dad? Yeah, no. Not happening any time soon if at all.

“So, who’s your favorite Hero?” Yamada asked, moving the conversation along.

Hitoshi paused in thought as well as embarrassment. He had always looked up to Heroes growing up though he wasn’t as obsessed with them as Izuku. All Might was certainly a favorite but who doesn’t like him? Like come on, it’s All Might. Though his admiration for the man had dimmed since learning more about his past interactions with Izuku. Telling him he couldn’t be a Hero without a Quirk leaving it to a fucking Villain to pick up the shattered pieces of his best friend’s dreams? Not cool, All Might.

But since the start of UA, Hitoshi had developed a newer stronger favorite. A Hero he had not known about prior to UA which was understandable considering how that Hero worked. But now, this Hero was one he found inspiration from and wanted to emulate to become the best Hero he could be. Who apparently held so many similarities to himself that they came off as father and son to certain conspiracy minded people. The teen knew it was going to be awkward and embarrassing, but on the other hand, he might not be the only one. And Hitoshi did love to mess with people.

Clearing his throat, Hitoshi pulled off his best straight face as he said, “…Eraserhead.”

That earned him two different reactions. Aizawa was unable to hide his blush as he hadn’t worn his signature scarf having gone civilian for the day. Instead, he turned away from both of them in a poor attempt to hide how flustered he was. As for Yamada…he was outright laughing at the situation.

“Heck yeah, little listener!” the loud man managed to gasp out. He held up a high five which the teen returned with a smirk. “We got ourselves another member for the Eraserhead fan club. You could be our VP!”

“Actually, maybe that should be Izuku,” Hitoshi retorted with a huffed-out chuckle. “What with him being a Hero nut and all.”

“True true,” the blonde grinned with an agreeing nod. “Hmm, perhaps you could be our mascot? Seeing as you are a Minizawa.”

The two snickered as Aizawa rolled his eyes while letting out an exasperated huff at their antics.

“This means you can join me in my life’s mission to get any and all Eraserhead merch!” Yamada exclaimed with glee. “Izuku too!”

“He would love that,” Hitoshi replied thinking of how Izuku’s room was plastered with Hero merch. Not knowing that his friend had actually gotten rid of a large chunk of his collection featuring a certain high-ranking Hero.

The rest of dinner went on with more questions for Hitoshi. Moving on from simple likes and dislikes to hobbies. Hitoshi hadn’t really had a chance to pursue most hobbies growing up. Music had been nice to listen to when he needed a distraction from the world growing up. Though he often would have to settle for what others were listening to. Yamada smiled with glee at his interest in music. He already had so many plans to shower the teen with music and even get him a music player with all the other bells and whistles.

Cats were of course something that Hitoshi enjoyed very much though they weren’t really a hobby. But going to cat cafés was. Upon mentioning it, Aizawa chimed in with his own favorite cafés and they had a discussion on which was better and why. Yamada smiled at them endearingly as they bonded more on their love of cats. A thought of ‘like father like son’ flittering through the blonde’s mind but knew it was too soon for such teasing. He didn’t want to scare off or overwhelm his kid after all. There was plenty of time for that later when Hitoshi felt more comfortable with them.

The only other hobby that Hitoshi had but hadn’t been able to pursue was cycling. He had fond memories of learning to ride a bike before his Quirk manifested. Once he could ride on his own, he would ride around his neighborhood loving the feeling of the wind in his hair. Cycling gave him a sense of freedom and that he could get to wherever he wanted to go by his own power.

But once he was dumped into the foster system, he hadn’t really been able to go cycling at all. Some homes he had stayed at had bicycles but only a couple had ever let him near them. Some not wanting him to potentially break them or possibly steal them like the Villain he was labeled to be. Others he just hadn’t been there long enough for there to be an opportunity. But the few times he had been allowed were among the handful of good memories he had of his various foster homes.

Hitoshi missed cycling but he didn’t want to be greedy. Aizawa and Yamada were doing more than enough to care for him so far. Fostering him, bringing him into their home, and buying him things. Too many and more than he deserved. Eventually getting a bike was something he planned to wait for same as him aging out of the system. He missed it but there were a lot of things he missed and was willing to wait for.

So, instead of making a big deal of it, Hitoshi made a passing comment that he liked cycling. Not putting any effort into how much he liked it and no expectation he would be doing so any time soon. But the two men shared a glance silently agreeing they were so going to get their kid a bike. Perhaps for his birthday…

After finishing dinner, Hitoshi insisted on helping with the dishes as a sort of payback for everything. Yamada tried to say he didn’t have to but the teen wouldn’t budge. The blonde merely nodded and together they were quick to clean everything with Hitoshi on dishes and Yamada on food. They then joined Aizawa on the couch to watch a movie.

It was a little awkward at first. Hitoshi waited for the men to settle first as he still felt like he was intruding. Yamada sat down next to Aizawa before turning to Hitoshi and patting the spot beside him expectantly. The brainwasher nodded and sat down though putting some distance between them. The loud man could see he was nervous but made no comment of it. Instead, he continued to talk with Hitoshi while the movie played in the background.

They talked about how Hitoshi was liking UA. What subjects he liked or disliked and how he felt about his training. They even talked about how Hitoshi had used an impression during the fight against Stain. While it had been agreed that only those who were directly involved would know what all had happened in that alley, Yamada was an exception on Aizawa’s request. He had been involved with the events leading up to the Hosu incident and the Erasure Hero felt obligated to include his husband in this secret. Knowing that while the blonde was a literal loud mouth, he was very good at keeping secrets.

The atmosphere became more comfortable as they talked and it certainly helped when the cats came out to join them. Esp took her usual place next to Aizawa as he was her favorite. DJ scampered over to lay between Hitoshi and Yamada to demand attention from both of them. Sashimi however stayed hidden but that was alright. She was a shy cat after all and it would take time to build a trust with her. Something that Hitoshi had started to work on that very morning before the shadow cat bolted off. Gaining the black feline’s trust was something he was willing to work for.

As the movie ended, Yamada called it a night. Aizawa and Hitoshi agreed and they all got up to get ready for bed. The teen followed the same routine he had formed over the past week but this time it wasn’t going to be a temporary one. Hitoshi found himself staring in the mirror of the bathroom just thinking about the situation he found himself in.

Being there in the EraserMic apartment as a foster kid just seemed so unreal. He had been resigned to once again living in the foster center with the other kids who were between homes. Having savored the week away from there but constantly reminding himself that it was only temporary. Except now it wasn’t or at least for the time being. As of now until the unforeseeable future, his teachers were also his foster parents. His guardians who would take care of him until they decided to stop like all the others.

Or they may never stop.

Hitoshi pushed that twinge of hope aside but didn’t outright dismiss it. He had always been more of a pessimist but with how he had grown up it was understandable. Not everyone could be a bright ball of optimistic sunshine like Izuku. Many who were dealt bad hands had a hard time seeing the silver lining of any given situation. Perpetually waiting for the other shoe to drop.

But this situation was so different from the other foster homes he had been in. These were his teachers who had shown more care for him than any other adult except for Inko. Taikan cared in his own way as well but the buffalo man could only do so much. Aizawa and Yamada had gone above and beyond anything Hitoshi had grown to expect from a foster home. Taking him in and opening up their home to him. Insisting on buying him things even though he didn’t feel like he deserved them. But above all, they were willing to talk to him.

Speaking aloud had been strictly regulated for him growing up. Brainwashing was a mental type Quirk that required a verbal response. So, logically, the best way to prevent any unsavory use of his Quirk was to shut him up. Most homes simply had rules that he wasn’t to speak at all and instead to write anything down that he had to say. While others went to the extreme and required him to wear a muzzle in their home.

They were never anything too tight or harmful as they didn’t want to leave any incriminating marks. All parties knowing that muzzling a child was wrong. But the adults felt it was necessary in their paranoia while Hitoshi felt there was nothing he could do to stop them. Just doing what he had to in order to make his way through this biased world.

But there was no fear here. There was no hesitation when Aizawa and Yamada had talked to him. Acting the same as they did at school and fell into conversation as if they weren’t talking to boy who could brainwash them in an instant. Very much like how Izuku had talked to him so easily that first day they had met. Meaning that they too didn’t see him as a Villain who would use his given power on them in malice. Because Hitoshi would never do that. As Izuku said, it’s not the Quirk that makes someone a Hero or a Villain but one’s actions.

A knock on the closed bathroom door broke Hitoshi from his thoughts. Through the door he heard Yamada ask, “Everything alright in there?”

“Uh, yeah, just a sec,” Hitoshi answered quickly checking his reflection before opening the door. “Do you need something from me?”

“Nah, just wanted to check on you,” the blonde replied, answering so easily with a kind smile. “And to let you know that you’re welcome to anything in this house. Also, if you need anything, you can come to Shouta or myself, okay?”

Purple eyes studied the man before him seeing no hint of deception. Only the warmth of someone who cared and wanted him to feel comfortable. It reminded him of Izuku and his pathological need to care for others. In fact, there were many similarities between Yamada and Izuku. Bright personalities paired with bright smiles. Green eyes that were slightly different shades but both filled with a warmth that they graciously offered to others with no expectation for anything back.

Hitoshi gave a quick nod to the man’s question before commenting, “You know, if I’m a Minizawa, I think Izuku is like a mini you.”

The blonde blushed pink before grinning as he asked, “Ya think so?”

“Yup, Cinnamon Roll Senior, that’s you,” Hitoshi replied with a smirk.

~~~

Hizashi chuckled at that as he rubbed that back of his neck in slight embarrassment. Though he kind of liked being compared to his favorite student. Don’t get him wrong, he loved all his students. Well…maybe not Bakugou after what they had caught him doing, but perhaps in time when he hopefully changed his ways. But Izuku had wormed a special place in his heart.

He was so bright and full of hope despite all he had been through. Plus, he offered the English teacher an added challenge incorporating teaching him JSL alongside his other lessons. Hizashi loved a challenge which was partially why he held down three jobs. Pushing himself to the limit to go beyond, Plus Ultra. Izuku too shared that same spirit choosing to ignore those who try to push him down and instead push himself to rise above them. Reaching for the stars so that he too could shine among them. Adding his own unique energy to the vast cosmos.

A mini me, huh? I like it.

“Well, if you’re a Minizawa,” Hizashi said with an amused smirk. “What would that make Izuku?”

The teen gave it some thought before replying, “Chibimada?”

The blonde snorted at the name as he gave a nod of approval. With that, Hizashi bid Hitoshi good night before leaving the teen to settle in for the evening. The blonde knew that the boy was probably still in the mindset that this was only temporary. Heck, with a track record like his when it came to foster homes, who could blame him? But in time, Hitoshi would learn that they weren’t going to give him up. That he wasn’t just a kid but their kid.

Hizashi had wanted a child for a long time and it was something he and Shouta had discussed on numerous occasions. His husband was unsure how he would fair as a parent since he wasn’t the best when it came to younger kids. Which was one of the reasons why they decided to aim for someone older among other factors. Also, when it came to the foster system, the older they were the harder it was to get adopted. Which adoption was very much in the plan for Hizashi.

But that was something to bring up in the future. For now, he would do his best to make Hitoshi feel loved and cared for in their home. The boy who had been passed around like a hot potato may take time to come to believe that, but Hizashi was willing to work towards that. He had managed with Shouta after all and now they were happily married. The blonde planned to give everything he’s got to shower their foster child with love and attention that he so very much deserved.

As of today, Hitoshi was a part of their family. Whether he believed it or not didn’t change the fact that it was true. They would foster him and build trust with the teen before offering to make it official. Which Hizashi very much hoped the boy would accept. He had gotten to know him better over the weeks of training. Finding that spark of connection that Hizashi had hoped to find in the child they chose to foster. Now here they were with a troubled teen in their care and Hizashi had no intention of letting go.

Hitoshi was their child now and Hizashi couldn’t be more thrilled. Finally, he had a kid to spoil rotten and dote upon with abandon. And from looking at the teen’s files, he definitely deserved the best of TLC that the Voice Hero could provide. He was one to give 110% in everything that he did after all. Taking care of his own kid would be absolutely no different. Hizashi was willing to do anything and everything to love and care for Hitoshi and make him feel a part of their family.

Other than ideas buzzing of what else he could provide for their child, Hizashi fell asleep to one question as he snuggled up to his favorite hobo cat man. Of whether when the time came that they offered to adopt, would Hitoshi take his name or his husband’s? Only time would tell.

Notes:

The new family is starting to take root! It'll take time and TLC but they are going to grow together. Flowering into a loving family as the story goes. Eventually resulting in a beautiful bouquet of found family. Ok, I'll stop with the plant theme. :P But yeah, they're a thing now. For Hitoshi taking one of their names, I'm not sure if he would actually. Maybe Yamada's if either. I could also do a mix like Yamazawa or whatever. Hmm...not sure, but I'll worry about that later. And if you have any ideas let me know!

Names have been traded though Hitoshi is going to have to work up to calling them a more personal name. Though I feel that when we get to the point of him calling them dad he's going to go with a variety instead of just one for each of them. So if you have any favorite dad names for Yamada and Aizawa let me know! Like dad, pops, Yamadad, Dadzawa, etc. Anything except papa. I have other plans for that one. ;)

I'm including Yamada in on the true events of Hosu because I think that's what Aizawa would do. But I'm not sure if I'm going to have Yamada in on Izuku actually knowing Stain. At least not as of yet. That is very much on a need-to-know basis and as of now Yamada doesn't need to know. I might have him learn eventually but for now he doesn't. Just in case you were wonder. :)

Sh-sh-shout out to the peeps on the discord for you help! On what colors Hitoshi would like even though I had asked that a long while ago. XD Also for Hitoshi's coffee preference! I decided to do a mix of your suggestions. Also also for your thoughts on the Eraserhead fan club members. A silly little detail but one I wanted to include. ^___^ So thanks!

Fun Facts About Japan:

Going along with the topic of types of performances last chapter, we're going to talk about another and one that I did attend to in Japan. Today's topic is rakugo ( 落語 , らくご ) which is a form of storytelling with a single performer called the rakugoka ( 落語家 , らくごか ). The rakugoka wears a neutral colored kimono and performs sitting seiza on a cushion on a small raised platform. Rakugo is a minimalist type of story telling so it's mostly verbal. The way they differentiate characters is through pitch, turning of their head or body, or even just slight changes to their posture. Their only props are a fan called sensu ( 扇子 , せんす ) and a small cloth called tenugui ( 手拭 , てぬぐい ). The sensu can be used as 'chopsticks', for 'writing', as a fan of course, and just for gesturing. The tenugui can be used as a hankerchief, a 'letter', a 'wallet', and so on. It just depends on how the rakugoka tells the story.

I went to two different performances of rakugo when I was in Japan that were performed in English. Not all stories directly translate from Japanese to English due to puns or wording. But there are a number of performers who have been trying to share this form of story telling to a broader audience.

I will share one simple story that doesn't directly translate but is fun with a little explanation. The story goes that there are two men with a mouse under a bowl between them. The men are arguing with each other over the size of the hidden mouse. Now in Japanese, small is chisai ( 小さい , ちさい ), medium is chuu ( 中 , ちゅう ), and large is ookii ( 大きい , おおきい ). But chuu is also the sound that mice make in Japanese. So the men are arguing ookii and chisai back and forth over the bowl. Then in the middle of their argument the mouse says chuu from under the bowl taking advantage of the double meaning of chuu as medium but also a mouse noise. :) I thought it was a cute story.

You can learn more about rakugo here. There are also videos on youtube as well.

That's it for this update! Next chapter we're back with the Midoriyas and their own family fluff. ^____^ Just a nice rounding out of all the angst that was Hosu. ;) Hope y'all are doing well and thank you for your continued readership. Let me know of any typos or weirdness and have a great week!

Chapter 43: Charity Begins At Home

Notes:

Heyo! Doing a bit of a rewind this chapter for Izuku's pov after leaving the EraserMic apartment. :) Enjoy the family fluff!

Linktree to all the things!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

The commute back to the Midoriya apartment was uneventful. Izuku wasn’t recognized with the help of his trusted beanie that he carried around with him everywhere now. It had been helpful hiding from Bakugou until the Sports Festival then keeping a low profile after the event and now after Hosu it was helpful once more. While he knew that him pushing social norms would bring attention onto him and that it would help bring awareness to those seen as ‘weak’ or ‘useless’, that didn’t mean he liked being the center of attention.

It was different from how he grew up having always been pushed to the background so that those like Bakugou could shine. Though he guessed he did have his own sort of attention just for being the freak without a Quirk. Bullies going out of their way to mess with him and teachers doing nothing about it while also trying to do their own muddling when it came to his academic record. But other than that, he had been seen as a lesser being all because he didn’t have some fantastical power like the rest of them.

But Izuku knew they were wrong and many people were agreeing with him. Not everyone did as some were still clinging to out dated stereotypes and assumptions. Izuku knew he wouldn’t be able to convince everyone that the Quirkless were just as capable as the Quirked, but he did hope that in time some of the naysayers would change their minds. Though that change would be up to them and all he could do was what he always did. Do his best and keep moving forward toward his goal to be the first Quirkless Hero.

The greenet liked to think he was off to a pretty good start. He had found the edge Chizome tasked him to find. Then there was the cleaning of that beach that everyone knew about now. Something that Izuku had never intended to reveal as he didn’t do it for the attention, but he had read some comments praising him for his hard work. It was kind of nice to be appreciated like that even though he didn’t ask for it. While he was still annoyed that Nezu had revealed it without his consent, Izuku knew that his mentor did so with only the best intentions in mind.

Izuku had been able to help during the USJ attack though only those involved knew about that. The Sports Festival however was the first time he had been able to truly shine for the first time. Using his gadgets and gizmos just as well as any of the other students had used their own fighting skills and Quirks. To some it may have seemed that he needed to rely on Support Items just to get by which to an extent was true. Perhaps he could have approached the Sports Festival in a different way without them. Fighting Quirkless and relying on his own developed skills and strengths to show one didn’t need a Quirk or gadgets to win. But that wasn’t what Izuku had done.

The Quirkless teen had purposefully chosen to go the Support route. To prove that both Quirks and Support Items were just tools. Sure, Quirks were something you were born with and were unique to you, but they didn’t determine who you are. Someone who had what was considered a ‘strong, heroic’ Quirk could decide to go into teaching. Or someone with a ‘weak’ Quirk could become a professional fighter. Or even someone with a ‘villainous’ Quirk could join the police force. They got to choose who they become by their own decisions and actions, not by their Quirks.

Izuku was born without a Quirk but as Mei said, this meant that he could be anything. No side complications like the ones that can come with Quirks. Take Bakugou for example. Izuku knows Bakugou is strong and that he plans to become the Number One Hero one day surpassing All Might. But despite his ego and over confidence, Bakugou was not invincible.

The explosive blonde had several weaknesses that could be exploited. Overuse of his Quirk could lead to pain in his arms from the repeated recoil. Cold weather was also an issue. Bakugou’s Quirk relies on his nitroglycerin-like sweat which can be harder to produce as well as detonate in the cold. Then there was the fact that he could only produce explosions from his hands. Take those away and he would be rendered Quirkless same as Izuku had been since birth.

But the greenet didn’t have such limitations. Instead, he had the whole world of Support Items open to him. Enabling him to literally have access to almost any power he wanted. The only limit was his imagination really. Well, other than what was actually possible to design with mechanics, coding, and science. But with Izuku’s ideas and Mei’s any-baby-is-possible mindset, together they could potentially make anything a reality.

So sure, he could have gone the entirely Quirkless route when it came to the festival, but he didn’t. Wanting to prove that the use of Quirks wasn’t the only way one could fight. Heck, even Mei’s fight against Tenya proved that. The pinkette told him the only time she had used her Quirk during that match was to find the Support Company representatives to gauge their reactions to her babies. From what she saw her prospects were looking good.

Mei seemed destined to become the self-declared Support genius she aspired to be. Choosing her own path instead of letting Zoom restrict her to surveillance or other sight related work. Approaching every challenge with the spirit and glee of a mad scientist. It was just so Mei. Designing and creating as many babies that she could in order to help Heroes like her best friends.

Izuku hoped to match her enthusiasm as he pursued his own dream. He had always wanted to be a Hero and refused to give up no matter what obstacles he had to face in the future. The Quirkless teen had already managed to jump over so many hurdles in his life. Never manifesting a Quirk, losing his childhood friend to learned prejudice, bullied by his peers and teachers, denied the tools he could have used in the Hero Practical, and so on. But he had never let any of that hold him back and all his hard work had landed him into the coveted UA Hero Course.

Becoming the first Quirkless winner of the Sports Festival had expectedly come with media and public attention. That Izuku had been mentally prepared for though he still would have liked to keep his previous anonymity. He knew that he could never measure up to All Might. Could never match his Quirked strength or face the strongest Villains like he did. But that had never been what Izuku had looked up to in his childhood idol. Because there was more to being a Hero than just being the strongest.

Bakugou had always sought to be the strongest Hero. The best. But Izuku had never cared about that. He had only ever wanted to help people. To be the best Hero he could be and use whatever strength and skills he had to save others. Sure, a lot of Heroes cared about the rankings and the public loved to play favorites. But there was more than one way to be a Hero.

Some were like All Might. Strong and bright fighting the biggest bads out there. Others were like Eraserhead. Still strong in their own right helping people from the shadows. Then there were those in between. Some with good intentions and others perhaps not so much, but still there to fill in the gap between the two contrasting sides of Heroics.

Izuku had never paid much attention to rankings nor cared what kind of Hero he would become as long as it was one that helped people. Though ever since he had gotten to know the Eraserhead, he had started to think that the Underground route of Heroics would be the best fit for him. But that didn’t seem as a likely possibility now. Not with all the media attention he’s been getting.

The scrutiny after the Sports Festival he had accepted as unavoidable. It wasn’t every day a Quirkless nobody came out on top over all those with strong Quirks. But this recent development of giving sole credit of Stain’s capture to him had been unexpected. Yes, he had played his part and was ultimately the one caught on video doing so, but there was so much more to that story.

Izuku still accepted the reasons why he had been given sole credit. It protected his friends and kept Endeavor from getting credit for something he didn’t do. But he still didn’t have to like it. Saying it had only been him put more of a spotlight on the Quirkless teen than he had ever wanted. Especially after realizing how appealing going Underground was to him. Couldn’t they have found another way to explain the situation? Like he had helped another Hero take the Hero Killer down or something? There were plenty there to choose from other than Endeavor and it would have alleviated some of the attention off the Hero-in-training.

But that hadn’t been how they had decided to handle it. Instead, Izuku was once more in the spotlight and under public scrutiny. Subjected again to warring sides discussing his aptitude to be a Hero as if they actually had a say in his life. But they didn’t. Only Izuku got to choose how his future would turn out and he chose to be a Hero.

The marks of the start of his path to becoming the first Quirkless Hero greeted him as he entered his home. Inko’s proudly framed proofs of his Heroic deeds. The article on the cleaned beach paired with the picture of a tired but smiling Izuku. The collage of news clippings announcing him as the first Quirkless winner of the Sports Festival with his first place medal laid over them. And now there was a new piece added to the collection.

Izuku could hear his mother busying herself in the kitchen as he took off his shoes. He gently placed his bag on the floor before quietly shuffling over to the newest addition to his mom’s gallery. In the center was what looked like a still image of the video that had forever captured his public apprehension of the Hero Killer. Of him having ensnared the Villain and had pinned him to the ground. Not that Chizome had any intention of fighting him off as he saw Izuku as worthy of capturing him. Thankfully the angle didn’t show the subtle proud look the man had given to the Little Hero. It was imperative to keep the connection between them a secret if Izuku was ever to live up to Chizome’s expectations for him.

Surrounding the still image where various news clippings of his accredited achievement. Again, Inko had focused on the positive ones though most likely gathered the bad with the good as she had with the festival. Across the top of the enlarged picture was a cut out of the breaking news title when they had first announced that Izuku was the one to finally take down the Hero Killer. It read ‘Quirkless Hero Student Apprehends Hero Killer’ in bold black letters. Forever declaring that he, out of everyone in the world, had been the one to bring Stain’s bloody Villain career to an end.

The boy took in the latest of his mom’s projects to recognize his accomplishments. Though this last one didn’t feel like much of one. He hadn’t been the only one fighting and the others deserved the credit too, but again he understood why it had ended up like this. But he was also conflicted because he had been the one to take Chizome’s freedom. The man who had been the first to believe in him.

The teen did not at all condone Chizome’s actions as Stain. Not the violence or the murder. But he did understand the reasons behind why the man had done what he did. After meeting and talking with Chizome on multiple occasions, his eyes had been opened to the corruption of the current system. Of how the views of what a Hero was had become skewed with more focus on fame and money rather than on helping people. Not all Heroes had such muddled goals but there was certainly a fair chunk that did. Such as the ones who had been chosen as targets of Stain.

Izuku thought back to the research he had done into those who had fallen prey to the Hero Killer. They all had varying degrees of neglect to their Hero duties. The lesser focusing more on media attention than actually doing their jobs. Others willing to turn a blind eye for the right price. Then the worst who actually worked with criminals in breaking the law.

He still didn’t approve of Chizome’s methods when it came to his purge, but he could see why he went after those he did. The only outlier being Ingenium all because he prevented Stain’s so called ‘justice’. Which in the end he had tried to pass over Native again and would have if it weren’t for a bunch of meddling teenagers.

Perhaps Izuku could give his research to the authorities? Give them an insight into Chizome’s motivations as to why he had done what all he did. The Quirkless teen wasn’t sure what that would accomplish but it could help them at least understand the man behind the mask a bit better. Because despite how some parts of the media were painting him, the Hero Killer was not just some mad dog. An old dog stuck in his ways for sure, but there was some sort of reason behind his actions.

Yeah, he could do that. Maybe during his next meeting with Nezu would be best. Then his mentor could decide if the information he had found would be helpful in anyway and potentially pass it on to the proper authorities. Which hopefully could be the same detective who had interviewed him. Tsukauchi seemed trustworthy and with his Quirk he would easily be able to sort the truth from the lies. As Izuku hoped he would be able to do with the Todoroki case with the help of the others involved.

With one last glance at the newest addition to his Heroic gallery, Izuku turned away to pick up his bag and head to his room. He made quick work to change out of his uniform and into comfier clothes before meeting his mom in the kitchen. She was cooking away with a swing in her step as the radio played softly. His mom did so love to cook and took great pride in every meal no matter how simple. It was easy to taste every ounce of love she put into each dish making them taste all the more delicious.

Izuku had learned a lot from her over the years when it came to cooking. Enough that he felt competent to cook for himself in the future but there would always be a special place in his heart and stomach for his mother’s homecooked food. The mother and son both knew that he would have to move out eventually but until that day, he would enjoy every meal she prepared. Even planning to regularly visit his mother after he did move on into adult life. Because while he was steadily growing from a teenager into an adult, Inko would always be his mother and he would always be her baby boy.

“I’m home, mom,” Izuku called out with a fond smile on his face.

“Izuku!” Inko exclaimed in joy and surprise as she twirled around. “I didn’t hear you come in.”

“Got lost in the music again?” the son teased.

His mom rolled her eyes as she put down her knife before strolling over to him. They joined together in a warm hug soaking up each other’s presence. It had only been a week apart but considering all that had happened it had felt so much longer.

“How was the rest of your internship?” Inko asked as she pulled away far enough to see him.

He could see relief in her eyes seeing no obvious injuries. Thankfully with the help of Recovery Girl the knife wounds on his leg and stomach had healed nicely. The latter was still tender to the touch but would fully heal in no time. His concussion was healing just fine as well, but would take a bit of time to ensure he wasn’t experiencing any lingering side effects. He was sure his mother had been informed to keep an eye out but Izuku was sure he would be just fine with some rest.

“It was good,” Izuku answered. “Aizawa-sensei taught us how to pick locks and another sort of sign language. Then he had us doing more training in Binding Cloth style. Did you know you could use them for grappling? It’s going to help a lot with mobility.”

The mother smiled warmly at her son’s enthusiasm. She had her doubts that he would ever be able to be a Hero when he was growing up. A Quirkless boy against a Quirked world? The odds didn’t seem to be in his favor. But Izuku was defying those odds and putting every ounce of effort into achieving his long-held dream. Proving her and everyone else wrong that he indeed could be a Hero.

Inko was just so proud of him and all that he had accomplished in less than two months at UA. Her gallery proved that she was and now she wasn’t the only one who knew about his good deeds. There were still those against him but Inko was pleased to see more positive than good. Though she did keep the negative ones she found to perhaps use one day for something or other. Whether that be artillery in an argument or as kindling if they turned out not to be needed. Either was she would have them just in case.

Giving her son one more hug she returned to her cooking. Izuku easily joined her and together they made lunch. After they ate and cleaned up, it was just so nice to simply relax in their apartment after the long week he had. Izuku mostly spent the time on the couch working on even faster flash analysis of Hero fights. Nezu had helped him to work on refining his analysis to reduce clutter making it clear and concise.

Though now that he planned to give his mentor his notes on Chizome’s victims, Izuku added notes on performance as well. Who was purposefully prolonging the fight to get more air time. Those who were using their Quirks too recklessly causing avoidable collateral damage. Even those who seemed to need additional training when it came to dealing with victims or civilians if he noticed any concerning interactions. Because there was more than one way to improve a Hero.

Izuku still intended to help Heroes be better with improved Support Items, but those were just tools. The root of any issue in their Hero performance lied in their choices and motivations. Why did they become a Hero? For money or fame? There were other less dangerous professions that could give them those without the responsibility of holding the lives of others in their hands.

Aizawa understood that those sorts of motivations did not make a good Hero. That it was a career full of risk and hidden danger. One wrong move could be your last. Like with Shirakumo. For him it was from collateral damage during his final fight. Countless others had died the same way but there were also those who died due to their own negligence.

It was because of this that Aizawa was so hard on his students. He kept his expectations high not just to teach a better class of Hero but also to protect those who didn’t make the cut. Izuku was sure many didn’t see it that way especially at first, but whether they realized in the long run or not Aizawa had their safety in mind.

The fact that he held such high expectations for his students gave Izuku a certain pride. Because Aizawa was the first at UA to see he had potential to be a Hero despite the world saying he didn’t. Sure, they had asked him about if he would transfer if given the chance during his interview, but Aizawa was the first to approach him and offer that chance. Being one of many who had offered Izuku chances to become a better version of himself and were helping him to achieve his goal.

Aizawa said it himself that he saw parts of him in Hitoshi and Izuku which had initiated his offer to train them. Nezu was delighted to help his personal student hone his mind into a fine intellectual edge. Yamada’s lessons on JSL would be so helpful for the future Hero once he was out in the field. That also goes for whatever Shuuzenji ends up teaching him about first aid and the like. Even Maijima was helping by continuing to support him even though he was no longer his homeroom teacher.

Heh, support from support again.

Speaking of support, Izuku wondered if there was anything he could do to help Hitoshi. His found brother insisted that he was fine where he was but Izuku couldn’t help his want to do more. But what could he do? He was just a single Quirkless kid who was just starting to learn to be a Hero. There really wasn’t much he could do.

Alone that is.

But if there was one thing that was finally starting to sink in was that Izuku wasn’t alone. His parents had always supported him even though they hadn’t believed in his dream. But Inko fully did now after realizing he did have a chance to achieve his dreams. And Hisashi wasn’t a fan of Heroes but had told him he could at least try. There was also the support of his teachers to reach that goal. He also had his friends who had his back. Even Chizome had helped him when he had asked and had held back his violent tendencies against that particular target.

Although Stain was now in custody, the Villain’s last act had actually been a Heroic one. Giving Izuku the evidence he had collected in hopes of taking one last fake Hero down. All on Izuku’s request. And his efforts wouldn’t go to waste as the Heroes were forming their own case against the Number Two Hero. All because Inko had expressed her concern. With their efforts combined perhaps there was some hope that they could indeed catch this ‘big fish’.

But none of that would have been possible if one party hadn’t decided to trust and share concerns with the other. Individuals working together to build a stronger fighting force against injustice. The ‘lowly’ many overpowering the ‘higher’ few. A strategy that was unfortunately necessary in cases like this as some people believed themselves above the law. But no one was exempt. Not even the Number Two Hero.

Hitoshi’s situation was different than Endeavor. For the Number Two Hero it would take time and preparation in order to bring the man down. As of now it was in the hands of the Heroes and the police. Izuku had played his part and now all he could do is wait. But for Hitoshi maybe there was something he could do now. Izuku didn’t know if he could do anything on his own or as a minor besides offering their home as a safe place to come to. But perhaps his mom would have better ideas.

Izuku couldn’t just tell her that Hitoshi was in foster care. Not without his permission as it was his choice of who knows. Which prompted the greenet to text his friend asking if he could. His friend texted back that he could which relieved Izuku though he did frown at Hitoshi insisting he didn’t need help. Then to his surprise his friend said there was a development.

The answer to his texted question of what this development exactly came in typical Hitoshi fashion in the form of a cat picture. A selfie specifically with a now familiar cat in fact that had been cuddled up to the purple haired teen just this morning. But Hitoshi hadn’t taken a picture of DJ this morning not that he noticed. Leading to a slue of more questions that was interrupted by Hitoshi revealing that one thing had led to another ending with him right back at the EraserMic apartment they had left together this morning.

Izuku was relieved that his friend was in the care of their teachers. Aizawa and Yamada would take great care of Hitoshi just like they did in school. The greenet had every confidence that Hitoshi would be happy in their home. Especially with the cats that he would get to cuddle whenever he wanted. Izuku was kind of jealous but still very happy for his friend. Maybe this means he could go visit Hitoshi and subsequently the cats some time in the future. It would be awesome to see Sashimi again.

Though Izuku was concerned that Aizawa had overheard them talking last night. Hitoshi had chosen to tell Izuku about his situation but didn’t get that choice with their mentor. The greenet was sure the Erasure Hero hadn’t done it out of malice and more likely out of concern. Probably having noticed Hitoshi’s reaction to Izuku joking about being Aizawa’s son for the week. Yeah, that had to be it and was probably why he told Yamada as well.

But that still didn’t change the fact that Hitoshi wasn’t the one who chose to tell them. However, Hitoshi insisted he was fine and that Aizawa had only told Yamada he was in foster care. The rest was up to him to talk about. That did make Izuku feel better that the tired man would respect his friend’s boundaries. Not all that surprising to him though. Aizawa had good judgment when it came to those in need of his help. Whether that be expelling them for their own good, protecting one student from another, or comforting them after a conversation turned debacle.

This time it was offering a home to someone who had none. Izuku could think of no better place for Hitoshi to live than with Aizawa and Yamada. Well, other than with him and his mother, but this worked just as well. As long as his friend was safe and with people who cared then Izuku was happy for him. He suspected he would be getting so many pictures of the cats now that Hitoshi would be seeing them every day.

Of course, Hitoshi had to be a goof as always and brought up Shouto’s conspiracy theory. Inspiring a flood of texts declaring him ridiculous and threaten him to not tell their conspiring friend anything or else they would never hear the end of it. Having the trump card threat of unleashing Mei was helpful, but if Hitoshi really wanted to tell Shouto or anyone really it was up to him. It was just fun to have friends to playfully banter with.

The texting continued until it was time for dinner. Izuku got up from the couch and once again helped his mom to prepare their food. Inko was humming along to the music quietly playing in the background while Izuku stood next to her wondering how to bring up Hitoshi. Well, straight to the point seemed easiest.

“Hey, mom?” Izuku asked.

“What is it, sweetie?” Inko replied, stilling her hands and turned to face him.

“Oh, um, I learned something about Hitoshi yesterday,” the son said. “He said it was okay to tell you and I thought you’d want to know.” The mother gave a curious tilt of her head in response. “Hitoshi in the foster system.”

“He is?” Inko asked instantly concerned. “Why? Did his parents pass away?”

“No,” he replied with a shake of his head. “They, uh, gave him up when his Quirk came in.”

The mother’s look of concern morphed into anger at that. How could a parent give up their child for such a reason? She knew that Hitoshi had been told his Quirk was villainous growing up. She had sensed his hesitation the very first time he had ever been to their home. But much like Mei, she welcomed him with open arms. Any friend of Izuku’s was essentially a child of hers in her mind. The thought gave her an idea.

A determined look washed over her face at the snap decision as Inko asked, “What center is he at?”

“What?” Izuku responded in surprise.

“What center is he at?” she asked again. “Hitoshi is like family. He should be with family.”

Izuku realized instantly that his mom was willing to do anything to help Hitoshi as much as she would himself. Even to go so far as to possibly adopt him if she could. It brought a fond smile to his face.

“You don’t have to worry, mom,” Izuku said as he pulled out his phone and showed her the picture of Hitoshi with DJ. “Aizawa-sensei and Yamada-sensei beat you to it. He’s already been taken in as a foster by them.”

Inko took in the picture before letting out a fond sigh as she said, “Those men…they’ve done so much for you two.”

“Yeah,” Izuku said with a smile as he put his phone away.

The mother and son went back to preparing their dinner. After eating and cleaning up, they enjoyed a quiet evening together as they had many times before. The normality of it was in such contrast to how his internship week had turned out. So many things could have gone wrong. One wrong step could have prevented him from ever coming back to his mother. The thought was terrifying.

However rather than think about it, Izuku instead focused on enjoying the company of his mom. He also sent a text to his dad to say he loved him. Though he wished Hisashi could be there so he could tell him in person. But the text would have to do for now until their next scheduled call. Eventually it was time for bed and the mother and son bid each other good night.

Notes:

The gallery has grown! :D It's been a while since we've gotten a mention of them in the story. The current count is up to three! Inko just wants to show appreciation for her son and all that he does to help people. ^___^

So the bit about Izuku thinking that they could have found another explanation than just him being the one to take down Stain. That goes out to commenters like dannythebookwyrm, Rijus_Hope, and thePanopticon_isJust_azkaban who pointed that out. I totally agree though I'm sticking with this route because of reasons. But yeah, they so could have but they didn't. :P

Inko knows about Hitoshi's situation now. First thought, must collect mentally claimed son immediately. Like instant mama bear mode. XD Because she would so do that. But not to worry Inko! Hitoshi is in good hands. ^____^ Also Izuku is learning he can reach out to people for help. So yay! Progress.

Couldn't think of a fun fact for this chapter so that's about it! Next update is more Midoriya time. Izuku gets a rest day and also a call from his dad! With a little peek into Inko and Hisashi's past! Should be fun. ;) Until then, be well and report any typos or weirdness!

Chapter 44: Winding Down

Notes:

Thank you for your patience! It's time for some resting and reflecting with a sprinkling of insight in the beginnings of the Midoriya family. ^____^ Enjoy!

Linktree to all the things!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

The next day was also spent relaxing though Izuku did go for a morning run to keep up with his training. He even made a pass by the beach to check on it and was happy to see a number of people enjoying it at this early hour. As he collected bits of trash with gloved hands as he went, Izuku got recognized by a few people. Thankfully they were nice and even asked if they could take pictures with him! Which was so weird but the greenet obliged and smiled for the camera.

After that, Izuku didn’t linger on the beach too long. The attention, even though it was only a little, was still a lot for him to handle. Especially because it was positive. The Quirkless teen had grown up with negative attention from his teachers and peers that he had learned to endure. Also taking advantage of his often-declared plain features to fade into the background as much as possible. A conditioned response as Hound Dog would say.

Any attention outside of his friends, family, and teachers felt overwhelming. But Izuku knew it wasn’t something he could avoid with his chosen path. He was Quirkless and aspiring to be a Hero despite that. Refusing to take ‘no’ for an answer and determined to overcome any obstacles in his way from that goal. And the world was starting to see that bit by bit.

Winning the Sports Festival. Given sole credit for capturing Stain. Being revealed as the mysterious benefactor that cleaned an entire beach with no want for attention. These heroic acts were only the beginning of his Hero career. A solid foundation for him to build on to achieve the future he has always wanted. To be the best Hero he could be and help as many people as he could.

Izuku wasn’t one for attention, but he knew it was a part of the Hero path. Despite liking the sound of Underground Hero work, he didn’t feel like he had that option anymore. The public knew his face well and his Hero costume would be recognizable. He knew they would be watching him closely to see what he would do next. The thought of eyes constantly watching him was unnerving.

The Quirkless teen seemed destined to be a limelight Hero no matter what he did. Izuku had made the world aware of him by winning the Sports Festival. This latest development with Stain shined even more of a spotlight on him. Which the attention was good for bringing awareness that those with ‘weak’ or no Quirks were just as capable as anyone else. All one needed was the determination to follow through.

So yes, the attention he was getting was good for the future, but it didn’t mean he had to like it in the present. If only there was a way to be both a Daylight Hero and an Underground Hero. The thought made him pause on his trek home. What if there was a way to be both?

Dual identities weren’t anything new in the Hero world. Like Present Mic versus Yamada Hizashi or even All Might versus Yagi Toshinori. For them it was between their Hero and civilian identities but it did set a precedent. Izuku would need to ask Aizawa about the idea of having two Hero personas. Maybe also ask Maijima about quick changing features for his costume like color changing or something. He knew that Mei would be eager to help find a way.

The thought of potentially regaining some anonymity brought a skip to his step as he continued home. It gave him hope that he could become an even better Hero in the future. A symbol for those who were in need of someone to look up to. Living proof that anyone can be a Hero regardless of Quirk. But also, able to work from the shadows where Daylight Heroes rarely go. Being able to be both would open a world of opportunities for Izuku to help in any way he could.

With this new idea pleasantly rolling through his mind as he walked through the front door, Izuku cheerfully called out, “I’m home, mom!”

“Oh good! You’re home!” Inko called back from the kitchen. “Come here, Izuku. Your father is on the phone!”

The boy immediately stopped heading for his room and quickly joined his mother. He was still sweaty from his run but he could clean up later. A call from his dad was way more important. She offered him the phone as soon as he was close and shooed him away to sit on the couch.

“Hi, papa,” the son said as he sat down. “What are you calling so early for?”

Can’t a father call to talk to his son? Hisashi shot back with a smirk. “I hear you had quite the adventure this past week.

“Oh, heh, yeah. I did,” Izuku replied rubbing the back of his head only to grimace at the feel of his sweaty curls and wiped his hand off on his shorts. “It was definitely crazy, but I’m alright. Promise.”

I am glad to hear that,” the father said. “Taking down the Hero Killer yourself. Quite the achievement though I shouldn’t be surprised. I know my son is strong.

Izuku blushed at his dad’s praise. Though the moment was soured a little by the fact that he hadn’t actually done it alone. But he couldn’t tell either of his parents that no matter how much he wanted to. They were told not to tell anyone else outside those who were involved. Izuku hated keeping secrets from his parents but he knew sometimes they were necessary. This one would just join the growing pile he had tucked away.

“Thanks, papa,” he said instead with a small but warm smile.

I’m proud of you, Izuku,” Hisashi stated with a fatherly smile of his own. “Unfortunately, I must go now. I merely wanted to check on you and must get back to work.

“Oh, okay,” Izuku replied, long used to such short calls but still hated to say goodbye so soon. “Bye, papa. I love you.”

Goodbye, my son,” Hisashi said. “I send my love to you.

With that, the father ended the call and left Izuku with his mother. Inko joined him on the couch now they were done talking. She didn’t want to take up her son’s precious time with his father. Hisashi was ever so busy and they both missed him dearly. If only more could be done to improve her husband’s health. Hisashi was a loving doting father even from afar. They were all doing their best to make the best of their situation, but hopefully sometime in the future the Midoriyas could be reunited once more.

“He sends his love,” Izuku said with a sad smile.

“I know,” Inko replied with one of her own as she tucked a curl behind his ear. “I wish he could be here for you.”

Izuku simply nodded in reply both wishing the same thing. For Hisashi to once more be a physical part of their family instead of stuck overseas. Texting and calls only helped so much. Izuku missed his dad’s hugs and hair ruffles. Comforting touches that he did get from others like his mother, teachers, and friends. But they could never replace the ones he missed from Hisashi.

Unfortunately, there was nothing they could do. Hisashi was stuck there and they couldn’t go to him. The company his dad works at were accommodating enough to give him housing after the accident. But this also restricted them from visiting because the work done there was of a sensitive nature. It was simply an issue of them not having the right clearance. Frustrating but understandable. At least Hisashi was still allowed to communicate with them as long as he didn’t talk about his work.

Inko knew how much her son missed his father. She missed Hisashi as well. Sweet kisses and sweet words. Hisashi had always been sweet to her since the day they met. Even when she had literally run into him, he hadn’t yelled at her, had complimented her name, and had even helped her pick up her papers. She still remembered the jolt of electricity when they’re hands had first touch. A mere brushing of fingers that caused her to blush.

Hisashi had just been so gracious and accommodating. Inko almost couldn’t believe she had the courage to ask to meet him again but she had. Her apology coffee had turned into a date and she suddenly found herself dating this wonderful man. As any couple they had their rough moments but they always came back together. Eventually becoming the family they were today. It made her remember fond memories of when their family had first begun.

The day that Hisashi had proposed was one of the best days of her life. They got all dressed up and went to a fancy restaurant with Hisashi insisting that price wouldn’t be an issue. Inko wasn’t used to being wined and dined but Hisashi made a point to spoil her from time to time. After their dinner, they wandered the streets aimlessly.

Or so Inko thought.

They were walking side by side in peaceful silence. Inko held on to her boyfriend’s arm as Hisashi set a slow steady pace. The streets were quieting down from the day and the stars blanketed the world in night. It was peaceful and serene and Inko couldn’t be happier. She let out a satisfied hum as she leaned her head on Hisashi’s arm.

“Are you happy, my dear?” Hisashi asked as they walked.

“Yes, I am, Hisashi,” she replied giving his arm an affirming squeeze. “Dinner was delicious. Thank you for this date.”

“The date isn’t over yet,” he said cryptically.

Inko looked up at him in silent question but he merely smiled before leading them on. She grew ever more curious as they went. The dinner had been more than enough for her and she had no idea where Hisashi was taking them. She became even more curious when he suddenly stopped in the middle of the sidewalk.

“We’re here,” Hisashi said with a warm smile.

He let go of her arm as he turned to face her and instead gently took hold of her hands. Hers were dwarfed by Hisashi’s strong large hands. She felt the same spark of electricity has she had the day they met. A sense that they were meant to be together and it filled her with so much love for this man. She gazed into her boyfriend’s eyes hopefully to convey that love and believed she could see that love returned.

“Where is here exactly?” Inko asked, casting confused looks around seeing only a normal street.

“Here is where we began,” Hisashi replied, gaining her attention again. “Here is where we first met.”

The greenette let out a surprised gasp and took another look around. Taking notice of the familiar shops and surroundings that she had walked through so many times for work. Or rather ran through on that fateful day. Running into Hisashi and spilling her papers everywhere. Thank the gods she hadn’t gotten coffee that morning or she would have surely spilled that all over him too.

She looked down at the ground where they were standing on the very spot they had first met. A chance encounter that had them both sprawled on the ground. It still embarrassed her to this day that that was how they had met. But she also cherished the memory because it had brought them together.

A hand gently placed under her chin drew her head up to look at Hisashi. His hand moved to cup her face and a thumb brushed away the tears falling down her face. Ones she didn’t know had started to fall but she also wasn’t surprised. She was a crier after all and always would be. It was a part of her that Hisashi was long used to and insisted was endearing to him. She chose to believe him even though she always worried it would be a bother to him.

“I have enjoyed our time together, Inko,” Hisashi said, his deep voice sending shivers of joy down her spine. “You know that I was alone in this world before I met you. That I have no family to speak of nor close connections with friends. However, if you would permit me…”

He let go of her face but kept hold of her hand as he lowered to one knee before her. The flow of tears came once more as she realized what he was doing. They had been dating for a year and had grown close. Inko knew that she loved this man and wished to spend a life time with him. But she didn’t know if he felt the same. Not until this moment.

“…I would be honored be a part of yours,” he finished as he pulled a small box from his pocket and presented her with a ring. “Will you marry me, Inko?”

The ring itself was simple though Inko wasn’t much one for anything flashy. The band was white gold with several diamonds in a row. The center one was the biggest with slightly smaller ones on either side followed by three smaller diamonds as well. It was beautiful and perfect. But not as much as the man offering it to her.

Inko breathed in a shaky breath she hadn’t known she was holding. She gazed longing at the man she had come to love and cherish. Who she wanted to spend the rest of her life with and now she knew he did as well. There was only one answer to his question.

“Yes!” Inko answered with a wet giggle of glee. “Yes, I will, Hisashi.”

The man let out a satisfied hum as he slipped the ring onto her finger. He then stood up and pulled her into an embrace. The kiss was magical and full of emotions. One she would remember for the rest of her life shared on the spot that fate had brought them together.

Their engagement went pleasantly well and the wedding was another of her precious memories. A small and simple affair with only Inko’s friends and family attending. Hisashi had none but assured her he was happy and content with hers. Even insisted on taking her last name instead of her taking his. It was unexpected but Inko easily agreed. Happy to make a new family with this man, her husband, and be connected to him in any way possible.

But nothing could top the day that Izuku was born. Hisashi had been doting and strong throughout her pregnancy. Doing all the things a father would do for his wife and making sure she had every comfort. Together they watched her baby bump grow, excited to meet the child they were bringing into this world. Going into labor had been rough but it had been a labor of love. All the yelling and pain worth it as soon as she held their son in her arms.

He was a bundle of joy from the start. His cries quickly dying down as curious green eyes took in the world around him. Much of his features were similar to Inko’s with green hair and eyes. He also had exactly four freckles in a diamond shape on each chubby cheek much like her own father had. Inko worried that Hisashi would be sad that there didn’t seem to be much of him physically in their son. However, he assured her that he was fine and said that perhaps their son would have his father’s mind and potentially his Quirk as well. Only time would tell.

He certainly lived up to the Midoriya name with his green features. For his given name, they had chosen the name Izuku for their son. A word that became most dear in Inko’s life as her son became her favorite thing in the world. She of course loved Hisashi but nothing could compare to a mother’s love for her child.

It was with this love that Inko decided they would be having katsudon that night in hopes of cheering her son up. Izuku giggled and easily agreed to having his favorite dish. He left for his room to shower while Inko put together a list of what they would need from the store. By the time he was dressed they were both ready to go.

The trip to the store went similar as the beach. People recognized him and a few brave souls asked for pictures. Inko smiled proudly as she watched her son get positive recognition for all that he’s done. She could tell that he wasn’t used to the attention but that would come with time. The interactions with his fans only slowed down their shopping trip a little and soon enough they were back home.

They shared a simple lunch of leftovers before Inko ran off to do some other errands she had that day. Leaving Izuku alone in the apartment. He texted his friends as he checked that all of his homework was finished. Once he was done, he went back to the living room to relax with a small notebook in hand.

It was one that he had started to carry with him to take quick notes whenever he needed. In code of course and once he inputted it into his tablet at school, he would add the pages to his other locked up notebooks. Izuku understood the value of such information and didn’t want to have too much out in the open. Better safe than sorry, right?

Izuku put a mindless movie on before settling on the couch. He hadn’t had the opportunity to note down his observations of the events that led up to the Noumu attack in Hosu nor the fight against Stain. What with the hospital and the last day of training there just wasn’t time. And yesterday he had just wanted to relax and spend time with his mom.

But now he did have time and had had enough time to sort through all that had happened. Izuku had already run through it mentally several times over but now he could write it all down. It was almost therapeutic to write down his thoughts. As if he was releasing himself from holding it all in by letting it out into the world. Decompressing the building amount of data trapped inside his head. The thoughts would still linger but Izuku felt less stressed about forgetting them by writing them down. Like backing up a computer.

As was best, he started from the beginning. Izuku jotted down his thoughts when it came to their training. Reflecting on what they had learned and brainstorming improvements. He also noted what they had experienced on the patrols before all hell broke loose. When it came to the Noumu, he described all that he had noticed about their features and possible Quirks. Or as best he could as they had been quite busy at the time.

The big black one with no eyes had looked very similar to the one from the USJ attack. Almost like they could be brothers. The eyeless Noumu had been strong same as the beaked one though Izuku wasn’t sure if that was from a Quirk or pure physical strength. Though from the reports that Endeavor had to resort to burning the Noumu’s head to a crisp mentioned something about possible self-regeneration. Which wouldn’t surprise Izuku if that one had that kind of power since the USJ Noumu had.

The other two Noumu were different yet the same. They were pale but had the same exposed brain and vacant eyes with no other motivation than to cause chaos. The one with four eyes apparently had more than one Quirk according to what Aizawa had said about fighting it. A mix of muscle augmentation and the ability to absorb then release emitter attacks. Then there was whatever freaky thing it was able to do with its tongue before the Underground Hero erased that Quirk along with the others it possessed. Resulting in Endeavor killing that Noumu as well.

The last Noumu held most of Izuku’s interest though. Partially because it was the same one that plucked him like a flower to go gods knew where. But also, there was something oddly…familiar about the creature. Izuku couldn’t place what exactly but there was a hint of recognition in the back of his mind. For now, he noted the feeling and left the thought to simmer until he came up with an answer.

Then it came to the most intense part of the night. The fight against the Hero Killer. Izuku was so grateful for his impulsive act of placing a tracker on Tenya. Not in fear that his friend would go looking for trouble but that trouble would find him. And that it had indeed. Of all the alley ways in all the cities in all the world, Tenya just had to walk in the one where Stain was attacking a Hero. The one that had gotten away.

Thankfully Chizome did not target children and Tenya hadn’t entered the fight with ill intent. Izuku had a feeling that if he had a need for revenge for his brother that it might have changed the Villain’s mind. But instead Tenya had interrupted him with the intent to help Native saving him from Stain’s judgment.

But that hadn’t saved Tenya from having to fight and become paralyzed by his Quirk. Leaving him helpless on the ground unable to do anything to stop the Hero Killer from carrying out his violent will. But Izuku could. Yes, he agreed with the man that Hero society had become corrupt. Murder being the solution however he very much did not agree on. Death would teach them nothing.

So, he had acted. Jumped right down into that alley and let instinct take over. Which unfortunately included letting slip more about their relationship than he had ever intended. But there was nothing he could do to fix that. No way to go back in time and watch his own mouth. Though he wasn’t solely to blame as Chizome had his own slipups as well. Even going so far as to give him parting gifts though the knife more purposefully so than the scarf. Both of which he would cherish for the rest of his life serving as a physical representation of their bond.

Fighting the Hero Killer had been the hardest thing Izuku had ever had to do. In general, it would have been hard because the Villain was very skilled with his fighting style and Quirk. The greenet was certain that any Hero would have had a difficult time fighting Stain one on one. Even All Might would be vulnerable to Chizome’s Quirk. All it would take to bring the Number One Hero down was a single drop of blood.

The fight had been terrifying all of them fighting for their lives. None knowing what the outcome would be but doing everything in their power to turn the fight into their favor. In the end it had been the aspiring Heroes who had won. Or as the public understood it, Izuku had won. The victory felt bitter because it wasn’t the whole truth. But again, he understood why. Still didn’t like it though.

Izuku was grateful to Chizome by the end of the night though. The Quirkless teen had be terrified when that Noumu had snatched him. It had happened so suddenly that the Heroes were caught by surprise. They had wanted to help but it had been Chizome who acted the fastest. He saved Izuku. Saved him from whatever fate the Noumu had been bringing him to. Once again giving him the chance to live on in pursuit of his dream.

Then he had given him the evidence that would hopefully save Shouto as well. Izuku didn’t note that part down though he did wonder what all Chizome had found. Please let it be enough to get Shouto out of that house. His friend hadn’t mentioned any backlash from Endeavor having run off on his own. But then again Shouto didn’t talk much about his ‘training’ and Izuku never wanted to push him to say more than he was comfortable with. Perhaps with the building case Shouto would be more willing to open up finally having a possible way out of that hellish house.

It made him wonder how the rest of Shouto’s internship went after they had left the hospital. He hoped that Endeavor hadn’t pushed him too hard but also knew that hope was unfortunately fleeting. However, there was not much he could do to help his friend. Doing his best to let Shouto know he was there for him through texts. Their ongoing conversation helped alleviated some of his worry for his friend.

Izuku also wondered how the rest of his friends’ and classmates’ internships turned out. Obviously, he knew about Hitoshi’s because he was there with him. Tenya’s was probably easy patrols and desk work. The rest though he wasn’t sure. Ochako had gone with Gunhead so perhaps she had gained more fighting experience. Tsuyu had chosen a place with water which would go well with her Quirk. The rest of his friends have chosen good placements as far as he was aware. Though he did wonder if Yaoyorozu had taken his advice about Fat Gum. Guess he would find out on Monday.

There was one more person that was on his mind. Bakugou. Izuku wondered how his internship week had gone. Or rather his second week of suspension. What did they have him do during that week? He knew that Bakugou would be subjected to remedial classes and supervised training. But as for what he was being taught Izuku didn’t know exactly. Whatever it was, hopefully Bakugou would actually listen and take the lessons to heart. Unlikely immediately because of how stubborn the explosive blonde is, but perhaps in the future.

Izuku was worried about how having Bakugou back in class would go. He was sure the tension would be high because it always was when it came to his childhood friend. Bakugou’s personality had always been as explosive as his Quirk. Probably also from his mom as well. Mitsuki was a spitfire of a woman with a strong bold personality that contrasted nicely with Masaru’s calm one. If only Bakugou had even an ounce of his father’s even temper.

But no, he didn’t as far as Izuku was aware. Bakugou was a walking talking human hand grenade ready to explode at any time. The negligence of their past teachers did not help temper his, well, temper. Inflating his ego so much that any slight, no matter how small, was enough to make him burst out in anger. Hopefully with the therapy and anger management, something could be done to help Bakugou react more calmly. Izuku’s own therapy was helping him deal with his own issues and he was sure it could help Bakugou as well. But only if he was willing to listen.

That was the deciding factor. Izuku was grateful that Nezu was willing to give the explosive teen a chance, but all they could do was offer a helping hand. It was up to Bakugou to take it. To be willing to listen to what they had to say. After that it was all on him to take their words and do something with them. Whether he would or not remained to be seen.

Regardless of what Bakugou would do, Izuku was at least confident that they wouldn’t have a repeat of the confrontation. His friends and teachers wouldn’t stand for it and neither would he. Izuku wasn’t the weak useless Deku that Bakugou believed him to be. He was strong in his own right by his own hard efforts. The Quirkless teen refused to let anyone drag him down. Not even his once childhood friend.

Bakugou should also be smart enough to not try anything. Because he too was learning that UA was very different than the schools they had attended before. The teachers, the Heroes, would not stand for his bullshit behavior. The explosive blonde’s reign of terror over his life was over.

With that thought, Izuku slept quite well that night after a delicious meal of katsudon that they made together. Still worried about how Bakugou would react to him on first sight, but with every confidence knew he would be alright. He slipped into unconsciousness with pleasant dreams awaiting him.

Notes:

The idea of a dual hero is born! Izuku's got more attention that he wanted which is good for awareness, but bad for social anxiety. I share those feelings too, green bean. But at least the small doses of attention were good! Anyway, more on dual hero stuff as the story goes.

We got a call from Hisashi! :D And got to know how he proposed to Inko. Sh-sh-shout out to Audrey on the discord for help with that! DFO has got the moves. ;)

For those who are anxious to find out what Bakugou has been up to, we're getting there I promise. :) It just didn't make sense to hop between what was happening with Izuku and Hitoshi in EraserMic world to what Bakugou was doing. But in coming chapters we will get a run down of his goings on since the meeting with Nezu. All in due time, dear readers. ^_____^

Fun Facts About Japan:

For Izuku taking pictures with strangers, I sort of based it on my own experience of seeing my students around town and they would want to take a picture with me. Being one of the few foreigners in a primarily homogenous society, you stick out. :P And being an ALT working in your area makes you a sort of local celebrity. So students would sometimes ask for pictures with you! Often with one of those apps that add filters or stickers to make the pictures cuter. I would take pictures of my own as well and they are now my precious memories. However since they are pictures with minors I can't share them with you peeps. Sorry!

Another thing that Japanese people do to be cute in pictures is make the peace sign! Though I'm sure many if not all of you knew that. :P But yeah, they all do that gesture and now so do I. XD Like, it's now my go-to pose for pictures and I have to stop myself from doing it in every picture. It's just addicting! I was wondering why they like to do that in Japan other than to be cute and found this article that said it started in the 1960s though it was a bit vague on the details. Then I found this one that went into a little more detail. Read if you're interested!

Oh, and they do say 'cheese' for pictures sometimes too. But with the Japanese language sound system it comes sounding like 'cheezu' and is written chiizu (チーズ). Which doesn't get you as ready for a picture as it does in English. :P But they still say it anyway. Either that or just 'hai'. Oh and how they say 'say cheese' is 'hai, chiizu'.

That's all for this update! It's back to school after the internships. 1-A reunites! All of them. That's right! Bakugou will be back in class, but I'll tell you now it will not be the rundown of Bakugou's suspension. Not quite yet. We're sticking with Izuku for next chapter. He gets a new assignment from Nezu and has a talk with a certain hardening redhead. ;) Alright, that's all for now. You be the best you and let me know of typos or weirdness!

Chapter 45: Conflicted Feelings

Notes:

And we're back with another update! Izuku meets up with Nezu and then has a talk with Kirishima. :)

Bit of an announcement before we get to the chapter. So I typically like to have a buffer of mostly finished chapters, but as of this update I've caught up to my WIP chapters. And the next one is going to be Katsuki. His pov is difficult for me to write for reasons which I think you could understand because his mindset is just so messed up. Even back in the sports festival I had to take breaks between working on his pov and other parts of the story.

Because of this, while I like posting once a week, this time around I'll post in two weeks to give me and my brain time to work through Katsuki's pov through his suspension and then rejoining 1-A. 'Cause there is a lot and I'd like to take the time to write it in a way that I'm satisfied with. So, no this work is not abandoned. I just want more time to work my extraness and make something for us all to enjoy. Plus Ultra, ne? ^____^ And hopefully I can write past Katsuki's pov to move on to more fun parts and build up my buffer chapters again. So, please have patience and thank you very much for reading! I appreciate every single one of you.

Linktree to all the things!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

The next morning Izuku woke up well rested. Green eyes slowly blinked awake at his alarm and he allowed himself a small time to snooze before getting up. He went through his usual morning routine before joining his mother for breakfast. The normality was both strange and comforting at the same time. So much had happened during his internship week and yet it didn’t bring much change to the little Midoriya world that existed in their home.

That however did not apply to the world outside of their two-bedroom apartment. Out there was constantly changing and there was no way for him to tell how people would react to him. Especially now after he had been given sole credit of taking the Hero Killer down. Which was why he donned his beanie as soon as he left the apartment. He even put on a disposable mask to cover his freckles as added protection.

Izuku knew he wouldn’t be able to hide forever. That eventually he would have to face the publicity he had started to garner really since he had cleaned up the beach. Though that hadn’t been connected to him until recently. But with the Sports Festival and now Hosu, the Quirkless teen was very much in the public eye. Way more than he had ever expected but here he was. Challenging social norms to show he and others like him had the right to this life and to decide their own future same as everyone else.

The teen would get used to the attention in time, but for now he would savor every bit of anonymity he could get. And he planned to ask Aizawa if it was possible to be both a Daylight and Underground Hero. Because if it was Izuku would very much like to pursue such a path. Then he could be an even more versatile Hero who could help in all kinds of situations. Becoming whatever kind of Hero that was needed on a case-to-case basis.

Thanks to his disguise the commute to school was uneventful. Just the usual daily grind of people going about their business. It wasn’t until Izuku walked onto campus did he feel comfortable enough to take off his disguise. Able to handle the smaller world within the UA barrier much better than the larger world beyond UA’s gates. Also knowing that UA was different and that even if someone did try something the teachers would defend him as they had with Bakugou.

Izuku had already texted his closest friends that he wanted to get to the sanctuary of 1-A as soon as possible today. He would see Hitoshi in class and Mei when it came time for lunch. As for Shouto he usually met up with him in class anyway. So instead of waiting to meet up with them he went to the teachers’ room to pick up his analysis tablet. That way he could input his notes on Hosu during English class. Unless Nezu decided to summon him for a meeting instead.

If he did, that would be convenient for Izuku. He had brought the notes he had on the victims of the Hero Killer. If not then he would make a point to stop by his office after school. No matter what, Izuku intended to pay Nezu a visit to pass on his notes in an effort to help in some way. Unsure how exactly but at the very least it would help them understand Chizome’s motives better.

The walk to his homeroom was filled with whispers. Good, bad, or neutral he paid no mind to and instead walked with guarded purpose. Izuku had no control over their opinions of him and there was no sense in worrying about it. They would form their own decisions on his worthiness to be a Hero. But other than his friends, family, and mentors, the only person Izuku cared about proving himself to the most was himself and him alone.

Thankfully no one confronted him directly on his way to 1-A. Only the whispers and the pointing from afar. The experience was actually quite strange to be honest. It reminded Izuku a lot of his school experience before UA and yet it was very different. Trading of words about the Quirkless teen with dreams of being a Hero. Only this time they weren’t all bad.

Words. People often stressed that actions could speak louder than words. But did they? If that were true then shouldn’t his actions during the Sports Festival have been enough to prove he could be a Hero too? But they hadn’t. People had heard the word ‘Quirkless’ and all of his actions had been instantly downplayed, bringing down everyone else’s with them. But now, after Stain declared that only a true Hero could ever defeat him and the authorities announced that Izuku alone was the one to do so, some of them started to listen. Their words were what moved others to believe. That’s what his life came down to. The power of words.

There were still naysayers amongst the masses who refused to listen or acknowledge words or actions alike. That was something Izuku expected having grown up with such company. But much as he had growing up, he refused to let their negative opinions hold him back. He would become a Hero no matter what. Making his mother, his mentors, his friends, Chizome, and most of all himself proud. His dad may disapprove but Hisashi had never let his opinions on Heroes influence his relations with his son. Never outright supporting Izuku’s dream to be a Hero but he had told him he could at least try.

And try he would.

It was a relief to cross the threshold of the towering 1-A classroom door. A smaller world filled with people who supported him. His friends and new classmates had accepted him with ease. It brought a warmth to his heart to see his fellow Heroes-in-training who were grouped up around the room discussing their own internships.

With a smile on his face, Izuku headed back towards his desk between Ochako and Shouto, passing by Tsuyu, Jirou, and Ashido along the way. It sounded like the pinkette’s internship had been uneventful as she praised Jirou for facing actual Villains. Though the purple haired girl in question tried to downplay her role as not very impressive. But helping with evacuation and logistics were definitely the acts of a Hero!

Tsuyu also didn’t boast much about her own internship. Mentioning she spent a majority of it training and cleaning the ship she had worked on. Which her choice of interning with the Sea Rescue Hero Selkie was a great idea. He worked near water which paired well with Tsuyu’s Quirk. But also because he was a dedicated Hero who took his Hero work seriously and did his best to protect others including his own crew. Qualities that Izuku was sure aided in the casually mentioned successful take down of a group of drug smugglers during her time there.

Very cool indeed, he thought as the other two girls voiced the same.

“What about you, Ochako-chan?” Tsuyu asked as Izuku made it to his desk. “How was your internship?”

The greenet turned along with the others listening to see a very determined Ochako who appeared to be fuming with fierce fighting spirit. Not surprising since she had chosen to intern with the Battle Hero Gunhead. He was known for his personal style of martial arts that would be a great addition to Ochako’s own fighting style. The rest of the class also took notice of her change in personality. It was very clear that she had found her fighting spirit as she shadowboxed the air.

Izuku simply smiled at his friend before turning towards Shouto who was already seated at his desk. Behind him Hitoshi was snoozing on his own desk in an effort to get more sleep before class. Insomnia sucked and he also probably came to UA earlier than usual since he now lived with their teachers. Tenya stood up from his own desk in order to join the others who had been in Hosu. The engine teen gave Izuku a hesitant but sincere smile and nod which the greenet returned in kind. They weren’t back to normal as there was still some awkwardness between them but hopefully it would get better in time.

The three friends were conversing quietly until Izuku overheard Kaminari say, “…if you want to talk about the ones who changed the most, it was those four.”

All eyes turned to the young Heroes who had been involved in the Hosu incident. Hitoshi could feel their stares and simply peeked up enough to eye the crowd before grumbling as he buried his face in his arms again. Izuku gave an awkward smile while Shouto and Tenya wore their usual stoic and stern expressions.

“That’s right,” Sero chimed in. “Hosu and the Hero Killer.”

“Really glad you guys made it back in one piece,” Kirishima said with his relief clear on his face.

“I was worried as well,” Yaoyorozu commented, her black eyes filled with concern.

“It still blows my mind that Midoriya managed to take down the Hero Killer by himself,” Satou interjected with an impressed look. “But then again, he did get first place in the Sports Festival.”

His fellow classmates agreed and chattered excitedly about his reported victory while Izuku cast a quick glance at his friends. Tenya gave him a supportive nod while Shouto let one of his small smiles show through. As for Hitoshi, he shot the other a brief thumbs up in support without lifting his head. The small acts brought a subtle but warm smile to Izuku’s face. He really had such good friends.

“Did you guys hear on the news that the Hero Killer might be connected to the League of Villains?” Ojiro asked openly to the group of students. “I’d hate to think how much worse the attack at the USJ would have been if a scary guy like that was there.”

A green eyebrow twitched as the insinuation that Chizome would ever be connected to the League. The man told him himself that he never would and had rejected their invitation. Nor was he one to attack children as the League had. But Izuku knew he couldn’t defend Chizome in front of his classmates. They couldn’t know about his connection to the man and he didn’t think there would be much he could do to change their opinion of the man. To them he was just a crazed Villain out for Hero blood while to Izuku he was a man who only wanted Heroes to go back to what they once were. Unfortunately looking towards that goal in unsavory violent ways.

As if sensing his discomfort, Shouto stood up from his desk and moved to stand next to Izuku. He then silently linked their pinkies in subtle support. Green eyes looked up into grey and blue before giving a grateful smile and squeeze of their linked fingers. Shouto really was amazing.

During their little moment, the class had started to discuss the video that had spread across the internet like wildfire. Though it seemed that not all of his classmates had seen it or even knew about it. But Kaminari seemed quite familiar with it and even called the Hero Killer’s level of tenacity cool. Izuku shot him a pointed look before gesturing his head towards Tenya. The blonde quickly understood his meaning and looked ashamed as he tried to apologize to the younger Iida brother.

“No, it’s fine,” Tenya assured him somberly. “He is quite the tenacious person with a high amount of conviction. It’s understandable why some would think of him as cool.”

Kaminari let out a sigh of relief that he hadn’t offended the other but he still looked worried.

“However, those convictions and his beliefs led him to concluding that society needed to be purged,” the class president continued. “No matter what his motives are, killing cannot be condoned. As for my brother…”

Blue eyes glanced into green briefly.

“…it has come to my understanding that he was not intended as a target of the Hero Killer,” Tenya added as he turned back to their classmates. “Tensei was injured in an attempt to protect another. Stain understood that and had been the one to call for an ambulance to make up for hurting him. He may be a Villain but it seems he has some morals of a sort.”

The air grew solemn at the mention of Tenya’s brother. A reminder that a Hero’s job was full of danger. They all had learned that lesson during the USJ attack. Thankfully the students hadn’t been seriously injured but the teachers hadn’t been so lucky. Thirteen and Eraserhead had put their lives on the line for their students much like how Ingenium had for Native. Even All Might had gone past his limits to protect them and buy time for the other teachers to arrive.

The Number One Hero had managed to beat the Noumu, but Eraserhead had not faired well against the mighty beast. Ending up broken and bruised after a thorough beat down. Thirteen also had a rough time having their own Quirk turned against them. They had all survived but it had been the aspiring Heroes-to-be’s first real introduction to just how dangerous Hero work could be.

It was a sobering experience, however the growing tension was suddenly cut with the opening of the classroom door. All nineteen sets of eyes turned to find the angry red ones that had been absent from 1-A for two weeks. Bakugou was back in class.

Those same angry red eyes scanned the room until they met green. Bakugou glared at him and Izuku refused to cower or look away. His bully no longer had any kind of power over him. Beside him, Shouto gave a supportive squeeze to his pinkie which he returned in thanks. Their little staring contest only lasted a matter of seconds as another figure walked through the door. 

The sight of their stern homeroom teacher was enough to get everyone scrambling to their seats. Well, Bakugou’s was more of a petulant trudge than a scramble. Though Izuku did notice that those of the Bakusquad cast looks at their friend who they hadn’t seen for a while. Most of them appeared excited that he was back and curious as to why he was gone.

But not Kirishima.

His expression appeared hesitant and conflicted. Probably because he had been able to connect the dots as to what had happened both at the festival and in their past. Izuku still hoped he could remain friends with Bakugou as he seemed to have built a rapport with the explosive blonde. Maybe he should talk to him about it? But Izuku knew that no matter what he said or hoped, the choice was ultimately up to Kirishima to decide. Whatever that decision was, Izuku would support his friend no matter what.

Homeroom involved them writing a reflection on their internships which Izuku had actually already done over the weekend. Aizawa merely nodded when he told him as such though there was a hint of amusement in his otherwise unreadable eyes. The teacher had a feeling the analytical teen might have done such a thing so he wasn’t all that surprised. Since Izuku had planned on inputting his thoughts into his tablet anyway, the tired man bid him to do just that while the others worked.

Homeroom eventually ended and Aizawa collected their assignments. As the morning went on, the teachers would roll in and sign inquiring concerns to Izuku asking how he was fairing. They had all grown attached to the boy since the start of school as they had silently conversed with him to help him practice. The Quirkless teen was bright, eager to learn, and was willing to put in the effort to follow his dreams. Even though they didn’t know all of the details, that didn’t stop them from worrying about the young Hero who had faced a fierce Villain reportedly alone. Anyone would be concerned about that.

Other than that, the rest of classes went as normal. Well except for English but that wasn’t new for Izuku. He had anticipated staying in class to work on his analysis but also wasn’t surprised when Yamada presented him with a note. Coded, of course, and requesting his presence in the principal’s office for the class period.

The greenet packed up his bag and gave his friends and classmates temporary farewells. They replied in turn already used to his infrequent presence in that particular class. The only one who wasn’t was Bakugou who glared at him as he walked out of the room, but Izuku paid him no mind as he had a meeting to get to. Most students were already in their classrooms with just a handful running to the bathroom between classes. Meaning that his trip to Nezu’s office was relatively quiet and in no time, he was walking through the self-opening door.

“Please come in, Midoriya-kun,” Nezu said already sitting on the couch with tea at the ready.

Izuku nodded and walked over to sit next to him. He placed his bag down before accepting the offered tea cup. They sat there for a few quiet moments as they sipped from their respective cups. Today’s flavor was chamomile.

“Now then,” the chimera spoke up as a start to their meeting. “I trust the rest of your week went well?”

“Yes, sir,” Izuku replied with a nod.

“Good,” Nezu said with a nod of his own. “As for why I requested your attendance to this meeting. While I know that you are still working on inputting your personal notes, I would like to give you a different assignment for the time being.”

“What would you like me to do?” the teen asked.

“You are familiar with all of the first year Hero Course students and their Quirks, correct?” his mentor inquired, earning a nod from his student. Izuku had observed both classes’ Battle Training and had seen them in action during the Sports Festival. “Excellent. As a hypothetical exercise, I would like you to consider each student’s strengths and weaknesses and then with that information consider which of the teachers they would face the most challenge with in a fight. In an effort to brainstorm ideas for improving their training.”

“So their Quirks, combat skills, and any other skills they might have?” the young analyst asked to clarify.

“Along with personality and any other factors you believe could influence such match ups,” the chimera replied. “For the students and teachers both.”

“Sure, I could do that,” Izuku said, already mentally going through his notes.

“Wonderful,” Nezu replied after a sip of tea. "I would like you to consider yourself as well, Midoriya-kun."

"Me?" the greenet asked in surprise.

"You are in the Hero Course, are you not?" the principal shot back with a teasing tone. “Here to train and better yourself as a Hero?”

"Well, yeah..." Izuku let out but was interrupted.

"Then I'd like you to analyze yourself as well,” Nezu said. “How you would fair against the other students and them against you? Think of it as a thought exercise to explore how you would approach facing a variety of Quirks. Knowing one's own strengths and weaknesses can be beneficial in the field."

The Quirkless teen nodded in agreement. Nezu was right that it was good information to know about one’s self. Such knowledge had helped him and the others in the fight against the Hero Killer. Along with on-the-fly analysis of the situation at hand that had allowed him to figure out how to turn Chizome’s Quirk against him. Only that had been a real fight that they had suddenly found themselves in. These hypothetical matches would be more controlled with more thought put into them. It sounded like an interesting analytical challenge.

“Excellent. Please take the rest of the period to start,” Nezu instructed finishing the tea in his cup. “Oh and Midoriya-kun, please keep this assignment confidential between us. As you know such information is very sensitive and must be protected. Understood?”

“Yes, Nezu-sensei,” Izuku replied with a nod. His mentor responded in turn before hopping off the couch. The teen reached into his bag and paused at the sight of one of his notebooks. “Um, Nezu-sensei?”

“Yes, Midoriya-kun?” the chimera inquired, pausing in his actions of refilling his cup.

“I, um, I wanted to give you this,” Izuku said offering the notebook to his mentor.

“And what is this, Midoriya-kun?” Nezu asked as he took it in his paws.

“This is information on Chi…Stain’s victims,” the teen answered. “The reasons why I believe he targeted them specifically. Because he never attacked anyone without a reason. The only one outside of those reasons was Ingenium but that was under specific circumstances.”

Beady eyes started looking through the notebook curious as to what kind of dirt his personal student had managed to dig up. The fact that his protégé had gone out of his way to do such a thing ignited a feeling of pride in his chest. Nezu would have to fact check all of it to be sure, but if Izuku was right that the listed corruptions were the Hero Killer’s motivations, it might prove an interesting twist in his case.

“Do you believe this information is true to the best of your knowledge?” the principal asked as he still rifled through the notes. He glanced up to see his student nod in answer before turning back to the notebook. “Very well. I shall look into the matter and see what I can do with this information. Thank you for giving this to me, Midoriya-kun. Also, you may call him by his name in my presence.”

“Huh?” Izuku replied with a confused tilt of his head.

“Akaguro Chizome, the Hero Killer Stain,” Nezu answered, looking up at the teen. “I am aware of your situation and know that you have a more personal relationship with him. It is only natural for you to refer to him in a more familiar way as you are comfortable with. Please feel free to refer to his as such in my presence.”

The greenet stared at the chimera for a moment before hesitantly nodding in answer. With that, Nezu took the notebook and his tea back to his desk leaving Izuku to start his assignment. Taking out a fresh notebook and his tablet, the Quirkless teen got to work by first assigning each student and teacher their own section. The principal had made sure to provide him a digital roster on his tablet to help him in his efforts.

Ten minutes before the bell rang for the end of the period, Nezu told him that he had a month to complete the assignment but also that he could submit his findings earlier as well. The chimera had already informed Yamada of the assignment and that when Izuku was not working on JSL he was to work on this. He also said that Izuku’s sessions with Hound Dog wouldn’t be as frequent as they were before the internships. But the teen would go to see him at least once a week and knew that Inui would most likely ask about Hosu. Which could be awkward for very specific reasons.

“What about Chizome-san?” Izuku asked hesitantly.

“Ah yes, he is quite pertinent to the events in Hosu as well as your past,” Nezu answered with a contemplating tone. “While we agreed to keep your connection to him a secret amongst those involved, it may be imperative to inform Inui-san of it as well. As your counselor and as a Pro Hero, he will keep your confidence. But only with your permission.”

Izuku sat there thinking for a moment before replying, “Yeah, uh, I think we should.”

“Very well,” Nezu said. “Would you like to inform him or shall I?”

“You can, sir,” Izuku answered, not sure he would be able to be as articulate as Nezu when explaining such a complicated topic. At least when first telling Inui about it.

“Then I shall do so,” the prinicipal affirmed. “Thank you, Midoriya-kun. I know this is a difficult situation for you, but with Inui-san knowing about it, it could be beneficial for you to talk about it with him. It could also help the other students involved to sort through their own feelings. I intend to have each of them attend a number of therapy sessions to ensure the stability of their mental health.”

With his permission given, Nezu finally released Izuku back to his usual schedule. Which for the greenet meant it was lunch time! The hallways were crowded with people who had that very same thought of food in mind. Izuku took advantage of such distraction to quickly weave his way through the crowd. He made it to the now empty 1-A classroom and dropped off his bag before heading out to meet his friends in the cafeteria.

However when he arrived there, the sight of a certain redhead hesitating at the entrance made him pause. Izuku tracked where he thought he saw Kirishima staring and found Bakugou surrounded by his other friends. And yet the hardening teen hadn’t joined them. Had fallen back in some way clearly not sure if he should approach or not. Izuku was confident he knew why Kirishima was hesitating.

Seemed it was time for that talk.

~~~

Eijirou, in a word, was conflicted. On one hand he liked having Bakugou as a friend. He was super manly and had a strong flashy Quirk. One that he was very adept at wielding and wanted to use to become a Hero. They had fought and trained together. Even survived a Villain attack together and Eijirou thought they had bonded during the Sports Festival. He might have even developed the start of a crush though it was too early to tell.

But on the other hand, it turned out that Bakugou had been a bully before UA and still was as far as he knew. It hadn’t taken much for Eijirou to connect the dots. When he had first met Midoriya in that park the day he had gotten lost, the Quirkless teen had told him none of the kids at his school liked him or his desire to be a Hero. Though it wasn’t until they had reunited on the first day of UA that he had learned Bakugou had been one of those people.

Midoriya said that Bakugou hated him. That he thought the other’s dream was impossible and had no sense of boundaries when it came to personal information. That was why the Quirkless teen had resorted to disguising himself. Hiding in plain sight in order to do the work he had been tasked in peace. It was almost a miracle that Midoriya had really managed it until the Sports Festival as he had planned. With a little help from his friends along the way, but apparently it still didn’t save him from a confrontation.

When Midoriya had gone out for that final match with no visible Support Items and a fresh bandage on his hand, Eijirou had been concerned for his friend. They hadn’t had much time to hang out since the redhead had been spending more time with Bakugou and the others. But he still very much considered Midoriya a friend. One who he was extremely proud of when the Quirkless teen was the one to stand on the first-place podium in the end.

However, not everyone was happy about that end result. Many declaring that a Quirkless Hero was impossible much like Bakugou had growing up. Apparently, he still held that belief and probably voiced it quite loudly and violently if he guessed right. The combination of Midoriya’s injury and the sudden announcement that Bakugou had been suspended for attacking another student was what did it. Leading him to believe that Bakugou was the one to attack Midoriya after losing against Shinsou resulting in the ‘malfunction’ of his gear.

No wonder Midoriya wanted to hide from him.

It left a sour feeling in his gut. That the boy who he had befriended had turned out to be a bully. The most unmanly thing you could be. Eijirou had done his best to stand up to bullies growing up. Though it didn't work out most of the time as his hardening Quirk had been weaker until he had finally been inspired by Midoriya's and Crimson Riot's words. But what should he do? A part of him still wanted to be friends with the explosive teen. Eijirou was able to see that his rage was a sort of mask to hide his other emotions. The hardened teen had thought Bakugou was more bark than bite, but he had been wrong.

Bakugou was just as much bark as bite. His tenacity and passion in training and the festival were proof of that. But even more so was the pieced together theory Eijirou had about what happened before Midoriya's final match. That Bakugou and Midoriya had fought somehow and the Quirkless boy's gadgets got destroyed. Three guesses how. Though he didn't know for sure what happened but knowing both teens he could easily guess who initiated the conflict.

But how could Bakugou be a bully? He wanted to be a Hero, right? Heroes aren't bullies. Heroes are meant to save people. That’s what Eijirou wanted to do. To be a Hero sworn to protect people just like Crimson Riot. The Chivalrous Hero was his idol and he aspired to be just like him. To embody a manly spirit of determination and courage even in the face of danger.

Midoriya had this spirit. Even when he hadn’t been in the Hero Course yet he had channeled that spirit on several occasions. It didn’t matter that he didn’t have a Quirk. It was his drive to fight and save people that pushed him towards his goal. It would be huge when he made it as the first Quirkless Hero. To Eijirou, it was obvious Midoriya was going to succeed. Like Crimson Riot said, ‘as long as a man’s got a chivalrous heart, his Quirk’s got nothing to do with it’. Or in this case, no Quirk at all.

But bullying was neither heroic or manly. No question about that and it should be enough to make up Eijirou's mind concerning the situation. And yet there was that other part of his mind that still wanted to keep hold of that friendship he had been working hard to develop. Not after they had bonded as battle partners during the Sports Festival.

But how could he be a friend with a bully? He hated bullies. They prayed on others to show their own supposed superiority. Hurting with either their actions, words, or both. It was as close to a Villain you could get in school. And Eijirou was going to be a Hero who protected others from people like that. Acting as a shield of justice.

So again, how could he be a friend with a bully? It would go against everything he stood for. Everything he had worked hard towards. Hell, Bakugou’s own actions went up against what he himself is fighting for. A bully who wanted to be a Hero. It was contradictory to be both. A Hero isn’t meant to use their power to belittle and antagonize others. That’s what Villains did. How could he be friends with someone who wanted to be a Hero but acted the Villain instead? Who held such potential to be a strong flashy Hero but was tainting it with unheroic acts?

Just…how?

Eijirou was not afraid to admit that he jumped when a voice suddenly said, "You see it too, right? His potential to be a Hero?"

Red eyes snapped to find Midoriya suddenly beside him. Green eyes glanced at him before looking out at the cafeteria. Eijirou followed his gaze and found it was the same place he had been staring at just a moment ago.

Eijirou let out a sigh as he said, “...yeah."

"Yeah, me too,” Midoriya replied with a sigh of his own. “Can be annoying at times even with all he's done.”

The greenet let out a sad chuckle at that.

“If you don’t mind saying, um, what exactly did he do?” Eijirou asked hesitantly.

The Quirkless teen took a moment to consider what to say. He hoped for the other to stay friends with Bakugou but he also felt that Eijirou deserved to know. Not everything but at least some extent of Bakugou’s bullying. Then he could make his own informed decision.

“He…we used to be friends when we were kids,” Midoriya replied. “But that changed when he got his Quirk and I never got mine. His, um, way of expressing himself intensified as we grew up. Over time, Kacchan became Katsuki, but after the festival…he’s Bakugou to me.”

Eijirou studied the greenet who was still looking out over the cafeteria. There was a sadness in his expression. A feeling of loss for a friendship that once was. One that had deteriorated for years to finally break now. Further conflicting his own feelings, but there was something he had to know.

“You were the one he was caught attacking, weren’t you?” Eijirou asked.

He was sure he was right in his assumption that was the case, but a small part of him hoped that he was wrong. However, a simple nod was enough to crush that small hope. It was true. Bakugou had attack Midoriya before the final match. Was responsible for the ‘malfunctions’ of the Quirkless boy’s Support Items and the injury to his hand. Red eyes glanced down to trace the scars that remained. The greenet noticed and brought his hand up to rub those scars with the other.

"He messed up but that doesn't mean he can't change,” Midoriya said earning a confused look from the redhead. “This may seem naive but I still see his potential to be a Hero. If he is willing to learn and change that is.”

Green eyes looked back out to where Bakugou was sitting with the other ‘extras’ that chose to sit with him. Though the blonde seemed more subdued than usual. Perhaps he already started to change even after just two weeks? Or perhaps that was just hopeful thinking on his part.

“But that will depend on him,” the greenet said turning back to his friend beside him. “On his choices and him wanting to change. All we can do is give him that chance. And to me, a part of that chance is not giving up on him.”

Eijirou stared in awe at this wonder of a boy in front of him. Is he saying what I think he’s saying?

“Acknowledging what he did, not letting it slide,” Midoriya continued, lowering his hands. “But also, not holding it against him if he does change. No one's perfect and we all make mistakes. But that's part of being human. Failing, learning, and trying to do better. Which is what Bakugou is starting to do now. But in order for him to succeed I believe it's essential that we support him in those efforts in any way we can.”

Green eyes turned back to the direction of the explosive blonde.

“For me, it's leaving him alone. But for you,” those same eyes turned to stunned red. “Someone he has gotten to know and has accepted even though he doesn't seem like it, I think it would be for the best if you stayed close.”

He is saying what I think he’s saying.

“Like I said before, he may not like me but if you want to be friends with him, please do,” Midoriya stressed. “Be his friend, because he needs that. Growing up he never really had a friend after he turned on me. Only followers. And even then, turns out he did all that he did to me because he didn't want me to get hurt following my 'impossible' dream. Convoluted and makes no sense but the sentiment is there deep deep down.”

This time red eyes look out towards the boy in question, shocked to hear that he became a bully because he ‘cared’ in some way. It was sort of a heroic motive but so messed up at the same time.

Convoluted indeed.

“So, if you want to be there for him, be his friend, then I fully support that decision,” Midoriya added, grabbing his attention once more. “Or not, it’s up to you because in the end it’s your choice to be his friend or not. I just wanted to let you know it was okay if you did. I of all people know how important having friendship is and you'll still be my friend either way.”

The greenet gave him a supporting smile which the redhead returned with a thankful one of his own. Though he was still unsure of what he wanted to do. Midoriya then patted his arm before turning away to get food only to pause and look back at Eijirou.

“Hey, um, Kirishima-kun?” the shorter teen asked, earning a hum from the other in response. “You can call you Izuku if you’d like.”

Another shocked expression sprang onto his face to the morph into a pleased smile as he replied, “Thanks, Izuku. You can call me Eijirou.”

With that, Izuku gave him one last beaming smile and a happy nod before walking away. Leaving Eijirou with a choice to make. To be or not to be Bakugou’s friend. That was the question. Red eyes tracked over to the explosive blonde he had made a mission to get to know. He thought he had started to figure Bakugou out but after this, he realized there was so much more to learn.

Bakugou was driven and clearly wanted to be a Hero more than anything. But he also was a bully using his words and Quirk to hurt someone else. However, judging by Izuku saying that he hadn’t really had any real friends growing up, it was possible he had never been told that bullying was wrong. That somehow, he had fused it in his brain that his bullying was actually to help rather than hurt. And no one had told him otherwise.

Until now that is.

His ‘followers’, or as Bakugou called them ‘extras’, had not helped him in the past. Potentially not the teachers either judging by how brazen he was with his words and Quirk in class. But clearly the teachers at UA were not having it. Whatever happened during that confrontation, it was stopped and addressed with much deserved punishment. Suspension at the very least and Eijirou figured there was more. Especially with Aizawa involved. He was one for harsh punishment for even not showing enough potential for the Hero Course.

Getting disciplined sucked but as Izuku said it was an opportunity to learn and change. Eijirou knew that progress would be slow with how stubborn Bakugou was, but he hoped his…friend would see it as a challenge. He was one to face any challenge head on with his fiery personality. Though this was one to his own character which could be degrading. But maybe if Eijirou talked to him he could get him to see this as the opportunity that it was.

He could at least try. It was what a Hero would do, right? What a friend would do? With that thought in mind, Eijirou steeled his resolve and decided he would try to be Bakugou’s friend. Try to help him become a better Hero and person in general. If he worked on being better and not a bully, there was hope. If not, if Bakugou refused to change his ways, then he might have to rethink if he wanted to stay his friend.

But the final answer to the question of their potential future friendship would only come with time and effort. For now, Eijirou would do what he has always done and try his very best. To live up to Crimson Riot’s words of chivalry and manliness in any way he could. And helping a friend was very manly. With his mind made up, Eijirou gave a resolved nod to himself before finally entering the cafeteria.

Notes:

Class 1-A is all back together again! Of course, we had to have that awkwardness with bringing up Stain. Then there's Bakugou showing back up but we'll get his side of things once I've written his pov.

Nezu now has Izuku's notes on Stain and his motivations! What he does with them we'll have to wait and see. ;) Along with Izuku's new assignment though that one might be more on the obvious side. To me anyway.

Then there's Kirishima and his internal battle. Sh-sh-shout out to maidengarnet, WinterCrow, anom, and akaoisora for their thoughts on Kirishima’s friendship with Bakugou. It definitely is a complicated issue with Bakugou being a bully and Kirishima hating bullies. But to me Kirishima seems the kind of guy who would try to help him become a better person. For reasons as mentioned in the chapter. Also in canon, Kirishima has a certain understanding of Bakugou's character and keeps pushing past his aggressive personality even though he gets disappointed with him at times when he refuses to work with others. Now it's not going to be easy and I'll do my best not to force anything, but I personally like having Kirishima be friends with Bakugou and hopefully build up to KiriBaku eventually. But only if it makes sense. That build up is going to be tied with Bakugou's progress in his therapy. So we'll have to see how it goes. :)

Oh and yay for Izuku and Eijirou getting on a first name basis! A level up in the two sunshine boys' friendship. ^____^ Really hoping to have more interactions with them now that they're in the same class.

That's all I've got for you this chapter! Again, a reminder that there will be a two-week break between updates this time around. Because Katsuki, your povs are just soooooo difficult, frustrating, and mentally taxing. Hope you understand and again thanks for your patience and for reading! See ya!

Chapter 46: Inner Turmoil

Notes:

And we're back! It's time to delve into what Katsuki has been up to in the story. I did manage to get at least a preliminary draft through his pov and it ended up being multiple chapters. This update we'll delve into the aftermath for the Bakugous after the meeting. So another rewind back to the day after the sports festival.

Now another announcement this week, I was offered a full time position at my job and I think I'm going to take it. Which means more hours at work and less free time to work on this fic. Now I am in no freaking way abandoning it, but I'll need more time to write. So I am changing the update schedule to every two weeks and see how that goes. It'll depend on how many buffer chapters I can write but I may update surprise chapters when I feel like it. But for now, it'll definitely be every two weeks. :) As to it staying as Tuesday updates, we'll see how my schedule changes and figure out what's best.

Another thing is comments. Please know that I love and adore every one of your comments. I read them all and have found inspiration from a lot of them. But I am so far behind on replying to comments. With how popular this fic has gotten I just don't have the time to reply to all of them. Sorry, but I still appreciate them very much! I'll answer those that I think need answering, but as for the rest, please know I love you and appreciate you reading and taking the time to comment. ^____^ You rock, dear readers. Stay awesome!

And now, let's take a look into the Bakugou household. Onward!

Warning for swearing because of Katsuki's potty mouth. Also brief mentions and hints of canon suicide baiting.

Linktree to all the things!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Two weeks of suspension was going to fucking suck. The stupid teachers took that useless Deku’s side and were forcing Katsuki to suffer through two weeks of crap. Starting with the rest of the day when that damn rat messed with things that didn’t concern him and condemned him to two weeks of hell. The car ride home that day seemed like the worst with the tense silence that filled the air, but each passing experience would just get worse and worse. Not to mention unexpected. This whole situation was just so weird.

It started with his parents when they got home. Katsuki expected his mother to yell at him and smack him as she had done countless times before whenever he got in trouble or too mouthy. But she didn’t. Instead, she gave him a hard disappointed look before walking away. His dad on the other hand reacted as he expected. A similar disappointed look to Mitsuki’s but not as pointed of one. It was more of a sad look that for some reason hurt him, but why he didn’t really know. However rather than face those feelings or their judgmental looks, Katsuki escaped to his room to brood alone.

His parents left him to himself for a while. Most likely to sort out their own thoughts about all they had learned. As for Katsuki, he passed the time laying on his bed absentmindedly lifting his arm weights just for something to do. It’s not like he had much else to do since his homework was done and there was nothing else he wanted to do in his room. He also didn’t have a TV in his room and his parents had removed his computer until they had attended the meeting. Guess that wasn’t coming back any time soon. Plus, his parents still had his phone so he couldn’t text his fr…extras. Yeah, extras. Katsuki didn’t have, want, or need friends.

He would admit that his classmates were strong however. Much more than the ones he had before UA. Those extras had been weaklings who had followed him around just to be close to the future Number One Hero. None of them had ever been his friends which was fine with him because he didn’t need any. The only one he had ever had was Deku and even that was because of their moms. That and the fact that they lived near each other. Friendship through proximity as many childhood friends are.

‘And a shared passion for Heroics.’

Whatever.

But these new extras…well he hated to admit it but they were more than just background characters. More like side characters in the story of his life. Proving their strength enough for him to even bother giving them nicknames. If not, he wouldn’t have wasted energy because to him if you weren’t strong, you weren’t worth his time. Even then, only two had proven further that they were worthy of him remembering their name.

Kirishima was strong. Though he was more of a shield than a weapon like Katsuki was, he was still strong. The blonde begrudgingly agreed that they kind of sort of worked well together. The redhead had jumped forward with him to confront that misty fucker at the USJ. He also willingly followed Katsuki’s lead through the rest of the attack. Then there was the Sports Festival.

Katsuki had sworn to win first place but that didn’t fucking happen. Shitty Deku and his cheating ways. He didn’t care what that damn rat of a principal said. Deku was the cheater, not Katsuki. The festival was supposed to be a test of strength of Quirks. That Quirkless bug had no right to even attend such an event let alone UA. He could not become a Hero. He just couldn’t.

‘And yet he’s being transferred to the Hero Course. Just like the Pro Hero Eraserhead had.’

Shut up.

That had to be a lie. There was just no way that could happen. There was only one way into the Hero Course which was the practical exam. Well, actually there was another way in and that was on recommendation. Like Icy Hot and that ponytailed 3D Printer girl. But they were both from the elite class with the backing of Pro Heroes. Of course they would be recommended. It kept them from having to face Katsuki in the practical. A shame really. He would have blown them away like all those robots he had exploded.

‘Are you sure? That’s not what happened in the Sports Festival.’

Shut. Up.

The practical and recommendation, those were the only ways in. Yet his hobo of a homeroom teacher insisted that transferring was a thing. That it was possible and was happening for Deku and his shitty friend. Katsuki still wanted to blast that Mindfucker for messing up his plan to be number one in the festival. That Quirk was such a fucking cheat.

‘But it would be useful in a Villain fight.’

Fuck off.

Katsuki did not want to admit that stupid inner voice was right. Because that would mean he would have to admit that he had been beaten. That he had lost. To a fucking mental Quirk at that. Not some strong physical Quirk like Half-And-Half. No, he got fucking brainwashed and lost. Gods fucking damn it.

Despite stupidly losing and ending in third, or mentally fourth for him, Katsuki knew he had gone all out for the festival. Had chased alongside Icy Hot only to lose first place by seconds. Had done all he could during the Cavalry Battle only to scrape by in third. Had fought tooth and nail through the one-on-one matches only to not fulfill his student pledge.

Fuck. That day had not gone as he had thought it would. Not. At. All.

But there wasn’t anything he could do to change what happened. He had fought his hardest to prove he was the best and it wasn’t fucking enough. Katsuki hated losing and swore that he would work harder so that next time he wasn’t so weak. Then he would show all those fucking extras that he, Bakugou Katsuki, was the strongest and would be the undeniable best damn Number One Hero. He just had to work harder.

While Katsuki only saw weakness in his failure to claim first place, he did recognize the strength of those who managed to place lower than him. Namely those two of his classmates who had earned his attention. Kirishima for his strength of spirit when he had asked with determination to join Katsuki into battle for the ten million points. Acting as the perf…adequate front horse and their shield for the match. Even in their one-on-one fight Kirishima had lasted a long time though he ran out of energy eventually. Just as Katsuki had predicted him to because Quirks were physical abilities that needed energy to work.

So yes, even though the redhead had lost to him in the end, Kirishima was worthy to be recognized as more than an extra. But there was another who also earned that recognition. One who had managed to surprise him with a strategy he did not foresee. He had still been able to counter that attack though it had put a lot of strain on his arm. But despite the crowd being fucking idiots, there was one thing that Katsuki knew and had confirmed in his mind after their fight.

Uraraka was strong.

He had already known this of course from observing her in training. It was enough for her to be worthy of a nickname, but their fight during the festival was different. Uraraka had outlasted him longer than he had expected. Hell, she had even outsmarted him with those decoys and whatnot. Not enough to beat him but enough to keep the fight going. And she had never backed down from his challenge even though he had given her an out.

Uraraka had faced him head on and kept the fight going no matter what. Had fought tooth and nail much like he had until she just couldn’t fight anymore. It was a shame that she lost because of her own body giving out on her even though her mind still wanted to fight. But Katsuki could respect her resolve to keep going until she physically couldn’t anymore. He may not have ended the fight with a physical take down, but all her hard effort during their match made him feel satisfied with his win.

That however had not been the case with that damn Mindfucker. He didn’t win by physical strength and spent the whole fight dodging only managing to land one hit on him. That was one too many in Katsuki’s opinion. He was the strongest and he was the one to land hits on the other. Not the other way around.

The only reason why that Troll Doll won was because he had taken away Katsuki’s ability to fight. Had called Deku a Hero and Katsuki a Villain, riling him up just enough to respond to his lies. The blonde had wanted to beat the truth into him but had found he suddenly couldn’t. The world had gone fuzzy and he couldn’t move a muscle. The only thing he had control of was his anger but it just wasn’t enough to break the other’s control.

It was infuriating that Katsuki lost to someone physically weaker than him.

But now he had lost even more. Not just the Sports Festival to that Mindfucker but ultimately to fucking Deku as well. And that shitty nerd just had to squeal forcing Katsuki into a position he had never been in before. One of someone getting punished for something he had never been punished for before. It just didn’t make sense.

You were the one to attack him.’

So what? So what he had been the one to attack Deku? Wouldn’t be the first time though it had been a while since he had done so physically. The shitty nerd had learned to fight back eventually and that was something Katsuki could acknowledge as some sort of effort. Didn’t mean he could be a Hero just because he could defend himself though. School yard fights were one thing while Hero fights were on a whole other level. That Quirkless idiot would die in a second in a real fight.

‘And yet he won the Sports Festival.’

Still a school fight.

‘A Hero school fight.’

Shut up!

So what Deku won? That didn’t mean a damn thing. Not to Katsuki anyway. Just because he won didn’t change the fact that he didn’t have a Quirk. No Quirk, no Hero. That’s it. That was what he had been taught growing up. The stronger the Quirk, the stronger the Hero. Meaning that Katsuki and his strong Quirk would be a Hero while Deku and his lack of one could not. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.

‘That’s not what the teachers, the Pro Heroes, believe.’

Shut the fuck up!

Fine. Let the idiot teachers transfer Deku to the Hero Course. Then they’ll feel so fucking stupid when Katsuki was proven right. That Deku didn’t have what it took to be a Hero. He would fail and finally learn that he couldn’t be a Hero. The teachers would learn they were wrong and he had been right. Then they would kick that Quirkless nobody out of the Hero Course and subsequently out of his story of how Katsuki became the Number One Hero. As he should have been when the explosive teen had demanded he not apply to UA.

If only Deku had accepted his fate back then, then Katsuki wouldn’t be here. Fuming in his room after a terrible meeting with that rat bastard. Suspended for two weeks? Fucking great. At least they would still let him train and stuff. But it was infuriating that he had been banned in participating in the internships. That was the whole point of the festival. Fight for the top and get recruited by the best.

If he had been able to, Katsuki would have gone with the highest-ranking Hero he received an offer from. But he couldn’t. No offers, no internship, no foot in the door. Nothing. And it was all Deku’s fault. Katsuki didn’t care what the principal said, Deku was responsible for all of this. If he hadn’t blabbed about their business to the teachers, none of this would have happened.

‘Are you sure about that? You were the one to attack him.’

Of course he was sure. It hadn’t been the first time nor the last. It was just how he did things. It was normal.

‘But is it normal?’

It had to be normal. No one had called him out on it before.

‘Someone is now.

That was the part Katsuki didn’t understand. Why did they care now? None of his past teachers had cared about the Quirkless loser. Had even shared his views that a Quirkless Hero was impossible. But now, the teachers did care. These Pro Heroes, who were teaching the next generation of Heroes, for some fucking reason saw potential in the shitty nerd.

But why?

Deku was Quirkless. That should be explanation enough but it wasn’t. UA saw something in Deku by accepting him into their school though it was just the shitty Support Course. The fact that the nerd had been accepted at all was annoying and tainted Katsuki’s own story, but at least it wasn’t to the Hero Course. But his own homeroom teacher, the hobo man with a stick up his ass who expelled two people on the first day for not having enough potential, for some fucking reason saw it in the useless Quirkless Deku.

And not just him. Fucking Nezu, the rat but a fucking smart rat, considered Deku’s stalker notebooks as valuable. Not as creepy or pointless as Katsuki thought they were, but as something useful and to treasure and nurture. Yeah right. What good could a bunch of scribbles do? They were just words on a page in a shitty notebook. One of which he himself had exploded and tossed out a window. They couldn’t possibly serve any other purpose than to let Deku vent about something he would never have.

Fine, whatever. Let the teacher raise the shitty nerd’s hopes and make themselves look like fools doing so. Katsuki would savor the moment when they realize they were dead wrong.

‘Even if he ended up dead?’

The thought made him pause in mid lift before slowly lowering his arm. What if Deku died in pursuit of his impossible dream? Katsuki didn’t want him to die. That was the whole fucking point of why he had been trying to convince the Quirkless fucker all this time. Deku couldn’t be a Hero without a Quirk. He would wind up fighting against a Villain who would overpower him and he would fucking die.

Kastuki didn’t want him to die.

‘What will you do?’

Fuck if he knew. What could he do? He was suspended for two weeks, banned from internships, and was ordered to stay away from the shitty nerd and his stupid friend. Hell, he had been forbidden from calling Deku by the same nickname he had called him since they were four. Out loud anyway. It’s not like they could control his thoughts.

‘Well, maybe one could.’

Katsuki scowled being reminded of that Mindfucker. How could he have been so weak to give an answer to that guy’s taunting questions? Or was it just talking? He hadn’t actually asked him anything when he had finally taken control. Katsuki would have to really watch his mouth around that extra. He refused to lose to that guy again.

But that wasn’t something he could do anything about now. Not for the next two weeks. No, he was fucking suspended. The blonde rolled his eyes at the concept because that’s all it was right now. A concept. Katsuki had never been punished for how he treated Deku. Had never faced any sort of negative consequence for his actions. So really, he had no idea what to expect for the next two weeks.

Dinner that night was awkward. Typically, it was a time filled with bickering between mother and son with calming comments from the father as they talked about their days. But now it was an empty void of silence. Only the sounds of them eating filled the air.

Katsuki refused to look at his parents as he ate. Mitsuki would cast troubled looks at her son periodically through the meal. Her expression shifting from sad for what happened to Izuku to angry for what Katsuki had done to distraught for her own part in this ordeal. Causing her to look guiltily away only to glance once more at the child she had brought into this world. The child she had let down by her own actions.

Masaru watched all this somberly and silently in his own seat. He loved his family. Sure, they were more on the energetic side than he was, but Masaru found it fondly entertaining. Well, most of it. But after the principal had brought up that Katsuki’s behavior possibly being a learned one from his mother, it brought their family dynamic into a whole new light.

It would have to be something they talk about of course, but not now. Tensions and emotions were high and he knew his wife and son needed time to calm down. That’s how it always was with them. For now, they would let things settle with this new reality. One where his son had become a bully and had antagonized their kind nephew Izuku. It was a hard pill to swallow but now that they knew of the problem, they would do everything in their power to help make things better.

They did nothing more that night as the Bakugous retreated to their respective rooms. Katsuki just wanted to go the fuck to sleep and hopefully would wake up from this weird ass nightmare. One about a world that gave a damn about Deku and turned against the explosive teen. While Masaru held Mitsuki close assuring her with soft words that she was a good mother while she wept into his embrace. Their family had a crack in it after such a devastating reveal, but it wasn’t entirely broken. There was still a chance to repair what was left of their family and hopefully they could help their son.

The next morning Katsuki woke up to his alarm and was about to go about his usual morning routine only to remember that he had the day off. The Sports Festival was held on the weekend and so school was off on Monday to compensate. Which was fine with the blonde teen as he slumped back into his bed. One less day dealing with the stupid extras at school and time for him to continue his own personal training.

‘Why? You won’t be doing any real Hero work any time soon. Not even internships.’

Fuck.

Was his inner voice right? Was he really not going to have an internship? Was the meeting yesterday real? Was he still in a world that fucking cared for Deku and shat on Katsuki as if he wasn’t the future Number One Hero? Was he really fucking suspended?

A knock on his door broke him from his questions. Red eyes glared as the door opened only for them to ever so slightly calm at the sight of his dad. Masaru quietly entered his room and closed the door behind him before sitting on the edge of his son’s bed. Katsuki watched his father’s actions for a moment before turning his gaze to his ceiling. He said nothing to acknowledge the man even as he felt his presence as he sat down.

“Katsuki, we need to talk,” Masaru said, breaking the silence. The teen clicked his tongue in irritation but said nothing, drawing a sigh from the man. “I know you don’t want to, but we need to talk about this.”

“Why?” Katsuki scoffed. “Gonna take the shitty nerd’s side anyway, right? Just like my stupid teachers.”

“I’m not taking anyone’s side,” he answered. “I only want to help you.”

“Help me?” the son snapped as he shot up to look his dad in the eye. “How is all that bullshit yesterday supposed to help me? I’m fucking suspended for two shitty weeks and can’t go on my internship. How in the hell is this helping me become the best Hero?!”

Katsuki glared at his dad as he gritted his teeth in frustration. He so wanted to explode something right now but figured he was in enough trouble as it is. Instead, he just sat there seething at his father who had that same sad disappointed look. The one that hurt him but he didn’t know why.

Masaru took a steadying breath before replying, “Attacking someone is not how you become a Hero, Katsuki. A Hero is there to save and protect people, not to use their power to…intimidate others.”

The teen’s brows furrowed in confusion as he retorted, “Yes, they do. That’s what fighting Villains is all about. The stronger Quirk wins.”

“Against a threat, maybe,” the father conceded with a brief nod. “But how was Izuku a threat to you? He was your friend, Katsuki.”

“Deku’s not a threat to me,” Katsuki sneered, though he did scowl when his dad gave him a pointed look at using the shitty nerd’s nickname. “I’m going to be the Number One Hero no matter what. De…the nerd’s a threat to himself.”

“Because he’s Quirkless?” Masaru asked though he already knew that was the case without the responding nod. “Katsuki, just because Izuku is Quirkless doesn’t make him helpless. His performance during the Sports Festival proves that.”

“D…he only won because of his stupid gear,” Katsuki countered as he folded his arms. “He wouldn’t have been able to do shit without them.”

It was a truth to the teen. Deku had relied on his shitty inventions for every step of the way. Katsuki hadn’t seen it himself during the Obstacle Course since his focus was on first place. But the screechings of the banana haired man mentioned the shitty nerd and his stupid friend Dreadlocks. Heard that the idiot had even wasted time to help others when he could have been aiming for the top like Katsuki did.

‘But you didn’t come out on top.’

I fucking know that.

Second. Shitty second. Gods damn that Half-and-Half bastard for stealing first from him. Him! The future Number One Hero! It was bad enough that Katsuki had to attended the same school as Deku. Tainting his backstory with his existence. Then IcyHot had to fuck it up more by making Katsuki a liar that he was going to win. But it had only been the first round, he had time to come out on top.

For the second round, Katsuki hadn’t paid much mind to the shitty nerd during the Cavalry Battle. Though he had been annoyed to see Birdbrain and Pink Cheeks teaming up with him and Dreadlocks. How desperate could you be to want that? Instead, he had focused on the goal of chasing down IcyHot and taking the ten million points that were rightfully his.

Except he had never gotten them. That fucking Copycat stole his points and made him waste his time fighting to take them back. At least his extras worked with him enough to scrape by in shitty third place. But they had failed to claim first place. He had failed. Again. While the annoying commentators yammered about Deku’s supposed ‘plan’ since the beginning of the festival. How the hell was helping your opponents in the middle of a competition a plan to win?

‘Or was it a plan to be a Hero?’

Fuck off. Deku can’t be a Hero.

‘But he will be now that he’s in the Hero Course.’

Shut up!

There’s just no way Deku could be a Hero. He was a useless Quirkless nobody with no natural strength. Lacking the advantage that Katsuki and others with strong Heroic Quirks had. He could never be the best, never be the Number One Hero. Not like Katsuki would be. Deku would just be a low ranking nobody who would eventually get into more trouble than he could handle and end up hurt or worse dead.

Katsuki didn’t want Deku to die.

He knew the Quirkless freak was reckless. Deku didn’t understand that he couldn’t be a Hero without a Quirk. It was a death wish was what it was. The Quirkless fucker would get in over his head and would die. Being a Hero was dangerous enough with a strong Quirk. Having no Quirk at all was even worse. Why didn’t the shitty nerd understand that? Why didn’t he realize that he could never be a Hero when he never manifested a Quirk? Why did he have to get a stupid extra toe joint instead and ruin everything? Why did Deku have to be such a…such a Deku? Useless, Quirkless Deku.

‘But is he really as useless as you think? He did win the Sports Festival without a Quirk.’

So fucking what?! He only won because of his shit gear. Take that away and what could he do? Yes, he could defend himself and yes, he had beaten that Mindfucker somehow. Katsuki had finally managed to watch highlights of the final match the night of the festival and before that meeting with the rat bastard. It was annoying to see the shitty nerd actually showing some skills in fighting back. But red eyes couldn’t help notice Deku constantly reaching into his pocket throughout the entire match.

Another stupid invention perhaps? Probably since the Quirkless fucker couldn’t do jack shit by himself. Always needing help from outside of himself and never able to rely on his own power alone. What the hell was he going to do when he had nothing? When he was vulnerable and helpless with nothing else to rely one? No Support gear and no Quirk.

Powerless. Useless. Quirkless.

Katsuki could sense his inner voice wanting to protest again but he verbally spoke over it and said, “The nerd can’t be a Hero because he doesn’t have a Quirk. The best and strongest Heroes have the best and strongest Quirks. He doesn’t have one at all and so has nothing to defend himself with when he doesn’t have any of his shitty gear.”

Red eyes looked up into the calm brown of his dad’s. Masaru had been sitting quietly letting his son work through his thoughts has he had on many different occasions before. He knew his child needed to do that in order to make sense of things. Mitsuki was much the same way or else she would snap if pressed too quickly. Like mother, like son.

“De…fuck, the nerd is going to get himself killed, dad,” Katsuki continued, trying to will his truth to be heard. “Hero work is too dangerous without a Quirk. You and the Old Hag talked about it and Auntie…she never thought he could be a Hero. Fuck, even that weirdo Hisashi didn’t care for his obsession of being one. We all knew he couldn’t be a Hero but De…he never has.”

Masaru gazed into his son’s determined eyes and saw just how much he believed that. Brown eyes cast down in shame at having unintentionally helped such a twisted thought. Yes, they had been concerned for Izuku’s safety. Being a Hero without a Quirk would definitely be more dangerous than with one. But he was sure that Mitsuki and he had never outright said that a Quirkless Hero was impossible.

However, it was common knowledge amongst them that Inko hadn’t believed in her son’s dream. Masaru remembered when she had called them in tears to give them the news of Izuku’s Quirk status all those years ago. She had been devastated for her child and mourned from the start for the Quirk he would never get. They had done their best to comfort Inko and be supportive to Izuku in any small way. A kind word here, a gentle touch there. A softer interaction than they had with their own child.

But the two boys were so different. Izuku was a ball of sunshine and kind of heart. While Katsuki was a spitfire just like his mother. One faced the world with a hopeful smile while the other a fierce grin. Both aimed to be Heroes but had deferring beliefs as to what a Hero was.

Izuku had always been a helpful boy. Willing to help with chores or helping random people on the streets. The neighborhood had loved the little green haired boy who ran around helping anyone he could. However, that love had dimmed after it came out that Izuku was Quirkless. Thankfully no one had been outright mean to the child growing up or at least as far as Masaru knew. And there had still been some who would accept his help but the rest became disinterested in interacting with him. But despite that, Izuku had always pursued his desire to help people as a Hero should and finally his efforts were paying off now that he was being transferred.

Katsuki on the other hand…he did want to help but his idea of helping was different than Izuku’s. They both had looked up to All Might growing up. Izuku for his reassuring smile and helping whenever and where ever he could. Katsuki for the Symbol of Peace’s strength to take down the strongest Villains. Masaru had heard his son boast about how he was going to be the best and become the future Number One Hero many times as he grew up. A good goal to have but he hadn’t known that in Katsuki’s pursuit to be strong, he had turned his own power on someone he saw as ‘weak’.

It hurt his kind natured heart that his son had become a bully. Masaru hadn’t experienced much bullying himself as he tended to blend into the background. It had been a surprise to him when Mitsuki had pursued him of all people. She was like the bright and fiery sun while he was like the cool and calm moon. Polar opposites that somehow had managed to meet.

Katsuki and Izuku were like that as well. His son was so much like his mother. Hotheaded with a personality just as explosive as his Quirk. While his nephew took after his own mother. Inko and Izuku were kind almost to a fault, but they also both possessed the Midoriya level of determination and backbone to stick up for what they believed in. It was these qualities that made Izuku well suited to be a Hero.

But Katsuki didn’t see that. He was so focused on the fact that Izuku was Quirkless. Not on his morals, goals, skills, or convictions. Only that he did not possess a Quirk leading his son to believe that no Quirk meant being a Hero was impossible. Which unfortunately made sense with his admiration of All Might for his Quirked strength. Katsuki believed that the supposed strength of one’s Quirk determined their Heroic potential.

It saddened him that his son thought such a thing. It also pained him that he hadn’t noticed Katsuki’s bullying tendencies before. But now that he thought back, his son had become harsher after his Quirk came in and Izuku’s didn’t. Brash words and no hesitation to set off explosions whenever he liked. They had set him up with a training center to practice his Quirk safely with Quirk counselors and trainers on hand. But they hadn’t known that he had been getting practice outside of the center or their home.

Damn those schools. Masaru hated to curse but he was so angry with his son’s past teachers and peers. After an early morning discussion, Mitsuki and he agreed that they would do anything they could to help Nezu with his investigation into Katsuki’s school records. Because obviously they were inaccurate and did not truly reflect their son’s school and social performance. They loved their child, of course they did, but Katsuki had been acting out for who knows how long and the teachers had done nothing. Didn’t try to correct it in school or even call his parents to let them know something was wrong. Instead, they swept it all under the rug and let their son become a bully.

It would hurt to see the full extent of Katsuki’s actions outside of their watch. There was only so much they could have done without knowing the truth. Katsuki said nothing nor did Izuku or their teachers. No one said anything so there was no way for them to know. In hindsight there were signs but there was nothing they could do about the past. All they could do was address the past issues in the present and work hard to address them in order to create a better future.

“While I understand you acted as you did because of your concern for Izuku,” Masaru spoke up. “But bullying is not okay, son. What you did to Izuku…what you said…it wasn’t right, Katsuki.”

The young blonde stared confused at his dad who looked at him with sad disappointment. It hurt. That look hurt and he didn’t understand. Why was his dad telling him this now? Why hadn’t he said anything before? Katsuki thought his parents understood and agreed with him. Not that he had ever talked with them about it. And Deku hadn’t ever brought it up to any of their parents which suited Katsuki just fine because that was something between them.

But not anymore. Before it had been him and Deku. Sure, the teachers and the extras had agreed with him. Had enforced his belief that he was right and Deku was wrong, joining him in trying to teach the Quirkless idiot a lesson. But now there were people who believed in Deku. The teachers, Inko, his parents…they were all telling Katsuki he had been wrong all these years. He just didn’t get it.

“I know you don’t understand that right now,” Masaru said with a sigh. “But we’ll do our best to help you. Your mother and I…we’re here for you, son. We love you and will support you in any way we can.”

Katsuki rolled his eyes at that. He didn’t need help. He was fine the way he was. Let them try to change him into something he’s not. Katsuki was strong and brash. Hard words and quick actions. His short fuse of a temper was a reflection of his Quirk. Always quick to explode in anger at anything that challenged his superiority. Because Katsuki was the best. Always had been, always will be. This was just a…minor setback to his path to be the Number One Hero.

“Yeah, right,” Katsuki replied with an annoyed huff as he crossed his arms. “You maybe, but the Old Hag has always cared more about De…the nerd more than me.”

A sharp wet gasp came from outside his room revealing the Old Hag had been fucking eavesdropping. The father and son turned to the door as it opened and a crying Mitsuki stood in the door way. It was so weird. The Old Hag wasn’t someone who cried. She was like Katsuki quick to yell and enforce her words with physical actions. A whack on the head or whatever. But crying…that was something he had never really seen his mother do. Not in front of him anyway.

“Y-you think I don’t…care about you?” Mitsuki asked, the usually strong self-assured woman looking so vulnerable.

The teen scowled as he said, “Not as much as Deku. Being all soft and shit. You never smacked him around like you do with me.”

The mother whimpered at his words thinking that she was such a bad mother for her own child to think that. She loved her son, really she did. She loved Izuku too, but she showed her love in different ways. Izuku was like Inko needing a more doting love. But Katsuki was like her. He didn’t need mushy love. Even though they bickered all the time, for her it was just one of the ways they showed affection. Any of the physical interactions they traded had just been another way of they communicated their feelings.

But it was now glaringly apparent that Katsuki had taken the way they interacted and imposed it on how he was with everyone. Mitsuki had her own short temper and was always said to have a strong personality, but she also knew when to be calm and collected. Private moments with her husband. Spending time with the Midoriyas. At work when people weren’t being idiots or were clearly having a rough day. It was a fine balance for sure but she had learned to keep that balance over time.

That was what Katsuki needed to learn but he hadn’t been learning it from her as he should have. Because Mitsuki had always approached her son with an equally fiery personality while Masaru was the one to bring calm to their family. It was her fault, at least partially, that he turned out like this. She was a terrible mother. Her own child didn’t believe she cared much for him and that she cared for another child more than him. It hurt…it hurt so much.

Not knowing what to say or do, all Mitsuki could do was let out a wet ‘I’m sorry’ before bolting to cry alone in their shared room. Katsuki stared after her in confusion while Masaru watched her go solemnly. He knew she was blaming herself and he would talk to her about it soon. But first he needed to address his son before going to comfort his wife.

“Mitsuki does love and care for you, Katsuki,” Masaru insisted, though he could see his son didn’t believe him. “We both do and we’re here for you. It may not seem like it now but we do care, son. The teachers at UA do as well. All of this is to help you.”

The teen scoffed in disbelief causing the man to sigh sadly.

“I agree with the punishments Principal Nezu gave, but Mitsuki and I have our own,” the father said, earning a grimace from his son. “We’re still discussing it, but for now you are grounded. No phone, no TV, no video games, and we’ll be monitoring your computer use. Those are privileges, not rights. You’ll have to earn them back. Understood?”

Katsuki ground his teeth in frustration before forcing out a disgruntled, “…yes.”

Masaru simply nodded in reply. He stood up to leave his son to his thoughts and closed the door behind him. The brunet then headed for their bedroom to comfort the crying mother of their child. Their family was small and hurting in this trying time. But they would be okay eventually as long as all of them were willing to put in the effort to work towards that goal. Mitsuki and Masaru were, so it was up to Katsuki if he was as well. That was all they could do for now. Try and hope for the best.

Notes:

So. Much. Angst. And conflicted feelings. This trend continues throughout Katsuki's suspension. So if you're a fan of angst, you've got it. Katsuki is being confronted and told that all he had believed was wrong. It's going to be confusing and he is going to resist. But I'm hoping in time to work him up to at least accepting he had messed up without making excuses. Yet another slow burn for ya. ;D Oh and someone had commented that they missed the use of Kacchan in this fic? It will come back but only when Katsuki has earned it. Patience, dear readers. All in due time.

Sh-sh-shout out to Remember123 for suggesting including Katsuki's reaction to Mitsuki crying. It was really interesting exploring Mitsuki's and Masaru's headspace for this. Their family is a mess right now, but in time it'll get better. Not back to the way it was, but a healthier balance.

Alright, no fun facts this chapter because I didn't want to keep you waiting for this update. Next update we'll start getting into Katsuki's suspension. Classes, training, therapy. Oh my. And of course conflicted feelings, confusion, and denial. Oh what fun it is to explore the explosive hothead headspace. Anyway, thanks for reading! Oh and typos/weirdness, you know the drill. ;) Bye bye!

Chapter 47: Irate Confusion

Notes:

And we're back! We've got the start of Katsuki's suspension this update. His pov was super hard to write but I'm pretty happy with how this turned out. ^______^ So I hope you like it too!

Warning for swearing because Katsuki. Also there are references to canon suicide baiting as well as mention of suicide rates in regards to the Quirkless population. But nothing explicit, just mentions.

Linktree to all the things!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Tuesday morning brought the official start of his in-school suspension. Breakfast was just as awkward and Katsuki pointedly ignored the sad looks from both his parents. Just ate his food, grabbed his stuff, and trudged his way to school. The unnatural quiet that had fallen over their home was unnerving and he needed to just get out of there. His life had become so freaking weird all of a sudden but at least the walk to school was normal. Though it was at an earlier hour than he usually went as told after the meeting.

When he arrived at UA, of fucking course it was his hobo homeroom teacher who was to collect him at the gate. Who else but stick-up-his-ass man? At least it wasn’t their annoying loud mouth English teacher. Without a word, Aizawa turned and walked onto campus with Katsuki following begrudgingly behind. The tired man led the troubled teen through the hallways to an empty classroom. He instructed his student where to sit and waited long enough until another teacher came to supervise him.

Classes were fucking boring as shit. Also being the only student was super weird. The lack of noise from the extras was making him hyper focused on the silence picking up any sudden sound. It was distracting. Being the sole focus of his teachers was also unnerving. Katsuki was fine with being the center of attention typically but not this kind. He would catch judgmental looks from time to time only for the teachers to quickly school their features to something more professional. It was super fucking irritating.

Lunch was also bored. No extras chattering next to him filling the air with noise. But also the food was fucking bland as shit. Katsuki preferred spicy food, the hotter the better. Super spicy curries, extra wasabi with his sushi, tons of shichimi spice in his soups, as much karashi mustard he could get mixed in with his natto, and so on. But as if added punishment on top of everything else, his lunches were devoid of spicy heat. Just basic grilled fish with rice and miso soup. So fucking boring.

After lunch, he was allowed to train in one of the gyms but only under the annoying eye of one of the teachers. Not that it wasn’t that unusual to have a teacher present for training. But being the sole focus and having his every move watched was irritating beyond belief. At least the physical training allowed him to let off steam and channel his anger into his explosions. The releasing of such power felt good and reassured him that he was strong. That he was the best.

With the last period of the school day, Katsuki expected the worst. Why? Because that was when he was being forced to meet up with Hound Dog to talk about his feelings. Katsuki didn’t do feelings. Not the mushy kind anyway. Deku was the one who was an emotionally squishy mess, allowing himself to be soft and weak. But Katsuki refused to be weak and his anger made him strong. It was a big part of what fueled him in his fights. No way was he going to let them try and take that anger away. It was going to be what helps him become the Number One Hero after all.

There was also the fact that anger was a big part of who Katsuki was as a person. He was brash and loud, throwing insults and swear words with ease. Take that anger away and what would that leave behind? Katsuki was not a nice person nor would he ever be. It was impossible. And it royally pissed him off that the stupid teachers wanted him to change who he was just because they took Deku’s side in all this bullshit. Katsuki refused to force himself to become something he’s not.

The explosive teen expected many things about his shitty therapy. That it would suck. That it would be all soft and mushy and gross. That he would be forced to talk about his feelings and other stupid shit. It had been like that after the USJ attack. Everyone who had been there were made to attend a few counseling sessions after the incident. With so many students involved, UA had brought in outside help to work through them in an efficient manner rather than overworking the school counselor.

The stupid shrink that Katsuki ended up with had tried being soft with him and it had been sickening. The blonde had gritted his teeth through it all and survived those shitty sessions. Giving terse answers to the feelings lover’s idiotic questions. It had been like pulling teeth for both of them and by the end both were glad it was over. The shrink stamped their approval and sent Katsuki on his way.

He had been just fine afterwards. Sure, he had a nightmare now and then about the attack but they weren’t anything he couldn’t handle. Nothing like a blanket of anger to cover up any feelings of inadequacy. Though that sour feeling in his gut after each one was irritating. It was just like the one he had felt around Deku sometimes. Like when he had called him Katsuki instead of Kacchan like he had since they were kids and then again when he had been demoted to Bakugou. He still didn’t know what that feeling was but it was fucking annoying and he wished it would go away.

So yeah, Katsuki expected his stupid forced therapy to be irritating as fuck. From the shrink to the talking to the ultimate pointlessness of it all. He hadn’t even started and he was already done with it all. With that attitude, the explosive teen had trudged behind the teacher who escorted him to his mental doom. This was going to be such a pain.

The first unexpected thing was the shrink. Katsuki had never met the official UA school counselor before and he was certainly not expecting this. Hound Dog was tall, intimidating, and not at all soft looking. Nothing like that other shithead he had been forced to talk to. No, this guy was strong and fierce. But no matter how much of a badass he seemed, that didn’t mean Katsuki liked him or anything. He was still going to force the teen to talk and change into something he’s not.

Except…that’s not what Hound Dog did. Nothing that the mutt did was what he had expected. The lack of softness not so much just from seeing the man. He was known for his gruff personality and for losing the ability to use human speech when angry. But Katsuki had not expected him to laugh when he called him a mutt to his face. Instead, the dog man took the insult in stride and simply began their session.

It was annoying though not as annoying as he thought it would be. They talked but not in the way Katsuki had expected. His accusations that they wanted him to be something he wasn’t were met with assurances that wasn’t why they were there. That Hound Dog wasn’t there to change him but to help him. Nor was he going to force the teen to talk about his feelings or anything he didn’t want to. That the shrink was there to support and guide him but that it was Katsuki who was in control of what he wanted to share.

The therapy dog also insisted that they weren’t going to force him to change who he was. That he could be brash and still be a Hero. Hound Dog used himself as an example as well as the Rabbit Hero Miruko. They were both Pro Heroes with bold personalities and brazen attitudes. Being brash didn’t stop them from being Heroes and it wouldn’t stop Katsuki either. However, Hound Dog made a point to say that there was a difference between being brash and abusive. That an aggressive personality wasn’t anything bad as long as it wasn’t used as an excuse to cause harm to others.

Katsuki couldn’t help but think of Endeavor at that. He was strong and fierce, enough to make him the Number Two Hero, but he was also abusive to his own kid. Katsuki had not expected to overhear what went on in the Todoroki household when he had eavesdropped on Deku and IcyHot. That shit was fucked up on so many levels which was why he did not at all like being compared to the flaming jackass by the Quirkless loser. He wasn’t abusive like that jerkwad was…right?

He was just trying to get the shitty nerd to understand. That Deku couldn’t be a Hero without a Quirk because if he tried, he would surely die. That was what Katsuki believed. That Deku was defenseless against a world filled with dangerous Quirks. Heroes had to be strong and Quirks were required to be a Hero. A Quirkless Hero just wasn’t possible no matter how much the Quirkless idiot wanted to become one. He would just end up getting himself killed and Katsuki couldn’t have that.

He didn’t want Deku to die.

But Deku didn’t understand. That Katsuki needed him to know his place in this world so that he wouldn’t die like a dumbass. Every word or action had been said or done with the…well not best but relatively good intentions. Sure, the nerd wanted to save people but who was going to save him from himself? Katsuki, that’s who, because he did not want Deku to die following his idiotic dream. Aunti…Inko would be devastated if she lost her son and he just couldn’t handle seeing her like that. Because again he doesn’t do feelings.

However, as Hound Dog talked him through the differences Katsuki couldn’t help but compare himself to Endeavor more than All Might. The Symbol of Peace was his idol because he was always the strongest and defeated every Villain he faced. Because he was a winner. But Katsuki, much like the Number Two Hero, wasn’t a winner. Wasn’t the best. Not since he started at UA.

Before, Katsuki had always been the best. Everyone had said so, so it had to be true. He even placed first in the practical exam blasting away the competition with practiced ease. But that had been the last time he had been the undeniable winner. During the Quirk Apprehension Test on the first day, he had been bested by the two recommendation students. Which was still annoying but the loss would have stung more if it had been any of the other extras who had ranked lower than him in the practical.

He had won during the Battle Training but Katsuki didn’t think much of it. They had been forced to pair up which had been annoying. Being labeled the Villain team didn’t sit well with him but he had chosen to just ignore it at the time. In fact, he didn’t put much thought in the training at all letting Glasses waste his energy taking the exercise seriously.

Katsuki still did his part protecting the shitty fake bomb and claiming their victory by running out the time. But he considered it so pointless because he had already known he was going to win. It had been a hollow victory really more than anything else. Though the exercise had opened his eyes to see that the extras in his class weren’t as useless as he had thought they would be. They had their own strengths he would admit but none of them were anything compared to him. Katsuki was going to be number one someday and they could play Hero under him as much as they liked.

The USJ had been a shit show all around. Rescue training had sounded so boring and pointless to begin with. Katsuki was going to be a fighter on the front lines, not an extra who stays behind to pick up the mess. But at least he didn’t have to suffer through such pointless lessons. Instead, they were faced with real Villains and had to fight to save themselves.

There were no clear winners that day though Katsuki did have some victories. Defeating those Villains with ease after that Warp fucker scattered them across the USJ. The explosive teen even managed to get the drop on the misty man successfully the second time around. The first time he hadn’t when he and Shitty Hair had charged forward to confront the Villain. But that failed attempt had revealed the warper’s weakness which he took advantage of the next time he had attacked him.

Remembering the USJ brought that sour feeling to his gut though he honestly had no fucking idea why. Katsuki had put his everything into all his actions, never letting him second guess his choices. Fight first, ask questions later. That was how he had survived the USJ relatively unscathed unlike the other extras who had loitered around asking idiotic questions. If Thirteen or any of the others had just acted first, Katuski wouldn’t have had to step forward to get shit down. He was one of actions, not wasted words. It was how he had fought through the Sports Festival and it was no different to how he approached Deku and his idiotic dream.

For the longest time, Katsuki had relied on instinct to direct his behavior. Strike first, with words or with actions, and let the dominos fall into place. It had worked for most anything he did. School, training, getting into UA. His trusty instincts had carried him well to being declared the best applicant in the practical. But now, sitting here talking to this annoying mutt who was irritatingly making some form of sense, there was a seedling of doubt growing in the back of his mind.

Hound Dog was gruff and rough same as Katsuki was. He wasn’t ‘nice’ or ‘gentle’ not even to his friends but he still was a Pro Hero. Meaning that it could be possible for Katsuki to be that too. The explosive teen could get behind that if he didn’t have to change who he was. Because there was no way Katsuki could ever become a sappy ‘nice’ guy. The thought of a ditzy happy-go-luck version of himself made him want to gag. That was Deku’s thing, not his. Katsuki was crude and aggressive using his anger to strengthen him allowing him to be the best.

Or at least he had been the best before UA. Not now though. Sure, he had placed first in the practical and they had won during Battle Training. But the Quirk test on the first day and the entirety of the bullshit Sports Festival, not once did Katsuki place first. The closest he had gotten was taking second for the Obstacle Course then subsequently dropping to third in the Cavalry Battle and sort of fourth at the end. Never ever first no matter how angry he got or how hard he had fought.

‘Kind of like Endeavor?’

Fuck no. I’m not like him.

‘You both are aggressive and have fire related Quirks.’

So what? That doesn’t make me like him.

‘He longs to be the Number One Hero same as you.’

So? Who doesn’t? Wasn’t that the whole point of the Hero rankings? Determining who was the best and pushing everyone to try harder. And who was considered the best? All fucking Might was, that’s who. The Symbol of Peace was the Number One Hero because he was the strongest. For now, that is. Someday that would be Katsuki up on that pedestal looking down on all the extras beneath him. And who was at the very bottom? The Quirkless useless defenseless Deku.

‘Yet he placed first and you didn’t. He came out on top over you. Just like All Might over Endeavor.’

Fuck off! Deku is not All Might and I’m fucking not Endeavor.

Damn that shitty Quirkless loser. Just thinking of him made Katsuki want to blow something up. Namely something of Deku’s but then again that was what had gotten him into this mess in the first place. After years of trying to convince Deku he couldn’t be a Hero with his words, Katsuki had instinctively resorted to actions. Exploding the shitty nerd’s gadgets one by one to teach him that he was nothing without them.

But Deku had still won despite that. It should have been impossible but the Quirkless fucker had done it. Katsuki didn’t know how but it had happened. Though he did suspect Deku used yet another cheat since he had kept reaching into his pocket. And yet despite that the Sports Festival was supposed to be a test of strength of Quirks, UA in its stupidity had declared the Quirkless shithead the winner over them all.

It was supposed to be impossible. Katsuki was supposed to be number one. The best! He had said so in his student speech. But that worthless Deku had made him a liar. Him and anyone else who had placed higher than him throughout the festival. Yet what more could Katsuki have done? He had fought his hardest and had given it everything he’s got. And…it hadn’t been enough. He hadn’t been enough.

Katsuki had been denied the perfect story of how he would rise to be the Number One Hero. He hadn’t been the only one to be accepted into UA from that crappy middle school. Deku ruined that with his audacity to apply as well. And now he’s ruined his life again. By winning the festival and also by bringing others into their personal business. Landing Katsuki in suspension and stupid therapy.

Fucking Deku.

Though the therapy so far wasn’t so bad. It wasn’t soft and mushy has he had expected. And Hound Dog insisted that they didn’t want to change who he was but rather help him be better. As to how he wasn’t sure but he guessed he could give whatever they had in mind a try. Though he honestly had no idea how he could still be who he was as a brash person while not letting anger and instinct direct his actions.

The rest of that first week of suspension continued much the same. Isolated classes in the morning, boring lunch time with bland food, solo training to let off steam, and then therapy. Lather, rinse, repeat. It was so fucking boring. Though he guessed he did learn some things while talking to the mutt. They didn’t want to change him, thank fucking gods, but they did want to change his behavior. Or rather manage it and learn to ‘hold back’ as Hound Dog said. Like how All Might holds back his punches even though he could easily kill a man with his strength.

Being compared to All Might sat well with Katsuki. He was the teen’s idol after all and he liked it much better than his own mind and Deku comparing him to Endeavor. He did not like being seen as the same as the Number Two Hero. Perhaps before he wouldn’t have minded as the man was strong, but not now after he knew what Endeavor was like behind closed doors.

Katsuki didn’t know all about how Half-and-Half’s childhood had been like, but he had heard enough to know it had been shitty. Quirk marriages, forcing his own kids to train in order to beat All Might, and even driving his hand-selected wife nuts enough to attack her own child. Katsuki had just written off that scar as unimportant upon first seeing it, but now he knew there was a grim story behind it. No wonder the aloof fucker had seemed to hate his father. That bastard was an abusive shithead with only his own goals in mind. Pushing another, his own child, to be what he believed they were destined to be.

‘Kind of like you?’

No way. Katsuki wasn’t like him. He was going to be number one and wouldn’t fail like that flaming bastard. And he would do it on his own without relying on others to accomplish that goal. Not even Deku would get in his way. He wouldn’t allow that.

‘But how is that different from how Endeavor treats his own family? Forcing his son to be a Hero while you push Izuku to not be one. Resorting to attacking him when he refuses to listen.’

It wasn’t attacking, it was teaching, right? The Old Hag had always been fierce and handsy with him. Using her words and actions to teach him the lessons she felt he needed to learn. Not that he always took those lessons to heart. Only the ones that mattered or seemed useful. It worked the same way with Deku. Some lessons he learned like him needing to grow a backbone and fight back which he did. But others he didn’t like how he couldn’t be a Hero. He had to learn that though or else he was going to die. And so Katsuki had no choice but so do whatever he thought was necessary to make the shitty nerd realize his dream was impossible.

But ever since the meeting with Nezu, the Old Hag hadn’t been that way with him. Instead, she was keeping her distance from him. Giving him looks that were disappointed, sad, and something else he couldn’t name. Which had left his dad to be the main parent to interact with him. It was so weird. Usually, it was the mother and son bickering over any little thing with the father calmly witnessing their interactions. But now it was Masaru who was mostly talking to him and his mother not at all. As if she wasn’t sure how to interact with her own child.

Her uncertainty ignited his own. Why was she second guessing how to treat him now? They had always acted like that around each other. Why was it different now? He just didn’t get it. Didn’t get why it brought back that sour feeling in his gut. Seriously, what the hell was that feeling? It was really fucking irritating him.

The following therapy sessions involved annoying attempts of the therapy mutt getting to know him. Mundane questions of his interests and hobbies. Pretty much everything that interested Katsuki was Hero related. Not to the extent of Deku and his shit ton of Hero merch, but everything he did was to work towards being the best Hero. Running in the morning, training in the afternoon, studying to keep his grades up, eating right, and going to bed early for a proper night sleep. He would still take breaks too with TV or video games but he typically consumed media that was also related to training to be a Hero. Why that warranted a note on the dog man’s shitty clipboard he didn’t know nor did he care.

Other than that, the mutt let him lead their conversations. He would offer topics and questions to prod into Katsuki’s personal business, but if the teen didn’t want to talk about it he never pushed. Many of Katsuki’s answers were given tersely with a scowl as per usual for him. Some of them with insults mixed in as he was accustomed to that only made the mutt laugh. So weird but whatever. While Katsuki still didn’t see the point of all this talking, at least it was with someone who seemed to take him as he was and wasn’t forcing him to change.

It was annoying how the dog man could get him to second guess himself though. Irritatingly making sense that it wasn’t about the explosive teen becoming ‘nice’, but rather learning to control his ‘bark’ and to know when it was appropriate to unleash his ‘bite’. Namely against Villains and not his classmates outside of training or an official match. Katsuki still didn’t entirely believe him and rather that they still wanted to change him somehow suspecting some kind of twist. For now though, there was none.

It wasn’t until the second week that he started to accept the tiniest bit that maybe there was something to this therapy crap. The weekend between had been just as awkward with his parents. However, there was a change from the past week. The Old Hag actually talked to him. Not the usual harsh bickering way they had communicated over the years. Instead, she put effort to talk to him calmly and to not react harshly when he would shoot crude responses her way.

But he couldn’t help it because it made no sense to him. His mom explained that she had started her own therapy that week to help her assess how she had raised him. Personally, Katsuki didn’t see anything wrong with how he grew up. Harsh words and the occasional smack were just how it was with them. He didn’t think it had affected him badly or anything. Sure, her treatment of him had influenced how he treated others like Deku, but he was just doing what he knew as normal.

Apparently, it wasn’t normal. That’s what his mom said anyway. She even freaking apologized to him for all she had said and done to him over the years. For snapping at him and hitting him. For making him think she didn’t love him as much if not more than the Quirkless freak. For unintentionally teaching him that it was okay to treat others as she had treated him. For being a bad mother.

It was so confusing and Katsuki didn’t know how to take her apology. Adding to the confusion of why the world seemed to give a crap about Deku and that there were people who did believed a Quirkless Hero was possible. Seriously, what was fucking happening? Katsuki’s world was changing so much in just one week and he just didn’t get why it was changing now. Why they had waited until now when he was in UA’s esteemed Hero Course to tell him that he had been acting like the bad guy.

Just…why?

In the second week of his suspension, he started to get some answers. Or rather inkling of answers that would eventually solidify as time passed. For now though, they were vague and newly formed concepts of what actually was right and wrong. The explosive teen didn’t want to accept that he was wrong, but he was smart and couldn’t outright deny the evidence presented to him.

With the internships beginning, Katsuki’s morning classes changed. Instead of the regular subjects, some of the teachers came in to teach him lessons directly connected to what he was now being told was wrong. His views on what a Hero was, on the Quirkless, and how he treated others. It was…a lot to take in. But like he said, he couldn’t deny the evidence that they were right and he had been wrong. Katsuki hated being wrong.

Snipe taught him about Heroes. As one of the Heroics teachers he was well suited for the task. Going into the history of how the role of Heroes came into being. It wasn’t a subject Katsuki had much interest in looking into before because he didn’t think it was relevant to his future as a Hero. He had been told his whole life that his Quirk would be perfect for being a Hero and he had worked with that goal in mind growing up. Why worry about the past when he was constantly thinking of the future?

Katsuki knew that the role of Pro Hero hadn’t always existed but he hadn’t known that the first had started as Vigilantes. Ordinary citizens who stepped up to the task to try and bring order to the chaotic world of emerging Quirks. While considered criminals for the illegal use of their Quirks, they acted as Heroes to use their powers for good. That fact made Nezu’s past comment comparing him to a Vigilante sting a little less.

The sting of being accused of Quirk discrimination however worsened. Ectoplasm presented Katsuki with hard numbers of the statistics of the Quirkless population. The math teacher laid out just how crappy life was for the Quirkless. They made up only 20% of the world’s population, Japan’s percentage extremely less than that, and there were less and less with each new generation. For Deku to end up with no Quirk was like a one in a million or even a billion chance. An unfortunate lottery he had unwantedly won.

Katsuki remembered when he first had learned Deku was Quirkless. He had still been on his high of manifesting his own Quirk and reveled in the attention he got because it was so strong. The perfect Quirk to be a Hero. Deku and he had played Heroes together so many times before. Taking down imaginary Villains as a duo and always winning the day. With Katsuki as the strongest and Deku backing him up. He had waited to see what shitty Quirk the nerd would get so he would know what he would be working with in the future.

But no. That shithead had to be fucking Quirkless and ruin everything. Katsuki was still going to be the strongest and become the Number One Hero better than All Might. But Deku…he had no Quirk. Nothing. No power at all. He was…he was useless. He was a Deku. He was Quirkless and so had nothing he could contribute to their future as Heroes. That day he had found out his childhood friend was Quirkless was the day their…his future plans had been shattered. Deku…he ruined everything.

‘But he didn’t ask to be Quirkless.’

Katsuki knew that but it didn’t stop him from blaming Deku for it. Though as he learned about what life was like for the Quirkless, that sour feeling returned. Of the small percentage of Quirkless people who lived in Japan, the numbers were staggering. School dropout rates were at 67% and were way higher than those with Quirks. The unemployment rate was even higher at 93% with some going into welfare programs if they could. While many resorted to crime to survive.

But others were not as…lucky in a sense. Many became victims of crimes and were either seriously injured or died. Supporting Katsuki’s desire for Deku not to die. While others outright disappeared and were never seen or heard from again. Vulnerable to being taken with no natural defense. Then there were those who decided to take their own lives with the suicide rate at 86% by age 25. That last statistic made that sour feeling worsen as he had…suggested such a thing so carelessly. Not knowing that many made that very real choice.

That first day of the second week Katsuki finally learned from the mutt what that sour feeling was. Guilt. Katsuki was feeling guilt. Despite having felt so assured that his actions were right, it seemed that deep down he had somehow known it was wrong. It was at this time he also learned what that annoying inner voice was. His conscience. His very own Jiminy fucking Cricket that had been trying to steer him in a different direction that he had chosen to ignore time and time again rather than admit he was wrong.

He had felt guilt so many times in his life and he hadn’t even noticed. Not when he attacked Deku, not when he told him to jump off a roof. Though he had regretted the words immediately without taking them back. But he hadn’t even connected it to guilt when the Quirkless teen stopped calling him Kacchan and distanced himself from Katsuki more and more until he was reduced to Bakugou. All because of his own actions.

Fuck. This fucking sucked. Why did he have to realize this now? Katsuki had always acted as he thought he should. No one at school had ever said anything he did was wrong. Not the extras or his teachers. No, instead they had all praised him for his strong Quirk and said he would be a great Hero. While at the same time they let him do whatever he wanted which he had been just fine with. He was strong, he was the best. That’s what he had always believed. But…he had been wrong.

Katsuki’s first instinct was to let his anger wash over him as he always did. Anger he knew and it came so naturally to him. It made him feel powerful and in control. It made him strong. His anger came out with his words, his actions, his Quirk. Not to mention the nitroglycerin part of his Quirk affected his blood pressure raising it and therefore his body would produce adrenaline to compensate. Many people were affected by side effects of their Quirks. Like that defective Pikachu short circuiting himself or Pink Cheeks hurling chunks when she used her Quirk too much. He was no different with the added adrenaline and the strain to his arms for big explosions. Thankfully though his ears had mutated so he wouldn’t end up deaf by his own Quirk.

But this was why Katsuki thought of anger as a large part of who he was as a person. His own DNA had provided him with a Quirk that naturally increased his stress levels. Excess energy that he channeled into every action, every word. Katsuki’s personality was intense, always had been. Even before his Quirk manifested, he had been headstrong and aggressive. But when Deku never got his Quirk and ruined their future as a Hero duo, Katsuki naturally found that aggression turning towards the shitty nerd.

Deku couldn’t be a Hero because he was Quirkless. A fact that Katsuki knew but Deku refused to admit. It had always pissed him off. Everyone except him knew it and the explosive teen had been adamant to get Deku to accept it. He had done everything he could to teach the Quirkless fucker his place in this world. Beneath him and not a Hero. Because a Quirkless Hero was impossible and he would just end up dead.

Anger fueled his actions. It was instinct, normal, and part of who he was. It was good, it was right. Right? Only now was he being told it wasn’t. It was wrong, it was bad. Turning his life and ideals upside down. Contorting his long-held beliefs and forcing him to see that all he had done was wrong. Meaning that if his actions, his anger was wrong and bad meant that Katsuki was wrong and bad. That he wasn’t the best and he wasn’t a Hero. He was the worst. A bully. A Villain.

No. Katsuki refused to believe he was a Villain. He wanted to be a Hero. He would be a Hero. The best. Sure, maybe he had…messed up now and then. But that didn’t make him a Villain. Bakugou fucking Katsuki was born to be a Hero and that was what he would be. And if this stupid therapy and other bullshit punishments were annoyingly necessary for him to continue that destined path, then so be it. Katsuki would listen to what they had to say and take whatever he felt was relevant from it and ignore the rest. Same as he had done with everything else in his life.

It was with this attitude he made it through the rest of his suspension. 

Notes:

And that's the first half of Katsuki's suspension! I wasn't really focusing on word count while writing his pov, but rather just letting my brain do its thing. Which meant that, as always, it turned out way longer than expected. :P So the second half will be next update. As of the end of this chapter, we're ending on that Monday of the internship week.

Sh-sh-shout out to LadyPhoenix68, Rijus_Hope, QuasiCanon, Katsi97, dannythebookwyrm, multifandomensional, IzumakiSon, EnergeticEccentricism, lIli_Hades_daughter, hotrobin99, Grand_Dark_Queen, sugar31107, TheSilentOak, and doraemax for all their ideas when it came to Katsuki's suspension and punishments. (I think that was everyone...) I have some this chapter and more in the next. There will also be others that happen in the future but I'll give a blanket thanks now. ^_____^ So thank you! It really helped me out. Also a shout out to Alex_Nicole_ANIMU for bringing up the thing about nitroglycerin! I did a bit of searching on the google and I think I got how it affects the human body? If I didn't please let me know so I can fix it. :)

So Katsuki's sort of added on but unintentional punishment with the food. It just sort of popped into my head because spicy food is his favorite but I figured they would just give him a basic meal. No requests or fancy food for the teenager being punished but not intended as a punishment in and of itself. Just 'here, kid. eat this' and that's it.

Fun Facts About Japan:

This one is connected to Katsuki's love of spicy foods. Now I believe I have said this before but Japanese people typically don't eat spicy food. There are those who do but it's not everyone there. Personal preference and kind of part of the culture. Anyway, while spicy food isn't the norm, there are spicy things you can add to your food to bring on the heat.

First off is shichimi ( 七味 , しちみ ) which is a spice mix that you can add to a variety of dishes. The long name is shichimi tougarashi ( 七味唐辛子 , しちみとうがらし ) which can also be read nana iro tougarashi and means the seven-flavored chili pepper. Shichimi isn't super hot but does add good flavor and a nice kick. I personally like to add it to udon and miso soup. There's also another version called ichimi which is ichimi tougarashi ( 一味唐辛子 , いちみとうがらし ) the one-flavor chili pepper. It's basically cayenne pepper but marketed as a chili seasoning.

Another is karashi ( からし ) which is a spicy mustard and has multiple kanji variations that I'm not going to bother typing. :P It apparently comes in powder or paste form though I've only seen the paste myself. You can put it on a variety of dishes but I most commonly saw served with natto during school lunch or at the grocery/convenience stores. Natto typically comes with soy sauce and/or karashi which you would add and stir into natto before eating. You don't necessarily have to but many do to add flavor. Though personally it still didn't help natto's...unique flavoring. :P But to each their own.

That's all for this chapter! Like I said, next week is the second half of Katsuki's suspension as well as him returning to class! Which also means that he'll learn about Hosu next chapter as well so that will be interesting. ;) More lessons and therapy are to come as well as Bakusquad interactions and a certain red head's reaction to this whole situation. Just allllll the conflicted feelings. ;P Until then be kind, be caring, be well. Oh and point out any weirdness or typos. Thanks! See ya!

Chapter 48: Reluctant Compliance

Notes:

Welcome back, dear readers! It's update time again! We get to go through the second half of Katsuki's suspension and then his return to 1-A. Lot's to cover and I hope you like it!

I know that some were hoping that I would go more into the therapy sessions themselves. However, as I've never attended any personally, I don't feel comfortable making assumptions nor have any idea how that would write out word wise. (wow that was quite a few W's in a row. XD) Anyway, I also didn't go into the dialogue with Izuku's therapy either so Katsuki is getting the same treatment writing wise. Also, because I don't really know how exactly therapy works, please feel free to correct me and offer suggestions to change things. Nicely and constructive preferably. :P I'm not perfect being another flawed human and all. ;) But together we can make it all work out. Isshou ni ganbarimashou, ne? Let's do our best together!

Still getting used to the new job and adjusting to a more set schedule. I do have Wednesdays marked as my day off and then every other weekend. I'm going to try to keep it as a Tuesday update every other week, but if I need to I may change to Wednesdays instead. We'll see. For now, still Tuesdays. :)

Warning for swearing because Katsuki. Also again mentions of canon suicide baiting here and there.

Linktree to all the things!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

The days passed by in agonizing slowness as Katsuki suffered through his stupid punishments. Begrudgingly sitting through his lessons and therapy. Conceding certain points but ultimately rejecting the idea that everything he had done was wrong. All he had done was in order to be a Hero. To prepare himself for his future life as the Number One Hero and to protect Deku from himself. To just be the best Hero he could be.

But with each passing day he was finding it harder and harder to think that way. Nezu took it upon himself to teach Katsuki how wrong his actions had been. And not only his. In just the two weeks since their meeting, the rat bastard had already managed to collect evidence of what had happened in their past schools. Deku and he had been in the same class every year, not once giving him a break from the Quirkless loser who had followed him around like a puppy. It had only added to his aggravation towards Deku but he also preferred it so he could keep an eye on the Quirkless weakling.

It was so weird watching the videos Nezu had managed to retrieve from the cameras at the other schools. A bird’s eye view of his childhood. He was forced to watch the evolution or rather devolution of his and Deku’s friendship. That bitter feeling of guilt flared up and grew as he witnessed a montage of his ‘lessons’ to Deku. There was no audio but the visuals were enough to remind him of what was said. Remembering the insults and harsh words. The explosions.

He hated it. Being forced to watch all he had done to Deku over the years. Katsuki used to be so sure of his actions. That he was doing what was best. For his path to be the best Hero while trying to convince Deku he never could be. Because that inkling that he had actually been wrong painted those scenes from their past differently. He didn’t want to admit it but it did ever so slightly pain him to see the hurt look on the nerd’s face as he was insulted or injured. But it also irritated him to see the Quirkless boy stand back up no matter how many times he had been pushed down.

His emotions kept switching between a twinge of guilt to a sharp annoyance as they had watched. Not wanting to admit he had been in the wrong but also couldn’t outright deny it either. Because the evidence was there right in front of him. And not just for him. He could see the reactions of the extras and the teachers as well. Many had this sneer on their face as if they enjoyed the Quirkless teen’s suffering. It pissed him off.

Katsuki was a dick. He was a hardass rather than soft and never held back any insults that fell from his mouth. Tough with an expectation for others to match him and if they didn’t, they weren’t worth his time. It was why he acknowledged just a little of recognition for his current classmates’ strengths. They weren’t soft or weak. Not as strong as Katsuki was but more than the average background character of his life. Especially Shitty Hair and Pink Cheeks.

But Deku…he had always seemed soft to him. That bush of messy green curls, those chubby fucking baby cheeks, his stupid freckles, and those green doe eyes that were so much like Inko’s. He was like a human puppy that you would feel bad kicking. Katsuki had never taken outright glee from confronting Deku and trying to teach him that he was an idiot for trying to be a Hero. Sure, he reveled in the surge of power he felt during their…lessons, but that’s what they were. A means to an end to make the Quirkless fucker learn that his dream was impossible.

However, watching snippets of their shared childhood, Katsuki glimpsed a slow and steady transition. Deku was weak since birth. His Quirkless status confirmed that. But as the years passed, Deku seemed to…change. It wasn’t all at once. The nerd getting beat down and staying down, only to learn to pick himself up. He had been subjected to more physical lessons and initially had not been able to do anything against them. But eventually it had been clear he had started training or taken some kind of lessons to toughen up.

Being able to defend oneself was good, but not enough for Deku to make it as a Hero. Quirks were like weapons that enabled Heroes to do their job. Deku being a Quirkless Hero was like an idiot showing up weaponless to a fight where everyone else had knives, guns, or in his own case quite literally hand grenades. As had happened so many times in the past, the superior firepower ultimately came out on top. Deku had none so there was no way he would succeed.

‘But he did succeed.’

Damn it. That stupid Jiminy Cricket of his was right. Katsuki absolutely hated it. He was supposed to be in first place in the festival, but he wasn’t. Deku was. The Quirkless freak was deemed the best of all the first years and it was infuriating. But there was literally nothing Katsuki could do. Not for lack of trying and even then, his attempt had landed him here. Suspended and being lectured at while the others were on their own internships getting better than him. He couldn’t have that.

Katsuki would make it through this set back and then work even harder to make up for lost time. Though he wouldn’t be able to make up the loss of experience from his denied internship. Or so he had thought. As part of his ‘special lessons’ Nezu had mentioned experts being brought in and what an expert. For none other than the Fiber Hero Best Jeanist came to UA to see him.

Turned out that the Number Four Hero had sent him an offer but had been denied as Katsuki was no longer ‘eligible’ for an internship. Most on his list of offers accepted the answer but Best Jeanist had been more…persistent getting answers as to why. Nezu being a calculating rat bastard had informed the Hero of the basic facts of what happened. Though he wasn’t told all of the details, it had been enough to drive him to ‘assist’ in his suspension on top of his previous motives.

Apparently Best Jeanist didn’t offer him an internship because he had been impressed with his power. Opposite actually. While the Hero did admit that Katsuki’s Quirk was strong and he had good handle on its applications, he believed that the way that the teen carried himself did not entirely befit a Hero. What with all the yelling and extreme aggression, it was clear he had a ‘ferocious nature’. Great, yet another person who wanted him to change. Would he be like Hound Dog who put the power in the teen’s hands or would the jeaned man force that change?

Honestly Katsuki was sure what the answer to that was. Bean Jeanist was blunt with his wording though he did tend to ‘weave’ in word play related to fabrics. Heroes and Villains maybe on opposing sides but they were all ‘cut from the same cloth’ as he said. All lives acting as threads in the tapestry in life. Though there were some that became astray as the Number Four Hero saw Katsuki as.

From the festival, he had taken notice that Katsuki believed himself to be the best. From his speech as well as how he fought throughout the events. However, the Hero believed his lack of regard for his behavior and tactless belief he was the best was more of a glare than a positive reflection on him and his image as a Hero-hopeful. That such oversight would result in consequences and his suspension was used as evidence to his point.

Best Jeanist lectured him on how to speak and appear to others. That learning to control his emotions was key as well as aligning his morals to best fit those of a Hero. It was a lot to learn in such a short time but the Pro did his best to ‘stitch’ even the mere concept of these things into the ‘fabric’ of his being. Seriously were the puns absolutely necessary?

The lecture was annoying though Katsuki begrudgingly accepted that the Number Four Hero had some points. Heroes existed to take on Villains and stop their criminal deeds, but to also reassure people that the Heroes were there to protect them. Katsuki already knew that but he would remind them with his actions. Blasting all who opposed him out of his way to rise to his rightful spot at Number One.

However Best Jeanist insisted that this would not go well for his future as a Hero. Katsuki was prideful and if he let his pride go rampant, he would turn out quite poorly. But, if he were to channel that passion into becoming a Hero rather than just the best, it would carry him farther on his chosen path. It was confusing as hell because Katsuki’s goal was to be the best Hero. How was aiming to be a Hero different from being the best? It was confusing enough for him to gripe to the therapy mutt in one of their sessions.

This initiated a talk about the different parts of one’s personality, the id, ego, and superego. The id was the most primitive part, focusing on instincts and whatever felt good without much thought. The ego was the conscious part of the personality, how you thought of yourself and how you portrayed yourself to others. Then there was the superego that was the ‘voice of conscience’ to help direct you to do what was right.

Great, another fucking name for my stupid Jiminy Cricket.

The mutt said that Katsuki tended to let his id take over in most situations while ignoring his superego on the regular. However, such imbalance was not healthy for his personality. He said that Katsuki would need to work on allowing his ego to step forward more and not let his id call the shots. Explaining that his ego was his fierce and brash nature, but it was his id that flared up whenever he let his anger over come him. That was what the Hero hoped to help Katsuki learn to control. Not to change who he was but to give him the power to control his instincts so he could make better choices.

Katsuki guessed it sort of made sense. It did help him get somewhat of a visual to differentiate between what they actually wanted him to address when it came to his behavior. It wasn’t the core of who he was that they wanted to change, but rather to learn not to rely on his instincts alone. He was human after all, not some mad dog with no sense other than to attack people. Hell even with Deku he had done everything in an effort to convince him to get his head out of the clouds so he doesn’t end up killing himself.

But he couldn’t deny that he did let his instincts control him at times. To him it had seemed like a good idea. They had never led him astray before or so he had thought. No one before UA had ever called him out on it so he thought everything was fine. But now they were and Katsuki didn’t have much of a choice except to face his apparent ‘bad’ behavior. It was confusing and weird but he had to do what he had to do in order to stay at UA and finally become a Hero.

As a start, Hound Dog suggested several methods to help control his id. Like counting to calm himself before speaking or just taking himself out of an aggravating situation. Apparently, exercise was another though he already did that now with his training to be a Hero. But seeing as his letting off steam that way had done nothing to curb his instincts, the mutt suggested more relaxing outlets like yoga or other soft sounding shit. Katsuki didn’t do soft but he guessed he could give it a try. Yoga wasn’t as aggressive of an exercise regiment as he was used to, but exercise was exercise. Maybe it could help him be better.

The therapy dog mentioned he had other ideas for outlets to discuss in the future, but for now bid Katsuki to try the ones he had suggested. And to try his best to not let his id control his actions while also conceding that there would be a margin of error at the start. Falling back on his instincts was a long-developed habit and would take time to correct.

Honestly if Katsuki had a choice he wouldn’t bother with such a perceived waste of time. But unfortunately, he didn’t have much of one if he wanted to remain a Hero Course student at UA. Annoying as fuck but he would do it anyway because he was meant to be a Hero. Facing this newest challenge head on as he always did in his pursuit to be the best.

Near the end of that second week, they finally gave him the task to write those stupid apology letters. So fucking annoying. Katsuki has never apologized for anything in his life. Maybe he was forced to by his mother when he was very young but he never meant it because he never felt he had anything to apologize for. As for this time, maybe possibly there was a slight chance that he had been in the wrong, but he did not think apology fucking letters were necessary. Why couldn’t he just lie through his teeth and get it over with in a few terse words?

Not only that, he had to write fucking two of them. One for shitty Deku and another for his fucking friend. To the nerd he managed to scrape a decent amount of stupid meaningless words together. They had grown up together so there were more things to…write about. And he also threw in shit from the rat’s stupid lessons just to beef up word count though he didn’t really mean it. But for the Troll Doll, he knew close to nothing about the brainwashing freak. Just that he had a cheat of a Quirk and had managed to worm his way into second place above Katsuki. It was little but it was enough to piss him off and he only managed a meager few sentences in his ‘letter’.

Of course, it wasn’t enough. The therapy mutt said so though he didn’t say that exactly. Rather he said it was a start, a work in progress of sorts, and that they would try again later. Meaning that he wasn’t fucking done with that stupid stipulation to his punishments. Will he ever be free of these new annoyances in his life? Ugh, it just all fucking sucked.

But eventually his suspension came to an end and it was the weekend before he would return to 1-A. He had expected it to be boring, uneventful, and filled with the Old Hag’s new weird way she interacted with Kastuki. While it had mostly been as he suspected, there was one thing that really threw him for a loop when he was finally allowed to have monitored access to his phone, the computer, and TV. The breaking news that Deku, the useless Quirkless nobody, was caught on camera capturing the elusive Hero Killer by himself and was given sole credit for it. He didn’t buy it.

Kastuki was not stupid. He didn’t think that Deku actually did that all by himself. Yes, he had been filmed doing the final take down with another piece of stupid gear. One by the way that was very fucking similar to the hobo teacher’s damn scarf which annoyed the shit out of him. Anyway, this piece of visual evidence he couldn’t deny, but he also didn’t accept it as the entire truth. Especially not with the presence of IcyHot, Glasses, and Troll Doll there too. There had to be more to what happened in Hosu but they weren’t fucking telling the public about it. A cover up that annoyingly put Deku back in the spotlight while Katsuki had been stuck at UA getting lectured.

It was so fucking unfair.

Katsuki was supposed to be the one in the spotlight. Shining brightly like the sun with the rest of the extras orbiting around him. In the center of it all while Deku merely existed as far away from his greatness as possible. But instead, the Quirkless fucker was getting all of the attention that should have been on him. His shitty gadgets outshining Katsuki’s strong flashy Quirk and getting praise from the people and media as if he actually had a chance to succeed in his idiotic suicidal dream.

Not everyone thought that as there were many who shared his own views. There was just no way for there to be a Quirkless Hero. In fact, as he had learned this past week, Heroes came into being because of Quirks. So how could a Hero not have a Quirk? It was obviously an essential part of the job and yet there were people who did side with Deku and encouraged his stupid dream. That believed he actually had a chance.

It just added to the growing confusion that had started to fester and grow since Katsuki had been wrapped up in the hobo’s scarf and was yanked away from Deku. Why had they stopped him? Why had they taken the Quirkless loser’s side? It had always been Katsuki who was in the right but now he wasn’t apparently. Now Deku was making a name for himself as a Hero while Katsuki had fallen behind in his own path to become Number One.

This fucking sucks.

How did his life end up like this? Katsuki was supposed to be a Hero and yet his past actions were labeled as villainous. By Deku’s words when he had confronted him and in the teachers’, the Pro Heroes’, reactions to what he had done. Even his parents and Inko had reacted badly once they found out.

The greenette mother hadn’t spoken to his family since the meeting needing space from him. Though she had called his mom in the middle of his second week of suspension. He had been confused by the muffled frantic sounding rambles of the worried mother that were countered by hushed reassurances from the Old Hag as she left to take the call in private. It wasn’t until he had learned about what happened in Hosu that he understood why. But other than that, she had no interactions with the Bakugous.

As for his own parents, the disappointed looks and words were almost unbearable. They forced him to listen as they told him how hurtful his actions had been to a lot of people. Deku most of all for everything he had done to him, but others as well. His parents for taking their words of concern and twisting them into something grotesque. Though his mom did weirdly apologize for her part in influencing his behavior for the way she had raised him. It didn’t make much sense to him as he thought it as normal but shrugged it off as it did shift some of the blame off of him.

Deku he didn’t feel much remorse for because he believed he was doing what was best for the shitty nerd. His parents not that much either because he had taken what he had learned from them and passed it on as it was normal to him. But the one that hurt the most was Inko. He had never wanted to hurt his Auntie who had been nothing but kind to him. Sure, she had been more standoffish towards him after she stopped bringing Deku around, but he had been fine with not having to hang out with the Quirkless loser.

But now, looking back at her changed behavior towards him growing up, it brought that sour feeling again. The one he now knew was guilt. Fuck, had he been hurting Auntie this whole time? It had never been his intention to hurt her. He only wanted to make Deku realize that his wish to be a Hero was ridiculous and impossible. The nerd never said anything about his ‘lessons’ to the blonde teen’s parents so he figured the greenet said nothing to his own family. But perhaps Inko, his ever-observant Auntie, had noticed evidence of their…altercations anyway.

Fuck. It would explain why she stopped bringing Deku to his house soon after his diagnosis. How she had been still kind to Katsuki but he had sensed a distance between them. She was still his Auntie but she wasn’t as doting as she had been before. Hell, could he even call her his Auntie after this? She clearly didn’t want to see his face or talk to him. Having not uttered a word towards him after she snapped and yelled at him for the bated words he had carelessly said but had immediately regretted.

‘You did tell her son to take his own life. Not surprising she wouldn’t want to talk to you.’

He knew that. His stupid brain didn’t need to point out the obvious. Her child was hurt and so obviously she as a mother would not take kindly to that. He got that and understood it, but he had never made that connection to his own personal situation. Had never thought that his actions and words towards Deku, harsh but deemed necessary, would hurt the woman he had considered family. Now he was doubting if she even considered him her nephew anymore or if she would even allow him to call her Auntie now.

Fuck, this situation was aggravating.

‘And you only have yourself to blame.’

Fuck.

Damn it all to hell and back. If only Deku hadn’t hidden, sneaking around behind his back to take the glory that was supposed to be his. If only he had realized when they were younger that he couldn’t be a Hero without a Quirk. If only he hadn’t been born fucking Quirkless and ruined everything. If only…if only they could have been the Hero duo they had dreamed of as kids. With Katsuki at the front and Deku at his side. If only Deku had a Quirk then maybe none of this would have happened.

But it did. Deku never got a Quirk while Katsuki manifested one perfect for being a Hero. Meaning they could never be the Hero duo they had played as kids. Or so Katsuki had thought. But now Deku was making a name of himself as a Hero before Katsuki could even take a proper step into the Hero world. Winning the Sports Festival, credited for taking down the Hero Killer, and even fucking turning out to be the one who had cleaned that stupid beach. The ‘slipped’ reveal finally answering Katsuki’s question as to what the shitty nerd had been up to back in junior high.

‘Seems Izuku was already acting as a Hero while you weren’t.’

Fuck off.

It was just another example of Deku not listening and choosing to stubbornly follow his stupid dream. Earning even more credit with the public just because he decided to pick up some trash. Surely he hadn’t literally cleaned that whole fucking beach by himself. There was just no way one person could do that by himself. There just wasn’t.

‘There could be. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.’

Just shut up already!

He was so sick of his now known conscience trying to bring sense to his way of thinking. His inner Jiminy Cricket just wouldn’t shut the fuck up and now that he knew what it was, it was harder to ignore. Forcing him to confront his own words and actions that were now being pointed out as wrong. So fucking annoying and aggravating and he wanted desperately to blame Deku for all the shit he had to go through now. But his stupid conscience and that irritating feeling of guilt just wouldn’t let him do that.

Everything just fucking sucked. Deku was making a name for himself and Katsuki was falling behind. That’s not how his life was supposed to be. Maybe in another world Deku would have listened to him and chosen a more realistic path while Katsuki became the best Hero as he was destined to become. But in this one, the shitty nerd was closer to being a Hero than the explosive teen was and there was nothing he could do about it.

Whatever, let Deku do what he wanted. Katsuki was going to focus on himself rather than waste any more time on that Quirkless shitbag. He needed to make up for the progress he had lost these last two weeks. So he had to stay away from Deku and lashing out in anger was ‘bad’? Fine. He’ll just channel that energy into training harder. Katsuki would become the Number One Hero and he wasn’t going to let Deku or anyone else get in his way.

It was with that mindset that he had trudged to UA at his usual time on his first day back. As he had been instructed at the end of last week, he showed up at the teachers’ room to meet up with his homeroom teacher. The tired man tersely reminded him of certain parameters he was to follow now that he was returning to class. Stay away from Deku and Mindfucker or else and don’t call Deku ‘Deku’. The first he would gladly do because he didn’t want to be near either of them, but the second…that was going to be…difficult.

Well, if Katsuki stays away then he won’t need to address or even think about the shitty nerd. Pushing him into the back of his mind and instead focusing on what was more important. Himself. He would be the Number One Hero someday and in order to do that he needed to work hard to become the best. Let the other extras worry about themselves. Katsuki was going to focus on himself.

Easier said than done. As soon as he entered the classroom, Katsuki couldn’t help but scout out the annoying greenet. Deku was surrounded by his friends in the back as Katsuki glared at him. But instead of cowering even just a little as he had in the past, the shitty nerd refused to look away and stared back firmly at him. Pink Cheeks and Glasses looked concerned between them while IcyHot stood up next to Deku and turned his stupid face to sternly glare at the angry blonde. As if he knew something about what had happened between them. It pissed him off.

There was nothing he could do about it as Aizawa entered behind him though he wasn’t planning on doing anything anyway. That would just get him into more trouble and he did not need any more of that at the moment. So he just trudged to his seat and slumped down in annoyance as homeroom began. Katsuki would never admit it out loud but he may have sort of missed the annoying sounds of other students around him. It was a strange sort of comfort though why he didn’t know.

As classes went on, Katsuki couldn’t help but steal glances at his own group of extras. Soy Sauce Face, Pikachu, and Racoon Eyes all gave him concerned looks paired with cordial smiles. But Shitty Hair, the one he felt closest to of his extras, only met his eyes for a moment looking very conflicted before quickly turning away. But why? Did he know something? Did the boy who had offered to go into battle with him know what he had done? If he did, what did that mean? Was he still one of his extras?

There was also the question of how would he know. Kirishima hadn’t been there and Katsuki had not nor wouldn’t say jack shit. The teachers wouldn’t as the hobo man had told him it was up to those involved. Which means the only way he would know was…

Deku.

Katsuki held back the growl that threatened to come out. Fucking hell. Would Deku do that? Just talk about their business to just anyone? He had never talked about it growing up so he could assume that the nerd wouldn’t now. But then again, he had talked to the teachers after their confrontation was interrupted. Though seeing how nothing happened until then, even if Deku did say anything it was nothing incriminating towards Katsuki. Or as far as he knew.

As for Shitty Hair, he didn’t even know what the redhead knew. Didn’t know what that weird look he gave him meant. Whatever. Katsuki decided to not worry about it and instead focused on his work. Thankfully he hadn’t fallen behind on school work or training, but it was best for him to keep on top of it. Katsuki was not stupid and he had the grades to prove that. No way was he going to let a bad grade bring him down.

Putting everything into his school work, the morning hours passed. Teachers would come, teach, and go with the passing periods. It was routine as if all was normal in this world. For most that was true, but not for Katsuki with his scheduled therapy sessions and whatever else they were going to have him do. And it seemed that Deku had his own new ‘normal’ as he had left class during English doing gods knew what. The explosive teen glared as he left but shook it off as soon as he was out of sight. Katsuki didn’t want to care what the shitty nerd was up to so he wouldn’t.

Then the bell rang for lunch and Katsuki was so looking forward to eating something spicy. The bland lunch food the last two weeks had been so fucking boring. His mouth watered just at the thought of spicy curry over steaming rice. Without much other thought, Katsuki packed up his things before heading off to the cafeteria.

“Yo, Bakugou, wait up!” the annoying voice of the electric blonde extra called out behind him.

“What do you want, Pikachu?” Katsuki called back without stopping.

Said Pikachu caught up with him and slung an arm around his shoulder as he said, “It’s been a while since we’ve seen you. How’ve you been?”

“Yeah, Bakubro, last time we saw you was at the Sports Festival,” Soy Sauce Face commented coming up on his other side. “Next thing we knew you were suspended for attacking someone outside of a match.”

“Right? What’s up with that, Bakugou?” Racoon Eyes asked as she joined the party. “I know you’re a total hothead but I would think even you would know not to get into a fight at school.”

Katsuki glared at his extras and their nosiness into his business. The chattering three just looked at him expectantly like a pack of puppies begging for treats. But he wasn’t going to tell them anything. It wasn’t any of their business and it was bad enough with the teachers meddling. He didn’t need them getting involved on top of that.

“It’s none of your business,” Katsuki growled as he shoved Dunce Face’s arm off of him.

Thankfully the extras couldn’t ask him anymore annoying questions as they were busy getting food. Katsuki ordered the curry and requested it be extra spicy. Lunch Rush, who earned his name by making the best food in a timely fashion, seemed reluctant but did so anyways as he was never one to refuse someone food that made them happy. With food in hand, Katsuki left to find a table.

As was per usual, his extras followed and sat around him as he ate. Typically, Katsuki would just listen to them chatter and barking his own two cents in when he deemed it necessary. But today it was different. For one, Shitty Hair did join them but he was late and didn’t seem to want to look Katsuki in the eye. The redhead didn’t even really talk with the others and just quietly sat there eating his food. But now that he had joined them, the others brought the topic of his absence back up.

“So, what were you doing these last two weeks, Bakugou?” Tape Arms asked between bites.

“Yeah, what did they have you do during your suspension?” Pinky tagged on curiously.

Katsuki elected to not answer as he shoved another bit of blessedly spicy curry into his mouth.

“And who did you attack anyway?” Short Circuit pressed, smiling dumbly.

“And why?” the acidic girl added. “Even with your short fuse of a temper you should know fighting like that is a bad idea. Whoever it was must have really pissed you off.”

“Or not,” the black-haired teen countered with a smirk. “This is Bakugou we’re talking about. He explodes at anything and everything.”

“Ha! True, true,” Pikachu snickered. “I broke your pencil. Boom.”

“I ate your curry. Boom,” Pinky joked back with exploding hand movements.

“I looked you in the eye~,” Soy Sauce Face jeered as he stared into angry red eyes which narrowed in annoyance. But Katsuki refused to play along with their stupid game and merely scowled as he shoved more food in his mouth.

The lack of reaction still entertained them as they snickered at him. They proceeded to continue guessing what had set him off getting more and more ridiculous. It was obnoxious and annoying as fuck. Katsuki tried to ignore them but eventually their constant yammering became too fucking much.

“SHUT UP!” Katsuki snapped as he rose from his chair while banging his fists down on the table.

Dishes rattled and a tense silence fell over the table. The same effect spread as far as his raised voice had carried. Tables of other students stared in his direction curious as to what was going on. But just like the extras at his own table, those other extras had no business meddling in his business. The explosive blonde annoyingly used one of those stupid calming techniques he had learned from the mutt before speaking again.

“This is none of your business,” he growled as he glared at his fr…extras. “This is between me and Deku. So fuck off with your bullshit questions and annoying theories. I’m not answering shit.”

Three of his extras appeared to get it based on their fearful expressions however another did not. Racoon Eyes, Tape Dispenser, and Pikachu stared at him looking thoroughly intimidated and properly cowed by his ire. But Kirishima looked more disappointed rather than fearful. Seriously, what did that mean? Did he know? Because if he did, there was only one person who could have squealed.

Deku. It had to be fucking Deku.

Angry red eyes scoured the cafeteria and flared a burning rage at the sight of the Quirkless fucker. He fucking snitched and to one of Katsuki’s extras. Bet he told all of his shitty little friends too to turn them against him. Fine. So be it. Katsuki didn’t need friends. He didn’t need anybody. He was going to become the best Number One Hero in history and he would do it on his own. Starting now.

“Fuck this,” the explosive teen snarled before storming away from the table leaving the confused extras behind.

~~~

Eijirou watched as Bakugou left, too conflicted to say or do anything. Now that he knew the angry blonde had been a bully, he couldn’t help but notice the signs. In hindsight it was obvious. Bakugou was always so sure of himself and had little to no restraint. Quick to act with no regard to the consequences of his actions. Having no qualms to use his strong Quirk to overpower others and believing he was better than everyone. He had even declared as much during his speech sounding so confident in himself.

That didn’t happen of course with Izuku beating them all. Proving that you didn’t need a Quirk to fight, just the proper tools for the given situation. And that sometimes those tools weren’t tools at all but fighting skills you could wield with your own two fists. Eijirou found it inspiring actually. Maybe he should learn more about hand-to-hand fighting since it would pair well with his Hardening Quirk.

But Bakugou was someone who felt a lot of pride in his Quirk. Who saw others as beneath him and probably judged everyone by their Quirks. And with Izuku being Quirkless…it did not paint a pretty picture. Eijirou could only imagine what his friend had gone through growing up and the truth was probably worse. It made him feel protective of the greenet even though he knew the other boy could protect himself. No one messes with his friends, not even if they too were one of them.

Eijirou seriously didn’t know what to do. He wanted to be friends with both of them but also couldn’t see himself being friends with a bully. The other three had no idea how bad the situation was as they sat there theorizing who this Deku was. It was a name the explosive blonde let slip when he snapped and Eijirou knew that it was Izuku who he attacked, so he could easily guess Deku was a mean nickname for him. Calling someone ‘useless’ like that? Not cool, bro.

Maybe he needed time to think about how he wanted to handle this situation. It was clear that Bakugou was as stubborn as ever and wasn’t going to budge any time soon. This might give him the space to think things through and decide what he wanted to do. Stay friends or not? Eijirou didn’t know all that Bakugou was given as consequences but he hoped some form of therapy was involved. And if it was, hopefully with more sessions under his belt, the blonde would learn to calm the heck down.

Yeah, time was what he needed. Think and feel things out. That’s what his parents had taught him growing up. That not all decisions came quickly and sometimes you needed to take your time to decide what to do. That it was okay to take all the time you needed so that when you did make a decision, you would know it was the right one for you.

Eijirou quietly finished his lunch as his friends chatted around him. They expressed their concerns for him through questions shot his way, but he assured them with modest answers that he was just tired. Which to an extent was true. This whole situation was mentally and emotionally exhausting and probably would be for a while. But Eijirou was going to suck it up and handle this as he always did. Plus ultra and with a chivalrous manly heart.

Notes:

Again, Katsuki is so freaking hard to write. Especially now because he's so conflicted over everything. Constantly going back and forth on his thoughts and opinions. A mentally exhausting lil' firecracker. But now that his therapy is starting to take root, I'm hoping his povs will get easier to write as the story goes.

Thanks again for those who gave suggestions and ideas for Katsuki's consequences and reactions and such. Super helpful for sure. ;) There are other ideas that I really liked but didn't fit into the start of his redemption arc. But I have them noted for when they would best fit into the story.

So I finagled Best Jeanist in there in a way that hopefully isn't too forced. In canon, he plays a part in Katsuki's *cough* subpar and almost non-existent *cough* redemption arc as well as his Hero name. Which he doesn't have yet in BC because reasons. But in canon, there comes a point that the lessons from Best Jeanist affect him and I'd like to include that in some way.

For the id, ego, and superego bit. Please let me know if I messed up there. I did take a semester of psychology in college but it's been a while so I could be wrong on things. Just relying on what I could remember with the help of the internet. :P

That's all for this update! Then next time we're going back to Izuku's pov which I am super grateful for. Such a breath of fresh air after all this explosive conflicting angst. Got lunch time fluff and bonding and then we're off to All Might's post internship assessment! ^_____^ Until then stay awesome, report those typos/weirdness, and have a great day!

Chapter 49: Leap Into Action

Notes:

Heyo, dear readers! This update we're back in Izuku's pov which I'm so happy about. Katsuki's just...hurts. Necessary according to my brain but still rough to get through. But! We've got some fluff to balance that out this chapter and Izuku being awesome. ;)

Warning for teasing this chapter. It's kind of sprinkled in here and there but I'll point out the bigger chunks. From "Doing alright there..." to "I can see that..". In that chunk there are some parts that aren't teasing and pertain to a certain green bean's feelings but I'll let you read at your on discretion. Another is at "That's quite the..." but it's not too bad to me. Just in case though.

Formatting:
"Hitoshi doing impressions without his Quirk."

Linktree to all the things!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

It was hard to miss Bakugou’s outburst and then him storming off in the busy cafeteria. The chattering students were loud as they socialized and ate, but like Izuku many eyes had been drawn to the commotion. Green eyes watched the angry blonde leave for a moment before looking back at the group of friends he had left behind. Ashido, Kaminari, and Sero were confused as to why he had left like that but quickly shrugged it off to continue eating. But Eijirou…his confusion was clearly different. To Izuku at least.

Out of the Bakusquad, Eijirou was probably the only one who knew pretty much what happened between them. The only one to know that Bakugou had been suspended for attacking him and had spent his years before UA as a bully. Izuku could see his conflicted feelings from his own table a short distance away.

Izuku still hoped that they would stay friends but he understood the decision was up to Eijirou. His conflicted expression didn’t bode well for his hope but maybe in time things would be better. He would just have to wait and see. Because Izuku very much believed that having actual friends would be helpful to Bakugou getting better. While he did have ‘friends’ in the past, they hadn’t been more than followers really. Going along with whatever the explosive blonde did and never helping him realize his bullying was bad. Their ‘friendship’ had only made both Bakugou’s and Izuku’s life worse.

It had only been two weeks and Bakugou was still explosive as ever. But Izuku did take note that all he had done was yell before storming off. No letting off of his Quirk or attempting any physical expressions of his anger other than slamming his fists on the table. To most that may seem the same as ever, but Izuku could tell even the subtlest of change in his childhood friend. It was small and the barest hint of progress, but it was progress none the lest.

The greenet smiled to himself as he turned back to his food. His usual group of lunch friends were chatting around him as they ate. A warm hand was placed on his knee and a quick squeeze drew his attention. The gentle touch brought a flush of pink to his cheeks as he turned to his special friend.

Green eyes peeked up to worried grey and blue. Those same eyes flickered to where Bakugou had stormed off then back to him with a questioning tilt of his head. Izuku couldn’t help but smile in appreciation for Shouto’s concern. He reached and placed his right hand down on his to give an assuring pat as he nodded. The taller boy twisted his hand to gently grasp the other as he threaded their fingers and then ran a thumb in silent support. They were so lost in their little moment that they didn’t realize they were caught by a certain teasing jerk face sitting on his other side.

“Doing alright there, Izuku?” Hitoshi asked suddenly making Izuku jump and withdraw his hand. Shouto simply put his hand back on his knee and gave one last squeeze before retreating to his own space.

Izuku turned to glare at his well-meaning but irritating instigator of a friend. The brainwasher waggled his eyebrows teasingly at the shorter boy who swatted at his arm. Hitoshi was such a jerk sometimes. He knew exactly what he was teasing him about. Shouto was different from his other friends. He wasn’t exactly included in their best friend group of three and yet he was at the same time. But Izuku didn’t think of him the same as he did his other friends either. He certainly didn’t look forward to spending time or sharing touches with any of them like he did with him.

Shouto was…special to him.

The greenet was slowly accepting that he did indeed have feelings for Shouto. That he…liked him. Gods, it was hard enough for him to admit it to himself. He didn’t need Hitoshi teasing him about it on top of that. No thank you, sir. Couldn’t his jerk of a friend just let him enjoy spending time with his friends without reminding him that he actually likes one of them as more than a friend? Was that too much to ask?

“I’m fine, Hitoshi,” Izuku answered with a hard tone, still glaring at his annoying best friend.

“I can see that,” the purple haired teen said, still giving him that teasing smirk and eyebrow wiggle. It earned him another smack on the arm.

"Oh my gosh,” Ochako gasped, drawing their attention to her across the table. “You got Mido to call you by your name without the honorific? What is your secret?"

"Oh, you know,” Hitoshi replied with a shrug. “Confessing my undying love and declaring him my brother from another mother. Worked like a charm."

That earned him yet another attack on his arm. They had a bonding moment, damn it!

"Really? That's it?” the brunette asked excitedly. “Do me, do me!"

"Wha?" Izuku shot back, confused.

"Come on, Izuku,” she pleaded with wide eyes. “Call me just Ochako. I could be your sister from another mister!"

"Oh, nice one,” Hitoshi interjected, giving her an approving fist bump which she returned with a grin.

"Same for me, Hero-kun!" Mei spoke up though she still continued to work on the baby she had snuck out of the studio. “Though I do like being called Mei-chan. Eh, whatever.”

“Me too,” Tsuyu said, which he shouldn’t be surprised because that’s what she had wanted from the beginning.

"Please stop hounding him,” Tenya ordered with a chop of his arm. “Izuku-kun may address us as he sees fit."

"Aw, come on, Tenya," Ochako pouted. “Don’t be such a party pooper.”

"It's alright, Tenya-kun,” Izuku said as the stern speedster prepared to counter. “I-if that's what they want."

The greenet steeled himself before turning to each girl as he said their name.

“Ochako.” She beamed with a happy giggle.

“Mei.” She grinned widely with a cackle.

“Tsu.” She smiled warmly closing her eyes contently.

Huh, guess it wasn’t so hard to call his friends by their first names alone.

"What about me?" a deep voice asked to his right that sent a shiver down his spine.

Or not.

The greenet turned his gaze to Shouto beside him and could only let out an, "Eh?"

"Will you call me by my first name alone?" his special friend asked, not wanting to be left out of this next level of friendship.

The blush that had calmed down came back in a flash. Izuku sputtered as Shouto gazed at him so earnestly. It took every ounce of courage he had to stutter out that single special word.

“Sh-Shouto.”

The subtle smile shined like the sun peeking through dark clouds. Fleeting but brightening up the world in its own way. It was reward enough for pushing past his comfort levels to see that smile.  One that Izuku returned ten-fold as he beamed at his special friend.

"That's quite the flirt game you've got there, Shouto,” Hitoshi chimed in, breaking yet another of their moments.

"Flirt game?" Shouto asked with a tilt of his head.

“Well, if you are indeed alright with it,” Tenya spoke up, interrupting Hitoshi’s teasing. “Then you may address me without an honorific as well if you wish. Or you may still continue to do so if that is what you are more comfortable with.”

“Thanks,” Izuku replied with a smile. “The same goes for you…Tenya.”

The warm look and use of just his first name brought a slight blush to the class president’s face. The others giggled at his reaction before returning to their food and chatting. Once the bell rang, they cleaned up and left as a group. Though he did have to convince Mei to go to class and not drop off a ‘present’ for Bakugou made special by her.

He was sure whatever it was had been made to show her ‘support’ of Izuku and most likely a form of retaliation towards his childhood bully. And he appreciated that support and protectiveness. Really, he did. But he much rather not see Mei get punished for going after Bakugou like that. He already had been given more than enough consequences for what he did to him. Becoming a guinea pig for his retaliatory mad inventor friend? It was too much and sided more on the lines of revenge.

Thankfully it didn’t take too much convincing and she was off to go work on her babies. The rest of them headed for Class 1-A together. Soon they filed in and took their seats across the room. Izuku did not look in Bakugou’s direction though he could feel those angry red eyes on him. Instead, he chose to turn his attention to another pair of red eyes that were full of conflict.

“Are you doing okay, Eijirou-kun?” Izuku asked quietly once he got to his hardening friend’s desk while the others continued to their own.

Eijirou jumped having not noticed him approach. He forced a toothy smile on his face and rubbed the back of his head as he replied, “Yeah, I’m doing fine, Izuku. Just…thinking.”

The greenet nodding figuring exactly what he was thinking about. He could still feel Bakugou’s eyes on him from the front but ignored him to focus on his friend.

“If you ever want to talk,” Izuku said with a kind smile. “I’m here for you. I know how…complicated this all is.”

“Yeah, it is,” Eijirou sighed before giving him a small but thankful look. “Thanks, man.”

Izuku gave a nod and a shoulder pat before going to his seat. As they sat waiting for the next period to begin, Izuku was practically vibrating in his seat. Heroics class was next. It would be his first one to attend as an actual Hero Course student since his transfer. His first week had been busy rebuilding his arsenal with Mei to prepare for the internship. So this would be the first time since the festival that his friends and classmates would be able to see what he could do. What a Quirkless Hero could do.

He was still nervous though. Heroics was taught by All Might and Izuku hadn’t interacted with him since their disaster of a meeting. How would the Hero react to him now? Would he still see Izuku as helpless without a Quirk after what he was credited doing in Hosu? Izuku defeating Stain alone wasn’t the truth but he did play his own part in the fight. Had been the one to ultimately end it twice by turning the Villain’s Quirk against him and eventually capturing him with his arm wrappings.

Izuku felt he more than proved he could become a Hero who was Quirkless. That he had what it took to make it in this world that had tried so hard to trip him up or push him down. Sometimes literally with his past issues with bullying, but UA was different. Here he could learn. Here he could thrive. Could become the kind of Hero he has always wanted to be. A Hero who helps people in any way he could.

From the start, All Might hadn’t believed in him. That a Quirkless Hero was even possible because he himself had been Quirkless before receiving One For All. Why? Because he didn’t even try to be one seeing it as impossible. All because the man’s own dream of being a Hero was so lofty that he was only able to achieve it through sheer luck of being given such a strong and heroic Quirk. Projecting himself onto the Quirkless teen who had desperately asked the Number One Hero if he himself could be a Hero. And he had said no more than once. On that roof a year ago and again when he had offered to give him his Quirk to be a ‘Hero like him’.

But Izuku refused to let his repeated rejections hold him down. Chizome had helped him move past the first and the support of his mentors, mother, and friends helped him through the second. Especially Aizawa who had always been in his corner since the first time they had met. The strict Hero teacher kicked students out of his class at the drop of a hat if he didn’t see potential in them. All in the effort of protecting them from themselves because he didn’t want them to fall prey to the dangers of Hero work as his friend had.

This same Hero saw potential in Izuku. Had offered to train Hitoshi and him seeing himself in the two aspiring Heroes who had slipped through the cracks of the biased system. Had understood the value of his analysis to introduce him to Nezu. Had come to his aid when Izuku had needed him during the festival then again after All Might’s insult of an offer. Aizawa believed in him and saw the Hero he could be same as Chizome did. Their opinions mattered more to Izuku than Yagi’s hypocritical one ever would.

The sound of the door opening broke him from his thoughts. The sight of All Might in his golden age suit walking through the door caused Izuku to tense up, but he felt immediate relief when Aizawa followed soon after. But why was he there too? All Might was the Heroics teacher, not Aizawa. Unless…

“Grab your suits,” their homeroom teacher ordered before the other Hero could say a word. “We’re going to train at Field Gamma. Get ready.”

Huh, I guess Aizawa-sensei is teaching our class too today.

With that, the tired man left sending a sharp look towards the Symbol of Peace who followed him out. Many of the students shared confused glances before getting up to grab their gear. Izuku got up as well and glanced inside his box to see his suit and gear all inside. Good, that would save him a trip to the Support studio and subsequently not get delayed by Mei trying to show him her newest baby. He loved her but come on, it’s Hero training time.

They all headed to the changing rooms and Izuku set his box next to Hitoshi’s. Since they were the two newest additions to 1-A their lockers were next to each other. The greenet couldn’t help but find his eyes drawn to a head of red and white only to quickly turn away when the other boy started taking off his shirt. He pointedly ignored the teasing look Hitoshi was giving him and instead focused on his box.

Izuku smiled as he caressed the outside of the special case for his Hero costume. It was different from the box he had for his Support Items for the festival. Yes, he had opened it before to don the outfit for the internships but this was different. It was his first time in actual Hero training as a student in the Hero Course. Being in class and going on the internships did make his dream feel more real, but this time he wouldn’t be just observing the Hero training. This time he would be participating alongside other aspiring Heroes as an equal.

With a pleased sigh, he opened the box and started to get dressed. The company had done a great job cleaning all the blood off his gear. Izuku did his best not to get distracted by the fact that the last time he had worn it had been in Hosu after capturing Stain. Forcing his attention on getting each piece of his costume just right from his goggles down to his Jet shoes. However, he couldn’t help but pause as he got to the bottom of the box where two new additions laid. The folded knife with an S carved on it laying on top of the cleaned and pressed red scarf.

Izuku carefully reached out and picked up the knife but didn’t open it. Aizawa had said he could keep it as a way to remember Chizome by and that he would teach him how to use it. Not that Izuku planned on using it much because knives didn’t really appeal to him as a weapon as much as his Support Items. But it would be a good skill to have in case he ever needed it.

“Wow, is that the Hero Killer’s scarf?” a bubbly electrifying voice asked suddenly.

The Quirkless teen fumbled with the closed knife in his hand before quickly shoving it in his belt.

“Um, y-yeah, it is,” Izuku replied nervously as he turned to a curious Kaminari.

“Woah, seriously?” Sero exclaimed as he came over to look half dressed.

Some of the other boys also started to crowd him as he took the scarf out of the box. It too had been cleaned of blood and it looked like they had trimmed the rattier parts away. He wasn’t really listening as the other boys oohed and aahed over his ‘prize’. He was more lost in thought of what he should do with the scarf. Should he just keep it in the box or should he wear it with his suit? It wasn’t really functional like the rest but maybe he could allow himself to have this one piece just for aesthetics’ sake? A reminder of the man who first believed in him and as a sort of promise to always be the true Hero that Chizome had seen in him.

Tenya, being the responsible class president, reminded them they mustn’t be late and thankfully they scattered. Hitoshi asked if he was alright and Izuku said he was before he gave himself an affirming nod. The greenet secured his fire mask over his mouth and then loosely wrapped the blood red scarf around his neck which funny enough matched the other red parts of his suit. Thankfully with the rough edges trimmed off it was less likely to catch on something. And if it ever did, he now had a knife to cut himself free if he needed.

Thanks, Chizome.

Once he was done, Izuku lowered his mask to rest it on the scarf. The extra material gave his shoulders more of a cushion which was nice. Satisfied, the Quirkless teen closed his box and walked over to the mirror to check out his altered look. The scarf did add an interesting effect to his appearance. The scarf had been trimmed shorter and he had it wrapped around enough that it sort of looked like a short slightly ragged red cape.

Interesting.

A growl drew green eyes to contrasting red ones glaring at him through the reflection. Izuku didn’t look away and pointedly kept eye contact showing no fear. However, he did get distracted by something on the blonde’s chest making his eyes look down in intrigue at a certain element of his Hero costume design.

Huh.

“Hey, Hitoshi?” Izuku called out to his friend.

“What’s up, Izuku?” Hitoshi asked as he joined the shorter boy at the mirror with a look of concern.

“Look,” was all the greenet said still staring at Bakugou.

Purple eyes followed green to almost meet red only to get distracted by orange. Specifically, a bright orange X design that was part of Bakugou’s outfit. Matching unintentionally to Hitoshi and Izuku who also had Xs on their own but in black instead. Huh, maybe he had subconsciously included it in his design since even though Bakugou was his bully, Izuku still thought he could be a Hero. Possibly associated the design element as heroic because of that and using it himself which Hitoshi copied.

Wow, therapy has me analyzing myself.

“Huh,” Hitoshi said, breaking him from his thoughts. “Didn’t expect that.” The brainwasher raised an eyebrow in surprise before his expression turned serious as he met Izuku’s eyes in the mirror. “He can’t be part of the Batsu Boys with us.”

The greenet let out a snort at Mei’s nickname for them.

“No, he can’t,” Izuku giggled looking away from Bakugou who was still glaring at him but looked confused as well.

Ignoring the blonde and seeing that Hitoshi and Shouto were also ready the three friends left the changing room together. Eijirou had already left and they did intend to wait for Tenya but he insisted on staying behind to make sure everyone finished changing quickly. As diligent a class president as ever. The three boys walked along and met up with Ochako and Tsuyu as they headed to Field Gamma. As they went, a voice called out to them.

“Yo, guys, wait up!” Kaminari said running to catch up with them. Sero and Ashido not far behind while the rest of the class trailed behind them. “You’ve got some pretty sweet costumes.”

“Thanks!” Izuku replied with a bright smile while Hitoshi merely nodded his own.

“You looked really cool on TV when you captured Stain,” the electric blonde said excitedly. “But it looks even cooler now that you have his scarf.”

“Yeah, it’s like badge of honor for defeating him,” Ashido chimed in and the others nodded at his impressive victory.

But it hadn’t been all his victory. Izuku hadn’t fought him alone. Tenya, Hitoshi, and Shouto had been there too. He hated having all the credit because it wasn’t the whole truth. But Izuku had agreed to this and couldn’t go against the agreed upon story. Instead, he sucked it up as he scratched the back of his head and just nodded in reluctant agreement with a forced smile.

“Shinsou looks like a purple version of Aizawa-sensei,” Sero commented, earning snickers from everyone except Hitoshi who decided to hide his embarrassed blush by putting on his mask.

“Purple Minizawa,” Izuku teased as a little payback.

Hitoshi glared at him as he made some adjustments to his mask before replying in a perfect copy of Aizawa’s voice, “Shut it, problem child.”

“Wow, that was a dead-on impression,” Sero grinned.

“Oh yeah, you guys interned with Aizawa-sensei, right?” Kaminari asked. “What was that like?”

“That’s right!” Ashido chirped, clapping her hands together. “Does he live in his sleeping bag or does he actually have a house?”

“Or is he secretly a vampire?” Sero asked jokingly. “Living in a mausoleum full of skulls and sleeping in a coffin.”

“That certainly would be a mad banquet of darkness,” Tokoyami spoke up from not that far behind them with Dark Shadow nodding beside him.

Izuku smiled at the spirit as the others continued theorizing what their homeroom teacher’s life was like out of school. Dark Shadow looked to Tokoyami for permission before extending forward to greet the Quirkless teen. Izuku happily pet the living shadow though he couldn’t feel the static buzz through his gloves. Satisfied for now, Dark Shadow retreated back to the bird headed boy who quietly chastised his Quirk who merely chattered cheerfully about the greenet. Adorable and what an interesting Quirk relationship.

“Unfortunately, we’ve been sworn to secrecy,” Izuku said ending their brainstorming session.

“Under threat of death and secret body disposal,” Hitoshi added on completely deadpan.

“That is correct,” a gruff voice confirmed as they had made it in front of the teachers. “Now stop snooping into my personal life.”

Those within earshot paled at his words except for Hitoshi and Izuku who both rolled their eyes. Shouto didn’t react much though he did quirk an eyebrow most likely coming up with another conspiracy. Like they needed any more of his crazy theories. Though one had sort of come true now that Hitoshi was being fostered by the tired man. But that would be up to the purple haired teen to reveal. Ugh, when he did Shouto was going to be absolutely ridiculous, he just knew it. What was he going to do with him?

‘You could date him.’

Stop that, Izuku chastised his own mind for bring up Aizawa’s teasingly given advice.

He had just started to accept he had feelings for Shouto. No way was he ready to act on them if he ever did. Izuku didn’t even know how Shouto felt about him. They were both touch-starved from their own isolated childhoods. It was possible that was all Shouto wanted or needed from him. Physical contact and nothing more. Which was fine as long as they could still share those together. Being close to him would be enough.

“Now that you’re all here,” Aizawa said eyeing the last of 1-A to show up. “We can get started. All Might?”

The Erasure Hero gave a stern look and nod to the Number One Hero to take the lead. Izuku realized his role was to observe rather than teach. Does that mean they were actually addressing Yagi’s terrible teaching skills? Thank the gods if they were because the older Hero seriously needed to up his teaching game.

“Yes…right,” All Might said, tone nervous for only a moment before he turned on his Hero charm. “Today we will be conducting a little race. Be sure to use what you learned from your internships and apply it to today’s rescue training.”

“Before you ask,” Aizawa spoke out having spotted Tenya’s arm itching to shoot up in question. “While this is rescue training, it will be different to what we train at the USJ. That facility is for disaster scenarios specifically.”

“That is correct,” the blonde Hero agreed with a nod. “Today however we shall be working here in Field Gamma. Designed to be an intricate labyrinth of factories, so good luck to you all to find your way in this race. Five students will compete at a time. Each student will have a different starting point on the outskirts of the field. I will be…”

We will be,” the Erasure Hero corrected.

“We will be somewhere in the maze,” All Might continued with the correction. “Then I will send out a distress signal and you may do whatever you must to rescue us. First to find us wins!”

“But be mindful to keep the property damage to a minimum,” Aizawa tacked on pointedly looking at Bakugou who scoffed but begrudgingly nodded.

“Now for the groups!” All Might said as he pulled up a projected display.

Rescue Training Race:

Group 1: Ashido, Iida, Ojirou, Midoriya, Sero

Group 2: Asui, Kirishima, Shouji, Hagakure, Shinsou

Group 3: Aoyama, Uraraka, Kouda, Bakugou, Satou

Group 4: Kaminari, Jirou, Tokoyami, Todoroki, Yaoyorozu

Izuku let out a sigh of relief that neither Hitoshi or he were paired with Bakugou even though he knew Aizawa wouldn’t have stood for that anyway. But still it was a weight off his shoulders none the less. The Quirkless teen looked at who was in his group and started to take stock of what he knew about them. Quirks, abilities, strengths, and weaknesses. Anything that would affect this race and how he himself could get there first.

The most useful Support Items he had for this race were his Jet shoes and arm wrappings. The rest like his electrified rods, bombs, and fire mask wouldn’t help with his mobility. His goggles though…they may be useful. The greenet reached into one of his belt pockets and fingered a small black dot. Maybe if he could just…

“Group 1, you’re up!” All Might announced boisterous as ever.

Well, I could at least try.

Izuku followed after the other four as they headed into Field Gamma. The Quirkless teen ‘accidentally’ ran into All Might and discreetly placed the small tracker on the Hero before apologizing. Well, maybe not as discreetly as he thought as Aizawa raised an eyebrow at him as he passed. But the skilled Underground Hero said nothing and only lowered his head a bit into his scarf as the smallest sign of approval. The greenet shot him an impish grin before entering the labyrinth himself.

They were given time to get to their starting points. Izuku found himself on top of a metal tower with some time to spare. Perfect. It was just enough for him to prepare the tracking feature on his goggles. Then when the race began, he would activate it and receive signals and get directions to exactly where All Might was. Once he was done, he fixed his mask on his face and readied himself to run.

“IF EVERYONE IS READY,” All Might’s voice boomed over the fake city. “ON YOUR MARKS…BEGIN!”

With a press of a button, Izuku’s goggles zeroed in on the Number One Hero’s location already providing him with directions to his target. He activated his Jet shoes as he shot out his arm wrappings and launched himself into the sky.

The feel of the wind in his hair and the quirky pull of gravity was exhilarating. Still scary because one wrong move, one misstep could be dangerous. But Izuku followed his instincts and let the thrill of the chase drive him toward his target. His technique was a little shaky at first. Izuku had only just learned how to use his arm wrappings as grappling devices, but with each passing swing he felt more comfortable with the new form of travel.

His Support Items gave him a major boost to his mobility. Able to rise above the maze below to traverse the space as directly as possible. Unlike Tenya who was limited to the ground as his Quirk worked best in wide flat spaces. Engine was not as helpful when it came to jumping from surface to surface. Not right now at least but Izuku wondered if a form of free running could be combined with Tenya’s Quirk.

His other opponents had abilities that were not as restricting. He could see Ashido sliding along pipes with her acid and her agility allowed her to easily trapeze from pipe to pipe. Ojirou was using his tail to propel himself further forward than a regular jump. He also used it to hang and swing himself along like a monkey even though his tail was more reminiscent of a kangaroo. But out of all of them this round, Sero was his biggest rival.

Speaking of, said tape wielding teen was enacting a similar strategy as Izuku was. Shooting out his tape to swing and propel himself to bypass the maze as well. They were most likely neck and neck for first. The competition only pushed him to try harder.

“Copying me again, Midoriya?!” Sero joked loudly as they both soared through the air.

“What can I say?!” Izuku replied gleefully. “I like your style!”

They were evenly matched with Sero’s Tape and his arm wrappings. If that alone would be the deciding factor, they would probably tie. But Izuku wasn’t just limited to one tool in his belt. He shot his classmate a masked grin before releasing a boost from his Jet shoes that shot him into first. Their match ended with Izuku the winner and Sero right behind him. The taller teen took his loss well and high fived the Quirkless teen in congratulations.

All Might had his typical Hero smile so Izuku couldn’t tell how he felt about his win. But he did see the underlying pride showing in Aizawa’s eyes and that was enough for him. As they waited, Izuku adjusted his goggles and mask to talk and get to know Sero better, learning he loved healthy food especially oranges and soy products. Once the others made it to the proverbial finish line, the Number One Hero presented the Quirkless teen with a congratulatory sash that read ‘Thank you for your help!’.

“Thank you, Hero! And congratulations!” All Might praised though Izuku still couldn’t tell if he meant it or if it was just his forced Hero exuberance.

But the Quirkless teen accepted the sash regardless because he knew he had earned his win. Aizawa snuck a picture of Izuku smiling as his classmates congratulated him. He knew that his husband as well as the kid’s mother would be pleased to see him so happy. Already thriving in the competitive and rigorous Hero Course. He would make a fine Hero one day.

Group 1 was excused and the other students made to leave so that the next round could begin. Izuku turned to leave as well after returning the sash to All Might, but was stopped when the Hero called out to him.

“Young Midoriya,” Yagi said, making the teen pause and turn back to him. Next to him Aizawa was watching the buff blonde like a hawk and Izuku was sure the man could feel it. “Aizawa, with your permission and with your attendance if you see fit, I’d like to meet with young Midoriya after school. I want to…apologize to him.”

Izuku gawked at the Number One Hero in shock while Aizawa’s eyes widened slightly for a moment. But then the homeroom teacher gaze turned calculating as he assessed the man before him. All Might’s smile remained but there was an underlying seriousness showing through his furrowed brows.

Aizawa let out a sigh and said, “It’s up to you, kid.”

The greenet gulped and did his own search of his childhood idol. He found it hard to trust that smile anymore that inspired him as a boy. Behind it was a hypocrite who was born Quirkless same as him, but had never tried to put in the same effort as Izuku did to become a Hero. Instead, he relied on a gifted Quirk that belonged in a world of fairy tales. But the Quirkless teen knew that real life wasn’t fair and he couldn’t rely on miracles. He had to fight for what he wanted and he had always been willing to do just that.

But Yagi said he wanted to apologize to him and he offered to have Aizawa there as well. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad? Izuku knew Aizawa was in his corner and would come to his aid no matter what. He knew all that had happened with their meeting and subsequent history. He would protect and support the Quirkless teen regardless of if All Might would actually apologize or not.

With a steadying breath, green eyes locked onto tired black as he said, “If you’re there…okay.”

Notes:

Izuku wins his round of All Might's assessment test! :D I did do a random number generator thing similar to the Battle Training for 1-B back in part one for this. Not as intense of research since we're more familiar with 1-A's quirks and skills. But in the show we really only get to see Izuku's round. Which of course he's going to be a badass and win. Take that, Dumb Might! Anyway, we'll get to see the rest of 1-A's assessments next chapter. Let's give everyone their due.

Eijirou is conflicted and Izuku knows that. It's going to take time for everyone to sort through all this mess. But at least our resident sunshine rock boy knows he has someone he can talk to. Yay support from friends!

We've got an update to Izuku's costume! And guess what? It comes with a new drawing! :D Which has been posted to the tumblr here. Also sh-sh-shout out to Remember123 for pointing out that Izuku and Hitoshi both have an X on their hero costume similar to Bakugou in a previous chapter. I did not realize this myself but it's so true. XD Anyway, this at least has Bakugou's initial reaction to it but it may pop up later in a future Katsuki pov. We'll see. :P

So. All Might wants to apologize. We'll see how that goes. But you can at least rest assured that Izuku won't be alone with him. Aizawa, as always, has his back.

Fun Facts About Japan:

This is more of a grammar one about the congratulatory sash that All Might gives the winners. The sash reads 助けてくれてありがとう ( たすけてくれてありがとう , tasuketekurete arigatou) when Sero wins in canon. It uses the verb tasukeru ( 助ける , たすける ) meaning 'to help/save/rescue/assist' etc. and conjugates it into it's て (te) form. て form helps link phrases, asking people to do something for you, and just so many other applications that are too many to list here. But anyway, 助けて is joined with くれて (kurete) which is くれる (kureru) in its て form and means 'to give/let one have/do something for someone' essentially. くれる is used to express that you as the speaker are receiving an action from another. You can use it with other verbs with "Verb + て + くれる" in various conjugations which more just states that the speaker received the action like 'mom baked me cookies'. Or you could use "Verb + て + くれて" with the て form twice to express more of a sense of thanks like 'thanks mom for baking me cookies'. And then there's ありがとう (arigatou) tacked on for extra politeness. So essentially 助けてくれてありがとう means 'thanks for your help' or 'thanks for doing me the favor of helping me'. At least as far as I understand so if any of that is wrong, let me know. :)

That's all for this update! We've got the rest of the assessment groups next chapter and then All Might's apology. We'll just have to see how that goes. But again, Izuku will not be alone. Hobo man will not let anyone hurt his the kid. Anyhoo, thanks for reading and hope your year is going well so far! Let me know of typos/weirdness and have a great day!

Chapter 50: Contrition

Notes:

It is time! All Might's apology. How will it turn out? Read and find out! :D

Warning for mentions of suicide and canon suicide bating. No details though.

A reminder of the groups for the Rescue Training Race:
Group 1: Ashido, Iida, Ojirou, Midoriya, Sero
Group 2: Asui, Kirishima, Shouji, Hagakure, Shinsou
Group 3: Aoyama, Uraraka, Kouda, Bakugou, Satou
Group 4: Kaminari, Jirou, Tokoyami, Todoroki, Yaoyorozu

Linktree to all the things! This includes the discord, tumblr, and more! Join if you'd like! :D

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

“If you’re there…okay.”

The Underground Hero nodded then shooed Izuku away with a wave of his hand. The teen glanced once more at Yagi, still unsure how to feel, before heading back to the rest of the class. He passed by Group 2 as they entered the field and the greenet offered them an encouraging smile. Tsuyu and Shouji nodded in thanks, Hagakure flashed him a gloved peace sign, and Eijirou smashed his hardened fists together with a toothy grin. Hitoshi he shoulder checked and ran off before he could retaliate. Upon rejoining the others, many gave congratulations as he passed by to stand next to Shouto to watch the coming race.

Thankfully Bakugou was isolating himself in the back and only shot him a brief glare before returning to scowling at the big screen. The inventor couldn’t help but note his arms hung straight at his sides due to the bulky shape of his grenade-like bracers. They did not look at all comfortable and he wondered if there was a way to make the design more practical. Not that the explosive blonde would take any advice or criticism well because this was Bakugou after all. Though maybe with his therapy he could come to learn that such feedback could be helpful as well as critiquing. That it wasn’t all an insult to his ego.

But that was a matter for the future. Now it was time to observe his classmates and see how they had improved since the last training session he had observed. Izuku had an idea of who would win this round but was excited to see if his prediction was right. The others around him had their own theories and assumptions. They made good points and Yaoyorozu’s analysis was quite insightful. Not surprising as she had to be observant and critical for her fighting style and the use of her Quirk. Her turn in the race he looked particularly forward to wondering what sort of plan she would come up with.

Back to the match at hand, the students in Group 2 were all ready and All Might began the race. Hagakure and Eijirou were at a disadvantage since neither had a Quirk or skill that helped with mobility. Mainly sticking to running on the ground to get to their target. Shouji used his limbs in a similar fashion to Ojirou’s tail and Hitoshi was able to traverse the maze from above using his capture weapon like Izuku had his arm wrappings.

However, as he predicted, the winner was Tsuyu who leapt into first place. Her Frog Quirk enhanced her physical abilities. Longer jumps, her tongue being a great tether, and her ability to stick to walls ensured her footing. It came to no surprise to him when the fellow greenette made it to All Might and Aizawa first. She was a well-rounded fighter and was able to keep her cool even in stressful situations. Tsuyu was going to be great Hero one day.

Group 3 was next and while Izuku hated to admit it, he knew exactly who would win this round. At the start, Aoyama, Kouda, and Satou were at a similar disadvantage as Hagakure and Eijirou before them. Belly lasers could only take you so far and only used so many times before bringing discomfort. There were no animals to help traverse the labyrinth faster. And there wasn’t enough sugar to impact the strength of leg muscles to increase running speed in order to win.

Ochako made a good run for it. Negating the gravity of her costume so as not to be as weighed down. Only removing her own once she was close enough to the tower the Heroes stood on. Again, Izuku questioned the heeled design of her boots. If she had chosen to try and run along the pipes as others had, the heels could have affected her footing and cause her to fall.

But as always, Bakugou and his intense tenacity prevailed in the end. That and he could essentially fly propelling himself with his own explosions. Out of all of them he had the best mobility. Though, while he did win as predicted, the usual smugness was missing as he brushed off the victory sash offered by All Might.

Huh.

Last was Group 4’s turn. Shouto brushed their hands together and Izuku gave him a supportive smile. He would be a strong opponent in this race and would be a hard one to beat. Though, if Izuku was being honest, he had his bet on someone else in this race though it would be very close.

Again, there were two with less mobility. Neither Kaminari’s Eletricity nor Jirou’s Earphone Jack Quirks were helpful navigating the maze though the latter may have helped her hear more precisely where the Heroes were. Tokoyami was quite clever sending Dark Shadow ahead to scout the best route as he started to run. The phantom then returned and helped the Quirk host up off the ground, taking advantage of Dark Shadow’s defying of gravity to move from rooftop to rooftop.

Shouto was of course impressive with a giant glacier to get him to higher ground and then ice bridges thereafter. Izuku agreed that in this situation his ice was more useful though he wondered if Shouto could use his fire to propel himself forward faster. But the one that stole the show was Yaoyorozu. The others observing around him were confused as she zoomed on skates and a jet pack not towards All Might but in a seemingly random direction. But Izuku figured out her plan as she neared Shouto’s glacier.

She may have lost time getting to the frozen structure, but she made up for it by using it as a launching ramp. With her two creations, she shot up the ice even faster than Shouto had. Then once she was airborne, she created a sort of gliding apparatus to keep her up with the jet pack propelling her forward. As she soared through the air, she kicked off her skates before creating new shoes around her feet. Upon closing in on the target, she cut the power to her jet pack, trading her glider for a parachute and a grappling gun to direct her fall touching ground just before Shouto converged on her location.

Izuku watched his friend congratulate her on her win and then they conversed amicably while waiting for the others to finish. He knew they were childhood friends and that Shouto was trying to be more socially involved with her. It was good for him to have all the friends he could with his isolated childhood. Izuku knew what that felt like and how important it was to have friends.

With the races over, the Heroes and students reconvened. Aizawa informed them their performances would be reviewed and feedback would be given at a later time. All Might congratulated the winners once more as well as assured the rest that they did well in the exercise. Then the students were released to go change and return to class.

After the end of day meeting, most students prepared to go home for the day. Izuku still had that meeting with All Might and Aizawa as well as he hoped to have some time in the studio for a bit. Mei would be there anyway because she just couldn’t stay away from her babies for long. And he figured Hitoshi was staying since his guardians would be as they were teachers. Leaving Shouto of their inner friendship circle to go home alone.

Izuku didn’t like it. He was going back to that horrible household where his father basically treated him like property. Not a person, but a possession. One he believed he could use as he wished. But Shouto was more than his Quirk or the goals forced on him by Endeavor. He could make his own decisions for his future and his bastard of a dad had no say in it. Even if Shouto decided he didn’t want to be a Hero at all that would be his choice and no one else’s. Izuku knew that he would support his friend no matter what he chose to do with his life.

He hoped Nezu figured out a way to get Shouto out of that house as soon as possible. His friend was strong but one wrong move in his ‘training’ could turn things for the worst. Izuku just wanted him to be safe and happy. Neither of which he was in that house. At least Shouto knew he could always come to Izuku’s home if ever he needed.

Still worried for his friend, Izuku gave Shouto a big hug before they bid each other goodbye. Hitoshi walked with him to the teachers’ room as Izuku told him he had a meeting then would go to the studio after. The purple haired teen would go home with Aizawa and Yamada at the end of the day, but he would rather spend the time with his friends in the studio than wait alone in the classroom. However, there was no way he was going in there without Izuku as back up. Mei was a terror and Izuku was much better at tempering her baby craziness. For now, he would wait for the greenet in the teachers’ room until his meeting was over.

After a knock and greeting, Hitoshi and Izuku entered the room as various teachers were milling about doing their own thing. Working at their desks, filling out paperwork, making copies, etc. Hitoshi awkwardly looked around before heading to the couch. Izuku, used to the activity having visited the room daily, weaved his way across the room to return his tablet and notes to the locked cabinet. He then joined Hitoshi on the couch to wait for Aizawa. The tired man showed up as they were working on homework together.

“Problem child,” Aizawa called out earning both of their attentions, but his eyes were focused on Izuku. “Let’s get this over with.”

The greenet nodded and packed his stuff away but left his bag with Hitoshi as they headed out. He was nervous about this meeting as the last one had ended horribly. But with the comforting presence of the man beside him, Izuku felt that even if things didn’t go great, it would be okay in the end. That he wasn’t alone and had the support he had lacked growing up. That an adult, a Hero, cared.

~~~

Toshinori had messed up. While he still believed that Midoriya would be a perfect successor and that he would struggle rising in the ranks as a Quirkless Hero, he did admit that he had been insensitive. After the meeting turned argument, the Number One Hero had been left confused as to why his offer had been rejected. When Nana had made that same offer to him, he had accepted immediately. One For All had been a gift and gaining that Quirked power had allowed him to become the Symbol of Peace he had longed to be.

He had thought Midoriya had wanted the same but he had been wrong.

The boy had asked if he could be a ‘Hero like him’ without a Quirk all those months ago. But apparently, he didn’t aim for the top as Toshinori had and rather just a Hero in general. With this misunderstanding, the Hero had answered as he believed was best. Though hearing what else had happened that day before his rejection left him feeling guilty for being so blunt. He stood by his answer but he could have softened his words. However, he hadn’t as he had been too worried about his time limit and turning the Slime Villain in to the police.

The once Quirkless man had no idea that the treatment of the Quirkless had become so terrible. It was similar to when Quirks had first started manifesting when people were treated like pariahs. All because they had something that made them different from the majority. Now it seemed that the tables had turned with the Quirked outnumbering the Quirkless.

Back when Toshinori was younger, the view of the Quirkless hadn’t been the best, but he had experienced nothing as bad as Midoriya had. His twisted gut burned with guilt for having added to the Quirkless boy’s painful memories not just once by twice. Saying he couldn’t be a Hero like him without a Quirk and then offering him a Quirk that he didn’t want. Regardless that he had done so to protect the boy in both cases, he still could have handled those situations better.

When Midoriya had stormed off, Toshinori had been prepared to go after the boy but the sudden appearance of Aizawa had stopped him. Even though the younger Hero hadn’t said a word, the Symbol of Peace knew that from his scolding glare that he was to remain put to be handled with later. Even if he was the Number One Hero, there was a certain air around the Underground Hero that he was not to be crossed. And so Toshinori stayed.

As he had waited for the other teacher to return for their ‘talk’, he had been surprised in his nervous pacing at the sudden arrival of the principal. Nezu had let himself in and directed Toshinori where to sit as he prepared tea. He had tried to inform the mammal he was waiting to meet with Aizawa but the chimera simply let him know that he knew and they had sat there in awkward silence. At least awkward for him as Nezu kept himself busy with his tea and for some reason only had two cups instead of three. Making no movement to fill the other cup as they waited.

When Aizawa did return, his expression was one of anger though that lessened as those dark eyes had zeroed in on the principal. Toshinori had felt compelled to greet the younger Hero but had only managed a weak smile with the tension and awkwardness hanging in the air. At the time he hadn’t known why exactly, only that his offer had been turned down so fiercely and that he was going to have a ‘talk’ with his fellow teacher.

That talk…it had gone about as well as his meeting with Midoriya went. He had been relieved to hear that the boy was fine after running off, but that relief had been short lived. Toshinori had never meant to upset Midoriya as he apparently did. Never expected the offer of the gift that was One For All would force the teen to cry alone in a classroom. Never thought that their talk would have ended so badly.

Unfortunately, it had and resulted in his first chewing out by Aizawa and Nezu together. Both proved to be quite protected of the Quirkless boy and firmly believed that he could be a Hero. Which deep down Toshinori couldn’t deny was a small possibility with his win of the Sports Festival, but the odds were not in his favor. The acceptance of One For All would have ensured that future and provide the boy with a power to protect himself. But the others did not agree.

The fact that Nezu had cameras everywhere had been unexpected, but it at least explained as to why he was there. That he had seen that disaster of a meeting and knew all that they had discussed. Which was why he felt compelled, or rather forced, to retell all that had happened under the threat that if he didn’t then Nezu would do it for him.

With that hanging over his head, Toshinori had recounted the meeting that had turned out nothing as he had expected. Instead of acceptance, he had been met with rejection. A taste of what the boy had experienced all his life growing up Quirkless. Such a drastic escalation compared to his own childhood experience. One would think that would have motivated the Quirkless teen to easily accepted his Quirk and become his successor. Perhaps in another universe he did, but that was not what happened in this one.

‘You are a fucking idiot, All Might.’

Aizawa’s words had stung but he didn’t understand why exactly at the time. Still confused as to why Midoriya had refused his offer. To Toshinori it had made perfect sense and seemed like fate almost. He had been Quirkless once and now he had met a boy who was as well. One who shared his desires to help others as a Hero. But as he had learned, their goals for the kind of Hero they wanted to be differed drastically.

For as long as he could remember, Toshinori wanted to be a symbol of peace. To bring hope to the world that everything would be alright as long as he was there. That desire never went away despite him never developing a Quirk to help him reach that goal. Not until Nana found him and saw the Hero within. Offering her blessing of a Quirk that allowed him to become the Symbol of Peace he was today.

But Midoriya was different from him. It took some time to sink in but he was able to finally comprehend that difference. Not everyone aimed for the top like he had. Many did like Endeavor who was always one step behind him. The Number Two Hero was…intense and wasn’t someone All Might typically worked with. But Endeavor still did his job well and took down Villains with fiery force. Relying on his Hellfire Quirk instead of Support Items much like All Might and One For All.

Midoriya didn’t have a Quirk to fall back on when the going got tough and he had no Support Items to help him. That was what Toshinori had thought at the time and a part of his mind still clung on to it. Now he couldn’t help but admit he had been in the wrong. Something that should have happened after being yelled at by Aizawa and Nezu, but it wasn’t until he was chastised like a child by his friend Tsukauchi Naomasa that it finally did.

Naomasa wasn’t one to aggressively chew people out for messing up and causing harm. As a detective and key interviewer for his above-average powers of deduction as well as his Quirk, he was well trained in keeping his cool. But his tone was harsher than Toshinori had ever heard from him as the truth-seeking man expressed his disapproval and disappointment of his handling of the situation.

The blonde hadn’t been aware that Naomasa knew Midoriya but it turned out he had interviewed the boy after the incident in Hosu. He didn’t know how they got on the subject in relation to Hosu, but the boy had told the detective about the day they had first met. Their private chat over tea had turned into a lecture on how he had handled himself around the Quirkless boy. The detective’s words mirroring those said to him before.

“That was highly unprofessional of you, All Might,” Naomasa said, earning an ashamed look from the skeletal man with a hint of hurt from not addressing him by his first name. “As the Number One Hero, I would think you’d have known better.”

“I know, Naomasa,” Toshinori replied, letting out a dejected sigh. “In hindsight I did not handle the situation as I should have.”

“No, you didn’t,” the detective commented flatly because there was no point beating around the bush. “I know that you have issues with certain parts of Hero work like paperwork. That I understand and am perfectly fine helping you with it. But failing to give aide and support to an assault victim after the fact? Honestly, I’m shocked.”

The blonde stared down at his lap as a sour pang of guilt sprouted in his twisted gut. It had manifested when Aizawa and Nezu had confronted him after his failed meeting with Midoriya, but now coming from a friend it hurt more.

“There are protocols to be followed to ensure the safety of civilians,” Naomasa lectured. “Especially with a minor involved. Offering medical aide and assistance to the victim. Ensuring the child is supervised until returned to their parent and/or guardian. Making sure they are safe and healthy before leaving a scene. None of which you did that day.”

“I-I know,” Toshinori conceded, hunching his boney shoulders. “But at the time my limit was almost up and I had wanted to remove myself from the situation before exposing my secret. However, that failed to happen.”

“Being low on time for your bigger form is no excuse, All Might,” the detective asserted. “I’ve told you time and again that you need to be more mindful of your time limit. Ever since your fight against All For One, your limit has reduced significantly because you keep pushing yourself too far. Eventually there will come a time where you can no longer retain your other form. I know you always go Plus Ultra but you need to be more mindful of your health and energy.”

Toshinori couldn’t refute anything he had said so simply nodded in solemn acknowledgement. He knew his time in his buffed-up form was dwindling. Even after the USJ attack he had noticed his time had diminished from pushing himself past his limit while fighting that Nomu. As time went on, he had no doubt that his friend was right and he would no longer be able to transform at all.

It worried him what that would mean when it came to One For All. If he could no longer draw out that power, would the Quirk be able to be accessed at all? Would he even be able to pass One For All on to another or would it be forever locked up inside him because he had taken too long to find a successor? Midoriya had been his choice but the greenet didn’t want it. While Mirio, despite Mirai’s high recommendation, just didn’t seem as good of a fit as the Quirkless teen. After Midoriya’s rejection though, would Toshinori ever be able to find another worthy successor?

“You also need to be mindful of how you talk to civilians,” Naomasa continued. “As the Number One Hero and the Symbol of Peace, your words hold a lot of weight. Telling a child he can’t be a Hero and then leaving him on a roof? While also on the same day he was told to commit suicide before being attacked by a Villain? I’m sure I don’t need to say how badly that could have gone.”

Again, a bolt of guilt shot through him at the reminder. He tried not to think of what could have happened after he left. While also feeling grateful for that person who ran into the boy afterwards. Encouraging the Quirkless teen in a way All Might hadn’t and thereby cleaning up his mess unbeknownst to him until recently. If Toshinori ever met that person, he wished to apologize as well as thank them for doing what he could not. For failing in his role as the Number One Hero.

“I truly am sorry, Naomasa,” Toshinori insisted with sharply furrowed brows.

“I’m not the one you need to apologize to, Toshinori, Midoriya is,” Naomasa replied with a disappointed tone. “He’s been through a lot and has a lot of potential to be a good Hero even if it’s not the strongest like you. Need I remind you that the police by law don’t use their Quirks when confronting crime. How is a Quirkless Hero different?”

That was true and why Toshinori had suggested it as a more viable option for the boy that day. Police work wasn’t as glamorous as Hero work, but in the end, they were still helping people. But as he had been reminded, not all Heroes fought the same level of evil All Might did. That there was more than one kind of Hero out there.

“If you really want to make things right,” Naomasa stated as he stood up. “You’ll think about what you did and then apologize to the kid. The least you could do is make amends with him in any way you can.”

With that the detective left leaving Toshinori alone with his thoughts and his now cold cup of tea.

Toshinori had felt thoroughly chastised by his friend much the same way a child was by a parent. There had been no yelling or insult but rather a saddened and angry disappointment. It was clear the detective had gathered information and pieced together a picture that was not good. That Toshinori was his friend and a great Hero, but his words and behavior towards the Quirkless teen were unacceptable. He couldn’t help but agree. The skeletal man disliked that flair of sour guilt with every point brought up.  Ones difficult to hear but undeniably correct. After all, Tsukauchi Naomasa was a man of truth.

Saving the boy was good, but attempting to leave him without offering aid was bad. The list of his personal errors just grew from there. Bluntly rebuking his desire to be a Hero without a Quirk. Leaving him, a child, alone on a roof on the same day he had been told to jump off of one. Not that he had known that at the time but ignorance did not alleviate his misconduct. Especially after Naomasa had sent him a reminder of the grim statistics of the Quirkless.

It wasn’t as if he had forgotten or ignored the Quirkless. Though, now that Toshinori thought about it, he hadn’t mentioned much about the Quirkless in interviews and such. Speaking more on Quirks and hoping to inspire the next generation of Heroes because as Midoriya had said, society would fall without a new pillar to hold it up. Toshinori was that pillar currently but he wouldn’t always be. That was why it was imperative that he find the right person to become his successor.

Mirio was good but didn’t feel just right. It was still Midoriya who his mind was drawn to for that role. However, the Quirkless teen had not seen One For All as a gift as Toshinori had all those years ago. Instead, he had taken his offer as an insult to his hard work. The Number One Hero admitted that the boy had skill and the heart and could possibly make an adequate Hero in the lower ranks despite being Quirkless. But he would always be at a disadvantage and in constant danger of facing a Villain that would outmatch him.

This concern for him was part of the reason why Toshinori had offered One For All to him. Hero work was dangerous even with a Quirk and doing so without one was ill-advised. Or so the Hero had believed until he was made aware by Aizawa that not all Heroes use their Quirks for every situation. With Naomasa also providing a long list of Heroes who essentially fought Quirkless as their Quirks were either impractical for a specific situation and making up for that with the use of Support Items.

Eraserhead could only erase Quirks excluding mutant types and relied on his training and capture weapon to fight. Midnight had to be careful and conservative with her Quirk despite her risqué costume. Mandalay’s Quirk was just telepathy and the rest was her own built fighting skills. And the list went on and on. All having some kind of Support Item and/or additional skills to compensate where their Quirk would not help.

Personally, Toshinori didn’t use Support Items though he had tried in the past. His friend David Shield had designed a sort of armor that was supposed to help him release shots of pressurized air. But it just didn’t work well with his close-range fighting style becoming more of a hinderance than a help in a fight. The armor was bulky and because it had been designed to work with only 20-30% of his power it just kept breaking. So, he had decided to stop using it and instead relied on the physical strength One For All gave him.

Then there was Naomasa’s point that the police didn’t use Quirks either. Serving more as side support in Villain fights but still doing their part. It was similar to Midoriya’s Heroic intentions as he now understood them. Helping in any way he could but serving a more hands-on role than the police typically did. With his drive and the undeniable fact that other Heroes did actually fight Quirkless at times, there was potential for a Quirkless Hero to be possible.

With all that, Toshinori admitted he had been an idiot forgetting about the other Heroes and their varying skills below him. Perhaps he had been up in rank one for too long forgetting that all Heroes had their own styles of fighting and saving. Wasn’t that the point Midoriya had tried to make to him during their last meeting? Only for Toshinori to be too wrapped up in his own experiences and goals to listen. Solely focused on offering One For All and finally having a worthy successor.

Midoriya was still his top pick for the part. His mind and heart were stuck on the green haired Quirkless boy who wished to be a Hero. There was just something about him that drew the Symbol of Peace to him. He may not have a Quirk to help him in his Hero journey, but he certainly had the heart and conviction to be one. If only the universe had gifted him with a special ability to aid him in his path.

That had been another reason why he had offered the boy One For All. To Toshinori it was a gift. Given to him by his master to carry on and become part of a grand legacy. The history behind One For All was dark and there were some things he himself didn’t know about his Quirk. Though he did know who had possessed One For All before him and vague details of their Quirks. That One For All gave a sort of boost to their individual powers, but with Toshinori being Quirkless all the passed-on power had given to him was his overwhelming strength. He assumed something similar would happen if One For All was given to the boy, but he guessed he may never know.

Passing on One For All to Midoriya would have given the boy a better chance of being a Hero. He would have a natural power to protect himself and others with that no one could take away from him. Well other than All For One but if he was alive, One For All couldn’t be forcibly taken if the wielder was not willing. All Might certainly wouldn’t let that monster have his Quirk and he had believed that Midoriya would have been the same with his tenacity and conviction. But he had been wrong.

The boy had outright refused him much like how Toshinori had with him on that rooftop. Only it had been to say that he didn’t need a Quirk to be a Hero or at least not the kind he wanted to be. Bringing to light the misunderstanding between them. Both stubborn in their own beliefs leading to the anger fueled argument and subsequent storming off of the Quirkless teen. Ending their meeting in a way Toshinori had never imagined. Rejected and left with the answer of ‘no’.

I am such an idiot.

Toshinori couldn’t deny it. He messed up, forgetting that not all Heroes were like him. In a sense All Might was one of a kind as much as One For All was as a Quirk that could be passed on by choice. The other Pros below him had their own strengths and weaknesses. The latter they made up for with training or gear as needed. Even he had a weakness with his dwindling time limit.

There wasn’t much he could do to compensate for that other than be mindful of his time performing Hero duties. Something he had not done on the day of the USJ attack, but after being scolded by Midoriya, rebuked by Aizawa, chided by Naomasa, and deemed by Nezu as being a negligent teacher who needed to be observed, he knew he needed to do better. To better prioritize what was important and to allocate Hero work to others who could be just as effective as he would be. After all, All Might wasn’t the only Hero out there.

Take Eraserhead for example. Toshinori didn’t necessarily forget about Underground Heroes when he had given the boy his initial answer and then recent offer, but they weren’t exactly what came to mind when the topic of Heroes came up. But that was more because that wasn’t the kind of Hero he had wanted to become. Instead, he had aimed for the top and with One For All he had achieved that goal.

But much like Aizawa, Midoriya had no care for rankings. Just helping in any way he could. No want of attention and rather the safety of others. Toshinori could understand that to a certain extent, but he had always wanted to be the one people looked to for hope. Not for the attention being Number One brought him, but rather to give the people someone who just the thought of brought them comfort that everything was going to be alright. Unfortunately, while he had been that beaming light of hope and peace, as his health deteriorated so did his time as the Symbol of Peace dwindle.

Which was why he needed to find a successor who could uphold all that he had worked for. Because he believed that the world needed that beacon of hope for society to go on as it has since he rose through the rankings to Number One. All Might was the pillar that held this society up and while his was cracking as time passed, he was adamant to find another strong one to take his place. Midoriya had seemed the perfect fit for such a task, but the boy very clearly didn’t want it.

While his heart and mind still clung to the thought of passing One For All on to the Quirkless teen, as Nezu ordered he would have to leave that subject alone. Had to accept that they differed in opinion on the topic and not bring it up again. Which Toshinori did not intend to do for this meeting and only wanted to apologize for his callous words even though they had been said with good intentions. While they may not agree, at least he could apologize and bring comfort to the boy he had hurt unintentionally.

Toshinori busied himself with preparing tea for three as he waited for the other two to arrive. By the time there was a knock at the door, there were three steaming cups of tea waiting with more set aside for refills as needed. While he didn’t like tea as much as Nezu seemed to, Toshinori did find comfort in the basic green tea for its flavor and the memories it brought up of home and family. A comfort he hoped to extend to the teen in addition to his apology.

Sunken blue eyes looked up as the door opened to see apprehension in hesitant green. The boy was peaking behind the protective barrier that was Aizawa. The tired man quickly surveyed the room before stepping aside to usher the teen in. Midoriya looked to the black-haired man for reassurance and upon a simple prodding nod walked into the room with Aizawa not far behind as he closed the door and they both took their seats.

An awkward silence fell over the trio. It was much like the one he had experienced with Nezu while waiting for Aizawa to return. An air of uncertainty of how this talk would go surrounded them as none of them made a move to start. That was until Toshinori couldn’t take it anymore and broke the silence.

“Thank you for agreeing to meet with me,” the skeletal man said with a bow of his head. “Please, have some tea.”

The greenet mumbled a ‘thank you’ while the tired man said nothing as they both took hold of their respective cups. Toshinori took his own and willed the hot liquid to wash down his fears and instead fill him with soothing warmth. He could do this. If he could face the fiercest Villains, he could definitely apologize to a teenager. One he had hurt too many times and in too many ways than he had ever intended.

“Again, thank you for coming, young Midoriya,” Toshinori repeated, as he put down his tea. “It pains me that I have hurt you and brought you discomfort. That is the opposite of what I intended. I have always wanted to make others feel safe, including you, but it seems I was unsuccessful.”

From the corner of his sunken blue eyes he caught the deadpan look from Aizawa as if to say ‘unsuccessful? really?’ without saying a word. But he kept his eyes on the boy who glanced up at him briefly but otherwise kept his gaze on his cup. Clearly afraid to look the older Hero in the eye but still willing to sit there and hear what he had to say. It hurt to see that fear that he had unintentionally invoked with his callous words.

“My answer the day we first met was meant to keep you safe,” Toshinori continued solemnly. “However, as it has since been pointed out to me by multiple people, the way I handled that situation was abysmally poor and unbecoming of a Hero. That I failed to be the Hero you needed that day.”

Those green eyes that had been so full of desperation on the day he had asked the fateful question now hesitantly peeked up at him with the barest flicker of hope. Fleeting and threatening to be extinguished with a single wrong word, but All Might refused to fail the boy again.

“As you know I too was Quirkless before I was given my power,” the skeletal blonde said, earning a small nod in answer. “One For All allowed me to reach my own goals and I must admit I misconstrued my own aspirations for yours. A misunderstanding that led to an insensitive answer on my part. I apologize for being so harsh with you.”

That flicker of hope grew ever so brighter as green eyes stared at him. The cup he had been holding up as a sort of barrier and distraction slowly lowered to his lap. Still serving as a wall between them but appearing more open to hearing him out.

“I was not aware of the extent of how ill the Quirkless are treated now-a-days,” Toshinori stated, letting out a remorseful sigh. “I was ignorant to your situation and left you disheartened and unstable on a roof of all places. On the same day you were told to…”

The older Hero couldn’t finish the sentence as both he and the boy looked awkwardly away from each other. Not that he was dismissing what had been said to the Quirkless teen. It was just…he felt extreme guilty from just considering the ‘what if’s that could have played out after he had left that rooftop. The results could have been disastrous and it would have been his fault.

“I should not have left you like that, my boy,” he said, sharp brows furrowed in self-disappointment. “Nor should I have attempted to leave you after defeating the Slime Villain. You had been assaulted and I failed to offer you proper aid. Both times I was too focused on my time limit and failed in my duties as a Hero.”

The hesitation was slowly leaving the greenet’s face as he quietly sat there absorbing his words.

“I am grateful for that someone you mentioned who had encouraged you after I had left.”

This statement strangely initiating a questioning glance from the boy to his homeroom teacher. The exchange was silent with Aizawa answering the unspoken question with a shake of his head and nothing more. The greenet teen nodded before turning back to the shrunken form of All Might.

“At least they acted as your Hero more than I did,” Toshinori continued without comment on the odd exchange. If they said nothing then he didn’t need to know. “And whatever they said to you that day, you have certainly taken it to heart. The Sports Festival, Hosu, and even before UA with your selfless act to clean that beach. That altruistic task would be the sort of thing I myself would assign to help train one’s body while also providing service to the community. It was very commendable, my boy.”

The praise brought a blush to the teen’s freckled cheeks as a small embarrassed but pleased smile grew on his face. It brought a subtle proud smile to his own gaunt face for drawing out such an expression from the boy he had hurt.

“This also goes for your hard efforts during the Sports Festival to both advance as well as help your fellow students. Before I had callously devalued all you had done to create and train with your Support Items. I myself don’t use them as One For All is more than enough for me in a fight. However, I do admit I had forgotten that other Heroes use Support Items when their Quirks were not applicable.”

The skeletal man for the first time glanced over at the Underground Hero whose tired eyes widened ever so slightly at the acknowledgement. Aizawa offered an appreciative nod but nothing more. As always never a seeker of praise but Toshinori felt it was necessary to give the unspoken credit where it was due. Especially with how much the homeroom teacher clearly cared for his class and was even willing to put his life on the line for them as he had during the USJ attack.

The Number One Hero gave a nod in return before turning back to the boy as he said, “While I still believe that One For All could help you in your Hero journey…”

The Quirkless teen flinched at the mention of the man’s Quirk and that growing flame of hope dimmed. While next to him Aizawa glared in silent threat, but Toshinori wasn’t finished with what he wanted to say.

“…you proved me wrong by your actions in Hosu.”

The greenet stared at him wide eyed as a myriad of emotions crossed his face. Pride, gratitude, a flash of guilt, and ending on a somewhat somber acceptance of his praise. It was confusing as Toshinori didn’t know all of the details that happened that night. Not even Naomasa told him more than what was shared to the public citing that he wasn’t at liberty as it was an ongoing investigation.

At times the detective would share confidential information when he felt it necessary. Like the information on the Noumu and their suspicions that All For One was still alive. A troubling possibility that put even more pressure on Toshinori to find a successor. But unlike the Noumu, the case in regards to Stain was not under his purview of privileged information.

“While I do not know all that occurred in your altercation with Stain,” the Number One Hero said. “Your final recorded capture showed no hesitation to step into action as if your body moved on its own to do what needed to be done. A common thing in the stories of all the greatest Heroes no matter the ranking. It proved to me that I was wrong about you. That you can indeed become a Quirkless Hero.”

A hint of reverence mingled with the hope in those wide green eyes. It was the answer he had been hoping for from the beginning from the Number One Hero. The boy would never rank as high as him, but he could be a Hero regardless. Led by his Hero heart while using his trained skill and his gear to take down a Villain in a real fight. Through him, Toshinori learned that Quirkless did not necessarily mean defenseless.

“I was wrong, young Midoriya, I admit that now,” the Symbol of Peace conceded as he got up from his chair to kneel on the ground and bow deep to the boy. “I humbly ask for your forgiveness for my brash words and insensitive treatment towards you as a whole. I know it is up to you to accept my apology or not, but please know I regret what I have said and done and wish to atone for my past actions.”

Toshinori stayed in his position awaiting the Quirkless teen’s answer. Hoping for acceptance but mentally preparing himself for his rejection. It would be fitting for the boy to rebuff his attempt to apologize for the times he had rejected the other. A dose of karma for him failing in his Hero duties because he was too focused on his own troubles. The skeletal man forced himself to accept that outcome as the seconds ticked by until a quiet voice spoke.

“I…,” Midoriya let out and Toshinori was curious to see his expression but refused to rise to show his sincerity. “I’m not sure what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to,” Aizawa interjected.

“I know, but I just…I’m not used to people apologizing to me,” the boy confessed, sounding sad causing Toshinori to peek just enough to see his face while still bowed. Just enough to see the tears budding in his innocent green eyes. “Other than my mom, he’s the first to apologizes for not believing in me.”

That sour pang of guilt spiked in his twisted gut as sharp brows furrowed in remorse. To know that out of all those who hadn’t believed, only two have ever tried to make amends with the aspiring Quirkless Hero. It made him more determined to ensure the boy that he meant what he was saying in this moment.

“I assure you I regret what has been said in the past,” Toshinori insisted as he hunkered down even lower. “That I willingly admit I was wrong and that you do have the potential to be a Hero. I wish to right my wrongs and assist you in any way I can on your Hero journey if you would let me. And if that involves me not interfering then so be it. I always speak of encouraging the next generation of Heroes, it’s about time I put those words into actions.”

Once more a silence fell over the room as the Quirkless teen considered the situation. Whatever his decision was, Toshinori would abide by it. He had messed up in so many ways and things could have ended so much worse due to circumstances he had been ignorant of at the time. But in hindsight, he now knew that had that person not shown up after he had left, this boy’s life could have turned out drastically different than it was now. Or worse, it could have ended altogether.

It hurt to think about knowing what he did now of the other events of that had happened that day before they met. Toshinori now chastised himself for being so callous and inept in his Hero duties. He should have done better. To not fail to ensure the boy’s health and safety. To not say such careless words before leaving a child, a victim of a crime, behind on a roof. To not understand what kind of Hero the boy wanted to be and instead pushing his own ideals and burdens onto the Quirkless teen.

I will do better by him, I swear.

The wait was agony as well as a strain on his creaky bones from his crouched position on the floor. But Toshinori refused to show his discomfort as he continued to bow in penance. He needed to prove to Midoriya his sincerity by any means necessary. Hopefully it would pay off.

The sound of rustling broke the tense silence before Midoriya said, “I think…I mean, what you said to me hurt. A lot. And they still do and probably always will, but…I think I can accept your apology.”

Sunken blue eyes slowly looked up full of hope and surprise. He hadn’t expected the boy to accept his apology so soon or so easily. Not after the outburst at their last meeting. He hadn’t understood it at the time but after the scolding he had received from Nezu, Aizawa, and Naomasa, he took the time to realize how insulting his offer had been. Disregarding all of the boy’s own efforts all because he was Quirkless and not seeing his hard work for what it was.

But he could see Midoriya was being sincere even if there was still hesitation in his eyes. Green filled with a mixture of hope, determination, and sincerity despite that hint of uncertainty. How could this boy be so willing to forgive him so soon for all he had done? How could Midoriya be such a good person? Again, he would be so perfect as a successor but Toshinori forced that thought to the back of his mind. The boy had given his answer and he would respect his wishes.

“I may need some…time though,” the boy said, biting his lip nervously. “Like I said, what you said still hurts, but I really do appreciate you apologized. It means a lot, All Might.”

The Quirkless teen smiled at him with tears budding in his eyes. It wasn’t the biggest smile he had seen from the boy but it was a start. Enough to sooth Toshinori’s nerves that with this and future atonements, everything was going to be okay. The blonde gave his own small but sincere smile as well before giving one last bow and then moving to stand up.

The meeting had gone much better than he had expected. Things were still a bit rough between them and of course would take time to smooth down the edge between them. But as they say, time heals all wounds. Well, not really all like the one in his gnarled innards, but the emotions and hurt he caused would hopefully mend in time.

For now, Toshinori was willing to wait. He hated that he had hurt Midoriya so much with his words, but hoped with apologetic ones they could fix what he had broken. The boy’s trust in the Number One Hero. His trust in Yagi Toshinori. Midoriya may not be his successor but he would make a fine Hero where ever he ended up in the rankings. It was time to let open wounds heal and for Toshinori to move on in his search of successor. Each following their own goals and walking down their chosen paths. Because as he now knew, the world was filled with all kinds of Heroes.

There just had to be someone somewhere who would be just as good as Midoriya would have been. A person with a Hero’s heart and the drive to save others as he did. Toshinori would just have to keep looking. Hoping eventually that he would find the one before it was too late.

Notes:

All Might apologized!! :D I honestly wasn't sure how this meeting was going to turn out until I was fleshing out the chapter, but I'm happy with it! Yes, this is an All Might bashing fic of sorts, but more so that he's an idiot and not outright malicious. He's just an ignorant dumb dumb sometimes. And while this does fix their current relationship, there will be more Dumb Might moments in the future of this fic. Take that as you will. I will say no more on that. :P

So Toshinori admits he's wrong. I had fun figuring out Tsukauchi lecturing him so I hoped you liked that too. Now All Might's thoughts may seem to ramble and keep coming back to repeated topics. But to me it kind of reflects his mind trying to accept this new reality while still clinging to the desire to make Izuku the successor. It's something Toshinori is going to battle with for a while because Izuku just feels so right. Now for who will be the successor eventually I do have some ideas that I'm playing with but that is far in the future of this fic. But I'm always open to your ideas as to who and why! Again, not going to be addressed any time soon but still appreciated!

I hoped you liked the other groups' races! That's honestly how I would feel those races would go with those groups. Which were determined by random number generator. But of course there could be other outcomes as well. ^___^ Anyway, our winners are Izuku, Tsuyu, Bakugou, and Yaomomo!

Fun Facts About Japan:

Now I'm sure I covered bowing back in chapter 34 of part 1, but I thought I could go into the different types of bows as I understand them. In Japanese, bowing is ojigi ( お辞儀 , おじぎ ) and is associated with samurai and warrior etiquette. The name is derived from お時宜 which is a homophone that basically means 'to be timely/opportune time'. Nowadays bowing is a part of Japanese culture to show respect for the different social ranks. The type of bowing also depends on the situation between everyday greetins, business and other professional settings, and even funerals. Being able to bow correctly and eloquently is very important in Japanese society. To the point they will have training sessions as you grow older. Even I had such training when I first arrived in Japan. We had three days of orientation in Tokyo and one of the sessions was on how to bow properly.

There are basically two categories of bowing. There's zarei ( 座礼 , ざれい ) which is bowing while kneeling and then ritsurei ( 立礼 , りつれい ) which is bowing while standing. Both involve bending at the waist and keeping your back straight. If you don't, it can be seen as disrespectful and lazy. Both zarei and ritsurei have varying depths of bows depending on the level of respect you want to show. There are also various activities and situations where you will use a certain type of bow. Such as tea ceremony, funerals, kendo, and visiting shrines. You can find more on those here.

There ya have it! All Might has apologized and things in this AU are a little more right. But while Izuku's talk with Yagi is finished, let's just say Aizawa has something he wants to discuss with him. Nothing terrible! Rest assured. But there are certain things that need to be addressed before the school day is over. :) What exactly we'll find out next update! See ya then!

Chapter 51: An Ounce Of Prevention Is Worth A Pound Of Cure

Notes:

Heyo! It's update time! Let's find out what Aizawa wants to discuss with Izuku. ^___^ Nothing bad relatively speaking but it does have to deal with a punishment of sorts. You'll see. :P

Oh, as a heads up, I think we might be really close to the end of part 2. Like within the next couple of chapters because I figured out a really good stopping point that just fits so perfectly with this part and all the themes surrounding it. Just wanted to let you know so there's no freaking out like last time. :P But yeah, part 2 will be drawing to a close soon and part 3 will begin. How many parts will this AU be, who freaking knows? I certainly don't. We'll just have to wait and see!

Now let's get to the chapter!

Linktree to all the things!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Sensing that the meeting was over as Yagi got up from the ground, Izuku moved to stand up as well. Only for his homeroom teacher to speak up.

“Stay, Midoriya,” Aizawa ordered. “We have more to discuss.”

The teen looked owlishly at the tired man before sitting back down. Yagi’s blue eyes flickered between them wondering if he should stay as well, but Aizawa gave him a dismissive gesture and the skeletal man nodded before leaving the room. A bit of tension hung in the air as the Number One Hero closed the door but it quickly lessened as the tired man slumped back against the couch.

“Well, that wasn’t terrible,” Aizawa sighed running a hand down his face. “Better than I expected anyway.”

“Yeah, um, me too,” Izuku said, eyeing the Hero next to him with hesitant curiosity. “What was it you wanted to discuss?”

“Calm down, problem child, you’re not in trouble,” the man insisted, causing the boy to relax slightly. “Well, sort of. We need to discuss your detention for befriending a Villain and then siccing him on a Hero.”

Izuku flushed pink in embarrassment. He knew that some kind of consequence was in wait for him and that whatever it was would be with Aizawa. What would the strict homeroom teacher have him do? More hell training? Extreme exercise? Or chores like cleaning, organizing, or heavy lifting? Some sort of manual labor, right? Seemed Aizawa’s style.

“While typically I would involve some form of training to correct a student’s behavior,” Aizawa said, shutting down all of Izuku’s speculations. “For you, your case is…unique.”

Yeah, no kidding.

“As such, your detention will also have to be unique to your situation,” the tired man continued, piquing the teen’s interest though he still worried as he wondered what his teacher had come up with. “I did say that I would teach you how to wield a knife so you know how to use the one from Stain without hurting yourself. However, that is not actually part of your detention but rather an addition to your training.”

The greenet nodded as he listened to his teacher, grateful for the future lessons.

“The issue with you was that you came to know a Villain and told no one,” Aizawa stated, causing the boy to look down guiltily at his lap. “While I understand why you felt distrust because of your incompetent teachers in the past, you should know by now that as a Hero and your teacher that I, and even Nezu, would have believed you and helped you.”

The Quirkless teen couldn’t help the skeptical grimace that spread across his face. He knew that Aizawa had always had his back ever since they had first met. Nezu too once they were introduced. But would that really have extended to him saying ‘hey, so, I know Stain personally and know him as Chizome, what should I do with that’ out right? The way they had found out and didn’t arrest or expel him was still hard to believe. Finding out without him literally capturing the Hero Killer? The ‘what if’ for that situation didn’t seem to bode well, but he guessed he would never know.

“Kid, there’s nothing we can do about the past,” the Hero insisted as if he could read his thoughts. Or had he mumbled that out loud. “But in the future, let’s just say if you come in contact with a Villain, let us know, got it?”

Izuku gave a nod with a nervous smile. He highly doubted he would ever be personally involved with another Villain as much as he was with Chizome, but he would keep the rule in mind. After all, he did seem to attract Villains to him like a magnet what with the Sludge Villain, the Hero Killer, and there was also the League of Villains with Shigaraki showing interest in him. Why exactly he didn’t know but he very much hoped to not find out any time soon if at all. Nope. No, thank you. Getting close to one Villain was more enough for him.

“With that said, while you did only talk with Stain, we need to address the fact that you sent him after Endeavor,” Aizawa pressed on, tone stern but not overly harsh. “Fortunately, he only collected information upon your request, but I want to stress how serious that interaction could have become. He could have killed him which you opening acknowledged during your ‘talk’. That’s a serious criminal charge.”

The greenet cringed at the implication. He knew that telling the Hero Killer to look into Endeavor had been a risk though he had very much hoped and believed that Chizome wouldn’t. Turned out he had been right, thank the gods, but there had still been that possibility that he had willingly accepted. It’s just…Endeavor was a cruel man and a terrible father. He needs to be punished for all that he has done to his own family. Number Two ranking be damned. No one, not even a high-ranking Hero, was above the law.

“That being said, while I don’t condone what you did, his findings are proving useful,” the Hero revealed, making the teen look up at his with curious hope. “As Nezu said before, we started our own investigation after your mother brought up her concerns. I know you’re worried about Todoroki, we all are, and we are working on getting him out of that hellhole as soon as possible. The rat has a plan, but we’ll have to tread carefully.”

“Because he’s the Number Two Hero?” Izuku asked.

“Yes, unfortunately,” Aizawa answered with a tired sigh. “Our findings so far have trudged up a lot of cover ups and pay offs. Either with Endeavor’s own money and lawyers or with the help of the Hero Commission.”

Brows furrowed over green eyes. This was part of Hero society that Chizome and now he hated. The corruption and lies. Manipulating the story to put a poor excuse of a Hero in a better light. It was just wrong.

“They were not happy about you being given the credit for Stain’s capture since Endeavor was also confirmed to be there,” Aizawa revealed though it wasn’t much of a shock. “But with that recording and the release of the Hosu chief of police’s statement before they could meddle, there’s not much they can do about it. At least in regards to your involvement.”

“And Chizome’s?” Izuku asked. “He would never join the League but they’re still reporting that he could have.”

“Unfortunately, yes,” the man confirmed, not sugarcoating the situation. “I don’t know what they hope to gain with that. Connecting the Hero Killer to the League could result in unforeseen circumstances. Not to mention that video that’s been floating around. Who knows who will find inspiration or damnation in that thing.”

The greenet nodded at that. He had seen the video several times since it first popped up. The reactions to it were very mixed much like how society reacted to his capture of the Hero Killer. Like Kaminari had said earlier, many people saw Stain’s convictions and tenacity as ‘cool’ while others chastised his beliefs and methods. Izuku personally was in between the two sides. He accepted and even to a point embraced the Hero Killer’s views on Hero society, but no matter how corrupt a Hero was it didn’t warrant murder. There just had to be another less lethal way to address corruption.

“I believe you when you say that Stain wouldn’t join the League,” Aizawa said. “After listening to your recording, I did some digging with my contacts. Some of the Vigilantes I associate with confirmed that there was one going by the name Stendhal for a time. Only to disappear and then Stain made his appearance on the scene soon after. Seems he always aimed for the corrupt. Excessively violent in confronting it but other than that no other criminal enterprise.”

That was a relief. Izuku hadn’t necessarily thought that Chizome had committed other crimes besides attacking and killing those he saw as corrupt, but it was good to hear that was indeed the case. That Stain was not a hypocrite like those he targeted.

“There was one part in your recording that I wanted to address,” the tired man stated to which the teen tilted his head slightly in question as to what. “His comment on Vigilantism and the laws regarding Quirk use.”

Oh, that was right. It had been one of their playful banters between serious topics that night. Izuku had told the truth that he had never given much thought about Vigilantism. Perhaps a passing one when he was younger but as he grew up, he was set on becoming a Hero the right way. Only then could he show that a Quirkless Hero was possible and without breaking the law.

“There does seem to be a loophole that you could have exploited if you had gone down that path,” the Hero said. “The law does specifically state that Vigilantism is the unlawful use of a Quirk to perform the duties of a Hero. Though depending on how you could have fought, charges of assault and the use of a weapon could have applied. The law is not perfect but there’s no way to entirely beat the system.”

Izuku conceded with a nod that the man had a point. Again, that was part of why he hadn’t considered that path. Sure, he couldn’t have technically been charged with Vigilantism if he had because he had no Quirk to use. But even though his intention would have been to help and be his own kind of Hero, attacking others without the proper authority was not allowed. Which again was why he wanted to become a Hero the right way. Not to attack people but to have the permission to help others in any way he could. And if he had to fight the bad guys to do so then so be it, but he would do so legally.

“In Hosu, I gave you and Hitoshi permission to fight and defend,” Aizawa continued. “That is one of the main reasons we were able to handle the situation as we did. However, your other two classmates did not and as the chief said it could have required harsh punishments if they were given credit for their actions. The same could have applied to you and Hitoshi if I had not given you permission.”

He knew that. It still didn’t feel right to take all the credit for Stain’s capture, but he knew why they had to go that route. Hell, in another universe where they hadn’t had permission, they could have been charged as Vigilantes even though they were Hero students trying to save a friend. Or as the chief had suggested they could have given the credit to Endeavor to save the aspiring young Heroes’ asses. Untrue but it seemed the dog man had been adamant to find a way that didn’t get them into trouble for their ‘mistaken indiscretion’.

“To stress this fact to you as well as the rest of the problem children, my detention for you is this,” the teacher proclaimed. “You are to research the laws and the consequences of breaking those laws in regards to Vigilantism. Then you are to put together a presentation that you will present to both first year Hero Course classes. Maybe then we can get that into your thick teenage heads to not take the law into your own hands.”

Izuku gulped at the declared detention. A presentation? In front of both Hero course classes? Oh gods no. Sure he had spoken in front of both of them before but that was separately and just a quick introduction. But a whole presentation with them all together? Oh boy. This was going to be tough for him because he hated being the center of attention.

“O-okay, Aizawa-sensei,” Izuku replied with a gulp, really not wanting to but knowing he didn’t have much of a choice.

The tired man let out a sigh sensing his student’s discomfort. He knew that the boy wasn’t much one for attention and had interest in going Underground, but as of now it just wasn’t possible. This presentation would be good practice for addressing a larger crowd of people. A necessary skill to have as a limelight Hero. Some were just okay with it while others like his husband had a natural talent for it. The boy didn’t have to be as flamboyant as Present Mic, but some level of experience would help in the future.

“I will let you know how this detention will affect your schedule later,” the tired man said. “Are there any questions?”

“No, Aizawa-sensei,” the boy answered, before bring his hands together nervously. “At least not about the detention.”

A black brow quirked up in curiosity as the teacher said, “Shoot.”

“Um, I had a question I wanted to ask about being a Hero,” Izuku began, picking at his fingernails. “I, uh, I know that my current…media presence will be good to bring attention to those in my similar…situation. But I, uh, I don’t really care for the attention all that much.”

The tired man nodded in understanding. He too hated the media which was why he avoided it as much as possible. That kind of attention would not do well for his Hero work.

“I know that there’s nothing I can do about people knowing me as the Hero Edge,” the teen continued. “But I was wondering if it was possible to be both a day time Hero and an Underground Hero?”

Aizawa paused to think over the idea. Huh. That was a good question. Was it possible to be both? He had never heard of such a thing but then again no one has heard of a Quirkless Hero before either. There were certainly some Quirkless Vigilantes out there though they couldn’t be considered that under the current laws. But regardless they existed and if they did, who was to say it wasn’t possible. If anything, the kid before him could potentially pull it off.

“How do you propose to do that?” the Underground Hero asked instead of answering his question.

“Oh, um, well, I was thinking a different Hero suit?” Izuku answered but sounding uncertain. “Like a different design that could change color or features or something. A way to quickly change between Hero personas. Heroes are typically identified by what they wear so if I had something that changed my appearance, I could maybe switch between them both.”

Huh. It was an intriguing idea. Aizawa wasn’t sure how it would work exactly but he was sure Maijima would have some ideas. There was also the excitable pink one the problem child was friends with. She could potentially have ideas as well.

“I don’t see why not,” Aizawa replied, earning a hopeful and excited look from the kid. “We’ll talk to Maijima about it and see what he thinks. Though there’s another thing you’ll have to consider.”

“What’s that?” the teen asked, tilting his head like a curious puppy.

“If you’re going to have another Hero persona,” the homeroom teacher answered. “You’re going to need another Hero name.”

Oh, right. Minor details. Izuku brought a hand up to his chin in thought. What could he use as a new Hero name? Edge was securely tied to his public Hero persona. After Hosu there was no way of changing that, but what else could he use? His mind teasingly brought up ‘admin’ as Shigaraki had called him at the USJ but he quickly dismissed it because he did not want to be connected to that man child. Having his attention of seeking him out was bad enough.

But what could he use instead? As an Underground Hero, his goal would be to help others with no need of the credit. Simply doing his job and then slipping away into the night. Like a spy on a secret mission.

Wait…

“What about…Hiro?” Izuku hesitantly proposed.

The tired man let out a contemplating hum. It could work. The kid already established the Hiro persona in the weeks leading up to the Sports Festival. His class would know that it was their Quirkless classmate behind the dual identity. Not sure about 1-B but that didn’t really matter right now. But, yeah, Hiro could work though he couldn’t help but tease.

"A Hero named Hiro?” Aizawa asked with a smirk. “Kind of on the nose, don't you think?"

The teen playfully glared back as he said, “Says the Erasure Hero Eraserhead. All you need is an eraser themed costume and you would be set.”

“Once, on a dare,” the man admitted, earning shocked gasp from his student. “And it was a pencil.”

“Oh my gods, are you serious?!” Izuku exclaimed as he tried to stifle the giggles that tried to escape with his hand.

The tired man pulled up the picture to show him and making him laugh before threatening, “No one hears of this, got it?”

The greenet crossed his heart and hoped to die but would cherish the image of the hardass hobo man posing in a pencil costume looking so done with everything. Truly a sight on par of Hitoshi trapped in his capture weapon like a kitten in yarn.

“Is there anything else you want to discuss?” the teacher asked to which the boy answered a ‘no’ with a shake of his head. “Alright, let’s go talk to Maijima about your idea.”

“Yes, Aizawa-sensei,” Izuku replied as they both stood up. “Can we stop by the teachers’ room to get Hitoshi and my backpack?”

“Sure,” Aizawa answered as they left the room.

“How is he doing, by the way?” the greenet asked, glancing up to see the questioning raise of his teacher’s brow. “I, uh, I know about Hitoshi’s current…living situation.”

“Ah,” the man simply responded as it made sense the proclaimed brother of his foster kid would know. “He’s doing well so far, I think, but it’s still early.”

“That’s good,” Izuku said with a smile. “I’ve been worried about him so it’s good to know he’s somewhere safe. I won’t tell anyone of course because that’s your business. But thank you for taking care of him.”

The teen gave him a bow of his head in thanks. Aizawa silently accepted it as he gave a few pats to his green hair. The thanks wasn’t needed but still appreciated at the same time. It was also a strange sort of relief that the boy knew about their situation. One because Hitoshi had someone to turn to who knows and two because if anyone was able to keep it under wraps it was Izuku. A boy who held so many secrets.

They quickly collected Hitoshi and Izuku’s belongings before heading off to the studio. Once again leaving a meeting with All Might and follow up talk with Aizawa with a trip to the studio after. But this time the atmosphere was very different from last time. Before there had been an air of misery and anger for the Number One Hero’s dismissal of all his hard efforts, but now it was one of hope and relief.

As per usual, when they got to the studio there were the tell-tale signs that Mei was hard at work. Or rather sounds as the now customary explosions could be heard from within. Upon entering they weremet with the typical sight of one section of the studio hazy with smoke as the pinkette worked on calming down her baby. All while Maijima just looked on exasperated and once again reprimanded her for her personal brand of chaos.

“Maijima,” Aizawa called out, grabbing the other Hero’s attention.

The orange haired man let out a sigh in relief as he walked over to their group as he said, “What can I do you for, Eraser?”

“This one has a proposition but is unsure if it’s possible,” the tired man explained while he pointed at Izuku.

“What is it, Midoriya?” Maijima asked, turning his attention to his former homeroom student.

“Well, I, um,” Izuku started nervously but a glance up at Aizawa who gave a prodding nod pushed him to speak. “I was wondering if I could be both a day time and Underground Hero? Like with a color changing suit or something?”

Beside him Hitoshi looked at him in surprise at the request while Maijima hummed in thought. It certainly was a challenge the Support Hero had never encountered before. A Hero that was both? Interesting. A color changing suit could work though there would need to be an upgrade in features. The greenet teen’s current Hero suit was quite recognizable especially after the recorded incidents in Hosu. There would have to be some tweaking and redesigning but it could potentially work.

“Not a bad idea, Midoriya,” Maijima said, earning a bright smile from the boy. “We’ll have to work on the design to find a balance between your current costume and the proposed new one. But I’m sure we could figure something out.”

Izuku beamed at the shorter man as he said, “Thank you, Maijima-sensei!”

“No problem, kiddo,” he replied as he reached up to ruffle the teen’s hair. “We’ll start that later this week. For now, could you please go talk some sense into Hatsume?”

“I’ll try,” Izuku chuckled, turning to leave before suddenly remembering something. “Oh, Maijima-sensei?”

“Yes, Midoriya?” the red-haired man responded.

“Would it be possible for me to arrange meetings with the other Hero students to discuss their costumes?” the Quirkless analyst asked. “I noticed somethings about them that could be improved.”

Green eyes watched as the Support teacher placed a large hand on his chin in thought before the boy glanced up at his homeroom teacher’s face. The tired man had a brow quirked in intrigue followed by an amused huff and accepting bob of his head.

“Sure thing, kid,” Maijima replied after a moment with an approving nod. “It is one of your goals to help other Heroes improve their equipment. Let’s see what you come up with.

The greenet smiled and gave a nod before leaving the adults and walking over to his maniacal mechanic of a friend with Hitoshi following behind.

~~~

Shouta watched his two problem children walk away towards Maijima’s own problem child. Guess they both had to put up with a student who perpetually set off explosions. Though he had to admit that the pink one certainly had the tenacity and intellect to make effective Support Items. He had a feeling that she could have gone farther in the festival with just her gear if she hadn’t been so focused on showcasing her wares. But she had used Iida as her advertising patsy before stepping out of the ring.

Shaking his head, he turned away from the teenagers and instead to the Support teacher who was already working on ideas for the green one’s new suit. Dark colors worked better in the Underground hence why Shouta dressed in mostly black. The Midoriya’s original outfit was mostly dark but in green with black accents. The flashiest parts of his suit were the red elements such as his belt, arm wrappings, parts of his shoes, and now the scarf he had gotten from Stain.

Most of those could potentially be upgraded with whatever technology or material was needed to make the kid’s proposal a reality. But the scarf…that would be tougher as it was a piece of sentimental value. Not to mention it didn’t serve much of a purpose combat wise and was more for aesthetic than anything else. That and mentioned sentimentality. A connection to the man who believed in him while others saw it as a reminder that he had been the one to take down the Hero Killer and no one else. Not the whole truth but it is what the public knows.

Now knowing their connection, Shouta suspected that had it been anyone else who tried to capture him that Stain would not have come so quietly. He hadn’t put up much of a fight once Midoriya ensnared him in his arm wrappings. Almost docile as the police cautiously took him into custody. Surprising at the time with his rant of true Heroes and his violent and bloody career as a Villain. But now, knowing that they knew each other before Hosu, it made so much more sense.

The tired man understood the value of things from those who played a memorable role in your life. For him it was the goggles from Oboro. The gifted Support Item had been another step closer toward his goal to be a Hero despite people thinking that Erasure wasn’t suited for Hero work. While he hadn’t used them in many years, they were still very important to him even though they also held unhappy memories.

He figured that it was about the same for Midoriya. Both the scarf and the knife were all he had left of the man turned Villain who encouraged him in a way no one had before. Who was now in police custody and they most likely would never meet again. And to the rest of the world, why would they? Midoriya was just the Hero who took down the Villain terrorizing the Hero ranks. A rookie now credited with a big win when no other Hero had been able to take him down. It definitely put him in a more publicly aware position than either of them was comfortable with.

Shouta hated the media. It was a fact that all who knew him were aware of and from what he knew of the kid, he was the same way. Not surprising when he had been looked down upon by everyone even up to him winning the Sports Festival without a Quirk. It was only until Hosu that more people started to believe in him and his desire to be a Quirkless Hero. There were still people who didn’t but there is the saying that you can’t please everyone. You just had to let them form their own opinions and ignore them to just live your life how you want to because others have no say in your future.

So far Midoriya has been a real champ when it came to ignoring what others thought of him. Pushing ever forward despite what others said or did. It was part of the potential that Shouta saw in him and was an excellent trait to have as an Underground Hero. He himself had to deal with people not even believing he was a Hero despite being on active duty for over a decade. But while it was annoying and tedious at times to prove he was with his license, that disbelief was also helpful in the Underground.

Being underestimated was often a factor that led to him winning whatever scuffle he found himself in. Criminals thinking too highly of themselves against the scruffy homeless looking man. All intentional while also because he lacked concern for his appearance. Hizashi didn’t seem to mind too much either despite the halfhearted protests to his stubble. Regardless, his unkempt appearance gave him an edge against cocky law breakers.

Midoriya has been underestimated his whole life. Seen as lesser and weaker all because he was Quirkless. Idiots, all of them. Quirks don’t make you superior to others. Even in the realm of Quirks people are still judgmental over something out of their control. Deeming one type stronger over another without taking other factors into consideration. A theme that annoyingly carried over to the Hero rankings.

Unsurprisingly one of the, if not the, strongest people in the world was ranked Number One. But at least with All Might, other than being an idiot from time to time, he had the personality to inspire and the drive to help for help’s sake. However not all Heroes were like him. Like the fucking Number Two Hero Endeavor.

How the hell that shit stain of a man made it to Number Two, Shouta could only guess through corruption, pay offs, and cover ups. That was the only way that bastard made it so far with all the crap he’s pulled. Their investigation just kept bringing up new infuriating information about his Hero work and his homelife. They needed to get Todoroki out of there as soon as possible. Thankfully the rat had a plan as he always does. It’ll take a little bit longer to implement but they would get his student away from his father and somewhere safe.

Speaking of safe, while it was still relatively new Shouta hoped that Hitoshi was slowly growing more comfortable with them at home. Still hesitant when it came to certain things but at least he was opening up to them instead of shutting them out. He turned to look over at his foster kid who was watching his friends’ antics. Midoriya was chatting with him while also trying to wrangle Hatsume from doing something to the gadget on the table. Probably something that would lead to another explosion which she didn’t seem to mind at all but the green one very much did. He was glad he didn’t have the excitable pink one in his class.

The tired man watched the teens for a bit as Maijima worked beside him. It was oddly relaxing despite him not spending much time in the studio. But everyone was left to their own devices, figuratively and literally, while he simply observed. Shouta sort of zoned out for a bit watching until the shorter teacher stood up beside him. Glancing at his watch he saw that it was time to go and headed over to his students while Maijima went to send everyone home.

“Ready to go, kid?” Shouta asked his kid. Which was still a bit strange of a concept that he had a kid he was caring for, but also not because Hitoshi just seemed to fit with them.

Hitoshi jumped at suddenly being addressed while his friends were distracted by each other. Shouta spared them a glance to see they were bickering over an open invention discussing some technical jargon.

“Actually, um, would it be okay if I go with Izuku for a bit?” Hitoshi asked nervously as if it wouldn’t be fine.

“Sure, kid,” he easily replied because it was more than fine. Though clearly the purple one hadn’t thought so with the sigh of relief that escaped. “Just let me know when you’re ready to come home and I or Hizashi will pick you up.”

“Oh, okay,” Hitoshi said, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. “Um, cool. I’ll, uh, I’ll let you know.”

The tired man gave him a nod before walking off. They were still looking into the purple one’s past and the various homes he had lived in. Some living situations were more concerning than others. But their investigation was helping him better understand their foster child. He was learning possible triggers and how to avoid them as well as what needed to be worked on to raise the kid’s confidence. In himself and his new living arrangement.

There was clear hesitation when it came to their home and him slowly joining them in their routine. Insisting he didn’t need things and based on his room and the still lacking of personal possessions, he was also doubtful that he was there to stay. Which Hitoshi very much was and Hizashi and Shouta would do everything they could to make him feel welcome. With the help of the cats, of course. It would take time but they hoped to one day make him an official part of their family.

Aizawa or Yamada Hitoshi. Or even something in between. Either way was a decision for the future if the kid agreed to letting them adopt him. For now, they would do what they could to earn Hitoshi’s trust and make him feel welcome in their home.

Our home.

Notes:

See? The punishment isn't so bad. Izuku just has to stand in front of 39 students and a couple of teachers and talk to them about Vigilantism and it's consequences. Easy peasy, right? Thanks goes out to Audrey, Neptuna, Rijus_Hope, gac102, pumabox, TheSilentOak, and Suyumi for helping me figure Izuku's punishment for hiding his relationship with Stain and then pointing him towards Endeavor. :)

Now with this presentation I would very much appreciate ideas for said presentation. Such as laws and consequences of breaking them. Even fun things regarding the history of vigilantes or even examples of known vigilantes. Like maybe an OC someone made could be fun. I dunno. I'm still thinking about what I want to do with that exactly. :P But any and all ideas are welcome as always!

There is a plan to get Shouto away from Endeavor though I won't say what exactly yet. But I do plan to have getting Shouto somewhere safe happening separate to Endeavor getting a healthy dose of karma. As in their not going to be at the same time if that makes sense. But I'll leave you to ponder that on your own. ;P

More progress on Izuku having a dual hero identity! Sh-sh-shout out to Rubyred21 who had suggested Admin as Izuku's potential underground name super long ago. It was somewhere in part 1 I believe. I liked the idea a lot but as I was fleshing this plot point more, I thought the use of Hiro instead was a better choice. It was good suggestion though! So thank you!

There's gonna be a new suit change coming up in the future! :D If anyone has ideas or advice on what to look at for reference or what kind of technology that would involve, please let me know. I do have some ideas in mind but never hurts to brainstorm together! Also I do know that there were some concerns when it came to the scarf. Really I wasn't intending for it to be a permanent feature. Just a temporary homage to Stain before the scarf gets carefully tucked away.

By the way, the pencil costume is canon in this AU. It was referenced back in chapter 14 of part 2 while they were doing Hero names. :P In case you forgot.

Aizawa now knows that Izuku knows about them taking Hitoshi in. Not really surprising that he does but at least now he officially knows. Cause then that could open up the possibilities of potential sleepovers. But really only with Izuku though. I don't see Aizawa allowing Mei and her chaos into their home. And maybe not Shouto either but more just because I think his conspiratorial mind would explode. But anyway, he knows.

Fun Facts About Japan:

So Izuku's presentation detention was partially inspired by the peeps on the discord, but also from an experience I had in Japan. They are very dedicated when it comes to learning English as a second language. So much so they start learning it in elementary school and up through high school and potentially college. They also have associations that focus on practicing English and promoting international relations. For my city we had the Yachiyo International Association (YIA) that put together events and meet ups like flower watching (hanami) or tea ceremonies.

And another kind of event that may have also been in conjunction with city hall and the board of education was a lecture in English. It could be about anything as long as it was in English. I got roped into giving one and basically ranted about the benefits of art education. I hate talking in front of a lot of people but did it anyway and have it as a memory now. It also reminded me of all the times I had to give a short speech in front of all the students when starting at or leaving a school. Just so many eyes on you...it's so nerve-wracking. :P

That's all for now! Hitoshi doesn't want to go home quite yet. What does he want to do with Izuku? We'll find out next time! ^_____^ Hope you enjoyed the chapter and have a great rest of your day. See ya!

Chapter 52: The Comfort Of Family

Notes:

Happy Tuesday, everyone! Let's see what's on Hitoshi's mind. With a mix of friendship and family mixed in. So a sprinkling of angst with fluffy comfort. :)

Warning for teasing from ["You know another name...] through the second sentence of the next paragraph. The next one starting with [Thankfully the rest...] and after is fine.

Also I noticed that this chapter is coming out a day before the first chapter of this part was posted a year ago. So happy anniversary for Convictions!

Linktree to all the things!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

“Alright, it’s time to go home,” Maijima suddenly called out.

The announcement broke Izuku from his concentration on the gadget he was working on. The greenet looked up to read the clock and was surprised that the Support teacher was right. Huh, guess time flew by when you were busy tinkering. He quickly put his materials away eager to go home and see his mom. But as usual Mei took a bit more convincing to leave her newest precious baby.

“Come on, Mei-chan,” Izuku pleaded as he cleaned up around her. “We’ve got to go. You can work on that tomorrow.”

“Five more minutes,” Mei replied, still leaning over and working on her baby.

The greenet let out an exasperated sigh before saying, “No, Mei-chan. Five minutes for you is actually an hour at least. Now let’s go. You can work on the ones you have a home, okay?”

The reminder of her other babies managed to motivate her enough to pack up and ready to leave the studio with only minor patches of grease here and there. They all headed out of the studio as Maijima locked the door behind them. The trio walked through the halls and off campus heading for the train station.

“So Mei-chan’s going to be working in her studio,” Izuku commented as they went, said pinkette in her own little world deciding which baby to work on first. “What do you have planned for tonight, Hitoshi?”

The reason he asked was because he had figured that his friend would have gone home with their teachers. Not that he had to now that they lived together. But it would be more convenient than public transportation if they were all going to the same place.

“Actually, I was wondering if I could go to your place for a bit?” Hitoshi answered in a questioning tone.

“Oh, sure!” Izuku chirped happily, always loving having his friends over. “Anything in particular you want to do?”

“Just hang out and, uh, maybe pick up some stuff?” the taller boy said hesitantly.

Green eyes widened at the hint to the things he was keeping safe for his friend. At first, he hadn’t known why Hitoshi had asked him to but after learning about his situation he could figure why. However, Izuku knew that he wasn’t at the center anymore and was in fact with their caring and supportive teachers. That Hitoshi was safe and in good hands. Hero hands.

“We can do that,” Izuku replied with a warm smile.

“Cool,” Hitoshi said with an appreciative half grin. “Thanks, Green Bean.”

“No problem, Purple Panda,” the greenet answered with a playful and supportive fist bump to his taller friend’s arm.

“Wait,” Mei interjected as she came to a sudden stop in front of the station. The pinkette gave her two friends in the tier of best the stink eye. “Purple Panda? Since when did Hitoshi get a nickname?”

“Um…two weeks ago?” Izuku answered apprehensively.

The nickname had been made on the fly and was meant to be embarrassing. That had totally failed because the jerk actually liked it but that was fine since it was a good fit anyway. Though he guessed this was the first time he had said it out loud around Mei.

“TWO WEEKS!” the pinkette shrieked, earning curious stares from passersby.

“Calm down, Mei-chan,” the Quirkless teen pleaded with placating hands.

Noooo~, Izuku, it’s not fairrr~,” she complained with a pout, grabbing his arm and shaking him pleadingly. “You have Green Bean and now Hitoshi has Purple Panda. What about me? Aren’t nicknames best friend stuff?”

“Th-they are, Mei-chan,” Izuku replied, nodding as she let go. “We can figure a nickname for you. For sure! Um, how about…”

“Pink Gremlin,” Hitoshi interrupted with a thoughtful look on his face.

The two inventors paused at the suggestion. It was weird but also fit Mei perfectly. She was an absolute gremlin when it came to Support and her babies. The number of explosions that happened in the studio were evidence of that. She was a demon of a Support Engineer and would take the world by storm with her inventions. It was just…perfect.

“I like it!” Mei said with a gleeful grin. “Green Bean, Purple Panda, and Pink Gremlin.”

“The Freakateers together once again,” Hitoshi said with an affirming nod. “Might as well come up with one for our D’Artagnan too while we’re at it.”

“We so should!” Mei chimed in excitedly. “Hmm, but what? His two-tone hair kind of throws off the whole color theme.”

“Sobaroki,” Hitoshi suggested. “Cause you know, he’s constantly eating soba.”

“Sobaroki?” Izuku questioned with a smirk. “Really?”

“Yes, really. That or Sluuuurp,” the brainwasher shot back with a challenging but friendly glare. “Or we could go with any of the ones we came up with for his Hero name. I still stand by Sholato.”

“You’re ridiculous,” the greenet giggled as he shook his head.

“How about Candy Cane?” Mei offered. “Or Peppermint!”

“Hmm…I could get behind Peppermint,” Hitoshi said with a nod. “Peppermint Stick? Peppermint Swirl? Nah, he doesn’t have a swirl. What do you think, Izuku?”

“Um, Peppermint…Prince?” Izuku suggested, thinking of how regal his friend was at times while others he could be a complete dork. But an adorable dork.

“I like it!” Mei cheered with a fist to the air as they arrived at the station. “Excellent. Now all of the Freakateers are nicknamed. Well, I’ve got to go. Bye!”

With a quick wave, their excitable friend was rushing off to her train so she could get home to her babies as soon as possible. Hitoshi and Izuku watched her go in amusement before heading to their own train.

“So Peppermint Prince, huh?” the brainwasher said as they went. “I guess it works. He is the son of a high-ranking Hero. Sort of prince like.”

“Oh, uh, yeah, I guess,” the Quirkless teen replied though that hadn’t been his reasoning nor would he ever connect Shouto to anything related to his father. But Hitoshi didn’t know about how life in the Todoroki house was like.

“You know another name you could call him?” Hitoshi said with a teasing tone causing the shorter boy to eye him suspiciously. “Doki-Doki-Todoroki.”

Izuku glared at his friend but pointedly did not react any more to the taunt. Even if he was admitting to himself that he liked Shouto as more than a friend, he would not succumb to his jerk of a friend’s teasing. Thankfully the rest of the way to his apartment was filled with friendly chatter and sharing of memes and other internet things on their phones. Cats being among them of course. Soon they were off the train and walking down the street, up the stairs, and into the Midoriya home.

The boys took off their shoes before heading towards Izuku’s room. Hitoshi noted the new additions to the gallery Inko had created hanging beside the article about the cleaned beach. The gold medal from the Sports Festival was displayed proudly over a collage of article clippings. As for the one for Hosu, while it was still weird that his brother knew the Villain, Hitoshi could not deny that it was an iconic pose as Izuku was pictured pinning the wrapped-up Hero Killer to the ground.

Distracted by the gallery, Hitoshi didn’t notice the lack of the All Might name plate on Izuku’s door. So when he walked into his room expecting the usual shrine to the Hero, the complete and utter lack of anything All Might froze him in his tracks. The greenet kept on going dropping his bag on his bed as if nothing was wrong or different. While Hitoshi stood there gawking at the now Hero merch ghost town that was his friend’s room.

"Holy shit,” the brainwasher let out in shock.

"What?" Izuku asked, looking at his friend confused.

"What the hell happened to your room?" Hitoshi countered as he walked further into the room and looked around.

"Oh, I decided to…change it,” the short boy answered as he turned away from the other and fiddled with his backpack.

"When?" he asked as he unceremoniously dropped his bag to the floor. He swore the shrine had still been a thing last time he was there for the sleepover.

"The Monday after the Sports Festival?" Izuku answered, still not looking at him.

Two weeks ago? For real? Hitoshi thought in surprise before he asked, “Why?”

“Because…,” the greenet began but paused.

He hadn’t really talked about what happened with his friends since that day and there wasn’t much he could say what with all the secrets involved. But this was his brother asking and out of anyone would understand the hurt and disappointment he had felt from the Number One Hero’s rejection. Even if the man had apologized today, the initial hurt still stung. Izuku took a breath to steady himself before opening up to his friend.

“Because All Might said he didn’t believe that a Quirkless Hero was possible even after I won the Sports Festival.”

Tears budded in his green eyes as he spoke his truth. Yagi had apologized and had changed his opinion following the events in Hosu, but it did not change the fact that he hadn’t believed in him twice before. Friendly hands maneuvered him around into a comforting chest as caring arms wrapped him into a warm hug. The Quirkless boy latched onto his brother and cried into his shirt.

They stood there holding each other as Izuku let it out. He clung to his friend as Hitoshi shushed him and assured him that everything was okay. The taller teen even ran his fingers through the shorter boy’s green curls because he knew it brought him comfort. The contact helped assure Izuku that someone was there for him as well as allowed Hitoshi to show his support. While also providing the brainwasher a distraction from his strong desire to order the Number One Dumbass to do stupid shit for hurting his brother.

Once Izuku calmed down, Hitoshi pushed him away just enough to see his face as he asked, “You said ‘didn’t’ so does that mean he changed his mind?”

“Y-yeah,” Izuku answered as he wiped some stray tears away. “He apologized to me today for what he said. That was what the meeting was about while you waited in the teachers’ room.”

Hitoshi nodded though he was still pissed at All Might for upsetting his friend. At least he did apologize, he guessed, but again how dare he make Izuku cry. He may be the Number One Hero but he lost points in Hitoshi’s book for being a dick. The purple haired teen was so going to send Izuku a ton of cat memes and pictures with some for sure featuring the fur babies in the EraserMic household.

“Well, even if he apologized, I get why you cleaned house,” Hitoshi commented, taking a scan of the bare room before looking back at Izuku. “Though I gotta say I don’t get why you kept it after he turned you down the first time. If it were me, I would have chucked it all as soon as possible.”

“I didn’t actually ‘chuck it’,” Izuku said, earning a confused look from the other. “I, uh, I sold it with mom’s help. Got a good deal from a collector who insisted on paying higher than I asked for. They seemed nice and honest though I wasn’t looking to make so much money off of it. I’m just happy that someone will get to enjoy it even though I didn’t want it anymore.”

The purple haired teen nodded in understanding. At least Izuku got something out of losing what amount of admiration he had left for his childhood idol. Hitoshi still thought out right tossing it or destroying it in some way like burning would have been cathartic. He himself never experienced that since he never had much over the years but he had done something similar mentally with his thoughts whenever he was forever removed from a home.

At least with him traveling light due to lack of things, it always made the transition back to the center easier. Though it was minutely the tiniest bit possible that he might not have to worry about that now which was why he was here, but first he needed to comfort his friend. To remind him that there were people who believed.

“I’m sorry Ass Might said that to you,” Hitoshi said. “But don’t let his bullshit push you down. I know you can be a Hero and so do our friends and teachers. Even Auntie does. And even…Stain does.”

The mention of the Villain spiked tension in the air. Hitoshi watched his brother who pointedly did not look up at him. Not that he blamed him because it was an awkward topic. Hell, it had been weird to learn that Izuku personally knew and had met up with the Hero Killer on more than one occasion. But he also couldn’t help but be grateful for the murderous man’s support for his friend. Had he not encouraged Izuku as he did, Hitoshi may have never met him.

Izuku was such a big part of his life now to the point that it was difficult to picture it without him. He wouldn’t have had someone who could relate to the discrimination he had faced growing up. He wouldn’t have had a training partner nor would he have been in that training room where they had caught the eye of Eraserhead. And without that training or connection, neither of them may have ever placed as high as they did in the festival nor would have transferred into the Hero Course as fast. So many things could have been different if Izuku had not met Stain on that roof.

“You don’t have to talk about him if you don’t want to,” Hitoshi insisted as he gave his brother’s shoulders a comforting squeeze. “You knowing a Villain does not change my opinion of you. Izuku, you are my brother and we’re both going to be Heroes together. You and the Hero Killer being on a first name basis won’t affect that. Got it?”

Fearful green eyes peeked up at him searching for any deceit, but Izuku wasn’t going to find any. Not from him. Hitoshi meant every word and stared earnestly into his brother’s eyes to prove that. The staring contest continued in silence as the minutes ticked by until the tension in the Quirkless boy’s shoulders lessened.

“Th-thank you, Hitoshi,” Izuku let out, his voice crackly from crying but a small smile was on his face. “I’m sorry for keeping it a secret but I just…”

“Didn’t know how to say it,” Hitoshi finished, earning a nod from the other. “I get it. I kept my own secrets from you with the whole foster care thing. We don’t have to share all of our secrets with each other. Just what we, ourselves, are comfortable with sharing. Okay?”

“Okay,” the greenet replied quietly with a small nod.

“Good, glad we’ve got that settled,” Hitoshi said, letting out a sigh of relief. “Now, um, about why I’m here?”

“Oh, right,” Izuku said, snapping into action as if he hadn’t just been crying.

He rummaged in his dresser digging through his own things. From the drawer he pulled out the now pile of Hitoshi’s belongings he was keeping safe for him. The folded Eraserhead and Put Your Hands Up hoodies topped with the Present Mic themed aviator sunglasses and his silver medal. The greenet turned around and presented the stack to his friend.

“I’m guessing this means it’s going well there?” Izuku asked as he passed the pile.

“Yeah. I, uh,” Hitoshi answered as he took his stuff in his hands. He paused for a second distracted by the fact that these things were really his. Especially the medal that he had earned. “I think I’m in a good enough place right now even if it’s only been a few days. The cats are great and Aizawa and Yamada are…nice. Kind of awkward living with our teachers but it’s not so bad since I’ve gotten to know them since school started.”

Enough to know they won’t steal or break my stuff at least.

“They are good Heroes,” Izuku offered, placing a hopefully comforting hand on the other’s arm. “Good people. I know I feel better knowing that you’re staying with them. That they’ll take good care of you.”

“Yeah,” Hitoshi replied though he still had that doubt that it would last. But he would savor it for as long as he could. “I should be okay keeping these for now. But, uh, if I ever needed you to, could you…”

Before he could finish, Izuku cut him off with a squeeze to his arm and a warm smile as he said, “Of course, Hitoshi. Whatever you need.”

“Thanks,” he said, sporting his own small but grateful smile.

The greenet gave him a nod before letting go. He busied himself taking things out of his backpack as Hitoshi packed his things away. As they were finishing their tasks up, they heard some noise coming from the hall.

“Izuku, I’m home!” Inko called out as she walked through the door.

“Welcome home, mom!” Izuku called out as he stopped what he was doing to go greet her.

Hitoshi did a final check of his bag before slinging it on his back. It was a bit stuffed and a little heavier but nothing he couldn’t handle. The weight was more emotional if anything. Personal possessions filled with precious memories. Ones that he had been worried about losing back at the center, but not now with his new living situation.

It was still new and he didn’t know how long he would stay, but this was Aizawa and Yamada. Eraserhead and Present Mic. They were teachers, mentors, Heroes. Surely, they of all people could be trusted with his personal crap. Besides it would help fill up the too empty room with things that were his. Bringing some sense of comfort and permanency even if it was just a hopeful fantasy. Plus, he was sure Yamada would like it. Which reminded him to text their group chat to let them know he needed to be picked up.

With his stuffed bag on his back, Hitoshi gave one last look around Izuku’s weirdly bare room before joining the others in the hall. The two Midoriyas were chatting as he approached. Izuku smiled at him as per usual and Inko extended her arms for their customary hug. Hitoshi gladly accepted the hug not one to turn down her motherly affection.

“It’s good to see you, Hitoshi,” Inko said as they parted. “How are you? How’s home?”

“I’m fine,” Hitoshi replied. “And home is…good. They’re, uh, they’re good. To me.”

“I expect nothing less from the men who have helped Izuku out so much,” the mother said with an approving nod before her expression turned serious. “But if they ever do anything to hurt you or treat you badly, you are to come here. Understand? I don’t care if they are Pro Heroes. No one hurts someone I consider a part of this family. No one hurts my son.”

The brainwasher stared at her wide eyed. This small unassuming woman would stand up against two trained and experienced Pro Heroes to protect him. The concept was both amusing and overwhelming at the same time. But he also could totally see her doing it too. Even using her Quirk to pull objects towards her smacking the Hero in between along with her own fierce motherly powers. Yeah, Inko was a bad ass.

Wait…son?

“You…do you really think of me as a…?” Hitoshi asked but couldn’t make himself repeat the word. It was the first time someone had called him that since his birth parents before his Quirk manifested.

The mother gave him a sad but caring smile as she pulled him into another hug. This one longer and full of emotion. The brainwasher shakily wrapped his arms around her still absorbing what she had said. Inko squeezed him tight as she reached up to card her fingers through his purple hair. Something he had seen her do to Izuku on a number of occasions. It was…really nice. No wonder his friend liked it so much.

“Of course I do, Hitoshi,” Inko insisted. “You may be fostered by Aizawa and Yamada, but to me you are my son, Izuku’s brother. If they hadn’t beaten me to it, I would’ve taken you in myself once I found out. Just know that if they don’t want you, I do.”

It was so difficult for him to believe that was true. Why would she want him? Not even his own birth parents had wanted him. Nor any of the other families he had been passed around to wanted him. Always passing the buck because no one want the kid with a Villain Quirk. That was until UA. Until Izuku.

His brother in all but blood was the first to accept him for him since before he got his Quirk. His first friend who introduced him to his other friends. Through him he got to meet Inko, Aizawa, and Yamada. The latter two who were now his guardians and the former who considered him a part of her family. It was just…so much all at once. Ten years of no family to having essentially two within a matter of weeks. Seriously, universe, what gives? Not that he was complaining though. It was a really nice change. Unexpected but nice.

“Thanks, Auntie,” Hitoshi whispered into her shoulder as they hugged. “I would…if I could, I would be proud to be your son.”

Inko let out a pleased hum as she held him tight. A sniffling sound drew Hitoshi’s attention to his side to see Izuku watching them with a teary-eyed smile. The brainwasher let out a wet chuckle at the sight before gesturing his brother with a prodding nod to join them. Izuku practically launched over to them and wrapped both of them in his arms.

The trio stood there for a while soaking up each other’s company and embrace. Just a mother and her sons reveling in their found family. Eventually the tears ran out with even Hitoshi letting out some. Guess they came as a package deal when becoming a Midoriya even if it was unofficial. But Hitoshi guessed he could deal with it as long as he could keep these people in his life. With one last group squeeze they parted.

“Does that make Mei our crazy sister?” Hitoshi joked as he chuckled while wiping his tears away.

Izuku gave the concept a moment of thought before giggling, “I guess it does.”

“I would gladly have a genius for a daughter,” Inko said with a fond smile.

“A mad genius,” Hitoshi snarked before turning to Izuku with a smirk. “She gets it from your side of the family.”

“You calling us crazy?” the greenet challenged with a playful glare.

“Definitely,” the brainwasher jeered earning a stuck-out tongue.

“It is said that all the best people are,” Inko quipped as she wiped a stray tear away before turning to Hitoshi. “Would you like to stay for dinner?”

“No, I should get going,” Hitoshi answered just as he got a notification on his phone. Looking at it he saw that it was Aizawa saying he was outside. “Actually, my ride is here now.”

Inko gave a nod before reaching up to cup his face as she said, “Remember you are always welcome here. Day or night, rain or shine. Our door is always open to you.”

The purple haired teen gave a nod to which the mother nodded again and gave a gentle pat to his cheek before letting go. As she left for her room, Hitoshi turned to Izuku who smiled up at him.

“Like mom said, come over whenever,” Izuku reiterated as he offered his fist to bump. “We’re here for you no matter what.”

“Thanks, Green Bean,” Hitoshi said for the nth time today as he bumped said fist.

“No problem, Purple Panda,” Izuku replied as they lowered their hands. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“See ya,” the brainwasher said while putting on his shoes.

He gave one last wave as he walked through the door which Izuku reciprocated before closing it. Hitoshi turned and walked down the stairs to find the same nondescript car they had driven to school in. Approaching the passenger side, he opened the door and slipped inside placing his bag by his feet. Aizawa was in the driver seat and gave him a once over as the teen strapped himself in before heading off.

They drove in silence for a short while as neither were one for pointless conversation. Why waste moments of precious silence with frivolous small talk? It was so much better to savor the quiet peace and leave them to their own private thoughts. Though apparently Hitoshi’s weren’t so private despite his usually hard to read blank face. But considering the tired man had one of his own it wasn’t that surprising that he was able to read his.

“What’s up?” Aizawa asked as they drove.

“Huh?” the teen let out, confused.

“Something happened,” the man stated, glancing at him briefly before turning back to the road. “What was it?”

“Oh, um, you’ve seen Izuku’s room before, right?” Hitoshi asked earning a nod from his guardian. “Well, it’s…different now.”

The tired man quirked an eyebrow and asked, “How so?”

“It’s…emptier,” he answered with furrowed brows. “All of his All Might stuff is gone.”

Aizawa’s eyes widened slightly for just a moment before changing back to his blank but understanding expression.

“I see,” the tired man said with an even tone though his grip on the steering wheel tightened. “Though I’m not really that surprised.”

“Why?” Hitoshi asked, not expecting that reaction. But then again, he had gone to the meeting with Izuku when All Might apologized.

“He and All Might had a…falling out of sorts,” Aizawa answered vaguely. “It was after the Sports Festival and they had a meeting that did not go well. Though he did apologize to him today so there’s that.”

Hitoshi nodded knowing the man left out a lot that had happened but the teen had sort of a gist from what Izuku had said. The purple haired teen couldn’t help but scowl remembering Mei texting him that Izuku came in to the studio looking sad. That someone associated with All Might had made him an offer that just came off as insulting. To which Hitoshi’s solution to cheer his friend up was to bombard him with cat pictures. What? It worked for him.

But there was one thing that confused him now. Izuku had said that meeting after the festival was with someone named Yagi who was an associate of All Might. However, Aizawa said that he had met with All Might himself. Neither of them mentioned Izuku meeting with two people, only one. So why did Izuku meet with a representative in one meeting when All Might clearly could have just done so himself from the second? It seemed strange that a mere associate could do so much damage to the Quirkless teen’s admiration for the Number One Hero. Unless…

“Wait, does that mean that Yagi guy Izuku mentioned is All Might?” Hitoshi asked.

He noted the man’s hands gripping the steering wheel even tighter in surprise at the name. Aizawa didn’t answer to confirm nor deny but the subtle reaction was enough for the teen. So All Might was this Yagi person who had made an insulting offer to his best friend. It pissed him off that the Number One Hero could be such a Quirkist prick. But then again, he did apologize for being an ass which made the situation a little better. Did nothing for the tarnished view Hitoshi now had of the Symbol of Peace. Guess even the greatest Heroes could succumb to prejudice at times.

“If it’s supposed to be a secret, I won’t say anything,” Hitoshi assured, earning a hum from his guardian. “Anyway, Izuku doesn’t have any All Might stuff anymore. Said he sold it to some collector and got a good chunk of change for it.”

“That’s good,” the tired man replied with a nod as the conversation ended.

The rest of the ride home was silent save for the radio quietly playing in the background. It wasn’t awkward per say but more contemplative. Both were thinking about the Quirkless boy who had looked up to the Number One Hero so much only to be disappointed. To the point of selling all of his All Might collection that he had working on collecting for over a decade. A harsh ripping off of a bandage that showed seemingly perfect Heroes were not so perfect underneath.

Hitoshi didn’t know all of the details and wouldn’t pressure his friend on what happened. But he would be there for Izuku no matter what as he had with him. They were brothers in all but blood after all. Regardless of what did happen, All Might had hurt his friend and he would not forgive the man for that, apologies be damned. No one messed with his brother. No one. So if he treated the Hero coldly from now on, well let’s just say he was asking for it.

The arrival at their building and the trip up to the apartment was now oddly routine. Still strange and novel but not as much as it had been a little over a week ago. Now Hitoshi knew exactly where to place his shoes and which room was marked as his, for the time being at least. The attention seeking cuddle monster DJ trotted up to them demanding pets. Aizawa leaned down to run a hand down the orange cat’s spine before walking further into their home. Hitoshi finished taking off his shoes before scooping up the affectionate feline in his arms. See cat, must hold.

“Zashi, we’re home,” Aizawa called out at they entered the kitchen only to find it empty.

“In here!” the blonde’s voice shouted from another room. Which turned out to be Hitoshi’s as they found Yamada surrounded by boxes. “Welcome home! And just in time! Look Hitoshi, some of your new things showed up today!”

Purple eyes widened at the sheer amount of stuff that was in his…the room. Some were big, some were small, but it was just so…much. Were they seriously going to be able to fit all of this stuff?

“I know, I know. It’s a lot,” Yamada said with a gesture of surrender. “But I am a master organizer and we’ll get it all set up just right for you. This is your home, your room. We want you to be here and we want you to be comfortable.”

Hitoshi tried not to let his confusion and disbelief of the situation but once again, Aizawa was able to read him like book.

“It’s true, kid,” the tired man insisted, carefully placing a supportive hand on the boy’s shoulder. “We wouldn’t have you here if we didn’t want you to be here. This is as much of your home as it is ours. We’re here for you, Hitoshi.”

Hesitant purple eyes peered up in stoic but sincere black before turning to more expressive but equally as sincere yellow-green. A part of him still didn’t believe that this was actually happening. That he was becoming a part of their family. Hitoshi had been satisfied with the found one he had with Inko and his friends. But could it really be? Could he be getting a real one of his own? It was still a fleeting hope but the flickering flame grew just a little brighter.

“Thanks, I, uh, appreciate it,” Hitoshi said as he rubbed the back of his head nervously. “All of it. You don’t have to but yeah, thanks.”

“Of course, kiddo,” Yamada assured with a caring smile. “Our home is your home. And this room is yours to decorate as you wish. Any ideas?”

Hitoshi took a moment to think. It had been a long time since he even considered making a room his own. There didn’t seem much of a point since he never stayed for long. Not since he had lived with his birth parents. But here…maybe he could? It was still new and fresh yet he felt safer here than he had anywhere else. Cuddling with cats while being looked after by people who cared or at least they said they did. So maybe, just maybe.

“Uh, yeah,” the teen replied before taking off his bag. He placed it on the bed and reached inside. “I, uh, I have this.”

Hitoshi held up his silver medal as an offer of possible decoration. He wasn’t really one to brag but he had earned this.

“That would be perfect, Hitoshi!” the blonde cheered while clapping his hands together excitedly. “We should get that framed, yeah?”

“Sure,” Hitoshi answered with a shrug. Again, he wasn’t one to brag but it wouldn’t be a terrible idea. “I’m not so good with that kind of stuff, but um, you could ask Izuku’s mom for ideas, maybe? She has a sort of…gallery at home.”

“More than the beach?” Aizawa interjected with a questioning quirked brow.

“Yeah,” Hitoshi replied with a nod. “There’s one for the Sports Festival and for Hosu now too.”

The tired man hummed in answer not surprised by the doting and documenting mother. He wouldn’t be surprised if the picture he had snuck during the day’s Rescue Training made an appearance in the ‘gallery’. Not a bad idea for marking her kid’s achievements. Perhaps they could do something for Hitoshi as well? He knew his husband would be enthusiastically up to it and would spare held the personal project.

For now, they got to work on setting up some of the kid’s room. Opening boxes and either assembling whatever furniture they had or putting anything else like clothes and such where they needed to go. It was all quite domestic really. Two aspiring fathers taking care of and spending time with their foster son. The black-haired man allowed a fond smile briefly grace his stubbled face as he watched his husband interacting with the kid. One they could hopefully officially invite into their family as their adopted son if the teen accepted. Only time would tell.

That night while Hitoshi was settling in more at his new home, Izuku had a pleasant dinner with his mom. Inko and him enjoyed talking about their days over home cooked food. Once they were done eating and cleaning up, the mother and son settled on the couch for a movie. Eventually they called it a night and exchanged a hug before retreating to their respective rooms. However, while the two families were settling in for the night, across town there were others still hard at work.

Notes:

Sooooo Hitoshi got to see the new state of Izuku's room. Someone had to find out about it eventually. There just wasn't anyone else other than Inko in there since it happened. And he knows a bit more about what happened with All Might. Mei may be Izuku's first real friend but really Hitoshi has become the closer of the two best friends. They just have so much they can relate to each other and are basically brothers in this AU. Even Inko insists on it and will fight for Hitoshi if she needs to. No matter what Hitoshi will not be without a family ever again. Not on her watch. But then again Aizawa and Yamada have no intention of giving him up either. :P

On another note Hitoshi has connected All Might to Yagi though only by name. He doesn't know about his deflated form and obviously nothing about OFA. But Izuku did mention a Yagi while Aizawa said All Might. Figured Hitoshi was smart and would make the connection. Not sure if that will play a part or not in the future but it's a thing that has happened.

Sh-sh-shout out time! Got quite a few of them this chapter. To TheSilentOak for the idea of Mei being nicknamed Pink Gremlin. Absolute perfection. To Endangered, strawberry squid, Sin-chan, Mousy 188, Serif006, Rogue, and CoupCumber for ideas on Shouto's nickname. To Isn't Sane, Serif006, and strawberry squid for help with the sunglasses Mic gave Hitoshi. I realized I never actually described what kind of sunglasses they were but we know now! I'll edit that part in the previous chapter when he first gifts them to Hitoshi. And to Audrey for the idea of the EraserMic couple starting their own gallery for Hitoshi like Inko is with Izuku.

Alright. So Stain has been captured, Izuku's association with him was found out, Hitoshi is in a safe place, and Katsuki has started his path to hopeful redemption. But the drama is not over yet. However this part almost is. I already said this on the discord but next chapter will be the end of part 2 with one more wrap up reveal. That will be followed by an author's note to announce that part 3 is up for those who have bookmarked this part. Just a heads up for y'all.

So yeah! Part 2 is almost done! I wonder who these hard working people are so late at night. We'll find out next time! Till then enjoy and be safe!

Chapter 53: No Stone Unturned

Notes:

Happy Tuesday, dear readers! Hope you had a pleasant Easter to those who celebrate it. It's time to see who's been working late. ;)

Announcement before we get to the chapter. This is the official last chapter of this arc and we'll be transitioning to part 3 next update. However I'm going to go on hiatus for a bit. This AU is NOT abandoned, not in the least bit. I have at least 3 more parts after this planned with tons of ideas. But for the start of part 3 I need more time to collect my notes and build up my buffer of chapters. Mostly because I was a dumby and while I did have Izuku analyzing and getting ideas for improvements throughout the series, I didn't actually record them in an easy-to-reference way. XD I've been working on it but he's a smarty and so there's a lot in combination to your own suggestions and ideas. I'm almost done compiling those so I can best work through Izuku consulting with the other Hero students. But yeah, I need more time than the typical two weeks.

I was thinking at least a month and at most maybe 3 just to not have the pressure to update before I'm ready. Though we'll see how that goes. ^___^ I'll be posting one last chapter to this part as an author's note to announce the start of part 3 once I'm ready. That way if you've bookmarked this part or subscribed to the series you'll know. I'll also post on the tumblr and discord. In the mean time, if you need to reach me you can comment on here or reach out to me on the tumblr or discord. I still read all of your comments and appreciate your support. So please be patient with me. :)

And now, the chapter. Enjoy!

Linktree to all the things! This includes the discord, tumblr, and more! Join if you'd like! :D

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Naomasa was exhausted. Not so much physically as mentally. His work as a detective was more about solving problems with his analytical mind rather than with his physical body. Not that his work was better than the officers below him performing the ‘grunt’ work allocated to the police. It was more that his Quirk and skill set were of best use for interrogating suspects and witnesses and then following the evidence wherever it may go. And while he enjoyed his job whenever he was able to bring about justice, there were times like these that he seconded guessed his decision to be a detective.

Crime and injustice were in never ending supply. Criminals running amok and doing as they pleased. Villains terrorizing innocent civilians in various ways for various reasons. The Heroes and police worked together to keep the peace as best they could but sometimes it just wasn’t enough. Sometimes the case needed more than what they could normally do. It was for this reason that Naomasa was considering a very different approach to his biggest case yet and it all was because of a certain green haired teenager.

Midoriya Izuku was a unique case in so many ways. A Quirkless child who wanted to be a Hero in a Quirked and unfortunately Quirkist world. Naomasa himself had faced ridicule growing up for his Quirk. Always being able to tell when someone was lying didn’t go well with making friends. Others didn’t care to be called out on their dishonesty at every turn leading to him being a somewhat isolated child. Not that he didn’t have friends or anything. They were just few and far between as most tried to keep their distance from the human lie detector.

Growing up his Quirk had been a burden that took practice and experience to live and work with. Practice to mostly tune out the little alarm that went off in his head whenever he heard a lie no matter how big or small. Experience to know when it was necessary to point out he knew of false truths and when to keep his mouth shut. Thankfully with his chosen profession, his Quirk was a perfect fit.

Midoriya on the other hand did not have a Quirk that would make him 'perfect' for one profession over another. That did happen with many people now-a-days. Finding a career that their Quirk would help them flourish in with special licenses to use those abilities during work hours. Like someone who could manipulate hair becoming a top hair dresser or someone with a water manipulating Quirk becoming a fire fighter. Then there were those who stepped out of that box and became whatever they wanted to be. Many of whom became Heroes.

That was what the Quirkless teen wanted to be and quite honestly Naomasa thought the kid could do it. From what he saw at the Sports Festival and what he learned about the boy after Hosu, Midoriya had what it took to become a Hero. The heart, the drive, the obviously built skills both fighting and Support Item wise. How Toshinori thought the kid couldn’t do it without a Quirk was a real kick to the gut and unfortunately tarnished his view of the Hero, his friend. Especially how he had left the teen on a roof with a most certainly devastating rejection from the Symbol of Peace.

Seriously how could Toshinori had been so incompetent? For the many years they had known each other, Naomasa knew that he wasn’t the perfect Hero even though he tried to be. All Might was a force to be reckoned with and always tried to help everyone that he could. But at times he took on too much when others could share his work load. Then there was the fact the man was absolutely horrible about his paperwork being more concerned with saving people and fighting Villains than properly documenting the aftermath. Yes, the paperwork was tedious but it was necessary to maintain order.

That had been part of the reason why he had met All Might in the first place. That and to discuss the incidents that occurred in Naruhata with ordinary citizens being dosed with the drug known as Trigger. Unfortunately, when he had arrived at Might Tower the Number One Hero had been busy at the time and Naomasa hadn’t been able to talk with him in person. But his coworker had directed him to talk to a one Yagi Toshinori in case he wasn’t able to get an audience with All Might.

It hadn’t taken long to figure out that All Might and Yagi Toshinori were actually one and the same. Naomasa hadn’t even needed to use his Quirk to connect the Number One Hero to the unassuming gaunt clerk. It wasn’t that difficult with Yagi disappearing to the bathroom only for All Might to show up in different areas that needed his help before the other returned out of breath.

Over and over again that happened during their first talk in the café in Might Tower. Naomasa had his suspicions but it wasn’t until Yagi showed up with a cat in his hands, the same one All Might had just saved while also stopping a bridge from collapsing with a defeated rogue robot. That and his costume was showing through his poorly buttoned shirt.

It had been a shock to see the Number One Hero in such a state. No wonder no one was able to figure out where he lived or had seen him out in public other than for Hero work. All Might quite literally became an entirely different person in his off hours. Which sadly were increasing as his time limit in his bigger form was dwindling. The detective didn’t know what that meant for the future but he knew that Toshinori’s time as a Hero would one day come to an end. Inevitable and a fact of life even though it was hard to imagine Hero society without the Symbol of Peace.

All Might was a great Hero. He wasn’t Number One for nothing. Always willing to lend a hand and help whoever, however, and wherever he could. Encouraging others to be heroes in their own way and aiming to inspire the next generation. Which was why it was such a shock to find out that Toshinori had acted like that towards the Quirkless teen. He never would have thought that All Might the Number One Hero and Symbol of Peace would ever treat anyone, regardless of Quirk or lack thereof, like he did Midoriya. Naomasa didn’t like to curse but seriously, what the hell Toshinori?

Thankfully his friend informed him that he did indeed apologize and that the boy had accepted. It didn’t make the wrongs of the past disappear but it was a step in the right direction for making up for his transgressions. Mistakes were a part of life and while they do trip you up when they happen, they can also serve as stepping stones going forward in the future. Toshinori’s apology to Midoriya was but a single step of many to make up for how he had handled their first meeting.

It was a relief to Naomasa that the boy would be alright and that he would continue to follow his chosen path of becoming a Hero. Having an official Quirkless Hero would be a great source of inspiration for those who didn’t have ‘strong Heroic’ Quirks. It was a lot of pressure to put on a teenager but Midoriya seemed up to and determined to take on that task. The detective knew the Hero Commission wouldn’t like it as it went against the established societal norms when it came to Quirks and power. But Naomasa would do everything in his power to help the young aspiring Hero. Because the Quirk did not make the Hero but rather the person and the heart behind the title.

Heroes, Villains, Vigilantes. The world was full of titles now. Labels that were tossed around and could either make or break a person. Those called Heroes were held above the citizens in the middle while those called Villains were pushed down below. Then there were the Vigilantes that floated just above Villains but some considered them the same as the lowest of the low. But in the end, these labels didn’t really mean anything outside of the meaning society put into them. They didn’t change the fact that they as a people were all human. That deep down they were the same, equal.

Unfortunately, there were many who didn’t share that belief and saw themselves as better than others. Above the rank and file as well as the rules and laws placed upon them. Many who forced their will on others were labeled Villains and the Heroes fought their hardest against these people to maintain the peace and order. But what can you do when the person who saw themselves as above the law was a Hero themselves? How does one take down the Number Two Hero?

That was Naomasa’s current conundrum. Endeavor was a powerhouse in his own right. No All Might in both strength and public persona, but Todoroki Enji’s Hellfire Quirk managed to launch him up the rankings to number two. He was an effective Hero to a degree but there were many times when his own flames would rise to unnecessarily high degrees causing avoidable damage to person and property. The pay offs and cover ups for his collateral damage littered his Hero career. Not exactly kept top secret but it certainly wasn’t something you would find unless you were specifically looking for such instances.

The detective certainly had been ever since Nezu and Aizawa approached him with the raised concerns from the mother of a certain green haired Quirkless teenager. Midoriya Inko was clearly the kid’s mother and not just in their shared green eyes and hair. She had a kind and caring heart as well as a protective nature. There was also the part of her that felt compelled to document everything which was going to be very helpful with his various investigations.

Aldera Junior High was also in his crosshairs when it came to weeding out corruption and bringing justice for those wronged. While the police couldn’t do anything when it came to incidents outside of the statute of limitations, they were investigating both Aldera as well as the Quirkless teen’s other schools for any and all evidence of misconduct by the teachers, staff, and students.

From what they had found so far with the help of Nezu and his expertise of digging up dirt, it was not looking good for quite a number of those who had been tasked to care and nurture their students and failed to do so. As for the students, while Bakugou seemed to be the main offender, the others would be punished as well. The severity would depend on a case-to-case basis with some receiving probation or mandated community service. At the very least though, anyone who harassed Midoriya for being Quirkless would get a mark on their record for bullying and Quirk discrimination.

In comparison, Aldera was an easy target that they would be able to take down with ease. Endeavor on the other hand…he was going to be a tough one. The Number Two Hero had the money and means to operate under the radar with the help of the Hero Commission’s meddling. No wonder no one had realized what was happening within the Todoroki household. A mother locked up in a psychiatric ward, the youngest son ‘trained’ in a way that bled into abuse, and there was also the issue that the man’s eldest son was marked as dead though how exactly was unknown. The number of skeletons they found in his closet kept growing as the investigation continued.

Inko had done her part bringing up her concerns as well as providing pictures of young Todoroki’s injuries from a ‘training session’ after the Sports Festival. While they couldn’t use those as evidence yet as he was a minor and they needed parental consent, they would keep them in their hand until they were able to get that. Endeavor certainly wouldn’t but if they could get to the mother and determine her mental state, they could potentially get the consent they needed from her. That and hopefully get her out of that hospital and reunited with her children. Ten years was a long time to be apart from each other.

There was hope that they could get more information from Todoroki Rei once they had a chance to talk to her. Eventually they would need to speak with Todoroki Shouto as he was a leading point of their investigation, but that would wait until they had a more solid case. Naomasa was sure the kid would be wary about trusting authorities and doubt their ability to address the situation. But the detective would do all he could to get that boy out of that house. Treating your own son as more property than a person…it was absolutely disgusting and disgraceful.

Midoriya Izuku also played a part in this case. Though how he handled it was…different than he should have. Rather than turn to the Heroes as his mother had, the boy had turned to a Villain instead. Yes, it could have led to the death of the Number Two Hero but for some reason the Hero Killer had not. Instead, he had gathered a good chunk of their evidence against the flaming man. A lot of it from the mysterious Dabi.

Naomasa had his feelers out for this supposed ally in their pursuit to take down Endeavor. They weren’t a Hero nor were they an ordinary civilian. There were whispers of a man connected to that name covered in burn scars that were literally stapled to his healthier looking skin. The story behind those had to be quite a tale. The detective had a disturbing theory as to who exactly this Dabi was that would explain why he would even care to get involved, but he was also a man of fact and truth so would only entertain it as a hypothetical. If he was right though, that could potentially be another nail in Endeavor’s coffin.

Finding and working with Dabi was on the list of many things to do in order to make the strongest case they could against the Number Two Hero. Inko started the process, the detective and Heroes were working on building the case, and Izuku had played his own role in the investigation of the man. They were all doing their part to help bring Endeavor to justice and get the failure of a father away from his son. But there was one more route to explore, one more person to reach out to, that Naomasa wanted to see if they would be willing to help them take down the Number Two Hero.

The detective looked at the man cuffed to the table on the other side of the one-way mirror. It was time to see how much the man known as the Hero Killer really was committed to ridding the world of false Heroes. To see if even though he was in police custody and no longer a free man, would Stain be open to working with them and exposing Endeavor for the hypocrite that he was. With one last sigh, Naomasa adjusted the files in his arms before entering the interrogation room.

~~~

Chizome sat there scowling down at the interrogation table that he was cuffed to. He was bereft of all his weapons as well as his Quirk thanks to the cuffs on his wrists. They had even taken away his typical attire replaced with a bland monochromatic uniform and they refused to give him back his mask. Leaving him bare for the world to see that it was Chizome before them, not Stain. Essentially removing every iota of identity he had built as the cleanser of Heroes and reduced him to a mere prisoner.

However, he did not blame Izuku for any of that. He had been acting as the Little Hero should and had managed to incapacitate him. Twice. Once with his own Quirk and again with the wrappings that may have been partly inspired by his own. Chizome couldn't be prouder of him. Izuku was going to make a finer Hero than he has seen in a long time. Even his friends had seemed like a glimmer of hope for the future of Heroes. While he had never wanted to fight children, it had been an honor to fight them. True Heroes in the making.

His time at the hospital had been brief. The doctor and nurse who had attended to his needs had been terrified though they tried to hide it. However, they did get some comfort that he could do nothing being restrained with Quirk cancelling cuffs as well as supervised by the police. One of them had a minor healing Quirk that fixed up his injuries for the most part. The rest would be left for time to heal.

He had been kept at the hospital for only a short while for observation of his healing. Then he had been released entirely into police custody. The officers who escorted him to the station had been just as terrified of him as the hospital staff. However, they processed him despite this fear and he had spent the night in a jail cell awaiting interrogation in the coming days.

In comparison, the cell was better than the rat hole he had made his most recent home. Ever since he had begun his purge, his dual life as Chizome and Stain had made him transient. Moving from place to place as his mission deemed necessary. Some places he stayed in were better than others. Less run down, ever so slightly cleaner, and some even had actual running water. It was a far from comfortable life style but it had been necessary in order for him to operate as Stain.

However, that time of his life was over now. Chizome had been arrested and judging by people’s reactions to him, no one wanted him out again. The world would be relieved that the Hero Killer could no longer carry out his justice especially those who had escaped his judgment. No longer was there someone to go after the fakes that tainted the title of Hero.

But again, Chizome did not blame Izuku nor his friends. They were acting as true Heroes and fought him with dignity and the desire to help. None of them shirking from their Hero duties despite having to go up against the Hero Killer himself. While there was nothing Chizome could do to continue his purge of the false Heroes, he had at least the comfort that there were true ones rising up from the next generation.

Still, the fact that the Hero Killer would never be able to complete his mission left a bad taste in his mouth. Not coppery like the blood he had to consume for his Quirk. This was more the bitter and sour taste of unfinished business. The list of false Heroes lingered in his brain never to be completed. Leaving the fakes to continue to muddle the role of a Hero and the people to be ignorant of just how corrupt the system had become.

Chizome had been sitting at this same table for what felt like hours. Leaving him to his thoughts and to lament the loss of the fulfillment of his life’s mission. Purging fakes had been his entire life for so long that it was difficult for him to figure what he would do now. Probably just waste away in a jail cell to never see the light of day again and to never see Izuku become the Hero he knew the boy could be. He didn’t even know how the Little Hero had faired since he last saw him when he was taken away from the scene by the police.

Good luck, Izuku. We may never meet again but I know you will become a fine Hero one day. Carry on, Little Hero, and reclaim the title Hero in a way I never could.

How he wished to tell Izuku that in person but knew it would be impossible. Not now that he was in police custody. Chizome was a prisoner now with no hope for escape. He knew that he had made quite a name for himself as the Villain who preyed upon Heroes. The corrupt and incompetent ones that sullied the title Hero with their unheroic ways. But even though his motivations were just in his eyes, the laws and society did not see it as such. Stain was a killer of Heroes and would be punished as such. Leaving the world still filled with false Heroes living like wolves in sheep’s clothing.

The sound of the door opening drew Chizome’s attention to the plain man that entered the room. He was relatively tall with short black hair and eyes with no distinctive features to hint at his Quirk. Not that Chizome would assume the man had one after having met and become close to someone who was Quirkless. Izuku had made him realize there were all sorts in this world and that there was more to someone than their Quirk.

Even then not all Quirks had physical signs that were obvious. Chizome himself was relatively ordinary in appearance for the most part. If anything, his tongue was longer and his mouth wider than average to allow him better use of his Quirk. There was also his lack of nose but he had cut that off himself and typically had hidden behind his mask. But other than that, taking away his weapons, clothes, and armor left him just as human as the rest of them.

Chizome eyed the plain man as he walked over and sat in the chair opposite of him. The noseless man watched the other as he placed the files he brought with him down on the table. The room was silent other than the shuffling of paper but there wasn’t an air of tension as he had expected.

Strange.

The Hero Killer didn’t sense any fear or apprehension from the man across from him. But why? Wasn’t he here to question him on all of his Villainous activity over the years? One would think that there would be fear when interrogating a murderer such as himself. And yet there wasn’t. The captured Villain eyed the man curiously.

Finally having settled his papers, the man looked him in the eye and said, “Hello, my name is Tsukauchi Naomasa and I am a detective in the police force. My Quirk is called Lie Detector and allows me to tell when someone is not speaking the truth.”

Lie detection? Interesting, Chizome thought as he silently stared at the man. It was a good Quirk for a detective.

“I am one of the lead investigators into the events that occurred in Hosu,” the man, Tsukauchi, continued. “As there were numerous factors at play, we put together a team to sort through it all. However, I requested to be responsible for anything connected to the Hero Killer Stain for certain…reasons.”

“ ‘Certain reasons?’ ” Chizome parroted back with a sneer, wishing he could cross his arms in annoyance. That or cut the man and lick his blood so he could get the hell out of there. “And what are these reasons? Come to put a feather in your hat by ‘solving’ the case that is the Hero Killer?”

“There is nothing to solve with you, Akaguro Chizome,” Tsukauchi answered, the fact he knew his name not that surprising but it did cause his eyebrow to twitch in annoyance. The man had no right to his name. “We know a lot about you and your motivations. In fact, even though the media is reporting that you potentially have a connection with the League of Villains, I know for a fact that you are not associated with them.”

“Oh?” the Hero Killer lilted as he leaned forward threatening, the cuffs on his wrists clinked on the table as he propped himself on his elbows. “And how would you know that? After all I am a Villain and that man-child Shigaraki did approach me to join. Why wouldn’t you think that?”

It wasn’t that Chizome wanted to be associated with the League. Opposite in fact because their motivations did not align with his own. Only the end result of bringing an end to the current corrupt system. But they were Villains same as him. Why would this man not think they were working together? He did not expect what the detective said next but then again felt that he shouldn’t have been surprised. It was because of Izuku after all.

“Let’s say a little bird, or rather a ‘Little Hero’, told us,” Tsukauchi replied, the nickname caused the Villain’s red eyes to widen in shock. “We learned a lot about you from them.”

The Little Hero? Izuku? What did he say about me? What do they know?

“For legal reasons, I cannot reveal who this informant is,” the detective said as he glanced up to a corner in the room. Red eyes followed to briefly catch the blinking light of a camera. “But I’m sure you know exactly who I’m talking about.”

Chizome merely nodded as he turned back to the man who was reaching into one of the files. The Villain tried to think of what the boy could have said about him. Nothing that would have been said in malice as that wasn’t in Izuku’s nature. Whatever it was he knew it was in an effort to help in one way or another, but Chizome didn’t know if it was to help him or someone else.

The detective surprised him again as he placed an open notebook on the table in front of him. On the pages were notes upon notes on a Hero that he had targeted. The Hero Killer remembered the fake who had put up a pitiful fight and succumbed quickly to his personal brand of justice. The words on the page noted various facts about the false Hero as well as a list of exactly why they had fallen prey to Stain. But these notes did not appear to be done by a professional as the script was messy and in pencil.

“What is this?” Chizome asked gesturing to the notebook with a cuffed hand.

“Information on your victims,” the detective replied. “As well as the reasons as to why you targeted them in the first place. It was very insightful.”

The Villain eyed the man with an inquisitive glare before flipping through the pages. The notebook held entry upon entry of his chosen prey throughout the years. Each one with similar information on the fakes as well as the lists of negligent grievances or criminal transgressions. All written up and organized for the world to see and understand why Stain the Hero Killer targeted who he did. Chizome didn’t know for sure but he could think of only one person who could possibly have taken the time to put this together. A certain Little Hero who knew the man behind the Villain mask better than anyone.

“I can attest for the source of this information,” Tsukauchi said, breaking him from his reverence. “However, I wanted to confirm the accuracy of it from you. Is the information in this notebook an accurate representation of who you targeted and why?”

“Yes,” Chizome replied simply, not seeing much of a point in lying to a human lie detector. “What do you intend to do with this information?”

“To understand you,” the detective stated, earning a huff from the Villain. “As well as use it as a testament to your character.”

“And why would you need that?” the noseless man sneered as he leaned back in his chair. “What could a detective of the law want from a Villain like me?”

“Your help,” Tsukauchi replied simply.

Brows furrowed in confusion as Chizome stared at the detective. It was not what he expected to hear from whoever came to interrogate him. He thought it would be some officer pushing him for details on his Villain career, but this man already had that and most likely because of Izuku. So what on earth could this detective want with the help of the Hero Killer?

“Why?” the Villain asked.

“Your answer that the information in this notebook is accurate rings true,” Tsukauchi stated with a gesture to the open notebook on the table rather than answer his question. “That you had specific reasons and motivations to target those you saw as guilty of not upholding their Hero duties. Other than the charges of murder and assault towards these individuals, did you participate in any other criminal activity?”

“…no,” he replied unsure where the detective was going with his questioning.

“Also true,” Tsukauchi confirmed with a nod. “In conjunction of these two facts, it serves as proof of your motives and dedication to your mission. To expose the ‘false Heroes’ as you call them and ‘cleanse’ the Hero rankings.”

“So?” Chizome questioned with a quirked brow.

“If you’re willing,” the detective said, squaring his shoulders and making direct eye contact with inquisitive red. “I’d like to work with you to do just that.”

What.

“You want to…what?” Chizome asked, face scrunched in confusion making no sense of the situation.

“While I don’t agree with your past methods,” Tsukauchi said as he straightened the files in front of him. “I do agree that there are those in our current system that should not be allowed to continue as Pro Heroes. At least, not as they are now.”

The Hero Killer eyed the detective with skepticism as he asked, “What do you mean?”

“Those who have been neglecting their Hero duties will be confronted and dealt with,” the detective replied. “Without violence preferably and in a legal manner. Remedial training could be implemented for those with lesser infractions. As for the more severe cases, we would need to gather evidence and then take legal action against any criminal activity.”

The pair stared at each other in silence. The Villain searching for any hint of deceit or trickery in offering him such a thing. While the detective remained firm in his calm but serious stare in an attempt to assure the other that he was sincere.

“What do you want from me?” Chizome prodded after a moment as he leaned forward.

“Your advice,” Tsukauchi answered. “You clearly have an eye for figuring out who is not acting as a Hero should. I believe you did not intend to be captured in Hosu and so would assume you have other targets in mind. I would like the names and the reasons behind why you chose them. From there we can investigate your claims and then work towards addressing any issues.”

Chizome didn’t know what to think. Couldn’t believe that the man was asking him such a thing. A detective wanted to work with him, the Hero Killer, to continue his mission but on the other side of the law. It was almost too good to be true and yet this was a man who could literally tell a truth from a lie. Surely such a man wouldn’t lie to him about wanting to work with him. Could this be the less violent way that Izuku had hoped for him to find?

“Why should I help you?” the blood consumer asked, not really wanting anything in particular.

Ridding the world of fakes would be enough but he had hoped to see the world change for the better. That would be difficult from a jail cell in Tartarus where he was most likely to be held.

“Typical procedure when it comes to a Villain of your caliber would be sending you to Tartarus…”

As I thought.

“…however, I have a proposal for you.”

Stain raised an eyebrow in question as he asked, “Which is?”

“As I said I would like your help to take down those you call ‘false Heroes’,” the detective replied. “In exchange for your advice and expertise in this endeavor…”

Chizome couldn’t help the twitch of irritation at that word. Reminding him of the fake that sat at Number Two.

“…we would provide different ‘accommodations’ as well as possibly consider a reduction in your sentence and potential rehabilitation in the future. Provisionally of course.”

The Villain nodded as he sat back to think. It was an intriguing as well as unexpected offer. If he did help them, he wouldn’t be shoved off to Tartarus and could continue his mission. Not in the same way as he had before but in the end all he cared about was cleansing the rankings of false Heroes. As Izuku had pressed, there had to be a way to do so in a different and less lethal matter. This just had to be it and who was he to pass that up. The Little Hero wouldn’t.

“Where do we start?” Chizome asked, bracing himself on his elbows again.

The detective considers his expression for a moment before sliding over one of the files as he said, “Here.”

Chizome took the file and opened it to see a simple business letter. No picture of who the target was which left only the typed text for him to read. It listed a tally of offenses this person had committed such as civilian casualties and property damage. All sounding similar to others he had either targeted or had planned to. It wasn’t until he got to the charges of abuse towards various family members that he connected the dots.

The Hero Killer looked up to the detective with an inquisitive scowl and asked, “Is this…?”

“Yes,” Tsukauchi cut him off with a serious look of determination but nothing more.

The Villain quirked a brow at the lack of explanation but understood why as he followed the detective’s side-eye glance up at that blinking camera. Of course, people were watching. No wonder the report was kept somewhat vague. That must mean that there was someone observing who could potentially hinder them in their crusade against the ‘precious’ Number Two Hero. Red eyes turned to glare at the paper in his hand with a feral desire to take this fake down.

“When do we begin?”

Notes:

STAINY IS GOING TO BE A CONSULTANT!!!! :D There. That's my way of keeping Stain in the story post capture. Which was a fun brain blast that gave me so many ideas for future parts of this AU. Chizome will still be a player in the background same as before and will pop up from time to time as needed. I'm sure there will be questions of if Chizome and Izuku will ever reunite. All I will say is yes but I'll let your imaginations run wild as to how and when. ;) But yeah, Stainy is still in play and is not just getting chucked into Tartarus to rot.

The investigations are happening! Aldera will be going down followed by Endeavor. Though when exactly I'm still working out. But it will happen! With the combined front of concerned mothers, a worried friend, angered Heros, a determined detective, and a strong-willed Villain with the potential addition of certain crispy bacon boy. ;)

Now there is some secrecy going on with them targeting Endeavor. I would feel the Hero Commission wouldn't have much care for the lower ranking heroes since they don't have as much media attention. But going after higher ranking like Endeavor would definitely get their attention. They'll have to be careful and cautious moving forward, but they will move forward. I'm still deciding what consequences Endeavor is going to face so any thoughts on that would be much appreciated. (I probably already asked that at the end of a previous chapter but it never hurts to ask again!) I have some ideas like jail time, losing his hero license, losing custody, etc. But any others are welcome! I'm still playing around with the fire extinguisher idea suggested to me. ;P So serious or silly ideas would be appreciated and taken under consideration. ^____^

That's it for this chapter and for this part of the series!!! :D Thank you so much to everyone who has joined me on this journey and keep coming back for more. Which there will be more of in the future but as I said I'll be taking a break from posting for a bit. In the mean time, stay awesome and take care of yourselves. We'll be back next time to continue Izuku's journey of becoming the first Quirkless Hero in part 3, Blank Canvas: Heritage. See ya then! :D

Chapter 54: Author Note

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Greetings, dear readers!! :D I liiiiiiiiiiiiive! As figured, it's been three months and I'm ready to post again! Yay!

-jumps while giving a 'whoop whoop!'-

As promised, this chapter is a notification to those who have bookmarked or are following this part or the series. Part 2 is officially finished with this author's note and part 3 can now begin. I'm super excited going forward and I hope you are as well. Thank you all so much for your patience and let's get this rollercoaster ride going! See ya in part 3!

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