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Part 2 of Izuku and Dadzawa
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2021-06-30
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2023-05-25
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11/?
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You Can't Run From a Monster You Created

Summary:

After surviving torture, kidnapping, and actual death, Izuku makes it to UA. He's moving forward with his life, supported by his parents and newfound friends.

If only it were that easy to escape from the past.

Chapter 1: No Use Dying Over Spilt Milk

Summary:

Izuku definitely isn't a trouble magnet. Definitely.

Notes:

*Updated and Edited 6/18/23

Chapter Text

Izuku Yamazawa did not consider himself to be a trouble magnet. Sure, bad things happened to him a lot, but that was just luck. Or lack thereof. The universe is random, fate doesn’t exist, and people can’t be magnets for trouble because that makes no sense whatsoever.

Right? Well…

As Izuku was being chased through the streets of downtown Musutafu by two very angry and probably armed individuals at barely one in the morning, he was starting to reconsider his view of himself.

It started simply: they were out of milk.

 

 

Izuku bolted awake in his darkened room, chest heaving for air, eyes frantically searching for Aizawa’s injured form. They didn’t have much time to get out before Overhaul—

Glow in the dark star stickers flickered on the ceiling, a soft yellow gleam. Faded vintage posters of various heroes (mostly Present Mic and Eraserhead) lined the walls, colorful and well-kept, barely visible in the dim lighting. Crickets chirped quietly from outside the bedroom’s cracked window.

It was a dream. It was just a dream.

Rubbing his face tiredly, Izuku took a few deep breaths. He was safe. He was in his room, at home. He was safe. It was just a nightmare. He was safe. He repeated these words to himself for a few minutes, looking around his bedroom carefully as if trying to convince himself it was real. 

Izuku sighed, looking at the digital clock on his bedside table. It was past midnight, which meant that Aizawa was still out on patrol. It also meant that Izuku had only been asleep for two hours. Great. 

Normally, after a nightmare like that, Izuku would work on his analysis notebooks, or tinker with some unfinished inventions lying scattered around his room. But his heart was still racing and his eyes burned every time he blinked and if he stayed in his bedroom he’d be driven insane by morning, so he clambered out of bed and into the kitchen, looking for something to eat. 

Settling on a bowl of cereal, Izuku rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, wincing at the brightness of the refrigerator’s light as he looked for milk—

And was met by a milk-less fridge.

He looked back at his bowl of cereal, dry and sad looking, before making the executive decision to do some early morning grocery shopping at the 24-hour convenience store nearby. He knew that his parents wouldn’t mind, as they trusted him enough to run errands by himself, but he made sure to leave a note for Hizashi just in case he woke up before Izuku was back.

Donning a sweatshirt and some sneakers atop his pajamas, Izuku headed to the store, happy to get some exercise to distract himself from the buzzing of his brain. The surrounding neighborhood wasn’t very busy at night, so Izuku could hear frogs singing happily around him, the sounds of the city a distant melody. He departed from the convenience store, milk in hand, within minutes of leaving the house, a content smile on his face. The night sky above shone brightly, the moon and stars dancing before him. It was a beautiful sight; he never truly got tired of being outside, especially after being held captive for so long. 

Continuing his relaxed pace down the sidewalk, Izuku hummed a little tune to himself, a little song stuck in his head from Hizashi’s radio show the previous night. He was finally starting to relax, the tension in his shoulders bleeding away—

“What do you mean ‘got away’? ” A gruff voice demanded somewhere ahead of Izuku, hidden from view in the darkness. Izuku immediately slowed his pace, paying careful attention to his surroundings, as another voice responded.

“I mean, the kid ran! He must have slipped out of the rope or something ‘cause he’s not here now!”

That… didn’t sound good. At all. Izuku couldn’t see the two people talking– both adult men, from the sound of their voices, but Izuku never wanted to assume.

“Fucking hell, can you not do anything right? If we don’t show up with a kid tonight, boss is literally going to chop my dick off.” 

Izuku couldn’t help himself. He snorted. The voices fell silent, as Izuku realized that he was much closer to the two individuals than he had previously thought. 

Two tall, well-built men stepped out of the alleyway on his right, their eyes dark as they appraised him.

After years of running from bullies, and then running from villains, Izuku knew well enough to trust his instincts. And his instinct was telling him to run the fuck away. So that’s exactly what he did. Clutching the half-gallon of milk tightly in his hand, Izuku darted swiftly around the two figures and into the street, racing as fast as his legs could take him.

“Did we need that kid in particular, or just any kid?” Izuku heard one of the men say behind him.

“Boss doesn’t care. This one works just fine.” The once-quiet night was now filled with the sounds of a pursuit— heavy footsteps pounded against the concrete, muttered curses wheezed out in between breaths. 

Izuku knew that he should call Aizawa, or even Hizashi. But Izuku was tired. He was tired and hungry and he wanted to go home and eat cereal with milk. His critical thinking skills were… limited at the moment, to say the least. So, he just focused on running. Sprinting in and out of various sideroads, Izuku blocked the path behind him whenever he could, throwing garbage cans or stray cats at his followers in between strides.

His heart pounding from the adrenaline, Izuku searched for more opportunities to lose his followers. It was darker in the alleyways than on the street, and he could barely make out the street ahead of him. The sound of the two men barreling towards him was loud in his ears, so loud and so, so familiar. 

For just a moment, it was the Doctor running behind him, chasing after Izuku, closing in on him. 

Distracted by the painful memory, Izuku didn’t see the discarded pile of wires on the ground ahead of him. Still running at full speed, his foot caught on the wires and he flew forward, his body hitting the pavement and tumbling harshly before stopping. The milk was thrown somewhere in the fall, but Izuku couldn’t find it in himself to care.

Head pounding and body stinging, Izuku staggered upwards, all too aware of the noises from his pursuers growing louder and louder behind him. He began to run away again when his right ankle locked up, throwing him onto his knees. 

A surge of fear hit him like a punch to the gut. Izuku frantically tugged at his foot, trying to get the metal joint to unlock, to work with him , but he knew it was a losing battle. He didn’t have any tools with him, and had no way of fixing his foot in the time that he had. Gritting his teeth, Izuku turned his body in the direction of the approaching men, bracing himself on the concrete. In a swift and practiced movement, he reached behind him and drew the small dagger he kept clipped to his pajama bottoms (it’s not paranoia if someone’s actually out to get you).

Upon catching up to Izuku and seeing him on the ground, the two men slowed slightly, but not by much. The larger of the two, a broad-chested man with dark clothes and a bandana on his face, lunged forward, trying to pin Izuku down, not noticing the knife in the boy’s hand. 

Without hesitation, Izuku twisted to the side, gripping his blade tightly and positioning it facing slightly downwards, close to his attacker but not pointed directly to him. As the man’s body soared past Izuku, the blade cut a shallow path through his exposed side without Izuku even moving his wrist. The man let out a pained growl, hitting the ground roughly, obviously not expecting Izuku to have a knife.

With widening eyes and a sinking heart, Izuku realized the position he was currently in.

He was cornered. Trapped in a narrow alleyway, with both exits blocked off by his attackers.

Izuku tried to think, to make something work. He looked at the man he had cut (he really had injured himself, Izuku just held the knife), trying to get a bearing of his surroundings, but the second man chose that moment to dart forward. Izuku whipped his head back, barely having enough time to brace himself before the man’s body slammed into his, knocking both of them to the ground. The air forced from his lungs, Izuku struggled to breathe, his chest aching. Rocks and broken glass from the ground dug into Izuku’s back, the side of his head stinging sharply; his knife was thrown somewhere behind him, but he couldn't reach to grab it even if he tried, too busy grappling with the second attacker. 

Izuku slammed his knee into the man’s gut, momentarily stunning him for long enough to wrench himself out from underneath his weight, still trying to get his breath back. He tried to take a step forward but his ankle was still locked, and the first attacker was closer than before and Izuku just wanted a goddamn bowl of cereal with milk.

Assessing the situation he was in, Izuku knew it wasn’t looking good. The two men were quickly recovering from his attacks, and Izuku couldn’t run. His knife was on the ground a few feet away, but it was blocked by the taller of the men at the moment. Great.

Izuku’s eyes flickered to the alleyway's contents. Wire, trash, rocks. By his foot was an abandoned beer bottle. He would have to make it work.

With a resigned sigh, Izuku lifted his arms in the air, palms facing out. “Look, I can’t move. My foot hates me and I don’t have any more weapons. I’ll stop fighting, just… just don’t try and knock me out, please. I already have a headache and I really don’t need a concussion.”

The men stared at Izuku. Then at each other. Then at Izuku again. Izuku widened his eyes, trying to make himself look as pitiful as possible. He lowered himself to his knees again slowly, arms still raised. “See? Not fighting. I’m done. You win.”

The men seemed to overcome their stupor at his words. Approaching Izuku quickly, the second man grabbed his left arm and twisted it painfully behind Izuku’s back. Izuku stifled a wince, waiting for the first man to walk just a little bit-

There!

With his free hand, Izuku grabbed the empty beer bottle, rotating his body and swinging his arm out in the direction of the man holding his arm. He was worried that he wouldn’t hit his target because of how dark it was, but the shattering of glass and the cry of shock and pain behind him assured him that his aim was true. Wasting no time, Izuku shifted his body again, slamming his elbow directly backwards into the first man’s crotch, the perfect height for Izuku to reach on his knees (not as dirty as it sounds). 

Within seconds the men were on the ground, groaning in pain, but Izuku wasn’t done. He grabbed the largest rock he could find and slammed it onto his ankle’s metallic joint hard enough to get the mechanism to unlock.

The ‘click’ that followed was like music to Izuku’s ears. He breathed a sigh of relief, the tension in his shoulders relaxing only slightly. 

He looked to his left, where the men were still writhing on the ground. Then to the rock in his hand, a little bit bigger than the size of a baseball.

Yeah, he could make this work.

 

 

An hour later, the two men were whisked off by the closest police officer on duty sporting mild concussions, a stab wound, and a bruised taint. All in all, Izuku was proud of himself for his showcase of self-restraint. Aizawa, who had just finished his nightly patrol, was not as pleased with Izuku. Now back in the comfort of his own home (no milk in hand, sadly), Izuku had to face the wrath of his father. 

“Let me get this straight. You leave the house at midnight to get milk.” Aizawa’s tired voice was stern, and his gaze was cold. 

“Yes,” Izuku responded, unfazed by his dad’s judgment.

“You get attacked by human traffickers.”

“I mean, I think they were human traffickers. Maybe just normal kidnappers?” Izuku tilts his head. Aizawa scowls.

“You manage to fight them off and get them arrested.”

“Bingo.” Izuku flashes a pair of finger guns in Aizawa’s direction. Aizawa’s scowl deepens.

“And not once,” Aizawa activates Erasure now, and Izuku’s sarcastic attitude begins to slip. “Not once did you think to call me for backup?” Glaring at Izuku, Aizawa’s eye flashed scarlet, his hair floating threateningly around his face. 

“I— I didn’t…” Izuku paused for a moment, his eyes dropping to his hands, still bloody and scratched from having fallen in the alleyway. He still could feel the terror in his veins; not of the men themselves, but of the possibility that he’d be taken away again. The crawling sensation of dread and anxiety and fear that had torn through Izuku when he realized that he was trapped

A heavy hand on his shoulder pulled Izuku out of his head. Looking up, his gaze met his dad’s, no longer tinged with anger. All Izuku saw in Aizawa’s eye was sadness. Worry. Fear.

“Kid…” Aizawa’s voice broke. “Just, please, call me next time. Okay?” 

Izuku didn’t realize he had been crying until strong arms pulled him into a warm embrace. They stood like that in the dark living room until Aizawa pulled back, examining Izuku as best he could in the dim lighting. 

“Let’s get you checked up. Can’t have you bloody on your first day of school.” Aizawa sighed, patting Izuku once more on the shoulder before gently guiding him to the bathroom where they kept their first-aid kit. 

Inwardly, Izuku groaned. He had forgotten that today was the first day of school. The clock in the hallway said it was barely four in the morning. If he were lucky, he’d get a solid hour of sleep in. As Aizawa helped him patch up a gash on his forehead and the skid marks on his hands and knees, Izuku made peace with drinking coffee instead. After all, he still had to pick up some milk from the store for breakfast. 

Actually... maybe he’d let Hizashi do that. That seemed like a better idea. 

 

Chapter 2: The Knife Was Accidental, I Swear

Summary:

Izuku's first day at UA is... eventful, to say the least.

Notes:

No trigger warnings this chapter :)

*EDIT: 5/22/23. I decided to change Izuku's eye colors (with contacts) bc it makes more sense to me. I was going to do this originally, and honestly don't remember why I didn't go through with it. To all the comments saying it didn't make sense: yeah lol it's a fanfiction none of it does (jk... but kinda serious)

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

Chapter Text

 

Izuku started his first day of school like everyone else: finding which desk he sat at, meeting some new classmates, getting into a fight with his childhood friend-turned bully, the works.

Really, it was Bakugou’s fault. Izuku had been having a rather pleasant morning.

 

Since Izuku was the teacher's favorite (and son, but that's irrelevant), he got to choose where he sat. Taking up residence in the seat closest to Aizawa’s desk and conveniently right next to the window (easy escape path), Izuku prepared himself for his first day of normal school for the first time in almost five years. No other students had arrived yet, since Izuku got to school outrageously early due to both of his parents teaching there, but Izuku preferred it that way.

Leaning back in his desk, he closed his eyes and listened. He could faintly hear teachers walking down the hall, preparing for the new school year. To his left, from the open window, birds were chirping their morning greetings. Izuku took a deep breath. He tried to savor times like these, where he could just sit and be content. He didn’t think he would ever get tired of simply enjoying the feeling of the sun warming his face. Times where he could almost tune out the churning of his stomach or the nightmares that met him every time he closed his eyes. 

Almost. 

It was about another twenty minutes before the first of Izuku’s classmates joined Izuku in classroom 1-A. A tall boy with dark blue hair, winged eyebrows, and a righteously duteous disposition. Tenya Iida, younger brother to hero Ingenium. Izuku had met him several times before since both of his parents were friends with Tensei, and the two boys were familiar. Honestly, Izuku appreciated Tenya’s honest and straightforward nature. Once Iida got over Izuku’s scarred appearance, the two bonded over their love of heroes and school on the few occasions they got to be around each other. 

“Yamazawa! I have to say, I’m not surprised at all to see you here. It’s good to see you! I look forward to working with you as a fellow prospective hero student!!” Iida almost yelled, chopping his hand through the air with every other word he spoke. 

Izuku smiled warmly. Iida was a lot to handle sometimes, but Izuku found he genuinely appreciated the other’s presence.

“It’s good to see you too, Iida. And please, call me Izuku.” 

Iida balked. He began to wave his hands again, looking like he was about to protest, but Izuku stopped him before he could.

“I’m going by my first name here to keep any connections between myself and my parents to a minimum in public. You know the drill. I don’t want anyone thinking they’re showing favoritism, and it helps give Aizawa the privacy an underground hero needs to survive,” Izuku explained, trying to placate Iida’s concerns. 

The boy seemed to relax slightly at this, his brow furrowing in thought. “...I understand. I will do my best to refer to you by Izuku if that is what you wish.

Izuku gave him another smile. Iida seemed to soften at the gesture, smiling back. “Thank you, Iida. I appreciate it.” Izuku’s voice was warm and sincere.

“Of course! Such is the expectation of a hero student!!” Iida chopped out (literally, the hand-chopping was back). 

Izuku chuckled, nodding. Iida found his seat, and the two engaged in comfortable small talk for the next fifteen minutes before more students began filing into the classroom; some individually, and some in pairs. Iida was quick to introduce himself, Izuku following his lead shortly after.

All the while, Izuku remained painfully vigilant. He couldn’t really help it at this point. It was just how his brain worked. So, while Izuku exchanged pleasantries with his fellow classmates, he analyzed them in the background. 

Momo Yaoyorozu, a tall girl with raven black hair and a professional yet kind demeanor. The almost posh set of her shoulders told Izuku she was higher class, along with her obviously advanced education. She carried a plethora of books with her, many on the subject of molecular structure. Probably related to her quirk. It could have been a knowledge augmentation, but the books were too specific. Some sort of transformation or creation type? Izuku’s train of thought was quickly distracted by a pair of students who came in next. One had pink skin, unruly pink hair, and a set of horns. The other had blond hair with a black lightning bolt pattern.

They introduced themselves as Mina Ashido and Denki Kaminari. Izuku’s mind went to work.

Ashido obviously had some sort of mutant type quirk, one that altered her skin color. Judging from the muscle Izuku could see on her form, the girl was physically active. So possibly an emitter as well. There were small burns on the tops of her shoes; not ashy, so not a fire quirk. Most likely some form of corrosive material produced from her hands, something that could drip. Perhaps some type of acid?

Kaminari was easier; he and his mother shared the same hair. Pro hero Electro, quirk: electricity. An emitter type which allowed the user to shoot electricity from the body ranging in voltage. Could be used in long or short distance fights. It’s a volatile quirk, and hard to control. It showed itself in Kaminari’s jittering; the kid never sat still. He was always fidgeting with something, tapping his toes, playing with the contents of his backpack. Izuku made a mental note to talk to Aizawa about scheduling him some quirk counseling in the future.

As Izuku’s mind raced from one person to the next, his guard never dropped. He ran through his escape routes if he were to need them, mentally checking that he had all of his weapons on him. It was a habit born out of necessity and one Izuku couldn’t get rid of even if he tried. Outwardly, he was calm and collected, mingling comfortably with his peers. His scarred appearance, metal foot, and still-healing scrapes seemed to put them off at first, but his friendly attitude quickly put any concerns or questions on the backburner. Inwardly, he was staving off panic. 

It had been a while since Izuku really interacted with people his age. There was the occasional visit with Iida, yes, but other than that, Izuku spent most of his time around adults. Being around kids his age was… unsettling. The last time he had been in such an environment wasn’t exactly pleasant. Izuku internally thanked Aizawa for the acting lessons. So far, everything was going fairly well. The classroom was almost full, with students milling around in groups and familiarizing themselves with one another. Some were sitting at their desks, while most were standing idly wherever they felt comfortable. Honestly, it was too good to last.

Izuku could sense a change in the air. His instincts were screaming at him, and he shot a calculating look towards the door, fingers twitching to grab the knife strapped to the base of his back. Or the one in the holster at his ankle, hidden by his pants. Or the one in the holster on his thigh. Or the one- you get the idea.

The sliding door slammed open, and a loud, brash boy with spiky blond hair sauntered in, a sneer evident on his face. Izuku’s stomach dropped. The carefully constructed smile he had on was crumbling. 

Now inside the classroom, ignoring the whispers of his fellow students, the boy’s condescending gaze swept across the room, searching for competition. His eyes stopped on Izuku. For a second, Izuku saw nothing unusual in them. No flash of recognition or anger or anything, just the normal arrogance. 

Then, like a lightbulb turning on, it switched.

“DEKU!?”

 




Shouta Aizawa was not having a good day. 

It had started out normal enough. He finished his patrol and went home, very excited to get some sleep. It seemed, however, that God had some sort of vendetta against Aizawa because once home, he encountered a bruised and bloody Izuku in the living room at well past two in the morning. After learning his child was almost kidnapped, Aizawa bandaged Izuku up as well as possible and stuffed any and all intrusive thoughts well into the back of his mind in hopes of getting at least a few hours of sleep. When his alarm went off a short hour later, he gave into his fate. Bad days were normal. Stuff went wrong. It happens.

But walking into his classroom, excited to scare some new students, and finding Izuku pinning what looked like the personification of an angry Pomeranian to the wall with a knife at his throat, was not what Shouta needed right now. 




Izuku did not mean to pull out a knife. Really, he didn’t mean to. It just happened.

 

“DEKU!?” Bakugou shouted from across the room, eyes alight with fury. The quiet chatter of their classmates stopped. Izuku froze. He fought to keep his breathing under control. His mind jumped to all of his escape plans, and which were the most viable in this situation. #16 seemed like a good option-

Bakugou lunged forward, slamming desks backwards with crackling palms, and Izuku’s body jumped into action. He could barely hear his classmates' cries of shock, their scramble to get away from the encounter.

As Bakugou reached towards him with an overly-extended right hook, Izuku dodged carefully to the side after ensuring that his classmates were safely out of harm's way. Well, as safe as they could be at the moment. This only seemed to infuriate Bakugou: the veins in his head swelled and his crimson eyes shone with rage, pure rage. 

“WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN YOU FUCKING BASTARD?” Bakugou screamed, unrelenting in his attack on Izuku. This time, he extended his right hand towards Izuku, palm out and fingers clenched in a claw-like position. The beginnings of an explosion. The sight was so familiar, too familiar. Izuku fought back the urge to use Erasure. Green eyes (slightly different shades, but as close as Izuku could find) met crimson for a brief moment, and Izuku saw many things. Anger, confusion, rage. 

He didn’t expect to see fear. 

Growling, the boy threw his body forward in an attempt to take Izuku down. Izuku didn’t even think about grabbing Bakugou’s forearm and twisting his entire body, slamming him against the wall behind Izuku with ease. Instinctively, his hand had unclasped the knife that had been fastened to a strap hidden on his back underneath his school jacket. The blade was at Bakugou’s throat in an instant. 

The room fell quiet. Bakugou’s eyes widened in shock, his back pressed firmly against the wall. Izuku’s hand was steady, unshaking. His eyes were sharp and calculating. Dangerous.

“Bakugou, nice to see you again. Can I let you go, or are you going to attack me again?”

Izuku’s voice was calm and clear, his words clipped. This just enraged Bakugou further. His hands were popping, small explosions stinging Izuku’s fingers. Izuku didn’t release his grip.

“WHAT, YOU THINK YOU’RE BETTER THAN ME!? WHERE THE FUCK WERE YOU? HUH? JUST DECIDED TO DISAPPEAR AFTER FUCK KNOWS HOW LONG, AND SHOW UP AT UA OF ALL FUCKING PLACES?! IS THIS A FUCKING PRANK? I SWEAR, I’M GOING TO-”

“Eraser, good timing. I’d like a hand.” Izuku cut Bakugou off without even turning his head, focus still pinpointed on holding his adversary back. He could hear Aizawa sigh, could hear the murmurs of confusion and fear amongst his classmates. 

Briefly, Izuku wished he had gone with escape #16.



Aizawa was quick to wrap Bakugou up in his capture weapon, Erasure activated. Bakugou’s explosions were promptly cut off, much to the angry boy’s confusion. Without looking at Bakugou, Izuku explained to his dad what had happened with Iida’s help. After holstering his knife, of course. 

“I see. This was unprovoked, correct?” Aizawa’s voice was tired, his shoulders slumped. Iida was quick to answer.

“Yes, Sensei! This student entered the classroom violently, and upon seeing Yam- excuse me, Izuku, he began yelling and attacking him. Izuku quickly mitigated the threat without inflicting any bodily harm to his attacker, although I have serious concerns about the knife he had-”

“Yes, yes, thank you. I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is Shouta Aizawa, and I am your homeroom teacher. I’m an underground hero who goes by the name Eraserhead. Nice to meet you all.” With these words, his hair fell back into its normal position, and his eye fading to its normal black. “While this is not how I planned on beginning class, it seems fitting for hero students. In the world of heroics, anything can happen. Vigilance and preparation is key.”

Aizawa looked around at the shocked faces of his students, still holding the struggling Bakugou in his capture weapon securely. 

“Now, I want you all to change into your gym uniforms. Meet me outside on the training field in fifteen minutes.”

Momo Yaoyorozu spoke up tentatively, her eyebrows furrowed. “Aizawa-Sensei, I thought we were supposed to be at the orientation held in the auditorium at that time?”

Several other students nodded their heads, similar looks of confusion marring their features.

Aizawa grinned wickedly, bloodshot gaze shining darkly. A few students literally stepped back in fear. He did make quite an imposing figure, after all: covered in scars with an eyepatch over his left eye socket, with ratty hair and scruff on his face. He looked like a homeless pirate. 

“Plans change. Vigilance, remember? Training field. Only fourteen minutes now. I wouldn’t want to be late, if I were you.” Everyone, sans Izuku, shivered at his tone. 

Iida quickly jumped into action. “As Aizawa-sensei says, fellow students! Heroes are constantly dealing with surprises and must adapt as they need in order to survive. To the training field!”

Engines blazing from his calves, Iida was but a blur on his way outside. The other students followed, although much less enthusiastically, sparing glances and exchanging whispers about the three figures still in the classroom. 

Once everyone else was gone, Aizawa turned his gaze upon Bakugou. Immediately, the boy stopped his furious attempts at breaking out of Aizawa’s scarf. 

“Now tell me, Bakugou Katsuki, why I shouldn’t expel you right now for attacking another student,” Aizawa demanded, his voice harsh and unyielding. Bakugou gulped. Izuku sighed, turning to his father with a grimace.

“You can’t expel him. Not yet, at least. He’s just confused.”

“Shut up, stupid Deku! I don’t need you vouching for me-” Bakugou was cut off once again, this time by Aizawa.

“If you finish that sentence I will not hesitate to expel you and make sure you never make it into another hero school in Japan,” Aizawa growled out, effectively silencing Bakugou. He turned back to Izuku, expectant. 

“I’ve told you about him. Remember Kacchan?” Izuku mumbled, eyes turned to the ground.

 

Aizawa just about strangled Bakugou right then and there. This was the kid who had practically tortured Izuku for his entire childhood? The one that haunted Izuku’s nightmares for years, the reason why Izuku had panic attacks whenever he’d hear a firework, the reason why his kid had a burn mark in the shape of a hand on his shoulder and starburst scars littering his body?

Outraged, Aizawa was about to tell Izuku that he’d let Bakugou off easy by giving him a ten second head start, when he remembered a conversation they had around a year ago.

 

“If I ever find this kid I swear I’m going to rip him limb from limb,” Aizawa had said to Izuku. It was the night that Izuku had finally told him where his other scars had come from. 

“I know, ‘Zawa. It’s why I didn’t give you his actual name. But you can’t do that, he doesn’t deserve that.” Izuku’s voice was soft, vulnerable. It calmed Aizawa down. “He’s a victim of a corrupt system. It doesn’t make his actions right, doesn’t excuse him in any way. He still hurt me. I don’t forgive him for what he’s done. But no one ever told him it was wrong. Hell, our teachers encouraged his behavior.” Aizawa scowled darkly. The thought of such atrocities being directed towards anyone, let alone his kid, was enough to make the man rampage.

Instead, he took a deep breath. He looked Izuku in the eyes. " Kid, you’re too good for this world. Never forget that.”

Izuku flushed, wiping the tears from his cheeks. “‘Zawa, that’s not-”

“No disputing facts, sorry. Now come on, let’s go. You wanted me to show you how to use a staff, right?”

 

The anger inside of Aizawa calmed slightly. He was still pissed off, but he supposed he would let the Bakugou kid live. Aizawa fixed him with a scathing look for a moment, before turning once more to Izuku. He sighed, and his voice was softer when he spoke.

“Look, kid, the call is yours to make. He physically and verbally attacked you. If you want me to, I can expel him.”

Izuku met his gaze, his eyes glinting in determination. “Don’t, please. Detention, sure, but don’t expel him right now. He has potential, and with you as a teacher...” Izuku spoke quietly, his voice full of vulnerability. Aizawa could tell they would be having a long talk later, but he knew what the kid meant. Unfortunately. 

Aizawa sighed again. “Fine. Go catch up with your class, you still have time to change.”

Izuku nodded, pausing slightly before turning his attention to Katsuki.

“Bakugou. If you want to talk, you can meet me after school.”

Bakugou seemed like he wanted to protest, but Izuku was gone before he could open his mouth. Then it was just Aizawa and Bakugou.

Swiftly, Aizawa lowered Bakugou to the ground and released him from his capture weapon’s hold. Bakugou grumbled a little, but made no move to attack him or run after Izuku. He shoved his hands into his pockets and stared furiously at the ground, almost like a small child. Aizawa could already feel the headache forming.

“Bakugou,” Aizawa snapped, his voice sharp and demanding. Katsuki’s head whipped upwards, his eyes wide. “You’ll have detention for the next three weeks. If I see you so much as raise a finger against another student, you’ll be out of this school before you can blink. Got it?” 

Aizawa’s soft(ish) demeanor with Izuku was long gone. He stared Bakugou down, watching his tense muscles, his clenched fists. After a moment, Bakugou nodded, although he didn't look very happy about it. It was a start, at least.

Squinting at him momentarily, Aizawa finally relaxed his shoulders. His threatening aura dimmed slightly. “Good. Now, move it. You have less than ten minutes to change.”

Watching Bakugou stomp out of his classroom, Aizawa fought the urge to crawl into his sleeping bag and never wake up. He had a class to teach. And oh, what a class it was already turning out to be.

Notes:

REUNION! AHHH!

When I wrote Izuku with the knife all I could think about was the 'What do you have? A KNIFE!' Vine. Do what you want with that information.

Thank you all for your support! Next chapter will be out in a few days :)

Chapter 3: The Words I Never Got To Say

Summary:

Class 1-A faces the quirk apprehension test. The battle trial occurs. Bakugou and Izuku finally have a talk.

Notes:

TRIGGER WARNINGS:
-flashbacks of physical/verbal abuse (burning, bullying)
-descriptions of scars

*Edited and updated 5/22/23

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

Chapter Text

 

The quirk assessment test was… interesting, to say the least. The rest of the class kept staring at Izuku and Bakugou, whispering about the fight they had witnessed, before Bakugou snapped and yelled at them for being ‘stupid mindless extras who can’t mind their own business’. The whispering stopped after that, although a few people were still giving Izuku some fearful glances. He understood why, but it still made the pit in his stomach just a little bit heavier.

As it was right now, the class was standing on the dirt pitch, wondering just what exactly they were doing here and not inside in orientation with the rest of the school.

Aizawa, seemingly appearing out of nowhere (he was hiding behind a tree) and scaring several students, soon answered their questions.

“It took you all 25 minutes to change, sans Izuku. Not nearly fast enough. Do better next time,” he spoke monotonously to the class, resting nonchalantly against the bleachers with his arms crossed on his chest. Several heads turned in Izuku’s direction, but he held his attention fixed on his teacher.

“Today, we’ll be having a quirk assessment test. Similar to the physical assessments you took in middle school: a ball throw, standing long jump, 50-meter dash, and so on. Except this time,” he paused, looking around at the students in front of him, “You’ll be able to use your quirks.”

Immediately, several students began talking.

“Woah, really!”

“I always hated those assessments, but with my quirk it’ll be so easy.”

“This is going to be so much fun!”

Izuku held back a wince. The look on Aizawa’s face told him about the storm coming, one that his fellow classmates were too excited to pay much attention to.

“...Easy? Fun? Fine then. I guess I better raise the stakes if this is so easy for you all.” 

The smiles were now falling from their faces. Aizawa’s gaze was sharp and unforgiving.

“Whoever places last in the exercises overall will be expelled, deemed to have no potential.” Aizawa grinned, and the students shivered. Many made sounds of protest, a few daring to speak out against their teacher’s decision.

“But, Sensei, it’s the first day of school! Doesn’t that seem a bit unfair?” One voice asked, several others joining in to agree. It was a girl with brown hair, a kind face, and a permanent blush gracing her cheeks. Izuku noticed raised pads on the tips of her fingers, probably a 5-point activation quirk. She held her hands carefully, like she was nervous to accidentally use her quirk on herself or someone else. Based on her personality, it was most likely-

“Unfair? Life isn’t fair. Hero work certainly isn’t fair. Get used to it.” Aizawa’s harsh voice snapped Izuku out of his train of thought. Mentally, he admonished himself. He normally would never get so distracted, but he also wasn’t normally around so many unknown quirks. Right now, he had a quirk assessment test to complete. Without using his quirk. 

 

“Kid, are you sure you want to do that?” Aizawa asked, his usually stoic voice full of concern. “You know better than anyone how quirkless kids are treated nowadays. Especially in a hero school; presenting as quirkless isn’t going to be easy.”

Izuku’s grimace turned into a shaky smile. Even after being with Aizawa and Yamada for a few years now, he never fully got used to their kindness.

“I know. But it’s easier than explaining… everything. How would everyone react if I show up on the first day of school, with the exact same quirk as you? We’re already going to get some attention because of the scars. Plus, I don’t want anyone thinking you’re just playing favorites, or that I got in just because my dads are teachers. Even though I’m definitely your favorite.”

Aizawa chuckled, some of the worry melting off of his features. 

“That goes without saying. Of course you’re my favorite.” He paused, looking for the right words to say. “If… if you change your mind, let me know. I’m here for you, kid.”

Izuku smiled for real this time. He pushed down his feelings of guilt, of shame. 

“Thanks, ‘Zawa.”

 

They started out with the ball throw. Standing in a group around a wide circle painted in white, a stark contrast to the dark ground, was the class. On the other side of the circle stood Aizawa, carrying a baseball and an electronic monitor.

“First is the ball throw. As long as you stay in this circle, anything goes. You get two tries.” Izuku bit back a smile. Of course Aizawa would set the rules as vague as possible. He lives for loopholes. 

“Bakugou,” Aizawa snapped out. Bakugou, who had been glaring at Izuku, turned his gaze sharply to Aizawa, his eyes wide. His hands were still in his pockets and his shoulders were slouched to appear uncaring, but his body was tense. “What was your score for the ball throw in middle school?” Bakugou seemed to relax slightly at that, but the scowl never left his face. 

“65 meters,” he all but growled, a slightly prideful look in his eyes. Aizawa nodded, tossing the baseball to Bakugou across the circle. He caught the ball, looking determined.

“Not bad. Try it with your quirk now.”

Bakugou stepped into the circle, swinging his right arm in a circular motion to loosen it up. Izuku took a few steps back. He really didn’t want to get caught in the blast. The other students, although a little more hesitantly, did the same.

With a wicked grin, Bakugou drew his arm back and released the ball with a shocking ‘BOOM’ echoing throughout the field. Smoke wafted from his hands, and the smell of burnt caramel reached Izuku’s nose.

 

He could feel his skin burning and blistering, so hot and painful. His entire back felt like it was on fire, as Katsuki pinned him to the ground face-first, his lackeys surrounding him. Izuku was struggling but Katsuki’s grip was firm around the nape of his neck and he tried to get out but he couldn’t and it hurt so horribly and he was screaming for someone, anyone to just please help him, but no one came, and Bakugou was laughing and Izuku couldn’t breathe because of the smoke and he could smell burnt caramel-

 

“705.2 meters,” Aizawa said to the class, holding the monitor out to show them the blinking numbers. “Before, you weren’t able to use your quirks. Now, they serve as tools to help you on this test, and on your journey to becoming heroes. Use them wisely.” He gave the class a solemn look, stopping briefly on Izuku before quickly moving on. “Next up is Ashido.”

As his classmates took the test, Izuku collected his thoughts. He steadied his breathing. He spared a glance upwards. The sky was a beautiful blue, with picturesque clouds floating dreamily in the distance. The sun was warm on his face. He wiggled his toes (the ones he could wiggle), felt how they moved in his shoes. He could hear his classmates talking, some exclaiming over a high score. The anxiety and fear swirling in his stomach were quieter now. His therapist had taught him that little trick: they called it grounding, and it was eternally useful when Izuku found himself caught in his trauma. Izuku knew Bakugou would be at UA, but in the same homeroom, so close to his explosions, his anger... it was a lot, to say the least. Slightly calmer now, he turned his attention back towards his class, noticing (but choosing to ignore) Bakugou’s scathing glances and the curious heterochromatic eyes of a certain teen.

Eventually, it was Izuku’s turn to throw the ball. He didn’t love the attention of the entire class focused on him, but he wasn’t unsure of his abilities. Training with Aizawa had gotten rid of all of that. There wasn’t time to be unsure. So, Izuku stepped into the circle, his shoulders set firmly and his head held high. He turned a knowing look onto his teacher, trying again not to smile.

“Excuse me, Aizawa-Sensei?” He asked, biting back a smirk at how ridiculous it felt to call ‘Zawa that. 

“What is it,” Aizawa drawled, his voice entirely bland and unassuming. The light in his eye told a different story.

“You said that anything goes as long as I remain in the circle, correct?”

He was met with a nod. This time, Izuku didn’t fight the smile on his face. 

“Then, could I please borrow your capture weapon?” His tone was innocent, and his smile sincere. Several of his classmates gasped, murmuring amongst themselves in surprise. Izuku swore he could hear the words “quirkless” and “crazy” thrown around, but he ignored them. 

Aizawa grinned, a smile that would surely put the Cheshire Cat to shame. Carefully, he removed the scarf from around his neck and handed it to Izuku. 

If anyone else were to try this, they would fail miserably. Since this was Izuku, however, things went differently. Izuku was very familiar with Aizawa’s capture weapon. He had trained with it for the past 3 years, working it into his combat along with a variety of other weapons. The blend of carbon fiber and metal alloy was what allowed the scarf to bend, twist, and contract, but the real kicker was that the scarf was woven with pieces of Aizawa’s hair. The DNA in the scarf allowed him and only him to use it successfully. Or, people with his DNA. Izuku literally had the man’s eye. Safe to say, the scarf reacted with his movements. It took years to master, but by now Izuku was plenty skilled in working with the weapon.

Taking the scarf and wrapping it around his neck, Izuku felt the familiar tingling sensation in his brain. More gasps from behind him, louder this time. Izuku grinned. The white strands of material flew gracefully around his head, waiting for his commands. He reached out with the scarf to grab the baseball. Taking a deep breath, he drew the scarf back as far as he possibly could and launched the ball in the air, almost like a slingshot. The ball flew into the sky, disappearing in the distance.

Aizawa showed the class the monitor, teeth still bared in a grin.

1,087 meters. Izuku let the scarf fall limp, returning it to Aizawa with a bow and a quick “Thank you.” 

Returning back to join his class, several students swarmed him. 

“That was so cool! How did you even do that?” One of them asked; it was the one with the electricity quirk, Kaminari. He was smiling at Izuku, his eyes wide in surprise and admiration. 

“Seriously, that was some pretty manly stuff. You have to show me some moves sometime,” another said. This one was Kirishima, Izuku remembered. He was the boy with the spiky red hair who was obsessed with masculinity, for some reason.

“Wow, that was really awesome, Deku!” The brown haired girl from earlier cried out. Izuku froze, the smile dropping from his face.

“My name is Izuku. Deku is actually an insult, and I would prefer it if you didn’t call me that.” His words were clipped, his eyes guarded. Immediately, the girl started waving her arms, flushing in embarrassment.

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t know! It’s just that the other kid called you that so I just assumed it was your name, I really didn’t mean any harm-”

“I understand. Thank you.” Izuku cut off her ramble quickly, not wanting to make her upset. He gave her a soft smile. She relaxed at that, and Izuku turned back to the two boys who were standing beside him.

“Thank you, Kaminari. I’ve trained with weapons like that before, so I knew how to use one. And Kirishima, was it? I can definitely show you some moves sometime.” 

The two boys grinned, and Izuku smiled back. Aizawa cleared his throat.

“If you’re all done with social hour, I’d like to continue.” 

The class fell silent under Aizawa’s calculating gaze. Izuku fought the urge to roll his eyes. He forgot how much of a hard-ass ‘Zawa liked to make himself seem like. If he were really that strict, he would have cut off their conversation much earlier. In reality, Izuku knew that the man had allowed them to talk. It was nice of him, especially because it gave Izuku the chance to make some friends. 

The quirk assessment test went by fairly quickly. After everything, Izuku finished fifth in the class, much to Bakugou’s infuriation. Toru Hagakure, the girl with an invisibility quirk, placed last. Although he couldn’t see her, Izuku was fairly certain that he could hear sniffling. Before he could comfort her, Aizawa stepped in.

“No one is being expelled. It was a logical ruse to bring out everyone’s full potential,” he said with a wicked grin. Hagakure collapsed to the ground with a thankful sigh, radiating relief. The others in the class relaxed slightly, some claiming it was ‘obviously fake’, some talking about how mean it was. Izuku was just trying to avoid Bakugou’s glares. It didn’t help that he was already getting some odd looks because of his appearance. He took a deep breath. Next was Foundational Hero Studies.

How bad could it be?

 

Apparently very bad. As he returned to the classroom before the start of the period, Izuku remembered a teeny, tiny detail. All Might was teaching Foundational Hero Studies. You know, the number one hero? The one that Izuku had idolized for most of his life? The one who had told Izuku that he couldn’t become a hero? Yeah, that one. The door to the classroom slammed open with a ‘bang!’

“I AM… ENTERING THE ROOM LIKE A NORMAL PERSON!!”

Most of class 1-A jumped out of their seats with a surprised cry of “ALL MIGHT!!”

Izuku stayed sitting. Still, he didn’t avert his gaze when All Might looked around the class, appraising the new hero students. His eyes stopped on Izuku for a moment, and Izuku was sure he saw All Might’s signature smile twitch slightly before the hero moved on.

“Good Afternoon, future heroes! I am your Foundational Hero Studies teacher. Today, we’re going to be doing a battle simulation in Ground Beta. Suit up in your hero costumes and meet me there!” All Might’s voice was loud and booming, and it wasn’t helping the growing pit in Izuku’s stomach. Before the hero could sprint out the room, Yaoyorozu raised her hand politely.

“Um, All Might Sensei? We don’t have our hero costumes yet.”

Inwardly, Izuku scoffed. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all. Watching All Might fuck up was entertaining.

All Might gulped, a bead of sweat dripping down his face before hitting the class with another signature grin.

“Ah, of course! Thank you, young lady, for reminding me.” Inside one of the pockets of his costume, All Might pulled out a small remote control. Pushing the button, the far wall of the classroom opened up, revealing 20 silver cases embedded in special pockets, all labeled correspondingly from 1-20. Really, the whole thing was rather unnecessary, in Izuku’s opinion, but he was no stranger to Nedzu’s love of theatrics by now. 

“I’ll be waiting in Ground Beta for you all!”

With that, All Might sped out the room without another word. The entire class turned to each other, eyes wide, and began talking about having All Might as a teacher while retrieving their costume cases from the wall.

 

It didn’t take long for everyone to find their cases and move to the locker rooms. Unfortunately, there were no single stall changing rooms here, so Izuku trudged his way into the boy’s locker room with a grimace. His plan was to get in, get changed, and get out. It was a good plan in theory. But upon tugging his shirt off and beginning to put on his hero costume, he heard several gasps. 

Kirishima stepped forward, a concerned look on his face. “Uh, dude, are you okay? That’s… that’s a lot of scars.”

Izuku looked down at his arms and torso, gaze empty as he took in his mutilated skin. It wasn’t a pretty sight. His entire body was covered in thin, swirling white scars courtesy of Overhaul. The jagged scars circling each of his fingers at the joints and his right upper arm were thicker than those, more raised. Izuku had faint burn scars all over his hands and forearms, as well as some oddly shaped starburst scars on his upper torso and back. On his shoulder was a burn scar that looked eerily similar to a handprint. Practically none of his skin was smooth or unblemished. He ran a few fingers lightly over his arm, feeling the raised flesh of the scars. Izuku tried not to think about how he got them.

The other boys had all stopped changing, now staring at Izuku with a variety of expressions. Most were concerned. Bakugou’s was furious, and slightly… guilty? Todoroki looked calm as usual, but the tightness in his shoulders gave him away. 

Iida was quick to jump in between the prying eyes and Izuku, his arms chopping fervently.

“That is entirely inappropriate! We should treat all of our peers with respect, and commenting on body image is morally unacceptable!!” His voice rang loud in the quiet locker room. Kirishima had the grace to look embarrassed.

Izuku sighed, zipping up his hero costume before speaking.

“Iida, it’s okay. I appreciate it.” Iida turned to look at Izuku, eyes wide in surprise. He looked like he wanted to protest more, but Izuku cut him off before he could. This time, Izuku spoke to everyone in the locker room. He met each of their gazes individually, eventually landing on Bakugou.

“Long story short, I was attacked by villains. But I’m in a good place now, and the villains are in jail. I’d rather not talk about it, since it’s personal,” Izuku said, his voice quiet. His mind wandered to the Doctor, who hadn’t been caught; to Overhaul, somewhere in Tartarus. He quickly shut down that train of thought.

Shoving his feet into his boots, Izuku bowed politely to the assembled boys in the locker room, and quickly made his way out the door. Silence fell in his wake. 

 





Bakugou didn’t know what to think. He shows up to his first day of school, and sees his childhood best friend whom he hadn’t seen in years. And now, instead of the puny nerd weakling he knew Deku to be, the bastard was suddenly strong and badass? Not to mention, covered in scars. Honestly, he didn’t recognize him at first. His curly green hair was longer than before, less bushy. He was taller, more muscular. He had grown out of any baby fat he used to have, and it made him look… older. More mature. He still had slightly feminine features, but they were more subdued than they were when he was younger. His eyes held none of the innocence or fear that they used to.

No, they were dark, cold, and calculating. He smiled and laughed with the extras, but his eyes were guarded and… dangerous? It didn’t make any sense. So of course, Bakugou jumped on him. What gave him the right, after all these years, to show up to UA of all places? After he had convinced everyone that he died? Bullshit . But what was even more bullshit was how the nerd had taken Bakugou down. Now, Bakugou was prideful. He never admitted when someone was better than him. This time, however, there was no disputing Izuku’s obvious skill. He had Bakugou pinned against a wall so fast Bakugou couldn’t even track what had happened. Even when Bakugou used his quirk, the nerd didn’t let go. 

Then their teacher shows up, with the same scars as Deku and a missing eye, and talks to Deku like he knows him. Then, the nerd starts spouting something about being kidnapped by villains. It was infuriating. The way he carried himself now, with his shoulders set and head held up confidently. He walked purposefully and with grace, like every movement was intentional. He used to be so awkward, so clumsy. It made Bakugou angry. Because before, he knew he was better than Deku. He had a quirk. He was stronger. And he made sure the bastard knew it too. 

But now?

 

He wasn’t so sure about that now.

 


 

 

Izuku made his way to where All Might was standing in Ground Beta, trying to ignore the pounding of his heart and the anxiety brewing in his stomach. It was slightly reassuring to be in costume, though. It was a simple suit, similar to Aizawa’s in that it favored function over fashion. Although the support team had made it tighter than he had anticipated, Izuku was rather pleased with how it turned out. He wore a sleeveless black armored top, equipped with a multitude of hidden pockets and such to hide weapons in. His pants were of the same material; a black bulletproof fabric that allowed movement, but would protect him from most weapon-aided attacks. His forearms were wrapped in what looked like dark green bandages, but they were actually smaller versions of Aizawa’s capture weapon. They could be used offensively, but also defensively if Izuku needed to block a blow or redirect a quirk’s attack. Around his neck, he wore a pair of dark green goggles (yes, he had a theme, he had literally dreamt of this for years). The goggles had blackout lenses, so no one could see where Izuku was looking (or the color of his eyes, in case he needed to use Erasure in public). They also had built-in eye misters, something Izuku himself had created. 

Then came the shoes. Izuku’s right foot was metal, thanks to Overhaul. It was a solid hunk of aluminum welded to a delicately crafted and surprisingly durable ‘joint’ that connected his flesh to the metal. The engineer who made it had a quirk that allowed her to fuse metal to any living being, so the artificial limb was actually attached to Izuku. He couldn’t feel it, and couldn’t control his toes or ankle at will, but the metallic joint allows for smooth movement during walking or running, even if it locked up sometimes. Gave him some pretty killer kicks, too. But shoes were a little more difficult. Since the foot was a little clunky, and the joint was hard to manage, he had to have his shoes custom made. By that, he means he designed them himself. It took almost a year before he got the fit just right. Currently, he’s sporting a pair of black, knee-high combat boots with steel toes. His right boot was slightly bigger and less constricting to allow for functional joint movement, while the left was normal. 

Pair that with some leather gloves and a utility belt housing a multitude of definitely not illegal weapons, and Izuku was set. With a few more surprises, of course. Overall, Izuku made quite an imposing figure. 

The rest of the class gathered in a semi-circle around the number one hero, all dressed in their hero costumes. Some were bright and garish, while some were slightly less… vibrant. Izuku observed them all closely, his mind racing as he took in all of the new weapons and equipment. All Might’s voice ripped him out of his thoughts. 

“Ah, looking good! As they say, the clothes make the man! Or hero, in this case!” His wide smile and jovial tone got some cheers, but Izuku remained quiet. 

“Today, we’ll be conducting a battle trial! This will mimic a real life villain scenario, and test your skills on the field as prospective heroes!”

With that, several voices broke out at once.

“Isn’t it too early to be doing that? We don’t really have any actual training!”

“All Might Sensei, shouldn’t we work on basic combat before villain fights?”

“Doesn’t my cape look fabulous!?”

Izuku chuckled, looking at Aoyama, who was brandishing his shiny purple cape.

“I love the color, definitely fabulous in my book,” he said, smiling kindly. Aoyama flushed and gave a grin back before All Might’s voice rang out again.

“Yes, yes, I know you all have your concerns. But rarely are heroes ever fully prepared in the line of duty! You will all be paired up and divided into categories: hero and villain. The simulation is as follows: the villain teams are tasked with hiding this bomb-” at this, he pointed to a paper mache ‘bomb’, which looked like a 5-foot tall rocketship in Izuku’s opinion, “-in a building on the field. The hero team has 10 minutes to either apprehend the villains with capture tape, or secure the bomb by touching it. Any questions?”

Several hands raised in the air. 

“Great! Now, time to sort you all into groups.”

Izuku snorted. This was kind of hilarious.

“Except you, my b- Yamazawa. I’d ask that you sit this one out for now.”

Okay, maybe less hilarious. Izuku could feel a headache coming on. 

“Why would that be, All Might-Sensei?” Izuku asked, his voice ringing loud in the now silent group. Everyone was looking between him and All Might, watching their exchange with curious eyes.

The corner of All Might’s mouth twitched slightly, and his eyes darted around the assembled students.

“Perhaps we could talk about this privately-” he started, before getting cut off by Izuku.

“Do you not want me to participate because I’m quirkless?”

Izuku’s voice was cold, sharp. A few students gasped. Everyone watching shivered, feeling a sudden chill in the air. All Might gulped. 

“Well, I simply think that-”

“With all due respect, Sensei, I am more than capable of participating in this simulation, quirk or no. If you’d like to officially request to suspend me, I recommend you talk to Nedzu. Although, I don’t think he would take kindly to the student he’s been teaching for the past few years getting discriminated against for something so outrageous.” 

The room was silent. Most of the students stared at Izuku in shock, surprised at how he spoke to the number one hero. Some balked at his quirklessness status, before remembering how easily he had taken Bakugou down that very morning. A few marveled at how he was Nedzu’s personal student. Really, there was a lot to unpack.

Izuku let the uncomfortable silence sit for a moment before continuing.

“Now, All Might-Sensei, I think you were just about to announce the teams for the exercise. Right?”

All Might’s grin wavered. He met Izuku’s calculating gaze. No, that was the wrong word. Threatening. Izuku’s eyes were dangerous. He remembered how the child had known of his identity. Swallowing thickly, All Might caved.

“Of course, thank you for reminding me! First up is…”

The tense atmosphere was broken as All Might announced the teams to the class. Izuku ignored the odd looks he was getting. He focused on his breathing. He wiggled his toes in his boots, felt the weight of his metal foot contained in the leather. He didn’t try to suppress his shame or anger. Instead, he resolved to work through them later. Last time people gave him trouble for being quirkless, he wasn’t able to do that. This time was different. 

Calmer than before, Izuku refixed his gaze on All Might as the man talked about the team-ups. He didn’t feel the need to prove himself to the hero. He didn’t have to. But Izuku was determined to kick some serious ass. 

Why?

He was up against Bakugou. 

Izuku didn’t think revenge was super healthy. Really, he wasn’t that spiteful of a person in general. But taking Bakugou down a peg sounded like a great stress reliever, and Izuku’s therapist encouraged physical activity as a good coping mechanism for whenever Izuku got too overwhelmed.

Izuku grinned. Class wasn’t turning out so bad after all.

 




“I introduced myself earlier, but I didn’t catch your name. Sorry about that. What should I call you?”

Izuku’s voice was soft and quiet as he talked to Uraraka on their way down to the fake building. They had been paired together on the hero team, facing off against Iida and Bakugou on the villain team, and had five minutes to plan while the other team explored the building and hid the ‘bomb’. Izuku fought back all of his conflicted emotions surrounding Bakugou, choosing instead to focus on the girl he was currently walking with. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, and she was adamantly refusing to look Izuku in the eyes. He didn’t take it personally; he assumed she was just anxious. Or uncomfortable because he was ‘quirkless'. He hoped it was the former.

“Oh, my name is Ochaco Uraraka! N-Nice to officially meet you!” Uraraka managed to squeak out, inwardly cursing herself. She took a few deep breaths, looking anywhere but Izuku’s exposed biceps which were very toned, or his kind, warm eyes- she shook her head fervently. She wasn’t the only one paying Izuku special attention. Especially after his show-down with All Might; Izuku, whether he knew it or not, had the eyes of the whole class on him.

Izuku just smiled, nodding his head before stopping in front of the fake building, Uraraka following his lead.

“So, I think it would be best to strategize. I’m familiar with Bakugou and his quirk. He secretes a nitroglycerin-like substance from his palms and ignites it to create explosions. He’s effective in combat, but pretty straight-forward in his fighting style; he’s not one for complex plans or anything like that. Iida’s quirk lies in the engines on his calves; they make him incredibly fast, but he’s not as adept in combat as Bakugou, and he’s a little more limited because of the indoor setting. I know for a fact that Bakugou is going to break away from Iida and try to attack me first.”

At that, Uraraka frowned. Her eyebrows furrowed in concern.

“Why is that, exactly? I mean, I saw how he attacked you earlier. What’s his deal?”

Izuku smiled bitterly, a darkness gleaming in his eyes. “We have a complicated history. He has anger issues,” Izuku supplied simply. Uraraka hummed thoughtfully, a contemplative look crossing her features.

“So if Bakugou is going after you, I guess it would be better to split up. My quirk is called Zero-Gravity; I can negate the gravity of anything I touch with all five fingers, but I get nauseous if I use it too much. Maybe I can find Iida and try to get around him with that?”

She looked nervous, a little unsure of herself. Izuku grinned brightly at her, and the worry on her face melted into a hopeful smile.

“That sounds great, Uraraka. I think you’re right; splitting up is our best option. I’ll keep Bakugou distracted, and you get to the bomb. Once I take down Bakugou, I can lend a hand if you need one by then. As long as we stay communicating, we’re already a step ahead of them.”

Uraraka’s eyes shone at the praise, and she threw her fist up in the air excitedly. “Yeah! We’re totally gonna do this!”

Izuku laughed, nodding his head with her. Her enthusiasm was refreshing, and she was kind enough not to bring up his ‘quirklessness'. 

In the distance, a buzzer sounded, marking the start of the exercise. 

Izuku looked at Uraraka with determination in his eyes.

“Ready?”

She met his gaze, bright and steady. 

“Let’s go!”



While watching the first match of the battle trial simulations, All Might could feel sweat trickling down the back of his neck. He was nervous, to say the least. He had tried to protect Yamazawa, tried to keep him on the sides because of his lack of quirk, but the boy had rebelled. In front of the entire class, no less. So now, All Might was watching the monitors like a hawk, ready to stop the exercise quickly in case Bakugou or Iida were to hurt Izuku. Some of the students behind him could be heard exchanging worried whispers; the phrase “quirkless” was thrown around several times. All Might couldn’t help but feel like he should have tried harder to keep the boy out of the trial. 

What would happen when the kid gets defeated? When he gets hurt? 

The field of heroics wasn’t meant for the incapable. 

 

 

Luckily, Izuku didn’t fall into that category.

Izuku took Bakugou down in less than a minute. 

As they entered the building, Izuku and Uraraka exchanged a meaningful glance, nodding firmly at each other before splitting up. They had agreed that Uraraka would search the upper floor and Izuku, after taking care of Bakugou, would search the lower floor if the bomb hadn’t been located by then. As Izuku carefully searched the ground level, he kept his ears open for any sound of Bakugou. He didn’t have to wait long. 

About a minute after the exercise started, Bakugou reached Izuku’s location. Or rather, he got close and Izuku jumped him. In Izuku’s defense, Bakugou had left himself wide open.

 

He could hear pounding footsteps, the sound of Bakugou screaming something in the distance. Quickly, Izuku took stock. He made sure he had his knives accounted for (all 25 of them), his two capture weapons securely wrapped around his wrists, and the provided capture tape in a pouch of his utility belt. After confirming he had everything he needed, he made his way to Bakugou’s loudly broadcasted location.

Moving quietly was Izuku’s specialty. He had mastered the art growing up, and Aizawa had given him some wonderful tips since. Unfortunately, he had to relearn how to move silently once he lost his foot. Since he couldn’t move his foot independently, it made the whole process rather difficult. Before, he stepped with his toes first, then his heel. He didn’t have the luxury now. So, when designing his shoes, he pulled out all the stops. Every pair of shoes he owned had special inserts on the soles that basically silenced his footsteps. It was a mixture of high grade felt, leather, and plastic. The fabric made the impact quieter, while the leather and plastic provided the support necessary for traction. It wasn’t foolproof, but as long as he wasn’t stomping around it worked rather well.

Which is why he was able to sneak up behind Bakugou so easily. 

As Bakugou stormed down the hallway, his hands sparking, Izuku approached quietly from behind. He had a small dagger (dulled down for school use) clutched loosely in his right hand, but he didn’t think he would need it. Moving quickly, Izuku darted forward. Bakugou didn’t see him coming.

Izuku flew towards Bakugou’s back and kicked out his left foot deftly, connecting with the back of Bakugou’s leg. Bakugou’s knee hit the ground; with a cry of rage, he twisted his torso back, arm outstretched to explode his attacker, but Izuku was already in front of him. Izuku’s capture weapon unwrapped from his wrist and within moments was secured tightly around Bakugou’s extended arm at the elbow. It wasn’t hard for Izuku to yank the fabric towards himself. Bakugou’s head whipped around as his body lurched forward, and he was about to make a huge explosion, regardless of his own proximity, but Izuku never gave him the chance. Still gripping the capture weapon tightly, Izuku slammed his armored knee into Bakugou’s stomach. Bakugou made a choked noise of pain, his eyes wide in disbelief. Having stunned his opponent, Izuku quickly unwrapped his second capture weapon. Darting behind Bakugou once more, pulling the boy’s arm with him, he enclosed Bakugou’s free elbow in forest green fabric and tugged. Working swiftly, Izuku transferred his hold on the weapon to his left hand, removing the capture tape from his belt with his right. Within seconds he had Bakugou’s arms taped tightly behind the boy’s back, carefully avoiding his gauntlets. 

It was then that Bakugou had regained his breath from the knee to his gut, and his palms began exploding furiously. 

“FUCKING DEKU, FIGHT ME LIKE A REAL MAN!”

"You know, that's what some would call toxic masculinity," Izuku called, his voice taunting. Aizawa's sarcasm had long since rubbed off on him, and it liked to show itself in battle against volatile opponents. He was met by an angry growl and some... choice words.

Izuku quickly wrapped his arms once more in his dual capture weapons, not able to avoid Bakugou’s frantic explosions completely. He could feel the familiar sting of a burn on his forearms, and quickly moved back in front of Bakugou to avoid the blasts. Growling, Bakugou kicked out harshly towards Izuku. Izuku stepped to the side, grabbing Bakugou’s extended ankle with his right hand and holding on tight. The hallway was beginning to fill up with smoke, and Izuku made a mental note to get a pair of earplugs for his hero costume, as Bakugou’s quirk (and his screaming) was far from quiet. 

For a moment, the pair made eye contact. Bakugou’s gaze was absolutely furious. Izuku’s was calm, collected. It only enraged Bakugou further. He kicked out his other foot violently, which Izuku grabbed at the ankle. Securing them momentarily with his capture weapon, it was easy for Izuku to wrap Bakugou’s ankles in the capture tape. All the while, Bakugou was making his opinions known loudly.

“BASTARD, I’LL FUCKING KILL YOU!”

At that, Izuku literally laughed out loud. It shocked Bakugou so much he stopped using his quirk to stare at Izuku, unable to attack since his arms and legs were securely wrapped in the capture tape.

Izuku looked at Bakugou, head tilted slightly to the side and face twisted into an expression of sick amusement. He knelt down in front of Bakugou, leaning towards him.

“Try your best, Bakugou, but I don't stay dead for long. Trust me, I’ve been there.” His words were barely a whisper, and his eyes were pinned on Bakugou. For a second, he let his carefree attitude drop. His face was serious, his gaze sharp. 

 

Bakugou was stunned. Looking into Izuku’s eyes, at the way the boy held himself, he almost forgot how to breathe. He wasn’t scared. Of course not. The great Bakugou Katsuki would never be scared of anyone or anything, much less of quirkless Deku

But as Izuku walked away, his footsteps quiet, Bakugou felt the tightness in his chest recede. He wanted to yell, to scream at Izuku to come back here and fight him properly this time , but he couldn’t find his voice. The hallway was silent. Bakugou was alone, arms bound behind his back and feet taped together in front of him. 

“BAKUGOU OF THE VILLAIN TEAM HAS BEEN CAPTURED.”

All Might’s voice rang loudly in Bakugou’s earpiece. Bakugou couldn’t find it in himself to care. He was thinking about what Deku had said. 

“Trust me, I’ve been there.”

Bakugou tried to ignore the sinking feeling in his stomach. He should be angry. Furious, even. He should be upset that he lost to Deku of all people. In time, he would be. 

But right now? Right now, he was wondering what the hell had happened in the last few years. Because a villain attack didn’t explain whatever the fuck that was. No, it was something more. 

And, Deku's eyes... up close, they almost looked... different?


Just what the hell had happened to him since middle school?

 

 

The rest of the trial went by fairly quickly. After dealing with Bakugou, Izuku made his way to where Uraraka had guided him through the headsets. Upon getting there, Izuku distracted Iida while Uraraka floated around him and secured the bomb. No one got majorly injured; just a few bruises and some minor burns. 

The other trials weren’t as… seamless, to say the least. Todoroki froze an entire building. Kaminari fried his brain and turned into a literal himbo. Hagakure was apparently naked the entire time, to Izuku’s immense confusion and concern. He spoke to her after class about talking to the support department for an actual costume, since they could make one out of her DNA that wouldn’t impede her abilities while still keeping her protected. She was embarrassed, but very grateful. Other than Kaminari, only Mineta had to go to see Recovery Girl in the infirmary after class. He wasn’t injured during the battle trial or anything. Izuku saw him trying to grope Yaoyorozu and accidentally tazed him. Really, a shame. 

Before long, Izuku’s first day at UA was over. He slumped in his seat at his desk, sighing in relief as the last bell of the day rang. Honestly, Izuku was tired. He couldn’t wait to go home and crash, and was about to take an impromptu nap in the classroom before Uraraka and Iida approached him, bags in hand.

“Hey, Izuku! We were going to the train station and wondered if you wanted to join us!”

Izuku perked up slightly before he saw Bakugou in the corner of the room, propped against the wall with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face. Izuku tried not to groan.

“Sorry, Uraraka, I can’t today. But I’d love to join you two tomorrow!” He flashed the pair a smile, and after some goodbyes, watched as they joined the rest of the class in leaving the room. It wasn’t long before the room emptied, and only Bakugou, Izuku, and Aizawa remained.

Aizawa stood up from his desk, eyeing the two teenagers left in his room. His gaze stopped on Bakugou. If looks could kill, Bakugou would be 6-feet under by now.

“I’ll be right outside the door to give you two some privacy,” he grumbled, his words clipped. “If I hear you so much as touching Izuku I will not hesitate to kick you out of this school myself.”

Bakugou rolled his eyes, but nodded nevertheless. Aizawa’s gaze turned to Izuku.

“Kid, I know you can handle yourself. Still, if you need help burying a body, let me know.”

At this, Bakugou’s eyes widened. Even more so when Izuku responded, stone-faced. “Thanks, ‘Zawa. I’ll keep that in mind.”

 

Realistically, Bakugou knew they were probably joking. No one was laughing, though. He made sure to watch Aizawa closely as the man left the room, sliding the door shut firmly behind him.

With a sigh, Izuku turned towards Bakugou, still in his seat. Bakugou realized just how pale and tired Izuku looked, especially now that he wasn’t surrounded by all those stupid extras.

“I suggest you sit down. This might take a while.”

Bakugou rolled his eyes again, but took a seat at the closest desk he could find. The classroom was silent. The only noise that could be heard was the faint swaying of leaves from the open window and the chattering of students in the hall. Izuku and Bakugou stared at each other for a moment, before Bakugou spoke up.

“Spill. What the fuck actually happened to you.”

His voice was harsh, but he wasn’t yelling. Izuku took a deep breath. 

“About five years ago, I was kidnapped by villains. They experimented on me because I’m quirkless. The main villain, goes by the name Overhaul, had a molecular disassembly quirk. He wanted to find out how to take away other quirks. I was the perfect test subject.”

Bakugou stayed silent for a moment, eyes wide. Izuku just let Bakugou think until he was ready to talk.

“...Aizawa. He talks to you like he knows you. You have the same scars, and something happened to your eyes, too. Yours are different than before, I saw in the battle trial. What’s the deal about that?” Bakugou’s voice was quieter than before, breaking off at the end. Izuku averted his gaze. He wasn't surprised Bakugou figured out the connection; he might be brash, but he's not an idiot. Inwardly, he struggled to control his emotions. He was acutely aware of Erasure’s power, begging him to use it, to let its energy overcome him . He ignored it. 

“Aizawa… we were captured together. He was taken because of his quirk’s ability to erase other quirks. Overhaul stole his eye and gave it to me; one of his experiments,” Izuku finally spoke, his words bitter. Bakugou seemed to think about that for a moment before continuing.

“...You said that you had ‘been there’. Earlier. What… what did you mean by that?”

Bakugou’s voice was quiet. It could almost be described as vulnerable. The question surprised Izuku. He paused for a moment, looking for the right words.

“I… I died. A lot. I don’t know how many times exactly, but I’d estimate over 15. Overhaul… he killed me. He killed me, then remade me with his quirk, then killed me again.” Izuku let his eyes fall to his hands, sat on his desk. He traced the thin scars with his fingers, a bitter memory of a time he so wished to forget.

“I thought that you… Auntie Inko didn’t talk about you being gone, and I thought that you had finally chosen to listen to me,” Bakugou said, his voice cracking. Izuku looked up in shock to find Bakugou’s face absent of its usual scowl. Instead was a look of...pain? Sadness? Izuku wasn’t sure. It only lasted a second before Bakugou rebuilt his mask, and the angry look returned.

Honestly, Izuku didn’t know what to say. Didn’t know what to feel, or do, or think. So, he just sat there. 

The room was quiet again. For once, Izuku couldn’t find it in him to enjoy the peacefulness.

“Where… where are you staying? Auntie’s gone. Mom won’t tell me where she went.”

Izuku’s chest tightened. He tried not to think about most of what they were talking about. Unearthing it all at once was… not easy.

“I’m safe. That’s all you need to know.”

Bakugou’s eyes widened in indignation, turning in his chair to look at Izuku head-on.

“The fuck is that supposed to mean? Where the hell is Auntie? I deserve to know-”

Izuku’s head snapped upwards, his gaze furious. 

“No, Bakugou,” he spat out, “You don’t deserve to know anything. The only reason why we’re having this conversation is because I chose to have it. I could very easily get you expelled. I could have Nedzu pull video evidence of your physical abuse from school. Hell, I could use your attack on me from today if I wanted. You don’t deserve a damn thing from me.” Izuku was breathing more heavily than before, and his hand had fallen instinctively to the knife on his belt.

Bakugou stared at him with a surprised expression before it melted into his trademark scowl.

“Fine. Don’t tell me then. Whatever. I don’t care that you finally grew a fucking spine. I’m going to become number one. Nothing that a quirkless bastard-”

“Yeah, yeah, I know the drill. I’m useless, pathetic, a pebble in your path. A Deku,” Izuku said, voice rich with sarcasm and underlying desolation. Bakugou grit his teeth, averting his gaze. He clenched his fists, opening his mouth to say something but closing it after a second.

“...Look, I’m- I shouldn’t have, fuck ...I can’t- damn it!” Bakugou exclaimed, voice rising in frustration. He stood abruptly, throwing his bag over his shoulder. Stomping over to the door, he turned around to look at Izuku, brows furrowed. He pointed at the other threateningly.

“I’m still gonna beat your ass, quirkless fucking-” He made a noise of irritation. “Don’t forget that, Izuku!” With that, he slammed the door open, and stomped away furiously.

Izuku just watched him leave, eyes wide. It wasn’t an apology. Izuku didn’t forgive him. But sitting at his desk, alone in Aizawa’s classroom, Izuku felt the churning of his stomach lessen slightly. He focused on his breathing. On the feeling of his toes in his shoes, and his hands on the desk. He ignored how they shook, how his entire body was trembling. Aizawa entered the room hesitantly, face contorted with worry. He stopped in front of Izuku’s desk. Izuku looked up, trying to keep himself collected.

Aizawa’s gaze softened. With a gentle sigh, the man opened his arms. That was all it took for Izuku to break down. He launched himself into his dad’s arms, his shoulders shuddering with choked back sobs. Aizawa just held him tightly. He rubbed his back soothingly, whispered comforting words as Izuku cried. 

For the first time that day, Izuku felt truly safe. He wasn’t fixated on watching all of the exits, didn’t need to keep an eye on the door or a hand on his knife. With Aizawa, he didn’t have to be on guard. He let himself disappear in the hero’s warm embrace. 

Izuku was tired. His bones ached, and his skin stung from his earlier scratches and burns. His head was pounding, and his eyes hurt from crying. 

He didn’t know where to go from here. Honestly, he had no clue. 

 

But right now, he didn’t need to know. 

 

Notes:

If anyone is curious as to what Izuku's hero costume looks like, I kinda imagine it to be similar to Hawkeye's costume (from Marvel), with a few adjustments. This was a super long chapter!! I'm eager to move the story along, since the plot hasn't even really begun yet. USJ is where shit really starts to happen. Y'all thought this was a normal 'Izuku goes to school, struggles at becoming a hero but eventually makes it work with the power of friendship and family' fic? HA! I'm not nice enough for that. Prepare yourselves.

Thank you all so much for the support! I'll see you in the next chapter!

Chapter 4: Only the Beginning

Summary:

Someone breaks into UA. Izuku has a bad time.

*Updated and edited 5/22/23

Notes:

Hey Y'all! Check out the bonus note at the end of the chapter for some amazing art of Izuku in his hero costume done by LemonJade01!! If any of y'all have art of this fic you'd like me to see, feel free to send it to the email [email protected] :))

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

Chapter Text

 

When Izuku thought of his mother, he tried to remember the woman she used to be. The warm smiles and soft hugs, her kind and inviting eyes that always seemed to sparkle even on the darkest of days. 

Inko Midoriya used to be Izuku’s world. He didn’t have very many friends, and his dad had left after he was born, so it was just him and his mom. He was okay with that. She would spend time with him, play heroes and villains with him. They had weekly movie nights; Inko would always let Izuku pick the movie. She entertained his odd interests, and never once complained, even after Izuku went on hour-long All Might rants. 

Then he was diagnosed as Quirkless. His mother changed, after that. 

 

Izuku was at the grocery store with his mother. She was already in a bad mood; earlier, Izuku had accidentally broken a glass while doing the dishes, and Inko had been furious. But Izuku knew how to deal with this. Stay quiet, stay out of her way. Keep your head down and agree with anything she says. If she insults you or yells at you, don’t try to defend yourself - it only makes things worse. As long as Izuku did that, his mom usually calmed down after a few hours and things would return to normal. 

The rest of the world didn’t seem to get that memo. Standing in line at the checkout, Izuku and Inko were quiet, both consumed with their own thoughts. That was, until Izuku heard a horribly familiar voice from behind him in line.

“Hey, isn’t that quirkless Deku?”

Izuku froze. His breath caught in his chest, and he wanted so desperately to just disappear. Other shoppers started whispering around them, staring at Izuku and Inko, some pointing fingers, some laughing.

He moved to leave the store, but his mother remained where she stood. Confused, Izuku met her eyes. He wished he hadn’t. In his mother’s pupils burned a hatred so deep that Izuku flinched backwards, but his legs wouldn’t move. He tried to turn away, not wanting to see such a furious gaze, but he was stuck. 

Inko took a step forward, looming over Izuku’s frozen frame. She sneered down at him, her face contorted in disgust. 

“This is all because of you, Izuku. Quirkless, useless, Deku. I can’t even go grocery shopping without getting cursed at because I gave birth to a disappointment,” she spat out, stepping even closer to Izuku. With every word, Izuku could feel the panic in him rising. 

He wanted to cry and scream, wanted to beg for her forgiveness because of course it was his fault, he knew that already , but he couldn’t open his mouth and he couldn’t move and he couldn’t breathe-



Izuku awoke with a start, clutching his throat and gasping for air. He looked around the room frantically, trying to find where Inko was so that he could apologize- his searching stopped. Relief flooded through his system as he eyed the familiar neon glow-in-the-dark stars that were placed on his room’s ceiling and walls. He was home. In his room. It was just a bad dream.

He sat upright in his bed, trying to focus on his breathing. The room was dark, illuminated only by the feeble light emitted from his star stickers. Faintly, he could hear crickets chirping from outside his window. His digital clock told him it was 3:27 AM. Sighing, Izuku ran a hand through slightly damp, messy curls. He ignored how badly his hand was shaking. Usually, he had nightmares about his time as Overhaul’s prisoner. Every so often, however, he’d dream of his mom.

He almost preferred the other nightmares. Almost.

Rubbing his eyes tiredly, Izuku turned on the lamp sitting on his bedside table. The soft, warm glow of the light helped put him at ease. He wasn’t a fan of the dark. 

Moving into a more comfortable position, Izuku grabbed analysis notebook #25 and a pencil sitting on the table, as was his normal go-to tradition after a nightmare (if he didn’t want to bother Aizawa). He opened the notebook, and began writing about the quirks of his classmates. It was a welcome distraction from… everything. The pit in his stomach didn’t go away. 

Neither did the image of his mother’s spiteful glare that met him when he closed his eyes. 

 


 

Whenever Izuku wakes up from a bad nightmare, he’s on edge for the rest of the day. Usually, only Aizawa and Hizashi were the ones to witness his borderline paranoia, but not today. Because today was Izuku’s second day of high school. As he trudged through a side door of the looming building, he tried to collect himself. The press swarming the front gate hadn’t helped his agitation. Luckily, Hizashi had pulled him back before he could take out any of his knives.

For a moment, Izuku considered hiding in the vents instead of going to class normally. He would still be able to overhear anything that was being said, so he wouldn’t miss out on any lessons. Plus, he’d get to avoid Bakugou. The idea was tempting, but he had promised his parents that he would try and make friends this year. Aizawa didn’t seem to worry that much, but Izuku saw the worry in Hizashi’s eyes whenever the topic was brought up, the subtle glances between he would throw Aizawa's way. It was touching, really. It also made things so much more difficult. 

Sighing heavily, Izuku straightened his shoulders and pulled his head up from its slouched position. He tried to ignore the churning of his stomach and the buzzing in his head. 

Today was going to be a good day. He would make it a good day. 

 

To Izuku's surprise, it was. His morning classes went by smoothly, with no interruptions other than a few side glares from Bakugou. Izuku managed to talk with Iida and Uraraka some more, and they even invited him to sit with them at lunch! For a second, the tightness in his chest lessened. He agreed cheerfully, and the trio made their way to the cafeteria. 

"Okay, I know it's probably some fancy hero-techy thing, but how does Mount Lady get her shoes so big?" Uraraka asked, chewing thoughtfully on a mouthful of onigiri. 

"Uraraka, please chew with your mouth closed, and don't talk with food in your mouth. It is incredibly impolite, especially as a hero-in-training!" Iida lectured. Uraraka pouted in response, and Izuku had to hide a grin behind his hand at the interaction. With a mischievous glint in her eyes, Uraraka shoved a large piece of her lunch into her mouth, turning to Iida once more.

"Buh Iida! 'ou 'ever answered 'da 'estion!" Uraraka managed to say, spitting out pieces of rice with every word. Iida looked like his eyes were about to pop out of his head. At this point, Izuku was doubled over laughing. Once Uraraka had chewed and swallowed her food, she joined him. Iida had begun speaking to them about the importance of proper table etiquette, but stopped shortly after. He allowed himself a small smile. Really, their laughter was just too contagious. Plus, it felt nice to laugh with friends. 

The conversation moved on eventually, and the three learned more about each other. Iida didn't watch TV much, but he loved the show How It's Made. Uraraka's family owned a construction business, and she wanted to become a hero so her parents could take it easy. Izuku didn't really know what to tell them about himself, but they seemed impressed that he was fluent in sign language. There were moments where the conversation would quiet down; awkward bubbles where the table was silent, where Izuku and Iida didn't know what to say, but Uraraka quickly stepped in. Surprisingly, it was actually enjoyable. Uraraka was a little too loud sometimes, and Iida was a little stiff, but Izuku was having a good time. He wasn't used to people his age being nice to him, or even talking to him like he was human. So, sitting with Iida and Uraraka, joking and laughing, was... odd.

For the first time in years, Izuku felt like a teenager. 

Obviously, that was when shit hit the fan. 

The small group had been discussing various things: new heroes, English homework, and chatting about their favorite subjects when they were interrupted by a blaring alarm.

Immediately, Izuku stood up from the lunch table, a knife in hand. Upon listening to the alarm's patterns, he recognized it as a level three security breach. In other words: someone was in the school who shouldn’t be. He turned to Iida and Uraraka, both wearing expressions of shock and panic. The cafeteria was loud, and students were beginning to run out of various exits with no regard for safety. People were yelling, food trays were being thrown to the ground. All the while, the shrill cry of the alarm rang loudly throughout the room. 

Alarms were ringing now. Izuku could hear the pounding of footsteps, the crackle of distant walkie-talkies. He shared a desperate look with ‘Zawa. Hope was dwindling. The guards were closing in-

Izuku shook his head violently. Taking a deep breath, he addressed his friends. 

“It’s a level three breach. Someone’s in the building. Right now, we need to calm everyone down enough so that no one gets hurt. I’m going to check out the situation,” Izuku said, his voice steady but serious. “Uraraka. Iida. I need you two to handle the students. Can you do that?”

Uraraka set her mouth in a thin line before nodding hesitantly. Iida opened his mouth to protest, but Izuku cut him off.

“Great. I’ll be back as soon as I can. Good luck.”

With that, Izuku ran out of the cafeteria. Behind him, Iida spluttered, waving his hands around anxiously. “That was very unsafe of him! It would be best if we let the teachers handle-”

Uraraka fixed Iida with a stern look. Iida stopped talking, swallowing nervously.

“Iida, we’re hero students!  We can’t just let the teachers handle everything. We need to do something. Here, follow my lead,” Uraraka said, more confident than before. She began weaving in and out of the raging crowd of students. Reluctantly, Iida followed, hoping that Izuku was staying safe wherever he had run off to.

 

As it turned out, Izuku was not staying safe. In fact, he was very not safe at the moment.

After running from the mess in the cafeteria, Izuku scoured his brain for where a possible intruder would be. He immediately ruled out the teacher’s lounge, Nedzu’s office, and the classrooms that were in the middle of class because of their proximity to pro heroes. That still left a fair amount of possibilities, since the school was so large. Sprinting down the hallway, knife in hand, Izuku grit his teeth. He needed to think

Bathrooms? Too crowded.

Storage closets? No motive.

Gyms? That would have been a level two breach, not a level three.

Suddenly, Izuku skid to a stop in the hallway before turning on a dime and bolting to the file room. It was the only place that made sense. Realistically, if someone was actually in the building, they wouldn’t be there to kill students as a primary motive. Unless they were really stupid. But the intruder had to be intelligent enough to bypass the heavily secured gates, so Izuku ruled out that motive. That left a few more options. The most likely being information. If someone was breaking into UA, it was for information. Hence, the file room. 

Ignoring the racing of his heart, Izuku finally reached the file room door. He slowed down enough to muffle his footsteps, and the grip on his knife tightened. He took a deep breath before sliding the door open silently, peering around the door and into the room. 

The dark-clothed figure combing through a filing cabinet confirmed Izuku’s suspicions. The individual was tall, probably around 5’11” or so, wearing all black clothes and a mask over their face. They had gloves on, also black. They didn’t seem very muscular; in fact, they were rather lanky and thin. Still, Izuku kept his guard up. Luckily, their back was turned, so Izuku had the element of surprise. He creeped forward slowly, inching towards the figure with his knife raised. Once he got close enough, he pounced. 

Izuku tackled the figure to the ground, landing heavily on the individual’s back. He could hear a cry of pain and surprise from the figure, a distinctly masculine voice, before the man (?) thrashed in Izuku’s grip, managing to throw him off and across the floor. Blinking away his surprise, Izuku jumped to his feet, slashing at the man with his knife. The man lurched backwards before the blade could reach him, and hastily removed his left glove. Immediately, Izuku lowered his stance and stepped back a few steps.

The man, noticing Izuku’s quick thinking, laughed. It was cold and grating, a horrible sound that gave Izuku chills. His chest felt too tight, his skin prickling, the pounding of his heart resonating loudly through his chest, his neck, his head.

The two looked at each other for a moment. Behind the man’s black ski mask, Izuku could make out menacing red eyes.

“You’re pretty feisty for a kid. Isn’t this a school for heroes?  Trying to kill someone isn’t very heroic,” the man rasped out, what was visible of his mouth twisting into a sick grin.

Izuku pulled out a second knife from a sheath on his ankle, staring the man down, keeping his exposed hand carefully in mind. This was no time to panic. He needed to focus, focus on the threat. “Who said anything about being heroic?”

The man’s eyes widened slightly, before lighting up in amusement, looking Izuku up and down.

Threat threat threat.

“Who are you? Why are you here?” Izuku demanded. In the corner of his vision, he eyed the intruder’s still-gloved hand, clutching a manila folder. 

The man hummed, still observing Izuku. “Telling you would ruin all the fun. Why play a game if you know how it’s going to end?”

Threat threat threat.

Izuku grit his teeth. He could hear footsteps approaching from the hallway.

Unfortunately, so could the man.

With a sigh, the man straightened up slightly. His eyes never left Izuku. “Well, this was fun. We should play again sometime. But it really is my time to leave.”

Behind him, seemingly from the wall, a purple looking portal opened up. The man stepped backwards, and Izuku rushed into action. 

THREAT THREAT THREAT.

Eyes flashing, Izuku darted forward, knife aiming to slash at the man’s hand, but he was met with nothing but air. The man was gone.

 

 

The door to the file room slammed open, and Aizawa entered, capture weapon floating around him threateningly and his gaze fixed to kill. Upon seeing Izuku, he immediately relaxed. 

threat. threat. threat.

“I heard talking. What the hell are you doing here, kid? Aren’t you supposed to be at lunch?” Aizawa asked, brows furrowed. His eye searched the room for any intruders, but found none. He refocused on Izuku. The kid looked deathly pale, and was holding two daggers, one in each hand. He was staring at a spot on the wall, eyes wide. His shoulders were shaking. 

A feeling of dread invaded Aizawa’s body. 

threat threat threat threat threat threat 

“Izuku. Can you hear me?” He asked, his voice low.

No response. Aizawa approached cautiously, his hands posed in a non-threatening manner. He reached out to grab the knife, still raised, in Izuku’s left hand.

THREATTHREATTHREATTHREATTHREATTHREATTHREATTHREARTTHREATTHREATTHREATTHREAT

Immediately, the knife was at Aizawa’s throat. He stopped, unmoving. He looked into Izuku’s eyes, but was met with unfocused pupils that seemed almost foggy, his chest heaving as his breathing quickened. Aizawa's heart ached at the sight. 

“Kid. It’s me. ‘Zawa. I need you to put the knife down,” Aizawa said slowly, trying not to startle Izuku.

The fog disappeared from Izuku’s eyes, quickly replaced with an expression of horror. Izuku withdrew the knife from Aizawa’s throat and collapsed to his knees on the ground. His weapons dropped from his hands, which were now clamped tightly over his mouth. Tears were beginning to form in the corners of his eyes. 

 

Making sure to telegraph his movements deliberately, Aizawa knelt down next to Izuku. Hastily, Izuku scrambled backwards until his back hit a filing cabinet. He was absolutely mortified. First, he had let the villain escape. Then, he almost hurt ‘Zawa. Izuku choked on a sob, trying to fight the bile rising in his throat. Aizawa sat on the floor a few feet away from Izuku, his gaze soft and knowing. Izuku couldn’t even look at him. 

“...Izuku. It’s okay. I’m okay, I promise. I’m glad you’re not hurt.”

Izuku ground his teeth together, and let his head fall into his hands. He pulled his knees close to his chest, digging his fingers into his scalp, tears now running steadily down his face. 

He shook his head fervently, still not looking up at Aizawa.

“Kid. You didn’t do anything wrong. You were acting in self-defense. It’s okay-”

Izuku’s head whipped upwards, eyes furious. 

“How can you just SAY that? It’s not ‘okay’. I almost hurt you, I could have-”

“-But you didn’t,” Aizawa stated firmly. Izuku just stared at him, mouth gaping and eyes wide in dismay. 

They sat like that for a moment, neither looking away from each other. 

After a few seconds of silence, Izuku chuckled humorlessly. It turned into an almost manic, angry laugh before stopping abruptly. His head dropped backwards until it rested on the cabinet behind him. When he spoke next, his voice was raspy.

“There was a man. He took a file. Escaped with the help of some kind of teleportation quirk. I’ll give the details to Nedzu,” Izuku drawled, sounding defeated. 

Aizawa breathed deeply, trying to contain his worry. 

“I’ll come with you, I was on my way there anyways.”

Izuku made a noise of acknowledgement, but neither moved to get up. 

They sat there, with heavy hearts and racing thoughts, simply basking in the other’s presence.

Eventually, Izuku raised his head, his gaze meeting Aizawa’s. His eyes were bloodshot and watery, lacking their usual spark. His face was painfully blank.

“He sounded kinda like Overhaul. Laughed like him too.”

A few tears dripped down Izuku’s cheeks. He made no move to wipe them away.

Aizawa tried to swallow the lump in his throat. There were so many things to say, and no words with which to say them. So, he opened his arms.

Izuku stared at Aizawa for a moment. He looked at his outstretched hands, his inviting arms. His mind was screaming at him to turn away, telling him that he didn't deserve this. But Aizawa just waited patiently, his arms still open and welcoming.

Slowly, Izuku crept forwards. Aizawa wrapped his arms securely around Izuku’s shaking shoulders, and held him tightly. Izuku slumped in the embrace, clutching Aizawa’s shirt with trembling hands. He wondered what he did to be worthy of such kindness. Such warmth. He couldn’t think of anything. He tightened his hold on Aizawa’s shirt. He only hoped that Aizawa wouldn’t leave him too.

 


 

 

Once Izuku and Aizawa had both collected themselves mentally, they made their way to Nedzu’s office. Izuku led the way, Aizawa following close behind. It was a quiet walk.

Upon reaching the door to Nedzu’s office, Izuku knocked twice in quick succession. Normally, he would have knocked in a series of short and long raps to form a riddle in Morse code for Nedzu to solve in the second before entering, but Izuku didn’t think that would have been appropriate given the situation.

From behind the door, he could hear a faint “Enter.”

Izuku and Aizawa shared a brief look. Aizawa nodded. Izuku opened the door, and the pair walked into Nedzu’s office. 

The principal was sitting at his desk, furiously typing away at one of his keyboards while looking between three different monitors. As the two entered his office, Nedzu looked up and gave them a smile. His beady black eyes didn’t give much away, but his smile was twitching slightly. 

“Ah, Izuku and Shouta! Please, please, come in and sit. Would either of you like some tea?” The mammal asked, his tone light and inviting. Izuku collapsed into one of the squashy chairs in the room, making himself comfortable. Aizawa sat in the one next to him, although much less at ease in the principal’s office. In the years that Nedzu had tutored Izuku, the teen had become intensely familiar with both his mentor and the room. Izuku knew all about the rocket launchers, the lock-down protocols, and the doomsday switch. He knew that the room was the safest place in the building, no question about it. Aizawa, however, did not. 

“No thank you, Nedzu. We actually have some concerning information about the level three security breach,” Izuku started, his gaze serious. Nedzu’s typing paused. 

“I see. Please, go on. Once you finish, I’ll tell you what I know.”

Izuku took a deep breath. He straightened up in the chair slightly before beginning.

“I found the intruder in the file room about five minutes after the alarm went off. Trespasser is a tall, lanky male, assumed to be in his early 20s and somewhere between 5’10” and 6 feet. He was wearing all black clothing, including a black ski mask and gloves. The only discernible feature I saw was his eyes: they were bright red." Izuku paused, shifting slightly, before continuing. " I attacked him from behind, but he managed to throw me off and to the floor. Despite his appearance, he’s incredibly strong. I suspect he has a touch-activated quirk, since he took off one of his gloves while we were fighting. I didn’t let him get close enough to use it. Whatever it was, it’s either immensely powerful or incredibly dangerous, possibly both; he didn’t have any visible weapons on his person. I engaged in conversation to try and stall. He seemed surprised that a presumed hero student would try and attack him, claiming it was ‘unheroic’. We didn’t talk for long, but he referred to the situation as a ‘game’. He’s childish, and immature. He escaped into some kind of purple portal from the wall.”

Once Izuku finished, the room fell into a tense silence. Nedzu looked thoughtful. Aizawa looked murderous.

“I see. Thank you, Izuku. Tell me, did he take anything from the room?” Nedzu asked, resuming his typing. 

“One file. I wasn’t able to see where he took it from.”

Nedzu’s whiskers twitched. The typing didn’t stop. Izuku stared at Nedzu, gaze unblinking.

Aizawa looked between Izuku and Nedzu in a mixture of bafflement and barely concealed irritation. He didn’t understand Izuku and Nedzu’s relationship, and didn’t pretend to. 

“What I want to figure out, Nedzu, is how a villain made his way past your ‘unbreakable’ entryway and into a school filled with students without any interference on your part.” Aizawa’s voice was furiously quiet. It was rare to see him this upset, but it didn’t seem to concern Nedzu. The mammal continued typing, an almost impassive look on his face.

“Well, Shouta, the simple answer is that he didn’t get in through the entryway. He got in,” Nedzu paused, turning one of his monitors around for the two to see, “through the gate.”

On Nedzu’s computer screen was a still frame from one of the outdoor security cameras. A blurry outline of a figure could be seen right inside UA’s gates. 

Nedzu’s gaze was more focused now, his eyes glinting with intrigue. He pressed a button on his keyboard, and the image on the monitor zoomed in to a specific spot of the gate. One that had seemingly disintegrated, if the dust on the grass was any indication. 

“The villain used the press as a distraction. He was able to get in through the gate after making it seem like a simple reporter had accidentally triggered the security system. We’re dealing with what looks to be a disintegration quirk, touch activated like Izuku had hypothesized. The cameras in the file room had been deactivated from an outside source, most likely a quirk able to interrupt technology. Currently, the gate is being fixed and the file room is being searched for any missing documents. I have already contacted the police and am working with detectives to ensure that the school is as safe as possible,” Nedzu concluded, now staring at Aizawa. After a few moments, Aizawa jerked his head slightly in acknowledgement. Nedzu turned to Izuku, his paws folded carefully in front of him.

“Thank you for your help, Izuku. I ask that you see Chiyo sometime before you leave today for a quick checkup.”

Izuku opened his mouth to protest before promptly shutting it, nodding hesitantly. He knew better than to disagree with Nedzu about something like this.

Nedzu, satisfied with Izuku’s response, fixed Aizawa and Izuku with another smile. “Now then, I don’t want to keep you from your classes. If there are any other concerns or questions that arise, feel free to contact me immediately.”

Aizawa stood up, bowing lazily to Nedzu with a scowl on his face. Izuku bowed politely and was almost out the door when he remembered something. 

“Nedzu?” Izuku asked, turning to the mammal across the room. Nedzu looked up from his computer, tilting his head slightly. “What about the trip tomorrow? To the USJ. I saw it on Aizawa's schedule.”

Nedzu hummed thoughtfully, quick to reassure Izuku's doubts.

“The USJ trip will continue as planned, however, I will be setting a few extra preventative measures in place to ensure safety. As of right now, there’s no connection between this intruder and the trip other than bad timing. If I find any, rest assured that the matter will be properly dealt with.”

“Of course. Thank you, Sensei.”

Izuku bowed again, and left the room. Aizawa was waiting just outside the door for him. He fixed him with a questioning look.

“You read my schedule?” He asked, an eyebrow raised. 

Izuku shrugged. “Duh. Helps me get all the juicy gossip.”

Aizawa rolled his eyes, but ruffled Izuku’s hair fondly nonetheless. 

“Whatever. Come on, I’m taking you to Recovery Girl. After that, you’re going to eat something, and I’m going to teach a class of toddlers. Hopefully they haven’t killed anyone yet.”

Izuku chuckled slightly as they walked down the hall. The exhaustion from the day was finally setting in; getting into a fight with a dangerous villain and then having an emotional breakdown was pretty tiring. The lack of sleep wasn't helping.

He joked with ‘Zawa during the short walk, poking fun at the man’s exchange with Nedzu and his obvious disliking of the mammal. Aizawa snorted, making a quip about the time Izuku fell out of a vent after Nedzu had mentioned using them to travel sometimes. 

Despite the lighthearted back and forth, Izuku couldn’t help but feel like something was wrong. He dismissed it as guilt from earlier, or maybe just tiredness. 

 

He should have listened to his gut. 

 

 

 

BONUS:

Check out this absolutely amazing artwork that AO3 user LemonJade01 made of Izuku!! 

Izuku in hero costume!

Notes:

Sorry for the late chapter, I was going to update yesterday but my power went out. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed! Thanks again to LemonJade01 for the amazing artwork, I seriously love it so much. I never expected this series to get half of the attention it has so far, let alone actual FANART!!! It's insane, and I totally don't deserve it but it makes me so unbelievably happy. Thank you all for the support, and I'll see you next chapter :)

Chapter 5: Can't We Just Have a Normal Field Trip?

Summary:

Class 1-A goes on a trip to the USJ. Challenges arise.

Notes:

No trigger warnings this chapter :)

*Edited and updated on 5/22/23

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

Chapter Text

 

Sometimes, Izuku wonders if he had done something to offend God in a past life of his. 

As he lay bleeding, battered, and rapidly losing consciousness on the floor of the USJ, the thought seemed to check out.



The morning of the USJ trip began normally enough. Izuku ate breakfast, ignored the concerned glances of his parents, and arrived to class without any problems. A short time later, Class 1-A donned their hero costumes and boarded a bus to the Unforeseen Simulation Joint, or USJ for short. Once Aizawa had announced the trip, the class cheered. Izuku just felt sick.

Iida, before everyone got on the bus, had made a rather big deal about everyone lining up in orderly pairs to make sure that the ride was as smooth as possible, for whatever reason. After the alarm incident yesterday, he had been voted class president. Apparently he used Uraraka’s quirk to fly above the crowd of students to calm them down, and ended up slamming face-first into the exit sign. Izuku inwardly wished he had been there to see it. The look on Iida’s face after boarding the bus and seeing that instead of the seats being aligned into rows and columns, there were just two columns on either side of the bus… Well, it almost made up for Izuku missing yesterday’s spectacle.

Once everyone was settled comfortably (and Iida had stopped moping), Izuku was faced with a question he had honestly been expecting much earlier.

The girl on his left, Tsuyu Asui, turned to him not long into the drive. She was the one with a frog quirk - it allowed her the versatile flexibility, strength, and tongue of (you guessed it): a frog. 

“Izuku, I usually say what I’m thinking. You and Aizawa-Sensei have similar scars, and you seem familiar with each other. Why is that, kero?” Tsuyu asked, literally croaking out the words. Idle conversation on the bus halted, and Izuku could feel the eyes of his classmates on him. In the front seat, Aizawa, who had been pretending to be asleep, tensed up slightly.

Izuku smiled at Tsuyu softly. 

“I appreciate your forwardness, Tsuyu. Truth is, I was in a villain attack a few years ago. The villain used his quirk on me, which is how I got these scars. Sensei was a hero on scene, and also got pretty injured, but he saved me and apprehended the villain before the situation got any worse.” Izuku paused, the smile dropping slightly from his face, before continuing. “Without his quick action, I’d be dead," he concluded, voice solemn. 

A sniffling sound drew Izuku’s attention. Looking up, he saw Kirishima close to tears.

“It’s just, so manly!” Kirishima cried out with a trembling voice. To Izuku’s dismay, several others nodded in agreement, also in varying states of distress. Bakugou just glared at him, rolling his eyes. 

Turning back to Tsuyu, Izuku spoke again. “Did that answer your question, Tsuyu?” he asked softly.

Tsuyu nodded thoughtfully. “Thank you, Izuku. And please, call me Tsu, kero.”

“Of course, Tsu.”

The pair smiled at each other, and conversation on the bus returned to a quiet lull. Izuku got a few pitying looks, but ignored them in favor of looking out the window. Watching buildings and trees pass in a blur, he hoped that the knot in his stomach would go away. It didn’t. Although, having another teacher present did help quell some of his nerves. Since Nedzu wanted to be more cautious, he sent along Ectoplasm to help Aizawa and All Might out. Izuku was just grateful for an extra set of hands. 

Breathing deeply, Izuku tried to reassure himself. 

 

It was a class field trip. What could possibly go wrong?




Once at the USJ, everyone piled out of the bus and into the large building, looking around with wide eyes and expressions of awe. It really was rather impressive. They were inside an almost stadium of sorts, with sky-high glass ceilings and a vast array of different locations all aimed to train up-and-coming heroes. It almost looked like a theme park. Inside, the class gathered onto a large platform overlooking the extensive arena, with staircases leading down to the center of the building. Still in the entryway, the class was met by the rescue hero, Thirteen. Before the hero spoke with the class, Izuku saw Aizawa hold up three fingers; All Might had apparently run out of time. Izuku fought the urge to roll his eyes at the fact, focusing instead on how incredibly cool Thirteen was. Donned in a white, puffy astronaut's suit specially made in accordance with their quirk, Blackhole, the space themed hero certainly lived up to their stellar reputation. 

Standing next to Uraraka and Iida, they seemed to share his sentiments. Uraraka was muttering under her breath with a star-struck look on her face, and Iida was looking at the hero with nothing but admiration in his eyes. 

Thirteen gathered the crowd of students around them in a semicircle, gesturing for the class to settle down before addressing them. 

“Welcome, Class 1-A, to the Unforeseen Simulation Joint - better known as the USJ! This institution was created to better prepare prospective heroes for the trials and tribulations of battle, rescue, and service that you will all face in the future. This building is separated into a multitude of zones, all modeled after various natural disasters, that simulate real life catastrophes!”

Looking around the building, Izuku could see wisps of smoke in the distance, as well as a large area covered in water next to the main entrance. He wanted to be excited, but it was difficult. With so many people present, and in an unfamiliar location, Izuku was out of his element. Aizawa had tried to send him a few reassuring glances, but Izuku couldn’t meet his gaze. He was still feeling guilty about... well, about everything.

“I must warn you, though. The challenges you’ll face today cannot be dealt with through use of a quirk and a quirk alone. While your quirks are helpful in some cases, they are tools. They can be used to create, and to destroy. Wield them carefully, and with consideration. To be a hero means...”

A few heads turned in Izuku’s direction at the talk of quirks, which he promptly ignored. While Thirteen was speaking, Izuku scanned the center of the building. Near a large fountain in the wide, open space, a faint flickering caught Izuku’s attention. It was so small, Izuku thought it might have been the water’s reflection of light. As it grew larger, however, he could feel panic swell in his chest. Something was wrong.

Izuku unclasped one of his knives, gripping it tightly in his hand and sprinting towards the edge of the platform he and his class were on. While running, he called out.

“AIZAWA! INCOMING!”

Upon reaching the top of the stairs, Izuku threw his knife as hard as he could towards the ever-growing flicker. When it disappeared into seemingly thin air, his worst suspicions were confirmed. 

Around him, the class broke out into confused chaos. No one knew what was happening; all they knew was that, in the middle of Thirteen’s speech, Izuku had run forward and thrown a knife at the fountain. 

As soon as Aizawa heard Izuku’s warning, he jumped into action. He turned quickly to address his class, capture scarf floating at the ready around his neck. “This is not a drill! Everyone, stay back!” he yelled, throwing his arm out as if to shield his students from whatever threat was facing them.  

In the center of the building, the faint flickering was brighter now, larger than before. It was a distinctly purple hue, and tragically familiar to Izuku. 

With the entirety of Class 1-A watching, a massive swirling portal opened up on the field below. Out of that portal walked a few people. Then a few more. And a few more. Eventually, what looked like over a hundred individuals, all armed with various weapons and armaments. It was clear to everyone that these were villains.

 

Class 1-A was under attack. 


“Ectoplasm, you and I will take on the main forces. Thirteen, you protect the students,” Aizawa ordered, his voice sharp and commanding. More quietly than before, he turned to Izuku. 

“Izuku- stay here and handle any villains who get too close.” Izuku and Aizawa shared a meaningful glance. A ‘don’t you dare die on me’ look. It didn’t matter that Izuku had been ignoring Aizawa previously. Right now, communication is vital. They nodded at each other, before Aizawa moved to address the rest of the class.

“I’m giving you permission to use your quirks, but only for defense. Jirou, try contacting the school-”

Jirou, the girl with earphone jacks as an extension of her hearing, cut Aizawa off. “I already tried, Sensei. Communications have been cut off, I can’t reach them!” She cried out, voice tinged with panic. 

Another voice -Izuku recognized it as Mineta’s- wailed. “The doors! I tried to open the doors, but they’re locked!”  

Aizawa grit his teeth, gaze briefly flitting to the USJ’s center before returning to his students.

“Understood. Everyone! Stay together and don’t do anything stupid. Protect each other. At the first chance you get, run. Got it?”

The alarmed crowd of students nodded hesitantly. Aizawa and Ectoplasm exchanged a quick look before jumping down and into the throng of villains, quirks blazing to life. 

As soon as they were gone, another portal appeared. This time, it was directly above the platform class 1-A and Thirteen were standing on.

 

“Greetings, all. We are the League of Villains.”

 

Izuku grit his teeth, and prepared to fight. 





 

The individual with the portal quirk was a mass of swirling purple, with a metal collar around what Izuku assumed to be their neck. They seemed to lack an actual physical body; the outer wisps of the portal fizzed out into the surrounding air like crackling lightning, and their eyes glowed an iridescent yellow. 

Izuku had already lowered himself into a fighting position, knives at the ready, but he remained still. He didn’t know what he was dealing with yet; it would be foolish to attack-

Bakugou and Kirishima attacked.

Turning his head, Izuku saw a blur of movement to his right. Eyes widening, he let out a scream.

“NO, DON’T-”

Through the smoke of Bakugou’s explosions, Izuku could barely make out what was going on. The rest of the students were frozen in shock, terrified. Gritting his teeth, Izuku tried to collect himself. He promised Aizawa that he would protect the class, even if some of his peers were absolute idiots who had no sense of self-preservation-

Izuku took a deep breath. And jumped into action. 

In front of him, loud booms echoed, along with Bakugou’s frustrated yells. Izuku didn’t have time to deal with that at the moment. He needed to focus on his plan. 

Hurriedly, he made his way to where he last saw Iida standing. Currently, the boy was staring at the fighting around him with shaking shoulders, mouth agape. Izuku grabbed his arm and kept moving, ignoring Iida’s cry of confusion. Deeper in the crowd he found Yaoyorozu. With his other hand he grabbed her forearm, dragging the two of his classmates out of the entryway’s center and to the side, closer to where Thirteen was. The hero was screaming at Bakugou and Kirishima, trying to get them to move out of the way so they didn’t get sucked up into their quirk. 

“Yamazawa, what is the meaning of this!” Iida cried, trying to rip his arm out of Izuku’s firm grip without success. 

Once out of Bakugou’s range and hidden from the villain’s sightline, Izuku turned to Iida, eyes blazing. Iida stopped struggling to free his arm, swallowing heavily under the imposing gaze.

“Iida. You need to run and get help.” Izuku’s tone was harsh and demanding, leaving no room for dispute. Finally letting go of Iida and Yaoyorozu’s arms, he reached into a pocket of his utility belt and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper, placing it firmly into Iida’s hand and closing the boy’s fingers around it gently.

“This is Nedzu’s personal phone number. Call him the second you find a phone you can use. If you can’t find a phone, run straight to the school.” Iida opened his mouth to protest, but Izuku turned his gaze to Yaoyorozu.

“Yaoyorozu. I need you to create something to pry the door open with. Strong and sturdy. Tungsten if you can. Think small so you don’t overexert yourself; maybe a crowbar, or some type of lever. Can you do that?”

Hesitantly, she nodded, sweat dripping down her forehead. 

“I am not going to just leave my classmates when they’re in danger! As class president, I should-”

Izuku turned back to Iida, his eyes darkening.

“Iida, there are three pro heroes against at least a hundred villains. Thirteen doesn’t specialize in combat, and Aizawa isn’t good with big crowds. We need backup. You’re easily the fastest in the class. Unless you want everyone here to die, you need to get us help. Are you going to do it or not?”

Iida balked, opening and closing his mouth rapidly like a fish out of water, before nodding slowly. Izuku breathed a sigh of relief, turning back to Yaoyorozu. Currently, her exposed torso was alight with a beautiful golden blaze, and the beginnings of a metal bar were peeking out from her chest. 

“You two, stay here. Once you’re done with the crowbar, pry open the door and run. Yaoyorozu; after you help Iida, stay in the entryway close to the walls. Don’t draw attention to yourself, and try not to use your quirk unless necessary. We’ll need it in time. I’m going to help the rest of the class. Got it?” Izuku asked, looking between his two peers with a searching expression. Both of them had fear in their eyes. Yaoyorozu’s hands were shaking, and Iida looked paler than a sheet of paper. Still, they nodded. 

Izuku’s gaze softened, and he took a breath.

“We’ll be okay. Stay safe.”

With that, Izuku sprinted back to the center of the floor. He had two idiots to help out, after all.

Reaching where the portal villain was proved to be rather difficult. While he was explaining the plan to Iida and Yaoyorozu, Bakugou and Kirishima had been thrown around like rag dolls, and Thirteen had been sucked into the villain’s portal, ripping their costume and exposing their quirk to the open. It seemed that Sero had taped the hero’s costume shut for the moment being, but the situation wasn’t looking good. Kirishima was struggling to maintain his quirked form, and the area was filled with a thick cloud of smoke courtesy of Bakugou’s explosions. Izuku watched with bated breath as Bakugou launched himself at the misty figure, hands crackling. The figure dodged easily to the left, and Bakugou was thrown to the ground. 

That was curious. The figure dodged.

Izuku’s eyes lit up, and he pulled out a few of his throwing knives from his belt, holding them tightly in between his fingers. In his other hand, he held a sticky grenade.

If the villain didn’t have a physical body somewhere underneath all of that mist, there would be no reason to dodge. 

Time to put that theory to the test.

“EVERYONE, OUT OF THE WAY,” Izuku yelled, projecting his voice as loud as he could. Luckily, it worked. His classmates scurried out of his path frantically. Even Bakugou paused his attacks on the villain as Izuku threw the first of his knives harshly at the villain’s body. Some disappeared into the portal, while some hit the metal collar the villain was wearing. 

“Ah, try as much as you want; knives won’t pierce my body,” the villain said calmly, gazing at Izuku from across the field. 

Izuku grinned. 

Before the villain could move again, Izuku launched the sticky grenade as hard as he could in the direction of the metal collar. When he heard a faint ‘tink' he ducked down, hands covering his ears tightly.

“GET DOWN!”

A resounding ‘BOOM’ echoed throughout the floor. The villain’s collar warped and cracked, and the villain let out a cry of pain. Once the smoke cleared, furious yellow eyes fixed on Izuku. 

“You may just be students, but what precious golden eggs you are,” the villain said, voice meticulously collected and contained. “Unfortunately, I don’t have any more time to spare playing with you.”

Several different portals opened underneath the students of Class 1-A. Within seconds, over two-thirds of the class had disappeared. Izuku sucked in a surprised breath, jumping at the last moment over a portal at his feet. He landed in a roll where Thirteen and Sero were, tumbling to the ground. Miraculously, the hero and the students nearby them were untouched by the portals. He whipped his head around, searching for the rest of his classmates, his heart beating furiously in his chest. 

The area was empty. The only classmates of his that remained were Sero and Uraraka, who had been taking care of Thirteen, and Iida with Yaoyorozu, who was still trying to get the door opened. 

Izuku swore under his breath. The portal villain’s eyes landed on Yaoyorozu, prying open the door with a crowbar. Purple mist extended towards her, and Izuku started running.

His legs ached, and his chest was tight due to smoke inhalation, but he managed to throw himself in between the villain and his classmates.

“Hey, warp motherfucker! Eyes on me, got it?” Izuku yelled, flinging his arms outwards. His two capture weapons on his wrists sprang to life, swirling around his figure protectively. The villain narrowed their eyes.

“Why are you here? You get off on torturing kids or something?”

Izuku’s voice was confident and loud, his gaze threatening. Inwardly, he was hoping that Iida and Yaoyorozu would hurry it up.

“We are here to kill All Might, the Symbol of Peace,” the villain replied, inching closer to Izuku. Izuku pulled his goggles down over his eyes.

“Seems like a lot to do for someone who isn’t even here. You know, he’s actually on vacation at the moment. The Bahamas, I think. Why don’t you check there and leave us alone? It would save you and your men a lot of energy,” Izuku drawled, eyes not leaving the villain for a second.

The warp quirk user let out a humorless chuckle.

“You’re certainly interesting, young one. Perhaps Shigaraki would take an interest in you.”

Izuku grit his teeth. He didn’t like the villain’s thoughtful tone, didn’t like it at all. Behind him, he heard a horrible screeching noise. The villain’s eyes jumped to the door, and he was about to just warp around Izuku when Izuku activated Erasure, flinging out his capture weapons to wrap around the villain’s metal collar.

“IIDA, GO! ” Izuku roared, eyes straining with the use of his quirk. With his goggles on and his hair pinned down firmly, no one could see how his eyes blazed a burning crimson, or that the tips of his curls were seemingly defying gravity. The villain fixed him with a furious gaze. 

“Yamazawa! He’s out!” Yaoyorozu shouted, relief evident in her tone. Izuku blinked, and the burning of his eyes lessened slightly. It was all the villain needed, though.

 

Faster than he could react, a portal opened up beneath his feet. Izuku’s stomach lurched with the feeling of weightlessness, and he could faintly hear his classmates screaming his name before everything went dark.

 

Notes:

USJ USJ USJ USJ!!!!!!

Everything just gets worse from here on out lmao. Have fun!

Hope y'all enjoyed! Thank you all so much for the support, I'll see you in the next chapter!

Chapter 6: Again

Summary:

The attack at USJ continues

Notes:

CHECK OUT END OF CHAPTER FOR SOME AMAZING IZUKU FANART BY AO3 USER: haruuu

TRIGGER WARNINGS:
-Graphic depictions of violence
-Flashbacks
-Torture
-Gore

*Edited and updated on 5/22/23

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

Chapter Text

 

Shouta Aizawa did not like field trips. Sure, they had educational benefits, but they were an absolute pain in the ass. Of all the field trips he had to chaperone, though, he didn’t mind the USJ trip that much. Thirteen was pleasant enough, and he could trust the space hero to watch his classes if he needed a spontaneous nap. 

He had been taking his classes on trips to the USJ for years, and no major incidents had occurred. The worst Aizawa had seen on this trip was a few broken limbs and some concussions. 

Really, it was too good to be true. As he stood face to face with a villain covered in hands, yes-- detached fucking hands, Aizawa made a vow to himself:

No more goddamn field trips.

With that promise in mind, he sprinted towards his opponent, eye blazing and capture weapon at the ready. Aizawa was tiring quickly; he and Ectoplasm had taken on dozens of villains by themselves, and the effects were starting to kick in. Still, he surged forward; Ectoplasm was holding off the rest of the villains at the moment, but there was no telling how long Aizawa had left. He needed to take out the ‘boss’ and do so quickly. 

So, he didn’t pull any punches. Literally. As he closed in on the lanky, blue-haired villain, Aizawa slammed his fist into the man’s stomach. The blow connected, but the man stayed upright, much to Aizawa’s surprise. Even more surprising was how quickly the other recovered; right after getting punched, the villain swept out his feet, forcing Aizawa to jump backwards to avoid the hit.

“Eraserhead… you really are so cool,” the villain said, his voice raspy and tinged with amusement. It made Aizawa sick to his stomach. His eye was burning now, but he didn’t release Erasure. He darted forward again, this time ensnaring the man’s arm in his capture weapon and yanking him towards his raised leg, kneeing him harshly in the face. 

The hand on the man’s face cracked and fell to the ground. For a second, it seemed like everything had gone quiet. Then the man looked up. His skin was dry and patchy, cracked around the edges of his mouth. He looked young, far too young, but his eyes were what caught Aizawa’s attention.

His bright red eyes were alight with absolute fury. No- it was more than that.

Bloodlust. 

It was the same look that Overhaul had worn right before he had tortured him. 

Aizawa recoiled, gritting his teeth. He withdrew his capture weapon from around the man’s arm, pivoting on his foot and slamming his elbow into the villain’s face. Or, what would have been his face; the man caught Aizawa’s elbow with a firm grip, his fingernails digging into Aizawa’s skin. Aizawa struggled to yank his arm away, but the villain was holding tight; he could feel tears dripping down his cheek because of how much his eye burned, and he knew he wouldn’t be able to keep Erasure active for much longer but he couldn’t move his arm --

A swirling purple warp opened several feet away from where Aizawa was standing. 

Out of the portal, a body dropped to the ground. The figure landed horribly on their feet, tumbling into a messy roll and stumbling forwards. 

Aizawa’s heart stopped, and his blood ran cold. The figure collapsed to their knees.

“IZUKU!”

As he cried out to his son, he blinked. 

 

The villain holding his elbow grinned.





 

All Izuku knew was falling. It was so dark, so eerily quiet for a single moment and then it wasn’t because everything around him was suddenly loud and bright and too much, far too much--

Izuku’s feet made contact with the ground, and a horrible cracking sound reached his ears. Immense pain shot up his legs, and he had to bite down on his cheek to stop himself from crying out. On instinct alone he managed to break some of the impact with a roll, but as soon as he tried to walk his knees buckled and he fell to the ground once more. His brain was fuzzy and his vision swam. His shoulders shook as he tried to shove down the acrid bile rising in his throat, so intense and bitter and painful. 

Then, he heard it.

“IZUKU!”

His head whipped upwards and his eyes widened horribly at the sight before him; for a second, time seemed to stop. 

Only a few feet in front of him stood Aizawa.

Aizawa, whose usually impassive face was contorted into a devastating display of pain.

Aizawa, who was in the middle of a fight but staring at Izuku, desperate to make sure his son was alive.

Aizawa, whose arm was being held by a blue-haired villain with a twisted, horrible grin on his face. 

As the world slowed down, Izuku’s mind seemed to clear. One broken word fell from his lips, a whisper lost in the screams of the battle surrounding him.

“Dad?”

 

A choked scream forced its way out of Aizawa’s throat as his body wretched in the villain’s grip. He kicked out, shoving the man off of him before closing the short distance between himself and Izuku. Aizawa stood between Izuku and the villain, crouched low with his capture weapon flying around his neck. His breathing was heavy and his gaze was feral.

All Izuku could focus on, however, was Aizawa’s arm. The one the villain had been holding. 

His elbow, down to the bone, had been disintegrated. Izuku could see the fibrous tissue, could see cracked and flaking skin surrounding the wound. 

He stood up from the ground, ignoring how his ankle protested the action. 

He stepped forward, shoulder to shoulder with Aizawa, a knife in either hand. 

The villain in front of them was getting up now; the smile was gone from his face, but the glint in his eyes remained. 

Izuku looked at his father. Aizawa returned his gaze with a nod.

It was time to fight.



“Again,” Aizawa called out, reaching to pull Izuku off the mats on the gym floor. Izuku grabbed his hand gratefully, heaving himself upwards with a wince. Aizawa’s intense gaze softened slightly.

“Let’s stop for the day. We can work on this tomorrow--”

“No. I’m not done yet,” Izuku panted out, lowering himself into a fighting stance. His body was sore and bruised and his muscles were screaming, but he didn’t care. He wasn’t going to be weak anymore. He refused

Aizawa sighed, rolling his eyes before adjusting his own stance. With one finger, he beckoned Izuku to attack. 

Izuku sprung forward, sweeping out his right foot while simultaneously twisting his torso, preparing to block whatever attack Aizawa threw his way. Aizawa jumped swiftly over Izuku’s leg, sending several consecutive jabs into Izuku’s abdomen. Izuku stumbled backwards, wheezing. Aizawa stepped forward, unrelenting in his attacks. He kicked and punched, lunged and elbowed. Izuku met his blows with attacks of his own; he pushed and pulled, twisted and pounced. It was a fast and dangerous dance-- always changing, always evolving. The two worked together in the same way the wind works with the ocean: clashing and fierce, but somehow finding synchronization in each other’s chaos. 

Eventually, Izuku was knocked to the ground once more. His body ached and his chest was heaving, but he stood himself up on shaky legs, eyes shining in determination.

“Again.”



Aizawa took the lead, charging towards the villain with his quirk activated. He flew forwards, shifting his body to gain momentum as he threw a powerful roundhouse kick into the villain’s face. As the man blocked with his arms, Izuku dashed in-- he went low while Aizawa went high, slicing two deep gashes into the villain’s legs. The blue-haired man let out a furious cry of pain before kicking out in Izuku’s direction. Normally, Izuku would dodge a blow like that easily. With his ankle the way it was, however, the villain’s foot connected harshly with his chest. He was thrown to the ground, the air knocked out of him. 

The villain went to pursue Izuku’s unprotected figure, but was stopped by Aizawa’s capture scarf wrapping tightly around his wrist. He looked at Aizawa vehemently, his mouth twisted into a horrible scowl. With his free hand, he scratched his neck until it started to bleed.

“Why are you here?” Aizawa called out, his tone harsh and his gaze unblinking.

Instead of answering, the villain spoke into seemingly thin air.

“Kurogiri!”

Instantly, the villain with the warp quirk appeared, right by the other man’s side. Aizawa readied himself for another attack, but none came.

“Where is All Might?” the villain rasped out, fixing the warp user with a furious gaze. The villain, (Kurogiri , Aizawa mentally notes), stayed calm, his bright yellow eyes unbothered. 

“It would seem he isn’t here, Shigaraki. One student managed to escape as well. How would you like to proceed?”

Shigaraki growled, scratching his neck even more vigorously than before. “I swear, if you weren’t our way out I’d kill you right now,” he spat out, breathing heavily.

Aizawa just watched; not only was this conversation good for gaining information, but interrupting it could be very dangerous. It seemed like Izuku was on the same page, as he watched the interaction with raised knives just a few feet away, his body tense but not attacking just yet. 

Suddenly, the scratching stopped. Shigaraki looked less irritated than before, and his gaze wandered upwards. His eyes traveled over Kurogiri and Aizawa before landing on Izuku, shining dangerously. A pit formed in Aizawa’s stomach. 

“Hey, Kurogiri… you think he’ll show up if we start killing his students?” Shigaraki asked, a spine-chilling grin stretching across his face. 

Aizawa grit his teeth angrily, yanking his capture weapon towards him. As the villain was thrown back, Aizawa smashed his knee into the man’s face again. A sickening crack could be heard, followed by rushing blood and a scream of anguish. 

“You touch my students over my dead body you fucking bastard,” Aizawa growled, gripping the man’s hair so hard he could feel the strands tearing. 

The villain clutched his nose, eyes wide in absolute wrath. He looked like a wild animal: deranged, and ready to attack. 

Aizawa expected a punch, maybe a kick. He wasn’t expecting Shigaraki to yell.

“NOMU!”

Before Aizawa could even comprehend what was said, he felt a rush of air behind him. Time seemed nonexistent as he looked over his shoulder and into the dead, lifeless eyes of a hulking beast. 

This was worse than the Doctor. Worse, even, than Overhaul.

Aizawa was filled with a dread he had never felt before. It stole his breath away, froze him in his spot. His instincts weren't screaming at him to run. They weren't screaming at him to fight. 

No-- his instincts were telling him that he was already gone.

“KILL ERASERHEAD!”

 

It was so quick. One second, Aizawa was fine. He was winning. He had the upper hand. 

The next he was on the ground, blood pooling from where his head met the pavement.

The monstrous hand gripping Aizawa’s head didn’t let up.

The thing was huge; triple the size of All Might with black, leathery skin, sharpened teeth, and an exposed brain. Its eyes were bulging out of its head, empty and emotionless. 

A scream ripped its way out of Izuku’s throat. 

Distantly, he could hear laughing. Cold, maniacal laughter.

The beast drew its arm back for another attack.

Izuku didn’t think. He just ran.

He ran faster than he ever had before, with a rage so pure and deep that his vision was tinted red. 

And he jumped right onto the monster’s back.

 

The Doctor was in front of him, sneering at him. His eyes were alight with a horrible glint that made Izuku’s stomach drop. He reached forward, scalpel in hand. He was smiling now, getting closer than before--

 

Izuku wrapped his legs securely around the creature’s neck, raising his knives--

 

Overhaul was looking at him, kneeling in front of him. It was just them in the room. Izuku wanted to run, wanted to scream but he couldn’t, and Overhaul was laughing--

 

Screaming, Izuku plunged both of his knives deep into the monster’s exposed brain with a sickening squelch before twisting the blades. The beast roared and blood spurted out of the wounds but Izuku wasn’t done--

 

Cold hands touched his shoulder and he was gone, he was being ripped apart, and it hurt, it hurt it hurt it hurt it hurt it hurt--

 

He stabbed the brain again.

 

All he could smell was antiseptic and the lights were bright, too bright--

 

Again.

 

Overhaul was pinning him to the ground, eyes blazing with a madness Izuku had never seen before and the gravel dug into his back but he couldn’t move--

 

Again.

 

His fingertips were so close to Aizawa’s neck and Izuku screamed but Overhaul wouldn’t stop and the Doctor was laughing--

 

Again.

 

Screeching horribly, the monster scrambled to get Izuku off of his neck. It reached backwards, grabbing Izuku’s leg with one hand and squeezing.

 

CRACK

 

Izuku let out a blood-curdling scream, thrashing in the beast’s grip. The hand around his leg only tightened, pulling now. It felt like his leg was being ripped off of his body.

His knives clattered to the ground.

With the remaining strength he could muster, Izuku reached into one of the pockets of his utility belt. His mind was thick with panic and his vision dazed from the pain. His breaths came in short, uneven bursts. As he fought to stay conscious, his hand closed around a thin metal stick.

The monster was still screeching. Izuku pressed the ignition switch and, reaching forward as far as he could, shoved the stick down the beast’s open mouth. His arm caught on sharpened canines, the teeth digging deep into his skin. Frantic now, Izuku unwrapped his legs from the beast's neck clumsily, scrambling down the arm of the monster, trying to reach the ground. His left leg, now a mess of bone and muscle, brushed against the monster’s back and Izuku’s entire body spasmed. 

Suddenly, he was falling. Screams echoed around him, but they were soon buried under the sound of a booming explosion. Izuku was thrown forward, blasted with heat from the homemade grenade. Boiling blood seared his skin, scorching and unforgiving. The screeching of the beast came to a rapid halt.

Izuku hit the ground, his body tumbling forward. His ears were ringing and his vision was quickly darkening; he lay motionless, another body in the sea of blood around him. 

 

He only hoped that the others were okay.







Shigaraki watched in amusement as the hero student threw himself at the Nomu. It’s impenetrable skin and regenerative abilities were able to withstand the force of All Might; a child had no chance. He turned his attention to Kurogiri with the intention of reforming their plan when he was interrupted by a horrible, grating screech. 

He whipped around, eyes widening at the sight before him. 

The child was on the Nomu’s shoulders, stabbing dual knives into the creature’s brains. 

And it was working.

“NOMU! KILL HIM!”  He roared, panic coursing through his system. He scratched furiously at his neck, now caked with blood from his broken nose. The Nomu grabbed the child’s leg, crushing it in its hold. The child let out a scream but kept his hold on the Nomu.

Shigaraki growled in frustration. 

“Kurogiri. Who’s the brat?” He spat out, absolutely fuming.

“I’m not sure, but I thought he could be of some use. He’s quite powerful. Perhaps master would find him interesting,” the warp user responded calmly, watching the fight with curious fascination.

The blue-haired villain gnashed his teeth together, face contorted into an infuriated scowl. 

“I want him dead. Now!”

“It seems as if the Nomu is taking care of--”

A huge explosion ripped through the air, throwing Shigaraki backwards. In its wake fell a muffled silence, only disrupted by a faint ringing noise. 

 

As the smoke cleared, the scene became more visible. There were two crumpled bodies lying motionless on the ground, only a few yards away from Shigaraki. Where the Nomu was last standing, however, there was only shredded skin and muscle swimming in spattered blood. 

Shigaraki blinked once. Then twice.

He waited for the Nomu to regenerate. Waited for the strings of muscle to tie themselves back together, for the broken bones to snap back into place. They did not.

He pulled himself up on shaky legs, his mind blank. 

His gaze wandered over the field of blood and rubble until it stopped on a small, unmoving figure. 

The same figure that had killed the Nomu. The child.

Rage boiled throughout Shigaraki’s body. He would make him pay. 

He would make him pay.

Shigaraki stumbled towards the fallen student, eyes glinting madly.

“Shigaraki, we need to leave. The heroes are on their way--”

He reached the child’s body, collapsed on the ground in a bloodied heap. Faintly, he could see the boy’s fingers twitching.

Pulling back his leg, he kicked the boy’s stomach harshly, sending him tumbling roughly against the ground. The boy’s eyes snapped open and he let out a choked cry of pain. He tried to pick himself up, but his trembling arms couldn’t support his weight and he collapsed into a heap once more. 

Shigaraki grinned wickedly, walking over to the boy with slow, methodical steps. 

When he reached him, Shigaraki knelt down next to his side, observing. The boy was rather small, with dark green hair and black goggles obscuring his face. His left leg was unrecognizable, and his body was covered in blood.

Reaching forwards, Shigaraki ripped the goggles off of the student’s face. His eyes widened in recognition.

“You,” Shigaraki whispered, leaning closer to Izuku. The child tried to scramble backwards but could barely move. His dark green eyes shone with pain and fear, but held a certain determination that Shigaraki absolutely despised.

“Nice to see you again, handjob,” the boy croaked out, his voice breaking terribly from the strain of speaking. He had, after all, been screaming a lot that day.

Shigaraki sneered, and faster than the student could blink, had three fingers wrapped around the Izuku’s throat. The boy made a choked sound of surprise, which turned into a noise of pain as Shigaraki tightened his grip. 

“I wouldn’t be so coy if I were you, brat.” Shigaraki placed a fourth finger down. “After all, you’re going to die very soon. You ruined our plans to kill All Might,” he sneered out, digging his nails into Izuku’s throat, “So we’ll kill you instead. I’m sure he’ll be devastated to find out that one of his precious students was killed in his absence.”

Izuku huffed out a laugh as best he could, his shoulders shaking in amusement. His eyes met Shigaraki’s, his gaze unwavering.

 

“All M-ight doesn’t--give two shits if-- I die. Go a-head. You’d... be doing-- him a favor,” Izuku rasped, the corners of his mouth twitching upwards.

Shigaraki’s grip loosened slightly, and his eyes narrowed.

“And why would that be?”

Ass Might told me... I shouldn’t be-- a hero. 'Cuz I'm- q-uirkless." Izuku was trying his hardest not to pass out. He couldn't pass out, not now, not now.

The villain’s eyes widened in surprise. For a moment, he was silent. 

Suddenly, he laughed-- a full-bellied laugh, crazy and unnerving.

“What’s your name, Rogue?” Shigaraki asked, grip tightening once again around Izuku’s throat. The man’s eyes were lit with a mad glint, threatening and intense. 

“Iz- Izuku,” the boy croaked. Shigaraki’s hold was so tight, Izuku’s vision was blurring. His body was so heavy that he couldn’t even raise his arms to scratch at the villain’s hand. 

 

Overhaul’s boot was on his chest, holding him firmly in place against the ground, and he struggled and thrashed because he couldn’t breathe--

 

“--need to leave. The heroes are approaching.”

Shigaraki growled in frustration before leaning in close, so close that his breath ghosted the shell of Izuku’s ear. It made shivers run up and down Izuku’s spine, and his whole body froze.

“Until next time, Izuku,” Shigaraki whispered, voice lilting in amusement. 

With that, Shigaraki withdrew his hand from Izuku’s throat. Izuku gasped for breath, his shoulders heaving and his eyes watering. In the distance, he could hear loud, booming noises coming from the entrance to the USJ. Shouts echoed throughout the area, as well as what sounded like gunshots. Izuku slumped against the ground, his mind filled with static. 

He knew he had lost too much blood. Probably crushed a major artery in his leg during the fight with the beast. 

He stared wistfully up at the glass ceilings of the USJ. The sun was still shining brightly, with fluffy white clouds circling its brilliance. 

He thought of Aizawa. Images of his limp and broken body flashed through Izuku’s mind. 

He prayed that Aizawa would be okay. 

Voices blared around Izuku. Someone might have been calling his name; there might have been hands on his body, lifting him up. He wasn’t sure. Everything was hazy, distant. 

As consciousness finally left him, Izuku found comfort in his pain. 

 

At least this time, he wouldn’t die alone. 









“Sensei,” a broken voice called out, tinged with pain and anger. 

“It seems the plan backfired. What went wrong, Tomura?”

Shigaraki growled, gritting his teeth. “A Rogue player. He beat the Nomu,” he spat out angrily.

“Hmm… That is quite interesting. Tell me, what would you like to do?”

“I want to kill him…” 

A moment of silence passed.

“Is that really what you want, Tomura?”

Shigaraki thought of how the rogue had fought. He thought of the boy’s face when he spoke of All Might; the disgust and hatred evident on his features. He thought of how, even in the face of danger, the boy hadn't faltered.

“...No,” he conceded bitterly. “He’s not like them. He’s like us.”

“And what do you want to do about it?”

A new light appeared in Shigaraki’s eyes. 

“I want him on our team, Sensei. He’s strong. He killed the Nomu. And, he’s quirkless.”

Another moment of silence. This one, more thoughtful than the last. 

“What is his name, child?”

Shigaraki grinned. 

 

“Izuku.”

 

 

BONUS:

Wonderfully made artwork by haruuu, thank you so much!!

Izuku Fanart!

Notes:

I'm back!!!!

I can't believe it's been so long since I last posted. This past month has been... not good. Very not good. I'm dealing with some life stuff at the moment so I haven't really had the time/motivation to write, but I promise I'm not giving up on this fic. I also have another fic in the works (unrelated to this series and not the same characters, but still Izuku and Dadzawa) which I am very excited about. I'll release the first chapter in the next week or so if anyone is interested.

Thank you all for sticking with me, and for the continuous support. I really really appreciate it :)

Chapter 7: White

Summary:

The aftermath of the USJ incident...

 

*Edited and updated on 5/22/23

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

 

When Yamada Hizashi got the call that both his husband and his son were in the hospital, he dropped everything and ran. He had been in the middle of recording a radio show with an up-and-coming hero. One of his assistants had passed him a phone, said something about it being important. The nurse on the line didn’t even get to finish her sentence before Hizashi was out the door with his keys in hand.

The hospital was thirty minutes away from his studio by car.

He arrived in fifteen minutes. 

Storming into the waiting room of the hospital, hair askew and chest heaving after sprinting the length of the parking lot, Hizashi came face to face with Nedzu. The principal lacked his usual mischievous smile, the sparkle in his eyes replaced by a darkness Hizashi had never seen before.

Nedzu regarded Hizashi carefully, standing up from his seat by the front desk before addressing him.

“Yamada, I’m glad that you--”

“Where are they?”

Sighing, Nedzu met Hizashi’s frantic gaze. 

“Aizawa is in room 232 of the Hero Department. Nemuri is already with him. He’s stable,” he said calmly, pointing Hizashi in the direction of Aizawa’s room.

The panic in Hizashi’s eyes calmed slightly, but not by much.

“And Izuku? Where is he? ” Hizashi blurted out, his words almost indistinguishable because of how fast he was speaking.

Nedzu’s whiskers twitched. He remained silent for a moment, his eyes downcast, before answering.

“Izuku is still in the operating room. No visitors are allowed.”

Hizashi, at that moment, felt like the world had stopped. The noise of the waiting room faded to the background. He looked at Nedzu, stared into his beady black eyes, wondering if he had possibly misunderstood. 

“How long?”

As though underwater, he could hear his own warbled voice. It was distorted. Small, weak. It wasn’t the voice of a hero. 

“...Three hours. He’s been in there for three hours.”

Hizashi’s breath caught in his throat. He didn’t understand. The waiting room felt so small all of a sudden. 

“What happened?” He choked out, voice cracking painfully. 

“I think it’s best if you ask Shouta that question. He should be awake by now,” Nedzu replied, his tone monotonous. It made Hizashi want to scream. He grit his teeth, ready to curse Nedzu out for his lack of empathy, when his eyes fell to the rodent’s suit. It was rumpled and crooked, unlike Hizashi had ever seen it before. He looked at the chair Nedzu had been sitting in, covered in faint claw marks. 

Taking a deep breath, Hizashi nodded. He turned away from Nedzu and began walking towards the Hero Department, not sparing the principal another glance. 

 

Hizashi could hear Shouta yelling before he even made it through the door. Nurses were swarming the hallway, frantically trying to get inside the room. As Hizashi practically ran down the hall, he saw Nemuri. Stood in the doorway between the nurses and a screaming Aizawa, dressed in a bloodied hero costume, Hizashi had never seen her look so defeated. He was too far away for his hearing aids to pick up on what they were saying specifically, but from expression alone it didn’t look good. Nemuri met his eyes from across the hall, her tired expression morphing into one of utter relief. 

“Yamada! Thank Kami, I need you in here now,” she cried over the crowd of nurses, desperation evident in her tone. It only made Hizashi move quicker, elbowing his way past anyone in his path. It felt like ages before he reached the doorframe. Hizashi didn’t waste any time. Moving past Nemuri, he opened the door to Shouta’s hospital room. 

Immediately, he was flung backwards; Shouta was clawing at his arm, trying to get past him and into the hallway. Hizashi grabbed his husband by the shoulders, stopping him from leaving the room. 

“HE’S HURT, LET ME OUT--”

Hizashi took a second to look Shouta over. His dirty hair was obscured by swaths of bandages, and his eye was wide and wild, unfocused. He had no reaction to Hizashi’s hands on his shoulders other than struggling to escape them. The man looked like he could barely walk as is; Hizashi only needed a fraction of his strength to keep him at bay. His right arm was in a sling, and he was covered in various cuts and bruises, illuminated harshly under the stark hospital lighting. To say it was heartbreaking was an understatement. 

“MY KID, HE NEEDS HELP--”

Shouta screamed into Hizashi’s shoulder, his voice breaking pitifully. He beat his fist against Hizashi's arm weakly, his whole body trembling like a leaf. Hizashi grit his teeth, fighting against the tears forming in his eyes. As gently as he could, he guided Shouta towards his hospital bed, trying his best to ignore his husband's pleas.

After a few minutes of struggling, he finally managed to get Shouta into his bed. The man had gone limp, and the screaming had stopped, but he wasn’t unconscious.

With a start, Hizashi realized that he was crying. His head hung miserably and shoulders shaking, Shouta looked like a shell of a man. It was then that Hizashi let his tears spill. He pulled him into a careful hug, trying to be mindful of his injuries. He didn’t know what to think. Truthfully, his mind was blank. 

So, the two cried together. In each other’s arms. The once loud room was quiet, occupied only by the sound of faint sobs. 

No more screaming, no more cursing. Only quiet. 

 

It took about an hour for Shouta to regain his ability to speak coherently. An hour in his husband’s arms, lost in an abyss of the unknown. When he finally broke out of his dissociative state, the first thing he saw was yellow. It was Hizashi’s “HANDS UP RADIO” sweatshirt, the one that Shouta always made fun of because of its neon brightness. Now, he was just glad to find something he recognized.

“...’Zashi?” Shouta croaked out, his voice muffled against Hizashi’s warm embrace. Hizashi immediately pulled backwards, eyes red and puffy, to look at his husband. He assessed Shouta’s gaze, much steadier and more focused than before. The man looked normal, if not reasonably distressed. 

“Sho, oh god, Sho,” Hizashi cried, pulling Shouta back into a tight embrace. “I was so worried about you and you wouldn’t respond to me and no one would tell me anything--”

“Izuku. Where’s Izuku?” Aizawa asked, cutting off Hizashi’s frantic ramblings. Hizashi took a deep breath, averting his eyes downwards.

“...He’s still in the operating room. They…” Hizashi trailed off, his voice breaking. He collected himself for a moment before continuing, shakier than before. “They’re doing the best they can.”

Shouta squeezed his eyes shut, closing his fists around the white hospital blanket so tightly that the color of his knuckles matched the thin sheet. 

Hizashi reached out to hold Shouta’s face in his hands. He did so gently, tilting his head upwards until they were eye to eye once more, stroking his cheek reassuringly. 

“Sho… what happened?”

Aizawa paused. He took in Hizashi’s appearance. Frankly, the man was a mess. His hair was everywhere, falling haphazardly out of what looked like a messy bun. His eyes were red and swollen from crying, and dried snot was caked on his face. Shouta wasn’t sure he fared much better, if he was being honest. 

He took a deep breath. His head ached horribly and he was sure he had a concussion, as well as a few broken bones, but he needed to tell Hizashi everything. He owed him that much. 

Returning Hizashi’s gaze, Shouta forced himself to focus on explaining the situation. His worry for Izuku felt like it was eating its way through his being, but he knew he couldn’t dwell on it. Otherwise, he might actually hurt a nurse, if he hadn't done so already.

Swallowing heavily, he began his explanation. 

 

It was going to be a long night. 








The room was dark when he opened his eyes. Cold and bare, it was horribly familiar. After all, he did spend an entire year trapped there. He remembered the smell most of all; like a hospital, antiseptic stung his nose faintly. He shivered, clutching the one blanket he was allowed close to his chest. Distantly, he could feel warm tears running down his cheeks, but he made no move to wipe them away. 

He had just woken up from a dream. In it, he met his hero. He gained a family, even some friends. He managed to escape. 

Izuku’s chest heaved with sobs now, unable to contain them any longer. It felt so real. So painfully real. 

A sudden clanging noise echoed throughout the silent room, and Izuku’s head snapped towards the source. The heavy metal door to his cell opened with a groan, revealing a figure Izuku hoped so badly was just a dream.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t a dream.

Overhaul stepped into the room, the dim light of the hall behind him casting terrifying shadows across his masked face. His amber eyes seemed to glow in the dark, sinister and evil. 

“Welcome home, Iz-u-ku.”

 

White. 

 

When Izuku awoke, it was to white. Stark and blinding, the kind only a hospital room can provide. Izuku is no stranger to white rooms, to the smell of antiseptic. Normally, such an environment made him spiral into a panic, lost in the past while stuck horribly in the present. Now, though, he lay silent. 

He stared at the white ceiling. In the back of his mind he could faintly register the noise of a heart monitor, methodically beeping away. Everything was distorted, as if he were looking at the world through 3-D glasses. Distantly, he looked down at his hands. His arms were covered in bandages. Some were stained red, while some remained a pure white.

His eyelids were growing heavy now. The Doctor would be back any minute, Izuku was sure. He wondered how long it had been. How many months. 

If he could have laughed, he would have. But his body wasn’t responding to him at the moment. It wasn’t uncommon, especially after a session with the Doctor. 

Izuku’s eyes fell shut once more. As he fell into unconsciousness, he found himself grateful. At least when he was asleep, he didn’t have to see any more white.

 

When he woke up the next time, there was someone in the room with him. A man, short and stout, with red hair and kind eyes. His white coat suggested he was a doctor. When he saw Izuku was awake, he gave him a warm smile. The next few minutes were fuzzy for Izuku. The man checked his vitals and listened to his heartbeat, but Izuku wasn’t paying attention. He couldn’t, really. He was confused and in pain. Most importantly, he was trying to focus on the doctor’s pen. When the man turned his back, Izuku grabbed it from the side table with shaking fingers, hiding it underneath his pillow with slow movements. He couldn’t move very well now for whatever reason, and his brain wasn’t working quickly at the moment, but Izuku knew to bide his time. His eyelids grew heavy shortly after, accompanied by the pounding of his head that never seemed to go away for very long. Izuku allowed himself to rest now. His time would come soon. 

 

The next time the red haired man came to check on him, Izuku was already awake.

Awake, and prepared. 

He had regained some of his mobility, and while his critical thinking skills weren’t at 100% just yet, they would have to do. After all, it was only a matter of time until Overhaul showed up again. Izuku couldn’t wait until then. He had to move now.

So, when the man approached with a stethoscope in hand, Izuku pretended to be asleep. Only when the stethoscope was pressed lightly up against his chest did Izuku’s eyes fly open. He grabbed the cord of the device with one hand and the man’s collar with the other, yanking him forward while wrapping the stethoscope around his neck into a chokehold of sorts. The man let out a brief cry of shock, flailing helplessly in Izuku’s grip, but Izuku’s shaking hold was enough. He was unconscious after only a minute, his body falling limp to the floor. Izuku took a deep breath, trying to collect himself. His body was screaming at him and his head was still fuzzy, but it was okay. He was going to make it out. 

He slipped out of the bed quietly, stumbling a few times before falling onto his knees. Sharp pain shot up both of his ankles to his legs, and he bit his tongue to stop himself from cursing. His legs felt... wrong. The bandages on his feet were beginning to stain red. It was okay, though. If he had to crawl out, he would.

Breathing heavily, Izuku made his way forward. He couldn’t walk, so he used his hands and knees to guide him to the door. In his right hand he held the man’s pen. In his left, the stethoscope. 

He made it to the door and was reaching for the handle when the sound of approaching voices stopped him. The voices were male, and there were only two, but they sounded mad. 

Izuku ignored the racing of his heart in favor of backing away from the doorway. Positioning himself carefully behind the door in case the men entered, Izuku waited, poised to strike, still on his knees. 

The voices got closer. 

Izuku tightened his grip on the pen. 

The door opened.

 

Izuku lunged. 





 

 

“I just don’t understand why we couldn’t see him until now. He’s been out of the emergency room for a week. A week, ‘Zashi, and still no visit,” Shouta fumed, speed walking towards his son’s hospital room. 

Hizashi sighed, smiling apologetically at the nurses his husband had almost run over in his hurry.

“I know, Sho. Trust me, I know. But he was in critical condition. We would only get in the way. You know that. Plus, we get to see him now! Isn’t that what matters?”

Shouta rolled his eye, finally approaching the door to Izuku’s room. Without hesitation he grabbed the doorknob and opened the door, not responding to Hizashi’s optimism. 

Not that he had a chance to do so, seeing as he was tackled to the ground upon entering the room. He hit the floor hard, the breath stolen from his lungs. Hizashi screamed, but Shouta stayed still. He could feel something metallic against his throat, tipping his chin upwards and digging into his skin hard enough to draw blood. 

Calmly, he made eye contact with the boy holding him down.

His son.

Izuku.

Izuku looked wild; his eyes hazy and his hair flying behind him in a mess of curls; it was as if Shouta was looking at an animal. It made his heart ache. He couldn’t move his head to see the rest of Izuku’s condition, but he didn’t think it would be much better. 

To be completely honest, he had expected something like this to happen. He tried warning the nursing staff, but they wouldn’t listen to him. Now, he just had to deal with the aftereffects. 

“Kid, look at--”

Izuku growled, putting more pressure on Shouta’s throat. Shouta snapped his mouth shut decidedly, but he maintained eye contact with Izuku. 

Out of the corner of his vision, he could see Hizashi move towards the door. 

Don’t,” Izuku rasped out, gesturing to his hold on Shouta. Hizashi stopped moving, fear and worry evident in his features. 

Turning his attention back to Shouta, Izuku spoke quietly. His voice was shaky and his words were slurred, but his tone was clearly threatening.

“Where is Overhaul?”

The room was quiet as Shouta processed the question. He could hear Hizashi’s quick intake of breath, raw and painful. Shouta knew it would be bad. He just didn’t know how bad.

Because Izuku didn’t know where he was. He didn’t know who he was. Didn’t recognize Shouta or Hizashi.

The thing that hurt the most, though, was that Izuku believed he was still in danger. He woke up scared, probably terrified, thinking he was back in the facility. Even now, he thinks he needs to be fighting for his life, while severely injured, or else Overhaul would torture him again. 

Shouta fought back the tears threatening to fall, looking Izuku in the eyes and trying his best to seem as sincere as possible.

“Overhaul is gone. I promise you, kid. He’s gone.”

Izuku squinted his eyes in confusion, blinking rapidly. His breathing was visibly speeding up, his chest rising and falling far quicker than usual. 

The pressure on Shouta’s neck lessened, but Shouta wasn’t relieved. Izuku’s face grew pale, and his whole body began to shake. 

“Kid, are you okay?” Shouta whispered, voice full of concern. Izuku gave him one last confused look before his eyes rolled backwards and his body fell limp to the floor.

Shouta flew to catch him, cradling him gently in his arms, muttering curses. He made panicked eye contact with Hizashi, and the two came to a silent agreement. Hizashi hurried out of the room, on his way to grab a doctor, while Shouta stayed with Izuku.  

They had a child to take care of, after all. 

 


 

Izuku awoke next to voices in his room. They sounded nearby, although Izuku couldn’t quite comprehend most of what they were saying.

“--he thought he was with Overhaul, Sho. Overhaul! I know the doctor said he might have some memory problems but what if he doesn’t remember--”

Hizashi. He sounded more stressed than usual. Why, though? Did something happen that Izuku wasn’t aware of?

“--going to remember us, ‘Zashi. He’s a strong kid. It might just take some time. Think about it. The last time he experienced such physical trauma was with the bird-beak bastard. It makes sense that his brain would associate the state he’s in with his time in the facility. Not to mention the hospital environment, which definitely isn’t doing him any good. Plus the coffee is fucking awful--”

Aizawa. He was talking about trauma? It didn’t make sense. Last time Izuku saw Aizawa he was perfectly fine, they were at the USJ class trip and--

Izuku bolted upright in bed, eyes flying open. He immediately came face to face with his parents, the two having been talking by Izuku’s bedside. Hizashi jumped when Izuku awoke, letting out a screech that was only silenced by Aizawa’s quick use of Eraser. 

Not paying any mind to Hizashi, Izuku turned his attention to Aizawa. Surveying the man with wide eyes for any injuries, Izuku relaxed only slightly when finding none. No bandages, no bloody scabs, nothing. 

He had been so focused on Aizawa that he completely missed Hizashi speaking to him.

“--almost gave me a heart attack! Jesus, I think I may have pissed a little--”

Looking up at Hizashi now, Izuku surveyed the man. He was in casual wear, just a sweatshirt and jeans, with messy hair tied haphazardly into a bun. Dark bags lined his face, and when he looked at Izuku, the boy was sure there was fear in his eyes. 

Izuku looked back to Aizawa. The man always looked tired, but especially so now. It was as if he had stayed up for a week straight. His long black hair was greasy and limp, obviously not having been washed for some time. Aizawa didn’t have fear in his gaze, but there was something in it that wasn’t normal. He had stood up from his chair when Hizashi screamed, and his body was still tense. Prepared, like he was expecting a fight. Yet his attention was pinned on Izuku.  

Pausing for a moment, gazing back and forth between the two men, Izuku tried to collect his thoughts. All the while, Hizashi and Aizawa stood there, nervous and stoic respectively, trying to assess Izuku’s state of being. 

“...What--” Izuku’s voice cracked painfully, his throat and mouth too dry to speak. Hizashi hurriedly handed him a glass of water which Izuku downed gratefully before trying again. 

“What happened?” He whispered apprehensively, trying to quell the panic rising in his chest. The looks he got from Hizashi and Aizawa didn’t resolve his fears.

The room was silent for a moment; only the sounds of a heart monitor and distant hospital ambiance cutting the quiet. 

He saw Aizawa grit his teeth. Hizashi avoided his gaze, tears welling up in his eyes. 

“Is- is anyone hurt? Did I-” Izuku stuttered, his breathing picking up now, “-Class, where...? They... are they okay? What happened to everyone? Why aren’t you looking at me--” His panicked cries were cut off by Aizawa. The man’s voice was firm, but not unkind. He looked at Izuku calmly, taking a deep breath before speaking.

“No one is hurt, kid. I promise. Everyone made it out of the USJ alive and safe.”

Izuku blinked the tears out of his vision, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion.

“Why-” he croaked out, his voice failing him once more. Aizawa took a cautious step forward until he was right by Izuku’s side, offering his hand for Izuku to hold. Izuku took it gratefully, pulling Aizawa close and shoving his face into the man’s neck. They stayed there for a moment, Izuku trying to match Aizawa’s breathing. When he calmed down slightly, Izuku pulled away, facing Aizawa head on. He glanced in Hizashi’s direction. The man was crying now, face contorted in worry and sadness.

“Why are you two... looking at me like that? Did I--” Izuku took a deep breath, biting down on his lip to stop himself from crying. 

Aizawa intervened, running a comforting hand through Izuku’s hair as he spoke. “The only one who got seriously hurt at the USJ was you, kid. We were… worried. You weren’t yourself for a while there, that’s all. We thought we might have… we thought we might have lost you.” His tone was soft, and his gaze never left Izuku’s. For a moment, Izuku let himself think. He looked at his hands, pale and small against the hospital bed’s comforter. 

Looking back up, Izuku wasn’t panicking anymore. No, there was no confusion or fear in his eyes. Just a deep, palpable sorrow that cut Aizawa to his core.

Tears still streaming down his face, Izuku asked Aizawa a simple question.

“I hurt someone, didn’t I?” His voice was small and quiet, less a question and more a simple confirmation. Like he already knew. Like he hated himself for it already.

Hizashi spoke up this time, wiping away the tears from his now red cheeks. 

“No. You didn’t. You thought you were with Overhaul and you did what you thought was right, but no one was hurt. Got that, little listener?”

Izuku looked back at his hands. 

Distantly, he nodded. 

Aizawa and Hizashi shared a meaningful look before enveloping their son in a careful hug. Izuku let himself be held. The embrace was warm and comforting, and eventually, he felt his eyelids growing heavier and heavier until all he could see was black.

 

Izuku liked black. He was glad he didn’t have to see white anymore.

 

Notes:

Thank you all so much for reading! I know it's been way too long since my last update, and I'm sorry about that. I wanted to thank you for the supportive comments; even if I haven't responded to them, I promise I've read them. I hope to update again soon :))

Chapter 8: One Leg Down, 0 More to Go

Summary:

Izuku and his dads have a serious talk. Plans are made, for better or for worse

*Edited and updated 5/22/23

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

 

Izuku has learned to hate the word “unfortunately,” for a multitude of reasons. Mainly for what always follows it. No one ever goes “Unfortunately, I bought too much cake and have decided to gift you a slice.” It’s always “Unfortunately, you have cancer and you’re a fat piece of shit.”

Okay, maybe it’s not that bad. But Izuku still didn’t like it. Which is why, when his doctor finished her consultation with “Unfortunately…” Izuku decided to zone her out. He occupied himself with staring out the window instead, admiring the trees on the hospital’s grounds. He caughts phrases of what she was saying amidst falling orange leaves and sights of bright blue skies. 

“--were already brittle due to malnutrition, so the added stress--

“--unfixable. We found severe damage to both legs--”

“--going to have to amputate--”

Izuku bit back a sigh. 

Unfortunately, the trees wouldn’t be able to distract him from that bombshell. He spared a glance to his parents, listening to the doctor attently. Both wore serious expressions, marred by a sadness that Izuku tried not to focus on. 

Turning back to the doctor, he listened as she gave her final recommendation. 

Amputating his left leg from the knee down. 

Izuku tried not to laugh. Really, it seemed like he had bad luck when it came to keeping his limbs. If he had a nickel for every foot he’s lost to a crazed villain, he would have two nickels. Not a lot, but weird that it happened twice. 

The doctor left the room not long after, leaving a tense silence behind her. 

Aizawa turned to him, his gaze heavy.

“What are you thinking, kid?” He grumbled, his deep voice a welcoming comfort to Izuku.

“Chop it off. I don’t care anymore,” Izuku said, turning his attention back to the window. Apparently, that wasn’t the right answer.

Hizashi visibly winced, while Aizawa’s gaze only darkened. 

“‘Zuku, I think… maybe you should give it some more thought. I mean, this is a big decision, and--”

“What does it matter?” Izuku cried, cutting Hizashi off with tears in his eyes. “It doesn’t matter if I have two legs or none, I’ll still just be useless. A useless fucking Deku --”

“Enough,” Aizawa demanded, fixing Izuku with a fiery glare. “You are anything but useless,” he asserted, voice softening now. Izuku looked like he was about to argue, but Aizawa beat him to the chase.

“Do you think I’m useless, kid?”

Izuku sputtered, taken off guard. “Of course not! That’s not--”

“Why not, then? Why do I have value?”

“You- You save people, ‘Zawa. You’re a hero,” Izuku supplied, shoulders sagging.

Aizawa paused at the hopelessness in his son’s voice, but continued nonetheless.

“Is that what makes me useful? Would I be useless if I weren’t a hero?”

Izuku’s head snapped upwards, eyes widening. 

“Wh- Of course not. That’s not… I didn’t mean…” His voice cracked as more tears spilled down his cheeks, his pale hands clutching the white hospital blanket tightly. 

Gaze softening, Aizawa enveloped Izuku in a gentle hug, Hizashi following right after, tears of his own already spilling down his face.

“Kid, you’re not useless. You’re remarkable. Human being or hero, legs or no legs--,” Izuku chucked at this, sending Aizawa a grateful smile, “--Your usefulness has nothing to do with your worth,” Aizawa mumbled, cradling Izuku’s head in the crook of his shoulders. Hizashi hugged Izuku opposite of Aizawa, so the two had him completely enveloped in a warm, soft embrace. Izuku’s tears kept falling, as did Hizashi’s. And if Aizawa’s cheeks were a little wet too, well… no one would say a word. 

 

In the end, Izuku’s left leg, from the knee down, had to be amputated. The actual amputation could be done by a doctor with a surgical quirk and helped along with an assortment of recovery-aiding quirks from the hospital's staff. Finding a metal leg was easy with the right connections; they met up with the same individual who had helped with Izuku’s right foot to meld the new metal limb to Izuku’s flesh. The whole ordeal only took a day. 

After that process was over and the doctors had given Izuku the ‘all clear’, Izuku was finally ready to go home. The cats greeted him warmly, sniffing out his new limb with curiosity. Izuku fell asleep the second he hit his bed, absolutely exhausted from his experience in the hospital. Hizashi and Shouta watched in concern, grateful that their son was home but worried about everything else.

School had started up again after the incident, and their first day back was supposed to be tomorrow. Izuku insisted on going, despite his parent’s protests.

“You know, you really don’t have to go to school. You should rest, take care of yourself,” Hizashi insisted, eyebrows furrowed and mouth set tightly.

“I know, I know,” Izuku said, gazing at his left leg with an unreadable expression. “I just… I need to go. It’ll be a good distraction.”

Hizashi sighed, his gaze softening. “I’m not going to try and stop you, kiddo. Just make sure you come to me or Sho if you need anything. And you still have to visit with Recovery Girl every week, okay?”

Izuku nodded slowly, still looking at his leg. The metal glinted in the warm light of their apartment, so innocent in contrast to the leg’s origin. Shaking his head, Izuku turned his focus elsewhere. 

He had school tomorrow, after all. He needed to be prepared. 



Izuku didn’t know what he was expecting when he walked into homeroom that day. Maybe shocked silence, or mumbled condolences for his lost leg. 

What he wasn’t expecting was the class to jump up and swarm him the second he came in. 

IZUKU!” Uraraka cried, launching herself towards him and engulfing him in a tight embrace. Surprised, Izuku hesitantly returned the hug, confusion marring his features.

Behind Uraraka was the rest of the class (minus Bakugou and Todoroki), watching Izuku with a mixture of expressions. As soon as Uraraka let him go, Iida stepped into the fray, offering Izuku a hearty handshake.

“I’m glad you’re doing well, Izuku. Please accept my sincerest gratitude for your brave actions at the USJ. Without you, I shudder to think of the outcome,” Iida spoke, eyes gleaming with something akin to awe.

Izuku opened his mouth to protest, but was stopped when Kirishima stepped forward. 

“Hell yeah! That was super manly. We’re all just glad that you’re okay, though,” he exclaimed, tactfully avoiding the subject of Izuku’s leg.

The rest of the class nodded furiously, a few others piping up to thank Izuku for his help. It took Izuku a moment to collect himself. It was all just… so kind

“Thank you all. I’m just glad all of you are okay,” Izuku managed to say, his voice trembling slightly as tears threatened to spill. Uraraka pulled him into another hug, which he reciprocated gratefully. 

It was then that Aizawa walked in the room, mentally taking in the huddle of students at the front of the class in an instant. 

“Alright, back to your seats,” he called, making eye contact with Izuku for a brief moment. Izuku nodded slightly, and the tension in Aizawa’s shoulders lessened. Aizawa was just glad that Izuku had friends that really cared about him. 

Stepping up to the front of the class, Aizawa took a look at his students. None of them looked injured, thank God. Most were looking at him with concern or awe, probably wondering if he himself was okay. He really did have a good batch this year.

Before he could begin class, Yaoyorozu raised her hand politely.

“Um, Aizawa-Sensei? Is it okay for you to be back so soon? I mean, I heard that you were injured quite badly…” 

Aizawa glanced around the class again, watching as the rest of his students nodded in agreement. 

“I understand your concern, and I appreciate your thoughtfulness. However, I am perfectly fine to teach. Recovery Girl finished healing me last week. Any other questions?”

The class shook their heads.

“Good. Now, you have another big challenge ahead of you…” Aizawa started, his serious gaze traveling from one student to the next.

Inwardly, the class began to panic. Another challenge already? What was next? More villains?

“...The Sports Festival is only a few weeks away. You need to be prepared.” 

The class sighed a breath of relief. 

 

It was only the Sports Festival. They could handle that, right?

 

 


 

 

As the day ended and his fellow classmates began exiting the classroom, Izuku was approached by Uraraka. She stood next to his desk, waiting until she had his attention.

Putting away the rest of his belongings, Izuku tilted his head at her curiously. “Is there… something on my face or something?”

Uraraka chuckled, a warm blush coating her cheeks. She seemed confident, but Izuku could tell she was nervous about something by the way she was standing. Feet together, hands fidgeting. 

“Um! No, no, there’s nothing on your face. I just… I was wondering--” She took a deep breath, meeting Izuku’s intent gaze. “--I was wondering if you could help train me for the Sports Festival!” 

Izuku stood silent for a moment, in shock. “You… you want me… to train you?” He managed to choke out, eyebrows raised. Uraraka’s blush deepened, but her gaze never faltered.

“Yes, please! The way you took down Bakugou during training, and the big monster at the USJ was just incredible! It’s clear that you’re really talented, and I’ve been wanting to learn how to fight properly for a while now… so, um… please?” Uraraka smiled, a bright grin that made the corners of her eyes crinkle. It was like staring into the sun.

Flushing slightly, Izuku took a deep breath. He returned her gaze, and matched her smile with a small one of his own.

“Okay,” he agreed confidently. “I don’t know if I’m the best one to show you how to fight, but I’d love a training partner. Plus, my dad is an incredible fighter; he can definitely show you some tips.”

“Oh! Who’s your dad?”

Izuku paused, mouth hanging open for just a moment before snapping shut.

 

“...How well can you keep a secret?”







“Master, I believe I have a lead on the boy… Izuku,” A calm voice spoke to a darkened television screen, waiting.

“Go on,” His master replied. 

“It seems he was subject to experimentation under Chisaki Kai, alias: Overhaul, several years ago. Overhaul was in the middle of developing a way to turn an individual quirkless when he was… interrupted. His quirk is powerful, and would be a good addition to the team. Along with the research… Hero society would be at its knees if we finished Overhaul’s work. Given the relationship with the boy, he’d have reason to join us as well.”

“...Interesting. He’s in Tartarus, I presume?”

“Yes, Master.”

All for One grinned wickedly, shining white teeth a stark contrast to the darkness that surrounded him.

“Well, then. We wouldn’t want to keep him waiting, would we?”

 

“No, Master.”

 

 

Notes:

This chapter was a shorter one and not super exciting, but I promise there will be plenty of excitement to come ;)

Thank you all for reading, and for all of the support!!

See you soon!

Chapter 9: Time to Train

Summary:

Izuku trains with his class, and against Aizawa.

*Edited and updated 5/23/23

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

 

“Aizawa? Oh, I already knew that,” Uraraka chuckled, smiling at Izuku kindly.

“What…?” Izuku gasped, looking at her in alarm. Grinning sheepishly, Uraraka explained.

"Well, you did use his capture scarf the first day of class. And you're just so close to him! We figured you just didn’t want to say it because of favoritism or whatever. But you look like him, too. Got the eyebags and everything! Not to say that you’re unattractive! Or that Sensei is attractive, that’s just weird--”

Uraraka’s panicked mumbling was cut off by Izuku laughing. It was a rare thing to see Izuku laugh. His eyes lit up wonderfully, and the weight that seemed to be embedded in his shoulders disappeared if only for a second. Uraraka watched in awed silence, a small smile on her face at the sight. 

“Sorry, I just-- that was so--” Izuku tried to speak, but kept laughing between every other word. He wiped a few tears from his eyes, smiling brightly. 

“You’re not wrong, I just wasn’t expecting it. I’m glad it wasn’t a surprise to you.” Izuku straightened, sobering slightly. He took a deep breath, fixing Uraraka with a level gaze.

“Okay. Now that we got that out of the way; it’s time to train.”

Uraraka nodded, a determined look gracing her features.

 

The two had been training for a few hours now, operating in one of the school’s gyms. It was slow, at first, since Uraraka had yet to master the basics, and because Izuku was still getting used to his new leg. But after Izuku corrected her stance and showed her how to take a punch correctly, things started to pick up. 

Uraraka darted around the ring, using her quirk on herself to go as fast as she could. She ran towards Izuku, kicking out at his head. Instead of dodging, Izuku grabbed her leg, pulling her forwards in an instant and pinning her to the ground with a metal foot before Uraraka could even blink. Dazed, she looked up at Izuku in frustration.

“Don’t kick if you can’t do it properly, especially not that high up. Otherwise, you’ll just be grabbed. If you want to kick someone without much training, go lower so they can’t grab your leg. Got it?” Izuku ordered, his voice stern but not unkind. Uraraka nodded, and Izuku moved his foot from her stomach, offering her a hand up. She took it gratefully, and the two were face to face once more.

“I think we should stop for the day, get some rest. I know you’re tired, you’ve been moving slower and you’re too pale. I told you not to overuse your quirk,” Izuku lectured. Uraraka ducked her head shyly, scratching her cheek sheepishly. 

“Yeah, that’s probably a good idea. Man, you really kicked my ass there, Izuku.” Uraraka chuckled, stopping abruptly to cover her mouth as a wave of nausea hit. Izuku sighed, handing her a bottle of water. 

“Next time, no quirk. Not until you can use it without making yourself sick.”

Nodding weakly, Uraraka followed Izuku as he left the ring, walking over to where they had left their things. Picking up her bags, Uraraka made her way towards the exit, stopping to look back at Izuku’s motionless figure.

“Uh, Izuku? You coming?”

Izuku flashed her a quick smile, waving in dismissal.

“I’m actually gonna shower here, I don’t want to sit on a train all gross. I’ll see you on Wednesday for our next session, okay?”

Uraraka smiled and nodded in agreement before leaving the gym, a heavy silence falling in her wake. Izuku’s smile fell, and his eyes scanned the gym meticulously. His hand traveled to his bag, where he pulled out the small knife Aizawa had gifted him only a few years prior. Slowly, he drew the blade against the waistband of his shorts, covering the blade with his arm. He didn’t want to bring it out just yet.

“Whoever is in here, come out now,” Izuku demanded, his voice reverberating against the gym walls. A moment of silence passed, before a figure walked out of one of the empty locker rooms.

It was a boy; tall, with spiky blond hair. An all too familiar figure.

Izuku’s grip on his knife tightened.

“Bakugou. What are you doing here?”

Bakugou Katsuki sighed, his normally angry sneer melting into a more resigned annoyance. 

“Relax, nerd. I’m not here to start trouble. I was curious. Wanted to see what you and Round Face were up to,” Bakugou said, his voice surprisingly calm. Izuku met his eyes, and with a sigh of his own, dropped his knife on top of his duffel bag. Bakugou eyed the knife, then Izuku, eyebrows raising as if to say ‘really?’. Izuku shrugged, walking over to the side of the gym and sitting on one of the empty bleachers, nodding to a nearby seat as an invitation. Bakugou joined him on the bleachers with hesitation, obviously keeping his distance. 

Now seated, Izuku fixed Bakugou with a searching gaze.

“So,” he began, his voice calm and emotionless, “you were stalking me?”

Bakugou’s eye twitched, and he scoffed belligerently. “As if I’d ever stalk you, dumbass. Like I said, I was just curious. Nothing more, nothing less.”

Izuku sighed, leaning back on the bleachers. He looked at the ceiling, bored. “The real reason now, please.”

A moment of silence passed, where Bakugou glared at Izuku. It was more than a minute before Bakugou finally spoke, his fiery gaze now directed at his hands. 

“You’re… a different person. Than you were before,” Bakugou muttered angrily, gritting his teeth. Izuku chuckled humorlessly.

“Yeah, I am. It seems like you’re not the same, either.”

Bakugou’s head whipped upwards, eyes wide in surprise. Emotions flashed across his face rapidly.

Confusion. Shock. Guilt.

“Why are you here, Bakugou?” Izuku’s voice was less harsh now, the tiredness of the past few years seeping into his voice. Bakugou seemed to struggle with himself for a moment, before his gaze returned to his hands.

“I wanted to see you fight,” he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. As if he were afraid to say it. 

Izuku hummed thoughtfully, eyeing the blond in front of him with a tactful gaze.

“And what do you think?”

Bakugou paused to think for a moment, clenching his fists until his knuckles were white. He returned Izuku’s gaze once more, this time far more determined.

“You’ve definitely changed. And I’m going to kick your ass at the Sports Festival, Izuku.” Bakugou sneered, but it felt forced. It was like he had been drained of his anger and was now forcing it into every sentence, every word, to keep up appearances. Hell, that could be exactly what was happening. Izuku didn’t know. Regardless, he nodded.

“I look forward to it, Katsuki.”

With a sigh, Izuku stood up. He picked up his duffel bag, slipping his knife into his pocket. As he walked towards the exit of the gym, he turned to look at Bakugou.

“And Katsuki? Stop following me. I’m not going anywhere, I promise.”

Izuku turned back around, not sparing Bakugou a second glance. Bakugou was left in the gym alone, to stare at his white-knuckled fists in silence.










The next day after school, there was a cluster of students surrounding Izuku’s desk; all staring at him intently. Uraraka stood at the front of the group, a sheepish grin on her face. Izuku met her gaze, and bit back a sigh.

“What did you do?”

Her trademark blush darkened. Behind her, Iida piped up.

“Forgive the intrusion, Izuku. But we heard that you and Uraraka were training together, and as the class president, I decided to gather a small group of willing participants in order to better prepare ourselves for the Sports Festival,” Iida chopped the air with open palms as he spoke, his glasses glinting in the afternoon sun. Behind him, Yaoyorozu nodded politely.

“It would be a nice class bonding experience as well,” she added, her level eyes searching for a response from Izuku. 

He looked at the small group of students more thoroughly; joining Uraraka, Iida, and Yaoyorozu were Kaminari, Kirishima, Sero, Tsuyu, Jirou, Tokoyami, Mina, and Mineta looking up Mina’s skirt--

Faster than anyone could follow, Izuku darted forwards, grabbing Mineta by the back of his blazer and smashing his face into an unoccupied desk. Mineta cried out in pain and surprise, blubbering something that Izuku didn’t care to listen to. After a glare from Izuku, Mineta scampered out of the classroom faster than he had ever run before. 

The group watched in shocked silence as Izuku dusted himself off, turning his attention back to the students in front of him.

“Excuse me for interrupting. Now, are you all sure you want me as your trainer? I’m certainly not the most experienced one here. I’m sure Ojiro would be a better teacher--”

The group shook their heads in tandem. Mina eyed the small drops of blood that had fallen from Mineta’s nose after Izuku had bashed his head against the desk.

“I think everyone here can agree that we want you to train us,” she smiled wickedly. She didn’t know much about Izuku, but his handling of Mineta was more than enough to identify his character. 

Izuku, slightly taken aback, swallowed the doubt and anxiety rising in his chest. He took a deep breath, making eye contact with each one of his classmates before speaking.

“Okay, then. I’ll do my best.”










The group had gathered in one of the school’s gyms, with Aizawa’s permission and supervision. The whole “Aizawa is Izuku’s dad” wasn’t much of a surprise to anyone, with Kaminari shouting out a “I knew it!” after Izuku explained. He figured it would come out eventually, and he'd rather it be out of his own mouth than someone else's. Now, he didn’t tell them that he was adopted, or that Present Mic was his other father; he let them believe what they wanted, and it was pretty convenient for him that way. 

So, training for the Sports Festival commenced. It was… interesting, to say the least.

Izuku originally showed the group the basics, with Aizawa’s help. The correct stance to take, how to fall properly, how to take a punch. Nothing too strenuous or stressful. Then they started on some one-on-one matches. Those got… more intense.

“Kaminari!” Izuku shouted, shaking his head disappointedly. “No shocking anyone! This is supposed to be a no-quirk match.”

Grinning at him sheepishly, Kaminari nodded. “Sorry chief. Got carried away,” he offered, embarrassed.

Izuku just sighed before moving onto the next group. He had paired everyone up based on their previous skill level; someone like Iida was paired with Sero since they didn’t have much training, while the more advanced students, like Mina and Yaoyorozu were put together. It was effective, and very exhausting. 

Joining Aizawa at the bleachers, Izuku watched the groups as they fought. He wanted to train them without quirks to start, then develop specific training regimens for each individual to benefit their quirks most accurately. It helped him train his analysis, and helped them train their powers. All in all, a good system. Good, but tiring. 

Aizawa eyed Izuku next to him, a small smile tugging at his lips. Izuku’s dark green hair was pulled back into a short ponytail behind his head, with tufts of green flying around his face. He had eyebags to match Aizawa’s, yet his eyes carried a trace of excitement as he watched his peers battle. There were 10 people; just enough for even pairs, but no one for Izuku to fight right now. Not that they would be able to match his skill, of course. Aizawa thought for a moment, before grinning. He turned his gaze back to his son, a certain mischief in his eye. 

“Hey, kid. Wanna show these brats who’s boss?” He muttered, unzipping himself from his yellow sleeping bag.

Izuku whipped around, eyebrows raised. “You really want your ass kicked in front of your whole class? That’s brave, ‘Zawa, very brave,” Izuku grinned back, stretching his shoulders. 

Aizawa chuckled, cracking his neck. His eyes fell to Izuku’s new metal leg, hints of apprehension bleeding into his features. 

Catching his gaze, Izuku’s face darkened slightly. 

“It’s fine. I can fight,” Izuku reassured him. Aizawa nodded, stepping towards one of the gym’s empty mats. Izuku followed, the grin back on his face. Around them, the sounds of fighting slowed. Students watched in awe as one of their own was about to face their homeroom teacher. They whispered amongst themselves, dual expressions of shock and admiration evident in the gathering. 

Izuku took one corner of the mat as Aizawa took the other. Sparing a glance at his classmates, Izuku rolled his eyes fondly.

“You guys can watch. Take a breather, and pay attention,” he ordered, before turning back to his opponent. Sparring against his father was familiar; he hadn’t been able to for a few weeks because of the USJ incident, but he was fine now. Or, as close to it as he could be. Regardless, it was good to face him again. It reminded him of old times. 

Aizawa met Izuku’s gaze, looking into black and green eyes as he prepared himself for the fight ahead. The grin never left his face as he nodded at Izuku. Izuku nodded back, and the match began.

Immediately, Izuku lunged forward. He was on Aizawa in what seemed like a second, ducking under the punch Aizawa threw and extending his right leg out to catch Aizawa in the ribs. Aizawa shifted to the side, missing the kick as he grabbed Izuku’s leg and pulled his body out from beneath him. Izuku just kicked out with his other leg, and metal hit flesh in a harsh embrace. Aizawa pulled back, and Izuku flipped backwards to right himself. They observed each other, arms up in a defensive stance. It was just like old times--

Aizawa pushed forwards, sweeping out Izuku’s legs. Izuku jumped, missing the attack. He jabbed at Aizawa’s gut with his bent knuckles, winding the older man. Before he could regain his breath, Izuku got in closer, beneath Aizawa’s defenses. Twisting his body, he elbowed Aizawa in the abdomen, hooking his leg around the man’s ankle and pulling forwards until the man was on the ground--

As Aizawa hit the ground, he rolled immediately, narrowly avoiding a heel kick to the face courtesy of Izuku. Quickly righting himself, he grabbed onto Izuku’s shirt, dragging him forward and kneeing him harshly in the gut. Izuku wheezed, a grin still plastered on his face. Twisting Aizawa’s wrist to free himself, Izuku shuffled backwards, into his own space once more. The two danced back and forth, punching and elbowing, jabbing and hitting. It was a strange sequence, one that seemed almost practiced with how well the two knew each other. 

The match lasted 20 minutes. 

By the end of it, both Aizawa and Izuku were covered in bruises, a few stray scratches, and bloody noses. The two wore matching grins, wicked and sharp. 

It ended as a draw; the two were evenly matched without weapons or quirks (and still keeping things safe. If it were a real fight, the knives would have come out-- and Aizawa with a knife is terrifying). It served as good practice for Izuku; he needed more time to adjust to his metal leg, and the match helped greatly. He was extremely sore, but that was to be expected. 

As the match ended, the rest of the class watched in shocked silence. They knew that their sensei and Izuku were talented. They just didn’t know how much they had held back until now. 

Suddenly, they were taking preparing for the Sports Festival much more seriously. 




 

 

That night, Aizawa sat in Izuku’s bed as his son braided his hair. It was a tradition they continued from their time with Overhaul; it helped calm Izuku’s intrusive thoughts, and reassured Aizawa that his kid was doing okay. 

“Really didn’t go easy on me today, huh ‘Zuku? I think my ribs are bruised,” Aizawa chuckled, tilting his head to give Izuku better access to his hair. Izuku smiled, rolling his eyes. 

“Not my fault, old man. You’re getting slow,” he said softly. His eyes turned down for a moment, hands stilling. 

Aizawa’s grin fell from his face, confusion in its place. “What’s wrong?”

Izuku shook his head.

“Nothing, nothing. It’s just… something feels off, you know?” Izuku admitted, biting his lips. He resumed braiding Aizawa’s hair. 

“It’s probably just nerves about the Sports Festival. You’re not used to being around that many people. It makes sense,” Aizawa offered. Izuku hummed thoughtfully. 

“I did want to say, kid: I’m proud of you. You’ve… you’ve come a long way.”

Izuku stopped braiding. He swallowed thickly, blinking rapidly to stop tears from falling down his cheeks.

“...thanks, ‘Zawa,” he croaked out. Aizawa turned towards him, holding his arms out with a small smile on his face. Izuku fell into his arms, finally letting himself cry.

It had been a long, long day. Aizawa just held him tightly. 

If Hizashi came home that night to his husband and his son curled together on the floor, well… no one would be the wiser. Except Nemuri, who he sent pictures to. 



Notes:

Thank you all for the support! Hope you enjoyed this chapter :)

Chapter 10: Sports Festival, At Last

Summary:

The Sports Festival has arrived! Izuku can't stay away from chaos-- but when could he ever?

*If you notice that the formatting of this chapter is different from the rest of the fic, know that I will be editing the previous chapters to be more reader friendly. Thanks!

Notes:

Check out the end of the chapter for some wonderful fanart!!!!

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

Chapter Text

After weeks of training and anticipation, the Sports Festival was finally here. Izuku had spent a considerable amount of time working with his classmates, whipping them into shape and analyzing their quirks on the side. While he was deeply invested in their success, they technically were still competition. Training them gave him a chance to observe their faults up close, to really understand their strengths and weaknesses. Truthfully, he wasn’t sure if he even wanted to win the Sports Festival, but Nedzu had incentivized him into competing to the best of his abilities. Knowing Izuku wasn’t likely to try and win based on his dislike of publicity and the concept of the festival overall, the principal raised the stakes: if Izuku were to get first place, he’d get one favor from Nedzu, no questions asked. Izuku was no fool; a favor from Nedzu was like winning the lottery. It wasn’t likely to happen again. So, he agreed. 

Part of him was hesitant about going all out. The last month or so of training was… really nice. He had friends, actual friends. They laughed with him and worked on homework together and genuinely cared about his well-being. He lay awake at night often now, terrified that one day he’d wake up and they would be gone. Izuku knew how much the Sports Festival meant to his classmates. The possibility of hurting his friends by winning was horrifying to him.

The other part of him was screaming for the opportunity. The chance to be the ‘quirkless’ hero that he never had growing up, the chance to prove that a quirk does not define one's worth or power. He knew how much it would mean to the quirkless community to see someone like them succeed, especially at such a prestigious event. 

 

Standing in a hoard of students, waiting for Hizashi to signal the start of the ‘randomly generated’ Obstacle Course (all the events were cycled through an algorithm, selected weeks in advance. How else would they prepare the massive courses? It was all a scam), Izuku found himself… excited. Sure, he was overwhelmed by the amount of people. Yes, he was seconds away from snapping the next elbow that dug into his stomach, and maybe his hands were shaking from the nerves, but it had been so long since Izuku could go batshit crazy and he was ready to let loose. He wanted to show everyone– at UA, and those watching from all over the world– that Quirkless does not mean useless

The kids around him eyed each other warily, some grinning, some pale-faced.

THREE –”

Todoroki, towards the front of the pack, tensed. Izuku kept an eye on him, trying not to grin.

TWOOO –”

The anticipation was palpable, everyone holding their breath until the start of the race.

“ONEEEE—”

Izuku prepared himself, bracing his knees and pulling his arms close–

“AAAAAAAAND— GO!”

In a single second, everything was pandemonium. As soon as Hizashi called for the start of the race, Todoroki froze everyone behind him who hadn’t prepared well enough to the ground. A select few had avoided it- Izuku included- jumping before the ice had hit them. With over half the competition dealing with cold feet (literally), Izuku ran ahead, focused on those in front of him.

A few were rather far ahead; Bakugou, Todoroki, and Iida all had quirks suited for speed. Most, however, were even paced with Izuku. That is, until they reached the first obstacle.

“AND WHAT’S THIS, ERASERHEAD? IT LOOKS LIKE A ROBOOOOO INFERNOOOOO! HOW WILL THE STUDENTS DEAL WITH THIS???”

“Probably with their quirks.”

“HELLLL YEAAAAAHH!”

Izuku snorted at his parent’s commentary, watching as his competitors either tried to fight the robots or run beneath them. Huge hunks of metal rained down onto the arena, barely missing a few students. Izuku had to push one kid out of the way as a giant robotic arm almost crushed him. Picking up a piece of one of the destroyed robots, thin and flat like a shield, Izuku, after ripping his uniform jacket into strips, tied it to his back. He had a feeling it would come in handy later on, especially considering he was doing the whole event quirkless, and without support items. He’d registered his staff to use in the last round, but wanted to do the first two events without any items, to ensure no one thought he was cheating.

Instead of running underneath the robots or trying to fight them, Izuku took a different route. On the sides of the entire section were huge walls of cement, a few feet wide and several yards tall, too tall to climb onto without any help. No one seemed to even consider walking on top of them.

Which is exactly what Izuku did. 

 

Todoroki had frozen the legs of a nearby robot, sending it crashing into the wall to Izuku’s left. Sprinting toward the downed mechanical body, Izuku climbed the sheets of metal as quickly as he could, using the raised plates of armor as handholds until he was on top of the wall. From there, it was a clean shot to the next obstacle. As he ran on the walls, he listened out for his parents to notice; and it wasn’t long before they did.

“It looks like Shouto Todoroki and Katsuki Bakugou, both from 1-A, are in the lead so far– hang, on– WHAAAAAAAAAAT? Folks, cutting through the competition, running on top , yes, on top of the course’s boundary lines, is 1-A’s own Izuku Yamazawa! Eraser, is he even allowed to be up there?”

“Technically, he’s not outside the boundaries. It’s perfectly legal.”

Izuku, noticing a few flying drones pointing towards him, threw in a few flips and cartwheels. Sure, he was showing off, but that was the whole point, right?

Looking down at the course, he was keeping pace with the front-runners, gaining on them as a robot stepped in their way. Within minutes, he was at the next part of the event.

Which was a giant chasm. Sighing, Izuku slid down the side of the course’s wall, meeting the ground with a roll before dusting himself off, ready to face the next obstacle. Huge lengths of rope connected the two sides of the arena, which was certainly a challenge. If Izuku had his old legs, he’d be able to balance across the ropes no problem– Aizawa had helped him train his balance for years. 

But Izuku hadn’t gotten the chance to train much with his new metal leg. His feet were solid and clunky, prone to locking up with more precise movements. It would take another few years to properly hone the ability again. 

Ignoring the sinking of his gut as the thought passed his mind, he approached the rope, shoulders set in determination.

He couldn’t walk across, that much was certain. But Izuku was not limited to simply walking. He’d had two of his feet and half of his leg destroyed by villains; he knew how to get around in creative ways.

So, as his competitors used their quirks to get across the chasm, Izuku took a step back from the edge of the cliff. He lined himself up with the rope, bending over into a handstand. When he was sure he was stable enough, and that the metal strapped to his back wasn’t going to fall off, he began his journey across, his weight fully supported by his hands and arms. It was slow going, but if he needed to rest, he felt comfortable with his ability to switch positions, swinging along the rope from underneath, almost like a monkey.

“Iida Tenya speeds across the chasm with ease, followed by Shouto Todoroki with his ice– and Izuku Yamazawa! Although, he’s crossing the rope in a HANDSTAND! Eraser, are you seeing this? I know he’s tiny, but that kind of control is INSAAAAANE! What are you teaching those kids??”

“That one came to UA like that.”

Izuku tried not to laugh at his dad’s words, tightening his grip on the rope. Nearing the other edge of the chasm, he dismounted swiftly, shaking out the soreness of his arms. Ahead of him were a few 1-A students, making their way slowly through what seemed to be a ginormous minefield. He watched with a wince as Iida was blown back by an explosion, unable to run over them. Todoroki and Bakugou were ahead of him, trying different methods of getting across with varying degrees of success. Todoroki was freezing the field in spots, while Bakugou was blasting himself forwards. Their quirks, however, were working against them. Bakugou’s explosions triggered nearby mines and kept sending him backwards. Todoroki’s ice was cracking from the force of the mines, leaving it shattered and hard to cross.

When Izuku approached the edge of the field, he took a second to think. A few other students passed him, looking at him incredulously, but he paid them no mind. 

As he knelt down to inspect the mines closer, he got an idea. A sly grin crossed his face, and he couldn’t contain a small laugh. His parents were going to kill him.

Pulling off the piece of metal on his back, he started digging with it. When he found the first mine, he examined it closely, ripping it open carefully to examine its insides. With a start, he realized that the mechanical engineering of the actual device was one he himself had designed. It was a project he’d worked on a year ago with Nedzu, when he was teaching Izuku about support weapons. It seems like the principal had liked his framework enough to use it, although Izuku was absolutely going to demand a share of the Sports Festival profits now that he knew about this.

Regardless, it only bolstered his next actions. The mine was relatively simple in its design; you could enable an inhibitor to limit the blast, or remove it to enhance the explosion. Currently, the inhibitor was switched on.

So obviously, Izuku switched it off.

He collected a pile in front of him quickly, switching off all the inhibitors easily. It only took a few mines to achieve what he wanted, so it didn’t take long before he was ready to fly.

He took a few steps back from the pile of mines, the sheet of metal from the robot in his hands, held out in front of his body. He positioned the shield at an angle, ensuring a forward trajectory, bracing himself.

Izuku took a deep breath. Then another. 

And he jumped.

The reaction was instantaneous. Without the inhibitor switch, the mines were, individually, about three times stronger than they were previously. Combine about five of them, and Izuku was soaring. 

He couldn’t hear Hizashi going crazy over the speakers, or Bakugou screaming at him from the ground. All he could hear was ringing as he flew through the air, hair whipping behind him, laughing joyously as he desperately tried to hold onto the metal piece he was using as a sled. He was approaching the finish line rapidly, barely even slowing down despite the distance. Bracing himself, Izuku prepared for the dismount.

The sled hit the ground hard, at least a mile past the finish line. The second before he was crushed by the impact, Izuku threw himself into a forward roll, protecting his head with his arms and curling into himself, aiming for a pit of sand in front of him. He made it to the sand safely, although definitely bruised and battered. Head spinning, it took him a few minutes to collect himself enough to stand.

When he did, he looked around him.

The crowd was going crazy. His ears were still ringing too much for him to hear properly, but he could see his face plastered on the screens around the stadium, the words “First Place – Izuku Yamazawa” scrolling in a banner underneath his picture. 

Izuku grinned widely, emotion filling his chest. It was an odd feeling; he had never won anything before, let alone had people cheer for him like that. It was one thing for his dads to encourage him, but this was hundreds of thousands of people. He would normally feel anxious with that much attention, but his veins were pumping with adrenaline, and he was still catching his breath from his flight and he felt good.

Glancing to the finish line, Izuku saw Todoroki crossing the exit, Bakugou not far behind him. Although Todoroki got second place, he maintained his usual stoic face, looking almost upset with himself. Izuku’s adrenaline rush was starting to fade, as was the ringing in his ears, and he felt the need to say something to the other boy. 

Jogging to where the heterochromatic-haired teen was standing, Izuku offered him a smile.

“You did well, Todoroki. I’m looking forward to competing against you in the next round.”

Todoroki stared at him for a second, blinking. After a moment of silence, he nodded at Izuku. “...You as well,” he said hesitantly, as if unsure of how to respond. The two teens were interrupted by a furious Bakugou stomping towards them, screaming at Izuku.

“What the HELL was that? 

Izuku paused for a moment before turning to him calmly, gaze steady and unyielding. “I won, Bakugou. Is there a problem?”

Bakugou seemed to almost recoil at Izuku’s response, shock marring his features. After a second of staring at Izuku incredulously, he scrunched his face into a scowl, glaring at both Izuku and Todoroki. “Whatever,” he scoffed. “It’s not like you’re going to win the whole thing. I’ll kick your ass– both of you.”

With that, he stormed off, hands shoved into his pocket like a child after being scolded. Izuku watched him leave, holding his body as still as he could, trying to remain calm. Every interaction with Bakugou was a vicious reminder of the past, activating Izuku’s fight or flight response, regardless of the actual threat of danger. Bakugou’s presence was enough to put Izuku on edge, even more so than usual. 

He took a deep breath, turning his attention back to Todoroki.

“I’m going to go get some water, but I’ll see you later. Good luck, Todoroki.” Izuku waved as he left, walking quickly to the break area as the remaining competitors finished the race. Bypassing the water station, Izuku made a beeline for the bathrooms, locking himself in a stall the moment he could.

Inhale. 

Hold. 

Exhale.

He wasn’t in panic mode yet; it would take more than Bakugou being rude to get him there, but Izuku just needed a few seconds alone to breathe. He had won the first event. He should be proud. He was proud. Everyone was cheering for him.

But it was only a matter of time until the audience realized he wasn't using a quirk. 

Izuku let his eyes fall closed, wincing at the wave of sorrow that ran through his being. He let it sit in his body for a minute, its weight pressing on his lungs and squeezing his chest tightly, before shaking it off. He had a competition to win, after all.

Once he regained his composure, he exited the stall, cleaning his arms of the sand, dirt, and dried blood that had accumulated due to his harsh landing. 

A few minutes later and Izuku was back on the field, waiting for Midnight to announce the next task, although he already knew what it would be. 

A team cavalry battle, with the goal to collect as many points as possible through headbands. The winner of the previous event held the most points, sitting at a whopping one million on a headband that Izuku had to protect. Everyone else who had made it to the next event had points corresponding to their placement. The higher they placed, the more points they started out with. 

As soon as the one million points were announced, every pair of eyes in the stadium were focused on Izuku. It was not a pleasant feeling, to say the least. 

 

“Alright, you have 15 minutes to build your teams! Starting— NOW!”

 

Izuku ran through a plan in his head, scanning the group of students that had made it to the second round. Mostly everyone was avoiding him, but Uraraka met his eyes with a grin, racing over to him from across the field. 

“Izuku! Can I join your team?”

“What, not scared of the one million points?” Izuku joked, offering her a smile of his own. Uraraka flushed for a moment, but her determined gaze never faltered.

“You’re the only one I’d trust to keep them. I know you have a plan, and probably some super-secret spy skills that you’ve been hiding from all of us. I mean, that thing with the mines? It was insane!” Uraraka exclaimed, pushing his shoulder playfully. Izuku didn’t quite know what to do with the compliment, besides pushing her shoulder in return, his smile growing just a bit bigger.

“Ready to kick some ass, Uraraka?” He asked, returning his gaze to the crowd of students.

“Hell yeah!”

“Good. Here’s who else I’m looking for–”

After a few minutes of searching, Izuku found his next team member. It didn’t take him long, considering she was using a megaphone to try to get someone to join teams with her (unsuccessfully). 

“--owner and creator of Hatsume Incorporated, with dozens of new babies for any of you to use in a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity–

Hatsume,” Izuku called to the girl over her shouting. She turned to him, pink dreadlocks whipping around her head, eyes laser focused on Izuku.

“Million-point kid! That was some trick you pulled with the mines; I gotta say, I’m impressed!” Her eyes scanned him up and down, stopping on his boots. Her face lit up as she flew over to him, grabbing onto his shoes and examining them carefully.

“Such cute babies! At first, I thought they were just regular shoes but then I saw the framing for the motor– steel toes, inserts for stealth, and a motor for assisted mobility?” She grinned up at Izuku, who was slightly uncomfortable with her closeness but didn’t show it on his face. “You have to tell me who designed these, I’d love to pick their brain! Haven't seen a model this effective in a while– other than my own babies, of course.”

“Took me about a year to perfect them. Join my team, and I’ll tell you everything you want to know,” Izuku replied coolly, keeping an eye on the countdown clock. 

Hatsume gaped at him for a moment, before her usual confident grin spread across her face. She stood up, grabbing his hand and shaking it vigorously. “You got yourself a deal, million-point kid!”

“Call me Izuku, please,” Izuku smiled. “Now: tell me about the babies you brought with you. I have a plan, but need some… additional firepower, if you will.”

The two shared a look that promised chaos for the next round. 

Izuku was very happy with his team so far.

 

Uraraka was the one who found their last member. Izuku had sent her out looking for Tokoyami, and while she was a little confused as to why, since Izuku and Tokoyami didn’t seem to be very close, she trusted Izuku’s plan. Finding Tokoyami took a few minutes, as the boy practically blended into the shadows of the crowd. Upon finding him, she waved her arms wildly, jumping up and down a few yards away.

“TOKOYAMI!! OVER HERE!!” She yelled, grinning at her classmate. Tokoyami hesitantly made his way over to where Uraraka was waving, Dark Shadow eyeing her curiously from his shoulder. “Tokoyami! Do you have a team yet?” 

“...No, I do not. I’m assuming you would like me to join yours?” Tokoyami replied, unshaken in his calm and collected demeanor. Uraraka flushed slightly, scratching the back of her head.

“Well, yeah! I’m with Izuku– he and I think you’d be a great addition! Izuku’s getting one last member right now, someone from the support course. I know we haven’t worked together a lot in the past, but I’d love to work with you and Dark Shadow for this challenge!”

Uraraka smiled at Tokoyami and Dark Shadow brightly, the epitome of human sunshine. Dark Shadow had to look away for a moment; the girl was just too bright.

Tokoyami considered his options for a moment, thinking about his chances with this team. While he was unsure of the support course student, he had observed Izuku quite carefully since the first day of class. Although they weren't the best of friends, Izuku had always been kind to him and Dark Shadow. He could feel a darkness within the boy that not everyone could see, behind the smiles and confidence Izuku exuded. Some of the class had started to pick up on Izuku’s real presence, but not nearly enough knew that Izuku Yamazawa was not one to mess with. Tokoyami wouldn’t wish to go against him in a real fight, of that much he was certain. And Uraraka? Tokoyami had once seen her kick Kirishima halfway across the room in a training match. She was not one to be underestimated.

“I shall join your cause. I know Izuku to be a worthy leader, and would much rather be on your side than opposing you.”

Sighing in relief, Uraraka visibly relaxed. “Oh, thank God. Without you, our plan kinda falls apart.”

Tokoyami quirked an eyebrow, while Dark Shadow just laughed. “Care to clue me in?”

“I think we’d better find Izuku for that. He’s way better at explaining it–”

“Uraraka! Tokoyami!” Izuku called out, walking towards them with Hatsume in tow. Tokoyami eyed the two, blinking at the matching grins on their faces. Dark Shadow rejoiced–

He lived for chaos, after all.

 

Once Izuku had explained the plan, his team got to work. Headbands were turned inside out, and Hatsume’s gadgets were distributed accordingly. With only a few minutes left to prepare, they couldn’t do much– the real test would come after the timer started. 

Strapped into Hatsume’s jetpack, Izuku was the team’s “rider,” with Hatsume, Uraraka, and Tokoyami as the horses. The three carried Izuku on their arms easily, gearing up for the start of the race. The rest of the teams were positioned alongside them, spread out and waiting for Midnight’s signal. The field was quiet, anticipation thick in the air, everybody tense.

Izuku took a deep breath in. He double-checked the controls for the jetpack, heart racing, going over the plan in his mind. 

It would work. It had to work.

“Any last questions?” He quipped, his lips twitching into a shaky smile.

Hatsume cackled, slapping her hand against Izuku’s back in what he assumes was meant to be comforting. “We’ll be just fine, boss. You handle things up there and we got it down here!”

Uraraka pumped her fist in agreement. “We’re going to kick some serious ass!”

Tokoyami nodded, Dark Shadow behind him at the ready.

 

Midnight called for the start of the Cavalry Battle, and the teams were off.

 

Normally, Izuku liked to lie in wait for the right moment to attack. He certainly had brute strength, but favored stealth when he could. This time, though, he didn’t have that luxury. Every other team would be going after the one million points, and he was going to use that to his advantage. 

So, the second that Midnight gave them all the signal, Izuku was in the air, Hatsume’s jetpack propelling him above the others with ease, the rest of his team remaining on the ground. Part One of the plan was a go.

“AAAAND THE BATTLE HAS BEGUN! BUT WHAT’S THIS? IT SEEMS IZUKU IS BREAKING OFF FROM HIS TEAM WITH SOME TYPE OF JETPACK–- ERASER, IS THIS EVEN ALLOWED?”

“Technically, it is. The rules never stated that the teams needed to stay together for the entirety of the battle."

The rest of the teams below watched Izuku with varying expressions of surprise, anger, and confusion. Bakugou was screaming something, but Izuku was too far away to hear it; a few quirks were fired off Izuku’s way, but they were easy to dodge as he commenced the second stage of Part One. The sticky bombs.

See, Izuku quickly learned that Hatsume was a genius. She had created a type of sticky bomb that, once deployed, encapsulated the target in a foam-like substance that quickly hardens, rendering them incapable of moving until a softening solution is applied (or until the solution softened naturally). The actual bombs were most likely created with a combination of cyanoacrylates and polyurethanes, but Izuku didn’t get the chance to ask about the specifics; he just trusted that they’d do the job.

Reaching into the shoulder pouch Hatsume had gifted him, he pulled out a few of the sticky bombs, aiming them carefully at his competitors below as he flew by them, dodging whatever attacks they tried to hit him with. Within minutes, over a quarter of the teams were immobilized, pink foam expanding all over the stadium like flowers in a field. 

“WOOOOOOAAAAH, ERASER! ARE YOU SEEING THIS? TEAM TETSUTETSU, KENDO, KODAI, AND RIN ARE ALL STUCK IN MYSTERIOUS PINK GOO– THE ONE MILLION POINTS IS CURRENTLY IN THE AIR, BUT THE REST OF THE TEAMS ARE STUCK ON THE GROUND! HOW ARE THEY GOING TO GET OUT OF THIS ONE??”

“I’d assume the sticky bombs were one of Hatsume Mei’s creations; she’s the only support course student to make it to the Cavalry Battle.”

“AND STICKY THEY ARE! IT SEEMS LIKE SOLID IRON COULDN’T EVEN BREAK TEAM TETSUTETSU OUT, BUT THE REST OF THE TEAMS NOT SURROUNDED BY PINK ARE STRUGGLING TOO!”

Izuku watched from above as chaos unfolded, shoulders shaking as he tried to contain his laughter. The bombs wouldn’t hold them forever; Hatsume explained that since these were prototypes, they’d last around 10 minutes at most, not accounting for the multitude of quirks that could possibly undo the chemical reactions. Regardless, it was enough time for Part Two of the plan.

As a security measure, Izuku knew that his team couldn’t rely solely on the one million points to secure them a win. While he was confident in his team’s abilities, he didn’t know what the other teams were capable of, and wasn’t going to underestimate them. Which is why, while he distracted everyone from above, the rest of his team got to work on the ground. Dark Shadow, Tokoyami, Uraraka, and Hatsume made a terrifying combination; Dark Shadow and Tokoyami had the reach, stealing the headbands of teams farther away, while Uraraka and Hatsume focused on nearby teams, sweeping out their points from under their noses. By the time everyone started catching on to their plan, they had already stolen almost a dozen headbands.

After the initial chaos, most of the teams changed their strategy. Instead of going after Izuku, they started attacking the teams on the ground. Quirks flew across the field like rain: Todoroki’s ice made it hard for most to run away, and Tsuyu’s tongue was difficult to avoid. It was rather impressive to watch, but Izuku wasn’t out of the clear yet. Bakugou had found a way to take to the sky, blasting away from his team to be pulled back by Sero’s tape. He was gunning after Izuku, palms crackling and gaze furious, as Izuku flew around the arena. Izuku weaved between teams, ducking low one minute and soaring high the next, dropping whatever he could of Hatsume’s creations as he flew. Flash bombs, sticky bombs, glitter bombs, the works.

He tracked his team carefully as he evaded Bakugou’s wrath, throwing extra bombs if it seemed like they needed additional assistance. His parent’s commentary helped him keep track of what he couldn’t see.

“TEAM IZUKU IS STILL IN FIRST PLACE, FOLLOWED BY THE RISING STARS OF 1-B, TEAM MONOMA! WHILE BAKUGOU WAS DOING WELL IN THE FIRST RACE, IT SEEMS LIKE HIS TEAM IS FALLING BEHIND–”

Sero screamed something at Bakugou, who screamed something back before returning to his team. It seemed as if they were finally done going after the one million points. 

Izuku looked down at the jetpack controls–

He’d run out of fuel in approximately five minutes. There were fifteen minutes left in the cavalry battle. Now that the attention was away from him, combined with the sticky bombs beginning to dissolve, his team was struggling to keep up. 

Four minutes.

Todoroki’s team was climbing the leaderboard, trapping competitors in ice and snatching their headbands with Iida’s speed and Yaoyorozu and Kaminari’s offensive attacks.

Three minutes.

Team Bakugou and Team Monoma seemed to be engaged in some type of face-off, if Bakuou’s screams meant anything. Both teams were doing well point-wise, with Team Monoma having dropped to third place and Team Bakugou rising to fifth.

Two minutes.

Shinsou’s team was in fourth place, with a similar strategy to Izuku’s team; when the others were fighting, they stole some of the lower-point value headbands without much confrontation. Effective and smart, but slow going.

One minute.

Izuku found his team in the chaos of the field, getting ready to rejoin them. 

Part Three of the plan was going to have to start soon.

 

“TOKOYAMI, DARK SHADOW–”

The jetpack on Izuku’s back faltered, and he fell into the extended arms of Dark Shadow. He righted himself immediately, dropping the jetpack (Hatsume promised him that it was fine, it was just a prototype) and grabbing the expandable staff Hatsume had given him before the battle. 

“Welcome back, Izuku!” Uraraka smiled tensely, ducking to avoid a shard of ice that had flown her way. 

“How’s it going?” Izuku shouted, the sound of Bakugou’s explosions muffling his voice.

“All good, boss! Five minutes until Part Three. Smiley needs a break from using her quirk, and I’m all out of sticky bombs. You ready with the staff?” Hatsume grunted, steering them away from a patch of Todoroki’s ice.

“Ready. Tokoyami, Dark Shadow?”

“May chaos rise with the setting sun,” Tokoyami muttered, which Izuku assumed to be an affirmative. He’d only been rejoined with his team for a minute, but his presence was noticed by the arena.

 

He was on the ground again, and the one million points were finally within reach.

 

“WILL YOU LOOK AT THAT! It seems like Team Izuku is back to Earth! Team Todoroki and Bakugou are quick to the chase, followed by Team Kendo and Tsunotori-"

Izuku had to duck under one of Bakugou’s explosions, the heat of the blast warm on his face. As he ducked, he swept out with his staff, nailing Sero in the ribs before pressing one of the buttons on the handle–

The entirety of Team Bakugou recoiled from the electric shock that traveled between them– not enough to really hurt, since the voltage was low, but just enough for Dark Shadow to push them away now that Bakugou’s explosions had faltered. 

“Two minutes!” Hatsume shouted, steering them to the left, leaving Team Bakugou behind them as Team Monoma kept them occupied. Izuku could feel a shift in the air, eyes widening as he realized what was coming.

“Incoming, on the right–” Izuku tried to warn his team before Team Todoroki appeared, a wall of ice building on their left, blocking their exit. They were closing in fast, Iida’s engines carrying them too close for comfort. Behind them, more teams were approaching, gunning for the one million points. Dark Shadow swiped at Todoroki’s team, but he was too slow, missing Todoroki’s outstretched arm aimed for Izuku’s headband–

Izuku brought a wrist up to redirect Todoroki’s hand, simultaneously jabbing out his staff to Todoroki’s exposed side. Todoroki couldn’t evade both moves at once, dodging the staff but unable to move away from Izuku’s hand, now reaching towards Todoroki’s own headband. He could see the shock in the boy’s heterochromatic eyes, the panic and confusion and fear, could sense the shift in the air that happens every time Todoroki uses his powers, but this time instead of cold Izuku was met by a spark of warmth–

“NOW!” Izuku yelled, leaning away from Todoroki as the other teen snatched his hand away, his expression unreadable. Whatever had happened, it was an opportunity for Izuku and his team– and he was going to take it.

Part Three of the plan was a go.

 

Before the round, Hatsume had given them all some smoke bombs. There weren’t that many, just enough to cover the arena for a few minutes. And a few minutes were all that they needed.

Izuku, Uraraka, Hatsume, and Tokoyami started throwing smoke bombs everywhere. The second the bombs hit the ground, they exploded into thick clouds of black smoke, seeping into the air around them. It was pure chaos.

“ERASER, ARE THOSE– THOSE ARE SMOKE BOMBS! I WISH I COULD DESCRIBE WHAT WAS HAPPENING ON THE FIELD, BUT HONESTLY, IT’S GETTING HARD TO SEE–”

Darkness descended upon the arena, and Dark Shadow could finally let loose. He grew larger than Izuku had ever seen him, wrapping his body around Team Izuku and pushing the teams closest to them away, letting out a terrifying screech, shielding them as Todoroki’s team redoubled their efforts and Bakugou’s explosions ripped through the darkness towards them–

 

The buzzer rang out through the mayhem of the fight.

The Cavalry Battle was over.


Izuku flipped his headband right-side out, heart beating a mile a minute. No one had touched the headband, but he needed to make sure, needed to see it for himself-

As the smoke dissipated, he stared at the red band in his hands-

And the one million points stared back at him.

 

Team Izuku had won the Cavalry Battle.

 

 

 

Incredible, Amazing, Wonderful Fanart:

Izuku in his hero costume by C.H. (please comment if this was you and you want credit, I couldn't find a name listed in the email)

Izuku with his scars by ZephyrEnigma15

Thank you so so so much for the beautiful fanart, I absolutely love them. If you want to send in fanart of my works, please email them to [email protected]

 

Notes:

Y'ALLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It has been way too long since I last updated, trust me, I KNOW. But I promised I hadn't abandoned this work, and I keep my promises! I'm in college now! I've been writing a lot and working on this fic whenever I have the motivation to do so. I can't guarantee regular updates, but I can say for sure that the next two chapters after this one are already being written ;) Thank you all for sticking with me for so long, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please bear with me as I go back and edit the previous chapters; I know there are plot issues, and some details that don't match up, and I'm hoping to fix them soon!

Chapter 11: Daddy Issues? In This Economy?

Summary:

The Sports Festival continues into the individual matches; Izuku makes some friends, and possibly an enemy

Notes:

Check out the end of the chapter for some amazing fanart! No big trigger warnings here, just cannon-typical violence

*ALSO: I am updating and editing the entirety of this fic. Mostly small changes. The biggest change is Izuku's eye color: I edited him to have contacts while in school, and took out his explanation of Aizawa "giving him" his eye. I know it didn't make sense. This is a fanfiction. It is also like two years old lol, so my style and decisions change over time. Thanks for sticking with me!

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

Chapter Text

 

After the cavalry battle, there was an hour-long lunch break so the competitors could eat, talk, and get help for any injuries sustained in the previous events. Izuku and Uraraka, after parting ways with Hatsume, Tokoyami, and Dark Shadow, searched the crowd of students moving to the cafeteria, trying to find—

“Iida! There you are, we were looking for you!” Uraraka shouted, running up to where Iida stood before practically attacking him into a hug (which he returned hesitantly, looking a little confused). Izuku joined the pair much less wildly, nodding warmly at Iida but refraining from jumping on the teen.

“Hey Iida, good to see you,” Izuku smiled, surveying Iida closely. He seemed upset, almost. “Is… is everything okay?”

“Izuku, Uraraka, I offer you a hearty congratulations on your victory. While I must admit I am a bit disappointed in myself, I am honored to have faced you as my competitors. I wanted to prove myself without relying on my friends to carry me to victory… I hope that my decision to join Todoroki’s team does not change your opinions of me.”

Uraraka and Izuku shared a look of surprise, before Uraraka punched Iida on the shoulder, her brows furrowed playfully.

“None of that! Are you kidding? You were amazing out there, seriously! I’ve never seen someone move that fast before! Just because you weren’t on our team, doesn’t mean you’re a different Iida or something.” 

“I second that. You were incredible, Iida, and I understand why you didn’t want to be on our team. How else will you grow as a person, or as a hero? No hard feelings; even if you’re not proud of yourself, I’m proud of you for trying to get out of your comfort zone— and for kicking some serious ass out there.” Izuku offered Iida his hand, making sure that Iida met his gaze, trying to get him to see how genuine he was. 

Iida took his hand and shook it firmly, eyes misty. “I… thank you, both of you. It means a lot to hear you say that.”

Uraraka jumped on Iida again, pulling him into what looked like a rib-crushing hug. He returned it readily this time, a small smile on his face. Izuku was content just watching the exchange, but Uraraka opened her arms again, beckoning him forward. Even Iida turned to look at him, expectant.

With a sigh, Izuku joined the group hug. It… wasn’t actually that bad.

“Okay okay, now let’s go eat! I’m starving , and I heard they have a mochi stand in there!” Uraraka released Iida and Izuku from her embrace, looking in the direction of the cafeteria with sparkling eyes.

Iida nodded his assent, but Izuku just sighed, turning to his friends with an apologetic smile gracing his features. Mochi sounded good, but it would have to wait. He had another matter to attend to first: Todoroki had been following him since the end of the second event, and Izuku knew he had to face him sooner or later. 

“Sorry, guys. I just realized I promised to eat with Aizawa; he wanted to check up on me and make sure my leg was all good. I’ll see you both in the third event though, okay?”

Iida and Uraraka agreed instantly, flashes of pity in their eyes. Izuku disliked pulling the ‘healing leg that was destroyed by a villain’ card, but it certainly came in handy. After saying goodbye with promises to connect later in the day, he turned around, heading toward the abandoned tunnel Todoroki was currently hiding in.

The boy eyed him warily as he approached, his face cold and closed off. He didn’t seem surprised that Izuku had figured out he was basically stalking him.

“Todoroki, nice to see you. I’m assuming you wanted to talk with me?” Izuku asked softly, making a mental note of his surroundings. Before Todoroki could respond, Izuku held a hand out to stop him.

“Sorry, one second.”

He sighed, walking a few paces down the entryway and peering around the corner, glaring at Bakugou’s poor attempt at eavesdropping.

“If you could give us a few minutes, Katsuki,” he said cooly, one hand on his hip. Bakugou scoffed at being found, stomping off in the other direction angrily, until he was out of hearing distance.

Izuku returned to Todoroki, the other having no reaction to the strange interaction besides the slightest raise of his brow.

“I figured you didn’t want anyone else hearing this,” Izuku explained, shrugging his shoulders. “Katsuki’s been stalking me a bit lately. He’s gone now though, and I’ll know if he comes back.”

Todoroki was silent for a moment, looking at Izuku blankly.

“You’re… not what I expected you to be,” he said after a moment, his voice low and guarded. Izuku hadn’t ever had a proper conversation with him before; anytime he tried to invite Todoroki to sit with him or to join the training group in the past, the boy had just shaken his head or stared at him until he left. His voice was actually rather nice.

“I hope that’s a compliment?” Izuku leaned back against the wall of the tunnel, looking relaxed. He didn’t feel relaxed, and he was eyeing Todoroki carefully for any signs of aggression, but he had long since learned how to mask his emotions.

“My father thinks you’re All Might’s successor. After hearing how you fought at the USJ, he seems sure that All Might must’ve taught you how. He doesn’t believe you’re actually quirkless.”

Izuku fought the urge to laugh, keeping his face neutral.

“And what do you think?”

Todoroki seemed surprised by the question. “I think… you’re nothing like All Might. You’re both strong, but he’s arrogant. He lets his guard down, trusts too easily,” Todoroki paused, his gaze boring into Izuku. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you without your guard up.”

Izuku tilted his head at that, lips twitching into a smile. “I could say the same about you, Todoroki.”

The two stared at each other for a moment, quiet. It was confirmation. They had come from different backgrounds, different families. They had different quirks and different personalities, but deep down, they were the same. Izuku knew from the moment he laid eyes on Todoroki. As Todoroki eyed the scars littering Izuku’s arms and hands, Izuku knew Todoroki had come to the same conclusion.

“Have you ever heard of quirk marriages?”

 

Todoroki talked. He talked about his mother, his siblings. He talked about his father. The abuse, the training, the manipulation. He told Izuku everything. And Izuku listened; he had known that Endeavor was not a kind man nor a good hero, but he hadn’t known the details. Hearing them now, Todoroki’s actions made more and more sense.

“That’s why I never use his fire. You made me break a promise, and–”

“I’m going to stop you right there,” Izuku interrupted, voice calm but commanding. Todoroki stopped talking, confusion marring his features.

“There are a few things I want to address about that, but let’s start with the obvious. Your quirk is yours alone. Not his, not your mothers. Yours . Not using it only endangers yourself; you know what happens when you neglect your quirk for long enough. It’ll tear you apart, especially with how powerful yours is.” Izuku thought about Erasure for a moment before continuing, ignoring the emotions pooling into his stomach.

Todoroki looked like he was about to argue, but Izuku didn’t let him.

“I’m not done. What you’ve described to me is more than enough to put Endeavor behind bars, or at least revoke his hero license and return custody of you and your siblings to your mother. If we get the right evidence, which I am confident in being able to do, we can make sure he never lays a hand on your or your family ever again. Are you comfortable speaking with Nedzu and Aizawa about this after the tournament?”’

At this, Todoroki’s mask crumbled. He stared at Izuku with wide eyes, his mouth slightly agape.

Izuku just let him process the request, waiting patiently as Todoroki worked through some things in his head. After a few minutes, he finally spoke.

“Why…” Todoroki clenched his fists, looking at Izuku as if he were insane. “Why are you helping me? I’m your competitor– we’re not even friends .”

A swell of sorrow washed over Izuku, so intense he had to close his eyes for a moment until it passed. When he opened them, he looked at Todoroki tiredly. 

“Friend or not, Todoroki, you don’t deserve to be abused. You could be my worst enemy and I’d do the same thing. My house is open, whenever you need it. I hope that one day, you’ll be able to live your life knowing that your worth doesn’t depend on your power or success…” Izuku sighed, “trust me, I’m still not quite there myself, but I’m working on it.”

Todoroki blinked a few times, emotion showing clearly on his face for the first time since Izuku had met him. His shoulders were trembling, his eyes glossy.

“I know this is a lot to take in right now. Just… think about it. Please. I know you don’t think of me as a friend, but I’d like to be one if you’d have me. I appreciate you telling me all of this, I know— I know it couldn’t have been easy. But Todoroki… you don’t have to do everything alone.”

Izuku pushed off the tunnel wall, stepping toward Todoroki. He offered the other teen his hand, looking him in the eyes. 

Both had lost their masks.

“Will you let me help you?”

Todoroki paused, looking down at Izuku’s hand, then back to his eyes. Something in his gaze had shifted; the coldness in his pupils had softened into something Izuku would like to think was hope.

He took his hand.



After his talk with Todoroki, Izuku didn’t go back to the cafeteria. He went to the bathrooms instead, waiting until the stalls were all empty so he could lock the door and hide inside. He didn’t have much time— the next round was going to start in less than 20 minutes— but he needed to be alone, needed to calm himself down. The past day has been… exhausting, to say the least. Physically and mentally, Izuku was tired . Something felt wrong and he didn’t know what. It could be the nerves of fighting his peers, or maybe the strain of Todoroki’s situation now fresh in his mind. 

It could be. But it didn’t feel like it. There was something else , something Izuku knew in his body to be missing or faulty or… something. He splashed his face with water, scrubbing the sweat and dirt from his skin. Or maybe, he was just losing it.

His left leg ached, a hollow throbbing in his muscles like a war drum. The strain of the Sports Festival, so soon after the Nomu injury, was probably not good for his recovery. He knew he should go see Recovery Girl, knew he was pushing himself too far. 

But Izuku was no stranger to pain. And this pain? 

Aizawa was lying in a pool of his own blood, motionless. The Nomu above him screamed, a horrible grating sound that Izuku couldn’t forget if he tried. 

He wasn’t fast enough. He wasn’t fast enough. He wasn’t fast enough.

He had no one to blame for this pain but himself. The feeling of Erasure shifted restlessly in his body, adding onto the pressure of his joints. He ignored it.

Izuku dried his hands and face before unlocking the door to the bathroom and leaving quickly, heading to the site of the next event. He couldn’t think about that right now, so he wouldn’t. He had a tournament to win, after all. 

 

Izuku was facing Hitoshi Shinsou first. Looking at the other teen in the few seconds he had before their match began, he couldn’t help but think back to Shinsou’s declaration of war a few days prior.

Izuku had been about to leave the classroom when he heard a commotion at the door. His classmates were trying to leave, blocked by what seemed to be a hoard of students. Katsuki was surprisingly calm, approaching the crowd with his hands in his pockets, telling them to move. Shinsou was the one who stepped forward first, unflinching in the face of Katsuki’s presence.

“I came to see what the famous Class A was like, but you seem pretty arrogant. Are all the students in the hero course like this? 

No one moved for a moment, seemingly shocked at his bravado. Izuku just watched, curious. 

“There are quite a few people who enrolled in general studies or other courses because they didn’t make it into the hero course. Did you know that? But the school has left those of us a chance. Depending on the results of the Sport’s festival, they’ll consider our transfer into the hero course. And it seems they may also transfer people out.” His eyes scanned over the students of Class 1-A, cold and calculating. Behind him, people whispered, watching the class like they were animals at a zoo. Izuku himself got a few looks, especially now that news of him being quirkless was quickly spreading after the USJ incident.

“I came to say that even if you’re in the hero course, if you get too carried away, I’ll sweep your feet out from under you. I came with a declaration of war.”

While his other classmates flinched, scared of the mere possibility of being removed from the hero course, Izuku had to hide a grin. 

A challenge sounded rather nice. 

He saw something in Shinsou, beneath the anger and arrogance. He saw drive. Passion. The need to be greater than anything anyone could possibly imagine. Real potential, as Aizawa would say. 

What he didn’t see was proper execution. 

There was a will, but it meant nothing if it wasn’t cultivated into something more . He was in for a harsh awakening, and Izuku refused to go easy on him. By making it this far in the tournament, Izuku knew that Shinsou would be offered a spot in the hero department. At this point, he wouldn’t be doing him any good by letting him win. He tried to tune out the sounds of the crowd ( booing, cursing, screaming ). Sometime in between the second and third events, word spread that Izuku was quirkless. Safe to say, the crowd wasn’t happy about it. He was used to it by now, but it still wasn’t pleasant. It just made Izuku want to win even more, helped to squash the guilt in his chest down enough for him to breathe. 

Shinsou was an outcast, sure. But so was Izuku.

“The quiet underdog from General Studies Hitoshi Shinsou is about to face off against the chaotic and powerful Yamazawa Izuku from 1-A! I’ve got to say Eraserhead, I’m excited to see what this match brings!”

Izuku knew what he had to do to win. After his first interaction with Shinsou, he got curious. He asked around, talked with Hizashi. He knew his quirk, and how to evade it. If it weren't for the Sports Festival, and Shinsou’s declaration of war, Izuku would humor him. He’d go slow, let him try to get a few hits in, maybe even let him try to use his quirk. 

Unfortunately for Shinsou, Izuku refused to allow pity anywhere near the battlefield. 

Midnight raised her arm, ready to start the match.

Izuku prepared himself, bracing his knees and leaning forward. He wasn’t going to use the staff clipped to his belt, not for this round. Shinsou stood still, tensing slightly at the shoulders, eyeing Izuku warily.

“BEGIN!”

The second Midnight dropped her arm, Izuku flew forward, straight to Shinsou, sweeping his feet out from beneath him. Shinsou stumbled backwards, panic evident in his features. As he scrambled away from Izuku, he called out.

“You’re the quirkless kid, right? 

Izuku didn’t answer, chasing Shinsou closer to the edge of the arena. He stayed low to the ground, ducking under the lackluster punch Shinsou tried to throw at him. He could hear Shinsou curse, could see his composure melting away with every second that Izuku got closer to him.

“I guess that monkey told you about my quirk–” Before Shinsou could even finish his taunt, Izuku grabbed him by the shirt with both hands, yanking him close and slamming his knee into his stomach. The metal one, of course. 

Shinsou wheezed, knees buckling, going limp in Izuku’s grasp. He struggled to regain his breath, weakly pushing against Izuku’s hands still grabbing his shirt, but it was no use. Dark purple eyes met a viridian gaze, and Izuku almost felt bad as he judo-flipped Shinsou outside the lines of the arena.

Izuku could hear Midnight calling the match, the crowd booing, and the sounds of Hizashi’s voice ringing through the stadium to comment on Izuku’s devastatingly brutal tactics, but Izuku wasn’t focused on any of it. He was focused on the boy in front of him, laying on his back on the ground, still struggling to regain his breath. Izuku let him breathe for a moment before leaning down next to him, finding his eyes. He pretended not to see the tears falling down his cheeks.

“You rely on your quirk too much. One day it will fail you, and you need to be ready.”

Shinsou eyed him warily, still too winded to speak. If he could walk, Izuku was sure he’d be halfway across the stadium, eager to get away from him.

“If you ever need someone to whip you into shape, I’d be more than happy to help. The world needs heroes who care about doing the right thing.”

At this, Shinsou seemed to falter. The hatred in his gaze mellowed into confusion, his eyes wide as he stared at Izuku.

“What…” Shinsou took a breath. His voice was shaking, much more vulnerable than it had been before. “What makes you think I care about doing the right thing?”

Izuku offered him a hand to get up. After a moment’s hesitation, Shinsou took it.

“I have pretty good instincts.”

Shinsou paused. After a second, he scoffed, wincing at the action. Izuku pulled him off the ground, balancing him while he regained his footing. The audience didn’t know how to react as they saw the two boys walk away together, Shinsou’s arm slung over Izuku’s shoulder. 

As Izuku guided Shinsou to Recovery Girl’s tent for some bruise cream, he could see him looking over the crowd, taking in their noises of displeasure at Izuku’s win. Izuku showed no reaction, his face blank, just focused on helping Shinsou get help.

“Fuck, and I thought people were mad about me ,” Shinsou muttered, wincing at the screaming he could hear, now that they were nearing the edge of the arena. Izuku was tactfully dodging the things being thrown at him, swatting away a drink that was about to hit Shinsou in the head.

“They know you have a quirk, even if they can’t see it. Between me and you, most of them would prefer if you had won.” Izuku’s voice was casual, far more casual than it should have been. Stopping finally at Recovery Girl’s tent, the calls of the crowd muffled now, he was about to leave Shinsou when the other boy called his name.

“I… I want to be a hero.” His voice cracked painfully, emotion evident in his tone. Izuku glanced over his shoulder, lips twitching into a smile. He thought of a rooftop from years ago, too high up, too far down. He knew the importance of those words, felt the weight of them in his soul.  

“So make it happen. I’ll be waiting for a rematch.”

Shinsou blinked a few times, as if surprised by the response. Then, for the first time that Izuku had seen, the other boy grinned.

“Just you wait. I’ll kick your ass,” he called out, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand.

“It’s on,” Izuku called back, waving as Recovery Girl ushered Shinsou inside to receive treatment. As soon as Shinsou was out of sight, his expression dropped. He looked down at his hands, trying to wipe his mind of the taunts thrown at him after his win. 

At least he made an ally? A friend? Izuku wasn’t quite sure.

He took a deep breath, collecting himself, before walking back to where the rest of his class was sitting, waiting to watch the next fight. 

One down, three more to go.

 

The fights after Izuku fought Shinsou were… interesting, to say the least. Todoroki basically trapped Sero in a giant ice attack. Kaminari tried flirting with Shiozaki and she kicked his ass. Hatsume used Iida as a walking, breathing advertisement for a solid 10 minutes before just walking out of bounds (which was highly entertaining, if Izuku was being totally honest). Tokoyami beat Yaoyorozu after she yielded (which Izuku was definitely going to talk to Aizawa about later— that girl needed more confidence in herself), and Kirishima and Tetsutetsu were completely evenly matched. Apparently they were going to break the draw with an arm wrestling match later? Izuku had seen weirder things. 

He had wanted to watch Uraraka’s match against Bakugou, but could only catch the first half of it before he had to go prepare for his own match. It was incredible, watching her fight; he’d have to drop by after his fight to make sure she was okay. Going up against Bakugou… is not an easy experience, to say the least. 

Walking to his preparation room, trying to center himself, Izuku almost doesn’t pick up on the warmth in the hallway, the air heating up with every step he takes. Almost. Izuku braces himself, knowing that, for whatever reason, just around the corner, was the number two hero—

“Endeavor, I must say I’m surprised to see you here. Todoroki’s preparation room is P-1, across the arena,” Izuku said as calmly as he could, facing the giant flaming man across the hall from him. Normally, he would just walk past; he wasn’t very fond of Endeavor for a multitude of reasons, and given the new information Todoroki had dropped on him, he didn’t know if he’d be able to control himself from drop-kicking the bastard to Tokyo on sight. But the arrogant ball of fire was standing in front of his door, his arms crossed and his brows furrowed.

“I already spoke to Shouto,” Endeavor turned to Izuku, still blocking the door. His gaze was piercing, intimidating. Or, it was supposed to be. To Izuku, he just looked constipated. 

“I wanted to see his competition in person, but perhaps I should have gone to see that Iida boy instead. That’s who he’ll face after he defeats you— I’m not anticipating a long match,” he sneered, amusement evident in his eyes. 

“Iida Tenya is a worthy competitor, and a wonderful hero. As is Todoroki. I’m excited for our match, but I really should be preparing right now. I have to ask you to move, as you’re standing in front of my preparation room.” Izuku kept his tone calm, his eyes never leaving Endeavor’s. He was going to take the high road. He was going to take the high road. He was going to take—

“Is All Might not here to see you off? I’d expect he’d want to prepare his little charity case for failure now rather than later. Although, I’m sure your kind is used to the feeling.”

Fuck the high road. And fuck Endeavor

“Oh, I know plenty about failure. It’s something we have in common, really. I mean, the number two hero has the highest kill count— of both civilians and villains alike— higher than every single registered hero combined,” Izuku scoffed, the words streaming out of his mouth before he could even think about what he was saying. “You’ve killed enough people to be considered a top-level threat to Japan by the national security council, although that was quickly swept under the rug by your media team. But please, tell me more about failure. It seems we have different definitions of the word.”

For a moment, the hallway was silent. By now, Izuku was sweating from the sheer heat emanating off of Endeavor. The man looked at him, astonished. And then, surprise turned to rage

This is how All Might is teaching his protege to act? My Shouto is going to make you wish you had never stepped foot into this school. A quirkless nothing like you needs to learn your place—” Endeavor stomped forward, eyes blazing, fists clenched. Izuku stood his ground.

“All Might isn’t my mentor; never has been, never will be. I am not him. And Todoroki is not you . Now, I have a match to prepare for. Move, or I will move you .” Izuku reached for the staff on his belt, glaring at Endeavor with a burning in his soul, inwardly begging the man to make a move so he could knock a few teeth out of his head. 

He should be scared, he knows. He’s facing the number two hero. 

But Endeavor has nothing on Overhaul.

Maybe it was the wildness in Izuku’s eyes, the promise of pain, hurt, justice . Maybe it was the assurance in his shoulders, the way his presence seemed taller, bigger somehow than the 5’5” body he was held in. Maybe it was the security camera in the hallway’s corner, with a perfect shot of Endeavor and Izuku, blinking red, as if winking at him.

Izuku can’t say what it was for sure that made Endeavor clench his teeth, turn around, and leave. All he knew was that he had a match to prepare for, and some security footage to send to Nedzu to add to the file.


 

Izuku was facing Todoroki. Not who he wanted to face this early, but Izuku would make do. In terms of raw power, Todoroki was undoubtedly at the top of the class. Without the use of his full quirk, though, Todoroki was setting himself up for failure.

After their talk, it was clearer than ever before that Todoroki needed help. His trauma was stopping him from using his full quirk, and with a quirk as strong as his, the buildup was too dangerous to last for long; he’d tear himself apart from the inside out. Todoroki was stubborn and hurt— he was going to use this battle to show his dad that he could win without “his” fire.

Izuku was going to prove him wrong. Or, he planned on it. Last time he faced someone with a powerful offensive quirk like Todoroki’s—

He shook his head. Not the time. He was going to win, and he was going to do his best to help Todoroki, both during and after their fight. He had years of trauma, after all. One match won’t fix everything, and really, it might not even fix anything. But Izuku was going to try, and he was going to continue to try. 

Standing at opposite ends of the arena, the two locked eyes.

Izuku held his staff out at the ready, tense on his feet. He’d need to move fast. Hizashi announced the two of them, but the words were muffled to Izuku, almost as if in slow motion. All of his focus was on Todoroki, on his eyes, his feet, his hands. 

He’d have to be fast enough. He was going to be fast enough.

Midnight called the start of the match, and the field erupted into pandemonium.

Todoroki immediately sent a wave of ice his way, frosted spears speeding towards Izuku, a formation of ice just barely smaller than the iceberg he trapped Sero in— but Izuku was already halfway across the arena, using his staff like a pole vault to propel himself in Todoroki’s direction. 

The crowd was screaming and Hizashi was yelling, but Izuku couldn’t hear any of it. He was watching Todoroki’s hands, his feet, his eyes. Because regardless of the little emotion Todoroki expressed on his face, he telegraphed everything . The direction of his feet matched the direction of his ice blasts, his hands showed his next move, and his eyes?

They were watching Izuku. Or, trying to. Izuku was dodging in between the rows of ice Todoroki started sending his way when the big blast didn’t work, getting closer and closer to Todoroki, closer than Todoroki had expected him to end up and closer than he wanted him to be—

Eyes widening in surprise, Todoroki sent the biggest wave of ice yet in an attempt to push him back, too wide for Izuku to dodge to the side and too quick for him to break apart with his staff.

Izuku collected all of his strength and vaulted over the wave with his staff, just barely missing the ends of the icicles. The tips of his fingers were tingling from the chill, ice particles dancing in the air like snow around them. 

Izuku was freezing, but one look at Todoroki and he could tell– Todoroki was freezing too. 

He rushed forwards, swinging his staff at Todoroki to test his theory. Todoroki sent a wave of ice out, but it was significantly smaller than before– he was backing up, trying to put distance in between himself and Izuku, but Izuku wasn’t letting him. With every step that Todoroki took back, Izuku took two leaps forward, dashing around any attack he threw quicker than Todoroki could account for.

Todoroki created more ice spears, brow furrowed in concentration, still backing up because Izuku kept dodging the ice; he glanced behind him for a fraction of a second to check the boundary lines, but it was the distraction that Izuku needed to finally close the gap between them.

Izuku had been playing the waiting game. Todoroki’s offensive power is incredible, but it needs distance to gain mass. Without the distance, his ice’s power is limited. Get close enough, and he won’t be able to use it at all. 

But Todoroki was still strong, with or without his quirk. Izuku couldn’t afford to pull any punches.

Izuku surged ahead, swinging his staff at Todoroki’s left side, aiming for the back of his knee with as much power as he could. Todoroki, taken aback at his sudden closeness, barely manages to step to the side in order to avoid Izuku’s attack. The staff clips the edge of his leg, but he stumbles only for a second before meeting Izuku with an attack of his own. 

Todoroki’s close combat skills are deeply ingrained in his being, but he learned how to fight fair . Izuku does no such thing; he targets Todoroki’s left, aiming for the joints, the face, the stomach. He hits hard and he hits fast, sending one blow with the end of his staff followed by a sharp elbow, a knee, a fist, never staying in the same place for more than a second. They both take hits but Todoroki is slowing down; there’s always a second of hesitation, a moment where he goes to use his quirk and can’t. 

He tries freezing the ground, but Izuku cracks it with his staff, throwing the shattered pieces of ice back at him. He tries freezing Izuku’s staff to the ground but Izuku knees him in the stomach and the ice breaks rather quickly. His eyes were growing desperate as he mounted an ice wall behind him, stopping Izuku from pushing him out of bounds, lips blue and hands trembling–

“You’re cold, Todoroki,” Izuku snarled, staff barely missing Todoroki’s head. Todoroki grit his teeth, sweeping out a leg to try and catch Izuku off balance. Izuku jumped, but it was closer than it should have been. Todorki was slowing down, but so was he. The cold made it harder for him to move, his joints screaming with every step he made. The downside of having metal limbs (besides the, you know, torture) was the chronic pain that came with them– the cold only aggravated it, and he was struggling with his precision. He needed to end things, needed to end things fast. 

The two of them were both battered and bruised: Todoroki had cuts all over his face and arms from the ice shards Izuku had redirected, bruises forming everywhere from Izuku’s staff, with his entire right side covered in frost from quirk overuse. Izuku definitely had some broken fingers from his close calls with the ice spikes, his arms bloody and uniform torn. But neither had been able to get any big hits in yet.

Until now.

Izuku distracted Todoroki by swinging his staff overhead, feigning an attack while kicking out Todoroki’s left knee hard . Todoroki hadn’t dodged the kick, seeming to forget that Izuku’s feet are metal.

Todoroki’s face contorted in pain, knee hitting the ground for just a second, the air heating up around them–

Izuku pivoted to the side, moving his staff to bar Todoroki’s throat as he locked it in place with his elbow, pulling it just tight enough to be uncomfortable. He stood behind Todoroki, chest flush with his back, foot pressing on the backside of Todoroki’s left knee before Todoroki could even think about getting back up.

“Use your quirk and I’ll cut off your oxygen supply until you pass out. You’ve lost, Todoroki,” Izuku muttered, observing his opponent carefully out of the corner of his eye. 

Todoroki scowled, tensing in Izuku’s hold. There was a shift in the air, a warmth coming from his skin–

Izuku pressed down on the staff harder.

Todoroki . Your quirk is not your savior, and neither am I . I’d rather us both walk off this arena, but if I need to carry you out I will ,” Izuku growled, trying to push down the anger that rose in his chest. “You had the chance to use your fire and you didn’t .” 

Todoroki’s shoulders tightened, lips pursing into a line before he let his head drop just a fraction.

The stadium went quiet. 

“Todoroki, can you move?” Midnight called out, voice uncertain.

“...No,” Todoroki rasped, just loud enough for Midnight to hear.

Midnight waved her flag, and announced Izuku the winner of the round. Aizawa was saying something overhead but Izuku couldn’t hear much of it, his blood pumping so loudly in his ears. Ignoring the crowd’s boos as he lowered his staff, Izuku immediately removed his foot from Todoroki’s knee, moving in front of him. He offered Todoroki a hand, uncaring of how it trembled. 

Todoroki looked up at him, his eyes filled with unreadable emotions.

“I’m sorry about your knee. I knew it was the only way to get you on the ground.”

A moment of silence passed, with Todoroki observing him.

His lips seemed to twitch at the corners as he took Izuku’s hand, pulling himself up.

“I have a feeling that if this was a real fight, I wouldn’t have stood a chance,” Todoroki said quietly, allowing Izuku to help him across the arena. The crowd was throwing things, but with Endeavor’s son so close, no one dared to hit Izuku directly for fear of hitting Todoroki.

Izuku chuckled humorlessly at the comment. “I was just thinking that same thing about you.”

Todoroki’s grip around Izuku’s shoulder seemed to tighten, if just for a second. Izuku sighed, a wave of sadness washing over him.

“You have incredible power, Todoroki. Whether to use it or not is your choice. If you find yourself wanting to move forward, let me know. I’d be happy to help.”

They reached the edge of the arena, only a few yards away from Recovery Girl’s tent. Todoroki pulled himself away from Izuku’s support, using the wall to prop himself up as he turned to look at his former opponent.

“...Thank you, Izuku.” He spoke after a moment, pausing as if he wanted to say something more. He didn’t.

“Anytime, Todoroki. And I meant what I said about talking to Nedzu and Aizawa. I’ll arrange something next time I see them, if you’re still willing.”

“Shouto,” Todoroki prompted quietly. “You… you can call me Shouto. If you want.”

Izuku got over his surprise quickly, a small smile gracing his features.

“All right then, Shouto. Does that mean I’m not your enemy anymore?” Izuku teased, smile growing larger as the tips of Shouto’s ears turned pink.

“You– you weren’t…” Shouto stumbled over his words, the cold facade he always wore a distant memory. 

“I’m just teasing. Let’s get to Recovery Girl, your knee is in rough shape.” Izuku’s smile fell just a bit, guilt eating at his stomach. Todoroki sent him a look, raising his eyebrows at Izuku’s blood-stained uniform and bent fingers.

Izuku rolled his eyes. “Yeah yeah, I know I’m in rough shape too. Now hurry up or she’ll kill us both.”

As they hobbled into Recovery Girl’s tent, Izuku swore he saw Todoroki smiling. It made him feel just a little bit less guilty.

Sitting on the uncomfortable table Recovergy Girl was using as a makeshift healing bed, Izuku thought about his next two matches. If everything went how he thought it would…

 

He’d be facing Iida next. And then… then he’d have to fight Bakugou.

 


Beautiful, inspiring, wonderful fan-art:

Izuku and Shigaraki Parallels by fancy_tuxedocat

Thank you so much for this amazing art!!! If you want to send in fan-art of my works, please email them to [email protected]

 

Notes:

So, uh, it's been a bit since I last uploaded. And by a bit I mean 7 months. I'M SO SORRY! I just finished my first year of college and regained the inspiration and motivation to work on this fic. I promise it hasn't been discontinued; it's been on my mind for the past 7 months, I just haven't had the time/energy/motivation to actually work on it. But I do now! This chapter is the longest one yet, as a little apology gift lol. I can't promise regular uploads, but I'll do what I can. Thank you for sticking around!

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